Todd White - Run to Win the Prize

i think i could sing i need you more forever because the more that he shows up the more that you realize how much more you need the more that he shows up the more you overflow the more you give away the more you need [Music] gosh it's this never-ending cycle of hunger filled flow hunger filled flow hunger filled flow i don't know about you but i'm okay with that because you can never overdose on the holy ghost i was created to be addicted to jesus people say well you have an addictive personality all of you do all of you are addicted to something it could be your job it could be your family it could be your kids could be the need to be known it could be fame it could be facebook but we are created to be addicted to presence today has been a continuous closet day for me i need to tell um turn that just a little bit down [Music] in the monitors [Music] i was in my closet today and i was praying this morning i shared and i i guess i shared a lot i said if you don't want to be here you don't have to the lord corrected me he said if they didn't want to they wouldn't be i know you might not know what that what i'm saying but i kind of at the heat of messages sharing something that's pretty challenging for me i share that with people in the congregation that if you guys don't want to be here you don't have to and then i come out of the closet and my wife said hey listen when you say to people if you don't want to be here you don't have to and i'm like yes lord [Music] so i'm sorry i just i guess that's my way of saying i'm not backing off and i'm going to get more intense and very much more intentional [Music] i don't just want to be another preacher i don't just want to be another speaker i don't want to be just a guy on a roster [Music] thanks i want to bring conviction in the way that it doesn't just convict those that hear but it convicts me that says it i want to preach with such conviction that i preaching it am very convicted while i say it i have to be i have to be challenged on a consistent basis who here likes a challenge okay good jesus is for you i promise he will ask you to do things that you are by no means comfortable with and if he's not you're just not listening [Music] if he's not sharing stuff with you that's making you uncomfortable you're not listening [Music] are you with me someone talks about giving and everybody gets uncomfortable it's so weird yet god so loved the world that he gave god doesn't need your money he's pretty okay are you with me like he's not in need of it [Music] okay i'll change the subject [Music] i uh i wrote something today in my closet i'm really excited to be able to i sent i send them to to just different people and some i don't get responses from some i do some i get a little heart you know when you text somebody and they put a heart there like some people send me a heart before they even read it so i know like that's a thanks for sending it to me but i don't have time to read all that that's okay i'm being challenged by the lord to write he's been on me for quite some time probably a decade to write and i've always thought people have plenty of books like what's another one and i haven't been a real fan of books reading different books i do read i do read some but i'm very careful about what i read because if there's a hook or twist somewhere in the book it's beyond that and it's more hooks and twists and i can't afford to have any kind of word be adulterated or perverted in any way plus i'm very careful not to just read books but read the bible because i don't want to be an echo god didn't create you to be an echo he created you be a voice you're the only one that can carry your voice no one else has your voice i remember traveling with dan and and and just in the beginning of my christian life just going after god and in the best way that i knew how and dan would have all these experiences with the lord dan by the way is coming this week [Music] [Applause] [Music] trying to grow my beard so i look like him and i think he's going to grow his dreads so he looks like me i'm just kidding it is funny it would be white like wool [Music] but i remember traveling with dan i remember just in the beginning of my life and going after the lord with everything in me and and then i was at dance church and then god asked me to leave that church and there's huge testimony with it i'm not going to get in it but but dan was the one i clung to the most because he was the most like jesus of anybody that i ever met ever still to this day ever and i was fascinated at how he spoke how his words were like all god like it was just the word coming out like like constant and i couldn't get enough in me and i'm reading and i'm going into my secret place and dan's like i had this encounter with the lord and the whole ceiling came off and and god reached into my room and i'm like [Music] challenged to say the least convicted god do that in me and i would open my bible and i'm going in the secret place and just like chris had shared about trouble getting in there i always pressed in but it wasn't until now that has opened up in a different way to me such a fascinating lovely turn my affection towards jesus and his presence is there and it's fascinating to me but i was watching dan and i was going through what we would call discipleship discipleship is almost a lost art it seems like in the church because lots of people want to come and get a message and go about their life and they come back to get another and that's that's not bad but discipleship is different and so i remember before teen challenge i would call dan and tell them all that i was messing up and then after teen challenge i would call him and tell him how excited i was every day and i would listen to him teach and oh my gosh it was fascinating to me and i'm like i'm going to do that i'm going to my prayer room and i'm i'm reading the bible and i'm like oh my gosh that makes sense and i write all these scriptures down on index cards you know because you're taking notes as you write and then i'd look at them the next day and i have no idea why any of those scriptures went together it didn't make any sense and it wasn't like i was going to preach them but i was trying to learn grow how do i do this just learning how do i do it the secret is knowing that god does it [Music] no matter how much i think i know he knows more and he knows all and he knows what i can handle what i can't handle and he knows what i can retain and what i can't retain and so god was building this arsenal inside of me that i had no idea was happening i know now but there are things that i did then that are coming to the surface now in my secret place in the prayer room in reading and fellowshipping with the lord what you don't see is that your brain doesn't get what you're reading but your spirit man does and sometimes even as we're growing as christians we go into that secret place and we don't think we're getting anything out of it and so it becomes less and less and less and then the plug into youtube videos and teachings and reading books gets more and more and more and more are you with me it's not balance i have to believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of those that diligently seek him you have to so since we know that he is and we've crossed that line now we have to believe that he's a rewarder of those that diligently seek him what does diligent look like diligent looks like diligence looks like in everything that i do i'm going to seek him first out of all things out of my job out of my tv out of my sports out of my hobbies out of everything i'm gonna go after him the most and i'm gonna make that matter most and i'm gonna make the things that matter least not matter most and it's this process of growing are you guys okay i'm just in teach mode just for a few minutes if you can bear with me because there's a lot in what he just shared about intimacy and how many people have struggled with it i would like to say that there were many more that didn't raise their hands that didn't want to but said when i get i'm just going to enter into prayer they don't need to know god knows he sees everything and he's not mad but that song come to me it's really really important come to me i'm all you need i'm your everything so i would listen to dan and i'm like oh my gosh and we'd drive in the truck for hours you know and and i would just ask him questions and dan would give me answers sometimes i'd put my phone on and record them my gosh oh my gosh talk about patience again like i was fascinated just just fascinated what i never did what has never happened is i've never lost my hunger [Music] so 16 years in i'm more hungry than i've ever been before and what god wants to do is he wants to intensify your hunger he wants to take your switch from thinking that you're satisfied to making you very unsatisfied he wants to take your switch from comfortable to make you very uncomfortable he wants you to be his voice this is why identity is so important because if we don't know who we are we won't know that we can approach him at all and sometimes our prayers become about us and about me and about myself and about i and those prayers don't hit heaven because they're selfish look a husband praying for his wife a wife praying for her husband god you need to fix him because my life will be better that didn't hit heaven because that's about you am i saying that he doesn't need saved absolutely not he for sure does but his salvation doesn't depend upon your joy your joy doesn't depend upon his salvation your joy depends upon your salvation and the security that you have with the god that you might not yet know gosh i don't want to serve any more rat sandwiches they are not tasty and no one wants one i want us to taste and see that the lord is good in all this press to go after what i saw dan carey there's no way for me to be an imitator of dan even though paul said imitate me as i imitate christ god only create one created one of dan he only created one of me and he only created one of you you are authentic you are fearfully and wonderfully made there's no one like you on the planet no one can have the relationship that god created for you and him alone no one can share your secret place with you you can have a husband and wife in the secret place but it's not gospel a husband has to have his own relationship and a wife has to have hers and when they come together they can have that place of fellowship with the lord but god needs you to understand that the most incredible place that you can possibly be is you alone with him because when you step into that place you will realize that zero plus god equals everything you will not need jesus and you won't need jesus plus you'll have everything you need you will be completely satisfied you will come to the place of rest and an end to yourself [Music] oh let me just read what i wrote gosh i feel like i'm digging a hole [Music] this morning i am once again strengthened in my human weakness with the divine awareness of my father's ability to keep me that is far above the devil's ability to deceive me i'm strengthened in my human weakness it's your weakness that you're made strong your weakness is a magnet for god's strength when you come into the secret place when you come into your prayer room when you go into your closet you have to first of all admit that you cannot do this without him [Music] absolute surrender is a sign of is a sign of utter weakness to people and i know that we want to be strong because we've had to protect ourselves and live in survival mode our whole life but this isn't about surviving this is about dying so that you can live [Music] we've had to protect ourselves from getting hurt we've had to guard ourselves and put boundaries up because someone might hurt us that's not god god will never hurt you he'll never deceive you he'll never lie to you he'll never trick you [Music] come on he doesn't play charades and he doesn't play games sometimes we pray and we don't get an answer to prayer so we think god's maybe doing something wrong but god just knows that he has something better for you because the answer that you were looking for was way smaller than what he has he's god he sees the end from the beginning sometimes we're asking for things for our own selfish gain that prayer is not answered you ask and you ask amiss because you're asking for yourself and what he knows is the things that you're asking for will be your demise because your character is not able to withstand what you're praying for are you guys with me people are like i don't want to hear it you better hear it it's true [Music] even though the enemy is crafty cunning and deceptive my god whom the battle belongs to is precise heavenly strategic and incredibly focused the enemy is like a is like a prowling lion looking for whom he may destroy but my god is the lion from the tribe of judah [Music] he is the destroyer of destroyers [Music] the victory at calvary that was accomplished over 2000 years ago that enabled the mystery that was hidden to become clearly revealed disabled the prince and power of the air the god of this world from his reign of destructive tyranny from control and manipulation of humanity the enemy played into the trap he played into it he thought by killing jesus he would end it all because all he knows how to do is steal kill and destroy but when he killed jesus he opened it up for all of us it says if the powers and principalities would have known they would have never crucified our lord i like to say that if the devil knew what would happen if jesus died he would have killed everyone trying to kill jesus the war has been won and the victory cleanup effort has now begun the triumphant king of glory has risen from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the father until his enemies are made his footstool the god of peace will soon crush satan under his feet is on the move and we his sons and daughters are that move jesus is the head of the church we are the body that means that we are the feet and hands that you and i not the same are different parts to that body and all of us working together we're all called spiritual stones building up a holy temple of the lord living stones living stones that feed on living bread and drink living water and we are called to enforce the victory we are called to enforce the victory so much and the authority that god has given us is so much more than what we're even touching right now that demons tremble at the mention of his name they do not tremble at his name in vain they tremble at the mention of his name we have to know and understand who we are the gospel the good news proclaimed this victory and his good news hasn't changed since then this blessed assurance and hope beyond hope is available to all that believe just because someone doesn't believe it doesn't change the work that has been finished our human minds that have unknowingly served the god of this world must be renewed so that we can truly see this truth and the reality of the cross or we remain in bondage suffering unnecessary loss and tragedy upon tragedy to live with such an amazing hope but to be unaware of it is utter loss and a recipe for destruction and disaster a lack of desire for the pure milk of god's word is much more harmful than we think while we prostitute our minds into educations in this world going on a quest that seems quite normal and a selfish pursuit for knowledge to fill our minds with ideas and theories that war against faith itself our learning and understanding becomes a god to us as we drift further and further away from his truth that can set us free and keep us free logic and reality become the focus as we run after what this world calls balance all the while filling our heads with dizziness this is a reason for everything oh there is a reason for everything and we must figure it out even if it kills us in the process incredible architects have come up with the most beautiful structures and buildings that we have ever seen as they completely ignore the god who gave them their ability the most incredible computer and software developers dazzle us with the most innovative technology ever created with each company outdoing one another when it seems that it can't get any better it does taking credit for their creativity and never acknowledging the creator himself music is made that is the most incredible sounds that has the most incredible sound that we've ever heard in this world we live in comes from all different genres all around the world they don't even know that sound came from him new games that completely capture the players the most realistic real-life situations into fantasy which takes the imagination beyond where we have ever gone creating a world that seems to escape this one never realizing that they're supposed to be in this world but not of it so many more that we could get into more and more coming about every day it seems that the new is inexhaustible all of this so one all of this is so wonderful that takes us away from the true reality that we all must face the truth is that in all these masterminds and creators of all these wonderful brilliant things along with the people that have the same idolic influence deep down have a sobering awareness that there is more to their lives that's missing that they can never create there is a missing piece that is the truth that their complete absence of peace this missing piece like a puzzle piece that is the truth of their complete absence of peace that they can only discover through jesus their minds are void of real peace and their eyes are veiled from seeing jesus because of the god of this world however dark and cloudy the reality of the logic filled mind of a person is god has made a way for them to be found he has created a catch and release system and wants his sons and daughters of the kingdom to be the actual bait that draws them in see when jesus told the disciples that they were going to be fishers of men what we don't understand is that when you're sold out you become the bait no one gets talked into christianity [Music] there has to be something so attractive about christianity in your life your life becomes so attractive that people have to have what you have [Music] take for instance you've got paul and silas these guys are in prison they are put in jail and they are in their chains and they are amongst other prisoners they are in prison and at 12 midnight they cannot help but to bubble up a symphony of praise to the god that they serve and they are overwhelmed with gladness they are in shackles they are in chains they are facing horrible persecution yet they're lifting up their voice in a moment of worship to god so powerful that the whole prison was shaken they didn't let that trial keep them down they lifted up praises to god and god didn't break the shackles just off of them but he broke the shackles off of all prisoners around them how attractive is that for a christian to respond in trial [Music] what kind of bait is that i know it sounds weird bait we don't like that word no no no that's what it is do you know that when we go through trials and we're going through hardships and we're going through serious trauma and we don't just have a smile on our face but inside inside or completely flustered but you actually have joy that's on your face coming from a heart that has diligently sought him coming from a place of one that is going after him in the secret place when no one knows and you are actually in love with god so much that the trial can't take away your joy and now faced with that trial and suffering in that place of hardship you emanate the glory of god from your very being and people around you can't deal with it because there's no way that they can get you to shake oh my gosh what does it look like for a martyr to lose their head say deny jesus and that martyr looks at them and says father forgive them for what they're about to do what does that do to the perpetrator what does that do to the enemy what did it do to saul when stephen was being stoned to death and stephen looked up and the last thing he says is lord don't hold this sin against them boom what did that do to saul i'll tell you what it did to saul it haunted him it haunted him he could never get away from that these christians that's what suffering does suffering for jesus and being in love with him no matter what selling out everything pushing all your chips to the center of the table saying it's god or nothing it's all or none i'm for him or against him and i choose to be for him not just this day not just this moment with this whole life [Applause] why does the bible say unless a man denies himself picks up his cross and follows me he cannot be my disciple because jesus is looking for disciples he's not just looking for members he's looking for disciples ones that want to be like their master jesus's definition of discipleship is a little different than ours discipleship is learning and growing and learning and growing first you have to die first you have to give all you have to admit that you're an utter failure under yourself and there's no possible way to youtube for a way to you to do it look you can be as excited as you want you can go after your career you can be the top of the class you can be number one valedictorian you can be top person in the kingdom that won't work i don't care how good of a preacher i am if i don't spend more time on my knees on my knees than i do on my feet it's no good oh gosh okay [Music] oh god help me help me help me help me help me jesus help me okay all the rest of this is edifying okay okay when i read this book it must be read through the lens of righteousness if i don't read every page for the lens of righteousness i will be deceived i have to look at every page as one who is right with god i have to look at every page through the blood of jesus and what he paid a price for me to become every page every paragraph that's why he says in matthew 6 33 seek first seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you biggest chapter on worry in the bible don't worry don't worry don't worry don't worry don't worry but you seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness which means the priority of kingdom the priority of every christian on the planet is to seek first his kingdom the kingdom of god is not meat or drink but it is righteousness peace and joy so when you're seeking kingdom it's in the holy spirit but the holy spirit is all about righteousness peace and joy if i know that i'm right with god it doesn't matter who i'm wrong with if i know that god is for me it doesn't matter who's against me if i know that he chose me before i chose him it doesn't matter who says i'm not chosen if i know that he is with me constantly it doesn't matter who's going to be against me if i know that he lives in me and he likes to live in me and he chose to live in me and he knew how sinful and how twisted and how messed up i was going to be and still he thought about me before i was twisted and messed up if i understand that if i know that i was an addict and all that stuff and god knew about that stuff he knew i was going to be why because jesus was crucified for me he hung on the tree two thousand and some years ago knowing that i was coming down the line and i was going to live in sin for all that time and he still chose me then why would he reject me now guys i'm talking about the simple gospel truth message [Music] this is all scripture if i see the tree if i see him hanging on a tree if i can actually see it and i can see him looking the gospel says that i was the joy set before him [Music] the cross did not pursue jesus he pursued the cross in everything that he did he didn't come to live he came to die so that i might die to live if i see my value if i see heaven's cost to determine my value if i don't people get mad at me they're like man you're just cheapening the gospel cheap it cost him everything and he gave up everything and he thought that i was worth everything not just me he thought that you were worth everything so many times we look in the mirror and we determine our worth for what we've done and all the failures that we've had and all the mistakes that we've had and the devil gets you in this hamster wheel of a lie and he gets you bound to who you were instead of stepping into who you are and he keeps you from the very thing that can completely change everything in a moment because if you encounter jesus and the finished work the devil's work will be finished [Music] the accusations and the lies against you won't matter because the truth about you will be known jesus said the truth will set you free so he either didn't tell the truth or he is truth oh god this will never get old this has been my lifeline [Music] my identity has been determined before i wanted it [Music] i didn't know what i wanted so i thought that pornography was what i wanted i thought the drugs were what i wanted i thought that alcohol was what i wanted i thought that being the guy on the stage in front of a screamo band was what i wanted that wasn't what i wanted i thought that relationships were what made me no there's only one relationship that can make me [Music] everything else is an idol [Music] everything else outside of jesus is an idol if it speaks louder to you than the cross [Music] what is an idol anything that speaks to you louder than the finished work of calvary see i could name them but i don't need to it's anything and everything that speaks louder to you than the cross the finished work and who god says you are anything that's not in that is an idol period so defining idolatry is easy if it doesn't end with jesus it's an idol we're like well it can't be but yeah it is okay oh i'm so good my heart [Music] i'm in love i'm not trying to preach some weird message that i've just come up with i am excited to wake up every day every day is exciting for me people are like yeah but what if you have something bad that's gonna happen no something amazing has already happened [Music] so what if something bad happens and i'm not living in what is amazing that's already happened something that that's bad that's happening becomes an idol too oh man oh my he has created a catch and release system and he wants his sons and daughters of the kingdom to be the actual bait that draws them in ready he has told us to come out and be separate from this world he has created us from the new birth to be sons and daughters of light he has given each one of us a plan for our lives with a tremendous hope and a vibrant future he has blessed us and let his countenance shine upon us brightening our continents he has given us new eyes to see as he says to let our eye or our lamp be single and full of light he has allowed us to be partakers of his glory as we move from glory to glory he has allowed us to have faith as we move from faith to faith he has given us authority in his name to move mountains and do greater works than jesus himself did when he was walking on this earth he has given us the ability by his grace to walk in complete freedom from guilt shame condemnation and regret he has given us boldness through righteousness and has actually made each one of us weapons and instruments of righteousness he has given us peace that surpasses all human understanding and all comprehension he has given us joy and all of its fullness that comes from our salvation he has made us joint heirs with jesus and all that he has is ours he has given us the truth that has set us free that will actually set others free he has made us masters over sin and sin has lost its dominion and can no longer master us he has made us believers that will actually lay hands and heal the sick he has given us all the invitation to lose our lives so that we can finally find it so that our lives can be found and find others he has made us all carriers of the good news that overwhelms any bad news he has made you a lighthouse in the midst of any and all storms where people that are in trouble and distress and you can find safety but above all these attributes which are all scriptures he has made you to be an imitator of god his child to walk just like jesus walked since you have this hope in him to also purify yourself just as he is pure the same holy spirit that raised jesus christ from the dead is in you you carry his love into this world that only knows how to love itself you bless those that curse you and you pray for them that despitefully use you you keep no record of wrongs you always hope for the best he you have been given the only love that never fails god's love is the bait that you have become that catches the hungry his undeserved kindness forgiveness and mercy have become the net that will never break he has made you a fisher of men today believe these truths and let him use your life instead of being used by this world that will only spit you out when it's done with you don't you think it's time if not now then when repent and believe before it's too late while you were reading this and while i was reading this 120 people per minute have died many will go on and would be lost for eternity make a difference it all starts with you have a great day shine like him somebody's watching [Music] [Applause] [Music] all of those are truths about what god says about you individual truths that come from line upon line precept upon precept god is proud of you he's not mad at you he's excited for you to finally believe he wants to jumpstart your heart so that you can finally burn with passion again and stop living in a lie depression is a lie from hell the only one that has the right to be depressed is satan and his demonic foe [Music] you have been given weapons of warfare that are mighty in god for pulling down strongholds but you have to utilize your weapons you have to pick up the sword that you've been given you can't afford to let someone else read the bible to you you can't afford to let someone else preach the word to you without you getting in it and saying god i don't know you they told me that if i come into this closet and get alone with this bible that you will speak to me i'm tired of not hearing your voice and i need you to speak to me i'm coming to you because you're all i need in the midst of the storm in the midst of the waves in the midst of the fire in the midst of the trials i'm gonna go after you with everything in me i'm not just in this for an opinion i'm not just in this for a facebook post i'm in this to give my life and to surrender everything and to bring you glory and everything that i do and everything i say god let everything that i do and everything that i say be unto you you do not have to be a preacher to walk this out what you have to be as a disciple and you make a decision whether hold on to your life and lose it or lose your life and find it because no matter what you're going after in life what profit is it going to be to you if you gain the whole world and lose your own soul in the end [Music] that's not my opinion that's the bible man god said the work was finished there's nothing that i can do to add to it [Music] he chose me and knew my stuff [Music] god chooses the foolish things of the world you know jesus says in scripture he's talking to pharisees and they're rejecting everything and he says god i thank you so much that you've revealed this to babes and hidden it from the wise that's scary man he's he's in capernaum more miracles were done in capernaum than on any place woe to you capernaum i don't want to woe i don't want to woe i want to hear come up here when i stand before him one day i want to hear him say well done that's the whole reason for my life it's the whole reason for this church it's the whole reason for this school is i want to see people become disciples and live and have in mind the end [Music] i don't want you to be just fixed on today i want you to pause right now i want you to think where are you going to be in a hundred years where are you going to be in 100 years man people like what's your 10-year vision what's your 100-year vision [Music] people don't like to think about that because that's out of our scope i mean for some of us that's closer than all of us are going to be the same place in 100 years but not all of us are going to experience the same thing 100 years from now i'm not talking about big mansions a tp in heaven is going to be better than anything it's not going to matter [Music] jesus said he rewards those for their works you're saved by grace through faith i said this this morning i shared this testimony i'm really overwhelmed right now so i'm i'm apologizing before whatever happens [Music] i'm i'm gone man i'm in my secret place in my closet so excited i don't want to come out i mean i'm serious i don't want to come out but i got kids i come in little son asher opens the door and look at me and they go come here he goes and he comes and sits in the chair i don't want to come out it's my favorite place my favorite place to be is where no one sees me with him that is normal christianity [Music] my favorite place is not in front of you [Music] my favorite place is in front of him but if i live in front of him right and i'm aware of his eyes upon me there then when i'm here i'll preach before the audience of one and it won't matter whether you applaud or whether you sit there and look at me because the truth doesn't change the praise of people doesn't change the truth of the gospel if anything it can cause you to water it down for more applause [Music] now they'll they'll be held at bay for watering down the gospel because i don't know if you know it or not but the bible says let not many of you become teachers [Music] see people are out there heretic hunting and hyper hyper critics criticizing they don't know my life with jesus they don't know my closet time i'm just sharing a brief little bit i said this morning when i go into my secret place they do this closet thing with lcu students and i think it's amazing but i'm still crying 15 minutes in i don't recover for at least an hour i'm not kidding i am sobbing uncontrollably i look like a basket case for the first hour of my time with him why because he is good you are worthy you are worthy you are lovely you're like i don't have an hour but you do have an hour to watch cnn [Music] i i'm just saying man you do have time no no no you make time for what you treasure [Music] you make room for what you want you make room for what you desire and jesus better be your chief desire because you won't make it [Music] you'll be a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind i heard this testimony i think it was steve hill preaching it i i don't know i heard it on a video it sounded like sound like him eric gilmore sent it to me he goes i thought you might like this he sent me this thing on martyrs i always liked that you were like you're weird no no when you sign up for jesus you become one [Music] no you signed up to die you don't understand you signed up to die because in that death is the only place you have life you die to your own ambitions selfish ambition can't doesn't have the right to have its way with you when you've given up your rights [Music] it can only hurt you harm you and cause deceit and destruction selfish ambition destroys people you can't afford to have that in you it needs to be cut out and grafted out and the only way it does is by letting god's word come and judge the thoughts and intents of your heart because he cuts it out he fellas your heart and lays it completely open so that you can only bleed jesus and you won't bleed you anymore so i heard this testimony there it was the wedding feast it was time for the wedding feast i was marked by this and this this guy comes and he doesn't know anybody at the wedding feast and an angel says here come and sit down here's your place at the feast and he comes and sits down at the table and he's sitting beside this little girl she's just a little thing and he doesn't know anybody but he feels kind of safe to talk to her so he says to the little girl he says hey he goes what's your story how did you get here she goes well he goes where were you from where did you grow up at she said rome she says i've been waiting for this marriage supper for a long time he goes well how did you get here he goes well she goes well my daddy and my brother and i were captured by the romans and we were put in prison for our faith because we wouldn't deny jesus because he was our everything oh i love him so much the little girl little girl said [Music] and the guy goes what happened she goes well she said they they brought us to the edge of the prison door and they brought my daddy out my brother and i were watching and he went out into the middle of this big stadium surrounded by romans that were all excited and then all these doors came open and lions ran to the center of the field where my daddy was and they tore my daddy apart and i cried so hard dad no and he just wouldn't stop worshiping jesus and the lions tore him limb from limb and it hurt so bad inside she said to my brother and i couldn't sleep that night and the next morning they came for both of us and they brought my brother and i to the center of the field and we knew what was going to happen because we saw what happened to our daddy and the lions came and they mauled us and tore us apart and both of us died that day but angels came and they ushered us into heaven and since that day we've been waiting for the marriage feast she said what's your story he didn't have one i want a story [Music] i want i want a story [Music] i want a story i want my name known in hell as one that's feared and one in heaven of one that believed and was faithful not just in some things faithful in all things if none go with me i'm going after this with everything in me because i refuse to live in selfishness i refuse to live as a god unto myself can i get you guys to come up i refuse to live any other way but full on for the king i want to live a life worthy of the call [Music] i want jesus to receive his full reward i don't want to just barely make it in when i show up at that feast at that table i want to i want a testimony all of heaven is backing us righteousness sets me free from guilt and shame condemnation he disables the accuser from accusation against me he opens up the eyes of my heart the windows of my soul so that i can properly see the father staring back at me he enables me to gaze upon the lamb that was slain and never look away he has given me an unadulterated view and i refuse to have adultery be in the way spiritual adultery i refuse to have anything else speak louder to me than jesus and christ crucified paul writ written had written all these books in the bible paul said oh then i might know him the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings jesus says through peter be ready be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about this hope that you carry during the pandemic how many people have come to you and said what is this outrageous hope that you carry or do you look like the world come on a pandemic shouldn't be a place where we huddle into caves a pandemic should be an outrageous place where christians shine because darkness darkness shouldn't put out the light [Applause] the light shines brighter in the darkness so that when you and i are put into dark situations we are a beacon of light we are lighthouse in the midst of any storm no matter what comes our way we shouldn't wear life on our face we should wear god's countenance on her face when people look into your eyes do they see desperation because if the devil hits you one more time you don't know what you'll do or do they see desperation for a deeper encounter with the king [Music] when you look in the mirror do you see your faults your failures and your shortcomings because god doesn't see them god sees when your heart shifts and says god i can't do this alone i need you more more than yesterday i need you more more than words can say i need you more more than the air i breathe more than the songs i sing i need you more [Music] that's god god doesn't see you for all the stuff you messed up on god sees you that your heart when you messed up you said oh lord god that's not who you created me to be oh gosh there is no reason for us to keep going down further and further no when you if when you make a mistake you quickly confess that was wrong and you flee from that you don't continue in it and say well lord i did it again no god gosh lord that's not who you created me to be lord you made me a man of strength from your strength god father i thank you that you are quick to forgive me god i confess that this was wrong and he immediately cleanses you from all unrighteousness so that you can stand before him in great victory love the lord with all your soul with all your strength with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself if you find yourself in a place that you shouldn't be jump out repent get rid of that thing shake off the shackles don't let the devil bind you to a lie be aware of his tactics he's crafty he's a manipulator he's a maneuverer tries to pervert everything twist everything for his glory don't let him use you don't let him manipulate you don't let him maneuver you who will run with me [Music] who will run with me who will be that fearless generation that doesn't bow to the enemy's tactics [Music] who shall bring a charge against god's elect what can separate me from the love of christ since i'm not looking back anymore nothing can separate me from receiving the love of god that's in christ jesus to be filled with the fullness of god is to know the love of god that's in christ jesus god wants to strengthen us in our inner man he wants us to know the height the depth the width the breadth the length of the love of god [Music] god's looking for his warriors to arise [Applause] he's looking for righteous warriors to arise fully arrayed in armor [Music] he's not looking he's not looking for you to draw back he wants us to let go of the weight that so easily the the sin the little foxes he wants us to kill the little foxes not just catch them [Music] i don't know if you know it or not but right now right here in this room there is a great cloud of witnesses that have gone before you that are not complete until you step in to what god has for you noah moses gideon sampson deborah all of them ruth esther all of them [Music] it's for such a time as this there's a great cloud of witnesses like a stadium cheering on the team saying come on run your race run your race run your race finish the race don't fight as one beats the air run as one that's gonna win the prize

Channel: Todd White

Views: 16,952

Rating: 4.9011126 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: 3WjZF4_shMM

Length: 60min 55sec (3655 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 02 2021