Men's Luncheon - Associate Pastor Matt Passmore - November 4, 2025

Pastor is not feeling well.

And so I was given the call.

And so I'm going to share some stuff with you today.

But before we get going, I'd like to pray.

Will you pray with me?

Dear God, thank you so much for who you are.

Just thank you for your word.

Thank you for the challenge.

And Lord, just thank you for the love you have for each one of us.

And Lord, I ask you just today, as we're just reminded of your love and just who you are, help us leave here because of your word changing us and not just words being said.

Lord, today we do want to give you this.

We do want to make it about you.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

So yesterday, Pastor didn't come in and he wasn't feeling well, and it was about four o'clock, and uh someone said something like, Who's gonna do the men's lunching?

And I thought, well, we'll just wait till Pastor decides.

And so didn't really think too much of it.

Uh and then I got a text that said, Hey, is there any way you could cover the men's luncheon?

And uh so instantly, what normally happens on that type of deal, if you're not really just a last second deal, I get on my computer and I start looking at lessons I've already taught.

So I printed one out and I thought, man, this is gonna be awesome.

And so I didn't really think too much of it.

I printed off, I was gonna read over it at night when I went to bed, and I'd be ready to roll, you know, just one of those, you know, in the pocket, in the sleeve, ready to go.

And so um, last night I was laying in bed, and have you ever just kind of uh in a way just been convicted?

Um, and it was almost like I was doing ministry like I do a lot of times, which is probably not the best way to do it, like just figuring it out on my own.

And so I was laying in bed last night, just laying there, the lights were off, my wife's and so I was laying in bed and I was uh convicted.

Now I will tell you this.

This last uh yes uh Sunday, our pastor, Pastor Greg challenged us.

We're going through a gratitude series, being thankful.

And in the gratitude series, he has challenged us through the brew that he speaks into.

So we've got we get these booklets on Sunday, and we're just challenged to go through it, read it through the week.

And you know, and so while I was laying in bed, it took me back to my brew Monday.

And so as I was Ephesians 5, 18 through 20, listen to what it says.

It says, and don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, in this particular booklet, and I have extra ones here if you want to join us and be a part of this, get one when it's over.

But as I was reading that, what Pastor Greg does is this is the verse we are brewing for the day.

And what do we do?

We read it, we reread it, we pick a word.

Well, the word, and he picks a word for us and explains how to do it.

So the word he picked was always.

And I'll be honest, yesterday morning when I read that, I had a hard time with that.

Sunday was a rough day.

I get home, it was a rough evening.

You know what I mean?

Just, and I don't mean anything, just things going on in life.

And then I before I even get here, you know, I get a text.

And I'll be honest, when I read this yesterday morning, I had a hard time with what Pastor said, being thankful always.

Have you ever been there?

But the scripture tells us to do it always.

This is a command from the Lord.

How this day yesterday I had a hard time with it.

In fact, I don't want to say angry, but I was like, honestly, I was like, really?

This is what I'm supposed to read today when I would rather be mad.

You know what I'm saying?

I don't want to be thankful today.

I'm kind of happy with the attitude of coming in angry.

You get where I'm going with this?

And then, like the Lord does, starts dealing with me.

I reread it like we're talking about, and then all of a sudden it was like, okay, if this is a commandment, how do I get from where I'm at right now to being able to be thankful all the time?

So as I was rereading it, I was like, you know what?

I'm gonna choose the word that sticks out to me that I'm gonna choose, and I'm gonna think about that word.

And then when I reread it, it took me to the word spirit.

Now we know that is the Holy Spirit, and it says, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Now, I want to point this out as I continue.

Now, this is funny.

Starting off, this is just that was my attitude of my quiet time as I read this, and then all of a sudden the Lord started to just stir different things inside of me.

And as I just continue to reread this, it took me to this.

If you look at the very first, and don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living.

Okay, I don't want to get into just, I think there's no reason, no right to even do to do alcohol, but I don't want to get into what this means at this particular time, but I do want to point this out.

Which leads to reckless living.

You know how easy is it the things that we do take us away from the Lord and take us to what?

Reckless living.

And there's a warning.

There's really two sides to this verse right away when you read it.

How easy is it to get into reckless living, which the reckless living makes this almost nearly impossible?

But when I'm filled with the Holy Spirit, listen, listen, when the Holy Spirit is living through me daily and the things, the decisions, and all that I do, look how much easier this becomes.

So it took me to the point of where was I at today in the Lord?

Not in my thanksgiving, not the idea of looking in the mirror and saying, okay, today I'm gonna be thankful.

But it was the idea of where was I at today?

I was angry, I was upset, and the things going on in my life, and it took me to what?

The reckless living when the Lord's called us to be what?

Filled with the Holy Spirit.

I saw this, I saw this quote.

When the Lord starts dealing with you, this is what the Lord did this day, yesterday.

I'm reading something and no intention, all of a sudden this quote pops up.

Look what it says.

As a Christian, we we have all the Spirit, we have all the Holy Spirit we need.

But the command here is that the Holy Spirit have all of us.

You see what I'm saying?

We have, each one of us, as a born-again believer, now as a born-again believer, have all this Holy Spirit that we need.

The problem is most of the time, what do we do?

We push that Holy Spirit out.

It becomes about me, it becomes about what I want.

This verse of scripture is talking about what?

It's about letting the Holy Spirit live inside of us, active, speaking into us, changing who we are.

So you think about, well, when we think about the Holy Spirit, sometimes we can use Christian words.

And I'm not saying it's a Christian word, but we can make it a Christian word.

You know what I'm saying?

Sometimes we use Christian words and we just go blow right by it like we think we know what it means.

Think about with me for a second, what is the Holy Spirit?

Where does the Holy Spirit originate?

Well, that takes us in my Sunday school lesson as I was going back and just thinking about it.

We started the book of Exodus.

And in the book of Exodus, Moses is bargaining with God.

You know, the picture at the bush.

He's bargaining with God, asking God different things, and then he finally asks this question God, what do I tell the Israelites when they ask me, who sent you?

And what does he say?

God replies to Moses, he says, Tell them, I am who I am.

Now think about that just for a second.

God could have chosen any name that he wanted to.

He could have said, I'm the Lord, I'm God, I'm the creator.

But think about this, he used I am who I am.

And if you think about that for a second, when you say I am, you can fill in the blank.

Because God is all things.

There's not a, if we really get down to it, there is not a name that we can call God that's worthy of who he is.

But like God did, listen, he tells him, he says, God replied to Moses, I am who I am.

This is what you are to say to the Israelites, I am has sent you.

But then he says, Well, you know what?

I'm gonna go back and tell you a little bit more.

God also said to Moses, say to the Israelites, the Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you.

Now he stopped for just a second.

What God did the Israelites kind of know of?

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

So he took them to the port where they had probably heard about it.

That's kind of the God they were, but he before that he said, but I'm a lot more than just being defined by Abraham, being defined by Jacob.

You see what I'm saying?

To the point of, I am who I am.

And that takes us back to who is that I am?

And you know, a lot of times we will say this, but we don't take time to go back and remember it.

Who is the God that He says, I am that who I am?

Well, it starts the whole entire Bible off with Genesis 1-1.

What does Genesis 1-1 say?

It doesn't say that God created, you know, God then be was formed.

God being here forever, which is a hard concept to see, does what?

In the beginning, God created the heavens.

Have you ever really just stopped and thought about that for a second?

I got up this morning when my alarm went off.

I went in and woke my son up.

We got dressed, breathing without even thinking about it, eating without even thinking, you know what I'm saying?

Just get in the car, drop off without the idea of who's in control of the sun coming up at the time it comes up.

So it takes us, the I am is the God that spoke this world.

Spoke, did you spoke the world into can into existence?

Then this is just in because my Sunday school lesson was a part of it.

This is so later, Moses goes to Pharaoh and he says, My God, God said for me to tell you to let my people go.

But think about this, and we can easily get here if we're not careful.

Look what Pharaoh says in verse 2.

But Pharaoh responded, Who is this Lord?

That I should obey him and let Israel go?

You know, in this particular Egyptian, who was God in Egyptian?

In Egypt.

Pharaoh was.

So he says, Who is this Lord that I should obey him and let Israel go?

I don't know this Lord.

Besides, I will not let Israel go.

There's a point too in this story where you remember all the plagues, and I think every plague went against one of Egypt's gods.

Each plague was against Egypt's God.

What was God showing?

Who he was.

And then finally, when the Passover happened, I think this is awesome.

When the Passover happened, he went to him in the middle of the night and said, Get out of here.

Pack up all your stuff, get your animals, get out here and go worship somewhere else.

And then you know what Pharaoh said?

Go back and read the story.

You know what Pharaoh said then?

He said, And can you bless me?

He asked for Moses to bless him on his way out.

I think it's a picture of that.

That Pharaoh realized, I'm not God.

Your God is God.

Can you bless me on the way out?

And think about that just for a second.

As we look into Galatians here.

So Galatians 4, and this is kind of where I want to head today as we look at this, Galatians 4, verse 3, listen to what it says.

Galatians 4:3

In the same way we also, when we were children, were in slavery under the elements of the world.

When the time came to completion, God sent his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Now, the what I love about this is when time came to completion, when God said, Who is in control?

It's time.

You see, not accident, God's in control, it's time.

Send his son.

We know, die on the cross for our sins.

That it when we become his child by receiving what he's done for us, that we might receive adoption as his sons.

And because we are sons, God sent the Spirit, going back to our original deal, the Spirit of His Son into the hearts crying, Abba Father.

So you are no longer slaves, but a son.

And if a son, then God has made you an heir.

Now look at that just for a second.

And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, remember Jesus even said this.

It is good.

You remember he told his disciples, it is good for me to go to heaven.

Why did he say that?

Because the Holy Spirit was then coming.

And the Holy Spirit can then what?

Live actively in each one of us.

Okay?

But when the Holy Spirit, I mean, have you have you been there?

You remember your day of salvation?

When I got to the point that day, I re I realized that my sin, and I've been taught this my whole life, but when I got to the point that I realized my sin separated me from a holy God, and I needed to ask for forgiveness, that day God was more to me than just the God in heaven that created the earth, which he was that.

He was my father.

He switched from being God, which he still was, but a relationship with me as my Abba father.

And Abba is just that caring, protective father.

Now many of you know my story.

I have a son that is eight years old.

About eight years ago, we were fostering some kids.

They went back to live with their families.

I get a phone call on my way home.

Hey, we got this uh baby that's in the hospital.

Um, we need uh foster parents.

Uh, we're not interested.

We told you we would do elementary kids.

We did.

I didn't think anything of it.

I pull into my driveway, my wife comes walking out the door and meets me at the car, and I'm like, what in the world?

She never does that.

And I'm like, what in the world?

And this is what she says, Matt, what if he's perfect?

I'm like, what are you talking about?

She said, the baby, what if it's perfect?

And I said, what if it's not perfect?

You know, it's one of those, and she goes, Matt, I think we need to foster it.

And I'm like, Lisa, we talked about it.

No babies.

The wife won.

Really?

And so we take Deacon in and um eventually adopted him.

Now, that makes this verse different.

I want to tell you a little bit why it's different for me, and just so you can see the picture of adoption.

That boy was born on meth.

In the hospital, he had to stay longer before we could take him because he was born on meth.

Not because of his choice.

You see what I'm saying?

That boy, the first two years of life, we spent hours in the doctor's office.

In fact, one day we're driving down the road, we're visiting my parents, we're driving in Lawton, Oklahoma.

He quits breathing in the car.

We're giving him mouth to mouth.

Call the ambulance, they get him, we rush to the hospital and they send him to children's in Norman.

And I'll never forget the drive there.

We're walking in.

Again, at this point, I'm just an adopted dad.

You get, you know, I mean, actually, at that point, he wasn't even ours.

We were still fostering.

He was like three months old.

And I'll never forget walking in, the doctor meets us.

We couldn't even go into the PICU.

The doctor meets us and he goes, There's a good chance he won't make it in the morning.

So don't even come in here.

Y'all go home and rest.

How are you gonna do that?

You know, go home and rest, come back in the morning.

And um, so my point of this is now hear my heart.

Deacon did not deserve me.

He didn't deserve me.

The boy has none of my blood.

But I will tell you this.

Last night, just because of all this, I got up, I went and looked at him.

Him laying in that bed, his chest breathing.

Peacefully.

Why was he at peace sleeping last night?

Because of me.

Be careful.

I'm making a picture.

I'm not the one that makes him breathe.

Please hear my heart and what I'm saying.

But do you see, do you see?

Isn't that the picture of what God's saying?

We do not deserve what he wants to give us.

But he loves us anyway, and I can rest in who he is.

And listen to this.

It wasn't, he went hunting on Saturday and all, and it was just a great day.

And he, but that night we were doing something, he looked at me.

And he doesn't do it very often.

He usually mimics me because I tell him this all the time.

I said, Hey, buddy, I love you.

I say that every night.

This night, Daddy, he looked up at me and he said, Daddy, thank you.

I love you.

I'll tell you that at that moment, I would have given that kid anything.

You know what I'm saying?

And then I as I think about all that I went through yesterday and thinking about this, how good I felt when he said that to me.

But think about that.

As our Abba father, do you think as we give thanksgiving of who he is and we tell him how much we love him, you think it stirs in who God is too?

The word adopt, sometimes we just think, oh, the word adopt, and what a great picture of what this is.

Salvation is to take someone or something by choice in a relationship.

Becoming a child of God is the highest and most humbling honor.

Because of it, we have a new relationship with God and a new standing before Him.

Remember up to the point before Jesus came?

How did they have to pray to God?

You know, they had to go through.

And when God died, when Jesus died, did we need the priest anymore, the high priest?

Remember the curtain tore?

Now we can go straight to who?

Instead of running from God and trying to hide our sins like Adam and Eve did, we should run to him, calling him Abba Father, and finding forgiveness in Christ.

It reminds me of so many times that when I was growing up with my dad, how many times I was doing something wrong and I was going against what he told me to do.

And I was running.

But you know those times I finally went to him and said, Dad, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be doing that.

What a reunion that is.

And the idea of making my life right.

And that's the picture of what we're saying here.

When we are adopted by him, we have a connection to him, and we can go straight to him and say, What?

I'm sorry for the way I'm living.

The things that I'm doing in my life.

When we come to faith in Christ, our debts are canceled.

We are given a new name, and we are given all the rights that heirs of God possess.

And the last little bit, I have done, I don't want to say a lot, but I've done quite a few funerals.

I think the greatest thought of heirs is what we're going to receive in heaven as a believer of Christ.

And in this last statement here, look at what it says.

God adopts people who are completely unworthy.

Because he adopts on the basis of his grace.

So that takes us back to the verse that started this whole thing on my brew.

And if this didn't make any sense to you, I'm sorry.

Just read the Bible and let it brew in you.

Okay?

So here we go.

Listen to what Ephesians 5, one more time.

Ephesians 5, 18 through 20 says.

And don't get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, and singing and making music with your heart to the Lord.

Give thanks always for everything to God.

The Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I want to point this out.

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, verse 19 and 20 follow.

So today I just want to challenge you.

Where are you?

First off, if you're not, I will say this.

If you have not given your life to Christ, the Holy Spirit does not dwell inside of you.

That's the first thing I'd love to talk to you.

I'd love to someone in your group will talk to you.

But if you are, I want to challenge you.

Where is the Holy Spirit in your life?

Is he just, is he trying to get your attention or does he have your attention?

Okay, let's pray.

Dear God, I just so humbled by your word.

Um grateful for your word.

And grateful that your word is active and alive and it's piercing and it's wanting to change us.

All because of who you are, not because of who we are.

And we are so grateful for your mercy and your grace and just thank you for salvation and thank you for your love.

And Lord, help us reflect on who you are so that we can be thankful.

Because we have a lot to be thankful for in you.

Thank you again for your many blessings.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

Thanks, guys.

Have a great day.