Young Communicator Sunday

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] welcome to church everybody it's good to see you guys today god bless you and welcome to all of our campuses I look into that camera and think about the men and women and the Alabama Department of Corrections god bless you today and we know most of you are still watching our service at home while we're starting the process of having in-person services you guys do know this has been 15 weeks that's a long time and so we're glad to start this slow phase in and I know your your campus pastors have talked to you about how to stay safe in this coronavirus world but I want to encourage you to do the same be safe when encourage you to protect the vulnerable it's very very important that you do that in a moment you're gonna hear from three amazing young communicators and as you know they were scheduled for last Sunday but I felt like we needed to swap some things around and if you missed my message from last Sunday I would really love for you to go watch it because I really share my heart and we'll talk more about that in just a moment as well but this is our fourth year to have what we call young communicators Sunday and that's just a Sunday we take where we normally allow up to 30 or 40 different students from our college or different staff members that are developing the art of communication let them have a Sunday and develop them and I can't think of a better day to do that now I think somehow the Lord had his hand in it to do this on Father's Day and I think that's so cool because this is really one of the values of our of our church Father's Day fathering leading and developing young people and today is Father's Day and the campus pastors are going to pray over all the dads at the end of the service but I wanted to take just a moment before these young people communicate to you and just share a word with you in fact I was just thinking of this verse that you know it I'm sure you know it in Matthew chapter 6 verse 9 it's the beginning of the Lord's Prayer and Jesus looks at his disciples like I'm trying to look at you today and say this is how you should pray hour come on stay with me our our Father in Heaven I can't remember what it was it was probably I want to say about nine days ago I got a phone call from a pastor who I really don't talk to very often he's I mean I know him but we don't know each other really really well and it's so amazing how God sent the right person or the right verse or just the right text at the right moment doing all the things that I you know I'm going through where I'm learning and growing and repenting and just just God's God's doing some work inside of me and and it's all good to God be the glory but just needed those encouragement sat at different times that I had this pastor called me and he just said these words he said Chris you have a father now that's kind of personal to me guys because house thing I know I don't I my daddy's in heaven my dad's been in heaven 10 years now and my dad was very very close to me and he was the best man in my wedding and when I loved him and he was that he was the one I would go to you know when you go through something my dad's about probably 6 inches taller than me he had big broad shoulders and just you know to lay your head on the shoulder of your dad and then I have of course Tammy's dad was my best friend in the whole world brother Billy Hornsby he's been in heaven 9 years and he's a large man in fact I used to always pick on him and say yeah I've heard of the woman of Samaria I called him the man of some area so he was just here's the large man but but many times would call him when I was discouraged I just lay my head on a shoulder or or do you know just get that fatherly advice that you that you need in certain times and he said Chris you have a father he says it's our father and I'm gonna look into that camera and tell you guys here at Grant's Mill you have a father no matter what you're going through no matter what your earthly father was like you know you have a father who's in heaven he's a father with big broad shoulders who you can lay your head on his shoulder today and he's the father who is in heaven that means he's above it all he knows it all he's ahead of it all he's and it's just and we're not but aren't you grateful that he is above it he's our Father so to church you have a father you fathers who are fathers to your kids you have you ladies you young people you have a father that you can lay your head on it on his shoulder and he's above it all I want you be encouraged with that today on this Father's Day of course it's Father's Day and it's also my birthday today and I'm asking God to help me be a better father you know I'm the spiritual father so to speak of this house and I'm really trying to to be a good father and I've had some amazing meetings this week I told you about him last Sunday when I said I'm oh I'm just gonna have some some forums where I am I'm just listening and I'm learning and I'm lamenting I want to feel what people feel and and I want to love and and it's they've been powerful I just wanna let y'all know they've been powerful so much so much understanding so much honesty healing growth I'm growing we're all growing through this and by the way we are actively putting some plans together I put a team together who's working with me there's gonna be some I can't hardly wait to share it with you there's gonna be some real healthy change that's gonna make our church better and I just stay tuned let this team and me work together you're gonna hear more very very soon but I'm trying to be a good father to us all and and that's what we're trying to model for you today even as we allow these young communicators to speak you're gonna get to be a part of fathering them you're gonna get to be a part of their development with me today now they've already recorded these messages because we were going to show them last week but I want you to respond like they're standing right there in front of you live and I want to introduce them to you there's three speakers that we selected several months ago and been preparing for a couple of months it's been loads of fun but at 8 a.m. you're gonna hear from from a young gentleman named Garrett cuff from Woodstock Alabama he graduated he graduated in May from Highlands College in our pastoral leadership practicum he is currently serving now upon graduation as student coordinator at our Graystone campus at 9:45 services you're going to hear from a gentleman young got young man named Joe Mugford from from Medford Connecticut come on somebody right and and by the way Jose Joe's engaged to one of our worship leaders Kyra and they're gonna be getting married this year to God be the glory but he graduated in May from Highlands College and our worship practicum and you've probably seen him he serves as one of our drummers for Holland's worship and then in our 1130 service this one's fun we're gonna hear from Devon trance who by the way was the first baby that our church ever added she was born the first year of our church first baby a church to the Highlands and she's starting her fourth semester this August in pastoral leadership and she serves as the berry middle school city group leader what I've done is I've asked them to speak on their biblical hero you're gonna love it you're gonna love these messages you're gonna learn something I want you to lean in you're gonna learn something come on somebody from these young people they could teach us something too and to set all this up instead of a message opener I'm going to show you a video because all three of these leaders are products of something that I love dearly Highlands College and just a few days ago we awarded like we do every year some Highlands college scholarships now we would normally actually bring not only these recipients and their families on our stage to celebrate and give these awards out live but because of Kovan 19 we awarded these on a zoom call and i want to show you this zoom call and show i want you to see how we awarded these scholarships and at the end of the video but i want you to do is i want you to give a big hand to all the recipients and then also give a big hand to our speakers today okay you ready take a look it's my great honor to be with you and share this special moment I'm so excited for you to meet our four scholarship winners today and for us to welcome them to campus this fall and there's no way this moment would be possible without the incredible generosity of our donors and you the amazing people of Highlands while the spring semester had us physically distant I have never been more proud of our students and the impact that they are making the Highlands College vision is more important now than ever before through Highlands College we get to impact the world with leaders who are trained and ready for the harvest field - all of our current students we can't wait to start back with you this fall and to anyone who may be feeling God's calling on your life our enrollment is still open and there is plenty of time for you to be a part of all that God's gonna do now I can't wait for you to experience the next few moments and see these incredible scholarship winners and once again thank you well welcome everybody we're gonna go ahead and get started okay as you all know you are finalists for the Robert Hodges Memorial Scholarship and today is the last step in the process so we're gonna interview each of you and we're gonna choose from this group to receive the award I'm actually not going to be conducting today's interview we have a special someone to interview today so why don't you go ahead and welcome pastor Chris Hodges for your interview today with my LSU football in the background good to see you guys and love you so much and I want to personally thank you and your families for being involved we actually years ago started two scholarships we have more now but we started with two one of my dad's named and one up in miss Tammy's dad's name and Tammy's dad was so involved in the Ark and we have given scholarships to Ark pastors kids in that scholarship name and then the Robert Hodges Memorial Scholarship is designed for families that are involved specifically you can only be given to families of Church of the Highlands and you guys and your families have been so faithful so involved and we just honor you for that and I as you well know the scholarship covers a full tuition for your time at Highlands College and I'm right now I am gonna let you know that this is not an interview all four of you are going to receive a scholarship paid for by the generous people of our church and getting that scholarship and we're thrilled that you're gonna be this fulfilling your purpose in God and I wanted to be the one to congratulate you and announce this to you thank you thank you sir I thank you so much then congratulation mark and Andy Jackson I think we love you we can't wait to see how God's gonna use you to change the world the same the greatest seriously I told the Lord years ago if I had to give up everything I do know he could do one thing I would invest the rest of my life in developing believing in young leaders who I know are gonna change the world and congratulations we're so so so proud of you thank you thank you thank you so much okay thank you so much hey Highlands family I am so excited to be here with you today and again my name is Garrett cup and and I just want to take a second to honor Pastor Chris and his leadership what he's done in this church for this church and really just allowing young communicators and leaders like myself and my fellow peers just to have the opportunity to come up here to speak to you is it's incredibly humbling and it's just so amazing so again I'm super excited to be here with you today and in real quick just a little bit about myself so I was born in Woodstock Alabama grew up there as well and also I grew up all my life homeschooled so shout out all my home schoolers staying at home 24/7 is incredibly easy for us Quarantine life has not been adjustment at all so but also today our theme is heroes of the faith so someone who I think we can look to as an example and take out of Scripture and look at their lives and see what things we can apply to ourselves as well would be a man named David and so again we're gonna be in Psalms 42 and we actually see David talking here and this is what he says he says why my soul are you downcast why so disturbed within me put your hope in God for I will praise him my Savior and my god says my soul is downcast within me therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan the heights of Hermon and from Mount Mazar and so what we see here is that David is crying out to God he he has this feeling of hurt and of pain and he actually uses this word downcast and so what this word means in the original language is actually to sink or to depress and so then what we see here is that David saying god I'm sinking I am depressed and and basically what we see is David stuck in his feelings he's stuck and he doesn't know how to get out and and I don't know about you but I know for me I've had those times where I feel stuck in my feelings and I don't know how to get out so for example I remember my senior year of high school it's playing basketball and I was ready to go so we made it to the semifinals of the state championship actually or in Staton we had one more game before we made it to the championship and we were ready to go we were excited I I was ready just to go play I'm her being in the game it went down to the wire we were we were going at it it was a battle and then next thing you know we end up losing by two and four anyone who knows me I am the most competitive person on the face of the earth like I hate losing way more than I love winning like I hate it and so I was devastated like I remember going back home and just like crying like I was upset and you know like mom trying to console you trying to give you some food or tell you it's gonna be all right or telling you hey you know you're the best I promise like we were good and you're like mom none of that helps me actually right now like please stop and so also maybe example of being stuck in your feelings it's kind of like my mom where she watches the exact same hallmark movies literally over and over and over again and cries at the exact same scenes like she did beforehand and I have no idea how it gets her but that's that's how she gets stuck in her feelings but on a serious note though all jokes aside I've been really stuck in my feelings how like David before where I I felt downcast felt depressed I feel broken I feel hurtin and so in December of 2016 it was one of the best seasons of my life God brought me here to Church the Highlands he began to do incredible things in me and and through me he actually began to call me into ministry as well and while I was one of the best seasons of my life it was at the same time the absolute worst and so I remember two days after Christmas I was downstairs and I heard my mom yell and I didn't know what happened or what was going on I remember walking up stairs opening up the door trying to brace myself maybe for what it was I didn't know what was gonna happen and I just I just see my mom crying and then I see my dad on the couch trying to comfort her trying to console her and and I was trying to brace myself for what was gonna happen I didn't know what to expect what scenario or situation I was already trying to come up with what it might be in my mind and I could just see her kind of bracing and preparing also to tell me she was just trying to like gather her words and I remember her looking at me and breaking the news to me that my friend of seven years we grew up together we went to church all the time together he was basically my brother she broke the news to me that he was actually shot and killed and it was earlier that night he was murdered and I I didn't know how to really process it being 17 years old and hearing the news that your best friend was just shot and killed what are you doing I just remember just this feeling of just sinking just sinking in my my pain sinking in my hurt and all of it I was depressed I remember just going downstairs and crying literally all night long and questioning everything I remember just being in my room and I remember blaming myself because I had the opportunity to text and call him to maybe get him out of one of those situations but I did it and so I felt the weight of it I felt like I was the one to blame I felt like it was all on me and then on top of that I began crying out to God wondering why would you let this happen you say you love people but I don't really see it right now you say that you're good but this is not good I don't understand what's happening and I was throwing all kinds of words out to God wondering why would you let this happen why being mad almost just holding my fists up to him not wanting to talk to him just refraining from even reaching out I remember just being isolated and we're just staying in my room not wanting to do anything not wanting to talk to anyone I remembered all the lies that it was my fault that God's distant he's not here anymore I don't know what to do and it was hard it was it was the absolute worst season of my life worst day of my life at a time where there should have been joy it was it wasn't and I felt like David I felt downcast I felt hopeless I felt as if sinking in my feelings and maybe today for those who are watching you find yourself maybe the same kind of situation maybe it's not like mine but maybe it's something else and I'm not married but I can imagine that the feeling one of your marriage is on the rocks so you get those divorce papers in the feeling of hopelessness and brokenness is a lot like my feeling I felt and I don't know what it's like maybe to see your parents get a divorce but I can imagine that that feeling that you're the one to blame or you could do something about it or just questioning why would this happen that that feeling of desperation hopelessness is all like how I felt well maybe it's that you are hoping that the cancer would go away and it does it or the doctor's report would come back different and it did it and that feeling of hopelessness and sinking in your feelings is a lot like how I felt in my situation as well I think we all can agree on the fact that maybe in those scenarios in those circumstances we know what we need to feel but we have no idea what to do just like me I'm questioning God like okay I know I should feel this way maybe like David I should put my hope in him but how what like what what do I need to do right now and today I think we could look to David in his example of what he's done and even his situation right here we can see two feelings but then two to actions that he also has and if we use I think can help us as it helped me out of those moments where you just feel like you're sinking the first feeling that we see with with it is the feeling of isolation now I don't know about for you but I know for me I remember being in that scenario not wanting to talk to anyone not wanting to be with anyone I just remember distancing myself from God but not only that I had heard the lies that God isn't with you his presence isn't here anymore he's not he's not there in fact he's actually mad and that's the reason why you did this that something you did cause God to allow this to happen now allowed the blame to fall on my part or I begin just to continuously soak in those lies I'm here to tell you today that it's not the truth in fact the way we really begin to combat ISIL how I did is just remind yourself that God is near remind yourself that God is near but he's not distancing himself from the brokenness like Satan says he's not distancing himself from everything that you're going through but in fact he's like okay now I'm gonna mess step into it with you you're feeling broken you're feeling hopeless and let me get into it with you right now he's not a God that's taking a step back he's like I'm in it with you I'm here right now his arms not away but it's hands holding out so you can grab ahold of it even when you don't feel strength to do it and in fact we actually see David say this in Psalms 34 verse 18 he says the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit and so those lies that are telling you it's your fault that you can't get out of this there's no light at the end of the tunnel God's like that is not the case he's like I'm gonna step into that brokenness he's near to those who were hurt he saves those who are crushed in spirit that's not distant but he's right there with you in all of it and maybe so I remember growing up maybe some of you can right relate whenever your first like riding your bike you're getting ready you finally have the training wheels off and you're like praise God I'm feeling like a big boy now you know what I mean like I got it in the bag I'm ready to go gonna go to the friends house finally you can go pick up stuff as well like you got the little basket maybe on the front of your bike maybe like me and you can put all the good stuff in it and so I remember finally getting that opportunity to go and ride keep the trainings was off my dad's behind me he's like you're ready I'm like okay I'm ready to go do this let's let's do it I'm ready I can I got this so remember going and pedaling really really fast and eventually you get to the points where you're like okay he's not with me anymore like dad's not there anymore like I got this I'm gonna go and next thing you know you get a little wobbly you know what I mean you're like I maybe I don't have this and before you know it you think you can take that turn and all of a sudden you're gonna like slam into the ground but all to find out at that same time when you thought that dad wasn't there anymore like my situation he's actually there just to catch you and bring you back up you begin to fall and that's like nope I got you I I have you don't worry I got you that's the same exact way with this reminding ourselves that God is near and the fact that God isn't distancing himself even the moment we're in that path running that race we're doing whatever is in those circumstances that are shaky that are wobbling we feel like we're fixing to hit the ground gods like no I have you got picks this back up and so the second way actually we can begin to really combat isolation its positioning ourselves around the right people not just any people but the right people getting around those people who are gonna continually speak negativity or tell you maybe there is something wrong that God isn't here with you but the right people were gonna speak truth in those lies bring hope in those moments where you feel no hope and pull you out of that hole because I don't know for you but I know from me and those moments when I was isolating myself and not wanting to be around anyone I kept having to lie that God isn't here that I don't know what to do that the lies just kept pouring in maybe you've heard pastor Chris use the word ruminating before and what it stands for is whenever you think about something deeply over and over and over again to the points where it's solidified in your heart and for us you think about those lies you you ruminate on those thoughts you roommate on the hopelessness the hurt the pain the wondering what you could have done to maybe change the circumstance or situation and what happens is you begin to swallow it so the illustrations actually used with it the word ruminating is like a cow who chews on the cud as nasty as it sounds then he swallows it all to bring it back up again to keep on chewing it over and over and over again that's the same way we are is that we chew on the lies then we swallow it to where it's stuck in our heart all to bring it back up again it's quick even nastier than it was before it's even more dark than it was before to the points where it leads you down a path that you weren't even hoping you'd go down and that's why we need people because they're gonna be there when we feel as if there's no hope and we can't can't get out get the lies out of our mind get the attacks out of our mind get the blame out of our mind that they're there to speak the truth speak God's Word speak hope and speak life into every single one of those situations and and that's why we need people so we need small groups especially right now so then the second feeling and mainly the actually the main feeling that we see with with David is of course the feeling of hopelessness like there's no light at the end of the like what else is there to have to offer to give to get like this is it and the way that we can begin to do this way David actually shows us to to combat that is by tuning out the noise of the world what I mean by that is tuning out the things that are lies that the negativity the blame maybe if it's the news for you than turning it off maybe it's the radio whatever it is it's turning off every single thing that's beginning to continue some way on you and instead what we can do is number one turn to the promises of God's Word and in fact we actually see David say this he says my soul is downcast within me therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan and so what we see here is this contrast this this difference between what David's feeling the hopelessness but what his response is David says I feel hopeless but I'm gonna remember what you've done for me Lord I think if we begin to get into the reality of what we actually are going through and pull back the hopelessness pull pull back the pain the isolation the hurt and what we're gonna see is not the absence of hope but the God of hope God who gives children to those who are barren the God who gives Beauty for there's been a she's the guy who restores what's been broken and mends back together what's been lost the God who was there not who's absent and in fact we see the God who's given us his most prized possession in the moments where we felt as if there was no hope they're almost hopeless of moments when we were stuck in our sin when there's nothing else we had even to offer to God God's like that's okay I'm gonna give you my most prized possession I'm gonna give you my son the one thing that can save us from everything that holds us back from God that pulls us away from him God doesn't say now I'm gonna I'm gonna step away but he's like I'm gonna step in he enters into it with his son in fact we you see this in Romans 8:31 through 32 says if God is for us and who can be against us he who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things the beauty of this is we see this confidence stepping into the truth that if God didn't even spare or hold back his most prized possession in the moments of pain hurt when we were stuck in our sin and we had nothing to offer him how much more so when we feel broken abandoned lost will he give us hope will he give us the joy the peace the comfort that we need if he didn't hold back his most prized possession how much more so we give us all of these blessings and the times where we feel lost in times where we feel distant when we feel isolated and the noise of this world continuously comes in that's where it goes against it so the second way we can begin to tune down the noise of the world it's just reminding ourselves of how big God is how big God is like God's not afraid he's not worried he's not even stressed out or scared or even shocked at the circumstances were going through he's seen the end from the beginning he's done the whole story before it even started and he sees the pain like he knows it's there he's not he's not afraid he's not scared of it in fact there's a word that we can actually kind of come along with this it's called worship and what it means is to bring weight to or reverence to something or someone and I don't know for you but I would from me and my my situation is circumstance I put weight on my my doubts I put weight on my hopelessness I put weight on my pain I put weight on my feelings but instead of doing that what we can do is put weight on the only one who is capable pulling us up lifting us out holding us up from that hole that we're in in delivering us in fact actually the way we begin to really worship and remind ourselves of how big God is is actually what the Bible says praise we see David do this actually he says again in Psalms 42 put your hope in God for I will yet praise Him my Savior and my god and so what we see here is again the contrast you think put your hope in God but even though I don't feel it even though I don't know what's going on I can't even discern my current situation or circumstance David like I'm gonna praise you I'm gonna remind myself of how big you are that you are my Savior you are my God you are able to deliver me you are able to help me you are able to give me the comfort the joy the peace the hope that I need right now so today maybe if your circumstance or situation looks a lot like how I minded I felt just broken I didn't want to come to God I don't want to do anything and I should we invite you to take that step that actually I did where you feel that isolation you feel that distancing from God you feel as if the lies don't stop coming there is a God who was more than willing to meet you where you're at in those moments of brokenness when you don't have the strength to do it I just remember whenever I finally began to get around the right people they would speak truth into those lies that I begin to have that sense of hope again whenever actually got into God's Word and began to dig through his promises despite the lies I began to see a God who is a man who is more than willing to show you the truth he is capable of bringing you out of anything that he is the God of hope he is the God of joy but he's more than willing to give it to you so today if that's your situation whatever it looks like in your family your finances your marriage whatever whatever it is if it's your health today I invite you to trust in to lean on the only one who is capable of giving you that hope who is able to step into those circumstances and situations and that's Jesus so today if you identify with just like me being stuck in your feelings that I just invite you step in to the truth of what God has for you so what I would love to do is have the opportunity to pray over those who feel hopeless so if you will by your heads father I just want to pray over every single person that has under the sound of my voice those who feel as if they've been abandoned those who feel as if there is no light there's no hope that there's nothing that can do that there's situations too broken that that maybe the relationships too far gone that that maybe the the health circumstance right now there is no way that anything can mend it back together father I pray for them Laure what you say in your word the truth that you have will begin to come alive to them father they feel the isolations the God who is near to the brokenhearted will begin to step into that they will see that even when they can't reach out that you are there holding their hand stepping into that circumstance with them not away from them father and that today Jesus they'll trust and the only one who unlike their circumstances is always present always steady never changing and that's you Jesus father I pray that they'll trust in you and know who you are in all this we pray in your son's beautiful name amen what's going on Church family my name is Joe and I'm so so excited to be on the stage today serving I'm usually serving on a drum kit somewhere behind behind a drum set on some sort of stage at some sort of campus but today I have the opportunity to stand on the stage and communicate a message to you all today before I go any further I just want to take this time and just honor Pastor Chris for providing opportunities such as this where young leaders like myself can step in a different environment step into different situations where we're pushed where we're stretched where we're grown which will ultimately help us overall with our different gifts and talents that the Lord has given us again I'm so excited to be here today today's topic today's idea is heroes from the faith if we could pull someone from scripture examine their lives check them out what could we learn that kid apply it to our lives today and today I have an interesting hero but before I go any further I just need to start by being honest y'all y'all struggling with doubt you know I'm not from here I'm from Connecticut I'm from Milford it's a little little city up north and my two years of being here in Alabama I've learned a lot you know Alabama is really cool also really hot no it's in the winter and it's like 80 degrees I'm like dang can we get some a/c but but have some cool places it has some cool places to eat cool places to hang out it also has some really good football programs as well you know you got Alabama you got all burn some other programs I'm probably not mentioning the state's crazy on football but I have to be honest that Alabama it's not the only state with good football there's actually another good program that in my opinion that I think it's pretty good has a winning culture has a lot of wins underneath its belt it's the New England Patriots but y'all there's some decisions that are being made or have been made and it's got me like a little nervous it's got me doubting about next season and Alabama has made similar decisions so I'm sure some of y'all are sharing in some of those doubts and that's simply this that we've lost our star quarterback y'all like our star quarterback is gone like he's done what is this mean I don't know we need Lord's help but look I know I'm being hard I know I'm being funny about this whole doubt thing but if we're being honest we've all struggled with some sort of doubt in our life before maybe for you you're not necessarily having doubts in your football team but maybe for you you're having doubts in your marriage you know he or she did something awful across the line and you're seriously doubting that you could find it in your heart to move past it and find that forgiveness and move on with the relationship or maybe for you you're having doubts on your identity you know you've been picked on for so long they said some such awful things and yours truly doubting that you are beautifully and wonderfully made maybe for you you're having doubts in this world I can completely understand that or maybe for you you walked so far away from the church you walked so far away from God that you're truly doubting that you can walk back in and being loved and accepted again or maybe for you you're having doubts in this whole thing maybe you're doubting that Jesus is even real like is this church thing real I don't I don't know I know what I'm not having any doubts about it's the fact that I'm getting married in November to the best woman on the planet actually have a picture there we are hanging out I love her her name is Kyra I'm sure that you guys seen her before she leaves here on out our church at different campuses I'm sure you've seen her before heard her before but but what's funny is that she caused me she calls me the researcher and if I'm being honest it annoys me it actually aggravates me but it's true I am a researcher meaning I like to look things up like if you tell me something if we're having a conversation and you tell me something cool or I didn't know I'm more than likely gonna look it up I know it's kind of weird I know it's kind of odd but I don't know I just love it but anyways I did this this I've researched the word doubt I did a Google search on doubt and here and here's what what but what it came up to I'll read it for you it says doubt is a mental state in which the man remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions unable to a sense any of them doubt on an emotional level as the indecision between belief and disbelief and this was profound to me because it showed me that doubt in regards to our faith could be a really good thing or could be a really bad thing but we have a choice to make and the choice is ours so considering today's topic he rose from the faith and considering doubt who better to look at who better to pull who better to examine then doubting Thomas himself so me again me being from the north I like things quick I like like I like to research I like facts so I went ahead and I found some fast facts on Thomas and I'll just start with these first one he was a part of the 12 disciples that followed Jesus scholars aren't too sure about his profession before entering ministry but some believe he may have been a fisherman thought that one was cool I like to fish Thomas had a little nickname also known as didymus which means twin so some thought he was a twin which to me that was super cool because I have twin sisters he's believed to have been a missionary and brought the gospel to India starting churches in that region and spreading Jesus after his resurrection and he is famously known for his doubt and the need to see and fill Jesus in order to believe that he has risen from the dead you know throughout the Gospels Thomas has never given this huge spotlight you know he didn't he didn't walk on water he didn't it you know slay slay a giant no no but what we see in Scripture is little moments in little pockets where where we see Thomas and his character shines through and it's in these moments that I want to look at and examine today so if you would get your Bibles out get them ready and flip to John chapter 20 we'll be starting here and just for context just for time I'll summarize it myself I'll put it in my own paraphrase but what we see here is Jesus has just risen from the dead he's back and he he appears to Mary first and then to the rest of the disciples but but Thomas wasn't with the disciples when Jesus first appears it actually says in verse 24 if you want to look it says that he being Thomas was not with them so Thomas was way he was isolated so it doesn't say it doesn't capture the conversation but but I can only imagine that you know Jesus appears and the rest of the Sophists are like Jesus it's you like your back like bra like your back how like this is this is mind-blowing so have this moment and then stop wasn't sure like bro we need to go find Thomas like we need to tell him what we just saw so this I pose leaves they go find Thomas and they tell Thomas they're like bruh Jesus is back like we were just with him we saw him we felt him like he's back and Thomas replies to this verse 25 he says to the rest of disciples he says that unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hands into his side I will not believe so welcome doubting Thomas so let's put a pin in this moment and go all the way back to our first real encounter our first real introduction to Thomas which could be found in John chapter 11 if you want to flip there again for times sake I'll summarize it but we what we see here in this moment is that Jesus gets word that his friend Lazarus is dead and he's with the rest of the disciples so he finds out Lazarus is dead he turns to the disciples and he basically says yeah yo we have to go back to Judea Lazarus is dead like I have to go see him and the disciples are are like Jesus man I don't I don't know if that's a good idea like are you sure like are you really sure you want to go back like they were just trying to stone you they're gonna try to kill you like I don't know if this is a this is a good idea and Jesus is like no no I'm about to do something that's gonna enlarge in your face so it's best that you guys actually come with me and disciples again or just like I'm not sure that's not really as dangerous I don't know if we I don't know if that's a good idea but we see in verse 16 Thomas step up and he says let us go that we may die with him so y'all not just let's go but let's go that we may die with him like men of doubt I don't I don't I don't think so I'm not convinced of it cuz in this moment I see actually a man of really big faith when all the disciples saying no he's the only one to say yes when this up was are like nah he's the one to to be willing to go all-in with Jesus in this moment so comparing these two moments his moment of doubt his moment of great faith I believe that's just simply what it was a moment of doubt for Thomas I don't believe Thomas walked around carrying questioning you know living a life of doubt no no I just believe he had a moment of doubt and if we're all being honest again we've we've all had our moments of doubt but it's what you do in those moments that that truly matters doubt can either push us closer to Jesus closer to him closer to his promises or it can hold us back or what's worse is I believe it it keeps us stuck keep the zagnut keep us trapped when we're doubt is moving us to rethinking relearning rediscovering it could be a really good thing in regards to our faith but when it's keeping us trapped and complacent and stuck it could be really really bad we have a choice to make in our moments of doubt we can choose to either turn our doubts on us or turn our doubts away from us a truly lean in and stand on the promises of God so what are some things we can learn from Thomas what are some things we can learn about doubt I have two of them first one simply this faith isn't what I see it's in what I know faith isn't in what I see it's in what I know see you need to know God in order to trust him in order to have something firm to stand on you know I don't have any kids praise God but I would only imagine that if I was to go away on some where I was off on vacation and join somewhere I would only leave my kids with someone who I know without a doubt is capable to keep my kids safe and to watch them while I was away so how do you how do you begin to build that trust will you begin to know them right the more you know about a person automatically the more you're going to trust them and have faith in them it's automatic and I'm telling you it's the same thing it's the same way with our God the more we know about him automatically the more we're going to trust him and automatically the more our faith is going to grow and enlargen so how do you get to know somebody that's easy you hang out with them spend time with them get food with them you go through life with them go through some experiences and again it's the same way with our relationship with God our relationship with God has to go beyond a Sunday we need to be getting to know him through reading his word and discovering his promises and his truths we need to be spending time with him through through moments of prayer and worship outside of a Sunday we need to be we need to begin to to know God go through life with him go through some experience was experiences with them know it says in second Corinthians chapter five verse seven says before we live by faith and not by sight and this is important to note because when with situations like finances going bad happens we could say okay I know I'm seeing I'm looking and I don't have enough finances to cover the expenses for the month but I also know you ask provider and it says in your word that you provide all my needs so I'm going to choose to to lean and stand on to lean in and stand on on the promise rather than what I'm seeing right now or you know when you get that doctor's report and it wasn't what you wanted you could say okay although I'm seeing and I'm hearing that the doctors say my condition is getting worse but I also know you as my healer and no sickness no disease no affirmatives too big for you so I'm going to choose to trust and lean into that rather than what I'm seeing right now faith isn't in what I see it's in what I know so today there's a promise there's a truth we can we can make with going along this point it's simply this today I choose to trust in his word even when it's contradictory to what I see faith isn't on what I see it's in what I know and today I choose to trust in his word even when it's contradictory to what I see number two life has an effect on our faith you know for for Thomas life happens you know we read about it in Scripture but Thomas walked with Jesus he was close to Jesus for three years he was with the disciples for three years and then and then some life happened you know Jesus gets captured he gets killed and it's a heavy moment it's a life moment for Thomas now he's on the run now the rest of disciples are on the run and after being hiding because they're fearing for their lives and it's in that moment of isolation and it's in that moment away from Jesus and it's in that moment disconnected from the believers that we see Thomas and his faith gets weakened and he now he now he's in a place of unbelief and he's having a hard time believing again this is why that faith needs to be in what we know rather than what we see because I'm telling you life is going to happen and you need to know God in order to stand firm through those times of life struggles not only is it important to know God but it's also important to stick close to other believers you know it doesn't say where where Thomas was it just says he was isolated he was disconnected from the rest of the believers the rest of the disciples and who knows what could have crept into his mind in those moments and it's the same thing today with all this social distancing that's why I love Pastor Chris when he says we need to be physically distant yes but we need to be spiritually close because the truth is I need my brothers and sisters to help me at my times where my faith is being tested Ecclesiastes chapter 4 verses 9 and 12 and 12 9 and 10 and 12 says two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor if you're the one of them falls down I'll I'll say it another way if you're the one of them has doubts I'll say it another way if either one of them has weakened faith one can help the other up a pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up though one may be overpowered two can defend themselves a quart of three strands is not quickly broken y'all we need to stick close to one another you need to stick close to Jesus it's imperative for our faith so what's the choice we can make along this point simply this today I choose to believe even if I cannot see clearly you know belief has two aspects to it has a relational aspect meaning it's between one person and another person or one person in another thing it has a and has a decisional aspect to it as well which is simply this the decision to embrace truth embrace reality what what choice what reality are you going to choose we have choice and if a illustrate it it's the best way I can illustrate it is is like this if this is us in doubt and we have a decision we can make we can eke we can either take steps closer to Jesus believing and trusting in his word and his promises and his truths we could step away from Jesus choosing to believe what we want to believe or what I believe is worse is like this just stuck here we are I don't I don't know it I don't know what I believe I don't I don't know if I could believe that I don't I don't know if I'm feeling that I'm seeing something different I don't know and if I'm being honest y'all I was here for two years of my life back home I have a a lot of siblings my mom calls it a zoo because there's just so many of us kids dogs cats it's just it's just crazy but back in eighth grade I had a sister and her and I got into a big fight like the kind of fight that your parents get involved and in this fight my mom actually told my sister pack your bags up and get out like you're good see you if for the next year and a half I didn't see her the last conversation I had with her was that argument you know we talk on social media a little bit but it wasn't anything deep and the thing about my sister is that she struggled with drugs so she would be good for some time and then she'd be bad and she'd be good for sometimes and then she'll be bad and this just sent her and you know my mom gets a gets a call and they basically tell her that you know we found her dead in her house she overdosed and y'all I was here for two years I was here my god are you four for real like like this is obviously my fault I'm the one who got into a fight with her I'm the one who got a kicked out if I could only have said something maybe I could have and I was here like are you good I got I don't know if I could if I believe this anymore I don't know I mean this doesn't feel right but I just don't know and it wasn't until I took steps closer to Jesus wasn't until I you know was having times a worship discovered my calling a little bit you know started going to a smoker started reading my word was until I started taking steps closer to Jesus stepped up that burden was lifted what's interesting about Thomas's story is that Thomas had his doubts yeah but Jesus was cool with it you know it didn't I didn't offend Jesus it didn't move him it didn't cause Jesus to stray away no no Jesus actually took steps closer to Thomas it actually says that Jesus appears to Thomas not Thomas appears to Jesus Jesus came to Thomas what I didn't know about my story is that okay although yeah I was taking steps closer to Jesus Jesus was actually the one taking steps closer to me [Music] so maybe today you're you're having a doubt that I mentioned earlier or maybe you're having a doubt that I haven't mentioned maybe your doubts worse than mine regardless I want to let you know that Jesus is not scared you're not offending him Jesus isn't like all right I'm a chill here to figure it out no no we serve a god that's coming close and he's coming close to you today and he's willing to get close to you today so that's you I would just love the opportunity to pray today so if you would bow your heads god I pray for all those struggling with doubt today all of those who are trapped and don't know where to go don't know where to step father I pray that you instill a new confidence and new boldness in them to trust in you father show them that you could be trusted with her show them that you could be trusted with pain and father let them know that you are close to them today and selling us new confidence God in you and still a new urgency a new desire to trust you with more father help us to stand on the fact that you are a man of your word and we could put our confidence and our hope in you and it's in your name I pray amen hey Helen's family I cannot believe that I'm here with you today my name is Devon schranz and as Pastor Chris mentioned I've gotten to grow up here in Birmingham coming to Church of the Highlands literally since I was born and so really today is absolutely insane and surreal for me and I just want to thank you Pastor Chris so much for allowing me to come and speak today and just the investment that you've made in my life and in so many other lives through Church of the highlands in Highlands College it really means the world and again I am beyond excited to be with you all today I'm also really excited to get to use the TV you know it's a really exciting day dreams dreams are coming true for everyone really and as pastor Chris mentioned we're gonna be talking about our hero of the faith and my hero is the Apostle Peter now Peter's like that guy that we all know who's kind of crazy Peters like out there all the time and Peter I would say is everything that I'm not he's like The Fearless God the one who's like daring you to do stuff and that is not me if you know me you know that that is not me I growing up was afraid of everything I was afraid of all adults pretty much any adult didn't matter I would literally chew on my hair in order to not talk to people I was afraid of shirts going over my head that one was fun literally as shirts were going over my head I thought I was gonna get stuck inside of the shirt and then could not get out so like y'all turtlenecks were a nightmare and then I was afraid of the beach of the sand and of the ocean I was afraid of little dogs like really afraid of little dogs so I was afraid of everything literally lived my life in fear and as I got older luckily prescod all of those fears subsided and they went away but there's this one underlying fear that controlling it controlled everything I did it kept me trapped inside of a box and that's the fear of failure growing up I was afraid of failing everyone it kept me from building relationships or really getting close to anyone because I didn't want to disappoint them one day I was so afraid of making the mistake so that because I didn't want people to see me differently I wanted people to see me as as the best version of myself all the time I was so afraid of messing up and this really it put me in a box like I didn't want to do new things I didn't want to meet new people I didn't want to try anything and it kept me contained and it even was to the point where I didn't want to do what I felt like God was pushing me to do and I didn't want to pursue what I thought he was calling me to because I was so afraid of failure and I don't know if that's you right now you might be afraid of failure in some area of your life you might be afraid of failing your kids you might be afraid that you already have failed your kids in the way that you raised them you might be afraid of failing at your job or in a position there's tons of places I feel like everywhere in our life we can have this fear of failure of letting people down of letting ourselves down and when we look at Peters life we see that he made so many mistakes Peter made so many we see we meet him in John chapter 1 and he meets Jesus and later on he becomes one of Jesus's first disciples and then in Matthew 14 Peter again the crazy guy jumps out of the boat that all the disciples disciples were on and is walking on water to meet Jesus who is walking on water and he jumps out of the boat he's walking on water and then he starts to sink then we see in Matthew 16 and then Jesus had this incredible moment where Jesus and is asked Peter to tell him who he is and Peter says you the Messiah and then and then Jesus looks at Peter and he renames him Peter's original name was Simon and Jesus says you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church so he goes in this moment where his name was Simon now it's Peter now he's the rock that Jesus says he's gonna build his church on and and then only a few verses later Jesus is telling all of the disciples about how he's gonna die and be raised to life in this this time the culmination of jesus's life and and Peter looks at him after realizing that he's gonna have to die and Peter says he rebukes him soyou're rebukes Jesus for saying that he's gonna die and then Jesus looks at him and says get behind me Satan so Peter goes from the rock then all of a sudden Jesus is calling him Satan like really high highs and really low lows for Peter during his life he had some rough moments and those are just brushing the surface of the moments that he had with Jesus where he's just constantly having to be corrected constantly having to be taught things and I feel like it all builds up to this moment in Peters life we see in Matthew 26 where Jesus is telling all of his disciples about his life about what he's gonna have to do which is go and die on a cross and he tells them that all of you will fall away because of me and this is what Peter says he says even if all fall away on account of you I never will truly I tell you Jesus answered this very night before the rooster crows you will disown me three times now Peter freaked out he said no you I will not do that I would rather die than disown you so he nowhere in Peters mind I think he thought he was actually gonna deny Jesus even though Jesus just told him he was and then a few verses later in Matthew 26 we see Peter do what he claimed he would never we see Peter denied Jesus three times he he didn't just say oh I don't know I don't follow him he he said he didn't even know him he did it three times he did the worst thing imaginable he did something you never thought he would do and maybe that's where you are maybe you do you've done something that you never thought you would do you said you would never do I feel like we've all been in this place at some point in our lives and from looking at my life and looking at Peter's life I believe that there are three causes and three cures to the fear of failure and the first one that I believe that I've seen in my life is you feel failure because you're afraid of ruining your reputation this is so real it's when we place our value in other people's hands when we think about what they're thinking of us more than we think about what God thinks of us currently as I'm speaking to all of you it's hard to fight this feelings that I want I want you to like me I want you to approve of me and so it's hard to know how God thinks of me when I'm so focused on what others think of me and so I think that the cure for this that Peter lived out is it's knowing your value and you might be thinking in great Devon that's awesome I'm just gonna know my value now that you've told me to know my value and that's not the case at all we have to go to scripture to know our value we have to go to the words of our Creator to understand why he created us and how he thinks of us and if you don't know your value if you struggle with this I've struggled with this prepping for this message it's something that I've had to really search for I want you to know what God thinks of you in in 1st Peter 2:9 God says that you you are his special possession you are loved by God he cares about you you are chosen by God that's what he thinks of you you are known by God you are loved John 3:16 says for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son you are loved by your Creator and you are valuable we see that Jesus says in Matthew that God closed and takes care of the birds but how much more valuable are you than they that's what he thinks of you yo we don't have to fear what other people think because that's who you are that is your value his love and his care for you is settled he loves you so much and I believe in that the next cause the one that I've struggled with the most is we fear failure because we're afraid of disappointing people this is so real for me the word disappointment scares me so badly when I was five years old so not that long ago my mom who I loved so much she's a great cook believe me she made dinner for us in it I've never seen anything like it she mix she makes mac and cheese like Velveeta shells and cheese with broccoli like in the same Bowl together I do like a side they're fine but to get together like no not okay with me at all so she sat it down and she promised us something she said if you eat all of this then you will get ice cream and that was incentive ice cream I can understand I can get behind ice cream I can't get behind the mac and cheese and broccoli at all and so my parents got up because I was not eating it and me and my sister Ashland were sitting there and I looked at Ashland in a moment of despair and I said can you please eat this so I can get mac and cheese and so Ashlyn like the real hero she is said yes and she ate it all and I took the bowl to my mom and I said okay I finished it she was shocked and so I take it to her and then she gets me the ice cream and before I even start eating the ice cream guilt just overtook me all of a sudden I was like oh no I can't I can't do I can't do this so I ran to my mom and I said okay I didn't do it I gave the food to Ashland she ate the food I'm so sorry it wasn't me and my mom looked at me and she said something that parents I think you guys say this because you think it makes us feel better but it doesn't she said don't worry Devin I'm not angry with you I'm just disappointed in you and oh my gosh that hurt the word disappointment stings like really badly I feel like anger you can kind of deal with and you can get over it but disappointment lasts and that's a funny story but but y'all it's real like we've all heard that word disappointment at some point in our lives in it states I was five years old but I still remember that because I remember that feeling of disappointing someone and it's hard and it's real and I know we all deal with that at some point in our life but I want you to know the Cure is powerful the cure for disappointing people is accepting unconditional love well that's the love that God has for us he has unconditional love Peter denied Jesus he did the worst of the worst he dissed he he disappointed himself but we see that Jesus predicted it Jesus already knew the mistake he was gonna make before he made it and that's the same for you he knows your life he knows the mistakes you're gonna make before you make them and he loves you anyway you see in John 21 when Peter was restored before he went out to do all the incredible things he was gonna do Jesus restores him and he restores him by asking him he says Peter do you love me and he asks in this three times and I always was confused cuz Peters the one who denied him Peter's the one who made the mistake why would it be Jesus asking I would think Peter would run up to him saying do you still love me but it's the other way around and I think that's because Peter understood Jesus is unconditional love Peter understood that no matter what he did Jesus still loved him so now the depth of their relationship the way that he would live his life was dependent on if Peter would love Jesus and this is where I was I was in a place in my life where I was running away as I mentioned earlier from my calling because I was so afraid of failing at it I was so afraid of messing up and I was in this place where I felt Jesus asking me do you love me enough to trust me and it was hard because we can know God's love I've grown up here I've grown up in church I know about God's left but it took me so long to accept it Romans 8 says that there is no height nor depth there is nothing that can separate you from the love of God and I hadn't really I knew that but I didn't accept it I didn't take it because the second that I understood that there's nothing I could do to separate me from God's love is when I actually was started to walking walking my calling I started to pursue the things that God actually had for me because I stepped away with his love and that's available for you today his love is unconditional it's set there's nothing you can do to separate yourself from that love and I think the third cause of the fear of failure which is one that we all all go through at some point is repeating the past this one is so real we are afraid of repeating the past because we've all made mistakes we'll all continue to make mistakes but we can so often let our lives be defined by what we do in the past that we forget that there is a future that he has more for us and maybe it's something that you've done or maybe it's something generationally that your family has done but I want you to know that that the past does not define your future what you've done in the past is not what you're going to do in the future because of the love of God Peter denied Jesus repeatedly it wasn't just one time it was three times and what we see is that Peter right after he denied him he wept he broke down he didn't ignore it and that leads me to the next point which is what Peter knew is you knew that there is a place to repentance and that's we need to know that there is a place for penance repentance is a scary word and a lot of times I think we can focus it and think that it's about God being angry with us and the only way he's not angry with us anymore is is if we were pet and that's not it at all the word repentance just means to turn when Jesus restored Peter he asked him if he loved him three times for every time that Peter denied him for every time he turned from denials to love and that's what God wants to do is do for us today he wants us to turn from the things that we've done the things that we've said the way that we've acted and turned into his love there's a place for repentance it's not something that we have to be afraid of it's not something that we have to be qualified to step into repentance is a place to adjust it's a place to turn it's a place to change our life change the direction of where we're going to not repeat the past anymore and I want you to know that it's a safe place for you repentance is a safe place where you can come and I know that all of us many of you have experienced disappointing people you've experienced that you feel it right now as you're watching you feel the disappointment you've felt that you've felt the shame and the guilt that comes with that I know many of you have experienced ruining your reputation you've gone to that place where you've made the mistake and now people see you differently people don't respond to you the same way people don't act the same way around you because of what you've done I know many of you have experienced repeating your past you've experienced making the same mistake over and over and I want you to know that that that's not it that's not what it has to be failure isn't final your life doesn't have to be perfect first John says that perfect love casts out fear Jesus lived a perfect life so that we didn't have to it's his perfect love that takes away our fear it's his perfect love that cancels out our debt this is what scripture says it says let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need it's a throne of grace he's not sitting up there with the lightning bolt in one hand ready to strike when we make a mistake he really is sitting on a throne of grace and he's willing to cast out your fear he's willing to take away the pain of the mistakes you've made he's willing to take away and wipe away your sins the word says that he demonstrates his own love and that while we were still sinners Christ died for us while we were making the mistakes his love is still there his love is settled it's not changing it's not shifting and it's available he wants you to open up your heart and accept him and that is through repentance repentance truly is the only way that we go into to redemption into going into the rest of our lives into going into all that he has for us it starts at that place that safe place of repentance and if that's you if that's something that you want if that's something in your heart that you feel right now pressing on you you're saying Devon I want I don't want to be trapped to my past I don't want to be trapped to my mistakes I don't want to be stuck in this box that I'm in if that's you then I want to pray for you and I want to take a moment with you we're together we're going to this place for repentance together we're experiencing the love of God and so lord I thank you so much for every person under the sound of my voice thank you for every person in their homes in their cars with their family or alone that right now is is wanting more of you who wants more of you to know that their mistakes aren't the end of the road it's not final it's not it Lord your perfect love cast out fear they don't have to fear failing anymore they don't have to fear not being good enough disappointing people lord I pray that your presence would overwhelm them right now it would come in and change everything lord I ask that your power would change their hearts that your presence would consume them the Lord in repentance as we turn to you right now we turn away from what we've done and we turn in to your presence Lord that you would meet us there you're willing to change our lives and so we ask you to do so we ask you to take away our mistakes to trade with you so that you give us the love that you carry for us we love you and we thank you in Jesus name we pray amen and amen

Channel: Church of the Highlands

Views: 5,606

Rating: 4.8857141 out of 5

Keywords: Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands, COTH, Alabama, Religion, Christianity

Id: rGi5VTNv4nY

Length: 72min 44sec (4364 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 21 2020