Full Transcript

One of the things that I love about the new year and the Christmas season is I get to enjoy, sometimes I get to enjoy the bowl games. Some of you saw some of the bowl bowl games that I would not, did not expect. Pastor Meredith over here, cuz his team is tcu. So they got in last yesterday. So TCU got in, but some of my teams didn’t get in.

[00:00:21] But, uh, UT lost and I was hoping that they would win some of the other others. But I want to tell you about a, about a game that I saw. Uh, that just, I’m talking about. It was a crazy game. Cause some of the bowl games were crazy. But, but Arkansas. Arkansas, the bowl game, they won in three overtime, right?

[00:00:41] Three. Was it bowl overtime? Was it four? Wow. Well, anyway, I went back and watched, I went back and watched it. Don’t be They won. They won. And so they’re gonna flash the score up on the screen. The guys okay. It was 55 to 53, so barely won. Barely. They barely won. So, so it was three over. So anyway, so here we go.

[00:01:01] So I was, I was watching the game. Keep that game, keep the score up. I was watching that game, but let me tell you how I watched it. I watched it knowing that they had won. Okay? So I watched it knowing that they had won the game. So I’m, I’m sitting there going, and I, I knew they won, so I’m just like, this is great.

[00:01:20] We gotta go back. So Vanessa goes, honey, she goes three overtime. She goes, you gotta go back and watch the game. So I went back and watched it, and I’m telling you, I was, I was like, how in the world did they win this game? Because I saw fumbles, I saw turnovers, I saw scores going back and forth. But in the back of my mind, I knew we had won.

[00:01:40] So here’s what I want to tell you. One of the things that Franklin Cubby says is that you begin with the end in mind. I want to tell you this warning that you need to begin this year with the end in. The end is, is that you win. Yeah. The end is that we are winners. Yeah. The end is, is that you had already won the game.

[00:02:00] If you look to the end of the book, you can see that we have won the game. Look at your neighbor. Say you’re a winner. You’re a winner. Look at somebody else and say, chicken. Chicken dinner. That’s right. Chicken dinner. Winner win. I’m telling you what, you have already won the. The game has already been won.

[00:02:16] You need to rejoice that the game has already been won. God has already won the victory through his son, Jesus Christ. The blood has already been shed. He’s already came out of the tomb. There’s no more going back into the tomb. The victory has already been won. And so here’s what I want to tell you, because you have won the mistakes that you have made on the field do not count because you’ve already know the end from the.

[00:02:40] So the penalties, we had so many penalties. So even when they got up to the line, and what happens is, is when you’re on the line in the quarterback and one person steps off side, the whole team’s gotta go back. Right. And so I’m gonna tell you what the, the, the truth is, is that we had already won. So your penalties, all the things that you’ve done in the past, all the things that you’re holding yourself to, all the old mindsets, all the things that you fumbled, some of you have fumbled the ball, some of you have made mistakes, some of you have done things that you’re not proud of.

[00:03:07] Some of you have done some things you’re not telling people. Some of you have done some things that’s going to the grave with you, but I wanna tell you, That you have already won because of what Christ has done at the cross for you. And here’s a scripture. Why don’t you turn your Bibles to Romans chapter eight.

[00:03:21] Romans chapter eight, and Pastor, one of the things that happened while you’re turning there, one of the things that happens on our staff a lot is that these guys, we don’t talk about some of them. Sometimes we do a little bit about the messages, but, but Pastor Kevin had already preached my message this morning.

[00:03:35] I thought, well, I may ever just get up and just close the book Bible and say Amen. Everybody just go home. Some of you like you can still do that. Okay, now hold on now, , Romans chapter eight verse, uh, verse 18 says, for our consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be re to be revealed to us.

[00:03:57] Here’s what that’s saying. Said, all the things that you have suffered, all things you’ve gone through is not gonna be even close to the glory that God is gonna have in your life. God is gonna get the glory out of your. God is going to get the glory out of your life. God, I want you to hear God is going to get the glory out of your life.

[00:04:17] Some of you’re looking at your life going, I don’t know how he’s gonna get any glory outta what I’ve done. I don’t know how he’s gonna get any glory outta what’s what I’m ha what’s happening in my life. If you look at my life, pastor Chris, if you look at some of the things that I’ve done, if you look at the past, you would look and say that, I don’t see how he’s gonna get the glory.

[00:04:32] Out of my life. Here’s what I’m saying. Really, when I say it’s not about you, it really isn’t about you. It’s about the fact that God sent his son who died and shed his blood for us. And the reason why we can stand clean and transformed and changed and renewed is because of the power of the shed, blood of Jesus Christ that washes us.

[00:04:52] And now we can say, I am the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus. That is the reason why you can sit there and say, God’s gonna get the glory outta. He’s gonna get the glory outta my life. He’s gonna get the glory out of my life because I am surrendered and submitted to Christ is no longer I that live but Christ that lives within me.

[00:05:10] No longer I that live, but Christ that live, I’ve been crucified with Christ. Come on, on. And because I’ve been crucified with Christ, I’m, it’s no longer me. So this is, listen, when you’re trying to get me offended, you trying to offend a dead. I want you to see when you walking that’s, I mean, I should do this, do this to each other cuz we’ll be a strange church because we’re one of those peculiar people.

[00:05:31] People, when people’s like dead man walking, that’s a dead man walking. They said that the prison people dead man walking. People go into death row, dead man walking. Why? Because don’t, those things don’t need to no longer affect my life because I’m crucified with Christ. I’m submitted and surrendered to him.

[00:05:48] My life is not my own. My life is not what I want it to be. So stop talking about my life. It’s his life. It’s no longer I that live, but Christ that lives within me. Do you hear what I’m telling you? You need to hear that. That’s the glory that’s gonna be revealed in us for the creation. Verse 19, waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of.

[00:06:09] Listen, the Earth is groaning. Groaning, we’re wanting the sons of God to show themselves forth is 2023 the year that the sons and daughters of God are gonna step out and be who God’s called them to be? I say, yes, it’s time for us to, for the creation. We’re subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it.

[00:06:29] It subjected it in hope. In hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the. Of the children of God. That’s how I know God’s gonna get the glory out of your life. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

[00:06:50] And not only the creation, but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the spirit. Anybody have the first fruits of the spirit on the inside of them, grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for the adoption that sons the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were. Now hope that is seen is not hope for who hopes for what he see.

[00:07:12] But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. I want you to look up here just for a minute, and there’s something about reading the word of God. I can see some of you as I’m reading, some of you just like Mm. That’s about me right there. The hope some of you have been patiently waiting for God to step in and do the thing that he said he was going to do.

[00:07:31] Some of you have had prophetic words. Some of you have had dreams. Some of you have had people spoke that have spoken vision over you. Some of you have had. I would even say this, this isn’t even in my notes. The Lord just told me this right now. Some of you have had things that he has given to you as a child.

[00:07:46] He has given them, uh, to you as a child, and you have not yet seen it come into fruition. Some of you have wanted to give up on it. Some of you have wanted to stop it and just say, God, well, you, I just, I just gonna give up on this dream. I wanna tell you that as you are waiting patiently, go ahead and put on.

[00:08:03] Go ahead and put on some faith. Go ahead and put on what God has said over you and pull off those words out of the shelf and say, God, you are a God of your word. Man. Breaks their promise, but your promises are yes and amen through Christ Jesus and standing on the promises that cannot fail. Anybody know what I’m talking about?

[00:08:23] Standing on his promises, waiting with patience, knowing that he is going to fulfill his word. Amen. Do you hear what I’m telling you? Child as a, as a woman in childbirth. Now, I didn’t know anything about that because my wife had all the kids, but I was supporting . I was in the room. And so, um, some of you guys don’t know this, but when, when Luke was born, we were sitting in the, in the emergency room and Vanessa had a one those big old contractions, and she was like, oh.

[00:08:50] And it was like the lady and the doctor said, push. And I said, honey, hold. Don’t push yet. Emmett’s on the 10 yard line. Amans about to hand it to him, and we’re getting ready to score. And to this day we still, I haven’t lived that down. She’s still mad at me about that . That’s why we have free Indeed and stuff like that that’s going on with you.

[00:09:10] Free indeed, . But here’s the deal, some of you have been waiting and it’s been painful and it’s been hard and it’s been, anybody know what I’m talking about? You don’t have to raise your hand, but you know what I’m talking. It’s been hard, but I’m believing that God who honors his word and is faithful to do what he says he’s going to do will step in out of time into your time for his perfect timing for your life.

[00:09:31] Amen. You hear what I’m saying? Yes. So will he do it? Will he fulfill his word? The answer is yes. Yes. Verse 26. Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness where we do not know what to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Anybody ever had groanings too deep for words and he search his hearts nose and mind of the spirit because the spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

[00:10:00] And we. That for those who love God, all things work together for good. For those who are called according to his purpose, for those whom he fore knew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and those whom he predestined. He also called.

[00:10:21] And those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified. So that is how I know that God is gonna get the glory out of your life in 2023. He’s gonna get the glory out of your life. Now here’s what you, here’s what, here’s the three battles that you’re gonna have to face.

[00:10:37] You ready for him? Here’s the three, three battles I’m thinking about. That game. It was back and forth. He had, they was back and forth. Coach went in and said, Hey guys, you gotta change the way you think, whatever he said to him to get him to come by and win that game. But here’s what you gotta face. The battles, three of ’em.

[00:10:51] Number one, you gotta face the battle of the mind. You’re gonna have to fight those thoughts that come into your mind. Stop that traffic. If it’s not in the word of God. And the only way that you’re gonna be able to fight the traffic and stop the traffic in your mind is you gotta combat it with the word of God.

[00:11:06] Amen. You can’t, you can’t argue with the enemy on your feelings, based on your feelings, is gotta be the word of God. He said, Jesus said, he said. Is written, say it with me. It is written. And the only way you’re gonna get the word you need to engage in the word I’m gonna tell you. You wanna talk about, um, the word of God and how many times, like do you have a quiet time?

[00:11:27] Sometimes Pastor Kevin and I don’t, we don’t have quiet times. Sometimes we have loud times. You know what I’m saying? Some of y’all just be like, well, I’m having my quiet time. I, I don’t even know who made that up. I, sometimes I have wild times because sometimes, and I have loud times because sometimes when I’m in, in my prayer time or whatever you wanna call it, I’m doing spiritual warfare, fighting against the things that are coming against my family and how many know I’m not gonna be anybody know what I’m talking about?

[00:11:50] When anybody comes in against your family, it’s not a time to go, okay, Lord, I just need you to just help me and show me and be like, Lord. You said that the, that the enemy walks about like a roaring lion seek him who he may devour, but he came to the wrong house today because I’m not having it. Because your, your word is a shield about me and you’re the glory and lifter of my head.

[00:12:10] And you said that you would give your angels charge over me and my family, and I just go to war. Anybody know what I’m, I’m talking about? So you, you, you gotta change right here. The big battle, right? Six inches. Between your ears, the battle of the mind, your thoughts, getting control of your thoughts. Some of y’all, when I said it, he’s like, is it six inches?

[00:12:29] I don’t know. Yeah, some of y’all’s heads are bigger than mine. But anyway, so I’m just saying six inches right here. So you’re gonna have to fight the battle of the mind. Second battle, ready for it? Second battle. The battle of the mouth. Yeah, the battle of the. The battle of the mouth. Some of you’re speaking things that God has not said over you.

[00:12:52] Some of you’re saying some things that is not in his word. Some of you just splatter out. The first ain’t come to your mind and you hadn’t, and some of y’all hadn’t gotten control of your thoughts. So the thing, so the, the brain bone connected to the mouth bone and so all of a sudden you’re just saying things and you’re s spattering out words and you know you can have what you say.

[00:13:09] Amen. The battle of the mouth, the tongue is the hardest thing to, to, to tame. So the battle of the mouth where you start speaking God’s oracles, and the only way that you’re going to be able to speak God’s Oracles is if you get into God’s word. I want to challenge you, pastor shouldn’t use that word. I want to invite you, but I need to, the word of God is living.

[00:13:33] It’s active. Amen. Yes. Powerful. Sharper than any two-edged. Piercing even to the division of the Soul of Son and is a discerner of the thoughts and intent of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is naked in this sight, but all things are naked, open to the eyes of him with whom we have to give an account.

[00:13:52] Jesus, who has, uh, great high priests, have been touched with every infirmity, every feeling, and yet he was without sin. Know the word. Read the word meditate on the word. Did you know the word when it says meditate on his word, day or night? You know what it. It means to walk around and mutter out loud. Yes.

[00:14:10] It’s like, well, that crazy people do that . We need some crazy people during this time. Right now we need the church to stand up and be, and be able to fight during this time right now. Amen. Yes. I was picking on Gerald, who’s one of our elders, um, earlier, but Gerald, I want you to say it as loud as you can.

[00:14:28] How many times should we engage in the word during. Every day. Every day. Okay. He would usually say about at least, at least five times a week, but he went aboard above cuz he know y’all not gonna do that. But anyway, um, need to engage in the word every day. Get in the word. Get in the word. Get in the word wait.

[00:14:46] Let the word get in you. Yes. That’s good. Battle of the mind. Powerful battle of the mouth. Here’s a, here’s a third battle. The battle of the means. The word means. The word means, means strategy. Your how is your, what is your means to get there? How is your, your method to get to the place that God has for you, your strategy?

[00:15:11] What is the means? How is he going to do it? The battle of, so because the, we talk about a vehicle is a means to get to your, your job is a means. A vehicle is a means to get to a place with the battle of the means. The enemy is always trying to stop your way and get in the way of what God is wanting to do in.

[00:15:28] What is a strategy that God is wanting to download to you? It’s a battle of the means because his ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. Battle of the Mind. Battle of Battle of the Mouth. Battle of means. Some, some of you, God’s wanting to get, he wants to get some finances to you, but he can’t give finances to you because you’re not generous.

[00:15:55] And he wants you to, he wants us to be generous. Does he? Does he want us to be generous? Right? I want our people to be blessed. And so one of the things we are gonna, we’re gonna talk about this week, what does it mean to be generous? Because the truth is, I just, I was talking with Pastor Robert Morris about this and he said, Chris, he goes, if I had to do all over again, he goes, I would talk about money more.

[00:16:13] I was like, you talk about money a lot. And he goes, I would talk about it more because I want our people to be blessed. It’s not about us. It’s not that we need money, but it’s about, I want our people to be blessed. What are the means? What is the strategy and the way that he’s gonna change the way that you think is for you to change your perspective?

[00:16:32] So the last thing I’m gonna say to you, change your perspective. There’s a mom who’s, who’s taking a child out, but she’s all right now, but Teresa, would you stand with this, this, this pretty baby, newborn baby that’s in your arms. Everybody say, Aw. Everybody say, Aw, how old is? How old is that? 10 days, 10 days old and brought her to church , Vanessa, be like, I’m staying home.

[00:16:55] We take all the kids Anyway. , here’s, here’s, here’s what I wanna say to you, Teresa does that, is that baby worried about inflation? Is is that baby worried about? Does, does it know? How does, does that baby, does she know how to say Biden ? I’m just asking. I don’t know. You don’t know. You don’t know. Does, does she know how to say Does she know how to say Beto?

[00:17:23] I, I just wanna know, does the baby, only thing she’s worried about right now is the peaceful sleep that’s going on right now and, and grandma’s arms. I want to tell you, the last thing I wanna say to you is, come into the kingdom like a little child. Amen. Not worried about her next meal. Not worried about where she’s gonna go after.

[00:17:46] Not worried about, don’t even know what year it is. All she know is is when that, when her tummy’s growling, she’s gonna cry and somebody’s gonna feed her right when she’s cold. Somebody’s gonna make sure she has clothes. When she has a need, everybody’s gonna be scrambling around. That’s why we’re not coming to y’all’s house, scrambling around trying to figure out what she needs because she’s cared for and she’s loved and she’s known.

[00:18:12] Here’s what I wanna say to you this morning. You are. You are cared for and you are known going to this new year with a different perspective, a different mindset, knowing the battles we’ve won, it’s over. Somebody’s like, well, I’m in the third overtime. Good, you still have won. I’m in the second OT still, you’ve won.

[00:18:35] I’m just getting started. You win. We win. Now knowing that, let’s go into this new year. With a winning attitude and a winning mindset and a winning heart, because we know in whom we have believed that he is able to keep that, which I’ve committed to him against that day. Yes. Are you ready? Yes.