Transcript

0:00

if you guys already at your seat go and find your seat and let's stand in front of our seats if you will I guess cuz I'm

0:06

teaching they don't want to turn it up to her turn it down too much they don't think I'm gonna scream when I'm teaching well

0:12

just get some tissue and put in your ears because we're gonna get going this morning I promise you that let's go to

0:18

the Lord in prayer shall we father just come this morning

0:24

God we will wait father on you you're the reason we're here you're the reason

0:30

you've called us together and God we truly do long for you this morning and

0:37

God we take even just a few moments this morning to recognize that God to say

0:42

come and have your way in this place come and do what you see fit God if you don't come and move nothing happens we

0:49

meet we go home but God just to just a touch from you just a moment with you

0:54

and everything changes in God that's what we long for this well though we

1:00

don't seek you from your word out of religion or even respect you desire to

1:07

know you to to hear you God to listen for that still small voice to walk in

1:13

such a way that our lives are change and God we pray that in this season God in this is teaching this morning you'd come

1:20

and speak God you come and deposit on the inside of your people the heart of a

1:25

servant God the passion to see our brother our sister succeed sometimes at

1:31

our expense God you come and speak this I don't have the words but I know you do and I pray

1:39

to make hearts ready God your unstop ears God you give us eyes to see and hearts to receive as

1:45

your word goes forth this morning God come and speak in Jesus Christ's name we

1:51

pray amen amen

1:57

as you're being seated if you will go ahead and take your Bible out turn to First Samuel chapter 14 First Samuel

2:06

chapter 14 and for those of you that realize it's Sunday school and are

2:13

taking notes the title of this message is the heart of an armor bearer the

2:21

heart of an armor bearer

2:32

what we're gonna do this month and and I'll be honest with you I don't even know we're gonna have 11 points and

2:38

we're not gonna get I'm not even gonna try to get through them all this morning there's a lot of meat here and it's

2:45

interesting the way God will sometime you just drop a nugget in your lap and say go check this out go research just go dig into this and what I can tell you

2:52

is is I've I've read this and come across this my eyes have been open to areas in my life that I need to work and

2:58

God wants us as his people to constantly grow to know him more and more but in

3:07

that process of knowing him more and more and more God's gonna do a work in us you know I told them in Thursday

3:13

night and I say this often when I speak to the guys if you're not hitting walls when you go through this process it's

3:18

because you're faking it and I say that again this morning it's okay as a

3:24

believer to hit walls to go through hard times it's okay to be stretched and be

3:29

forced to grow God is doing something God's desire God's delight if I could

3:35

say it like that is when we hit those walls and say I'm not smart enough or

3:42

strong enough or I don't have the vision to see beyond where I am and he says lean on me trust me let me show you something new

3:49

in and we'll see even this morning that when we do that when we operate out of

3:54

sometimes the mysterious or the unknown or if I could say it like this operate out of faith God can trust us more God

4:04

can deposit more of him on the inside of us we'll see this morning I don't wanna give it all away but we'll see this

4:10

morning how God gives us as an increase because it's interesting you know we

4:16

look at every area of this world and in the kingdom of God most things are

4:21

totally backwards totally opposite to the world and it's the same way with God getting us in a position Dory can trust

4:28

us and grow us and raise us up spiritually but I want to speak for the

4:33

month on the heart of an armored bear and what you see in the Old Testament and understand it's interesting because

4:40

the the armor bearer as a I don't know if I would say it as a

4:46

a placeholder as a job is only a small portion we don't see it very long

4:51

actually historically the individual that played the role of an armored bear was was only in service up until about

4:58

the time of King David and what the armored bear did their job was to literally support their officer you'll

5:05

see it in the role of a king or a leader or a knight or a general they would have an armored bear and that individual that

5:13

played the role of the armored bear their goal their place in life was to

5:19

carry the armor of their leadership to be the one that goes behind that watches

5:25

their bat that kept the guard for their leader it was an extremely important

5:31

role and what we see even in Scripture is sometimes it could be an extremely difficult role there are times in the

5:38

book of Judges you read about it where the man of God was killed by a block

5:43

that fell on his head and he called to his armor-bearer to run him through put me to death I can't die from this window

5:51

or from this woman that you're up the block on my head you see the armored bear in the life of Saul where Saul was pierced by arrows

5:58

and was dying on Mount Gilboa and he turned to his armor-bearer and said run

6:03

me through I can't let the enemy take me captive this was not a simple role not

6:10

an easy role the easy part was just carrying the armor of their leadership but what you can see is there's

6:18

something that permeates through even to today with this role and what's

6:23

interesting about the role of the armor bearer is there's a lot of questions saya law there are there are churches

6:30

today that have taken this role and put it on some kind of a pedestal and I want

6:37

to be clear just like you see historically the armor bearer the role only lasted up until King David and once

6:44

Kings began to ride around in chariots they didn't need an armor bearer anymore and it seems as though this role

6:50

completely goes away from history there's a no mention of it at all in the New Testament but there is

6:57

something to be said about that role that was and it speaks even to this day of the

7:03

role that you and I have in the house of God you see we can take something like

7:09

this and this is what some churches do is they literally have an individual that carries around the Bible of the

7:14

pastor when the pastor sweats sometimes would you see this get in the ditch they run up and dab the sweat off his face

7:21

well I'm your armor bearer and like pastor says it's very easy to get off in the ditch and there's a great many

7:27

people there's churches that have gotten in the ditch with this I'm not interested in talking about that I'm not

7:33

gonna give a bunch of time to that but I want to to make note of the heart behind

7:39

the role because there is something absolutely to be said for today but not

7:46

only that God is wanting to say something through this role to us as the

7:51

church you see he's wanting us to get this heart not just for our pastor but

7:57

for every one of us and as we go through this as we take the time to discover the

8:03

role of this individual you take that on as a mantle in your life and if you'll

8:09

begin to live this way God can speed the process up of what he's wanting to do in

8:15

this house in this body I want to go through right now just if you're taking

8:20

notes just follow with me if you will I'm gonna read the 11 different categories or 11 different points that

8:26

we're gonna look at as the the duties and the characteristics of an armored bear now I didn't think of these myself

8:33

I found them online but I find if if there's something that isn't broke I'm not gonna try and fix it and these

8:39

perfectly embody the role of the armor bearer number one to strengthen his

8:47

officer to strengthen his officer I'm just gonna give you all 11 points and

8:54

then we'll begin to go through them systematically number two to exalt and

9:00

uplift his officer even as I'm reading them think about this in your life do I

9:05

live this way and not just for an officer in the church but as a body as a

9:12

body believers number three to respect his officer to respect his

9:18

officer number-four agrees with and submits to his officer you know what's

9:27

interesting Paul tells us in the book of Ephesians that we are to submit to one another out of the fear of Christ that's

9:36

interesting that's not a listen to me that's not a stair-step thing it's not an authority thing that's a fear of God

9:43

and respect I recognize on you in you is the very fingerprints

9:51

the very image of God that we've been called into something bigger than me

9:56

bigger than you so for that reason I will only submit myself to you what that looks like we'll see is to be willing to

10:03

lay my life down for your success I want to help you I want to build you up even

10:09

if it cost me my life that's okay as long as you succeed why because the vision is ours not mine not yours it's

10:17

bigger than us that's his number five get this now repels any attack against

10:25

his officer especially his back number

10:30

five repels any attack against his officer especially his back do we live that way

10:39

do we actively pursue watching out for one another especially in the places

10:46

were weakest places we don't see number six rescues his officer from difficulty

10:54

and hardship number six rescues his officer from difficulty and hardship 7

11:04

keeps watch while his officer rests number seven keeps watch while his

11:12

officer rests number eight cares for his belongings

11:23

cares for his belongings like I said the armour-bearer was given the task to

11:29

carry the shield the weaponry to be that go to for the leader but this is gonna

11:35

go far beyond I'm not we don't walk around with bows and arrows and short swords and shields anymore

11:40

but what we do carries a great weight can I trust you with that way can I rely

11:47

on you to carry what's mine and not to hurt me with him not to go behind my back with it we'll see

11:54

number nine reacts with total

11:59

intolerance to any false accusation against his officer reacts in total

12:09

intolerance to any false accusation against his officer you get that they

12:17

will not stand at all will not listen at

12:22

all to any false accusation any gossip any slander has no place within their hearing they

12:29

cut it off you ain't gonna talk about him like that he's my leader he's my

12:34

brother he's my friend he's my family she's my sister we're not going there

12:41

let me read it again cuz I know it was long number nine reacts with total intolerance to any false accusations

12:49

against his officer number ten AIDS his

12:56

officer in spiritual combat number ten

13:02

AIDS his officer in spiritual combat

13:08

number eleven last one demonstrates

13:13

extreme loyalty demonstrates extreme

13:19

loyalty now understand Church these are lofty things they're not easy and as we

13:26

go through them we'll see how how how we can't do them alone how it literally takes God for us to

13:34

walk out these things especially in the body of Christ and if I could say it

13:39

like this especially in this church what do I say it like that because we are a

13:46

unique church not that we're a different kind of church but in proximity we live

13:52

close to each other we see everything this place is a fishbowl what that means

13:58

is I see the good on the bad you see if I had to travel half an hour or get a church and it was the only time I saw

14:04

you you probably wouldn't know half of what's going on in my life but you see me every day sometimes you see me in my

14:10

weak and my strong and because of that we can have a bad interaction a few days

14:17

ago might be on Wednesday I had to come to you and we had a disagreement and now you got to sit and listen to me speak

14:22

and you say man I know that dude it's very very easy because of the proximity that we live in to pass that judgment I

14:31

don't I don't want to hear what he has to say I don't I can't trust it I can't watch their back and it takes

14:40

and this is the beauty of it it takes that much more God for us to operate out

14:46

of these things it's not about you and me just mustering it up or forgetting it or going beyond no it's about us taking

14:53

it to the cross us going to God with it saying father I need you to work on my

14:58

heart and his I need you to deal with me and that individual because I can't love

15:04

them right even if our relationships perfect I'm still falling and broken I

15:09

need you to do a work now let's get into it I want to focus this morning on

15:15

demonstrating extreme loyalty we'll just start there and we're gonna go through it demonstrating extreme loyalty what

15:23

does that practically look like you say someone that is extremely loyal you know I remember back when I was living alive

15:30

for the devil I can remember getting locked up sitting in jail I didn't care how bad the weather was my little sister

15:37

was there she was there every single week week in week out and here's what I

15:42

knew about Lauryn she would willingly support me even when I'm wrong can I tell you something that

15:50

can get into a ditch extreme loyalty can have a ditch behind it it's it's easy

15:57

sometimes to follow blindly especially a strong leader someone that you know you

16:03

believe is its following god hard after and yet they get off and you say well I'm just believing it I'm following

16:10

there's a difference a very clear difference biblically with extreme loyalty in the

16:17

right and the wrong and we have to be able to hear and listen to the Spirit of

16:22

God as to when to speak up and when to be quiet and it's hard you see it's not

16:28

we think sometimes being at the top oh man sometimes being at the bottom so hard too and it takes god it takes the

16:36

grace of God to be able to know when to speak and when to be quiet because the

16:41

thing that I found it in my in my short time of serving God is there are things God wants to clear up he doesn't need me

16:49

to get in the middle of I've done it both ways I promise you and the times that I believe well I've got it

16:54

I gotta go say something this is just wrong and I'm not putting up with it usually I'll walk out of there with a

17:00

smack on my rear hey you messed that up hey I was already dealing with that son

17:06

I didn't need you and what I found is God does not operate in our timetable

17:12

he's patient you know I'd say perhaps that was one of the things that I watched Pastor Charlie operate out of so

17:19

many times he'd say hey Tom just give God a chance and lo and behold the

17:25

opportunity would present itself now that the issue was never resolved or we

17:30

were negligent in dealing with it but rather out of that sense of god I'm not just loyal to the person but I'm loyal

17:37

to you that begins to change everything let's look if he will at First Samuel

17:42

chapter 14 look with me look with me if you will at verse number 6

17:49

verse number six says this Jonathan said to the young man who carried his Armour

17:56

come let us go over the over to the garrison of these uncircumcised it may

18:03

be that the Lord will work for us for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving

18:10

by many or by few verse seven and his armor-bearer listen to this and his

18:15

armor-bearer said to him do all that is in your heart do as you wish

18:22

behold I am with you heart and soul

18:28

that's big right there that lastly you got a pen underlined that your Bible I

18:34

am with you heart and soul that if I was

18:39

to put a definition on demonstrating extreme loyalty I'll use those words

18:44

right there I'm with you heart and soul you have my everything my entire being

18:51

is behind you and with you and and what we have the context here was this the

18:57

Philistines the arch-nemesis of Israel had risen up to fight them had come

19:02

against them and Jonathan was the son of the king but most importantly Jonathan

19:09

was a man of God he was man he was a man after God this is the same Jonathan that

19:15

David and him were best friends and what you see is Jonathan was stirred up by

19:20

God to go and fight and understand this was extreme this was two men taking on

19:29

an entire garrison of trained warriors Jonathan said hey let's do it I'm

19:35

believing God has given him into our hands let's go find out let's go see and

19:41

they very very easily could have lost their life in it and yet what it is

19:47

armor bearer say Jonathan do whatever is in your heart I'm with you I'm with you

19:54

let me tell you something in this fight that we're in it's going to take that

20:00

kind of loyalty to make this thing now let me be very very clear this isn't

20:06

blind loyalty the armour-bearer wasn't you're saying let's just go die I don't care I've got no value in my life but rather

20:13

he had love Jonathan and knit his heart with Jonathan in such a way listen to

20:19

this now he was to come alongside and support the call of God on Jonathan's

20:25

life you see God was trying to do something in the life of Jonathan God was about to

20:30

put Jonathan on a pedestal and God had put around him men men of God that were

20:36

willing to come alongside and support that call walk with him in that call and

20:41

it was so critical that the armour-bearer understood his role and he walked bad out you know there's a phrase

20:49

sometimes that we we use in Christianity well I don't have to I don't have to like him I just love him he may never

20:56

said that I don't I don't like you but you know what I love you only because

21:02

the Bible says I have to I want you to think about this how would you feel if we stayed before God's and you know what

21:08

I don't like you but Jesus died for you so I'm letting you in say man I I may

21:15

want to go to the other place Lord that doesn't demonstrate love at all to me and how often can we because of

21:24

personalities because of differences because of culture because of the way we were raised live that way we can live as

21:32

a body but it's fractured it's split up we don't love one another instead

21:37

typically I've got my group and you've got yours and we don't really cross and

21:43

yet that is not at all the way that God's designers to be and when we begin to discuss the heart behind the armor

21:49

bear that extreme loyalty that extreme loyalty should then listen to this when

21:56

it's done right go deeper than any faction on the surface it should be able

22:02

to fill in the gap the crack between you and I how does that happen where does

22:08

that start it starts with this me being able to recognize who God is

22:16

the inside of you do you know what that means that means when when Chris Powell and I bump heads there's something

22:23

greater than our opinions of one another it holds us together and what this

22:30

loyalty does is it makes a choice get that to be low you make a choice and

22:35

what I have to do then in that moment of difference or difficulty or despair I

22:42

focus on the thing that keeps us not that drives us apart and listen to me

22:49

we're all human how easy is it in the point of dissension or brokenness do we

22:55

focus on the issue Pastor Chris and I we just don't agree and rather than me

23:01

talking about how much I love him and what an unbelievable job he's doing you know he had some big shoes to fill and

23:07

by the grace of God he's doing it but you see that the problem now is what I

23:13

focus on not what ties us together not what should call me to be loyal to him

23:18

but I'm gonna run around and say yeah he's doing a good job but did you know this we're all guilty of it every one of

23:27

us when we get in a fight with someone else that's what we want to focus on we want to plead our cause we want to we

23:33

want to make sure that we're justified and then everybody comes around us and tells you yeah you are right you're right okay Pastor Chris John Gras so and

23:41

so and we focus on the thing that drives us apart and what happens is it begins

23:48

to tie our hands with that choice of loyalty like I said loyalty is a choice

23:53

I make a choice to be loyal you know I want to say this as well that God has us

23:58

in a spot I've seen it now for several months God is individually walking each one of

24:05

us through a place where we have to make a choice to be loyal who we got to be loyal to a lot of us we pledged our

24:12

loyalty we gave our life to the vision that Charles Sharpe had I was one of them he's gone and what's interesting is

24:21

the vision was not Charlie's it was God's and that may look different there

24:27

was areas that pastor was dead on there's areas he was dead-on and God's calling us back to his

24:34

vision to what he wants us to and we have to make a choice and listen to me if you don't make a choice like I said

24:40

your hands are gonna be tied you will make a choice I focus on what's

24:46

wrong what's different what's difficult what doesn't make sense and before I know it I've made the choice to rescind

24:53

my loyalty dr. miss Lori dr. pastor Chris but to

24:59

God hear me when I say that that's not a light thing God saying will you buy into

25:06

what I called you to because they didn't call us here charlie didn't call me here charlie didn't call you here God did and

25:14

that extreme loyalty is saying God I'm following you and I'm making a choice to

25:20

not just buy into that but when it gets hard when it gets difficult when my life

25:26

may be on the line I'm gonna choose to focus on that thing what you called me

25:31

to what you brought me to what makes us together not what tears us apart and you

25:37

see that extreme loyalty causes a bond that goes deeper than what we understand

25:42

and that's why God was able to raise up Jonathan and I listen to this and then

25:48

Jonathan was able to give it away to David you see God raised up a man to support Jonathan and God raised up Jonathan to

25:56

support a man and all three of those carried God's vision God's purpose they

26:03

fulfilled the very destiny on their life by pledging their loyalty by making a

26:09

choice consistently especially when it seemed extreme when it didn't make sense

26:16

but it seemed most difficult that's when they said no no no no yeah I bought in

26:21

when it felt good yeah I bought in I got my pay raise yeah I bought in when things are going right but you know what now when it's

26:28

difficult I'm remembering that I'm staying loyal to what God called me to

26:33

I'm not focusing on the rest I'm focusing on the best and what is best

26:39

what God has called us to the armour-bearer the heart of the armour-bearer has the ability to stay

26:46

loyal to what God has called us to I'm not asking please don't think that I'm

26:53

saying buy into the person be loyal to the individual no be loyal to God for

26:59

the person when I was a group with her I'd tell them and they'd say man you know what I trust you I'd say don't

27:04

trust me trust God for me I'm gonna make mistakes I'm gonna miss it as will be

27:11

with every person on this earth they're gonna make mistakes the key the goal for

27:16

us not to get in the ditch but to remain faithful to both God and man is to be

27:21

loyal to God for the man I'm staying faithful God's called me and for that

27:27

reason when your arms get tired I'm gonna come alongside you lift them up I'm gonna be there to support you what

27:33

this does then is it ties us together with the second point I want to look at look at number eight cares for his

27:42

belongings the heart of the armored bear the individual that says I'll be loyal

27:48

and faithful the Bible says this he who is faithful in little God says I can

27:55

make you a rule over a city I can bless you and number eight here this point of

28:01

the heart of the armour-bearer cares for his belongings what does that look like

28:08

today in practicality the passion behind this the heart behind this literally was

28:14

the individual that came alongside King Saul or King David or behin elec or any

28:20

man of any Valor that was due an armor bearer and that armor bearer was to

28:25

pledge their life to the success of that individual they were literally to carry the armor of that night or that King or

28:33

that general and like I said their goal was to not just keep them alive but get

28:39

this now to further on their agenda it's

28:44

interesting you'll find in the scriptures many times the armor bears this is gruesome but it was how it was

28:50

when the the leader would go in and wound an enemy the armor bearer was

28:56

to finish them off and they would go out of Allegiance I understand the vision

29:02

I'm not just going to murder someone he's thought about that I'm fighting for God and we have to understand in the

29:09

same way that this this heart this this place or this job was was out of warfare

29:16

we too are in the same battle we fight a battle daily and what we have to be

29:21

willing to do is understand the fight that JC may be in and it's my job as a

29:27

brother to come alongside him and fight and be there with him no matter good or

29:35

bad and what this looks like then is the heart of the armored bear can be trusted

29:41

with the most sacred things now again there's a ditch even in this it's very

29:48

easy sometimes to get in this place where because we're so close I can keep

29:55

secrets I messed up can you keep us doing you and me yeah I got you

30:02

listen man I've been messing up for forever don't tell nobody just pray for me both of us bleedin the blind

30:14

leading the blind and there is a ditch in that but understand there was nothing

30:21

in the the face of a warrior there was nothing more valuable to them than their sword and the shield than

30:28

their armor and it was these things that were given to this individual this was

30:33

not understand this wasn't some lowly duty this wasn't some job for a little child growing up men of valor took this

30:41

position we'll see in a minute this was given to those that had proven themselves worthy of that load and in

30:50

the same way today that we live we walk and we live in a constant fight as

30:56

Christians and it's so important to be able to have men or women around you you

31:02

can trust not a yes man not a yes woman but someone that is willing to say you

31:08

know what let me your shield let me fight with you let me

31:14

be there for you and how this looks practically you know one of my best friends is Mauricio Toro I love that man

31:21

understand that's come it's interesting because pastor God through pastor asked

31:27

us to preach when he couldn't I told you before I'm a man of competition I love a

31:33

good fight I really do I love two best people and yet the more

31:38

we spent time together more my heart was saying god I hope he can do a better job than me speak even more through him than

31:44

me I got told you before that's not natural to me I'm insecure I'm broken I

31:50

want to be the best and I'll work and fight to be the best and yet with him and me it was God let him raise him up

31:57

use him he's now my boss if I have this

32:04

heart to be an armored bear for him what that looks like is this I come alongside

32:10

him not just to serve Him but in any and every form to support him to lift him up

32:18

it doesn't mean when he makes a mistake when he messes up I take advantage of it

32:24

I hope his guards down hey hey hey hit him in the side hit him in the side he can't see not at all but

32:33

it's me living in such a way that's the most valuable things in his life sometimes from a company standpoint the

32:40

most valuable things that he needs to get done he can trust me with I can be a

32:45

man of honor and integrity and say yes sir this will be done and not just do it to do it but do it with excellence do

32:53

with every part and passion of me why because that is the heart that God is

32:58

looking for and what this looks like is not just out of an organizational frame but especially from the church's

33:05

perspective where in your life and in mine we can walk together and your life

33:11

is sacred enough to me that I don't go and slander you but I hold the most

33:18

valuable things to you close to me listen to this for your gain you know

33:24

what that looks like practically speaking that means if I'm in a ditch and someone's close to me they do

33:31

whatever it takes to help me not to leave me alone not to leave me by myself

33:36

but to come alongside me that may look like calling me on the carpet hey you're

33:43

missing it here but understand that shield you carries got a big old hole right in the middle of it and if I don't

33:48

tell you somebody's gonna stab you right through it and you don't even see it it's my job when I was carrying it low

33:55

to say hey hey Tom your your armors messed up hey your your bows hey your shield and your sword it's busted let's

34:03

get this fixed I know a great blacksmith his name is so-and-so let's go see him

34:08

you see it's willing to allow people into your life to such a degree you let

34:15

them help carry your burdens but again that's not just anybody you see one of

34:21

the things that is so interesting when we see from a scriptural standpoint I don't care where you looking in the book

34:28

of James in the book of Romans in virtually every story no Testament what

34:33

was God's role in developing the men or the women of God that were to carry a

34:40

great burden was it easy were they raised up quick was Joseph time in

34:45

prison here's the snap was David's time running from solve for 1314 years was

34:51

that just a breath and it was gone no James says count it all joy cannon all

34:57

joy when you why walk through fields full of lilies and wildflowers no the

35:03

exact opposite when you go through trials Romans says the very way to

35:08

godliness to growth to holiness is through difficulty its to persevere

35:14

through those hardships why does God do that why does he make it so hard on the ones that he loves let me

35:22

tell you why the Bible says it cautions us very very greatly to not grieve the

35:29

Holy Spirit to not live in such a way that causes him to say

35:35

can have no part of that why is that why did God lay down Ananias and Sapphira

35:41

why you know it's it's it's often said especially as young believers as we grow

35:47

we say I want that passion I want to pray like Selim so I want to preach like I want to have God move when I do what I

35:54

do why can't I I be stirred up like that man I see that passion how do I get it let me tell you how you allow God to put

36:03

you in a spot and I get this where you can be trusted the reason a great number of Christians

36:12

today don't have the passion or the moving of God like you did in life of DL

36:18

Moody of Charles Spurgeon the reason God doesn't move in a lot of our lives today

36:23

like he has in the past is because God cannot trust us yet with His Holy Spirit

36:31

let that sink in that's not an easy thing to absorb you say man what God

36:39

doesn't just willy-nilly give out his Holy Spirit and more than that God is

36:45

not going to allow himself he says I will not share my glory with anyone and

36:51

what that means is he is going to teach us and show us what it means to have

36:57

reverence for him to fear Him to honor him not from a place of getting

37:03

underneath the pews but falling on our face and saying God I'm not worthy of even carrying your name teaches us to be

37:12

trusted to be leaned upon and what he does and how he does that he does it in

37:18

the secret you see he goes after our integrity first and as he grows us and

37:27

teaches us to revere him to honor him to live a life that is worthy of the

37:34

calling he can begin to pour into us himself and listen to me by circumstance

37:42

of that happening by circumstance of God pouring himself you

37:48

or me guess what happens we get raised up it's a natural consequence that is

37:54

what it's gonna happen every single time and no matter what the world says or

37:59

does they can't stop it you see that's the beauty of it if you're in a spot

38:04

where you say I want those kind of things in my life I want to be raised up by God then in the secret place begin to

38:12

carry those around use armor care for them love them be loyal to the Kohl of

38:20

God on their life listen to me now even more than you are your own and what that

38:26

allow you to do is it allow you to trust God or his in Greek it allow you to be

38:32

grown up in the things of God that he can pour himself into your life you know

38:38

Leonard Ravenhill I I speak about him often because via YouTube he's had such

38:44

an impact in my life and one of the things that he says is you don't have to

38:49

ever advertise a fire he's right think about it if a buildings on fire

38:55

everybody comes running people flock to it and he said in the same way when the

39:01

Spirit of God sets you on fire or when a church gets set on fire you don't have

39:07

to advertise it people are going to come and in the same way in your life and in

39:14

mind when we are willing to be trusted in the secret place in the quiet place

39:21

in the most important things of someone's life without slander creeping

39:26

in without gossip sleeping in slipping in then God can begin to fill us up with

39:32

more of him and it's not listening to me and I think that's where we get confused I want to say it again

39:37

it's not that God is just lifting us up it is very it is the Spirit of God on

39:43

the inside of us it's making room the Bible says that your gift will make room

39:49

for itself you know what that means as God fills you up the world's gonna see

39:55

be poured out and what God wants is us to be a people that are willing

40:01

willing to be deeply loyal to one another in such a way where I can trust

40:08

you with the most important details of my life they're safe with you now that they're hidden or quiet with

40:15

you but that you do it in a way that honors me it lifts me up last one for

40:21

today you guys get anything out of these this morning I promise you this I

40:28

absolutely did as I was just going through this last one for today is going

40:34

to be this number one to strengthen is officer this is what we're gonna finish

40:41

this morning in your life in my life might roll again this armor-bearer this

40:48

heart of the armored bear is not about authority I understand in its time

40:53

period it was about that but in today's context or looking at it as a body of

40:58

believers it's not about well I do this because they're here and I'm here no I do it willingly because you're here and

41:05

I'm here we're on the same level and I willingly submit to you and I make the

41:13

choice from the difficulty sometimes and the great times to be loyal to you I'm

41:19

buying in to your life your success I'm deeply loyal to the call of God on

41:25

your life so much so let me show it to you I'm willingly going to carry your armor

41:30

I'm gonna help you I'm gonna be there for you I'm gonna stand behind you and here's the last thing I'm gonna be there

41:38

to strengthen you I'm going to be the one that's gonna come alongside you

41:43

sometimes at your weakest point and breathe life into you you see this is

41:48

something that can be difficult and understand there are those off we've got them in this house that are unbelievable

41:55

encouragers they're fantastic breathing life into people but understand that

42:02

gift that call comes from God and God has the ability to utilize you in

42:09

whatever way he sees fit again like I said the question is not the gift or the call

42:15

it's the individual are we ready for what God wants to deposit in us can we

42:22

be trusted with that gift or that call there's been a great many men that got

42:27

raised up and they fell apart they didn't have the integrity they didn't have the gifting they didn't have the

42:32

character to carry it and one of the most important roles a person in the

42:38

house of God can play is one that comes alongside and gives strength to another

42:44

because you know what that requires it's not about hitting the weights it's not

42:49

about memorizing the verses in the scriptures the key to this right here if

42:54

you want to be an individual that is called upon to give strength to another you've got to become in tune with the

43:01

Spirit of God you know what that looks like practically it looks like this I sit down at the cafe to eat the Spirit

43:09

of God promised me for Nathan I don't know why I don't understand it but all

43:15

of a sudden hey Nate you got time yeah let's talk and before you know what he's saying man I'm going through it this

43:21

isn't really happening I want to be clear this didn't happen this is an example but you know what it has happened in both of our lives hey I'm

43:28

struggling and I didn't know why I was sitting now next to you but now I do let me tell you something you know this and

43:36

this and before you know it ten fifteen minutes have gone by and out of tears and praying God's giving him strength

43:43

God's lifted his head and he said man thank you you have no idea how much the the words

43:49

you spoke into my life impacted me I felt like nobody cared nobody wanted to listen but just you being here it makes

43:55

all the difference in the world boom I have fulfilled this in my life

44:01

I've given strength to another and you see that is such a delicate thing why

44:07

because in the hustle and the bustle of life we can blow right by him we see the

44:13

guy at the chair crying and I got a meeting I gotta go to and before you

44:19

know he's gone and that meeting didn't accomplish anything and he's off the door he's leaving

44:26

but when we walk in such a way that were in tune with the Spirit of God I know

44:32

hey you know what we're talking he doesn't feel like we're getting anywhere but you know what I'm not done yet I'm

44:38

not done we're gonna fight I'm gonna wait we're gonna pray God's got something for you and all of a sudden

44:43

the door breaks open you see God move why because we waited on him you don't know how often the

44:50

words of Charles Sharpe going through my mind Tom just give God a chance there's

44:56

times I'm sitting with an individual talking with them working with him and you ain't getting nowhere they're getting matter will you just

45:02

leave me alone no I know God has something for you I just don't know when he's gonna pour it out and before you

45:08

know it just like that God moves sometimes in spite of the words you may

45:14

have said but because you were willing to listen God works and you become a

45:21

tool in the body of God that can go around strengthening others why is that

45:27

so important yes hearing the voice of God is critical but to just as important

45:34

we are at war and it's not one of physical altercations it's one of the

45:40

mind one of the heart it's one were the devil whispers lies into our ears and

45:46

he's so effective at it and if God has a man or a woman that he knows he can lean

45:51

upon and he says pastor just going to sit with that one all he needs is a

45:57

vessel he doesn't need our intelligence or a skillset he needs our heart to be

46:03

in tuned to the frequency of heaven and listen to me this is something we all

46:09

grow in this is not something you're hardwired with this takes time and practice and as we do it gotta use us

46:18

God will use you if you will as I as I close my challenge for you this morning

46:25

not just that you would buy in and be loyal not just that you be one they would carry the closest thing to your

46:31

neighbor but that you would spend this morning in worship and the rest of today

46:37

and tonight getting in tune with the frequency of heaven God get me in tune

46:43

I want to hear you know one of the best things that I think it was Martha that told me about college I was struggling

46:49

with whether or not I could hear God and I think it was her and pastor beau said Tom if you want to begin to practice

46:55

hearing God listen to him in a service what's he saying where is he wanting to go what's God

47:01

saying and that was one of the best I didn't know it I wasn't speaking at all time

47:06

practices in my life to begin to listen to the voice of God he'll always confirm

47:12

his word but he's still speaking today he wants to use us to build up his body

47:17

to build up his church let's breath father we thank you so much

47:25

God for the dynamic of who you are you seem to touch area every area of our

47:32

life God whether it's work or our family time or being in your house God nothing

47:39

is separate from you you are the very center of all that we do and God for

47:46

that reason we have opportunity upon opportunity to walk out what we hear from you each week god I pray you put us

47:54

in tune with that that we can listen to you and you speak God that we can be

48:00

aware of you when you move God that even so much that we can desire you in such a

48:07

way that you move heaven and earth to come and be with us and God let that be

48:13

the cry of our heart even in this morning in the worship well that you would be so willing to come and grace us

48:20

with your presence God your word says that you look over all the earth your

48:27

eyes go to and fro God let them be set on us this morning God let your vision

48:36

come and rest on this church God not because we're special or unique but God

48:42

because we recognize our great need of you God come and set your focus your

48:50

vision on your church this morning in Jesus wonderful name we pray and all

48:56

God's people said amen