UNMASK | Transparency with Select Others | Philip Anthony Mitchell

hi and welcome to the victory charts podcast we're so glad you could join us if this ministry has impacted you in any way we'd love to hear all about it please send us email at share and victory Church ATO dot org we pray this message will speak to your heart I want you to turn with me in your Bibles that sounds old-school to Matthew chapter 26 if you can't find Matthews in the middle of your Bible it is the first book in the New Testament of the Bible if you flip back too far just find Malik on the name of my son you flip one page that page represents 400 years of silence from God and then you're running to the first book recorded in the annals of the New Testament Matthew we're gonna go to Matthew chapter 26 together if you don't have a Bible you can use your phone your Bible Apple you could just as they say in old school Church look on on your neighbors Bible somebody say Amen it's gonna be really churchy this morning let me give you some context so you understand what we're about to read y'all look awesome Jesus is at the end of his earthly ministry he's 33 years of age he has been preaching for three and a half years he has taught us the doctrines of the kingdom he has raised the dead he has healed the sick he's preached his sermons it is a Thursday night and Jesus is in what has been called historically the upper room he's gathered in that upper room a large space in Jerusalem we believe belonging to the mother of John Mark we are not sure in that room is Jesus and twelve men twelve men that he had chosen even his betrayal history tells us that Jesus got down on his hands and knees because he was a humble man he washed the feet of those twelve men and after he had washed the feet of those twelve men he sent Judas out of the room notice in history he washed the feet of his betrayer he refused to be bitter by the one who put a knife in his back and after he had washed the feet his betrayer he sent Judas out of the room to go and do what the devil had filled him to do and then he sat down that room and he began to give his final words to his apostles 11 men those words are recorded for us in John's 14 15 sixteen and seventeen those chapters in the book of John are the final words Jesus spoke in the room that night you should read it and after he spoke those words they got up it took communion what was called the Last Supper bread and wine Jesus heart was heavy he walked out of that room walked across the courtyard to a garden my wife and I had a chance to stand and stare into that garden and in Matthew who was in the room that night recorded this incident that happened after they left the room in Matthew chapter 26 beginning at verse 36 then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane and he said to them sit here awhile and go over there and pray while I go over there and pray verse 37 he took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee which is James and John along with him and he began to be sorrowful and troubled verse 38 then he said to them my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death so powerful he said stay here and keep watch with me hear the language my soul is sorrowful to the point of death and I want you to stay here and keep watch with me that is don't leave me alone in my sorrow don't leave me alone in my sorrow look who's talking Jesus don't leave me alone in my sorrow look who's talking Jesus I'm just trying to knock down pride for a second look who's talking Jesus don't leave me alone in my sorrow I don't need nobody I don't need the church the devil is a lot look who's talking Jesus I don't need the church I don't need the lotto I don't need the community of saints the devil is a liar look was talking Jesus don't leave me alone in my sorrow pride verse 39 going a little further he fell with his face to the ground and prayed my father if it is possible may this Cup be taken from me yet not as I will but as you will a weak one I preached the message to you call unmask the power of transparency and week two I preached the message to you called transparency with self last week I preached a message to you called transparency with God today I want to preach a message to you called transparency with select others eternal God and ever wise father we thank you for the testimony of Scripture for the opportunity to gather we thank you for our forefathers those who paid the ultimate price with their own life to give us the freedom we have today to gather in this nation may we never take the gathering of the Saints for granted god you said by the Holy Spirit in your word that as we see the day of the return of Jesus approaching we should gather all the more and we should not forsake the Assembly of the saints so father we thank you for the Freedom and the Liberty we have to gather without persecution in this nation even for just a little while god we thank you that we can worship you freely we thank you that we could sing songs freely we thank you God that we have a copy of the Bible we thank you God that we can preach without fear of persecution or death we thank you for the Liberty we have we thank you for the blood god of the saints that went on before us that allowed us God to have the freedom of expression we have today God may you pour out your spirit upon us may this not made a mockery but a day of honor and may you draw us to yourself as we press into this difficult subject of being transparent with other people our place of healing and our place of hurt in Jesus name we pray amen you could be seated in the presence of the Lord and and i'ma ass with you all of you who know me you know that I am a very energetic preacher I can't do that in a robe and so I'm gonna be still during this message and I just need you to lean forward and receive without me getting in your face today can you do that for me and because it's old-school Sunday I want to make sure I just tell you that you're gonna talk to the preacher today and the old-school church they talk to the preacher if you if they heard anything that sounded good they would say Amen they would say preach preacher they would wave their hand and they would put their hands up in the air they would receive that for themselves and if you get hot because the room is full you use your little victory Church fan but I want you to talk to me today on old-school Sunday amen say Amen thank you sister thank you brother in full transparency this was a very eventful week for me my sacred space where I study and pray and read and prepare scriptures flooded with water during the rain we had this week and my whole prayer room and prayer area was just ruined with water and just preparing this message it was very difficult for me because my sacred space was compromised with street water and so I it's been a frustrating week for me but the devil is a liar and although I did not get in the kind of study I wanted to this week I'm going to preach you the Word of God with my heart and with the help of the Holy Spirit also too and full transparency my wife and I had an opportunity to sit down with a couple in this church who we are close to who we loved and had an honest and transparent conversation with them about the state of their marriage that conversation we have with them was very lengthy many many hours were spent with my wife and I and this couple a conversation that began over the phone it would end up in my home on the couch and in full transparency that conversation we have with that couple probably saved their marriage this week but if their marriage would go on to find strength if their marriage would go on to bear a beautiful legacy they will look back on this week and know that the turning point in their marriage was when they broke the silence on what they was dealing with in private to be transparent with people they trusted could help them because here is a true reality for the person on the stage for everyone in this room and everyone watching across America and even around the world the Church of Jesus Christ is not only a gathering of believers and seekers the Church of Jesus Christ is also a gathering of sufferers it is a fellowship of people who are hurting it is a fellowship of people who are going through wherever there is a gathering of saints there is a gathering of sufferers there is never a moment where the church is gathered where someone is not hurting where some marriage is not in trouble where someone is not dealing with mental fatigue or emotional fatigue or physical sickness or financial difficulty or trouble or insecurity or tiredness or weary say Amen as I'm talking to you right now this room is filled with brokenness it is filled with mental issues and emotional trauma we are all every single person including the person with the microphone dealing with the afflictions the trials the difficulties the setbacks the hardships the temptations the stressors of life in fact the Scriptures tells us and second Corinthians chapter 1 you don't have to turn there but I want to read it to you the Apostle Paul a former murderer of Christians converted to Christianity by Jesus himself in the 1st century AD he wrote to the church in Corinth in 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 in verse 3 he wrote these powerful words praise be to the God our Father of the Lord Jesus Christ the father of compassion of the God of all comfort who comforts us in all of our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God I love this next part for just as the sufferings of Christ's flow into our lives so also our distressed our comfort it overflows if we are distressed it is for your comfort and your salvation if we are comforted it is for your comfort which produces in you patience and endurance of the same sufferings we suffer our hope for you is firm because we know not we think we know just as you share in the sufferings our sufferings so also you share in our comfort and what what Paul was saying to the church in Corinth he was describing for us the reality of every Christian gathering that we are a fellowship of sufferers and inside that fellowship and when we do it right watch my words when we do it right the hardship that we go through god uses that that we can be a blessing to our brother and our sister and then once we are comforted by our hardship we take the pain that we have suffered the tears we have shed and we don't let tears go to waste we don't let hardship go to waste we don't let trials and tribulations and difficult seasons and experiences go to waste when we are wise we take the comfort we have received by others and we turn around and we comfort other brothers and sisters who are suffering on your role is someone who are suffering and on your role is someone who has experienced the same thing that you are going through or have gone through and it is transparency that gives us a vehicle of opportunity to help those who are on our own this is the importance of gathering outside of church because circles goes deeper than Rose saying listen to me very carefully let me dispel a myth for those of us who think we're so strong that we don't need transparency with other people let me just dispel a myth for you right now listen to me if you keep living because I'm 41 and some of us the majority of the people in our church are in their mid-20s but you listen to me carefully because when we now 20s we think we're strong if you just keep living you know what life will teach you life will teach you that no follower of Jesus Christ will finish their work alone [Music] if if you just keep living life will teach you that no one can sucess that successfully walk this life alone listen to me and if you just keep living life will teach you that every one of us will be pushed to a point where we realize the absolute need for watch what I call airs and shoulders let me say that again if you just keep living Kenny life will teach every single person in this room that every single one of us will eventually have a need for ears and shoulders life will teach you that eventually you have a need for someone to listen to the cries of your heart and life will eventually teach you that every single one of us will have a need watch to lean on the strength of another human being because there are times when you don't know what to pray preach preacher there are times you don't know what to write preach fill up there are times you don't know what to say to God and life will teach every one of us even in our pride and our arrogance that every human being at some point in time will be pushed to a place a season a temptation a trial that that circumstance will teach you the absolute essential 'ti for other ears and shoulders because you will fall to the left and need some shoulders don't nobody want to help me this morning it's old-school church you will fall to the right and you will need some shoulders you will be bruised and don't know what to say to God and need some shoulders you will be hurting and just want to vomit I don't even need you to fix the problem I don't even need you to give me advice I just need you to listen husband's I'm trying to help you sometimes they don't need us to fix every problem my wife taught me this sometimes they just need us to listen brothers your girlfriends and your daughters sometimes they don't need us to fix every problem preach Philip somebody say preach Philip sometimes they just need us to listen turn with me in your Bibles to Ecclesiastes chapter 4 oh I feel the Spirit of God the old school preachers will say if you're there say Amen and if you're not there say wait on me if you can't find it use your concordance or use your Bible app Ecclesiastes chapter 4 Ecclesiastes is a memoir that was written by the wisest man that ever lived his name was Solomon the son of David he wrote this at the end of his life when Solomon was a young man he was tasked with leading the nation of Israel and he had sacrificed over a thousand goats were animals to God and because of his sacrifice unto God God appeared to him in a vision and said Solomon ask me for anything that you will watch this I love this because of your sacrifice to me I give you a blank check see there's a blessing and faithfulness and sacrifice man I'm believing God for a blank check so you should say amen to that I'm believing God for a blank check somebody just wave your hand at me and say Amen yeah but what would you do with your blank check oh I want a house I want to call too small too materialistic too selfish I just want to be rich too unwise Solomon got a blank cheque from God and God said to Solomon asked me for anything that you want he said well well since you call me to be a leader I need wisdom and God said I will give you wisdom and no man ever will have the type of wisdom you would have and watch and because you did not ask me for material things not only would I give you wisdom but I will give you everything you did not ask for no King after you would have a kingdom like you watch that because of the priority of his heart in a moment God gave him what he did not ask for that's the power of purity what are you praying for what would God give you if you would change your prayers what would God give you if your prayers was focused on other people and not yourself see Solomon asked for wisdom because he wanted to help others and because he wanted to help others God gave him what he did not ask for what are your prayers like what would God release when you start focusing on others you know we preach about everything that job loss you know when God restored everything that job lost God restored everything that job lost when he prayed for his ignorant friends when he focused his attention and prayers on others God restored to him that which he lost I wonder what is hindered or held up from you because all of your prayers is focused on you or let me ask you another question if the Kingdom rested on your prayers how strong with the Kingdom be [Music] [Applause] how many people will be saved how many churches would be planted how many people would start giving it wouldn't if the Church of God relied on your prayers how strong with the church be how many people your family would be saved how many people would give to the gospel how many people will come out under that god of money how many more people eyes would be open how many more poor people would be fed if it all rested on your prayers how strong with the church beat in Ecclesiastes chapter four the wisest men that ever lived Solomon wrote these words in Ecclesiastes chapter 4 - our beginning in verse 9 I'm sorry two are better than one because they have a good return for their work look at verse 10 if one falls down his friend can help him up look at the back half of verse 10 but pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up you know what Solomon just said you can't do life alone he said blessed is the person who has watch ears and shoulders this fall down means not just hardship this fall down means mentally fall down which we all do from time to time this fall down means emotionally fall down which we all do from time to time this means physically fall down I'll go through a hard season which we all go through hard ceases from time to time he said watch blessed is the person who is going through mental challenge and has ears and shoulders blesses the person who's going through emotional trauma and has ears and shoulders blesses the person who's going through a physical difficulty financial difficulty marriage difficulty physical difficulty job difficulty parents and difficulty house difficulty whatever difficulty blessed is that person that when they go through they have ears and have ears and shoulders they have people watch to lean on in times of trouble watch that they don't have to suffer alone in the dark watch this they don't have to die in silence we look at the back half of ten but I feel sorry for the arrogant person the prideful person the foolish person who does not have ears and shoulders who has not cultivated good godly relationships who think they so strong they don't need anyone they don't need community they don't need a church they don't need isn't shoulders lies that's pride talking that's ignorant talking that's unaddressed hurt talking oh I'm about to get real in here he said I pitied a person who when they go through they don't have ears and shoulders they don't have nobody to lean on if we live life and have no one to live on we are either prideful we are arrogant we don't do a good job building relationships or we have unaddressed hurts and too much trust issues that we try to do life alone and life will take you on a drive and throw you up against a brick wall and burst your nose to teach you that you cannot do this alone that's pride talking that's arrogance talking that's ignorant talking that's on a dress hurt talking I don't need to church I don't need them I don't need lies you need brothers and sisters lies you need ears and shoulders lies you need the strength and comfort of other human beings say Amen somebody say preach preacher if it get real good just throw a handkerchief at me or slap a dollar down on the altar this thing ain't got no pockets God listen to me listen to your preacher God and his wisdom I love this part who designed you because you did not design yourself taught us that we need to be transparent with other people when you buy a new car you know what you find in a glove box a manual why because the make of the car put it there to teach you how to use the car and all of the functionalities of the car when I bought my new iPhone and if you have the Holy Spirit you got Apple and when I bought my new iPhone [Applause] I rebuke this devil of Android in the name of Jesus no I'm just serious no [Applause] when you buy a new car you get them you get a manual in the glove box why because the maker was smart enough to tell you how to use the automobile when I bought my new iPhone Apple was smart enough to leave a manual to teach me how to use the iPhone let me ask you a question if we who are human beings are smart enough to leave manuals for things recreate do we not think God was not smart enough to leave a manual for the thing that he created [Applause] this is why if we know his word we are wise and this is why God says the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord so let me let me say this to you again God who designed you the all-wise being taught us in his manual that for the thing I designed it needs a transparency with other human beings not only with me but it needs a transparency with other human beings prove it to us preacher turn with me in your Bibles to James chapter 5 send a New Testament of the Bible just go past Romans and first and second Corinthians and keep flipping pass all the shuns you go pass you get around Hebrews and get back to your Bible you're running to James James chapter 5 as you're turning there let me tell you something about the book of James James is right after Hebrews every time you open the Bible to the book of James I love this every time you hold in your hand listen to me carefully out every time you hold in your hand the book of James every time you hold in your hand the book of James every time you pick up the book of James you pick up in your hand the very first document ever written to Christians let me say this one more time every time you pick up the book of James you pick up in your hands listen to me the very first document ever written to Christians let me let me just let me just double down on this one last time I know you love your Psalms and and I know you love Matthew Mark Luke and John and and everything else let me let me repeat this to you again after the church is born in the first century d look at me pay attention I'm teaching pay attention after the church is born in the first century AD they don't not have Matthew they don't have mark they don't have Luke they don't have John they don't have any of the shuns no Romans no first or second Corinthians no Ephesians no fully they have none listen to me the very first document ever written to the first Christians is James watch so watch if we didn't have anything else but James we have what God gave the Christian Church written by the brother of Jesus who was not converted to Christianity until after the resurrection so even while James was alive and being raised with Jesus and even seeing his ministry for 3 and 1/2 years did not believe in his own brother until after he was raised from the dead in fact it was his own brother with his mother and other sisters who took him aside and said you are crazy for thinking you're the Son of God and not until they saw a man raised from the dead he put his faith in his brother and he would write to us the very first document to the Christian Church the Holy Spirit who wrote through the brother of Jesus says this in James chapter 5 beginning in verse 13 are you there are you there is any one of you in trouble half of us can say yes watch he should pray I'm about to break this down it's anyone happy let him sing songs of praise verse 14 is any one of you sick he should call the elders of the church to pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord verse 15 and the prayer offered in faith will make him will make the sick person well and the Lord will raise him up and if he has sinned he will be forgiven for sixteen is the bombshell verse therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed the prayer of anybody I could just be transparent with anybody no the prayer of anybody [Music] no the prayer of a righteous man or woman is powerful and effective so here James tells us something very powerful watch listen to the words of the Holy Spirit through James he tells all of the Church of Jesus Christ three powerful things he says confess he says pray he says be healed he says confess he says pray he says be healed you know what this is this is a clear commandment to transparency with who brothers and sisters in Christian context watch washes but because we don't love and live like Jesus we are afraid to do this in the room watch because we wear more mass around Christians than we do with outsiders [Applause] watch but when this when when love like Christ has done well everything we need is in the room everything we need is in the room when we live the way God told us to live everything we lead is in the room watch when my mother and father forsake me I find mothers in the Christian community I find father's in Christian communities say Amen I find brothers and Christian community I find sisters and Christian community I find mentors in Christian community even if I don't have biological children I find spiritual children and Christian community when we do it right we find every need in Christian community washes we find every mental need and Christian community we find every emotional need and Christian community we even find every physical need when it's done right and Christian community we should not have to depend on the government to pay our bills I know i'ma get mail I came home for a week and I came home for food stamps yes I did but when done right everybody would be giving so that the church will provide for his people there was no government subsidy when the church was born it was everybody bring everything and lay it at the Apostles feet and we will take care of everybody's needs there was no government subsidies so when everybody was tithing giving sowing sacrificing every need mental emotional spiritual physical was met inside the context of community through transparency and so when I'm hurting mentally there was help in the church when I'm hurting emotionally there is help in the church when I'm hurting spiritually there was help in the church when I'm in need when it's done right there should be hoping to church V groups should be taking care of each other's bills we hear somebody don't have food we should be taking care of that some single mother don't have clothes for kids we should be taking care of that instead of being bound by that god of money if everybody was giving we can meet each other's needs y'all brought into a false Christianity how come the church don't do that how come the church don't do they check your tithing record first you ask us what we don't do before you blaspheme for what we don't do check your old giving record how come they don't help mother so-and-so and sister so and so because we paying bills because the other half don't give we don't want to say amen to that that's the way today was taught to live in acts 2:42 through 47 and the first couple that says now we don't have it to give the Holy Spirit killed them Ananias and Sapphira now we don't really have it to give kill them we saw all the Holy spirt killing me yeah but but your lack of generosity is killing us it's killing us oh we need new equipment but your lack of generosity is killing us or we need better microphones but your lack of generosity is killing us when we gonna get out of that school but your lack of generosity is killing us even if you're not dying we are dying I have a dream to do something for mother Barlow our only real church mother I gotta hurry up I've been dreaming about doing something for four years and I'm just waiting for the day when everybody get involved that she'll get she arrived here on Sunday and her dream would be sitting outside I heard about somebody that takes her over to church every Sunday we should be able to put that mother in a car put a roof over the head of the single mother who don't have a roof I'll go out of my way to help Zipporah you killing her you're killing us when done right every mental emotional spiritual physical need can be found inside the context of biblical community because this is what James said confess pray find healing and then the scripture teaches all of our needs will be met inside this room what about when I'm hurting turn with me in your Bibles to Galatians chapters 6 6 6 6 Thank You Holy Spirit Galatians chapter 6 Galatians chapter 6 Galatians chapter 6 turn me to your Bibles to Galatians chapter 6 I'm almost done is this is this helping anybody Galatians chapter 6 terming the obamas the galatians chapter 6 yes galatians chapter 6 oh I like this yeah I like this yeah let's go to one verse verse verse two let's read it out loud together what's the first word shout the first word shout shout the first word right so some of your translations that says share and some other translations it says carry I like the word carry because it's more appropriate everybody shot the word carry shout the word carry shout the word carry look at verse two carry each other's burdens what is a burden mental emotional spiritual physical what did what did the Holy Spirit say through Paul for us to do carry what he said carry each other's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ okay what did the Holy Spirit just give us an instruction to do carry each other's burdens he says when you do that you fulfill the law of Christ what is the law of Christ one word love now let me ask you a question everybody look right at me look don't take notes look right at me everyone look right at me eye contact look right at me let me ask you a question how can you carry something you don't know [Music] let me ask you another question look right at me the right way how could you release something you don't tell this is a command to the whole Christian Church watch carry each other's burdens you know what that is it's a clear call to transparency why because if you're not real with your burden I can't carry it if you always got a mask I can't carry it if you're not honest I can't carry it watch this if you trying to sanitize the story I can't carry it so when we sat with the couple this week they was honest about their struggle so Lina and I was able to carry their burdens but I can't carry what you sanitized I can't carry what you lie about I can't carry what you're not honest about I can't carry your mask don't nobody want to talk talk to me in this room he didn't say carry your mask he said carry each other's burdens so hand me your mask let me throw that to the floor and then hand me the honesty of your burden that's a clear call to transparency let me finish so clear call the transparency but the question is pastor I hear you I see what the scripture says we should be transparent with brothers and sisters but should we be transparent with everybody should we tell everybody everything so let me land the message and our foundational text and that would they said an old-school church and our foundational text I read to you Matthew chapter 26 verse 36 to 39 so powerful Jesus oh my god after the Last Supper watch he stumbles out of that upper room and he stumbles into the Garden of Gethsemane powerful he stumbles into the coma he stumbles into Lina the garden of gethsemane watch he walks into that garden with 11 men behind him this is so powerful then you gotta read the text carefully he stops them at a certain point then the Bible says he goes a little bit further and he takes with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee oh my god so the fact that he told [Music] [Applause] he took 11 men into the garden he told 8 men stay here he took 3 men and went a little bit further you know that was a boundary of separation then he goes a little bit further with three men and then when he's privately alone with Peter James and John he confesses to them my soul is sorrowful unto death that's what I'm so emotionally distraught I am to the point of taking my own life he did not say that in the company of eleven men Jesus got transparent in the garden with only three of 11 men 11 men did not here my soul is sorrowful unto death read the text only three men hurt my soul is sorrowful unto death watch so he chose who to be transparent with what do we know about Peter James and John well they was on the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus revealed his true identity with while the others was at the bottom what else do we know about Peter James and John they was with him when he raised the Daughter of Jairus while the others was outside what else do we know about Peter James and John they will be the leaders of the first Church watch so he chose them carefully he chose who he would be transparent with carefully how do you choose people to be transparent with carefully you should be assessing character before you be transparent you need to assess the character of people you're in covenant with before you be transparent transparent how else you need to assess capacity you know that this person have the ability to handle transparency how else do you choose people to be transparent you should be doing a test drive of trusts let me tell them something to see how they handle this and now my business is flowing around up I know I can't be transparent with that person so you got a test drive trusts you haven't I just said you gotta learn to test drive trust you got to follow divine guidance sometimes the Holy Spirit would tell you you can trust this person let me save people must be discovered everybody's not safe and not because you knew them for a long time that'll mean a safe and not just because you serve with them in ministry they don't mean they safe and that just because you knew each other from high school that don't mean they safe safe people need to be discovered through character capacity you got test drive trust you got to be led by the spirit Jesus knew Peter James and John differently than the other men so watch even he knew who to be transparent with and watch I love this is so powerful in the text the scripture says watch the transparency of Jesus I mean let me just throw this in there it said I said that he prayed to God that his soul was sorrowful and he said God if there's any way this cup well let me go a little bit deeper than that Jesus was dealing with the emotional trauma he said my soul was sorrowful unto death so he was transparent with himself he said father if there's any way this cup can pass from me let it pass from me so what she was transparent with God listen I don't want to go through this Lord he was transparent with God and then he takes three minute he says my soul is sorrowful unto death so he was transparent with select others there's a whole series right there oh my god there's your whole series and one encounter with your Savior he's praying to God about something you don't want to do he's saying that I'm going through emotional trauma and he's talking to three men at the same time he's transparent with himself he's transparent with God he's transparent with select others there's your whole series in Jesus [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] I'm talking about your Savior I'm talking about your Lord I'm talking about your God I'm talking about Jesus the Lord of glory I'm talking about your Savior he modeled it for us first he was transparent with himself honest with himself I'm hurting emotionally he was honest with God I don't want to go through this he was honest with select others my soul is sorrowful unto death look at me if Jesus was transparent with himself if Jesus was transparent with the father if Jesus thought it was necessary to be transparent with other human beings and he's God in the flesh who are you if God in the flesh thought it was necessary to be transparent with himself transparent with the father and transparent with others who are we to think that we don't need to be transparent with ourselves transparent with the father and transparent with others so godly friends need to be transparent with each other that's why you need godly friends husband and wife need to learn to be transparent with each other that's how you build a marriage learn what to say what not to say parents and children need to learn to be transparent with each other parents need to learn to be safe places for their children they don't find a safe place and drugs or alcohol or some crazy person in school or they find a safe place on social media parents need to learn to honor their old children and listen to them mentors and mentees need to learn to be safe places I ment tisha find a safe place and a mentor people should be safe find a safe place in a spiritual leaders all transparency should be communicated with love truth sensitivity consideration not with indifference or manipulation let me finish the message III hear you pushing against me yes there is a risk in transparency you know what it is it's called vulnerability you can't be transparent without vulnerability it takes vulnerability to say my marriage is broken it takes vulnerability to say I can't pay my bills it takes vulnerability to say I'm struggling I'm dealing with that sexual abuse I'm bound in homosexuality I'm bound in sexual identity issues I'm struggling with my marriage I can't find friends I'm dealing with insecurities whatever whatever the case is maybe it takes vulnerability to be transparent with another human being it takes one ability to be transparent with a spouse hoping they won't crush you for your honesty that's why we got to learn to be safe places and learn how to be safe if somebody's transparent we don't just judge them shame them crush them throw all their business in the street yes it does take more nobility there was a risk you will get hurt there is a risk you will be disappointed there was a risk of betrayal but you know what's a greater risk the greater risk is wearing a fixed mask and dealing with the pain of carrying your burdens on your own forever that damage to your soul of wearing a mask forever is a far greater risk than the risk of being transparent with brothers and sisters transparency what other people it builds relational intimacy it creates relatability I didn't know you was going through that yeah I wouldn't do that a couple years ago it creates hope like man you came through that IKEA that means if you got through I could get through yes yeah that's why that's why my testimony is important the stories we bury is a ministry to somebody else that's why I'll be praying over the people ensured that your mess would become a message the stuff we pull out the closet that we overcame give strength to another human being Foster's hope it falls us the opportunity to enjoy one of the greatest blessings God has ever given you in your life each other we can never get the help we need if we're unwilling to be transparent I thank God right now as I close this message for the healing I have found as a formerly really messed up broken New Yorker I found healing over the years strength and freedom you know where in my transparency with my wife even telling her this weakling I feel discouraged this week I feel like I didn't prepare well this week my sermon notes are not good because of the flooding in my office our house when it rains it floods in the basement and my whole private area is flooded with water where I lay my face and cries and I said Lena I couldn't study this week the way I want when I filled the sky I told that it's just this morning I feel discouraged cuz my outline is not good and and she said honey the devil is Allah [Applause] I've found healing and strength and freedom in my transparency with my closest of friends pastor Ron Simmons who passes a church in Tampa Florida pastor Simeon Moultrie passes a church in South Carolina Pastor Brian passes a church in Charlotte these are my three closest friends there is nothing in my life that someone does not know because the devil traffic's in areas of darkness I have no secret no dark there's nothing in my closet there is nothing in my life that someone for the purpose of accountability strength and healing does not know beginning with the woman on the stage he can I get transparent with them even early in our marriage when she found me looking at pornography on the computer and I had to confess that I was dealing with lust and all the things I've go through Lina I'm dealing with loss Lina I'm dealing with brokenness Lina I'm dealing with unforgiveness this person hurt me and constantly laying in her lap and pouring out my soul and these three friends that I pour out my soul you will never imagine the healing strength power freedom growth wholeness that comes from being transparent but select people sometimes you don't know how to pray but you got a spouse you don't even know how to tell this to God but you got a spouse you don't know what you don't know how to get this off your chest but you got a friend you got a brother you got an elder but battling this for how many years I don't know how to pray about that sexual abuse but I got a sister bit dealing with this insecurity is why I live behind my makeup and my hair but I got a sister I try to act like a strong man I try to leave my home but on the inside I'm passive and I'm insecure and I don't know how to communicate but I got a brother that's freedom that's healing that strength that's accountability that's relatability that's the devil you won't get me in the dark that we don't have to shed tears alone we shed tears together and we grind together we struggle together and we pick each other up together when we take down that mask you will be wise to learn to be transparent we'll just be honest with yourself be transparent with God the one who knows you completely and loves you unconditionally and be transparent with select others unmask and find healing find strength find encouragement find growth find change find transformation wash transparency you could put this on the screen Danielle because I just want them to see it wise transparency with yourself with God and would select others is a pathway to healing strength freedom growth safety and change we truly hope this message resonated with you and encouraged you in Christ if this ministry has been a blessing to you please support the spread of the gospel by visiting us online and choosing the giving option that works best for you and again thanks for tuning in and we look forward to singing that's me [Music]

Channel: Victory Church

Views: 2,074

Rating: 5 out of 5

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Id: P3DXGMVTjfU

Length: 59min 46sec (3586 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 24 2020