Hillsong Church - From Paupers to Princes

good morning welcome to Hillsong Church come on don't stand to our feet let's get ready lift up Jesus name this morning come on [Music] your love so great Oh [Music] thank you see [Music] we list out boys is this you what I [Music] Oh [Music] hi you may [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] knock you up to your name we lift it up this morning [Music] Oh Oh [Music] [Music] you play [Music] come on God is worthy role playing [Music] - how to be proud [Music] only one point [Music] to fix myself Oh Oh [Music] ah [Music] business [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] feeling pretty boy [Music] we can shoot when I can [Music] my [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] see [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] but if you believe is the name about [Music] Jean [Music] why [Music] later you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh just each other when it's out [Music] come on [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh Oh [Music] Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and she leaned in to his presence and I just want to encourage you this morning that we are in the presence of the most holy one the holiest of holies is the son of God Jesus Christ and he is here in this place and I want to encourage you to lean in to the fullness of his present and everything that he has for you this morning no matter what you come in carrying he is the answer he is everything that you need and as we sit at his to be surrendering to you love is great to time it is mercy there's no end to what we can do within your heart your soul your spirit and your mind so can you just take a moment [Music] Pressman leaned in but in love or [Music] Oh [Music] Oh Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] this is now falling this is not button in the heaven wasting to the road singsong never walk I got all I need [Music] No [Music] Oh we missed out boys Colossus Oh [Music] [Music] me [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] about silencing [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] can we let's pray Jesus this morning together church amen some father is we in your presence right now and we link right around Australia the Hobart Church of the air people watching on stream in Perth Joe and Brisbane Western Wollongong can we all stretch out our hands to these prayer requests that each of the MCS are holding in their hands in my hand we've got prayers for healing from cancer safe pregnancy businesses needing turn around and relationships and family netting here healing the church this morning our God is a strong and mighty fortress he is Savior so father this morning as a church family around the nation we bring before you the many hundreds of needs father from within our own church family and from church from from the channel Lord around the world and we thank you Lord come on church let's pray we thank you Lord that you are our healer that you are our Savior that you come into the middle of our situation and Lord with some earth but now we are asking for it to bring heaven on earth in every one of these situations because you are mighty and you are great and you love us applauding can you say Amen amen and amen and we're going to continue to pray and call and do what we can as a church family will big welcome a big hi this morning I reckon here at Hills we need to say hi to everybody who is linking in with us this morning down in Hobart up in Darwin over in Perth out in remote communities Brisbane West Wollongong great to be here together and what I'd love you to do for it which is one moment is just say hi to somebody nearby welcome welcome someone to church introduce yourself as you take your seats all right you can grab your seats thank you that's good ha you can take your seats thank you guys if you are new or visiting we're so thrilled that you're here we want you to feel at home and amongst family we'd love to host you after our services and make you feel right at home we're going to continue our worship this morning through our giving which we love to do so would you welcome pastor Robert Ferguson as he comes and encourages us this morning what a wonderful people well as Donna said we're going to come around are giving right now and this is our weekly tithes and offerings we should be grateful for all that God has done for us every week we get the opportunity to give a tenth percent of what God has given us in gratitude to God so I know that many of you are given during the week but even if you had why don't you take this opportunity to grab an envelope and in solidarity and fellowship hold that envelope and you can do that across the link in various places Perth over but if you haven't given if you haven't brought your tithe during the week this is your opportunity to do that I remember this is the tithe this is what we do every week we're going to talk about the hearts of the house offering later in the service but this is what we do every single week as I said we should do this with gratitude we often think that gratitude is reflective we we give thanks for what God has done for what other people have done last week but much of gratitude in the Bible is pre-emptive in Psalm 50 it says we give with thanks in order to prepare the way for God to work in the psalm 100 it says that we give thanks as we enter in the Gospels Jesus gave thanks for for the crops in Philippians 4 it says we give thanks before our prayer is answered so if your expect a good week next week if you want God to do something radical and wonderful in Hillsong conference if you give with gratitude right now you prepare the way for God's salvation how cool is that so why don't you take those gifts in your hands with gratitude in all the other venues and let me pray for you father God thank you very much for this privilege of giving and we thank you in advance as we give for all the good things that you have in store for us bless your people as they faithfully contribute in Jesus name and everybody said and then well god bless you god bless you thank you once again for your faithfulness and right around this auditorium as we receive our giving why don't you check out church news god bless you are you need to face or new to church on or enviously about what's next come with information to help you find out more you can also visit our website to learn more on how to get involved discover more about Jesus and stay up-to-date with what's happening in the largest fields on Church [Music] son of you right now you're afraid and I came to tell you that the pathway to your greatest potential is three through your grades here let me tell you what takes courage living holding that paste curd real courage and real bravery is that what the world pass but what's the word [Music] [Applause] [Music] the what is young and free conference for me it's not just the conference is actually a gathering a junkie it's a stake in the ground of this generation this year we're excited that we have John Gray make the tag is my thing in fact make this moment is my moment the cycle what can achieve Express the system you can expect to most amazing sigh never quit ride we got funny man damn it's always amazing truck wars a kids on yon free every student input in a tribe which becomes their families of the week in amongst that it is about making skewers of young people what are you expecting to keep something I'm expecting to have fun I'm expecting that God's going to make powerful and using people's eyes [Music] the Wynwood ferret slowing the night it takes you to where you couldn't dive and cause you to do what you couldn't do it the neighbors above every other name as the name of Jesus it is no other what if tonight you really believe that the king of heaven in earth was on your side some of you right now during the season where jobs are going well and guess what God's doing something in you because he's preparing to do even more through you [Applause] [Music] your claim if you hear it play [Music] Hillsong conference next week people it's next week it's next week and I'm really hoping that you've already sorted yourself I don't think you can get in as a volunteer I think that's all done but check with them wherever you are at the conference stand at the end of the service but you can still register and at least be there so that all of the nights or something especially for those that are close to Sydney get there for that and it's going to be incredible I love that we heard from young and free and from kids song we heard from from a kid's perspective often it's the mums and dads and everything that we focused on in the room which is really good but every part of conference from kids we've got their own kids conference teenagers have their own team conference young and free ask mum and dads we have our own conference there's no clapping there we're connected right across the whole church so everywhere from Darwin all the way up in Queensland all the way down the whole eastern seaboard down to Hobart barley wherever we are every single person located at Hills wherever you are so what and everyone say a big greeting a hello to everybody else around the country welcome to church this morning it's great to have you with us let's worship Him as we do this amen [Music] you [Music] Oh [Music] what [Music] [Music] and you morning soon yeah not wall [Music] come on across the entire show Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] so we're so grateful for your lovely name today what a beautiful name it is Lord we get to be in your house with your people with each other worshiping you up and down this country and Lord even through the screen Lord we just thank you that we can spend this time at the presence of God proclaiming the one and only name Jesus the most beautiful name the most wonderful name the most powerful name in your name Amen can you say Amen across the church across the church everybody say choice you know all around the world is fixed in the USA people try to rip off my voice to my accent and they always put in there the word church turns and you guys could be seated I can see that sometimes you do not care you don't care you don't care in Brisbane they care and Hobart they care you don't care I got the blessing today and talking across all our morning services everywhere from this service so whether your church 9:00 o'clock 9:30 11 o'clock 11:30 whatever time your service in the morning I'm talking to you right now which is great and I got something to announce 11-ounce Minh so now that's a fantastic announcements are awesome especially when they involve good people in that church and too often we announce people leaving and so no talk about anyone leaving from now on you just go people who saw what happened to their modern know we send them somewhere I forget no talk anymore about leaving we're going to talk about coming and so well love couple in the city campus is Sam and Cheryl Fagan and of course they've been leading our youth in all our city campuses for quite a long time now fantastic couple so Cheryl and there's in the USA but she's not leaving she's coming back and so she's with her family in the USA but Sam happens to be here in this service they're going to make an announcement about Sam so come on up here real quick super quick super quick this is Sam sagen awesome man that you are Sam of course grew up here at Hills and always was handsome even when you're out here at Hills he ensured a fantastic couple never a brilliant job in the city ever in the city good them a chair in the city so as you know the couple who are in a West I don't know where they go and then just gone somewhere but no I'm kidding it's obviously Brendan and Jackie Brown who we are sending and I'm just going we are sending to San Francisco later in the year and so Sam and Sheryl are going to be a brand new in a where let people see your smiling face to know where yeah location passes and I'm going to tell you I'm going to tell you that almost certainly over the next 12 months that location is going to become a full status campus so you get the awesome job of leading it toward that which is fantastic so come on give them another big hand and that but that that means that we need new youth pastors in the city so they happen to be here as well this is Matt and Carolyn is it hood and so you guys come up so people can see your pretty faces they came all the way out here so we could announce it across the whole church and then man in Carolyn hood and these guys are our new youth pastors across our city campus they're big congratulations to you awesome congratulations to you congratulations to you and you guys can all be seated because I've got to preach the word fantastic but that's great news it's all great news you guys can be seated make sure you put them the right place you always watch anyone who's behind your back no the Bible says God's got your back but from paupers to Prince's I've been talking about kings and queens the faith of gold wants to raise people up listen and whatever walk of life they're called - he didn't call you just to chase your tail in business he called you to be a prince or a princess or a king or a queen in the business world in other words to be in a place where you have an impact in an influence and you make a greater difference I wanna start by talking about Israel and specifically Jerusalem and specifically the dome on the rock and the Temple Mount because there's Christians you're going to Israel's awesome we go to Jerusalem in it's so significant and where Jesus walked and talked and his disciples and so much Bible history throughout the entire scriptures but the something is vaccine for Christians and that is on the temple ruins where of course we had an incredible worship note recently right on the southern steps where Jesus and all of his contemporaries were to walk in to worship in the temple on the ruins of that temple sits a shrine the Dome on the rock and on the Temple Mount also significant for Christians since a lost I don't know that you know you kind of look at that and I look at all the promise of the scripture has a whole lot of theology about that side and about Jesus second coming but I don't even want to talk about that but I do want to talk about what Jesus said about a temple that is torn down and it's in John chapter 2 verse 19 and 21 it says Jesus said destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up that was this promise that was declaration you pull the temple down I'll rebuild it in three days then the Jews said it has taken 46 years to build this temple and you say you're going to raise it up in three days and this is where it changes he was speaking of the temple of his own body therefore when he had risen from the dead his disciples remembered that he had said this to them and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had said I wonder if sometimes we have our eyes on the wrong temple jesus said I can you pull the temple down you destroy the temple I'll rebuild it in three days of course in the death of Jesus that's exactly what happened they destroyed crucified the temple but three days later he rose again do you know everything about the Gospel message is about raising and lifting and resurrecting and building he takes paupers and he makes them princes he said I'm the resurrection and the life we're told the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us especially this time of the morning in the service that you're in the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us we are resurrection people we are life-giving people we are involved in the building of other people now listen God always lifts the lives of people and I believe that God lifts the lives of those who lift the lives of others and that's why in the season that our church has once a year called heart for the house where people sacrificially give at the end of the financial year has been so powerful because it's always about lifting the lives of others and God lifts the lives of those who lift the lives of others and no matter which way you look at it we just saw a video in our church where we talked about the fact that buildings are not just brick and mortar if you look at that the physical building you're actually in many ways looking at the wrong thing that's skin but it's always about what it allows us to do for people to lift the lives of people you can look at Africa and what we're doing there right now through Hillsong Church to make a difference in children and Mumbai and other cities in did I say India where you can look at Africa where we're working through the Hillsong Africa foundation or in Thailand where we're working in cooperation with a 21 you can look at 180 TC right here in Sydney and in Australia who are helping addicted young people to get out of bondage and get them a beginning and a future and I hope and a left their life no matter which way you look it's about lifting the lives of people so God always lifts the lives of those who are beat up or a broken down he lifts the plight of the poor and you know the Bible says that many many many times over let me share just a few of them with you as we get started in Psalm 107 verse 41 this is what the Word of God says there yet he sits the port on high what does he squash them down does he crush them does it keep them depressed as he kicked him impoverished he sets the port on high I love this lion heart from a Fletcher he removes them far from their afflicted and from their affliction from their trouble and from their challenge and makes their families like a rock sound 113 it's a promise to the poor and about becoming Prince's verses 7 and verse 8 I love beans verses he raises what does he do he he raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy out of the ashy he raises he lists it's a theme right through Scripture he raises and unless he fills us with resurrection life he raises the poor them from the dust and lifts the needy out of the ash heap that he may seek Him with princess with the princes of his people he lives people to be princess in business in government in education in the media in Commerce in Christian ministry in the church in whatever way you want to look at it he less he raises he resurrects as the spirit of the God that we serve that Psalm 113 is written by an unknowing psalmist kind of like the Unknown Soldier we don't exactly know who wrote the psalm but obviously he could witness the power of God or had it God gave Hannah way back and first Samuel a miracle son a son that was impossible to have God answered a prayer and in her prayer after God a miraculously given her a son she says those same words first samuel chapter 2 verse 7 and 8 the lord makes poor and makes rich he brings low and lifts up exalt yourself God will humble you humble yourself God will exalt you he makes love and he lifts up the Bible says he raises the poor from the dust and listen the needy from the ash heap he seeks them with princes I like this and has them inherit a throne of Honor for the foundations of the earth of the lords on them he has set the world when we understand the foundation that God gives us that the foundation of the earth other Lords that the verses are full of promise the first promise he lifts the poor a second promise he seats them with princes the third promise he enables them to sit on a throne of Honor we come into a throne room of grace as New Testament believers so in a throne room of grace he the Lord who sits on a throne enables us to live with a throne upon her so beautiful so powerful I don't know how you couldn't get excited today I don't know how you couldn't let a better resurrection light lift you up elevate you popular have you ready for everything flow oh the God is wanting to do today and I dare you to come up your home bunt you damn I'm feeling no don't come up please but he took them up here you know and I would never punch you I would never punch anyone on my front row if you're a few rows back he lifts the boys sits them with Prince's he enables them to inherit a fro so God lifts and he elevates and he raises and he resurrects being as something is allowed to really think about God lifts the lives of those who lifts the lives of others if you're a person who does in life think about other people get moved by the plight of other people anywhere in any way for any reason you live your life lifting the lives of people you open yourself up to the promises of God which are for those who lift the lives of others whether those beautiful psalm some 41 verses one two three and listen to what it says about those who lift the lives of others it says oh the joy of those who are kind to the poor the lord rescues them when they are in trouble the Lord protects them and keeps them alive he gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies the Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health listen to this these are promises for those who decide you care about the world around and about you you're not just living self-indulgent thinking about yourself you actually want to make a difference and listen to these promises because I want to praise them over you when I finish preaching I want to prom pray them like a benediction over you when I finished preaching here they are from those verses right there may the Lord rescue you when you're in trouble may the Lord protect - and keep you alive some of us need that more than others we need to believe God to protect us and just keep us alive I was in Canberra during this last week and I was speaking for a friend Sean who's been my friend for the best part of 40 years so like you do when you're little older and you get with old friends start telling old stories he says it's only the grace of God that you're still alive he says to me and so some of us need that promise right there more than others do listen to it again it said by the way don't ever young people take your life into your own hands be wise you got too much to offer on behalf of all parents everywhere you know you pray for them when their little babies and they can't burp up and and you pray for them when they start to walk and watch the swimming pool and then you pray for them going to school that they know which way to look on the road and then you end up praying for the winter teenagers that God will just keep them on course and then you pray for them when they find their partner that they will find the right partner then you pray for them a little later when maybe the stuff - in other words it never changes it never changes but here's a promise for them the Lord protects them and keeps them alive here's the next promise the Lord gives them those who help others and raise and lift the lives of others he gives them prosperity in the land the Lord rescues them from their enemies the Lord nurses them comforts them when they are sick the Lord restores them to health if those aren't great promises I do not know what is and God is a God who keeps his word who keeps promise who keeps covenant and thank God that we can live according to the promises of an already God that's why we should speak them over our life so God he lifts the hurting the poor we can easily look it the world the level of poverty how many people are living under $1 a day which of the true world's poor and again so well how's that working for all these people how does this method to relate to poor people that's where you and I come into it we're called to lift the lives of other people that's the church in action that's what the church is about that's part of the reason why you are a believer that's part of the reason why you are serving God because we care about other people whether it's a little poor living under a dollar a day or for some $2 a day or whether it's those who are just impoverished poor spirited poor thinking or whether it's people who are just so beat down that they're poor in spirit not in the way Matthew five talks about it but they are just in a way we're just in a way where their spirits are depressed and defeated and soul of the God left the lives of people and Heelys the lives of those who live the lives of others that's the word of the Lord and God has always been a heavy lifter he'd always been at David knew it he talked about the glory of God which he knew was God's goodness and God's grace and he says some three bursaries you're my glory and the one who lifts my head God is a lift up people he loves heads when heads are bowed down I always hope at church that you leave when your head lift it up no matter how bad down and it was when you came in that's part of my absolute absolute commitment when people come into the house of God that they'll walk out feeling tall shoulders back feeling like they're six foot 15 feeling like they are giants in Jesus name because we want to share a word of life not a word of morbidity or death or fear anyone here go to Sunday school kids Church and your life ever give me a wave ever ever anywhere in Australia with us hey you probably have heard of a guy called Daniel in a lion's den possibly must be one of those first stories we have a learn it's an amazing story really Daniel was an alien in Babylon a foreigner a man who was worshipping a god really annoyed a lot of people because people wanted King Nebuchadnezzar the King to worship Him so people pressured that King Nebuchadnezzar to come up with a decree that if anyone worship the God other than the king himself they'd be put to death now Nebuchadnezzar actually like Daniel Daniel had risen to a place of influence but I guess he was a weak King and he had the pressure and it made this foolish decree that if you worship any other gods we'll be killed and Daniel was not the kind who would shrink back he was not a shrinking violet he worshipped the God that he knew was God was Lord and he refused not to worship Hermon he ends up in a pit he ends up in a den a lion's den but the scripture is powerful it says in verse 23 Daniel 6 the king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den to what lift annual he's a lifter to lift Daniel he's a heavy lifter to lift Daniel out of the den and when Daniel was lifted from the den no wound was found on him because he had trusted is God so awesome there's oneness great on him and you know the king was thrilled because he he actually liked Daniel but the stupid decree he he was overjoyed but I actually loved the fact that literally for him he trusted God there was not a scratch on him no wound was found on having inner life sometimes we are wounded I'll be wounded I'm sure you've been wounded and sometimes wounds are formed in us but I wonder if in trusting God whoo in the last service I couldn't say wounds I only got worms or wounds and there's enemy again the one are you forgetting me are they wombs nope are they words no wounds Hey the wounds the wounds the prefecture the wounds may be formed in us let us believe God there won't be found on us hey man they just won't be found on us no won't be found on us at all he's a prince maker he's a people lifter that's a God we serving the story up the story there's scripture after scripture this person up the person Bible character after Bible character that tells the story of God with resurrection life lifting other people lifting people so I've been reading about a eunuch a eunuch who converted to Judaism from Ethiopia a eunuch is somebody who doesn't have their male parts very simply and so this particular unit the Bible tells us that it was a man of great authority under the actual Ethiopian Queen Candace Candace was the Queen and he looked after all her money and all the nations money he was the treasurer he was a man of incredible influence in his own country he was a man who was affluent in his own country he was a man who was smart he handled all the finances but it didn't help him when he felt like an outsider in the religion he wanted to embrace and so there's a theologian called Robert Wall who called this eunuch a devoted proselyte a devoted proselyte another a clone to Judaism who is part of the despoja and the de spohrer Jews who live outside of Palestine or Israel scattered around the world usually because of persecution or opposition or being unaccepted and so he was one of those people an African man who was seeking God and seeking God out from that he decided to go to Jerusalem and he goes to Jerusalem because he searched him for God but the very place where he was hoping to find God he was marginalized pushed out to the edge as he wasn't except that he was squashed there and that's where an evangelist called Philip comes into it fell off a course he's a radical evangelist he's part of the early church and God wakes him up and tells him to go to the road South to Gaza from Jerusalem because their God was going to do something and so Philippine obedient he makes his way down there and what has he come across it comes across an African eunuch I guess discouraged and his chariot heading back through the south of Israel toward Ethiopia he's reading the scriptures he's reading from the book of Isaiah he's got these eye dire scrolls and he's reading them out loud so Philip he catches up to the chariot and he asked him do you know what you're reading he tells them as The Book of Isaiah so Philip says can I hope you understand it now naturally speaking that could have been an insult right there because he's a smart man it's only the guy says sure come on up I even love that because Philip didn't look down on this African eunuch no he went up to this African eunuch and they said together and cost the fantastic story is he has a radical conversion the unit to Jesus Christ he finds Jesus as the resurrection and the life and he found through Jesus Christ all flesh everybody can know salvation in God and so it's a powerful powerful story but this man is marginalized he's ostracize when it came does attempt to embrace God and the point that he was a eunuch is relevant because not having his male parts and of course the Jews especially Jewish males obviously the physical way they identify with their Judaism I don't need to say and so he didn't have that so even physically he was pushed to the side he was pushed to the margins as a matter of fact and I read what the Bible says in the Old Covenant in the law about these things you tirana me 23 verse 1 he who is emasculated by crushing or mutilation shall not enter the Assembly of the Lord there's no place for you if you've got that kind of disability if you carry that kind of wound there's no place for you you're emasculated by crushing on mutilation but the Word of God always brings hope to all people to all people so I read I dire chapter 56 and as I read this I look to these scriptures and I don't forget that's what the eunuchs reading the book of Isaiah and there's promise here aliens those who are outsiders the son of foreigners and this promise for eunuchs listen to it because it's awesome it says verse 3 do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord he saying don't speak like this don't speak saying the Lord has utterly separated me from his people in other words don't see yourself outside marginalize ostracize there are people here who at school you've been forced to feel marginalized ostracize I felt like that at school I felt like I didn't belong my happiest day was the day I got out of high school and I didn't graduate I walked out children young people on behalf of all parents I've done ok goes on nor let the eunuch say Here I am a dry tree don't say that for that says the Lord to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbath and choose what pleases me and hold fast my covenant even to them I will give in my house listen to this em within my walls a place and a name better than sons and daughters not only are you welcome but your place is even better than the sons and the daughters are they what a different spirit between religion no matter what the religion that outcasts and ostracizes are large analyzed and you're not good enough what a difference between that and this beautiful beautiful promise from the book of Isaiah one of the books that most prophesies Jesus listen to it it's wonderful because it's saying you know going to be cut off your place is even better I'll give you a place and a name better than sons and daughters soon to this I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off and the context of the word cut off is relevant everyone got it okay but God promised us something that can't be taken from him they can't hold you back that gives you a seat at the table that gives you a throne of honor they're causing to sit with princess that's what God offers his people and it's beautiful you know I see just through the church life people who life it sells tries to cut people off I was thinking about a young man called Matt and I tell the story some of you will begin to know who I'm talking about here Matt he didn't come from a church home or necessarily a Christian family but it he came I think from a good family and he actually live just down the road from us years ago and Kings Langley which is near here and well there he came into church and his mother just died he was close to his mum he loved his mother she had a huge heartache when he came to church and became a believer became a Christian as a peer of my sons so it was in that era in the youth group and how there was always a good guy kind of adopted Bobby and I in many ways because he was close to our family and close to our kids and here's the thing no long after this father dying his father been a business men have been a hard worker all his life and then he got married to a beautiful girl Jill and their first baby came along far too early and people believed God and cried and prayed but their first baby went to heaven and their desk devastated so you think of Matt lost his mom lost his dad so he young first baby comes along loses its first baby it could easily feel marginalized cut off and not only that but the way life when circumstances went we started with a business person but Matt his brothers and sisters they they didn't see the inheritance kind of cut off from that today man who married an American girl from Florida is planting and pastoring a church in Florida today Matt and Jill have healthy children growing fast boys and girls and one in heaven today matters he moved away from Investment Banking which is what he did he's been online and getting the word into him and getting himself trained online and theology in a Christian ministry now look at Matt today and how life tried to cut him off but he'll God has lifted him and raised him and brought him into a family who loves him and helps him let me tell you about George George he happens to be a grandfather of my grandkids they call me pop so they're supposed to they always seem to call me papa and I call him rattu as a reason they call him righto and that is because in Fiji George is a chief he's a big deal but in Australia when my son played rugby league so the hills balls with Peter talkative I lose older brother Julian George was just one of the parents George Fiji and George he was not right to to us he won the chief 2-1 and the George I thought he didn't like me because he always made a website of the field I went to he went to the other side it could be a couple of reasons for that one could because I was that parent yeah I was that parent but now they don't even has scores anymore in junior sport I was one of those parents I was the guy so that could have been the reason but manias cuz I was a Christian the past I didn't know I don't know he obviously had me feeling like I was an outsider and big picture if I look back most of those parents kind of treated me a little like an outsider the one about Ben Ben was one of the better players in the team so what about him had to be about me again and there's a reason they all thought I was an outsider and it didn't help that I wouldn't go to any of the social events but what am I supposed to do I'm the local pastor and they advertise events like booze boobs and barbecues so hardly the place for me to be seen right here in the hills district well it turns out George George he had some kind of Christian heritage but he hadn't been living good as life was a mess and George was kind of a bit of a wreck and he wouldn't come on my side I've learned since because of conviction there might have feel bad about himself to get near the pastor today George and his wife Vera grandparents as I said to my grandkids they are believers that in church life they live in Fiji now some of the time are still serving God George's on Sunday he had that feeling of being ostracized I had that there all of us at times have their feeling that if you younger you have that feeling and sometimes you feel like you're pushed into a mold or you feel like you're pushed down but God is a lifter he's a builder he's an invite are you give you that scene of the table better better than a son or a daughter you cannot be cut off no matter what to disability the eunuch he was African in Jerusalem there's a racial divide he is a Gentile non children seeking in Jerusalem there's a religious divide he is a man who has physical Anatomy men there was a physical divide every reason to be marginalized just like some of us at times feel marginalized the whole message of Jesus is about bringing people in it's about including it's about taking paupers the poor and making them princes that's the message of Jesus no matter where he went if it's a woman of Samaria she's excluded in so many ways Samaritan a woman her had lots of husbands and was living with a guy or she was excluded in so many different ways that Jesus broke tab in gender to buy just like he broke religious divide with a boy blind since birth in John 9 blind since birth but what does Jesus do when he comes across this blind boy he heals them but he did it on the Sabbath and the religious people were furious that he would dare heal a boy on the Sabbath but Jesus he broke through religious divides and gave the boy at the table of healing he gave him a seat at the table of healing look you could talk about in poor you know he talked about the Jews and the Greeks and the Jews they didn't accept Jesus because they were looking for a sign and the Greeks because they were looking for wisdom something that appealed to their heads so in Jesus had no credibility because he was just a Jewish boy dying and disgrace but thank God Jesus broke through the credibility to buy Zacchaeus as a rich man with Julius wealth up a trade and I love this because Jesus so much of his message was for the poor but when a rich man up a tree Jesus said if you'll come down if you humble yourself if you will come down from your exalted position as a tax collector and a person who reps all people come down humble yourself and I'll come with you to your house well lift you back up again so he broke through the status divide listen Jesus when it came to sin he was an out with publicans and sinners he brought through the sin divide when it came to death Lazarus he raised from the dead what did he do he raised him the resurrection and the life even death was no separation from Jesus Christ whether it's sin whether its death for lepers they had to walk around in Bible times shouting unclean clean so the people wouldn't come near them you imagine that separation you imagine that marginalizing you imagine what that would feel like you're literally walking around all your life saying I'm worthy I'm worthy I'm worthy Jesus he let live has come to him and he went to letters he broke through that no matter what's trying to separate you from the love of Christ there is nothing that can separate you from the love of Christ not death nor life nor Angels nor demons nor principalities nor powers nor things above all ends below there is nothing that can separate you from a God through lifts and raises and include and build and strengthen today we can trust God and those of you who are lifting the lives of other people right now many in our own church through this heart for the house giving can I tell you you are a door opener you are a gospel spreader you are a life giver you are a kingdom builder you are a vision impactor you are a whole lot of things you are a blessing initiator you're a church strengthener you are living your lives lifting people and I'm speaking and praying it over your life God is going to lift you maybe you believe it say Amen stand with me all across the church everywhere on everybody I'm going to pray this prayer over you now we're going to worship for a moment and ask you all to stay I want everybody everywhere either lift your head put hands right in front of you with the receptive palm over lift them up because I want to pray a prayer into your life as we commit to a God who lifts the lives of those who lift the lives of others let me pray this prayer into you and your home any children any of family any of your dreams into the will of God for your life I went to receive it deep in your spirit may the Lord rescue you from trouble may the Lord protect you and keep you and yours alive may the Lord give you prosperity in the land may the Lord deliver you from your enemies may the Lord comfort you when you are sick may the Lord restore you to health and keep you well may the Lord rescue you protect you give to you deliver you comfort you restore you Lord we claim it by faith in Jesus as we live our lives beyond ourselves and determined to make a difference for others in the name of Jesus Christ amen amen amen come on let's worship Jesus together everybody [Music] ah ah [Applause] you have you yes [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] what a great message hey we thank pastor Bryan for that brilliant absolutely stunning I wonder if I could pray one last prayer for everybody right across the whole church wherever you are up there in Bali Darwin all the way across from new so all the way down to Hobart every single campus every place every location you know there's only one reason people are not connected to God there's not many it's not lots of different reasons there's one there's only one reason humans are disconnected from God and it's because sin it's sin that separates us from God it's not all of our activity and the individual things that we do necessarily we've been doing those for a long time sin separates us from God we are dead to God we're disconnected and we can't do anything about fixing that it's only Jesus that fix that there is nothing we can actually do you can't just stop and be a nicer person and think that you've fixed what you've done in the past it doesn't work that way only God could fix what we could not fix and that's why Jesus Christ died on the cross so the only one reason why people are disconnected from God and that's because of sin our sin but God fix that so there's really only one more reason there's only one reason why we stay disconnected from God now that God's fixed it does anyone reason we stay disconnected we've been learning all service that got us a lifter the God lifts people he welcomes he includes he encourages and he lifts us that's the purpose of God to lift us so if there's one reason we're disconnected sin God dealt with that through Jesus there's only one reason we're still disconnected and that is because of our activity it's because of shame it's because of guilt it's because of condemnation we know we've done things wrong and we're so focused on what we've done that we don't feel like we're good enough to come to God so we hold back and we stay disconnected even though God has done everything in Jesus to fix it so if God is big enough to fix the problem that we cannot fix will you be big enough to humble yourself and surrender your life to God God wants to lift you will you trust him today will you give your life to him today on a pray a prayer for every single person I wonder if we could pray this right across our entire church with a Bible that we want to give the people who want to pray this prayer I wonder wherever you are whatever service you're standing and you might be in a parent's room you might be in a foyer but today is a day to give your life to Jesus surrender your life to God our whole church is going to pray this prayer out loud we're all going to pray that loud and we want you to pray it with us so wherever you are if you in one of our purse connects if you're in Church of the air if you're one of our campuses wherever you are today on Hillsong Channel can you pray this prayer with us give your life to Jesus be big enough today give your life to go till we close our eyes and bow our heads in prayer and this whole church we're all going to pray it out loud we want you to pray it with us if you want to give your life to Jesus will you pray this with us say this after me Jesus come on every location that Hills everywhere say Jesus I believe that you are the son of God I believe that you died on the cross for me I believe that you rose from the dead so that I could have your power to live a life for you so come into my life Jesus forgive me of all my sins give me a brand-new start and help me live for you all the days of my life amen congratulations all those people come on let's give them a great big cheer every person every one of you listen we have a Bible we have a Bible that we wouldn't want to get to you wherever you are every campus every location at the end of this service in a few minutes we're going to sing a song of praise right now but everywhere you are as you leave as you go through the doors on exit you're going to see one of our team holding this Bible up in the air because they're trying to get your attention if you just stop on your way out and say something like I prayed that prayer at the end can I get one of those free Bibles and we'll get one to you it's actually sitting inside this sleeve there's a card on the back if you just take that off fill it in it just helps us help you take that next step please come and get one it would be absolutely amazing for us to help you in any way that we can yeah it is so great listen tonight in church everywhere where we have Sunday night church every service tonight Steve penny pastor Steve penny is preaching he is brilliant absolutely brilliant he's got like a prophet gift a prophetic gift which means he's like God's messenger and he speaks into the life of our church this is the person Pastor Brian talks about every summer beginning of the year that he sits down has breakfast with Steve penny and they shaped the year for Hillsong Church this is that guy he's speaking tonight you're not going to want to miss this bring friends if you can't get here text someone tweet somebody get word out and let's make sure that we're in God's house tonight every single place can't pray for you further thank you so much for this great great day thank you for your word thank you back chance to be part of heart for the house got to ask your blessing upon every person every family every household help us change our community our neighbors in Jesus name Amen be blessed we love your church let's sing the song of praise together [Music] rapist bottle top the world--you way I'm not playing either way yeah what [Music] whoa yeah [Music] [Music] [Applause] you'd left [Music]

Channel: Hillsong Church

Views: 21,691

Rating: 4.7983193 out of 5

Keywords: jesus, hillsong, church, brian houston, praise, worship

Id: ONMjdsTgvu8

Length: 83min 10sec (4990 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 24 2017