The Grind - Week 3

Amen. So we're continuing our series, The Grind. How many

of you feel it yet? Your kids have been back

in school for a whole week. Now you're exhausted because

you've been having to get up and cook breakfast and

do all those things and trying to get them in

bed and they don't want to go to bed and

you know, the whole deal. It's just that summer's starting

to come to an end and it's just, I mean,

it's been hot. It's just wearing you out and you

just feel like, wow, this is just a hard, a

hard season. This is the grind of life. That's what

we're trying to talk about. That you would find value

and purpose not in the extravagant moments of life, but

in those ordinary moments of life because God created those.

just as precisely and just as powerfully as he did

the others. If you've got a Bible, go to Exodus

Exodus 31 · chapter mention

chapter 31. Exodus chapter 31. We're going to start reading

Exodus 31 · chapter mention

in verse 1. Exodus 31, 1. It says, Then the

Lord spoke to Moses, saying, See, I've called by name, Bezalel,

son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.

And I have filled him with the Spirit of God,

Underline that if you've got a good old paper Bible. Underline,

I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom,

in understanding, in knowledge, in an all manner of workmanship

to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver

and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting and carving wood,

and to work in all manner of workmanship. This passage

of Scripture is the first time in the entire Bible,

as we have read, that God says he filled someone

with his spirit. Now we read other places where people

were filled with the spirit.

We see that in Joseph's life. It says that he

was filled with God's spirit, but there was no defining moment.

This is the first time where God says, I filled

him with my spirit for this purpose. for the purpose

of being an elite craftsman to work with his hands. Now,

here's the extraordinary thing that I want you to understand.

The first time he says that he was filling someone

with his spirit, it wasn't a prophet.

Amen? It wasn't a king.

It wasn't someone set apart to do one of those

kind of works and that kind of ministry. He set

that person apart. He filled them with the Spirit for

the purpose of doing a job that they would have

an end result that would glorify God because of the

excellence and the quality with which he performed it. He

didn't first say, I'm filling a preacher with the Word

of God because let me be honest with you. I

don't come into contact with the people you come into

contact with.

I don't have access to the people. I work at

a church. Come on, somebody.

Most of the people I'm around are saved already. And

it wears me out. I don't mean necessarily y'all wear.

Yeah, I do mean that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I do

mean that.

Yeah, so it wears me out because one of the

things I love to do the most is to talk

about Jesus.

I love talking about Jesus.

I love looking for an opportunity to start a conversation

wherever I am about Jesus. However I can lead into that,

some way, sometimes very awkwardly, I just force that conversation.

Amen? I love to do that.

But the reality is the most of the people that

I reach are in this room. Most of the people

that I reach and I spend time with on a

daily basis.

They're already saved. They already know the Lord.

And the things that I do are more towards an

audience that already knows him. As a matter of fact,

God designed it that way. God designed the local church

to have church.

Let me say that again.

The most important thing the local church can do is

to have church.

Now there's lots of other things we.

Do, but for so long the modern church has been

focused on trying to build something so that people would

come and see what we do. They would just come

and and see us perform on a stage, and hopefully

the right people would show up at the right time,

and we'd preach the right sermon, sing the right songs,

that Holy Spirit would get involved and draw somebody's heart,

and they would come to an altar, and they would

pray a prayer, and they would get saved, and we're

getting to baptize two people today.

Come on, somebody. What a day. But you know what?

That's not what the church is for. As a matter

of fact, the Bible says fivefold ministry, apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor,

and teacher are to prepare the saints for works of service.

That this is the place where training happens so that

you are filled with the Spirit and what God has

touched your hands and your life and given you the

wisdom to do impacts the people in the world. But

I think sometimes what happens in the world, we feel

like it's so insignificant. We feel like we're not making

a difference. We're not making an impact. And that's what

makes it feel like we're just trying to grind out.

The day until we go to bed.

We're just trying to survive the kids.

Come on, somebody. We're just trying.

Listen, when your kids are acting crazy, I had kids.

I know what crazy kids are.

Come on.

Listen, I raised two daughters. I raised one that I

thought was in training to be Mother Teresa. I'll raise

one that I thought was in training to be a

cage fighter. I'm not going to put names behind those.

Y'all just have to figure it out yourself. I know

what those temper tantrums look like. I know what those

things look like. And it's almost like we.

Just say, let's just go home. Let's just pack.

That up to go. We're just going to go home.

What if you just Jesused through that?

What if instead of.

Just packing it up and giving it up, that in

the moment of the grind, when things got hard, you

just showed a little extra grace. You just paid a

little more attention. And that person that's sitting over there

waiting on you, I don't know, maybe you do wear

them out.

That's between you and God. I mean, that's just... Sometimes works.

Come on now. That's between you and God.

What... But those people that are watching because attention has

been gathered, they see the anointing in your life because

God has filled you with the Spirit to parent children

who will grow up to be world changers. And it

impacts their lives because they see the anointing to be

a parent on your life. And they can't have the

patience you have. And they start asking the question, why

we're living.

Why were they able.

To operate like that, but I can't operate like that?

It must be something different. And then they start listening

to you talking to the waitress.

About Jesus.

They hear you invite her to church. They see you

praying and they start putting some dots together. And they say, oh, wow,

maybe there is something to this God thing. Maybe there

is some kind of empowerment that happens in everyday life.

Or maybe you work on a job and it's just

like monotonous. Let's just, I mean, your job, you just

feel like it's just monotonous sometimes.

Raise your hand.

It's just like, and you go and you're just trying

to like get survive. Just trying to get to the

end of the day. What if you understood that God

filled you with the Spirit of God? So that you

couldn't just get through the day, but you could be

so full of joy, so full of purpose and focus,

that people see that in your life and they're like, listen,

last week, Last week, they were hating this place just

like I was. And now all of a sudden, there's

something different. There's something that's changed. There's something significant about

the way that peace has settled on their life. And

I need to have a conversation.

And they slide up next to you at the break room.

And they're like, hey, I just, you know, what's different?

What's different? What's different?

And you just look at him and say, you know what?

I finally realized that I've been waiting to find out

what God's called me to do. I've been waiting to

find out what difference I can make. I've been waiting.

I've been waiting for this big monumental moment, this thing

to happen. And I realized that you are that monumental moment,

that this place is that monumental moment, that God can

bless this place through the anointing on my life. And

then the owner is going to seek Jesus.

Y'all don't have to clap. It's okay. If you don't

feel it, don't do it.

I mean, it's okay.

Every day, every day is why God filled you with

his spirit.

Some of you have been waiting for years, been waiting

for years just to get your opportunity.

To get behind a pulpit and preach a sermon.

Amen. You're like, oh, if I only get that chance,

if I can only get that chance, if I can

only get that chance. and you've wasted every sermon for

every day because a lot of times I think to

myself if I could just go to a place where

I would get locked in the building with people that

don't know Jesus and they couldn't get away because they

punched a clock and they got to listen to me

for eight hours they got to see me for eight

hours I could make a real difference in the world

The grass is always greener on the other side. Most

of the time it's greener over the septic tank though,

just so you know. In Acts chapter 6 verse 1,

Acts 6:1

it says, Now in those days when the number of

the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the

Hebrews by the Hellenists because their widows were neglected in

the daily distribution of food, of resources. That's what we're

talking about here. It's They weren't being fed. They weren't

having resources distributed to them. There's an argument broke out.

So they come to the people in charge.

Come on now. They came to Pastor Clay.

And they're like, hey, that wall ain't built right. I

know some of y'all thought that, but it is. That

wall is built right. That wall, that floor holds me up.

If it holds me up, it'll hold any of y'all up.

Come on now.

I've jumped up and down on every single piece of

new construction.

It holds, baby.

It holds.

It holds.

Verse 2, then the twelve summoned the multitude of the

disciples and said, it's not desirable.

Because the widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said,

it's not desirable that we should leave the word of

God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among

you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy

Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over the business.

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, to the

ministry of the word. And the same pleased the whole multitude.

And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and

the Holy Spirit. So listen, here's the thing. We are

trying to train the saints for works of service. And

this issue, there's other people that are very equipped to

do that.

And we want them to do that. We want them

to do that.

And they went out and they found these people, not

just Stephen. They found the people. And it says that

Stephen was a man of faith. He was full of

the Holy Spirit. And he was anointed. And he started

working in the distribution of food.

Now watch this.

He didn't preach that first sermon on the day of Pentecost.

He didn't do that.

He didn't get called into the Sanhedrin. He didn't do that.

He worked at the food pantry. Come on, somebody. He

worked at the food bank.

He worked at the important ministry of taking care of widows.

And the Bible says that that's pure and undefiled ministry.

That's pure and undefiled religion. Take care of the widows

and the orphans. So he was doing the real work

of ministry. He was doing the hands-on work of ministry.

And do you realize that this man who didn't preach

the first sermon, he wasn't laying hands on the multitudes.

He wasn't starting a revival. He was working in the

daily distribution of food. And he so stirred the devil

up that he was the very first martyr of Christendom.

He was the very first person that gave his life

for Jesus. Doing the work in the middle of the grind,

a hundred degrees, and he was pushing the carts out.

He was pushing the carts full of groceries out to

people's cart.

Now, I know they didn't have cars.

I'm making a modern day application to a yesterday.

Pushing it out there.

The devil got mad because now people were getting taken

care of. There was now no complaints because the church

was doing what the church.

Was supposed to do. Got mad.

He has this experience and they start stoning. Listen, they

start stoning him.

And he looks into heaven.

And Jesus himself appears, the sky rolls back, and he

speaks to him. And there is such a powerful moment

of God right there that people are captivated by. And

the kingdom of God grew because someone in the middle

of the grind was so sold out to what God

had called them to do that it made an impact

on people around them.

God is not.

Listen, stop waiting for whatever you think it is that's

big that you're supposed to do with your life because

serving in the grind will make a bigger.

Difference than you could ever imagine.

In Matthew 5, starting in verse 13, He says, You

are the salt of the earth, but if the salt

loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is

then good for nothing but to be thrown out and

trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world.

A city that's set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under

a basket, but on a lampstand and it gives light.

To all who are in the house. Let your light

so shine.

Before men that they may see your good works and

glorify your Father in heaven.

He says, you're the salt, and if you stop being salty....

Now, I know that means something different now. Some of

y'all are too salty, and that's your problem. But you

start losing your flavor.

Your flavor.

Because everything becomes common. Everything is average. Everything is everyday.

And you don't treat.

Those moments like they're sacred. You don't look for Jesus

in the mundane. You don't look for Jesus in that

moment where people are watching you, where you have an

opportunity to lead by faith, to lead by peace, to

lead by whatever. You don't look for those opportunities. And suddenly,

it just seems common. And everybody's just kind of looking

at you like, well, you know what?

They go to church, but... I don't need to go

to church.

I just sleep late on Sunday because obviously they don't

have anything I don't have. Let me show you what

is not a good Christian witness.

When you walk in every day, just like broke down.

Hold on. And you're like, oh, devil just beating me up.

I just, oh, devil's on me. Whew. I'm living for Jesus.

Glory to God, I'm living for Jesus. People already feel

like that. People already feel like that.

Why would they want to add another layer by you

modeling that this is.

What it means to be a follower of Jesus?

A Christian witness is that the devil's on top of you.

And you walk in. And somebody walks up to you

and says, hey, I heard what's going on. Heard what's

going on.

I just want to check on you, make sure you're okay. Hey,

I appreciate that. You know what?

I'm doing good because the Holy Spirit has anointed me

for this moment and he has surrounded me with his

favor and his presence and I'm going to be okay

because his peace is alive and well in me and

he's already giving me wisdom and he's already guiding me

and he's already leading me.

Do you have that same assurance?

Listen, the devil is going to aggravate you every day

of your life. Every day of your life. Listen, I

got here this morning. I walked in and I was fine.

And I walked in the building and I thought, you

know what? I probably just need to drive back home

and get back into bed. I feel tired. People are

going to complain because the plastic and got to walk around.

Something's going to be broken. I just, I'm just going

to call Pastor Clay and just get him to preach.

I felt like that. I never turned the steering wheel though.

Because here's the thing.

Jesus shines brighter through me in my weakest, most exhausted,

most fatigued moments than he does at any other time.

Because he's God. And when I'm weak, he is strong. Amen.

And when you're going through the motions and you're not

activating him in your life, nobody sees him. But when

you take your life off cruise control and you realize

that this moment right now where I'm at is anointed

by God, he has positioned me in time and space

to be here to make a difference that I was

born for such a time as this. Then it changes

your attitude and the anointing and you no longer measure

the spiritual condition. You change the spiritual condition of your surroundings.

And you're like, well, listen, I tell people about Jesus

all the time. They fired me.

Good.

And watch this.

God will get his vengeance on someone who persecuted you

for being a believer and he will elevate you because

of the witness that you took. Now, he may not

do it in your time, but he will do it

because he is faithful to do the things he says

he will do. Clay, you guys can come and get ready.

Pastor Clay, you guys can come and get ready. You know,

sometimes I just call him Clay because we've been together

for so long.

Like a son. We spend a lot of.

Time together and sometimes I say that, but I want

to assure you that he has most definitely earned the

right to be called pastor. And I want to show

honor in that. I want to show honor in that

because God has certainly got his hand upon him and

has ordained him. And I don't mean to diminish his

role by sometimes.

Using his first name.

It's more like because he's my son, not because I

don't recognize the immense calling and gifting and anointing on

his life. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 16.

2 Corinthians 5:16

Says, Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according

to the flesh.

Even though we've known Christ according to the flesh, yet

now we know Him thus no longer.

Therefore, if anyone is.

In Christ, if anyone anyone is in Christ, that means you.

Doesn't matter how beat up you feel.

How neglected you feel, how insignificant you feel.

None of those things. If anyone is in Christ, He

is a new creation. Old things have passed away.

Behold, all things have become new.

Now all things are of God who has reconciled us

to Himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the

ministry of reconciliation. That is that God was in Christ

reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to Him.

And has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

He says, this is how valuable you are, is that

I have committed to you the word of reconciliation that

through your actions.

And your words, I will restore.

Fallen man to holy God by the power of Holy Ghost.

That's not insignificant.

That the creator of the universe chooses to use you.

You.

That of all the plans he could have used.

He could send down an angel every day at noon

to a different city.

They could blow a few buildings up and say, repent. Repent.

work better than using me.

He could do it faster. That's not God's plan. God's

plan is to use you. The most significant, gifted, and

anointed person at His disposal.

For that task. That's who you are.

That He has placed you with those people because you're

the right level of salt and you're the right level.

Of light and He's using you.

To draw people to Himself.

It's not a grind.

It's ministry.

It's not mundane. It's the kingdom. It's the kingdom. It's

not just another day.

It's the opportunity to make a difference in the world

as we know it.

And it rests right here. All around us. All the time.

You know maybe you're here. You've never asked Jesus to

forgive you of your sins and be.

The Lord of your life.

You don't understand this significance because you don't know Jesus.

Or maybe at one point you tasted of the Lord

and you know what that relationship is like, but over

time you've allowed sin, you've allowed distance, indifference to come

between you and Him and you don't have that strong,

thriving relationship that you once had.

But you want it back because.

You want to be a.

Broker of significance. To be used in the hands of God.

To change the world around you.

This is that moment.

If you would, everybody stand with me all over the building.

If you're here today and you'd say, Pastor, I've never

asked Jesus to.

Forgive me of my sins. I feel the Holy Spirit

draw in my heart.

Or maybe you're here and you would say, you know what,

I've prayed that prayer. But I've allowed things to come

between me and Him and I don't.

Feel the closeness. I don't feel that passionate relationship that

I've once had.

Either of those is you.

I ask Him to forgive me for the very first time.

Or restore that relationship with me. Just slip your hand

up and say, that's me, Pastor.

That's why I want every eye open, every head looking right.

That's me.

I want to.

Amen.

Is there somebody else?

Now here's the thing about Cornerstone Tabernacle that I know.

Two things.

Number one, we operate as the family of God. If

you're in this place, you're loved. Number two, we operate

as the army of God. And if you're in this

place and you need something, we'll go to war for you.

So if you're here and say, you know what, that's me.

I just need to, I need that fresh touch, that

relationship restored. Just put your hand up, put it right

by that.

Say, that's me, Pastor.

Pray for me. Pray for me.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen. Some of my altar team, come.

Some of my altar team, come.

I'm going to count to three.

And if you raised your hand, or if you didn't

and now you realize you should have, When I count

to three, I want you to step out and move.

Don't look to see if anybody else is moving. This

is between you and God. This is your moment for

that fresh, new relationship. Kindled, fresh, white hot. When you

take that first step, you're going to begin to feel

His Spirit rolling right in here somewhere. On the count

of three.

Step out and move.

One. Two.

Three, step out and move right now.

Come on, where are you? If you raise your hand,

come on. If you didn't raise your hand, but you

should have.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Come on. Come on.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

I know there's more. Come on.

Come on.

Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. The altars

are open. Pastor Clay, let's sing.