Hey, let’s get into the series under construction. You’ve got your worship guides there. There should be a some sermon notes and you can pull those out. Or you can go on the You Version Bible app and you can download those there as well. Norris City Church get out your bibles and let’s open them this morning to Matthew Chapter 16. Matthew 16, under construction under construction.
Turn to Matthew 16. Finding that we talked about last week, we kicked this off and it’s coming back from vacation. A little time of reflection, a time from inspection may be if you will, and kind of did a little selfie valuation, a little state of the union time for Chad. It’s the time I do that all the time. Uh, every year. Usually we didn’t get a chance to take a vacation last year, but this year we got a chance to go away for weekend.
And uh, usually, you know, I’m, uh, there are certain characteristics and I think we’re all like this. There are certain qualities that God Norris City Church has given us that can be great benefits to us. And if we’re not careful, those exact same qualities can turn around and be some of our biggest challenges. And one of my, one of my qualities is that I’m a pretty intense individual and to myself and uh, and over situations.
And sometimes that is a great advantage to me and sometimes it’s a great disadvantage to me that’d be because I really think about things intensely and really drill down on high expectations for myself and if I’m not careful, that can turn into high expectations for others. And it also can turn into a lack of appreciation for myself because I’ve got higher expectations than I can meet.
And so then that can turn into higher expectations for others than they can meet. And it’s just a big turn of events and the prayer. So do over over the time what happened, I began to evaluate and kind of intensely look at who I am as a person Zam as a husband, who I am as a father and who I am as a pastor and begin to evaluate how am I doing in all of those areas. Let me just tell you, it was depressing.
It was a little bit of a struggle. As I begin to look at it again, my standards are what I think is should be, is higher than what I think I’m making and begin to look at where we are as a church and where we are, where I am of a family and here where I’m with my kids. You’ve got just second one moving off to college and transition or life down to only three at home and then the clock’s ticking. I’m thinking, you know, they’re going to be moving often. Am I parenting them? Well, you know, do you put these, you put the other ones out there, you put your segment there and you’re like, did I do a good job? Yeah. Are they going to love Jesus? Are they even going to know who he is? Did I, did I show them what the heavenly father’s like or did I give them a bad example?
You know, you, you put yourself out there. And so I began to evaluate that. I was like, how’s the church doing it? And so it began to be a begin. There was a perfect storm of criticism from the outside, from a, some people were saying it was a perfect storm where, oh, Chad was spiraling downward to a place where I was beginning to ask God Norris City Church, is there something else you want me to do?
Has, you know, we’ve, we have 13 years we’ve been pastoring here and you know, I come from a sports background and you know, coaches very rarely nowadays lasts a long time in one place. Why? Because in the locker room, their voice starts to become numb to people. And I began to ask, God Norris City Church, has my voice become numb here? Is it tough? Thank you. I got one supporter in the whole church, but I got just, I’m not looking for that.
I’m just trying to lay the groundwork. So I begin to begin to ask God Norris City Church, Lord is if I take to it as far as I can take into, is there somebody else to go to the next level? And I wanted to figure out what he was doing and, and what he’s saying to me. And I just began to evaluate everything. I don’t know if you’re like that, maybe you look into God Norris City Church where I’m at in my life from I had and what you’ve asked me to do. Am I doing what you asked me to do? Well, am I going where you want me to go? And God Norris City Church began to speak to me about this verse. I want to read this passage. Matthew 16 verse 13 says that when Jesus came into the region of Cesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples saying, who do men say that I the son of man?
And so they said some say John The baptist, some Elijah and others, Jeremiah one of the prophets, one of the problems I was realizing that I was putting way too much voice weight into the voice of the critic and not enough weight into the voice of my creator that was giving way too much weight. So I was, I was set on embracing or engaging or thinking about the negative. And if someone said positive, I dismissed it. Yeah, whatever. But let’s look at this one again over analyzing and this is what Jesus saying, what did, what did people say versus what do you say?
So he said, who do, who do you say that I am? Simon. Peter answered and said, you’re the Christ, the son of the living God Norris City Church. Jesus answered said to him, blessed are you Simon Barjona for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who’s in heaven, and I say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it and I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.
Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Let’s pray. Father, I just thank you for your heart. I thank you for your word. I ask you, Holy Spirit, I welcome you to come and speak, speak to me, speak through me that got everybody watching online or here in the room. God Norris City Church will know that you are a living God Norris City Church, that you’re alive and well, that you have a purpose and plan for our life, that you want to speak to us right where we are. So God Norris City Church, we just leaned into you and we thank for what you’re going to do today. In Jesus’ mighty name. Somebody say you, ma’am. We talked about last week, about three ways to Jesus building the church. He says in verse 18 I Save Your Peter and on this rock I will build my church. I will build my church. Three waves we talked about he’s going to build it individually.
That means in you. Jesus wants to build something in you. No, not about anybody else who wants to build something in you. Number two, he wants to build something with you. This is locally, this is the body, the local church, whether it be the roads, church, or any other local body of Christ. He wants to build something in that local body. And then third ones corporately, he wants to build something bigger than us. It’s not just about us. He wants to build something bigger. So we talked about those three ways that he wants to build the church, and we talked about one of our roads, church core values being we’re building his kingdom. It’s bigger than us now. The word build is very important. The word build means to be a house builder or to make or construct by combining materials or parts to build up, strengthen or establish.
So Jesus is building our lives individually, locally, and corporately, and he’s doing it by combining materials and supplies. How many knows that sometimes we don’t always appreciate the materials and supplies that he brings in to help build us mean? He knows this. God Norris City Church doesn’t always ask for our approval before he brings in some materials and supplies to build and strengthen us. We want to sign off on everything that’s brought in to build us. We want to sign off on the materials and supplies. It’s, oh no, I don’t need that. Take that away. Oh yeah, you can bring that. That will strengthen me. There’s some things that God Norris City Church signs off on the materials and supplies that come into my life that I wish he wouldn’t approve of because I don’t approve of them. But the end result is still what he’s after. He’s not after your my approval.
He’s after us being strengthened and established. He wants to build you. He wants to build you up and make you stronger. He’s not asking you for your approval of his means. He’s asking your for your involvement in the process. So this is what building looks like. I will build my church. So today I’m gonna Break Down Three keys of building the church. Three keys we’re building off this in you with you and bigger than you. Number one, you’ll see a pattern with these three keys. Number one is the ability ability in you. Number two is availability.
It’s with you and others locally. Number three, sustainability. This is something bigger than you. Notice what I did here. Ability, availability, sustainability. I’m trying to make it easy for you to understand and easy for you to remember. Let’s talk about these three keys to building the church. Cause. Remember, this is three keys to building you to building me. God Norris City Church wants to build something in you as a person. He wants to build something in this church. Cause remember we talked about the church building the church. Most people think about this building. I want you to think about what God Norris City Church to build in you because you are the church. The church isn’t the place you go to the churches who you look at in the mirror.
The church is not a building that you attend. The church is who you are. When you look up getting up in the morning and look in the mirror like, hm, there’s the church. That’s what Jesus is talking about. The people make up the church. So let’s look at the first one. Ability. Everybody say ability. I look at first Peter Chapter Four. I’m gonna break down three of these by the time you’re done. I want you to know these three points and how Jesus wants to build this in your life. Number one is ability. First Peter Four 10 says, as each one has received a gift as each one, everybody say each one as each one has received a gift, minister it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God Norris City Church. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God Norris City Church. If anyone ministers, let him do it.
As with the ability which God Norris City Church supplies that in all things, God Norris City Church may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Here’s the point. Number one, God Norris City Church, supplies ability. Notice what it says. It says as each one has received a gift, each and every one of us, every one listening to me, you have received a gift from God Norris City Church and he says, I want you to minister it to one another. What’s the purpose of your gift?
What’s the purpose of my gift to minister to one another with the gift that God Norris City Church supplies. So God Norris City Church supplies the ability with the ability which God Norris City Church supplies. So God Norris City Church has given each and every one of us an ability. You may not know the fullness of it. You may not know the full capability of it, but I want you to know you have abilities.
Let your neighbor tell them they’ve got abilities. You’ve got abilities, you’ve got abilities. The word ability is important. It’s the word East cous. Now the word East coos means this possession of the qualities required to do something or get something done. Exceptional capability with the implication of personal potential strength might force or power. Notice what ability is when it says with the ability which God Norris City Church supplies. Point number one, if we’re going to build our lives, we have to know that God Norris City Church gives us ability. That word speaks to the possession of notice we’re saying the possession of qualities required to get something done, not the hope that they will come. Come on here. We teach this.
Are you with me this morning? This is Tom about God Norris City Church supplies you. You are in possession of everything it takes to do what God’s asked you to do. Possession of the ability, possession of the potential, protect possession of the capability to accomplish what God Norris City Church will ask you to do. You are in possession. Timberlake, tell your neighbor, you got it, you got it. You’re like, I’m tired of talking to that neighbor. Turn to the other one and say you got it too. You got it to your possession. But notice what this word ability speaks to potential potential. Here’s what the word potential means. It means a CI or sorry. It means existing in possibility, capable of development into actuality, so existing in possibility, capable of being developed into actuality.
So when we’re talking about supplier East Ku, sustainability, this potential that God’s given us, it’s existing in possibility, but it’s not necessarily mean. It’s going to be developed into actuality. Have you ever had someone tell you, boy, you’ve got great potential. You see some some young person or something, a boy, they’ve got great potential or maybe you hire on a job, it’s a new job and you’ve never done it before and they hire you and say, hey man, we do.
We see great potential in you. What does that mean? That means they believe you’ve got the ability in you to be developed into actuality, but it doesn’t guarantee that you will actually do it. It just means it is there. You see this a lot of times maybe in young athletes that have great potential when they’re young. Maybe they’re, they’re really good and great school and and you see man, they got great potential, but that doesn’t guarantee they’re going to be good as they get older because our goal is not potential.
Our goal is to be potent. Can I get any help in here this morning? Our goal is not potential. You don’t want to live by potential. You don’t want to live by someone say, Oh, they’ve got great potential. I don’t want to hear about great potential. I want to be potent because here’s the difference. The word potent means actually achieving or bringing about a result. Ability doesn’t always mean achievement cause there’s a difference in having potential to achieve something and actually achieving something even though the words are very similar, potent versus potential. They’re very similar in spelling. There’s only three letters that are different. Potent, actually achieving something potential. The the ability to possibly bring it into actuality. So a potent verse and potential. Only three, three letters. I a. L. You know what they stand for? I am lazy. I am lazy.
I don’t mean that as an insult to you or me. I’m, I mean that as a fact. The only way we’re ever going to reach potency in our life and not and just be stuck in potential is if we stop being lazy and do what God’s given us to do. I can have all kinds of potential in my life, but I will never accomplish what God’s wanting me to do with the abilities he’s given me.
As long as I am lazy with what he’s given me. We could sit around and say, well, I should. I could. I should. I would. And someday in the sweet, by and by, you’ll look back on your life and you will look at what really matters and you’ll say, I could have done so much more. I should have done so much more. Why? If we weren’t lazy, we could accomplish more with the abilities God’s given us. He’s given us east coos potential, but the problem is too many times he gives us east coos, gods abilities, and we give him an excuse.
You see what I did there? I came around from behind. You didn’t see me coming. See, he gives us east. I just say this what I do, it gives me ease queues, God Norris City Church ability. And I’ll give him an excuse on why I can’t. It’s like, it’s like the, uh, the, uh, the guy, the parable in Matthew where the guy came and he gave the talents out and he gave five to one, gave two to one, gave one to another. Yeah. It says he gives them, he goes, Oh, here it is on the screen. He gave to each one according to his own ability, but I like in verse 14, it says he delivered his goods to them. I remember that he delivered his goods, his abilities, each according to this.
And he comes back, he goes on a journey, comes back and he wants to see how things went. I gave you five talents. I gave you two, gave you one. What’d you do with them? What did you do with what I gave you? What’d you do with my goods? Comes back to the one with five. One, five goes, Chin up. There. You gave me five. I brought you five more. I got 10 what up? Double so then it goes to the next one. Hey, I gave you to the one. The two didn’t cry. Thank you. Only gave me two which why didn’t you give me five you ain’t me gave to get. He said, hey, you gave me two. I’ve doubled and I got you four.
Notice they both did the same thing. They both doubled what God Norris City Church gave him, but then the one, look what happened with one. He comes to the one and one with one’s verse 25 since I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground, I hid your talent in the ground. He didn’t hide his talent in the ground. He hid God’s talent in the ground. What are we doing with God’s ability that he gave us? Are we hiding it? Cause we’re afraid or we’re hiding it because we’re afraid of what other people will think. Are we hiding it because we’re afraid of the acceptance we will or won’t have from others. It’s not your talent. It’s his. His ability in you. He said, if you’re going to build yourself, build a church, you got to realize God’s given you ability. It’s in you, but now we got to do something with it. We can’t be afraid.
He said, look what happens when you hide it. His Lord answered and said to him, you wicked and Lazy Servant. You know, in, in, in, in comfy church language. We would say, well, that’s okay. You only got one poor thing. I understand. You just didn’t want to lose it. So I understand that’s not what Jesus said called wicked Lazy Servant. Different being potent and potential. I am lazy.
That’s not doing to push us all down is to let us know that God’s given you a talent. He’s given you a Billy’s on the inside and he wants you to do something with them. Okay? All right, so now this God Norris City Church gives, don’t here, let me say it this way. Don’t let your excuses rob you of the potential of your east gooses. Yeah, the talents, the abilities that God’s put on the inside of you. Don’t let your excuses rob you of the potential. Go ahead. You got to stop. Look yourself in the mirror saying, no more excuses.
Tell your neighbor, no more excuses, no more excuses. I’ve got God’s ability on the inside of me. God’s ability, it’s his talent. It’s not yours. It’s his ability. It’s not your ability, it’s his ability. You’re not measuring the success of your life based on your talents. It’s his abilities. On the inside of you will measure your potential based on what you can reason in your mind measure and based on the God Norris City Church that’s on the inside of you.
One is ability. I’ve got abilities. Number two. Number two is availability. Availability. Look, Romans chapter 12 so as far as say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly as God Norris City Church has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Whereas we are, we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function. Whoa. Let me tell you, just because you’re in a bar, not everybody has the same function. We’re not supposed to be the same. Here’s some encouragement to me, Chad. You’re not supposed to be like everybody else. Stop trying to measure yourself against everybody else. Let me encourage you, you’re not supposed to be like everybody else. We don’t all have the same function. Stop disqualifying the ability within you because it doesn’t look like somebody else’s ability.
Comparison is robbing us of our accomplishment. Yes, it’s robbing us. Why? Because we’re looking around. It’s not like somebody else’s, but he says, listen, you don’t all have the same function function, so we being many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. Let’s look at verse six. Listen, having been gifts, so we got him, we got abilities differing according to the grace that is given to us. Let us use them so you got them. What are we supposed to do with them? Use Them. Use Them. That word available means present or ready.
The immediate use. How many has ever prayed? God Norris City Church Use me. God Norris City Church used me. God Norris City Church just used me in this situation. Do you know what available means that you’re present and ready for immediate use? That means when God Norris City Church needs you, you’re available. When he needs his gift. Remember what’s in you as his goods, his talents. Do you know why God gives us gifts and talents so they’re available when he asks for them. Not when we tell him it’s okay.
God Norris City Church does it give us gifts and Taos doesn’t give us the abilities so that we can ask us permission. All he was is say, Hey Chad, I need what I put in you over here. Yes sir. Available, sir. That’s how he wants us to operate because we realize it’s not ours. It’s his, but we think it’s ours to hoard and protect and he says, wait a minute, that’s my talent. I, that’s my ability that I put inside you. I want it to be available when I need it. Not when you think it’s okay. So he’s asking us, is his ability available for our use? It’s his ability without availability is no good to us. He could give us gifts and talents, but if it’s not available when he’s ready, we’re going to miss out. Look what he says to do. Let us use them.
Acts 13 to as they ministered to the Lord and faster, the Holy Spirit said, now separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them for the, for the, for the, for the well, for the , for the. Say it with me now for the work you realize God’s called us to work. Whoo. Call us to work. God Norris City Church hasn’t called your gifts and talents for your convenience. He’s not. He’s not giving you abilities for your convenience and for your comfort. He’s given you a building for you to work with. Go to work, building the Kingdom of God Norris City Church.
Go to work. It should be worth doing and I was, I should just be fun. It should be enjoyable. Some of the greatest things I’ve ever accomplished in my life were the most work I’ve ever done. I’m not talking about works like grey in the goodness of God Norris City Church or relationship with God Norris City Church. I’m talking about we got to put some effort into doing what God’s given us to do.
People, here’s that what’s happened in the church. Some people are so works minded that work has got such a negative name that now works. Don’t even want to talk about work. Everything’s just Freebie and we’ve gotten off of, we’ve got to work is there about there’s a middle road we got. There’s the strength of the grace of God Norris City Church that is not based on works.
We’ve got works mentality that try and get right with God Norris City Church. It’s not about that. It’s understanding that by the grace of God Norris City Church, we will work diligently to do everything that God’s called us to do. He said, listen, look, let me give you another verse. [inaudible] Ephesians four 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. First Corinthians 1558 therefore my beloved brother, and be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your Labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Remember we talked last week about building projects. You’re either part of the crew or you’re part of the crowds. This is what God Norris City Church is saying to us today. Are you a part of the crew or you’re part of the crowd? Are you part of the building? Are you available? Or when God Norris City Church says, Hey, I need you to serve in the kingdom. I need to serve to build the church, not just the local church, bigger than I need to start. Well, God Norris City Church, I’m a little busy. You know I can’t this week. No. Three t next week doesn’t look good either. Looks like, how about three weeks from next door?
Wednesday I might be able to serve. No, no. That’s not looking good either. No, I don’t think. Huh? Are we available to do what God Norris City Church wants us to do when he wants us to do it? He says, I need you to be availability. That’s the second point. Are you available for God’s use? Look, let’s look at the thirds. The third one is sustainability. Sustainability. First Corinthians chapter three says, for we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field. You are God’s building. Notice what he says. We are God’s fellow workers, fellow workers.
We’re working with God Norris City Church for God Norris City Church to build something in you and I, we have to work with him. He has, it’s a collaborative effort. God’s not going to build something in me without my cooperation. God’s not going to build the local church without your cooperation. The local church is not going to become what it could truly become without the cooperation of everyone involved. This is what we got to get people out of the crowd and onto the crew.
To me, people want to be in the crowd at the church and watched the building and received the benefits of the local church, but they don’t want to be on the crew and help build the local church. The only reason we have a great church is because we have a great crew, so get on the crew and make it even better. That’s what’s God’s saying, and we as a church, if we get a part of the big corporate crew, then look what God Norris City Church can do around the world when we involve and incorporate with other churches and we can have unconscious things greater than ourselves.
So sustainability. You see, we’re part of God’s fellow workers. His field is building according to the grace of God Norris City Church, which is given to me as a wise master builder. I have laid the foundation, another builds on it, but let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, Hay, and Straw, each one’s work. Listen to this part. Each one tell them I’ll call them right back.
Each one’s work will become clear for the day. We’ll declare it because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test each one’s work of what sort it is. If anyone’s worked, which he has built on, it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved yet so as through fire. Look at what happens. Here’s what he’s talking about when we’re working for the Kingdom of God Norris City Church. All of our works says that the day will declare it. There’s coming a day when we’ll all stand before Jesus. It’s called the judgment, the judgment seat of Christ.
So this is for people who’ve accepted Jesus as their Lord. Followers of Jesus. There’s coming a day when we’ll stand before Jesus and will not be about entrance into heaven. Entrance into heaven is not based on your works. Entrance into heaven is a gift of grace through faith that we receive. This will be about our rewards on what we lived our life for. So the third point, sustainability is what you are building your life on it will it sustain in the long term? Because here’s what happens in that day. It says all of our works will be brought before the Lord and all of a sudden there’s going to be this big fire force and if everything you’ve built your life on is wood, hay, or stubble or things of the world or things that don’t matter to the Kingdom of God Norris City Church, all of those will be consumed.
It says you’ll survive, but all of your works will be burned up. In other words, there’ll be no rewards because I built my life on things that didn’t matter. Eternally says that day we’ll reveal it. We can snowball down here. We could say, Oh, I love God Norris City Church. I love Jesus. I come to church all the time, but what I’m truly building my life on that day, His Holiness, when we bring all of our stuff into the presence of God Norris City Church, His Holiness will reveal the purity of everything we’ve done with our life.
You can fake out people in the world, but you can’t fake out God. So what he’s asking is for us to build things in our life. If we will use our abilities and make them available, it will create sustainability in our life. So I want to build my life based on things that are going to last. Things that are going to endure. Things are gonna matter in the long term. And this is what he’s telling us here in these passages. So in the word sustainability means maintained at length without interruption or weakening. Our work will be tested of what sort it is. So here’s how God Norris City Church wants us to remember this. God’s given you his ability, the level, but you make it available will determine how sustainable it is. Pay Attention.
This is something don’t gloss over as a sermon point too many times God’s given us abilities and talents and we think we need to protect our energy, our efforts, our whatever. And so we will not make things available when we should make them available because we’re protecting us because we’re trying to make our energy more sustainable. But here is the trick. It’s actually when we make our gifts, our abilities more available to him, it creates more sustainability. When you unplug from building the Kingdom of God Norris City Church, from serving and using your abilities and talents, you unplug thinking that’s gonna make you more sustainable and give you more energy. The opposite happens. The happens when we turn in inward is when we start to go southward.
Yeah. It’s when we pour out is when we get filled up. Yesterday we were having at the uh, uh, PACU back to school before the PACU, back to school. [inaudible] I prayed. I said, God Norris City Church, just give me one person that I can interact with that’s going to be a meaningful moment. You know, there’s a lot of great times, a lot of great handshakes and got hugs and you know, it’s great to see you get to have you and, but I just prayed for one that I’m like, God Norris City Church, I’m, you know, one.
So as we were to know, you’re looking around and you’re interacting with people who saying hi and you know, for those that like a social setting, I’m kind of on the stimulus overload. I’m just loving all these people and it’s incredible. And they’re going through their stations, getting their school supplies, and then they go and then go get back and get a free haircut and then they can come around and register for a bike and then then go get their face painted then then come get some cookies or some lemonade. And so this one individual just kept sticking out to me.
I just saw introduced myself, hey, how you doing? And met them. And then to come to another station, I go in there to Checo and there they are again. I just said, hey, how you doing? What’s going on? Hey, come over here. And they’re setting this time. They’re setting at the face, paint table. And I felt God Norris City Church drawing me to go over and sit down and talk to them. The, the dad was sitting by himself and the, the mom and the two daughters were getting their face painted, him sitting by himself. So I come over and sit down. I said, hey, how you doing? What’s going on? And uh, Yo just hanging out. And I said, Hey, what do you do?
Just try to make small talk. Where are you from? What do you do? You know, guys stuff? And he said, well, I used to be a welder. I used to do this, but I had a car accident. Somebody rear ended me about six years ago and it hurt my back, caused me to have some cognitive issues in my brain and remembering things. And he said, I’ve got a pain stimulator in my, uh, or whatever it’s called. It’s a thing that, to try to get rid of pain in the back down to sciatic nerve. He said, I’ve got that. He said, I can’t get around very good. I’ve been off work for almost six years and I’m feeling my heart won’t come. Boom, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump. And I’m like, God Norris City Church, is this shoe? Is this the one is this the one or should I look for another?
It’s this is probably Nadia. Let me move on. No. So I said, well, so I realized this was maybe the moment. So I said, hey, you know, we’ve, we’ve seen some great results for people that we’ve prayed for that, that guts touched their back. And I told the story of a near a friend of mine that was on disability, on back injury and heads a bunch of surgeries, but, but now they’re working full time and are doing, doing wonderful and, and told a little bit about that story and, and the, the guy looked at me, he’s like, wow, that’s, that’s pretty cool. And I said, would you, would you mind if I prayed for you? And he’s like, sure, that’s fine. And I didn’t know. I didn’t know the guy at all before the event. And so I pray for him. I just pray for God Norris City Church to touch him, praying against the pain,
and you know exactly what I said. Does it matter? I just want to engage what God Norris City Church was wanting to do. And so I said, what’s the pain level like? Is it constipate? You sell yachts all the time, that’s one to 10 what’d you say? Is he right now? He said, probably seven. I’m like, okay. So we prayed. I said, would you mind? Would you s would you stand up for me? And he’s like, yeah, yeah. I said, hey, could you do me another? Could you just like move around and kind of test it out and see what he’s, he took a couple of steps, looked at me kind of funny.
Okay, that’s it’s all what’s going on? I said, no ball [inaudible] be straight with me. It’s not about me. This is about you and Jesus. You know your body. I don’t, I don’t have any idea of what’s going on. He said, well, I said, well, it’s a painter. He said, it’s different. A different how like number of pain, what’s it like? You said probably a three. I’m like, well, evidently God’s doing something. Let’s pray again.
So I prayed again and I said, okay, now, now test it out. And so I said, just to just walk around and see what’s going on. He’s like, starts, starts walking around and he’s like, you’re getting them real. I mean, he’s serious about checking it out. He keeps walking around and seeing this out. And I’m like, so tell me what’s, what’s going on? He’s like, I can’t find it. Can’t find it. I’m like, what do you mean?
He’s like, I’m said for real. Don’t, don’t, don’t try to impress me. This is not about me. It’s about what does g I’m telling you I can’t find it. And I’m talking to his wife and I say, hey, so what’s the story? She said, I’m telling it’s been six years and he has it and he’s looking at his wife and if you could see the look on his face, you don’t have, when you know a genuine moment because of what people, he’s looking his wife, he’s going.
I said, what’s, what are you feeling? He’s like, my feet. My legs are light. I don’t feel like I’m dragging him around. He’s, he just kept picking his feet up like this so they feel light. And I said, so what was the feeling? Because I feel like I could do back flip and I just begin to say, you know, buddy, this, you know, the big thing is is your back isn’t even the big thing. The back is a sign to you that Jesus loves you and he wants to do something in your heart.
And God Norris City Church gave me some things to speak over his life and he walked out of there totally different than how I met him. Not because I did anything because I was available. Here’s what I want. Encourage you with God’s given you abilities. All he’s asking you to do is be available. We put all the pressure on ourselves like we have to do something. It’s not about you.
It’s not about me. It’s about connecting them to Jesus. In that moment I realized, well, I can’t do anything for you, but I can allow you to do something in me. So God Norris City Church just flow through me. So will you help build the church? Will you get on the crew and be available to let your abilities flow and create sustainability in your life? Because I promised you this, I know this was confirmed even more.
I get juiced up helping others, speaking into others, watching him walk around like this. Nobody was prophesying over me. Nobody was praying for me, but with every step I was like, I was getting geeked up. Why? Because I was watching God Norris City Church work in someone else. This is what sustains you. It’s not about me. Me touched me, prophesied to me. He helped me free me up. I need more. No work with others. Pour into others. It builds you. It sustains you and satisfies you.
When you see God Norris City Church do a miracle in front of your eyes, it should stir you up. I told him at one point, I said, I just feel like straighten my back out just watching. You know what? And so then I come to another person and I just asked for one, but God Norris City Church always does more. So when I get to the next person, you better believe I was expecting to pray for the next person. Once you allow God to use you, maybe it’s just a conversation with a coworker. Maybe it’s, I don’t know what it’s going to be for you, but all we’re talking about today, three things. Number one, you have abilities. God put them in. You stop saying you don’t have any abilities. You don’t have anything to offer. You have abilities put in you by God.
Never doubted, never doubted. It’s his goods. It’s his abilities. It’s his. It’s now limited to your intellectual. Stan Limited your talents. It’s him in you. I didn’t pray for that guy based on my abilities. I prayed for that guy based on the God Norris City Church that is me. Number two, you have to make them available. Make them available. Make them available when he needs them, not when you feel it’s comfortable.
This is not a convenient time for me right now. Gods I didn’t ask for your convenience. I’m concerned about the guy at the face painting table. I could’ve said, well God Norris City Church, you know, I just don’t know. I don’t want to be too aggressive. I don’t want to come across students and pushy. And I know you didn’t ask for prayer. There’s no prayer line. So I mean, how do I know he wants prayer?
Chet is not about you. I care about that guy. I want to do something. Are you available? are you available I to touch him? You’ve got goods that I put on the inside of you that I want to give to him. Are you available? No, I’m afraid. Okay, your loss. I’ll use somebody else. Sure. Don’t hide it for fear. You don’t have anything to be afraid of. God’s never gonna Abuse you. He may use you, he’ll use you, but he won’t abuse you. Number three, sustainability. Don’t try to sustain your life based on your decisions of when to use your gifts and talents. Be sustained by his ability. He’s always going to ask you for more than you think you can give. Why? Because he’s going to get more out of you than you think you can get out of you.
thanks so much for watching with us. We love our online family and we invite you to connect with us. We have a few different ways you can do that on our website@therhodes.church as well as on social media. You can text to give by texting the amount, space roads to four five seven, seven, seven and we’d love to pray for any needs you might have. So send us a message and let us know how we can partner with you in bringing the light and love of Jesus to your worlds.
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