Church is a family, not a business.

straight in because there's a lot I want to try and say tonight and I want to not go I just wanna tonight talk about a subject that I believe is vital that we understand and that we live in and that we we grow in and that we embrace if we are truly to be churches that move in the power of the Spirit and truly be churches that reach our communities I believe that we really need to go out we need to go out into the marketplace we need to go out and we need to to be the church scattered and tomorrow my good friends friends Neil and Janet Young and Mark marks are gonna be talking about that I want them to talk about that stuff because it's really important so uh what I'm going to say doesn't contradict what they're going to say tomorrow they belong together God is calling us as a church to reflect his life in our relationships with one another and just before Jesus went to the cross he gave one new commandment to his disciples just one he said you know I'm not gonna alter anything of the law of Moses any of that except he gave one new commandment and he said a new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you and then he explained it greater love has no one than this than they lay down their life for the their friends and in case we wondered what that meant he said you're my friends if you do what I command you you know when he said you're my friends if you do what I command you it's about all his commands but it's specifically this one if you want to be a friend of Jesus love others in the church as he loves you and that's not a new suggestion it's a new command in fact a little while later in John's Gospel he repeats it he says it a second time and the reason he did that the reason he gave one new commandment is because he knew that the early Church had no chance to survive the persecution that was coming had no charge to thrive in an alien culture if they didn't love one another with the degree and the passion and the commitment with which he loved them and that commandment to the early church is a commandment also to us and it's vital that we get it because we live in an individualistic world like there's never been we live in a world where there has been a breakdown in community where where you can delete a friend at the press of a Facebook button that is actually quite frightening I saw on my face Facebook feed a while ago somebody wrote I just want you to know that I've decided I have too many friends and are over the next couple of days I am going to delete half of you so that I have a more manageable a group of friends and they and the person said um I hope you won't be offended and it's like and you know what I I'm not that insecure I'm a bit insecure but I'm not that insecure and do you know what I kept going to have a look if I'd been deleted you know have I been deleted or am I still there and and and you know we live in a world where where the the greatest poverty according to mother Teresa is the poverty of loneliness is the poverty of isolation there have never ever been more of us closer together on this planet and yet we have never been further apart we've lost the art of community we've largely lost the art of friendship and I am utterly convinced that so many of our anxieties and our our pains and and and the stuff that we we go through is largely a result of the fact that we don't know how to do community that we don't know how to love one another and and this is a lonely generation and we've seen even in the first few days of this this conference even last night you know what we hurt our society hurts our world hurts all you have to do is look at Twitter all you have to do is go on the internet all you have to do is switch on TV and part of that is because we live in this individualistic world where it's all about me we worship the unholy trinity of me myself and I and and even even the names we give our gadgets you know I phone I pad I choose it's I it's it's all about me and and and and you hear a lot of rap you know my human rights my my future my destiny by this my that and it's all individual it's all about my and you know what if you interfere with with with my with with with my life I'm gonna get you and in the church all we've done is we changed the words so we talked in the church about my ministry my anointing my calling my this my that and and in the church it's never meant to be i it's meant to be us it's meant to be we and you know there's a there's a character in the Old Testament that story of Joseph Joseph was was the ultimate individualist and God had to take him on a journey in order to teach him when Joseph as a young man of seventeen he had dreams from God the dreams were from God but Joseph I tell you his prophetic gift was not functioning very well he got the dreams right because in in the prophetic there's the revelation then the interpretation then the application and he had the revelation but the interpretation was way off and the application was flippin disastrous and he says to his others I've had some dreams and I'm they're gonna be standing tall and you my older brothers are gonna be bowing down in front of me and I'm gonna be the Anointed One and I'm gonna be the one that's gonna be used by God and standing tall and you're gonna be down there what an idiot what a stupid idiot and and you know when these brothers heard that they did what any self-respecting older brothers would do they sold him into slavery and and this guy who had who had dreams from God he interpreted them in an individualistic way he said it's all about me sir do you know what God had to do he had to take him through thirteen years of hell in order to teach him a lesson and so Joseph at 17 he finds himself instead of the pampered the favorite son of Jacob who had everything he finds himself in a foreign country and he finds himself a slave and he's a slave of a guy called mr. Potiphar and we read this from the time Potiphar this is a chapter at Genesis 39 verse 5 sorry I didn't give you the scriptures I forgot Genesis 39 verse 5 from the time Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his household and of all that he owned the Lord bless the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph the blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had both in the house and in the field Joseph was anointed and who got blessed Potiphar Joseph was anointed and who prospered Potiphar his slave owner you know the anointing wasn't for Joseph I let me tell you the anointing ain't for you either and the anointing ain't for me it's for the sake of others and by the way we put it Andy and I put it Andy found it I told you I do the jokes and he noticed as we were reading through it's one of our chapters in life lines and he said he came to mean he said she know what I've read through the whole of the story of Joseph and there's only two times that it says the Lord was with Joseph there's only two times do you know the first time it was when he was a slave and the second time was when he was in prison isn't that interesting the only two times it explicitly says the Lord was with Joseph one was when he was a slave and the other was when he was in prison because that's when the Lord comes close and then Joseph ends up being accused of a crime he didn't commit he's thrown into the deepest dungeon and and and the Lord his Lords anointing is on him again the Lord is with Joseph and who gets blessed in the prison the flipping cup bearer the cup bearer gets freed because Joseph has an interpretation Joseph has a prophetic word and then eventually eventually Joseph gets out of prison and God's anointing is with Joseph and who then gets blessed Pharaoh Pharaoh becomes the richest man in the world because of Joseph's anointing who else gets blessed the whole of Egypt their balance of payments is in surplus it is their dead trade who who needs brexit when you've got Joseph and are they doing they're doing a roaring trade who else gets blessed all the surrounding nations because they would have starved but they come and they buy food in the time of famine from the Egyptians and best of all best of all amazing Joseph is anointed and you know who else gets blessed his brothers his brothers who sold him into death they come and they get food because Joseph is anointed and finally for dear old Joe after 13 years the penny drops and then I'm cutting a long story short but and when his brothers come and Joseph decides after messing around with them a little bit to reveal his identity because they don't realize it's Joseph's look at what happens in chapter 45 beginning at verse 3 Joseph said to his brothers I am Joseph is my father still living but his brothers were not able to answer him because they were terrified at his presence then Joseph said to his brothers come close to me when they had done so he said I am your brother Joseph the one you sold into Egypt and now it's payback time boys he doesn't say that I lied again and now do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you for two years now there has been famine in the land and for the next five years there'll be no plying and reap it reaping but God sent me in head of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance so then it was not you who sent me here but God God sent me you know he says that five times in total and do you know in those days in in those days do you know who was sent ahead it was the servants the slaves were sent ahead to prepare their way for the way for their masters you know Jacob his dad when he was about to meet his brother Esau and it was going to be a tricky family reunion he sent the slaves ahead he sent everyone ahead the slaves were sent to and Joseph deliberately repeatedly at this stage he uses the language of slavery to say I was sent ahead of you as your slave to prepare the way for you that your lives would be saved as a great deliverance after all that the penny dropped God you know and Angie know when they came and they bowed down before Joseph and they was terrified Joseph didn't stand there saying hey boys you're down there I'm up here do you remember something does this remind you of anything do you know he doesn't he weeps louder than they do he weeps louder than they do cuz he's got it my anointing is for your blessing my anointing is for your blessing and you know Joseph did well in Egypt he prospered but you know the best gift he ended up having is he got his family back he got his family back one other Andy mentioned this story yesterday and I want to I want to correct his theology no in in judges chapter 7 the story of Gideon and the Midianites there were three hundred thousand Midianites and Gideon had an army of thirty thousand and the Lord said I don't like the odds get rid of some you know throw get rid of the ones who are who are who are afraid and then the Lord said and this is an interesting one I still don't like the odds and and this listen to this but the Lord said to Gideon there are still too many men take them down to the water and I will thin them out for you there if I say this one shall go with you he shall go but I if I say this one shall not go with you he shall not go so Gideon took them been down to the water there the Lord told him separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneeled down to drink 300 of them drunk drank from cupped hands lapping like dogs all the rest got down on their knees to drink the Lord said gideon with the 300 men i will save I will save Israel now what's he saying there what's he saying there is he saying you know I want you the ones that cut their hands the one that that and not the ones that are you know the ones that are you know yes overtones of blackberry and licorice is the Lord saying I want to use in my army only those who have good table manners no no no no no what it is is those that he used 300 who while they were drinking they were watching their brothers backs they were looking to see you know what I'm gonna defend them while I'm drinking and the Lord said I would rather have an army of 300 who look after each other than 30,000 who are in it for themselves and this my friends is what the church is meant to be we are meant to be a family we are called to be a family and and you know here's a few statistics the family is easily the most prominent metaphor describing the church in the New Testament by every measure right the word brother in the New Testament is used 139 times the word father is used 63 times the word inheritance which happens in a family is used 19 times the word sons is used 17 times the word children is use 39 times in total there are 277 familial references in Paul's 13 letters 277 in Paul's 13 letters it's repeated again and again and again we the church are a family we belong to and that's the secret of power that's the secret of the Spirit having free reign in our midst and I'm gonna be really I'm gonna be honest with you tonight ah I'm I'm tired I'm really I've decided not to go to anymore I'm tired of going to leaders conferences of church leaders where they bring in leaders from huge churches from across the water and I and I content I can tell you the talk I can tell you the outline I've heard it so many times I know off by heart well our church we we went from three members to three billion in four days we have satellite congregations on Mars our income is bigger than China's and if you want your church to be like ours here are the five strategies the principles and the things you can do and it's like you know after you've heard that a few times it's like oh please someone shoot me oh please someone shoot me and and the truth is I've heard I've heard leaders of of large churches who-who which are very wealthy and you know what they're good people they're not bad people they really mean well but I've heard churches of large churches that what they tell tell other church leaders at pastors conferences you know what you need to do you need to find the best and buy the best you need to buy the best and put them on your staff find the best and buy the best and I'm wanting to shout at them what the hell are you saying do you realize you're talking to the vicar of some bottles in the marsh who's got a congregation of 27 and a dog and you're telling him or her to buy the best the church wardens wife is is one day a week administrative assistant and that's a miracle how's he gonna buy the best you idiot some of us have got to raise the best for you guys to buy the best and and I tell you I tell you the the picture of it the Church of Jesus is not a business it's a flipping family it's not a business and I tell you I tell you in a business in a business you hire and fire employees and there's an awful lot of hiring and firing that goes on in a business you hire and fire employees but in a family you raise up sons and daughters you raise up sons and daughters and we meet if there's any hope for the church we need we must raise up sons and daughters and you know what when when it's your sons and daughters you don't hire and fire your kids you do not you know if your six year old and you tell him it's it's your turn to load the dishwasher and they don't do it adequately you don't sit them down and say look you really didn't do that job very well I'm giving you your notice and we're bringing in the six-year-old from across the road to take your place you just don't do that what do you do you love your six year old you're committed to your six year old you will go through the pain of loading the dishwasher with them again and again and again because you love them and you're patient with them because you know what we all have a bias of love you know there there are so you know when when we really love where extra patient when we really love where extra committed and that's how people change that's how people change and if we are truly if we are truly to raise up sons and daughters the first thing we need to do is we gotta raise up mothers and fathers we've gotta raise up mothers and fathers do you know what Paul said to the Corinthians he said you have 10,000 teachers but you do not have many fathers do you know what happens around teachers around teachers people learn things and that's not a bad thing that's good that's good to have teachers around teachers people learn things but around mothers and fathers people grow up people develop people gain confidence and that's the secret and that's what Jesus did he picked the most unlikely people to be his disciples I mean you think what are you what are you doing Jesus and he was committed to them and he was there for them and he invested in them and when they got it wrong I mean I love this you know James and John I mean the sons of thunder not because they had digestive problems but almost certainly because they had bad tempers they were nicknamed the bad-tempered once and you can see it can't you there was you know there was the time that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and and he said gosh I need a cup of tea I'm paraphrasing here and he sent some of his disciples into a Samaritan woman to prepare for them and a Samaritan woman Samaritan village to prepare for them and and the Samaritan said no we don't want you and they came back and they said him they they're not inviting us for tea Lord and then James and John said Jesus mm-hmm do you want us to cool down fire from heaven and burn him up and it just says Jesus rebuked them don't you sometimes wish the book was a DVD don't you I mean I wonder what he said guys um I don't think you get the point of why I'm here I thought you were asleep during the Sermon on the Mount you know the bit about loving your enemy is turning the other cheek going the second mile you know that stuff I didn't come to cool down far from heaven to burn people up I came so that they wouldn't get burned up and it's again and again and again and you know what I mean they messed up so many times they Jesus disciples with a youth group from hell they were if you've got a problem with your young people talk to Jesus you could tell you a thing or two and you know what he loved them and he was committed to them and some while ago Andy was walking down the street and he saw an a young lady who he hadn't seen at church for a while and he went up and said hello and and you know he said I haven't seen you at church for a while and she said yeah I um I don't do Church anymore I just don't first what I do is she said she said III do Church on my own now and he said how do you do that and she said well when I get up on a Sunday morning I put on one of my favorite worship CDs from one of my favorite worship bands and and and I worship to that and after that I listened to a podcast of one of my favorite preachers from around the world and and and she said to Annie she said that's my church and when I heard that I wanted to find her and headbutt her and say what is wrong with you after after you've you've worshipped to the CD of one of the best worship bands in the world that no local church could match and after you've listened to one of the best talks from one of the best preachers in the world which no local church except mine could match after you've done that what do you do do you invite your teddies to come forward to give their lives to Jesus do you lay hands on your dollies that they might go out in the power of the spirit that ain't Church that's consumer Christianity Church is about being a family that is committed to each other it's about being a family that loves each other and you know what guys I tell you I tell you the truth when we start taking our relationship seriously when we committed to each other when we want to bless each other when we decide you know what I want to give my life to something more than me and I want to invest in others I want to serve others I want to cheer others on I want to be a Barnabas a son or daughter of encouragement do you know when when that happens that's the place miracles happened and that's the place of healing and I tell you folks I tell you that's the that's one of our best evangelistic tools it really is you know what Jesus said he said by this by this will everyone know you're my disciples if you love each other you know he gave the world one test of whether we belong to him and it's not how doctrine although doctrines important it's not our experience of the Spirit although that's important the test is how much we love each other it's whether we love each other as he loved us and he calls us as the church and the honest truth is I wanna I want to spend my remaining years proclaiming this and doing any little things I can to helping the church to see it and to move in it partly because I tell you I know what a blessing this has been in my life the last 13 years of my life have been not the easiest but they've been the happiest you know I've been getting old and bits of me have been you know I'm being my helps not being great at times and all sorts but I've never been happier and the reason is because the last years I serve with my best friends I work with my best friends and you know there are people here there are people who are sitting in this room who I we've served together we've served Jesus together for years and they've seen the worst of me they've seen me at my worst and they're still here they still love me they see me and you know what a security that is do you know what a healing that is do you know how amazing that is when people see and they're still there for you do you know how what a release that is it's the most wonderful thing and and I tell you we've got to start being creating Church that is honest and vulnerable we've got to be honest and vulnerable we have a saying in our church now but we want to be a church where it's okay not to be okay and that doesn't mean that will wallow in unknown okayness because we believe God heals and delivers and sets free and we believe in growing into Christ and being more like him we want to change but it doesn't start with pretending with something we're not and we want to be a church where we can be honest with one another about our brokenness about our failures about our struggles about yes our sins and where we're a church that has mercy I mentioned it on the first night but we want to be people who have mercy with one another you know when when someone comes to your church visits your church the main question they're asking honestly whether they're Christian or a non-christian is not what is your doctrine on the resurrection the main question they're asking is not what is your your your your your ethics your your morality on sex and sexuality it's not that you know the main question they're asking could I belong here is there a place for me here would I be accepted here that's the question everyone's asking and you know what they do they look around yet when they come when they come they're looking around and they're looking to see our relationships with each other and they've and if they see that we love and accept and have mercy and grace on one another you know they think I can belong here maybe they'll do that for me and you don't realize how isolated people are how much they need this and I tell you for me I love Hyuk I said I work with with the people we love each other with we're friends we laugh together and Mike you can tell my closest friends they're the ones I put down and teased and and insult we love it because we know because we know and I'm gonna start to finish but but again I'm gonna be really honest with you you know we there's issues that we have to we have to face I'm I'm I'm 60 now and I'm single and I've never got married and now I'm not gonna get married because when you get to my age and you've been single all your life you know the you know to change to turn your life upside down just for sex is crazy for for it for a few years you know it's like who you know and and do you know do you know I wasted my first years oh you know like this those of us that are single we make two errors we make two big mistakes the first one is we look at marriage as this idle you know my life doesn't start until I get married I'm incomplete until I get married when I get married everything will be sorted and everything will be wonderful if you believe that please talk to a married person soon if they tell me it's flipping hard work and that's the first one and and for a while I was in that place and then I got to a point where I thought you know what this might never happen I'm not gonna waste another minute of the one life I've got waiting for something that might or might not happen I'm gonna give myself with all I've got to this one life and you know the second mistake we made and it's the one that I made after this is the second error for those of us that a single is easily is is we can start thinking I think goodness I'm single Oh our marriage is awful and and I got there afterwards you know and I remember saying to one of my friends I said oh I'm so glad I'm not like you I'm so glad I'm single you poor human being you have to be home at 6 o'clock you have to sit at a dinner table for dinner and then whether you're tired or not you have to wash the dishes and for me I've got freedom I don't have kids so I don't have to go to centre pots on holiday I can come home whenever I want I can eat what I want I can eat when I want when I go to bed I can drop my underwear on the floor and leave it there I don't have to remember to put the toilet seat down every flippin time I can spend my money without consulting anyone I can go where I want when I want and my friend hold on this attachmate wait wait wait and my friend looked at me with sadness in his eyes and he said very quietly he said it must be really wonderful to be that selfish stab in the heart and twist it why don't you and I suddenly realized I got that completely wrong cuz cuz if you're single your life doesn't belong to you any more than if you're married whether you're married or single your life belongs to him and if it belongs to him it belongs to his people it belongs his church your life is for the sake of others your anointing is for the sake of others your money is for the sake of others your possessions your time is for the sake of others and when I realize that I thought you know what maybe you know the summer call to celibacy for a season most those of you that are younger usually on the floor here 95% of you I want to encourage you embrace the gift of celibacy until the gift of marriage cuz that's the best way to make the gift of marriage wonderful it's the best way it's the best way but there are a few that will embrace the gift of celibacy for longer or for life but and embrace it embrace it as a gift not as the booby prize and you know we're not when I started you know you know most single people what what booby prize is that [Applause] it meant something else when I those of you that are older you know what I was trying to say they galapiat it meant not breasts you twits it meant it meant oh forget it we're giving me to edit that bit but now I've lost my train of thought shut up you know and and and do you know do you know those of us that are single in the church sometimes in the church do you know we get I've been there we can get it you know like shall I go round to my friends my family friends my friends who are a family oh no if I go round there you know I'll be imposing on their family life and and and and if I go round there they'll be but they'll be nice too because I think our poor single friend who's really lonely I suppose we better invite them to stay for dinner oh but we just so like just to have been a family oh alright yes you can why don't you stay for dinner and we'll give each other looks when they're not looking and you know and I used to think oh no oh no you know I can't I don't want to impose I can't invite myself round do you know I had to deal with that lie do you know what I do now I go round to my friends houses who are families I knock on the door they opened the door and I say to them I have just arrived to make your life better [Applause] because you see we're all in the wider pan and I do make their lives better I really do I really do Uncle Mike makes their lives better I feed their kids not the things they want me to feed their kids but I do I feed their kids and do you know what I made a decision that I would I would give my my my hope do you know the number of people who have the keys to my house I go away traveling and I come back and half my books are missing and it's like who's been eating what what's going on and I love it I love it I love him it's how it's meant to be and I'm again I'm not saying this in any way to boast but to try and explain you know because I'm in the family of the church you know what I've lived a wonderful life in the end you know I've never been married and I won't be unless an angel turns up and picks me up you know I've never been married but you know I've had the joy now of being best man at 19 weddings you know and I love it I even got to be father of the bride once you know it was one of the most brilliant days of my life this this this girl called Sarah who I'd known since she was seven she was 21 and she came to see me and she said Dave's asked me to marry him and and her dad committed suicide when she was 2 and she said Dave's asked me to marry him and I remember thinking why you could have phoned me to tell me and she said and I want you to be my dad on my wedding day I said you serious Sarah and she said yes you've forgotten what I said to you when I was 13 I said what was that and she said when I was 13 I said to you if I ever get married I want you to be my dad because you're the nearest thing I've ever had to a dad do you know what that meant that was a day I'll never ever forget and I prepared myself I prepared myself to walk her down the aisle emotionally I prepared myself for the father of the bride speech do you know the bit that I didn't think about and got me was was going in the back of the car with her to the church and then the car stopped and there was Sarah who I've known she'd since she was 7 vulnerable in her bride's dress and I took her hand and I said let me pray and I prayed with her and I said are you ready to go and meet your husband I was a wonderful moment I I'm never gonna have children but I have got God children coming out of my ears it's bankrupting me you have no flippin idea and and you know a lot of the people are being best man at their weddings and and all of that you know they were in my youth group and then you know I love him and you know like um Matt and Beth Redmond um they've got five kids you noticed how worship leaders breed like rabbits no seriously have you noticed they all got you know it's like is I think they've got nothing better to do I know the three chords how can I be creative now oh yeah and it's like it's disgusting so Matt and Beth I've got Matt is that oh is that Tom Matt and Beth had got five kids and I'm godfather to all five and you know what I love they now living in Newport Beach so it doesn't happen so much now but we went through a phase where where they took it in took it in turns to see me and I remember Maisy when she was 15 we went out to Pizza Hut Godfather and goddaughter and we sat there and we just chatted and had a conversation and I loved it there was the time I've got to tell you this and I'm going to shout I'm tell you this and then we'll pray you know there was the time when when little Jackson Jackson was there middle one there third and he was about seven or eight and Beth dropped him round on a Saturday to spend the afternoon and evening with me and then she was going to collect him at the end of the evening andum and he came round in the evening we had a celebration at church and I had to host its Jackson was going to come with me but in the afternoon we fed the goldfish and and stuff like that and then it came dinnertime and I just need to tell you Matt and Beth you know he's a good worship leader right some okay songs and and Beth's actually a good preacher speaker but there are areas where they are dysfunctional there are areas where they are it's it's tragic and one of the areas is they got this thing about organic vegetables and things like that it's just bizarre and so you know Beth said to me don't give Jackson too much sugar cuz he goes hyper and all of that yeah yeah yeah yeah when it came to dinnertime I said to Jackson hey Jackson you've got a choice we can either go to this vegetarian restaurant organic restaurant in the middle of town and you can have broccoli or if you prefer we could go to McDonald's um to my amazement Jackson chose McDonald's and the two of us went to McDonald's and we sat there and Jackson Jackson had he had a Big Mac and what'd you call it a what's the shakes they do there no not milkshake what's it called what I McFlurry that was it he had a Big Mac in a McFlurry and we sat there and as we were talking Jackson would take a bite of his Big Mac and then he'd have a drink of the McFlurry while he on top of the Big Mac and after a while he said to me these two go really well together and I thought that's my godson and we ate we drank and then we went to church and there was a tuckshop at church so I wanted I wanted him to be you know to be comfortable in the meeting so I said what would you like and he said I like some fizzy orange please I go him a can of fizzy orange and I said what else would would you like and he said I'd like some skittles and I got him a bag of Skittles and he said I don't think a bag is gonna gonna last me so I mean what you do I'm the Godfather so I bought him a second bag of skittles and then as all the kids were arriving I said to Jackson look I've got a host the meeting my had this idea would you like to host with me and stand with me and we can host together and he said okay and then he said he thought and he said um what hey how you going to introduce me who will you say I am I said well I thought I might say this is Jackson my friend and he thought for a moment and he said no I don't think I want them to know who I am so why don't you call me jack so we stood there me and Jack and we introduced and Jackson we have this pulpit in our church that's got a shelf here and it's perspex but it's got a shelf and he laid out all his skittles on the shelf and his drinks and everything and him as I was introducing the meeting Jackson was having the skittles and taking a drink and having more skittles and taking another drink and then we went to the side as the worship happened and every now and then in the worship I look around and there was Jackson going up to the pulpit and having some more skittles and then going back and then and then I went up to preach and I said Jackson you just stay here here's some more skittles to keep you going and and as I was preaching suddenly everyone stopped looking at me and they not past me and they started smiling and I thought what's going on and I turn around and there was Jackson he'd taken his t-shirt off and he was bare chest and he was red and he was coming and he was eating more skittles and having more drink will I tell you at the end of the evening while everyone was packing away Jackson was running around the church with very few clothes on screaming I'm right red at that moment Beth walked in and she looked to her son and she said to me what have you done to Jackson I said I haven't done anything what do you mean and she said look at him what's happened to him what did you give him to eat and I did this and said organic vegetables and then she went and then she went up to Jackson and she said she said what have you eaten and of course Jackson he traitor he said about the big mac in the McFlurry and the tube packs of skittles and the fizzy orange and Bette came to me and she said Mike what have you done he's going to be high all night I'm gonna have to scrape him off the ceiling what have you done and I looked at her and I said Beth I don't care hold on I said I'm the Godfather that's the joy and folks I've gone way over time I've got weight this is my last sentence or at last three sentences five sentences oh no seriously we're done banned come up to give everyone hope you know what when we learn to love one another we reflect him because God is community God is family Father Son and Holy Spirit and you know what our love for one another is worship the greatest commandment is that you love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength the second commandment is of the same order it's like the first one love your neighbor as yourself and then comes the new commandment and and John says in his first letter if you say you love God and hate your brother you're a liar and the truth is not in you you know the one presupposes the other so when we love each other we bring him pleasure like any parent when they see their kids getting on and playing together they love him we do it for him it's our worship when we love one another we get healed and set free you know there's a healing that comes when the Spirit of God falls but there's also a healing that comes through our relationships and I've known that as well and the third reason and I mentioned it earlier is you know when we love one another those who don't know Jesus they see we are good news and we don't just say good news and they want to join us because they want to be in committed community because loneliness and isolation is a killer it's it's the emotional cancer it really is absolutely finished with this my um I said to our church a couple of months ago I came back from a thing and they were all going on about how great and his preaching was again and all of that and he will organize things while I was away that I knew nothing about and I said he wasn't there and I said to the church I said one sudden team and I said I'm feeling insecure everyone's telling me how wonderful he is and and and he's taking over and he's elbowing me out and you I think you love him more than you love me and and I'm feeling insecure and I said I want you to tell me I want you to tell me the truth who's the most important person in this church and at first they thought hahaha and I said no tell me who's the most important person in this church and someone shouted out Jesus and I thought oh it's the super spiritual brigade again yeah apart from Jesus you know and then a couple of them shouted Andy and I looked at them and I said folks it isn't Andy it isn't and it isn't me and he isn't any of you we've got to understand the most important person in this church is the person who hasn't come through the door yet that's the most important person in the church and we love one another for the sake of others and for any who are doubting I am I'm so proud of my friend okay I'm totally kidding I'm so proud of him and and that's how it's meant to be you know there's a wonderful release when you rejoice in other successes Toby from the West Wing my favorite TV series Toby Ziegler he once said Ali our victories are sweetened and our failures are softened because we did it together that should be in the Bible that should be in the Bible we're gonna pray I'm so sorry I being so long but I'd be burns in me you've been on the floor too long let's stand together and what does this have to do with the Ministry of the Spirit I tell you I tell you when people know they're safe when people know they're loved when people know they're accepted they will be open to God's Spirit coming to their place of pain that's what's been happening even in this room over the last few days you know this has everything to do with the ministry of the spirit you know the spirit cannot move freely in a church that is harsh and judgmental and critical and unforgiving and and all of that stuff that's why there's some of you here as I've been speaking you've been thinking I wish I had someone like that in my life I wish I had people like that who would love me like that who would encourage me like that and all of that you know what some of us haven't had that so we need to be there we need to say it starts with me because you know what as you are that for others you will get healed you will get healed father I don't know what you want to do so whatever you want Lord would you lead will follow father in the name of Jesus we ask again send your Holy Spirit and lord I pray that you would begin to raise up mothers and fathers in your church Lord that that you would break the cycle of insecurity that you would break the demonic the demonic activity of individualism and you would set us free set us free break the power of loneliness Lord uh-uh we could have this wrong but I think I'm gonna ask some of you to be incredibly brave and there are some of you here even though you've got people around you you've come in a group you you got friends and aquaintances actually inside of you there's incredible loneliness there's an incredible you know like it's like nobody really knows me that's how it feels that's how it feels and there are things about me that nobody knows and almost I don't want anyone to know and and it's like you're living in this bubble and you're living in this bubble of loneliness and and it's not about me by coming forward you're not saying to the people who are with you that they failed you if the truth is that's where you are and I believe with all my heart Jesus wants to begin to release you because it's a thing that the enemies put over you if you know that's you I'm gonna ask you to be really courageous if you just feel isolated and you feel that nobody really knows who you are and that's a killer could you come forward now be brave that's it that's it and for some of you it's a really hard thing to admit but we're family and don't feel embarrassed and don't feel ashamed I have been there many of us have been there and some of you even there's some of you that are even leaders your leaders and you've been there and you are there and leadership is lonely as sometimes it's like no one gets me I'm trying my best and it's like what no yeah you be brave as well all right I don't know you guys that are coming forward are you coming to pray or are you coming to your okay what just and it will have everyone staying standing up so that it's less I'm just gonna ask this this for you just put your hand up if you come up for this just put your hand up right now you see folks this folk all the way up there and round now we need the Spirit of God is gonna move I just know he is I just know he is we need folk to pray with gentleness and compassion don't you dare give them advice don't you dare patronize them love them pray God's blessing on them let him do it could you just go and stand with some of those let's let's go for it guys stand in front if you can stand in front and now father now we're gonna start praying whether someone's with you or not they'll find you now father I ask that you break the power of isolation I break I ask it's the enemy it's satanic it's the devil who isolates us I went that when when serpent the serpent when Satan came to Adam and Eve the first thing they did is they hid they hid from you Lord and they hid from each other and I pray right now that all my brothers and sisters would be able to come out of hiding come Holy Spirit come Holy Spirit and Lord release life release hope lord release freedom and for those who have been isolated for too long for those it feels like all their life they've they've lived one person on the outside and another person on the inside Lord would you begin to bring them give them hope but it doesn't have to be like this anymore now don't worry about the tears don't worry about anything it's okay the Lord is here the Lord is here and he loves you and he loves you and he loves you let him come let him meet with you and I pray Lord in Jesus name would you break the lie if they really knew me they wouldn't love me and where the the enemy again has just held them back from being really known because of that fear of being shamed and rejected I pray you break that now break that now in Jesus name speak your truth speak your truth over the Lord now what we do is we way the Lord is meeting with people and there's another wave of his presence coming the more we wait the more he does the more we wait the more he does thank you lord now some of you I just want to say some of you it's like curse a pain in your stomach right now it's like this gutti thing is like aah and it's frightening you don't be afraid don't be afraid just just let it go let it go this is a safe place this is a safe place and Lord we pray for those who are struggling with depression and in those times where they just feel no one gets me no one understands no one can come near for those when they have anxiety attacks and it's like no one no one can know where I am Lord would you come to them now would you come to them now and lord would you break the power of loneliness and you know what just just it's okay just by just by coming forward there's a healing in that there's a healing and acknowledging I'm broken I'm not okay and you're loved you're loved by him and you're loved by the rest of the church we love you more Lord more of you we pray more of you thank you lord I think one or two view you feel like you're gonna be sick almost and you feel like gosh this is so painful I'm scared of I feel like I could disintegrate and one or two of you on the outside the truth is everyone thinks that you're really popular you're really happy you you really and and actually no one's really known those moments when you go to your room when you're on your own and it flippin hurts but Jesus knows and he was there and he was watching Jesus nights it's okay that's just pain coming out [Music] and can I say to others of you that you haven't come forward you know over the last three days isn't it I'm amazing and breaks your heart how much pain there is in us I think this is the third day where there's been this stuff and if it's in us in the church do you know how much pain people live with and they they cope and they learn to cope and the gospel the good news is you don't have to cope because Jesus wants to come and hold you you don't have to try and get through life he wants to take you and he wants to carry you and this is why in the church we've got to be a community of love we've got to be a community of love that moves in the power of the Spirit because that's the because this isn't right this breaks God's heart this breaks God's heart in a little while I'm gonna invite some others to respond to a second word but we're just gonna spend time with these guys that we're gonna marinate them in God's presence and maybe we'll just quietly begin to worship for a little while as we pray all right

Channel: Naturally Supernatural

Views: 15,861

Rating: 4.8441558 out of 5

Keywords: nsn, mike pilavachi, naturally supernatural, community, church community, church family, Holy Spirit, Church, Church leadership, Leadership, Soul Survivor

Id: 7QpCrL-sBiQ

Length: 66min 15sec (3975 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 05 2018