Making What You Profess Your Profession | Pastor Lamar Mills

Thank you so much to our leadership, Pastor Brian

and Rashida Poe, our overseer, Pastor Deborah.

So grateful for this family. And man, I said

some years ago, like, you know, being here for

a while, I've heard, being here for a while,

I've heard a lot of people say a lot of things.

And I just determined to show it with my actions.

I'm just gonna keep showing up. Amen. Amen. All

right, y 'all ready? You got your Bibles Let's

go to Ephesians chapter 4 Ephesians chapter 4.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

Let's start here Ephesians chapter 4 starting

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

at verse number 1 We're gonna start at verse

number 1 just to set the stage just to set the

stage and set the tone I can't cheat you not

even a little bit. So we're gonna read Ephesians

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4 we're gonna read Ephesians chapter

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

4 and then we'll we'll we'll highlight some points

to get what the Lord is saying to us amen I'm

reading I'm reading now I Normally in this setting

like this, I would read from the New Living translation

or something like that, right? But I think y

'all can handle I'm a readers from the NASB.

Okay. All right. All right. It says therefore

I This is Paul speaking therefore. I the prisoner

of the Lord Urge you to walk in a manner worthy

of the calling with which you have been called

Therefore I urge you to walk in a manner worthy

of the calling with which you have been called

with all Humility and gentleness and patience

bearing with one another and love being diligent

to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of

peace There is one body and one spirit just as

you are also called in one hope of your calling

one lord one faith one baptism one god and father

of all who is over all and through all and in

all that sounds like a lot of unity to me right

there's a lot of unity right there verse seven

says but to each one of us grace was given according

to the measure of christ's gift therefore it

says when he ascended on high he led captive

the captives and he gave gifts to people Now

this expression he ascended What does it mean

except that he also had descended into the lower

parts of the earth? He who descended is himself

also he who ascended far above the heavens so

that he might feel all things so that he might

feel all things verse 11 is is where we're going

to key in all right verse 11 it says and he gave

some as apostles some as prophets some as evangelists

and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping

of the saints for the work of ministry y 'all

got it in your bibles is in mind too for the

building up of the body of Christ until we all

attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge

of the Son of God to a mature man to the measure

of the statue which belongs to the fullness of

Christ as a result we are no longer to be children

tossed here and there by the ways and carried

about by every wind of doctrine by the trickery

of people by craftiness and deceitful scheming

but speaking the truth in love we are to grow

up in all aspects into him oh snap don't miss

that part We are to grow up in all aspects into

Him who is the head just in case you'll know

who we talking about that is Christ From whom

the whole body being fitted and held together

by what every joint supplies According to the

proper working of each individual part according

to the proper working of each individual part

raise your hand Raise your hand say I'm a part

Okay, I just wanted to make sure you knew that

causes The growth of the body for the building

up of itself in love. So I say this, and I affirm

in the Lord, that you are to no longer walk as

the Gentiles also walk, and the futility of their

minds being darkened in their understanding,

excluded from the life of God because of the

ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness

of their heart. And they, having become callous,

have given themselves up to indecent behavior

for the practice of every kind of impurity with

greediness. But you do not learn Christ in this

way. If indeed you have heard him and have been

taught in him, just as truth is in Jesus, that

in reference to your being, to your former way

of life, you are to rid yourself of the old self,

which is being corrupted in accordance with the

lust of deceit, and that you are to be renewed

in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the

new self, which in the likeness of God has been

created in righteousness and holiness of the

truth. Therefore ridding yourselves of falsehood,

speak truth each one of you with his neighbor.

Because we are parts of one another oh man if

we can sit right there Speak truth to your neighbor

because we are parts of one another like if I

lie to you I'm hurting myself and Do not give

the devil an opportunity do not be angry says

yet be angry but don't sin do not let the sun

go down on your anger and do not give the devil

any opportunity if one who steals must not one

who steals must no longer steal but rather he

must labor producing with his own hands what

is good so that he will have something to share

with one who has need let no unwholesome word

come out of your mouth but if there is any good

word for edification according to the need of

the moment say that so that it will give grace

to those who hear do not grieve the holy spirit

of god by whom you were sealed for the day of

redemption that's good news right there all bitterness

wrath anger clamor and slander must be removed

from you along with all malice be kind to one

another ain't be kind to one another compassionate

forgiving each other just as God in Christ also

has forgiven you I know I know we kind of toned

it down on that last the last few words but the

last few words are so important look I'm gonna

read it again be kind to one another compassionate

forgiving each other just as God in Christ also

has forgiven you and real quick I'm gonna give

you something deep real quick real quick listen

Listen what that last statement says is that

all you're being asked to do is to do unto others

as god has done unto you That's I mean that that's

the gospel In a few words all we're being asked

to do is to treat other people In reflection

of how jesus treated us like that's that's the

point right there. If you ain't get anything

get that that's the point Okay for the next few

minutes for the next few moments just for the

um, you know those of you who like to organize

your notes And for the team, I'm talking from

the message title, making what you profess your

profession. Making what you profess your profession.

Here's a question for you. Have we become so

familiar, say familiar, with Christianity that

we've mistaken knowing about it for actually

living it? A book on the shelf does not equate

to knowledge in the heart. Right a book on the

shelf does not equate to content of character

Ephesians chapter 1 here's what Paul says he

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

says therefore therefore I the prisoner of the

Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the

calling with which you have been Called right.

I want to let you know and you you picked it

up already that word walk It's synonymous to

live walk live in a manner worthy of the calling

to which you've been called is what he says listen

the central theme theme of this this talk this

message for the next few moments aligns with

this thought that we should walk in a manner

worthy of the calling with which we have been

called we should walk in a manner worthy of the

calling to which we have been called we should

live in a manner worthy to the calling with which

we have been called notice paul doesn't say therefore

i the prisoner of the lord urge you to think

in a manner worthy of the calling to which you've

been called he doesn't end it at how you think

he doesn't end it at the collection of information

you gathered through your tenure at church He

doesn't end this process or progression of being

engaged with the Spirit of God with what we collect

or accumulate in the form of knowledge or church

cliches or you know how to say it and you know

when to say amen. That's not what he's talking

about. It doesn't stop there. It doesn't stop

there. The ultimate aim is not the thinking.

The ultimate aim is the living. The ultimate

aim is not the knowing. The ultimate aim is to

live it. The ultimate name is not to be able

to parrot it out, but the ultimate aim is to

do it, right? You hear what I'm saying? Here's

something I want to point out. Listen, this text,

Ephesians chapter one, follows a pattern of Paul's

writings. We see this pattern in Romans. We see

this pattern in his letter to the Corinthian

church. Paul follows this pattern of writing.

And this is how the pattern goes, right? When

I say it to you, you're gonna be like, oh yeah,

I see that, right? So here we are in Ephesians

chapter four, and it starts out, right, when

those who divided up his letter into chapters

and verses, they pause right here at Ephesians

chapter, what we know is Ephesians chapter four,

verse one, and it starts with the word therefore.

Therefore. Nobody uses a therefore like Paul

uses a therefore. Like Paul knew how to use a

therefore. right like this therefore should remind

us of another familiar passage of scriptures

and remember in roman chapter 12 remember roman

chapter 12 roman chapter 12 verse 1 also starts

with a good therefore therefore i beseech thee

brethren in light of the mercies of god that

you give yourselves as a living sacrifice holy

and acceptable unto the lord which is your what

reasonable service i heard a good preacher say

when you find it therefore you should ask what

is it Therefore, what's up with this? Therefore,

this is Paul's pattern of teaching. Paul has

a pattern of teaching, and a pattern goes like

this. Paul spends the first however many chapters,

well, the first part of his letter building up

how Christians should think. Call it theology.

Your theology is the way that you think about

God. All of us in this room and even people outside

of this room have a way that they think about

God. That's your theology. So Paul spends the

first however many chapters or however many sections

of his letter building up how Christians should

think about God and then he gets to this place

where he pivots and we know that he's pivoting

because Paul's go -to word to announce his transition

is what? Therefore. So then Paul pivot pivots

from how we should think to what we should do

Because of how we think you got it. You sure

you got it So listen, I'm gonna emphasize this

again. So Paul's ultimate aim is to get believers

to do something Paul's ultimate aim is to get

believers to live a certain way and Paul's Method

of getting getting us to live a certain way is

to start by telling us how we should think Now

listen Paul is not in the business of telling

you how you already think he ain't trying to

tell you how you already think He has no concern

about how you already think Paul is spending

his time telling you how you should think And

listen, listen, listen, how you should think

is backed up or produced by what God did through

Jesus. I beseech ye, brethrens, in light of the

mercies of God, when you consider the mercies

of God, when you consider how merciful God is,

when you consider how good God has been, when

you consider the things that he's done for us

collectively and also you individually, what

are you going to think? What do you think? What

do you think? What do you think about God when

you consider the things that he's done for you?

What do you think about God when you consider

his faithfulness to you? What do you think about

God when you consider how you heard his voice

you? heard his voice What do you think about

that? What does that cause you to think when

you know you you know you? But you know that

he knows you too, and he still deals with you

and he still talked to you and he still helped

you and he still brought you out and he still

made a way and he still favored you and healed

you and provided for you and touched you and

did all the stuff that he's done for you. What

do you think? What you think? What you think

about that? What you think about that? Something

I encourage believers to do frequently we something

weak encourage believers to do as a regular rhythm

of your life is reflect Reflection should be

a constant part of your life Daily weekly monthly

think about the year think about your life go

as far back as you can remember like you should

be Reflecting what does reflection help you do?

Reflection on this side now that I'm out of the

storm when I look back dissect the storm alone

my helper the Holy Ghost I see things now that

I didn't see in it you guys know you know the

the popular poem called footprints right the

footprints in the sand right listen that poem

was birthed out of a reflection moment the person

looked back and realized that I've made it cross

this beach but I only see one set of footprint

right he was able to look back and see how God

had carried him through this is what reflection

does on this side we've lived enough life listen

we live life and life goes by so fast there's

so many conclusions definitions and decisions

that we make without taking time to consider

god life sometimes life be coming at you like

bullet speed boom boom boom boom boom you ain't

got time we don't take the time to actually consider

am i defining that right like they slapping me

in my face right now do i have the time to actually

process and analyze what's happening right now

they shooting bullets at me right now Sometimes

life happens in a way that we don't have the

time or take the time to process it with God

So often what happens is we come to this to two

conclusions and we define things on our own There

are things that have happened in our past that

we've defined on our own and how we defined it

has determined how we've lived since that point

Oh Snap, I feel like I got to get in your business

just a little bit Listen, you treat people. Oh

man Listen, listen, listen. There's some ladies

who treat men the way they treat men because

of how they process interactions with men in

their past. And God wasn't involved in none of

that. It happened. You processed it. You defined

it. You put definitions. You analyzed it on your

own. And you live from it. You just moved on.

And you've been thanking God that you've been

able to move on. But you haven't taken the necessary

time to go back with the Holy Spirit, to go back

with your help. Let's process this together.

Let's assign some new definitions, get some new

clarity, and it will change your life. There's

some trauma. There's some incidents. There's

some accidents that all of us have been through.

All of us have experienced some stuff, right?

And we came out, thank God. We've known enough

to thank God that we came out of the trauma.

But now what I'm impressing upon you is that

you need to take time to go back and look at

it Go back and analyze it go back and process

it with your help Allow the Holy Spirit to give

you his definitions of what took place Why it

happened who did it and all of that stuff and

you'll come out of it transformed new thinking

about it differently, right? You hear what I'm

saying? So when I say listen think about the

Lord when Paul is asking us to think about what

he's done, it's in light of what God has done

through Jesus. Have you taken the time to cast

God's grace over your whole life? Are there some

areas of your life that you keeping in the shadows?

Are there some things that you keep tucked away

from grace? Are there areas of your life that

you haven't allowed his grace to affect? You

haven't allowed his grace to touch? I'm telling

you, listen, every time we do that, you You're

in for transformation You're in for transformation

every time you allow the Holy Spirit to give

definition to things that you've already defined

You're in for transformation All right. I'm gonna

give you this. Let's let's go. Y 'all good Okay

now why? Why does Paul? Write his letters like

this and listen, you can either take my word

for it or go look at it yourself Romans Colossians

Corinthians Paul has a pattern Taking the few

Romans Romans has 16 chapters. He takes the first

While he goes all the way to chapter 11 from

Romans chapter 1 to Romans chapter 11 Paul is

Romans 1 · chapter mention Romans 11 · chapter mention

giving us theology how we should think about

God and Then some of you who know your Bible,

you know in Romans chapter 12 He pivots and then

Romans 12 · chapter mention

he tells you what you should do Because that's

how you're thinking now Paul's letter to the

Corinthian Church, Paul's letter to the Galatians.

Listen, he wrote, he was upset with the Galatians.

Why is he upset with the church in Galatia? He's

upset with them because he says, listen, I came

there to you. I spent time with you. I taught

you how to think. How is it that I'm hearing

that your actions don't line up with what I said

now? I thought we handled that. If I spent time

with you and taught you how to think, your new

thinking should affect your actions. Why is it

that I'm hearing that you're doing things that

doesn't align with what you should be thinking?

He does it with the Galatians. He does it with

the Corinthians. This is his pattern of teaching.

This is how we should think. And because this

is how we should think, this is what we should

do. Now listen, listen, Paul is not using this

method as a he does he's not approaching this

as a method of teaching the way that a natural

teacher would just choose a method of teaching

this isn't Paul's systematic way to teach because

Paul learned from his teachers that this is how

you should do it this is the most effective way

to do it no Paul chooses this method of teaching

because Paul has reflected over his life and

he's seen the effect of grace and He's realizing

that grace will push out of you what to do so

so because as he he looks over his own life and

Listen, I'm not saying something that's foreign

to you When you look back over your life and

you think things over you can really say I'm

truly blessed I don't know that song I got a

testimony Listen listen when you look back over

your life, you can put your finger on the moments

of change I'm talking about real change when

you look back over your life You know that there

was a pre Christ you and a post Christ you and

you can identify the changes that happened in

your mind and in your Activity that line up with

the with what you saw and what you heard from

Jesus Every believer can say that, every believer.

I mean, there's some stuff that we still working

on, but I know I ain't who I used to be. And

if you give me a calendar, you put a calendar

before me, I can flip the pages of that calendar

and put my finger on the moments that change

took place. I remember, I remember when he spoke

to me, he spoke to me in my mama's driveway.

I was minding my own business in my mama's driveway,

me and my basketball. the Lord said and listen

just the truth just the fact that he spoke to

me that changed me right there I didn't even

get to what he said but just the fact that he

was speaking to me changed me and I know before

that moment there's a way that I was thinking

after that moment there's a new way I was thinking

before that moment there's a way I treated my

sister after that moment there's a new way I

treated my sister But I'm tell the truth before

that moment before that moment. There's a way

that I walked about and conducted myself after

that moment There was a new way I walked about

and conducted myself before that moment There

are things that I thought was important after

that moment. There's some new things I thought

were important before that moment I went to church

because my mama made me after that moment. I'm

a walk. I'm gonna walk you ain't going today.

I'm walking Raise your hand if you can relate

so so listen Paul I believe it was important

that Paul separated himself from the rest of

the religious teachers, because even in his time,

there are still many who were teaching the law.

I believe Paul wanted to be sure that his presentation

of the gospel looked nothing like their presentation

of the law. So one of the things that Paul did

to ensure that there was this separation was

that he taught from grace. His method of teaching

reflected grace. And this is what grace does.

Grace impacts your life, changes your thought,

then changes your action. Let me say, there's

a better way to say it. Grace impacts your life.

The impact that grace has on your life changes

the way that you think. And now that you have

a new way of thinking it naturally, automatically,

no self effort, no force, no striving, no strain.

My actions are going to change because my thinking

has changed because I've seen something in God

that I didn't see before. Do you hear what I'm

saying? It's not striving. It's not straining.

It's not self discipline. That's a big thing

I come against today because there's a lot of

talk about you disciplining yourself in order

to do something and not that your discipline

snap look look look look as as grace people The

origin has to be important to you if I'm disciplining

myself in anything I got a check. Where is this?

Where is the motivation for this discipline coming

from? Is it comparison? Is it competition? it

is it some unresolved issue in my past is it

an insecurity or is this is this is the origin

of this motivation coming from because I know

God is good that's the difference that's the

difference Ephesians chapter 1 Paul says therefore

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

I urge you to live lives worthy of the calling

to which you've been called the point That he's

making what he's illustrating is that we should

move from how to think about God into how to

live because of how we think and Listen the the

thing that I'm doing today what I'm doing in

this moment is I'm challenging you I'm challenging

the church to not be content in Accumulating

information that doesn't result in change life

We can no longer be content in just knowing it

and not living it. Listen, I say in many cases,

for many of us, you got books on your shelf that

you will never read. What I'm saying is you've

sat, you've attended so much church, you've heard

so many things that you ain't got time to get

to. Just tell the truth. You've memorized stuff,

for what reason? You've learned you've learned

we've know that we know the church vocabulary.

We know the church lingo We know the church walk.

We know the church dress. We know the custom

is and I know and all of this stuff we have we

have Conditioned ourselves to this cultural church

the way we do it today Because the way that it

looks today ain't the same as it did ten years

ago twenty years ago right we condition ourselves

to the way that it looks today and and too often

We're content with that being enough that being

okay what we're called what we're being called

to now is to be sure that what we say we have

is reflected in the productivity of our lives

listen the whole process of what God is doing

in you is not just so that you can know it but

that you live it I'm not okay until it's in the

content of my character his his process his process

in me hasn't Hasn't come to a conclusion until

I see it show up in the way that I treat my family

Listen what you're being called to this is not

exclusive to the four walls of this building

Oh Snap, let me take let me just jump in this

a little bit Listen, you're not being called

to serve just to be a service of service in this

building That's not the calling to what you've

been called You're being called to serve Everywhere

serve at your house serve on your job serve in

your neighborhood Serve at Publix serve in a

I mean what happened to the day that I used to

walk we used to walk through Publix grocery store.

That's Publix and come across some trash in Publix

grocery store and I'm fighting myself not to

pick this paper up in Publix parking lot like

I know I know cuz I know I know some of you can

relate like Struggling, you go into, since I'm

talking, I could talk about publics, right? You

go to publics, you go to their bathroom and you

struggle not to clean up their bathroom. You

at least clean up after yourself because service

is in you is one point. You and other people's

space cleaning up their space because service

is in you. Do you hear what I'm saying? You've

been called to serve everywhere. I know we spend

time and we've developed and trained ourselves

how to be generous in church. We're generous

in church giving, right? You're generous in your

church giving. Generous in church giving. But

you haven't been called just to be generous in

your church giving? And listen, I'm going to

do it. I'm going to do it, because I want you

to feel it. Like, this is a strong word, but

I'm going to do it. Like, shame on you if you're

generous at church, but you ain't gave nothing

to your own child, your son. your son can't get

a nickel from you but you you you walk in the

church with your chest stuck out because you

generous at church and your family ain't got

nothing when's the last time you gave to your

family you don't even know your neighbor when's

the last time you gave to your neighbor your

next door neighbor you've been living in the

same house since your grown kids was little kids

and you ain't take now bit of sugar to your next

door neighbor your neighbor don't even ask you

for sugar when they run out How you why how how

did you think that the call that you're being

called to stop here? No, you're called to be

generous everywhere Everywhere you go. I'm generous

at the restaurant. I'm generous at Publix I'm

generous in the chick -fil -a cuz I don't go

to no other fast food place that chick -fil -a

I'm generous at chick -fil -a window like everywhere

you go you generous I'm the most generous person

in my job They get on me cuz I give to the bad

kids to everybody get some everybody everybody

bad kids get some to notice boy here take this

Go I'll be at the walkers get I work at an elementary

school in St. Pete I'll be at the walkers gay

kids done got in trouble all day long and I'll

be hiding Gummies in my pocket here, man. Take

this gummy man. Have a better day tomorrow gone

If they ask you where you got it from don't tell

me I don't say it was me I'm gonna tell them

you lying I'm telling you That's what I tell

them. Generous everywhere, man. You're called

to be generous everywhere. You're called to serve

everywhere. You're called to give everywhere.

You're called to lead everywhere. It's the calling

to which you have been called. When Paul says

I beseech thee therefore in the light of all

the mercies of God that you present your body

as a living sacrifice unto God, holy and acceptable,

Paul is saying that the only logical natural

sequential response to all that God has done

for you through Jesus is that you give yourself

back to him. But this is the order of grace.

The reason that grace is so anti -striving is

because if it's grace, you don't have to strive.

Grace will push it out of you. So when you see

when you see me service not me is grace in me

When you see me lead is not me is grace in me

Grace will cause you to be gracious Here's the

litmus test and I don't share these things this

way for condemnation. That's never the aim. That's

not where we're going But you do. You got to

check your own report card like you have to somewhere

at some points in your life. You got to measure

yourself by what the word says. You have to measure

yourself. You have to consider your ways. You

have to measure yourself at certain intervals

in your life. You have to take account. So this

is how you take account. This is how you take

account. And this isn't for the purpose of condemnation,

this is for the purpose of accountability and

stewardship. Listen, I heard somebody just say,

Pastor Brian just said, listen, you're going

to be held accountable for what you did with

Jesus. God gave Jesus as a gift, you're going

to be held accountable for what you did with

Jesus. You got grace, you're going to be held

accountable for what you did with grace that

was given to you. Now here's the thing, here's

the thing. Listen, you're only accountable for

the grace that's given to you. Let it simmer,

let it simmer, let it simmer. Look, you're you

are only being asked to give from what you have

actually been given The challenge is is if we

see so much we see so much we hear so much we

are oh my gosh, we are like the maximum consumer

people we take so much we see so much here so

much take so much information and it confuses

what you're actually accountable for. You're

only required to give what he gave you. You're

only required to live from what he's shown you.

What causes frustration for the believer is you're

trying to live out something that he didn't even

give you. You're putting so much effort and energy

in living somebody else's revelation. He showed

that to them. He ain't showing it to you. Like,

why are you trying to do stuff? Listen, if it's

straining, if you're striving, then you need

to ask, is this mine? This may not be mine. I'll

probably pick this up like picking up somebody

else's phone. I picked up a phone. I thought

it was my phone. It's somebody else's phone.

You need to put it back. Give it back. That's

theirs. Consider what he gave to you. What did

he say to you? What did he show you? If he showed

you that he's a provider, then you live from

that. You reflect that. That's the revelation

that he gave you to live from. Make sure that

that is transforming your actions. You're only

responsible to give from what you've been given.

Do you hear what I'm saying? Just to take it

further. So because we say it, we say it often,

revelation brings transformation, right? Revelation

brings transformation. So, and this is not for

condemnation. This is just for accountability.

So, if I assess myself and I don't see transformation,

that means I don't have the revelation. That's

not a bad thing. That's just the truth. Oh, boy.

They're going to say, Pastor Lamar, you're making

it too easy. I'm telling you this is how easy

it's supposed to be. If I assess my life and

I don't see the transformation in me, that means

that I don't have that revelation. I'm just gonna

remind you of something, because I feel a little

tension in the room. I'm gonna remind you of

something. The first time you met Jesus, I'll

put it in those terms, when you met Jesus, how

hard did you work to change after that? You ain't

have to work hard at all, because the change

came out of what you saw, what you heard, and

what happened. This is the life of grace So then

pass them all what am I supposed to do to get

to all these other changes? I'm supposed to make

keep looking keep looking What did James say

James says listen? You got to look into this

precious law of Liberty look at it and don't

turn away How does change happen for a believer

not through strain not through striving not through

self effort? Keep looking at Jesus. Just look

at Jesus. The only work that you've been asked

to do is don't take your eyes off Jesus. Just

keep looking at Jesus. Listen, listen, listen,

listen, listen, listen, listen, listen. I'm gonna

tell you, I'm gonna tell you the Bible that you

already know. When Peter was on that shore after

spending that whole night trying to catch them

fish and they caught nothing, Jesus came in the

shore, told him, listen, boy, just cast to the

other side. They cast to the other side. What

happened? They call it a boat sinking load of

fish. What did Peter do? What did Peter do? He

jumped off that boat, swam to the shore. The

Bible says he removed his tunic, jumped off the

boat, swam to the shore, climbed up on that shore,

fell before the feet of Jesus said, depart from

me. I'm a sinful man. Peter had revelation. Did

he strive for the revelation? Was it because

of self -effort? It wasn't nothing Peter did.

Peter just saw. That's the Messiah right there.

in response of him seeing Jesus he was changed

and Peter is a perfect picture of how grace is

supposed to happen because we know that even

after this moment Peter didn't have perfection

Peter continued to stumble through as he progressed

and developed towards the Apostle that we all

know it's all over the Bible Paul thought he

was working for God Paul thought he was working

for God killing Christians Working for God, killing

Christians, on his way to get some more Christians

and met Jesus on the road to Damascus. And what

happened after he saw what he saw and heard what

he heard? Did Paul strive for change? Was it

self -effort that caused him to change? He just

saw Jesus. And as a result of seeing Jesus, he

was transformed. And that is the recipe for your

saved life. That is grace. That's grace All you

got to do is keep looking all you got to do is

keep looking Stand on your feet. All you got

to do is keep looking look for them right now

lift your hands Jesus to see you is all we want

to do to see you Lord Let us not be fooled into

thinking that we can ever have enough. I just

want to sit at your table I just want to eat

what you're feeding me Help me just hear what

you're saying to me. Father, teach me to move

in the grace that allows me to seek to be satisfied

in you. Help me push away all these other plates.

Teach me how to close my ears to all this other

noise so that I can just hear from you. Teach

me how to get away with you. Teach me how to

get away with you. To learn from you, to dance

with you, to walk with you. Glory! Hallelujah!

Praise him right now. Hallelujah, Lord. Hallelujah,

Lord. Glory to you, Father. We thank you, Lord.

You know, I grew up in a Baptist church and the

preacher would say the doors of the church are

open. But what God wants us to know, the door

to his throne room is always open. It's always

open. You always have access. Always. Always

isn't just a pinpoint for time. Always is also

a pinpoint for condition. Not only do I have

access to him any time of day, any date on the

calendar, but I also have access to him no matter

my condition. When I'm feeling good, I can go

to the Father. When I'm feeling bad, I can go

to the Father. When I did right, I can go to

the Father. When I did wrong, I can go to the

Father. When I know, when I don't know, I always

have access. The door is open. Listen as a as

the church as the church You're being called

to action the Lord wants you activated in the

work that he's doing What work is he doing? He's

still in the work of bringing people into the

knowledge of him as the son of God as the Savior

And he's called you to be active in that work

My wife and I have had the awesome opportunity

to serve as the pastors of St. Pete, the St.

Pete Church since 2017. Last May, last May, we

made a decision that was birthed out of our love

for people to leave a building and to go where

people are. Listen, I rode to church every morning,

and as I'm riding to church, I'm passing people.

As I'm riding to a building, let me talk right,

I'm passing people. People in the park, the park

parking lot is packed. The beaches were packed.

Downtown, downtown St. Pete, packed out Sunday

morning. Passing all these people on the way

to church to a building. We said, listen, not

no more. We love people, we going where the people

are. We going where the people are. And look,

you don't have to take my word for it. You can

ask talk to them. Oh my gosh, the last 14 months

have been the most fulfilling months of ministry

in my whole. I started preaching when I was 16

and the last 14 months have been the most fulfilling

months. We've talked to so many people. We've

cried with so many people. I can't tell you the

number of grown men who have cried on our shoulder.

How many, we average about, we feed about 20

people every second Sunday. We feed about 20

people who consider the park that we go to. Some

of them consider that park home. And then there's

always some kids or a family in the neighborhood

that comes through and we spend time with them

too. I gotta... Got a skateboard y 'all. I got

a skateboard Pastor Brian. I got a skateboard.

It's nice Because the park we go to also has

a skate park and there's about 40 people up there

and it's so diverse and And they're there there

are guys who have skated with Tony Hawk There

are guys who just learning how to skate their

grandmas that bring their grandsons up there

to skate Very diverse group and I go up there

and I just put myself in the way I do. Literally.

Literally, just put myself in the way. Listen,

the second time I went up there, I caught myself

hopping on somebody's skateboard, almost broke

my ribs. I did. I almost broke my ribs. I did.

So I done told the team, I said, listen, I'm

gonna have to go back out there. I just can't

keep going out there and just talking. I'm gonna

have to get on the skateboard. in order to be

in order they done brought me into their community

listen i got they done signed my skateboard i

got autographs on the bottom of my board and

everything it's nice but i'm gonna have to give

me some elbow pads and some knee pads and a helmet

to really become a part of the group we've baptized

over 60 people and since i serve everywhere we've

baptized definitely six at least six to six seven

six to seven direct people that attend the school

that i work at Our last baptism, we got to baptize

the PE coach. Listen, kids find out from other

kids that Mr. Mills be baptizing people. So the

kids come to me at school and tell me they want

to be baptized. And so they get baptized, their

mama get baptized, their mama boyfriend get baptized,

and all the other kids in the family get baptized

too. we go to the beach and baptize people and

people watching what's happening come get baptized

did you know we have people on the beach who

don't know us see what we're doing and they come

and they serve as ppas they be guarding the garden

i'll be looking back like who are these people

we love what you're doing pastor thumbs up you

got a great calling you got a great calling don't

substitute your cultural definition of church

for the real thing If you want to know what church

should look like, read your Bible. Look at what

Jesus did. That's what you should be doing. Amen?

Amen. We got a baptism to do right now, don't

we? We do a benediction after baptism, after

baby dedication, then we do the benediction.

Am I right? That's right. All right. So as they're

coming, look. You all I'm gonna just say out

loud the truth that you guys already know You

can give your life to Jesus from your seat. You

can give you can get saved at home watching this

on TV One thing that you have to understand is

that you're being called out It doesn't stop

it. Just being called out you're being brought

in so when we invite people to come up who have

made a decision to Make Jesus the Lord of their

lives It's the part of being called in. You're

being called into family. You've been, you're

being called into community. And listen, let

me uproot a lie. You can't be, you can't live

a saved life alone. God ain't called no lone

wolves. The idea that you can be saved by yourself

and do this by yourself, that's a lie. Okay.

So when we invite a person that has made decisions

for God to come up, It's because you're being

called out and being brought in to His fold.

He's a shepherd. We're His sheep. You're being

brought into His fold. And I just want to expand

that any person who's here after hearing what

you've heard today and you're ready to make a

decision for God, I just want you to raise your

hand. Notice how I framed it. If you've After

hearing what you've heard today, you're ready

to make a decision for God. That decision could

include salvation. That decision could include

rededication. That decision could include, I'm

going to do what he's been telling me to do.

That decision could include, I need to join this

church. If you're here and after hearing what

you've heard, you're ready to make a decision,

I just want you to raise your hand. Father we

this we thank you for the hands that are raised

We thank you father for the people that have

been brought to a place of decision We thank

you for your great grace for them. We thank you

that you continue what you started in them We

thank you father that we get to be witnesses

of what you're doing in their lives We're grateful

and we pray these things in your son Jesus name

together. We say Amen, amen, amen. Amen. Give

God some praise for that. Amen Well, it is also

offering time opportunity to show your love towards

God kingdom advancement opportunity time you

can have a seat if you needed an offering envelope

wave your hand they get the attention of an usher

and they'll be more than happy to serve you I

know by now many of you have found the the way

you like to give there's so many ways to to do

it cash app Zell church app website if you need

an envelope you can do it that way as well and

giving is really simple Giving is really simple,

man. I'm growing, I hate that we've complicated

it. Giving is really simple. Look, it's just

this simple. You're never being asked to give

what you don't have. That does away with the

pressure. You're never being asked to give what

you don't have. And giving is a reflection of

your gratitude for what was first given to you,

right? And then in a real practical sense, in

real practical ways, You know your your giving

to Chick -fil -a helps Chick -fil -a keep doing

what they do So when they change the fry recipe,

we have a right to be upset in real practical

terms You're giving to church is your way to

support the church and what the church does your

giving says I want y 'all to keep doing that

It's that simple. It's that simple and and I'm

gonna say this to give whenever you're inspired

to give don't limit Don't confine your giving

to Sunday. You can give on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,

Thursday, Friday, Saturday. You can give twice

in one day if you're so lit. Amen. Amen. Father,

thank you for giving us gifts to give. We sow

our seed in faith. We sow our seed in gratitude.

We thank you for what you do with it. We pray

these things in your son Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

Amen. Glory to God. Well, we gonna celebrate.

as we rejoice with our brothers and our sisters

that are being baptized today. We celebrate.

We celebrate in a big way. Give me thanksgiving.

Joy service today. Can we give it up for Pastor

Lamar one more time and his family? And just

thank you for blessing us with that word. And

I got to read this scripture to you. I was like,

wow, the whole time he was preaching, this was

just leaping in my spirit, right? but Matthew

11 and the 28 I'm reading the message version

but it says are you tired worn out burnt out

on religion come to me get away with me and you'll

recover your life I'll show you how to take a

real wet rest walk with me work with me watch

how I do it learn the unforced rhythms of grace

I won't lay anything heavy or ill -fitting on

you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to

live freely and lightly." I said, he preached

that message in its totality. It's truly, truly.

I tell people like, I don't know who you've been

around, what you've been around, but meeting

Jesus, living with Jesus. has been the greatest

decision of my life. And I'm just thankful that

he doesn't put anything ill -fitting upon us.

Walk with me, work with me, watch how I do it.

I thank God for the grace you deposited upon

us and reminding us that this is a life full

of joy. Let's give it up for the people that

got baptized today. You know, every person has

a story. I'ma share one of them, but the last

gentleman that got baptized, he actually returned

to church after being out of church for 16 years

last Sunday. And he came in and he was invited

by Pastor Gamage. He met him at the gun range,

much like the skate park. And he says, come with

me to church. And not knowing he hasn't been

to church in over 16 years, and man, he just...

I get choked up thinking about this stuff, but

he felt the power in the presence of God and

committed to the work of the Lord again and got

baptized and y 'all just be praying for him.

That's what I'm saying, that there's warfare

going on, that the man, God gets the final say.

Well, I'm gonna do one thing. I wasn't gonna

do it, but I am gonna do it. Because I don't

have an announcement a graphic but I'm so excited

about this and so just just just like mark your

mental calendars for December the 3rd through

the 6th December 3rd through the 6th God has

called us back into doing conferences and You

know certain assignments They have to be kingdom

rooted and man, this is good And so i'm thankful

for the assignment But truthfully is going to

need your prayers and your participation The

name of the conference is the call I know you

guys seen us do events Over the years called

the call And the heart behind it is simply this

That the gifts and the callings of god are irrevocable

That what god gave you It's not gone. But truthfully,

throughout the year, a lot can happen to make

you feel like what God has given you is no longer

relevant or no longer has a place. And so God

placed this vision in our heart of a conference

called The Call. And it's just as simple as it

sounds. It's this understanding that many people

are just a call away. Someone calling them up

and saying, hey, God still called you. Your gift

is irrevocable. This may have been a rough year,

but there's a new year coming. My father used

to say something, how you end a thing determines

how you begin a thing. And so we put it at the

end of the year so that people can begin their

year not wondering about who they are, but stepping

into the calling of who they are. So it's like

a moment of rekindling, a moment of stirring

up, a moment of being fired up. And this year

is going to be bigger. Than it's ever been. This

is a real conference. That's why I'm telling

you all this, right? It's a Thursday a Friday

a Saturday and a Sunday There are sessions all

day Thursday Friday Saturday and Sunday I told

you guys at the leadership that I was gonna corner

pastor Tony Brazel 10 and pastor Andrea Creighton

We cornered them. They have confirmed they're

going to be coming to the conference and a few

other guest speakers are going to be coming and

what I'm saying is be in the room. Be in the

room. Take the time off. I guarantee you it's

going to make a moment, make a mark. That's just

not going to be a race, right? Two things that

God specifically is going to do is He showed

me two things. And so I just want to put these

two things out there is many people from a relationship

standpoint and from a business standpoint have

been feeling difficulties in relationships. And

simply what God said is, man, make the phone

call. If you've been having a rough time with

somebody, See, I'm not taking our problems into

2027. Meet me at the call, and we're going to

open up our hearts to what God can do. Basically,

don't take anything heavy with you. What are

we going to do? We are going to hire and pay

for group counselors, personal counselors, so

that you can have somebody not only spiritually

receive what to do, but naturally walk through

some things with some people. I'm saying, we

paying for it. All you got to do is respond to

the call. Let us know, hey, this ain't my business

partner. We ain't seeing eye to eye. Don't take

that into 2027. Me and my wife, we're not seeing

eye to eye. Don't take that into 2027. Me and

my team members, we got drama and we got trauma,

pastor. Don't take it into 2027. We are going

to pay for people to come sit down with you,

walk through it. So you can walk into the new

year not carrying anything heavy y 'all walking

with me All I'm asking you to do is call them

up say hey listen Meet me at the call and we

believe God's gonna do a work. So December 3rd

Through the 6th. That's a Thursday Friday Saturday

and the Sunday and you're gonna be tired Come

Monday and that's the point. You're gonna be

full and tired. I've never had a good meal. I

know Like Thanksgiving. I'm tired because the

meal is that good Or spiritually is gonna be

that good Monday. You're gonna be tired. So maybe

take off Monday, too but I'm just thankful for

the assignment and You know There's just certain

marks that I believe we've been called to make

as a church And so I'm going to go ahead and

put this out there. I'll say pastor pastor about

to put something out there Y 'all say it About

to put something out there, right? You miss 100

% of the goals that you have no target for, right?

But this is what I'm believing in faith for.

That we have 100 % participation from our leadership,

from our five -fold ministry gifts. 100 % participation.

Why are you saying that, Pastor Brian? Because

many people don't believe it's possible anymore.

But I believe that God can use us to restore

a confidence in the body of Christ and I know

you guys are well capable amen well now unto

him that is able to keep you from falling and

to present you faultless before the presence

of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise

god our savior be glory in majesty dominion and

power both now and forever. Amen.