Chris Brown: "Your Greatest Enemy Is Your Giftedness" Thrive Leadership Conference 2012

every home has to deal with it from time to time so it'sit's not that big of a deal and and everyone has their remedies that have been passed down from generation to generation and and if by chance they don't work you'll use whatever the neighbors have the offer it's it's just the way it works it's the way it's all gone through and and so when she's sick and she misses a day of school or two it it's not a panic it's part of having a kid it's it's when the day's turn into a week and the week turns into weeks it's when the fever doesn't leave it's when you watch your twelve-year-old that chest heaves up and down for every breath you realize she hasn't eaten she can't keep anything down and there's not much more weight the body can lose and you don't leave that scene unless there is one hope in one hope only and as much as he wants to stay he knows he has to go it's a short conversation mom has made it clear it's time to find him he'll get up and pack a few quick things in the lead we find him running he falls on his knees there's a crowd there's people standing in line there's protocol to a thing like this he doesn't care he Falls and he just lets it I hope she's 12 she's about to die can you come we've heard about you and we've tried everything else for the hush falls over the crowd this is what they've been waiting for this isn't just a miracle this isn't just anybody it's it's it's a little girl it's not just any little girl it's the pastor's daughter and no matter where you were in mind no matter how close you thought you were to get the next ticket for the talk the handshake the touch to whatever everything now shifts in the crowd follows there's a short interruption another woman she has no rights and yet he stops for her and time ticks by a crowd comes from the house and finds dad and those words my little girls are 10 and 9 and those were if you pray to God as a parent you never have to hear the hand is on the shoulder I'm sure there's a look in the eye and it's simply I'm sorry she didn't make it you don't need to bother the teacher anymore immediately the rebuttal from him the one they came to see and had simply don't listen to them just have faith I don't know how much of a decision is really there the father's lost everything at this point there's nothing left to lose and they go by the time they get to the house there's crying outside Jesus pauses for a moment just to tell the twelve you guys need to stop here except for you you and you come on in Peter don't talk on this one I'm handling the three that are picked are allowed to put their backs up against the adobe wall inside that little house as dad rushes in he sees the scene mom her position has been there by the side of the bed but now we're ahead is just down unconsolable for the first time she will leave that she will bury her head into her husband's chest he will grab her by the back of the neck and the waist and there is he holds her and feels her sobbing he looks over and for the first time he has to see his daughter lifeless it is in this embrace that he slips to the side he simply takes the place where mom was touches her by the hand and says town Stockholm a which means little girl arise a breath comes back into her body mom and dad have to be filled with feelings that I don't think you can even understand and begin to explain there has to be a shock and awe a horror has to come in some of that and an amazement I'd have no idea no one speaks they watch a daughter eyes open sit up fluttering them and then Jesus is the one that speaks don't tell anybody what just happened she was in a coma she came out of a coma that's the script we all stick to it are you kidding me it's just the first few chapters his reputation is on the line what this could do for him his ego his platform his proof that he is not just a man he is not a good teacher he is not the miracle worker he is the son of God the very essence DNA of God in the flesh and yet at that moment he cares more about prom at that moment he realizes this sixth grade girl one day would want to dance along with all the other girls and what boy's gonna dance with the zombie and he knows that and her dating life and teenage years are far more important than his reputation she was in a coma she came out and fix her some macaroni and cheese she's gonna be hungry he knows her favorite so I wonder when they walk on when it's been story after story after story miracle after miracle after miracle teaching out of teaching after teaching what some would say the most arrogant claims anyone has ever made that he is God he is the one by whom all men will be judged I wonder that next time he stops and says guys you can't go with me except for you three I wonder if their minds immediately flashed back to the Adobe house I wonder if as they follow him up the trail they're wondering what's this one gonna be and we all get to watch it together so if you got your flat screen go ahead and open it to mark chapter nine verse two got a Bible there's a lot of you looking up here right now you got a Bible for stop why'd you bring a Bible do it Christian Leadership Conference Bible doesn't have anything to do with either those works I know it's sarcasm I don't live here and it starts mark 9 to 6 days Jesus took Peter James and John with him and he led him up to a high mountain ok stop why have you ever stopped and asked why last time when you wake inside the bush do the same 3 when he goes in the garden tells the disciples pray and he goes further who's he picked Peter James and Jeff why if there's gonna be some amazing moments in the life of Christ and not all the 12 get in on it but three why the same three don't you find that a little unfair there's 12 of them put him on a four-team rotation basis everybody gets a shot at a miracle have you ever gotten these stories and just stopped ding-dong never thought of it but why those three and and the Bible is really say I've heard people much smarter than me come up with great ones and maybe they're right of these were the three that that Jesus loved the most these were the three that were called early on maybe it showed most faith I don't buy that you like know the Bible even says John the one whom Jesus loved yeah who wrote that John I guarantee you if I get a shot of writing a book in the Bible called Chris I'm looking pretty good so I'm gonna discount the adjective it doesn't say by the way he didn't love the other eleven why the same three you know what I tend to think I tend to think there's moments where Jesus needs to do some stuff he has to leave the twelve and as he's about to leave he realizes Dom these are the three I can't trust back at camp and I seriously he's like guys I got something to do on the mountain just me and God oh crap Peter James John now you guys are with me and they're probably already like starting fires to their like they're two guys like they mate he's 51 or something he's like nah you guys are with me they head up the mountain I don't know why I would stop that that phrase we got a lot to do in just three hours so here's what we're at so he led them up a high mountain where they were all alone and there he was transfigured before them do you know what that means neither do i what he was transfigured there was actually a physical medical physical change and we find that comes from the inside out he morphs and this is one when I get to heaven I want to rent cuz I want to know what my six-year-old little dude his name is bairns Barrett but we call him bear he's into this stuff he is so big into transformers and watching a plane so I have some concept of things that are one thing becoming another I have no idea what happens here and the Bible doesn't want to give a lot of detail Jesus is transfigured the deity of who he was in God broke through his humanity people let me just tell you this is not a miracle this is simply a pause in the ongoing miracle the miracle up to this point has been for 30 years the deity the god of Jesus has been set aside and covered in humanity that miracle has a temporary pause and the God of Christ breaks out we're getting a little bit of a description but it's not much Marc simply says his clothes became dazzling white whiter than anyone in the world could ever bleach them please no cards your letters now you don't know my address so write him send it wherever you want but I realized this is the Bible I realized this is the Word of God but that is the worst descriptive sentence I have ever read Jesus shows up Peter James John he gets to the top of the mountain transfigured in mark goes he be it was like I mean that was brighter than good bleach when Matthew records this story you know what Matthew says Matthew says he was transfigured in front of his face shone like the Sun there was like sunbeams it just busted forth from his body when Luke writes this story Luke said when they took him up to the mountain Jesus transfigured and he became like lightning that shot four vivid descriptions marks like it was like someone had bleached and I wonder I wonder if when they're all in heaven the Bible writers are just sitting around comparing notes and they're like remember the Transfiguration that was amazing Matt what do you do with that dude I had sunbeams like frosting for just I had I was training what's the biggest bright Sun I had the entire Sun in him just hey Luke would you write dude I'd that was I wouldn't like you know you see flashes like mark would you it marks like yeah I covered that story too much like he got up there and he became like Clorox so for a moment I'm gonna take Matthew and Luke's and say he just know what and there appeared before them Elijah and Moses who were talking with verse verse four and there appeared before them Elijah and Moses just try this again it's Jesus he's taken three from the group on this mountain there is a brilliance the deity if he rubs through his humanity like like the Sun itself is within like lightning itself flashes out and there appears before them Moses and Elijah I'm not getting to that part yet but thanks for having a Bible it's good not from around here are you and there appeared that was funny I don't care who you are funny don't care you guys there appeared with the Moses and Elijah bunch of fakers you know why you don't get this you know why we missed this cuz most of you haven't been raised good Jewish boys and girls well when this story comes out when this story comes out and the Israelites here you have the deity of God busted for Humanity and there appeared before them Moses and Elijah the two greatest action figures of your Jewish faith been dead for 900 years and Moses 1,400 years respectively they are the greatest of your law and the prophets there appeared with him we bearded two tablets bearded dude nametag Elijah I don't know what alleged thought that would do a little bit Elijah these three Jewish men see the greatest heroes of their faith their religion their nation their history are you kidding me the giver of the law the leader of your people the one that God chose to bring you out of bondage out of Egypt he is the very core the very foundation of the Old Testament Elijah the greatest of the prophets the one that stood against insurmountable odds the one that called down fire from heaven watch where it goes in this scene lightning white Moses Elijah Peter said to Jesus man it's really good to be here are you kidding me are you kidding me neither said Jesus rabbi it's really good for us to be here have you ever publicly said something dumb and then you're meeting like that just come on let me give you a hint if you ever find yourself in a place of ministry where Christ Himself shows up as the son lightning bleach Moses and Elijah are there let me give you a head shot up it's probably not about you Jesus Moses Elijah I think I should be the one to say something really man I love this idiot to disciple this guy gives me hope have you ever said something dumb and then immediately you try to cover it up and by covering up you just dig a bigger hole it's here rabbi it's really good for us to be here let us put up three shelters one for you one for mowing one free life get the scene go they've left everyone else down below I don't know why I don't know why three get in every time it's something in ministry we gotta get over I don't know why certain people get to be on stage more than others I don't know why certain people get to be in front of crowd I don't know why they pick someone else do the lesson more than you I don't know why you don't get your fair share of doing announcement time or communion to probably do you're not good at but I don't know why I don't know why they haven't just been honest to tell you that I will you're not good at it it's okay it's not a gift I don't know why there's others that give you why do they get greater churches and you have to work occurs I don't know why I know there's this thing of Jesus in the same tree they're there they see the greatest of the Old Testament the greatest of the law the greatest of the province it's really good to be here for the first time I think Moses and Elijah realized there's other guys here Oh Luke will be very clear they showed up to encourage Christ they showed up to take a knee and say you are God all of history has been waiting for you everything we were done everything God used this for and wrote through us has been waiting for you and from a voice back in the shrubs you like Bob smiley become a disciple Oh like I'm not paying for that one and I think they all turn and look at him I think James and John are like you're on your own he's like you guys need tents I mean one for each of you that's what we do we can do we'll do tent and Peter gets caught up in the moment he gets caught up in what's in front of he gets caught up in this amazing thing that God has prepared Jesus doesn't seem to mind ho but does he push God's button Oh does he take off the living god of creation then a cloud appeared and enveloped him and a voice came from the cloud this is my son whom I love listen to him and suddenly when they looked around they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus and as they were coming down the mountain Jesus gave mortage don't tell anyone what you've seen until the Son of Man has risen from the dead so they kept this matter to themselves discussing what rising from the dead could mean I'm not quite sure what just happened well whatever happened I got a promise to you and I shouldn't do it in the midst of Peter speaking the cloud enveloped over twenty times in the Old Testament God shows up in a cloud never showing who he truly is but always in this cloud that should kind of look they get it these Jewish boys understand it when that cloud shows up and envelops them they can't see their hand in front their face and a voice comes not the cloud from within the cloud this one's my son this is the one I love listen to him and the clouds gone show's over Jesus standing looking at him mow and Eli gone and he just starts walking down the hill and somewhere down the hill hey guys I wouldn't talk about this one no one's gonna buy it wait until I pull off Easter what's this what it says so what happened if these are disciples if these are the ministry leaders what happened as Peter he got got caught up into all the great things all the great things the Old Testament all the icky things of all all the old great things in the Prophet all the great things in ministry and he made Jesus a part of it whole people let me promise you if you haven't figured out already Jesus will never be a part of your ministry and if someone has bought about that someone has sold it to you if someone has taught that to you oh I hope you hear that loud and clear tonight Jesus did not die on the cross to be part of your ministry that is not the deal or you can try to use it that way you can work it that way you will end up tired frustrated depressed disappointed and lonely but right off the bat he says here's what happens you get caught up in the great things of ministry you can caught up in the people you caught up in the gift is you caught up in the crowds you get caught up in all that's happening what we call church and some where Jesus is a part of it and if that's how we're doing things then expect that you're gonna be in a cloud and God says this is my son you through a maybe with Moses and Elijah are you are you kidding me you're gonna give all three of them a tenth are you kidding me I have one son this is your only hope this is your answer this is my love you listen the great Shema of all scriptures you listen obey follow him show's over that's what you're gonna do with Moses and Elijah guys back up I wonder if there is more to come it's just the way my brain always thinks I wonder if there was a lion in heaven waiting rehearsing like these guys have been for 1,400 years this moment going I don't get my speaking part I wonder I wonder if after Moses and Elijah was going to encourage Jesus about this road is suffering he has just said he's heading to Jerusalem he has just said he's gonna be persecuted beaten and killed I wonder if after Moses and Elijah and what if there's an Abraham and Sarah on their way I wonder if third in line would have been a guy who smelled like he's been in a fish for three days just to show up and said this is why I went to Nineveh I wonder if next to him was a man with the scars of adultery and a jacked-up family with a sling in his hand and a reminder of what God did with the Giant in spite of who he was just to lay it down and say it's all been about you I wonder if the Old Testament was lined up and God said really you're gonna take the great things of ministry the great things and you're gonna put Jesus as a part of it he'll be all or nothing show's over down the hill you blew this oh and I don't know about you but I know I get so caught up in the great things of ministry I get so caught up in the program of ministry I get so caught up for the people of ministry I get so caught up in the staff of ministry I get so caught up and all that God has given us to do on the mountaintop and if you ask me I will tell you oh yes Jesus is a part of it and hold let's be careful if somewhere Jesus has a part of our ministry because he will be all or nothing he will be the very source he will be the very power he will be the very purpose and I wonder how much more God has for us in ministry but he doesn't dare give it to us because we are gonna get so caught up in the success and great things we lose sight of the thing have you ever noticed after you have some cool spiritual experiences you have to go back to the reality of church life in ministry and I'm so glad the Bible that's a sin on it this incredible mountaintop experience although it ends a little bit short I would say prematurely they come down the bottom the hill and they find the rest of the disciples the nine left back arguing with the other religious leaders in verse 14 when they came to the other disciples they saw a large crowd around them teachers the law arguing with them and as soon as all the people saw Jesus they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him what are you arguing with him about he asked and a man in the crowd answered teacher I brought you my son who was possessed by a spirit has robbed him of his speech whenever it seizes him it throws him to the ground he foams at the mouth gnashes his teeth he becomes rigid I asked her disciples to drive it out but they could not I love the question but don't lose the answer Jesus comes down from this incredible moment showing three who he truly is he is backing up the claims and as soon as they get back to ministry as soon as the gang back to the team there's are you in the camp there's conflict in the camp oh you don't have to raise a hand on this one but how many of you say yeah we got some conflict on the team you just laughed out well pretty much gave it away and I love that Jesus looks at his team and says what are you arguing about and they're silent and a man is I brought my boy the disciples answer well because I don't know what the conflict is on your team I don't know what the argument about is on your team I don't know what the bitterness is that's crept into your staff that's gotten ahold of your church but I promise you the moment you stand before Jesus and he says what are you guys arguing about it feels pretty stupid and I promise you the more arguing you have the more bitterness the more disunity the further you are from the presence of Christ because the closer we are to Christ the closer we have unity he's been on the mountain they've been down below now there's arguing in the camp going on I don't know what we have to do as Church staff some teams that get rid of the competition I'm not even talking about the church across the street that's stealing your people it's on the team and who gets to do what and who's the favorite and why those three again and why wasn't I in the meeting and how come no one cleared this with me and why am I always the last to know have you been there oh we're so human were so like the disciples and I love what the man says they're arguing because I brought a problem your disciples have tried and tried and they can't they can't do it they even those are great God we still have great problems and we have this over reliance on our talents our abilities our past successes the disciples find themselves in a place where they try to do this out of their best giftedness I'm sure they've seen the healings up to this point it's been nine chapters they've understood how it worked they've had success in this area Jesus had sent him out two by two before they came back with the sex store success stories they talked they healed the problem is Jesus is on the mountain they're relying on their own talents their own abilities and now they're finding frustrating if you haven't figured it out yet the greatest enemy you're gonna face in your ministry is your own giftedness it's your own successes because in the areas where I am gifted and I have success I don't have to rely on God why cuz I'm Chris Brown I don't need him to help me tell a story make up stories every single night to my kids sit beside the bed give me three objects and they come up with an animal another object and it's type of food and I make up a story I don't sit down first go go god help me come up with the story in my creativity in these Doug story about a frog a unicycle and no popsicle that's half-eaten Noel's beer Oh No why I can tell stories I can make up stories I'm gifted it's a gift church look at your gift goodness staff what are you most gifted in and where do you have the most amount of success in those areas is that where you're the least reliant on God man I know that's that way with me somewhere down the line our American church has bought into this lie that giftedness equals spirituality and people let me tell you nothing could be further from the truth because you are highly gifted does not mean you're obedient does not mean you're walking in God's will or God's favor it just means your gift have you ever noticed the rest of the world the non-believing society has gifts really good ones it would be really obvious if once you become a Christian you have grits and everyone who's not a Christ father walks around going we can't do anything we have no jobs we have nothing I'm like say a little prayer fold you little hands close your line so your Center accept Christ in your heart you'll be gifted God has created us with some incredible gifts and somehow we decree out the spirituality and he comes back and the disciples are trying to do ministry out of their own giftedness their own success and it doesn't work man for the sake of time you got to read the rest of this one on your own he gives him a public rebuke the man comes and said it's my son he's been foam at the mouth the demons tried to throw him into fire and into water pretty much sums up all of life in the first century every cooking every meal every heating is done around the fire and when you live by the Sea of Galilee that's gonna be all of your provision all of your food he is saying there is not an area of our life that hasn't been robbed and Jesus is about to demonstrate the gospel Satan has come to rob steal kill and destroy I'm coming to give you life and give you life abundantly the father says if you can do anything can you help us and Jesus goes yeah you have no clue about lightning boy yeah I can do all things through him it believes and the father says I believe didn't you help my not believing and Jesus says you had me when you showed up he cast a demon out the boy shrieks falls to the ground they think these dad he raises him back afterwards the disciples simply say in verse 28 after they'd gone indoors the disciples asked him privately why couldn't we drive it out and he replied this kind can only come out through prayer he said guys you've gotten into a place where you're relying on yourself and past successes in the way we did things it's prayer it's that simple reliance on God we live in a day and age where church is fairly easy to do we live in a country where by far it is the easiest to do ministry I know it's a hardship you don't get paid as much as some people and you have to give up weekend's and thank God for TiVo now we can still watch college football and then FL but that's not persecution we live in a day and age used to be before Tebow no it's not persecution we live in a day and age we're just so easy we have so much stuff and electronics and our powerpoints and he's saying you're getting so comfortable on your giftedness and your success this kind of can only happen through prayer where was your reliance on me in the midst of this let me ask you a question if the Holy Spirit left your ministry how long would it take for you to find out the Holy Spirit never coerced in you and through you the giver the gifts never used him but allowed you just to do ministry on your own how long would it take to find out well that question was posed to me as a young youth pastor and it rocked me I realized I he as far as I know he could have left four years ago I'm so full of Chris Brown and my giftedness and it's in the areas of our giftedness and our strengths and our successes that we stopped relying and he goes and you know what's happened there's so much bitterness in the camp there's so much competition they can there's this arguing going on in the camp and when they left that place they passed through Galilee Jesus does not want anyone to know where they were going because he was teaching his disciples and he said to them the Son of Man is gonna be betrayed into the hands of men they will kill him after three days he will rise but they did not understand what he meant and they were afraid to ask him about it I love where he goes with guys are you walking with me guys are you praying guys are you on your own doing ministry or is it with me it's gonna happen over and over and over again he's gonna drip it in over and over and over again in that famous Last Supper where they all sit on one side of the table for their picture and he's given those famous last words and he simply says to them guys it's better if I go and they're like well what do you mean you were going we don't know where you're going he was like go and prepare a place for you that where I am there you gonna be also they go we don't know where you're going how do we know how to get there don't you know me after so long anyone who's seen me and seen the father can you just show us God well that's what I'm trying to tell you it's better if I go if I go my father will send a comforter is spirit man you're gonna really find ministry once you have the Holy Spirit we like having you here and he goes it's better if I'm not with you do you understand how much better that is they go no and he goes let me tell you a story God owns a vineyard and I'm a vine are you with me yeah okay I'm gonna draw this on the board branch how many branches twelve what do you guys think it stands for mmm okay do it I'm the vine you're the branches apart for me how well are you gonna do when we won't do very good now you're following it's going slow because they're disciples but if you remain in the vine four times if you do this if you do this if you do this if you do this 11 times in 10 verses if you remain remain remain remain remain remain remain remain remain remain remain you're gonna bear fruit I'll be in you the father my love will be made complete guys this is what I've been trying to tell you stop trying to do ministry on your own with your own giftedness your own talent your own success where's it leaving you I'm tired I'm frustrated I'm depressed there's so much arguing going on there's so much competition there's so much bitterness you'll do the exact same thing at the end after he pulls off Easter that last time he's about ready to just go on the hill and he tells them okay now guys don't go anywhere until the promise that I told you my father sends to him but we've been trained for three years yeah yeah but don't do ministry but we've seen every miracle we heard you're teaching we're writing it down yeah yeah yeah and don't do ministry we want to go and tell everybody about the Risen what you stopped doing but we got all this shut up don't do anything until you have the spirit I don't care if you're training I don't care your experience they walked with Jesus for three years every day no summer vacation that's a ph.d program and he says you're not qualified but we are eyewitnesses to the Gospels everything that couldn't fit in the gospel he says congratulations you're not qualified and he has to pick up the exact same thing and acts but you stay in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes I just remain remain remain remain remain remain remain remain remain he said I will be your ministry I will be your life but I am NOT gonna die to be part of it but your love you're allowed to do it on your own because you're gifted and we can pull it off to some degree I wonder how much more he has in store and he puts the cloud over and doesn't dare allow us in do because we get so caught up and all the good things in ministry that we lose sight of the great thing of ministry and so he simply tells them I'm gonna go in and be betrayed in the hands of man they'll kill me and after three days all right and they were afraid to ask what he was talking about why are they afraid to ask ever just start questioning everything in the Bible please start questioning everything in the Bible it's true it can upstanding to your questions why are they afraid to ask he just laid out the gospel here's what I'm gonna do I'm gonna go and I'm gonna be betrayed to the hands of men they're gonna kill me after 3:00 to them to rise again they're like why because what's their job description in one word starts with an F ends with an awl o what's their job description to follow to follow you guys figured that we're not good took my church 3 try on that one later Beach community to follow wouldn't that make you afraid to ask the question if your job description is to follow and the leader that you're following just says let me tell you how I'm gonna be betrayed suffer and die and your description is to be like him wouldn't that make you a little afraid to ask the question are we starting to get it I want to follow Jesus cuz he's great and there's greatness and he makes me great I want to choose the god I follow and so when I get to the suffering and hurt in the pain and I don't want to ask those questions and I think they start to get it because they have a discussion and when they come to confirm him when he was in the house he asked them what were you guys arguing about on the road but they kept quiet because on the road they had argued about who's gonna be the greatest okay maybe they didn't get it are you kidding me the Son of God who just erupted on a mountainside who just proved the power over spirits just said my purpose is to suffer and die and three days later I will rise again for you it's the second time he said it to this group so far in this story and they immediately go - have you ever noticed there's 12 Oh what do you think's in the top three definitely not the guys who can't trust the camp so let's just start with the nine oh how so like the disciples we can be who's the staff favorite who gets the most attention who's the golden boy Oh har we start keeping score he goes really I suffered and died to bring you and not just into my kingdom but to allow you to be a son or daughter heir to the throne a prince or princess in the kingdom of God and on top of that I will allow you to play a role in advancing my kingdom better not be 11 look at those guys I can fish them so sitting down okay now you know it's getting serious he called the twelve and said if anyone wants to be first he must be the very last and servant of all he took a little child had him stand among them taking him in his arms he said whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me whoever wants to be first must be very last you got to be servant of all okay then John said we saw man driving out demons in your name we told him to stop cuz he's not one of us Jesus immediately with the flick of the finger picked up John and cast into the center of the Sun where he burned and screamed in torment even at such a great distance the rest of the disciples were allowed to see John in flames in an agony Jesus looked at them with the same fire in his eye and said any one of you want to be great now and they all exclaimed no that would have been a good story whoa well that would put it into the competition factor and they're allowed to walk out when she has loved just for a day I'll even say a week to be part of the twelve to watch firsthand the Son of God in action and motion to hear all the words in red with your own ears what you and if I said all but to do that you have to take the thirteenth seat on the bus he's like oh I'd ride I'll hold on to the bumper just allow me to see it why can't they just be happy being part of the team why can't we just be happy being part of the team why is it got to be about their popularity and what about them why is it got to be how much are they getting paid not getting paid why do they get the recognition and I didn't get the recognition why they get in the meeting and I didn't get in the meeting isn't it still just Jesus's team oh but I love the way God drips it throughout they don't get it they don't get it they don't get it they don't get it they're still allowed on the bus does that give you hope oh how human we are oh it'll continue Jesus we'll find a quiet moment down by a stream he's trying to collect his thoughts he's been talking about Jerusalem not for four chapters now he's one city away the entire Old Testament came just to encourage him because this is why he came and in that moment of solitude James and John see the chance and they come up and Jesus real quick we're gonna ask you something can you promise you'll do it he's like what are you guys thinking okay promise when we get there and you set up the kingdom we get to be number one and two he's like you guys don't even have a clue what you're asking yeah we did it we cleared it with mom she's in on one and two he goes yeah you'll share in my greatness it's a cup of suffering that you wish you wouldn't have asked for but used how about the very end when he asked Peter Peter do you really love me do you love me do you love me and he goes yes that's all I need buddy oh I know you're a screw-up your loud mouth you're a failure but buddy you're passionate you're gonna get this now let me tell it it means they're gonna lead you to a place you don't want to go you're gonna die a death that you don't want to die and Peter's first response is what about John what's he do was usually the three of us going together in something warmer first reaction and that's after Easter what about them and Jesus says whoever wants to be first last you want to be the greatest on your church staff you serve the rest of your staff and still today like it was then it is so hard for us to come to grips with senior pastor are you the one serving your staff or is your staff there to serve you well you got a sunday-school department with four volunteers are they there to work for you or are you there to work for them Jesus says I want you to be great I'm just giving you a new definition of greatness it is to serve it is to be very last if anyone wants to be first he must be the very last you didn't even have to throw the berry in there did you and he goes yes I did because you'll always try to choose second to last even if it's love give you three things to be like this number one I think we got to start we got to call sin sin people we got to call sin sin we got to understand the pecking order on our team and how we see ourselves is simply sin it is pride and it is ego so no no well God's calling me to this position I'm supposed to be the leader of the church yes and that means you're the greatest servant people let's call it you're the leader of the team then you're the servant of the team and the reason we have an issue that it's saying we just gotta come out in the open and say it's sin the backbiting the competition the disunity on our team it is sin and when we bring that in front of Jesus knee goes so what do you arguing about it's pretty stupid isn't it well they had me two announcements six months ago but so far he's done three announcements really that's the case you bring before the third but they get all the credit I was when they came up with the idea and they up secondly can we embrace last as our first choice this is hard our whole church runs on a team leadership type thing it's hard there's four senior pastors at my church that's hard especially when by far I'm the best teacher and storyteller the same gifting that's hard you know how hard it is to be a quarter of a senior pastor I always just go into we're going least I'm not a junior high pastor I mean mm-hmm bottom of the totem pole there why do we have the titles why do we have the pecking order why do we care because it's sin why can't we embrace laughs first as our first choice we're big on preaching servant leadership I'm huge on trying to get our congregation to understand servant leadership I love going out and be an example of servant leadership until somebody treats me like one on my way with servant is used as simply an adjective to leadership let's not get that confused again I'm setting up chairs so you can see how a quarter of your senior pastor is humble not to be treated like the guy who has to set up chairs oh it is so easy isn't it and you look at your team of twelve and go why am i five and why are they three and four and Jesus says you want to reinvent the church you want to bring it back see who can help serve each other walk in and say how can I pick last as my first choice how can I wrestle with the very things I have to give up the reason why it's so hard to give up it's sin that I have to give up shouldn't that have Assembly wrestled us before we got into ministry but oh what an insecure bunch we are as ministers aren't we no just me lastly don't be the best leader you can be be the best Jesus you can be they didn't get it until chapter one they wait they pray together in Chapter two they receive the Holy Spirit every one of these will finally back up the promise that they couldn't carry out that night in the garden I will die before you I couldn't do that on my own you know what stops the competition factor oh it still comes up from time to time but they're very clear to call that sin no one's asking to be 1 or 2 anymore because that just simply means who wants to suffer and die first who really wants to be like her you want to come back into a place where we start doing team and not a hierarchy in church where we can come together and say how can I serve you my door is open where we can come back into a place say God forgive me we got so caught up in our people and our programs and our giftedness that we forgot to rely on from this point on Jesus the Spirit of God will no longer be a part of our ministry that is the ministry and we will continually encourage and challenge each other to come back to that place it's difficult people I get that there are many days I wonder what the Chris Brown show would look like if I don't have three other senior pastors what would look like to build my own Kingdom oh there's so much flesh involved in ministry because we get to be in front of people and God said printers that's good Bob you're gonna wrestle with it call it sin do your absolute best to always choose last as your first choice and you go back into that building that office and every day you go with the determination say I will serve them I don't care about the title on the door and there we may just find some of the clouds lifting some of the bitterness receding when we deal with it is sin and I wonder if their hair stood up on the back of their necks when you took them all this time up to the hill and said you've seen three years of what I can do and who I am I took the cross I conquered the grave I have authority all authority on heaven and earth I can do anything I want I choose you you are gonna be the church that's plan a if you fail at that there is no plan B all the power of heaven and earth serve love because of what he's done for us call sensing and say I'm gonna be the greatest on my team greatest it means being the least and servant of all Oh God may you wrestle with our hearts our pride our ego our position our popularity the fame that comes with ministry may you wrestle with our giftedness the things that we do with ease the reasons why we don't have to pray before teach or we carry off the business meeting cuz because this is what we're good at God may we seek the giver far more than the gifts in the midst of that may you break us to be relying on you and in the midst of that may your spirit do what you promised to do to simply work in us and work through us for your purpose and your glory not ours you

Channel: Thrive Conferences

Views: 32,469

Rating: 4.7971015 out of 5

Keywords: Ray Johnston, TCI, Thrive, Thrive Conference, Chris Brown, Bayside Church, Thrive Leadership Conference, Leadership

Id: WC9A8UFoIGM

Length: 53min 3sec (3183 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 16 2013