The Body Shop | Vision Series

spent a real hard week but I'm encouraged in my soul I worship you can work your whole life people are waiting for one moment but I'm a workshop the law [Applause] [Music] even if I feel misunderstood I'm gonna lift my hair [Applause] [Music] [Music] somebody threw right there [Music] [Music] there are moments when you're gonna have to worship when nothing makes sense and there are moments when you have to stand alone but it cannot stop your worship I have learned this like never before the people who are assigned to your life who see your heart this is a season where the Lord will allow the ones who are connected to you to see you as you are but the ones who can't it's not your job to make them see let me help to define this season this is a season for you to see who everybody is [Applause] hey i'ma say it again this is the season where God wants you to see who everybody is because when elevation comes everybody wasn't assigned to go with you but they would have gone do you know that there were some people attached to your life they never really liked you they just knew you were anointed and God loves you too much to let them go with you where you're going next so he loved to enough to let you see and it doesn't mean that they're bad people we're just going in different locations yeah we're not gonna speak evil of anybody we don't speak life cuz that's what Romans 12 tells me to do even though it gets on my nerves seems like you got a bless those who curse I'm like I don't like that part [Music] sometimes you got a worship when it doesn't make sense and since I didn't call me I don't get to decide where he sends me we are ambassadors which means I go where my king tells me I just want to give you a 30 second opportunity to do that I want you to send something into the atmosphere that lets God know you can send me where you want out go where you tell I'll do what you ask me because I trust [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you got ten seconds the Lord O my soul lift up a bride [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] listen to me I just heard the holy ghost say standing right there I've never heard this maybe you have he said there is a praise that births an economy [Applause] there is a praise that births an economy it's so violent and penetrating that poverty can't stay that can't stay depression cannot stay an economy needs an ecosystem which means it's not that cars gonna just like give you a check he'll give you a sustainable idea that produces perpetually I believe that we are in an atmosphere where there is there is a praise that will burst an economy I am asking for you to trust me that if you will take a second and go kind of crazy in your worship that God can trust you with an idea that generates resources for the kingdom there is a phrase that generates resources for the kingdom yes your family will be blessed but this is pink of Turkey but to paint this hell you gotta open your mouth and say god you can trust me I will give you just a few blocks over [Music] there are unlimited opportunities of God in the room [Music] there are unlimited opportunities of God in the room there are businesses book been released ideas been released technology be released freedom from generational bondage lift it off because where God is devil cannot be liked [Applause] just a pop up our people that balcony to give god an uncommon work [Applause] [Music] planes like your family legacies attention on praise like your marriage depended on planes like the salvation of your children depending on [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] renal failure reversed kidney issues reversed blood-borne diseases reverse and if anybody thinks I'm playing games we have documented healings that have been happening over the last three months people being healed from cancer we have documented healing surgeries that were scheduled that when they went in they didn't see what they saw this is the word of the Lord this is not parlor tricks people don't think God is real but God's going to show the world that he's real through his church he's going to bring glory back to the local church and miracles are going to happen in people's lives and no one will be able to die they'll never be able to deny it was Jesus there is a praise that bursts in economy it changes things but it does not come in peacetime it comes in warfare somebody needs to push you [Music] somebody needs to match you and your face somebody needs to try you so you to be like what well my warrior back we're a rapper stick [Applause] wearing a person [Music] I'll be somebody to get out of yo state and in these out [Music] [Applause] one of our worship leaders wait I need you to hear this cuz I didn't know this now once you hear it do what you supposed to do have we talked I like your braids we haven't talked okay tell them what [Applause] hold on so back in March I began to have issues with my kidneys but one of my kidneys and two years ago I had issues where one of my kidneys stopped functioning and the other one was starting to go down now we were talking to the doctors about dialysis and everything look I helped me two years ago this year this year marks at the end of March beginning of April saying kidney started acting up it was getting to the point where it's not functioning again I really didn't tell anybody about it I prayed about it by myself with my close friends and over the months I've been going to the doctor checking and checking and checking a little two Fridays ago I went to the doctor and they said things kept going the way that they were going we were gonna have to look at further action so further action would be dialysis and everything because my kid both of my kidneys were starting to shake so I gave them permission because I knew I would be but pastor Tasha I leave and I knew that I would be very busy last week that if they called and if I was not available they could leave a message on Tuesday they caught me they found nothing wrong [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] if their sickness that runs in your family I have Authority this morning this afternoon and I got paid to declare whatever the congenital generational sickness is at 12:12 p.m. it is finished [Applause] if you believe it right [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I thought you was gone [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and they were all in one place on one Accord [Applause] it's a profit in here I was sitting in my condo in Atlanta in 2009 I wasn't living holy I told people I was but I wasn't got quiet cuz y'all like fake preachers that act like they always been I was single living in Atlanta I wasn't sleeping with nobody but I sure was thinking about it I wouldn't do it but I get right on the edge nobody wants to hear the truth you're not even play them ads games keep your jeans on but I just just get close get close [Applause] [Music] [Applause] preaching was struggling in my flesh I got a call from a prophet one morning early she said she said I don't know what you're doing she said but the Lord said stop now stop now because the grace you had it's not the grace you have [Applause] [Music] [Applause] that's what she said in essence she said she said I don't know what she said whatever it is God is saying right now danger stop now same day my mother called she said I was in prayer and the Lord spoke to me about you she said I love you you're my only child she said but God's holiness is more important than you as a person and a personality and he's not gonna be mocked make a choice today because he can do whatever he wants to do without you and he will take you out of here and it scared me that my own mother got sent to prophets and they're both in here you're right there in my wave your hands thank you for telling me the truth I'm not here without without somebody loving me enough to tell me the truth sometimes the assignment isn't popular and you won't see the fruit right there oh god I know about it you got to say what the Lord told you to say and go where the Lord told you to go so what you see is the fruit of your obedience and there'll be a seed coming to you to say thank you for your obedience the Spirit of the Lord is in this church does anybody deny that the Lord is here let me pray for you Lord Jesus thank you for this moment and speak through your word that we are closer to you when the moment is over than we were when it first began I'm grateful for the opportunity to be home this is relentless church we all serve you and we thank you for the opportunity to come together to worship together and now come let us reason together in the word let us grow and mature and Jesus let it produce fruit this is my prayer in Jesus name Amen you can give the Lord of praise as you take your seat if you'll do me a favor go to Romans chapter 12 as you're going now I want to take a moment this has been a very challenging week for me and I'm glad to be home at my church I want to for thee and I do mean last time speak to some things that you may have seen only partially in the news I I was invited to speak with a number of other pastors about prison reform and the possibility of churches partnering with the government once legislation passes to allow people who are coming out of prison to get job training so that they can have full-time employment with benefits which reduces the risk of repeat offenders breaks cite cyclical poverty the prison system which disproportionately affects black and brown individuals and I wanted to go and speak and that was why I accepted the invitation I did not know where I would sit I did not know that there would be cameras in fact I was told that there wouldn't be that was not the case the narrative has been written that there were other motives and other things and I understand that we are a deeply divided nation and that the politics of optics prevails against the truth of one's heart and so I wanted to take a moment to let you know that I did not go as a politician because I'm not that I'm a preacher and let me say this because I understand the questions and I also understand the pain that many people feel please understand that God has a history in his word of sending people who love him to leaders of governments and nations as long as the motive of the one being sent is pure you cannot change what people think about you I'm not for sale I can't be bought I got nothing in fact what I got was a lot of anger and vitriol and misunderstanding but I'll say this nobody will ever tell me who I can and can't pray for I serve God while I respect people's right to their opinion I don't bow at the will of popular opinion I serve God I'm gonna have to face him and answer to him and I say this my attendance does not mean agreement alignment or endorsement you work with people you don't agree with but you got a job to do did you hear what I said and you cannot influence a table you are not seated it [Applause] people want me to dishonor and disrespect I won't do it and I'll say this and I'm gonna preach the word I don't mind people who are not believers saying things that they've said I expect that people of other religious faith systems and beliefs I get in what I wasn't really prepared for was the friendly fire [Applause] people who I've known for years and then with this one moment of disagreement they turned it into an entire narrative because I've learned that people will judge you they'll judge your whole story based on the chapter they walk in on [Applause] this is what it tells me there are people who didn't like me the whole time they just needed a reason to vocalize it so I'm glad I know who they are and I pray the Lord blesses them and gives them favor and covers their family may no harm come to them not because that's what I want to say but because I don't belong to me I'm a Christian and I can't be saved when it's convenient [Applause] our nation needs healing and we need Christians who are not willing to let this racial divide stay that's why this church is so critical I told y'all something was gonna shift between the third and fourth week in this series I told our staff I said something was gonna shift I didn't know it was gonna be me I just want some sweet tea and biscuits having said that I love you and I ask that you will through this vision series continue to discern my heart if I'm preaching anything other than the gospel of Jesus Christ walk out the door if I dishonor scripture walk out the door if you find out ulterior motive walk out the door but if you see a man who loves God and it's trying to figure it out and serve God and serve people then let's walk this thing out Romans chapter 12 [Applause] thank you Romans chapter 12 I'm not gonna do how can I not do this how can I not honor the woman who fought for me encouraged me before I went she said this is everything that could happen and it may happen I know your heart but the people won't understand you've got to be wise are you sure it's God I said they I know none of it makes sense but I know it's God she said well then go with God and I got you back and she has covered thought interceded went off she's had class grace then she went hood went online held it down took her wig off put her braids on I just want to tell you how much I love and honor you for being what I needed forgiving me wisdom and then fighting for me even though it was hard on our family thank you to Pastor aventure pray you know what I love about that that spirit will be on on the women of relentless discerning classy powerful anointed but will fight if they have to I like that and fellas like it too we like that we like when y'all get a little rowdy it's kind of a turn-on when y'all be like what you say what [Applause] Romans chapter 12 by the way no matter what you're going through pure joy food that makes that makes people so mad when you just just smiling I want to tell him why is he still smiling the joy the Lord is mine I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service it had not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God for I say through the grace given to me to everyone who was among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith for as we have many members in one body but all the members do not have the same function so we being many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another till somebody scoot over I'm getting ready to preach from the subject heading the body shop [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the bodyshop this is not a church it's a body shop how many cars did you see on the video I'll ask again how many cars did you see on the video how many parts how many cars how many parts look around parts look around parts look behind you its parts not spare parts [Applause] gianna there is a difference between parts and spare parts see because when you're a part that means you are essential let me make it clear that every person that is here and of course shout out as so much love to our online campus relentless online campus it's off the hook love y'all make some noise for our online family we are one body many parts Jesus as he was about to go to the cross in John chapter 17 was praying before he died and he said father make them one as you and I are one them in me and I in you make them one jesus was always about community even when he instituted the Lord's Supper What did he say take eat this is my body broken for you take this cup my blood the new covenant in my blood what do we call that meal communion communion the word community comes from communion the idea that we are better together the idea that you have innate intrinsic value and that I don't get to dismiss your humanity because it's not convenient to my agenda I'm get ready to go to air pastor Q for too long Church has existed where an individual personality gets up performs to your pleasure in liking to get you to somehow come back the next week to perpetuate this machine called Western eyes Christian entertainment but the original New Testament church was a community of believers who walked it out together most often under perilous conditions making sure that the people in their community had what they needed even at the expense of their own comfort there was no entertainment factor with the New Testament church the early New Testament church was under peril when apostles were getting sawed in two boiled in oil crucified upside down and they were glad to do it because they had a revelation of who Jesus was one of my God - yes is a couple of waves and an amen because I'm bringing a new paradigm to the idea of what we've all been a part of because I've been a part of it too but I need you to hear me because I am NOT here to entertain you I am here to unlock you the purpose of the preacher is not to build a kingdom to himself the purpose of preaching is to give you the effectual Word of God so that it will unlock the seed of the Spirit that's in you so you can begin to produce fruit and fruit that remains which means if you are a casual church a tender you will be frustrated because I won't entertain that aspect of your flesh desire I am sent to unlock people until they look like Jesus it's the only way the world is going to change and the only way that you're gonna look more like Jesus is if you get off the sidelines and get on the playing field every single person in this church and those who are on our online campus have a gift or gifts that are so unique and so necessary that the only person in the history of humanity that had that gift is you and what a disservice it would be if you died and didn't maximize the gift that God gave you let me help you to understand some of your gifts will not be executed and expressed on this platform your platform might be the world can God trust you in finance government real estate arts entertainment academia can God trust you in areas of Technology can God trust you in the business place in the marketplace can can God trust you or do you want to be Church famous where you find your validation in a name tag where we feed each other's insecurities and secretly wait for someone to fall so we can act like we care but secretly we're excited because now I get to take their place please no God exposes all hidden motives the purpose of the vision series is to let y'all know what kind of church we're building after these seven weeks you'll know whether or not you want to be a part of relentless church I want you to make an informed decision because I know I'm not everybody's pastor but I'm somebody's pastor let me let me tell you the church I believe I'm called to lead the Church of multicultural multi-generational believers filled with the spirit who walk in community fight for one another and will do whatever it takes to look more like Jesus even at the expense of their own popularity prestige or comfort I further believe that this is a church where miracles signs and wonders will be common but won't be treated commonly I believe that our worship and our arts and our expression of our music and our creativity will lead the world notice what I said we're not gonna mimic the world will lead the world where people in the industries of movie and music will come here and be inspired by what they experience because there is no greater creative mind than the mind of Christ my heart for this church is that we will look more like Jesus each week and that we will serve one another honor one another and respect one another in spite of our differences everybody say the body shop the reason why I called the church the body shop is because you take a car to the body shop when there's damage anybody ever had an a car accident watch this anybody ever had a card said it was your fault put your hand up anybody ever had a card with somebody else's fault yeah like you it was you texting eating chicken Bojangles cuz them biscuits at Bojangles is off the hook eat up bye-bye shot you get there normally some guy named Earl is in there uh it looks like he got a body panel and he got your chassis and your rocker arms and move and rotate it in your rotator cuff see you got your uh got your shock absorbers caught up in there in the medulla oblongata over there what yeah you got a you got a carpal tunnel there in the ER supercalifragilistic expialidocious it's a it's a bad deal you have to get that sick cuz your mama say mama sighs over there next to your mama coos ah and well how long is it gonna take well we got to order two parts [Music] see church is not just about your comfort I told you to scoot over because there's more parts coming I wish I had six believers that will give God a 10 second praise break it's not just about you there are other people that are hurting there are other people that need God there are other people that need to come in you need to scoot over and make room sometimes you're so damaged God has to send another part to connect with the part that's damaged he's not going to throw it away he's just gonna add something to it to make it stronger two is better than one and a three-fold cord is not easily broken stop trying to dismiss the people next to you you might be sitting next to your miracle you might be on the same road as the very thing you need but it's only a heart of worship that will unlock the revelation and some of y'all been sitting there worrying about the problem instead of worshipping the God that can take the problem and turn it around and if I were you if I'm in the body shop and the mechanic is here I would worship until the mechanic turned in my direction [Applause] [Music] the body of Christ for too long has been velvet Robie insular club atmosphere only the cool kids can come in but this is not a museum this is a hospital for the broken which means I get to walk in with my scars I don't have to hide them and I'm certainly not hiding them from you to impress you if I didn't need Jesus I wouldn't be in here I'm in here because I'm hurting I'm in here because I'm broken and if I didn't have a mic I'd be on the front row because I'm not just the pastor of the church I'm a member of this church and I need the same Jesus you need so don't put me on a pedestal put Jesus on a pedestal we are the body we are the body but what does the body of Christ look like some of us are wounded some of us are wounded that's if you stand up please you have large biceps sir you work out sir you're a pastor in the Lord's Church sir and if you decided to show aggression towards me say for instance this malformed right arm of mine that is going to the gym tomorrow I'm prophesying hey it's not there yet I'm built like an upside-down pyramid I look like GRU pray for me like a brown Shrek look like brick if you got mad and you used all your force and punched me in my arm it would hurt a lot that wouldn't be your friend anymore it would hurt very badly perhaps bruised leave a mark but I wouldn't go to the doctor and say doctor I'm bruised can you cut my arm off so why would we see bruised people hurting people and they come to church why do you all the sudden want to cut them off because you see what they're going through you see she's not dressed properly what do you mean properly what is church clothes that's the problem you got church clothes but don't have a heart of Christ excuse me uh sure I'd like to move because this person smells like smoke they've been smoking the cigarettes actually I think it's reefer someone else that's alcohol that I know that's alcohol how you know [Applause] you see somebody walk in it looked like they've been going through a rough time they don't smell like they've had the same access to showers you smell like the outside yeah and you smell like pride in this moment we don't have the luxury of throwing people away because Jesus is not just savior he's Redeemer which means he can redeem broken things put them back together again and create value from broken lives is there anybody here who's messed up sale done the wrong thing and Jesus didn't throw you away can you give God praise so the people at home watching online know that they're not by themselves only imperfect people can worship perfect people please remain seated don't move stay where you are this phrase is for the broken this praise is for the hurting this praise is for the lost those who have felt like they had nothing of value to give but God still loved to swap for you and redeemed - if he's done any of it then give him a praise right there I'm concerned that church often discards the wounded I've been in different churches and in some of them not all of them but in some of them it felt like no one knew how to kill the wounded like the church since I could come in wounded but if I talk to the wrong person they're gonna kill me I knew I was broken when I walked in I didn't need you to make it worse and then people to do it under the guise well I'm just keeping it real no that's not why you did it because you needed to feel better about yourself and you were waiting for somebody that was weaker than you so you can feel better about you mommy we are the body of Christ and we don't have the luxury of casting people away because Jesus died for everyone the bodyshop relentless church as a body shop where you can come in with your brokenness no matter what it is and you can find refuge here safety here the idea of an exclusionary Church is dishonorable to the blood of Jesus those doors are open for anybody that wants to walk through and it's because in Matthew 22 Jesus gives the illustration of a wedding banquet that was prepared for the elites but they rejected him and the people that were invited actually killed the messengers symbolically the children of Israel killing the prophets of God who were trying to bring them the truth because people don't like truth that's another sermon and then God says go out to the highways and hedges invite everybody you see both bad and good so when you come into this church please don't walk in expecting comfort we want dangerous church where people who've been doing god-knows-what the night before will still feel welcomed in here [Applause] I'm awake till we get that revelation manera because if I've been hurting in the world has beat me up the last thing I need is for the folk who are supposed to have the love of Christ to kick me while I'm down I can't help but think about my cousin Rex Rex needed a body shop y'all know Rex he's uh he was the closest male cousin age-wise to me and I looked up to him and a tough life didn't have the best easiest upbringing but he has so many gifts all he needed was the right tribe sometimes who you're connected to makes all the difference his name was Rex before I tell you the rest I'm looking at this crowd and it blows me away because I see all of your heads and I see your shoulders but I don't see your feet and I'm glad I don't see your feet I see your head I see your shoulders I see your torso I don't see your feet and here's why that's important I'm gonna show you a picture the picture is of a forest put the forest up please put the forest up how many trees do you see how many trees do you see it's a whole lot of trees guess what that's called a Pando tree it's part of a forest in Utah that is not many trees it's one tree it has the ability to reproduce itself based on a shared interconnected routing system it duplicates itself and gained strength from one another it's not multiple trees it's one tree that forest is minimum eighty thousand years old and the reason why it's been able to maintain and sustain and reproduce is because even though each one of those trunks has different branches and different leaves it's all rooted to the same thing [Applause] I don't see your feet but if you're in here you're rooted to the world I need somebody to give them praise hold on hold on the patent it's called a Pando tree it's a part of an aspen fir tree and this is this is the part that I need your participation because the the word Pando means I spread which means the body of Christ is not supposed to stay safe with us this is not a club we're supposed to build the kingdom we need to be inviting people and if we're not inviting them the fragrance from here should be so great that people want to know what's going on in here but the thing about the trees is that the reason why this unique ecosystem works is because the leaves literally move at the slightest breeze the breeze is symbolic of the wind of the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is what directs the church everybody who is able to please stand up I don't want you to hold hands cuz y'all been diggin want you to lock elbows locked elbows if you can get over there and lock elbows don't let go get in there yeah yeah some of y'all see one down and this is crazy I'm a visitor where's the visitor tree I don't like this I need you to do something I just need you to go back and forth this is what the body of Christ is supposed to be interconnected moving with the wind of the Holy Ghost wherever he says go we go whatever he says dude we do and the enemy is just waiting on the one tree that gets disconnected but as long as we're connected he can't get in because as long as you're rooted to the word and touched by the wind of the Holy Ghost the enemy can't take you out the only tree that's in danger is the tree that walks away and trees ain't supposed to walk because trees are supposed to stay planted I saw somebody waved a hand they got caught up get your elbow back in there the enemy is hoping that you'll stop moving with the wind of the Holy Ghost hoping that you'll look for your own routing system or if the wind of the Spirit or the Word of God offends you you disconnect and go to a church that will appeal but you won't grow be careful because even uprooted trees live for a little while [Applause] they don't live long but they'll live for a minute but after a while cuz they're not rooted leaves going with her start turning brown but if you stay planted those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God I am connected and what I see is a multicultural multi-generational interconnected body of believers all of us with our own issues insecurities brokenness and failure but we also got gifts talent anointing and resources and by myself I'm good but next to you I'm unstoppable don't let go yet I'm just trying to get you excited because the reason why I want you to rock is because the enemy will try to come but as long as we stay together and stay rooted we're just gonna move with the wind but we won't break he can attack only once but we're not going anywhere this is the power of the body of Christ that as long as I stay connected to my brother and sister I've got safety this week I'll learn like never before I need my brothers and sisters every now and then you can't stand alone you need somebody that's gonna stand with you and when you don't have strength to fight for yourself you need somebody connected to you that'll lift up a praise for you now I will let you let your friends elbow go in three seconds but I need you to give God a praise like the wind of the Spirit has moved on your own are you ready 1 2 3 [Applause] I will give you 30 seconds [Applause] [Applause] twelve eleven ten nine because somebody needs somebody needs [Music] somebody needs your love I've been going through but I wasn't alone because when I felt like giving up [Music] [Applause] [Applause] you can try it devil but I got my man's with me and I got my way what devil you thought I was gonna give up even if I wanted to [Applause] and when I'm weak his strength is they perfect in my witness I will not say [Applause] they will walk and [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] this season what's the sign to show you who your crew is you need a Peter a James and a time Peter is your gangster cut an ear off set it off then you need to change James is your CLO Jim you need a John he's a diplomat but you need the hood you need to work you need a diplomat and depending on the situation you're gonna need all three this week I need it all free they're hurting me what do I do you got to bless them but what they're saying is wrong you got to bless them pray for him you got to serve them bro Romans 12 says you actually have to serve your enemies feed them so put your apron off give them the best meal they got why they killing you is there anything else I can get you [Applause] but then it's a couple folk that's just they just ignant that's what you need Peter [Applause] where my Peter said [Applause] people were saying your wife was responding to people that ain't no first lady I said no that's my wife your wife got tattoos yeah I like that kind of stuff I'm kind of got a freaky like I like tattoos I like the ones that y'all see and the ones y'all done [Applause] all right come on back Holy Ghost but for any strong women in here you know when you finish fighting your femininity comes back and I just need my wife to know she's not alone any of her sisters family can y'all just come surrounded real quick some of her sisters come on Niecy come on just the staff rain dance company I just need her to know she's not alone she's representing every warrior woman in here where are my prayer warrior women where am i intercessors where are my strong women sites wicked man fight for your house site for your kids but very rarely does somebody fight for you will we bout to fight for y'all I said we bout to fight for y'all so I declare master a venturi bless seven times blessed blessed blessed blessed blessed blessed blessed in the name of Jesus for what you represent to the body of Christ what you represent to the kingdom of God and being unashamed in your love of God unashamed in your strengths and weaknesses fighting for your children your husband you'll church your community and made that part for people echoes all across this church and online in Jesus name somebody give God a praise right there I know it's almost time to go but don't leave with the body we go get some chicken together afterwards but I need somebody who wants these notes Alicia to get these three points so important because we are the body but as the body I want you to stand up this not gonna take long you can sit down whatever you want to do grab these three things these are the questions cuz we are the body number one who's your father who's your father number two what's your function number three what's your flaw who's your father what's your function and what's your flaw when I ask you who's your father Ephesians four four through six says there's one Lord one faith one baptism one God and Father of all we might come from different places we got the same daddy we might not look alike same dad which means if somebody doesn't agree that's between us that's family business Jer what I said it's family business but let's somebody from the outside say something you better mind Joe bide your business this is family because we have the same father we need to treat each other with respect we might not agree politically or ideologically we may not come from the same place we may we don't all look alike same father everyone here is to be honored and respected are you hearing my heart I want our worship to reflect the multicultural aspect of our church we will be intentional about diversity if you want to church that only looks and thinks like you I'm sure there are places around here that will meet your need but we don't pander number two what's your function what's your unique contribution to the kingdom everybody here has a role to play and before this vision series is over we're going to identify your gift and we're gonna get you plugged in so you can begin survey you might not be able to do everything but everybody can do one thing and number three what's your flaw it's the body shop if you perfect then you're in the wrong place in Genesis 9 trying that Noah planted a vineyard after the flood and then he got drunk off what he planted and one of his sons went in and saw him Nicki and he went out and told his brothers yo dad is in there make you dinner mother hook it's crazy the Bible says Shem and Japheth walked in backwards with a covering not looking on their fathers nakedness covered him and then walked back out the tent I didn't ask you what your flower is so I can direct message about it I didn't ask you what your flower in so I could put it in it in a text feed I asked you what your flower is so I know what to cover apostle Dwayne Hardin we are we're called to cover one another I brought up my cousin Rex Rex walked through a lot of things in his sexuality there were times when he identified as gay probably other times when he identified us by at a certain point in his life he also started dealing with drugs and the drugs took over and it began battling through mental challenges that come with that kind of thing and I just started singing with Kirk Franklin and I remember driving home and I was driving down one of the worst drug streets in Cincinnati and I saw my cousin who I used to look up to walking down the street the street with a pink sweater on had pom-poms on the shoulders and he had a clear plastic bag with his dirty clothes in it and I drove past him and God says you so big that you can ignore your own flesh and blood I turned around blew the Hornets at Rex it's John John hey hey hey I was just going to wash my clothes you got some quarters I got something man just get in the car and I could smell clothes it had his waist in it you could see it and I let him put his clothes in my car with his pink sweater on with the ruffles he was serving them you better slay and I took him to the laundromat and I said you need anything else Reggie said nah man I said I love you I said I love you too hugging and whatever was on him got on me cuz that's what family is and I learned it from my mom because my mom would always take Rex to church sometimes people would look at him sideways because folk always quit judges of what you're going through but they lawyers for what they going through Rex contracted HIV went into full-blown AIDS and remember at the hospice I was with you sang hymns over his bed my momma after sowing seeds over the years ask Rex do you want to give your life to Jesus he said yeah and on the bed that he would not get up from my cousin with his formally pink sweater doing what he wanted sleeping with whoever he wanted judged by many church folk misunderstood by most and at a certain time even me I saw him give his life to Jesus I say that to say this church will never be a place that will judge people based on where they are when they walk in and don't you ever disrespect anybody that walks through these doors cuz you don't know their story you don't know where they came from you don't know what they're going through we have families in this church that represents every spectrum of humanity and they are welcome here [Applause] we are the body of Christ and today the Lord asks you who's your father what's your function and what's your flaw and if you answer those questions you'll look around and realize I need family I need an apostle I need a prophet come here Terry I need men's ministry yeah I need worship leaders I need I need all of it and the people sitting next to you you need them to I need my fellows I need a worship me I need a white one I need a I need a Brazilian when come on up major need a silk shirt all right there we go I need somebody with a church suit on I need somebody with tiny pants with big calves I need some biceps over there on the other side get connected again I'm about to pray for you Lord Jesus we are the church we are a body of believers we all come from somewhere we all have a story but we all have value and we don't get to throw anybody away because we don't know their story your understanding and God no matter where you send us we're gonna love everybody you put in front of us and we're going to defer with honor and we will love first and reserve judgment to you the doors of the church are open because that's where Jesus would be Jesus would speak to anybody sit at any table but he would never compromise who he was and so I pray today that she will bless this church that relentless church will be a Church of compassion community connectedness and vision but most of all forgiveness mercy grace second chances this is my prayer we are the body shop and we're I'm flawed may somebody cover me and we're they're flawed may I cover them yeah if you're in here and you've never given your life to Jesus or you need to rededicate your life to Jesus or you know that this is the body shop aka Church local church that you need to be a part of you know the Lord is talking to you on the count of three let the elbows of the people next to you go get all your stuff and I mean you got 35 American seconds to run to this altar I don't want anybody leaving if you don't have to but I need encounter to three people already walking one two three if I'm talking to you get to the altar come get saved come rededicate or come join who are we talking to [Music] [Applause] we need to celebrate as they come [Applause] [Music]

Channel: John Gray Ministries

Views: 51,707

Rating: 4.9018087 out of 5

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Id: eqIzKpq5KTw

Length: 77min 9sec (4629 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 07 2018