Claim Your Anointing: Live in Holy Spirit's Authority

Romans 15 is our word today. Romans chapter 15. Place Romans 15 beginning at verse 14. I'm beginning a series called I'm ready. Someone say I'm ready. And so I talk. Been talking for a few months about the second step. And so I want to continue on that journey and talk about I'm ready. So this week I want to talk about ambition. Next week we're going to talk about frustrations, facing my frustrations. But this week I want us to engage with how. How I'm ready to own my ambition. I'm ready to own my ambition. Look at the word of the Lord beginning at verse number 14, the book of Romans. Paul writes this to the church. He says, I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I've written to you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace that God has given me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the Gospel of God so that Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Therefore, I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done, by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way to Ilikram. Ilikum. Sorry. I have fully proclaimed the Gospel of Christ. It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. I want to wrestle with this morning a couple of minutes. I am ready to own my ambition. I am ready to own my ambition. Allow me to pray for you, Father. Thank you for who you are. Thank you for what we feel now. God give us the words to communicate what our bodies feel, what our minds feel, so that we can communicate it. So somebody else encounters you. Because of our encounters with you. It's in Jesus name. Everybody said, amen. You can be seated even in the presence of the Lord. You know, Paul is writing this book of Romans and it's a beautiful book of scripture where Paul is about to embark on his third missionary journey. He's sitting in Corinth writing this letter to them to a church he's never visited. He's writing this to get the picture of what the context of rome was. Around 49 CE Claudius expels all of the Jews from Rome. A couple Years later on 54 CE, Claudius died. The Jews all returned back to Rome. But the people who were left in Rome and who migrated to Rome because of all of this extra room in Rome was this community called the Gentiles. The Gentiles, where they call them the half blood Jews, not the full Jews. So now Claudius dies, the Jews begin to return to Rome. The church in Rome is expanding and now there's a floodgates opening of Jews that are assisting in the church expansion. Expanding into dimensions they didn't even know was possible. This expansion in Rome is that people are attending church and the churches that the Jews are coming to are dominated by Gentiles simply because the Jews weren't there. The Jews are creating now this palpable tension between all the people this together, these two are still wanting to build the body of Christ, but they don't want to build it together. Paul writes this letter to the church at Rome after he gets word about this and says, hold on, let me get this church in shape. He says the church must be built on the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everybody take your Bibles, go to Matthew, chapter 6, verse 33. If you don't have the scripture underlined, if you don't have the scripture highlighted, this is the easiest scripture to memorize this year. But if we're seeing, what does it mean to build the gospel? What is Christ calling us to do with the gospel? I want you to see this in Matthew 6, 33, underlined, highlighted, Jesus is having a conversation and he says this. If we want to make sure we are communicating the gospel, here is the goal of the church, here's what your vision, your mindset ought to be consistent with. And it harkens back to what we had a conversation about last night. And watch that in Psalm 27 that David said, one thing I desire is to be in the presence of God. Jesus says, so how do we put this in the New Testament? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added and given unto you. I don't have time to unpack all of it, but if you go above this, the first 32 verses, Jesus begins to talk about their anxieties, what they're desiring in the kingdom, how they will be fed, how will they be clothed. And Jesus said, if you seek the kingdom first, if you seek God's righteousness first, everything you need to to make kingdom happen, God will ensure that you have it. That's why the goal here is to ensure we are seeking the kingdom. We are building the body of Christ. So what do we have we're talking about and his righteousness. So if the kingdom is God, God at work in the world, combating against the world systems, then what is his righteousness? We'll go to Colossians 3, verse number 12. I want you to see how God speaks over you, how God sees you in terms of what righteousness is. Go to Colossians chapter 3, verse number 12. I want you to see this. If we're going to build the gospel, we're going to be based on the gospel. I want you to have this highlighted and underlined. This is what righteousness looks like, what it feels like. Look what he says here. Paul writes this. Colossians 3, verse number 12. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, so that's God's responsibility. God says, you are chosen. I've called you holy, and you are loved by me. Here's our responsibility. Clothe yourself. Outfit yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Now, let's unpack this word, humility. Because I think humility becomes this. This really interesting word that, you know, it's just, I'm so humble. And, you know, humble people don't have to tell you they're humble. I'm gonna let that sink in because, you know, like, wealthy people don't go around like, hey, I'm wealthy, right? Wise people don't have to tell you they're wise. Humble this way. So my wife and I have been having this conversation about, like, you know, somebody. Like, somebody gets on the award show. Oh, my God, I'm just so humble. No, baby, you work for this. I prayed for this. Like, I'm so humble. No, no, no. You don't know how much I've been praying. How. So here's what humility means in the Greek. The word humility in the Greek is a very interesting word because it literally means to exalt God. That humility says that I am building God up so much that it's not I'm humbled. It's God has been this much of God to me. So it's not. I'm humbled by this. No, God gave me the authority to go to this job, the skill sets that the college I went to. God gave me the wisdom. God gave me the. And so the issue is, we get exempt. We exempt of worshiping God and exalting God by making sure people see our humility without saying no. The reason I Have what I have. I'm doing what I'm doing. I'm going where I'm going. I'm growing. Where I'm growing is because the Lord did it. How different would it be if your favorite musician got up at the award show and said, no? Let me take a moment to tell you. God is the real reason I went to school the first time. God is the one who gave me the authority. God is the one who gave me the wisdom, the vision to memorize everything. And the reason I'm here today is not just humility. It's that I'm going to take this time to exalt the Savior, to tell you that the reason I'm doing what I'm doing is because Jesus was on my side. How different would it be that when you get that job, it's like, I'm humble.

They did it. No, you went to school for it.

You worked for it. It.

You prayed for it.

You gave for it.

You sowed seeds for it.

So instead of saying, I'm humbled by it, I'm going to exalt the Savior. God gave me the wisdom in that interview. God gave me the clothes to wear to go to the interview.

God gave me the ability to have.

Concrete conversation and sentences. The challenge I want to give us when it comes to humility is the humility. Here is, I am making God big in the world. Humility. Humility is exalting God. And so if we. You misuse this word, it becomes an exemption to make sure that we communicate.

The bigness, the vastness of God.

You prayed and fasted, so tell somebody that some things only come by prayer and fasting. I'm gonna say it again. I know this is real weird. Probably thinking Pastor Justin being all weird. No, that's the text. Humility. Literally saying, I'm exalting God. Paul says, clothe yourself by exalting the Savior. How different would it be at your job, man? We got that brand new account because I prayed for it.

We got that brand new account because.

I fasted for it. I put that on the altar. And I knew that some things only come when you pray in the spirit. How often? Always. Until when?

Until it happens.

Because some things come by prayer and fasting. God is challenging us to not hide him by our language, but to exalt him. Paul says that if we're going to be righteous, we are continuing consistently exalting God. So then he gets to Rome and he says, so this is how the church has got to be built. Those things clothe Yourself in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. That the gospel of the Lord Jesus is for anybody, anywhere, at any time. That we are conscious that sin separates us from God. Now I want to talk about sin for a second.

So if you.

If we're going to talk about engaging with sin. Sin is not just sex, drugs and alcohol. Sin is anything that causes distance between you and God, that clouds your vision. It could be sex, drug and alcohol. It can also be your pride, your language, your lack of time management. I wish I had some. About the disrespecting of yourself, the negative words you use over your own self, the language you use to find somebody else, how other people have more live rent free in your mind that's causing distance between you and God. And Paul says, but the gospel, Hallelujah will always bring us closer to who Jesus is. That's the entire book of Romans. It's a very deep book, it's a very heavy book. But I want us to see. So let me give you the breakdown of the book of Romans if you want to study the book of Romans. So chapters one through four. Paul. Paul is saying, so here's what the gospel does. Number one. The gospel reveals God's righteousness. So if we're going to be the righteousness of God, we then first get an understanding of the Gospel, revealing to us the righteousness of God. Number two, Chapters five through eight tells you that God desires to create a new humanity that reflects God's dream for us. That God desires to create a new humanity that reflects God's dream for us, for Christ. Paul, in this case, he wanted the Jews and the Gentiles just to go to church together. Chapters 9 through 11. The gospel fulfills all of God's promises. That if God's word is your guarantee, if you don't have that, I want you to write that down. This is a note taking sermon. God's word is your guarantee. If God gives you a word, it's not if it will come to pass, it's when it will come to pass. The Gospel shows you that if you were to go to the Old Testament, every single thing that God said was going to happen happened in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the gospel reminds us that God is not a man, that God will lie. So then chapters 12 through 16 tells us the gospel always. So if the Gospel reveals God's righteousness, if the gospel creates a new humanity that reflects God's dream for us, and if the gospel reflects all of God's promises, then also the gospel will bring the church back together. How to reach the masses, men of every birth for answer. Jesus said, this is how you do it. Lift me up and I'll do the work. I don't want to, I don't want to overcomplicate this. I think if we complicate the gospel, we trivialize the testimony. The gospel does the work. There is no marketing plan that I can ever give that will outdo the gospel. Culture eats strategy for breakfast, but they can't combat the Holy Ghost. You can, you can out strategize the person next to you, but you can't. You pray in the spirit and access what God has for you. You can't beat me, I can't beat you. But we can build the body of Christ that comes against this competitive culture and gets to more collaborative culture. So Paul then ends this book by telling them practically that the gospel brings them together because they were divided by the law. They were using the law to call each other by names that God did not call them. Namely, here's the words they were using. They were using the word strong and weak. They were deciding who was strong and who was weak. And what Paul was saying, this is a faith issue. You are literally in church competing with one another, thinking that I'm stronger, I'm weaker. So the stronger made themselves feel better because they prayed more, they prayed longer, their clothes were a different color and the weak felt bad. But what Paul was writing them, informing them is that the weakest is the definition of how strong the entire church is. Friendship. We are only as strong as the weakest person in this church. I'm gonna just let that sink in. If we're picking on or downing any member of this church, we are only as strong as the person you're calling that that name. We don't boast in any stronger cuz oh, I wish I had a witness have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

But God in his righteousness gave us.

The Lord Jesus Christ.

So Paul says, I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God to.

Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable worship.

Paul says, no one is stronger than anyone. We all are broken vessels between a full fountain. And if God don't do it, it won't get done.

Glory to the Son of God. The transformation that we need and the transformation that we want happens at the foot of the cross. I'm gonna teach this. So Paul says, here's the argument they had in church. I'm Gonna get to this text, chapter 13. He gives him the argument. He says, they're arguing about three, three things. Number one, they want to argue about festivals. The festivals they wanted to argue about, really number one, were the traditions they wanted to keep because they said, if we can out tradition these Gentiles, we can kick the Gentiles out the church. Then secondly, they said, we want to argue about what, when or when not to eat meat. Because I want to argue, number two, about what will nourish people. Because if I can tell them they can't eat the things that have been nourishing them, if I can outlaw them on their food, then they may die and not come back to my church. And then lastly, we want to talk about the wine they drink because the wine was used, number three, for celebration. So Paul says, here's the argument these Jews are using against Gentiles. Their traditions are messed up. They don't eat the same food as us and they celebrate in a different way. And Paul is saying, your bias is showing. We call it judgment because all we're doing is casting conclusions about somebody else based upon our narrative and our history. And Paul says the whole goal of Jesus Christ coming was to create a unity between us and heaven because sin created a disunity between us and heaven. And the same way, if God can unify us with Father, then certainly Jews can work with Gentiles. If God can save your soul, you can talk to your mama. If God can save you. I wish I had a witness and you know how far away you were from the shore. And if God could save you. But you can talk to your friend from high school. So what then shall we do with. And Paul says this. I'll put this on the screen. In Romans, chapter 15, verse 13, he says, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him. So that the more I trust in God, the more I'll be filled with joy and peace. The more I trust him, the more I'm. You see this? And here's what happens. So you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Ghost. I want to put this iteration up on the screen today. I want you to put your name in the scripture because this scripture sets the foundation for the rest of our conversation today. I literally put up here, I think it says, insert your name here. Romans 15, verse number 13. And I want you to put here, so may the God of hope. And I want you to put your name there. May the God of hope insert your name, so may The God of hope fill Deke. Right. May the God of hope fill this up. Insert your name. May the God of hope fill your name me with all joy and peace. I want you to put your name there as you so may the God of hope fill Justin with all joy and peace as Justin trusts in him so that Justin will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. I want you to put your name so you can see the power of this text. So what shall we do if we're going to do this work? May the God of hope fill some so with all joy and peace as Andrea trusts in him. So that's Andrea will overflow with hope and power by the Holy Ghost. May the God of hope fill Courtney with all joy and peace as Courtney trusts in him so that Courtney may have overflow with peace and the power of the Holy Spirit. May the God of hope filled Ek with all joy and peace as Ek trusts in him so you may overflow with the hope and the power of the Holy Ghost. When you see yourself in the scripture, you don't push the scripture away. You see that there is work that God, God called you to do and the work that God calls you to do. May the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace as I trust in him and I will overflow with hope and power in the Holy Ghost. This is what Paul is getting to. Paul says there's a monumental task to share the gospel. Me getting up here and saying we're going to make known in Vallejo as it is in heaven is a monumental task. And how do we do it? May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him. So we overflow by the power, but the hope by the power of the Holy Ghost. Paul continues this text in chapter 15. And he says in chapter 15 he says, so here's how we do it. The last part of that. By the power of the Holy Spirit. The only way we can do this work, the only way the success you're praying for this year will happen is by the power of the Holy Spirit. How do we know that? Verse number 14, Paul says this. I'm convinced, brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness and knowledge and competent to do this because the church is only as strong as her willingness to trust the Holy Ghost. Not just to feel the Holy Ghost, but to trust the Holy Ghost. I want to make that very clear. The Holy Ghost is not the. The ending of the Holy Ghost is not at your goosebumps. The continual movement of The Holy Ghost is now that I feel. Felt the presence of God, I then trust the revelation that came in his presence. I really hope you all hear me today. It's one thing to receive the Holy Ghost. It's then to trust what the Holy Ghost tells you to do. And Paul says, how do I know this is happening? Because Paul says, my life is an example of what it means to trust the Holy Ghost. I've been stoned and I'm still alive.

I've had snake bites and.

And I'm still alive. I've been shipwrecked and I'm still alive. And so Paul says, I'm successful. I'm free of judgment. I'm forgiven.

I forgive others.

I have ambition.

I serve others.

I will boast in my service because of one thing. I trust the Holy Ghost. And so because I trust him, Paul says, I'm gonna keep talking about Jesus. I'm gonna go to new territory, keep talking about Jesus. You know why God keeps on keeping me? Because of the Holy Ghost. I'm ambitious because of the Holy Ghost. I. I have dreams because of the Holy Ghost.

I have goals because of the Holy Ghost. I have a purpose because of the Holy Ghost. So I'm going to do what God tells me to do. I'm going to be who God called me to be. I'm going to go where God calls me to go. I'm going to be successful in every.

Endeavor that God sends me to because.

Of the Holy Ghost.

And you know what that means.

I'm not going to downplay my success.

Because the Holy Ghost gave it to me.

I'm not going to downplay my anointing because the Holy Ghost covered me. I'm not going to shirk backwards into the background because the Holy Ghost is in me. I'm not gonna be ashamed of what God has told me because I have the Holy Ghost. And Paul says, I am not afraid to talk about Jesus because the Holy Ghost is using me. And I don't want to lose the Holy Ghost. And Paul says, I'm just gonna tell you. I'm here because of the power of the Holy Ghost.

Now let me say this, too.

The Holy Ghost is not denominational. I wish I had a witness in this Presbyterian glycerin. The Holy Ghost is not denominational. He didn't stop at Kojic. He didn't stop at Pentecostal. My Bible said, you pray in the spirit and ask for the greater gifts. And those who ask for it, the Lord will give it. The Holy Ghost is not a denomination The Holy Ghost is a part of God's essence. It gives you the authority to speak those things that are not as though they already are. To look at the room with those who are sick and pronounce healing over them. That's the power. The Holy Ghost.

Paul says, I ain't scared to talk about Jesus because I got the Holy Ghost. Glory to the Son of God. And that's why when we talk about baptism, there is.

There's the baptism by water, there's the baptism in the spirit.

And if you don't think we're gonna have services on that, we actually, the end of this month, the last Friday of this month, you can put it on your calendar. It's not on the calendar yet. Last Friday of this month is Holy Spirit activation night. And literally all we're doing is laying hands and baptizing in the Holy Ghost. If you get weird and want to.

Be super Baptist, Baptist folk, do it. Because we are baptized by water and baptized in the Holy Ghost. So that's this fervor, that's this tenacity. The Holy Spirit is not just your goosebumps. The Holy Spirit gives you wisdom to.

Do things the world didn't even know was possible. Wisdom. Glory to the Son of God. So Paul says, I'm anointed. I'm successful because of the Holy Spirit. So imagine how Romans received this letter. You arrogant little. Paul. How dare you tell us how successful you are. Because how what?

Who do you do you know who you are, Paul?

We tried to kill you when you came here and you gonna tell us the Holy Ghost does this work? Because isn't that what we do to ambitious Christians? We love to kill folks dreams in the name of humility. We love to kill folks dreams because we want to sit there and say, how dare you tell me what God has done in your life. How dare you tell me about favor. How dare you tell me you retired early. How dare you tell me you bought a million dollar house. How dare you tell me that you prayed for it. God answered your prayer.

No, baby, you ought to suffer as.

Bad as I am.

Because I don't think know Jesus and I'm suffering. So I want you to have a.

Life that's as bad as mine.

Because I don't want to hear about.

How God gave you favor. Paul writes and says, no, that's the work of Christ.

That if you trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways, acknowledge him. He'll lead you in favor filled places. The gospel Is not a place for you to live broke. The gospel is not a place for you to live hating yourself. The gospel is. Is not a place for you to talk about how bad your life is. God says I came that you might have life. I'm Christian and I got favor on my life I'm Christian and I own my house I wish I had somebody I'm Christian and I got a good job I'm Christian and I'm in. I wish I had somebody I'm in college I'm Christian and I paid off my bills I'm Christian and I ain't got no credit I wish I had somebody I'm Christian, Christian and God gave me a brand new house I'm Christian and God gave me a brand new car I'm Christian and my body is healed I'm Christian. I wish I had some Christians because we love talking about how bad life is. But let me talk. Put a nickel in the meter. I'm Christian and I retired at 52 I'm Christian and I lost weight last year I'm Christian and I ain't got no worries with the doctor this week I'm Christian and the court case don't exist no more. I'm Christian and God made a way for me that took me from glory to glory to favor to favor. That God is not in heaven hoping you suffer. He's in heaven taking you from favor to favor.

So the ambition we have isn't putting God down.

Ambition says, this is what happens when.

You trust the Holy Ghost. Hallelujah. And that's what Paul is saying. I have dreams because I have ambition, because because of the Holy Ghost.

I have purpose. I have a business to start.

I have a book to write because.

God has given me vision because of the Holy Ghost. And Paul says, I will never stop telling you about what God is doing in my life because the moment I.

Stop telling the story, God will find somebody else. That's what we're challenged to never not tell your story. That's what we're challenged to never not tell your testimony. That's what we're challenged to always tell. So I was depressed and the Lord restored my mind. I was down and the Lord brought me up.

The Lord let me retire. The Lord let me have income. I can pay for my kid to go to school. I'm not bragging on it because the Lord is the one that gave me the wisdom. With my resources in my 40s so my kids don't have to take out. I wish I had somebody. I'm not bragging. I'm telling you that. That it's possible because of the gospel.

Of the Lord Jesus Christ, that God will allow you to lead a life that reflects the kingdom of God. And in his kingdom, a cattle on a thousand hills is his. In his kingdom, you are worthy of every spiritual blessing. In his kingdom, you are the beloved of God. And in his kingdom, you are the chosen and the called of God. Now, I'm not preaching a prosperity gospel. Don't. Don't get it, Sweat. I don't want you there, right here. Oh, my God. No, I'm not telling you that. I'm telling you this. The gospel does the hard work. Do you trust the gospel? If you don't live your life, who will? A lot of us are struggling because we're living other people's lives. And the reason you're not great, the reason it's not successful, the reason it's not moving forward is that while you have gifts, you're working gifts in areas you aren't keeping.

Gifted.

And you're wondering why the Holy Ghost isn't working and why it's so frustrating, why your prayer life is not working. And the Holy Ghost is telling you, I didn't call you to do that. I didn't call you to preach. I didn't call you to sing. I didn't call you to be an attorney. I didn't call you to go.

I didn't call you to that.

You did it because you want to live somebody else's life. If you don't run into you, who will? If God gave you a gift, he's calling you to finish. I want to challenge you to own who you are, own your ambition. Because without acknowledging that I'm gifted, I'm frustrated that I'm gifted. Without owning that I have a gift, I can't communicate. The Holy Spirit is working through me. What in your life is surprising you because you're afraid of you? I want you to own your ambition. If the Holy Spirit can use me because I am filled with goodness and mercy, I have the boldness of God. I'm not stroking your ego. I want you to be so intimate with God that you don't have to make decisions because the Holy Spirit has made the decision for you. Paul says all I'm going to do is preach the gospel. If God sent his son to die so that we might have life, why do we shirk back from the life that Jesus gave us? Why do we hide our successes? If God gave you the success, gave you the stage so you can tell the world that the only reason to have success is Jesus? Why are you hiding your gifts?

Why are you hiding yourself from yourself? Why are you hiding that God has.

Anointed you to heal the sick? And when a sick person comes to the altar, you're. What are they going to say about me if I go and lay hands? Hands? What are they going to do?

Who is they? And why do they have more authority than what God has spoken over your life?

If I tell my story, what are they going to say? What are they going to think about me if I. If I come down there, give my love for to Christ? What are they going to say if I'm baptized? They knew I was baptized at 4. But if I get baptized again because I'm doing it for me and not for them, what are they going to say? No, I don't care what they say.

I'm so gifted that I'm walking in.

The affordable that God has given me.

And I'm gonna do this without judgment because I'm not here to be churchy. I'm here to be Christian.

Paul says, the only reason I have anything is because of Jesus. And I'm never going to shirk back from the authority I have in Jesus. I am Christian. I have power and I will always win. Because my Bible says I woke up in victory. My Bible says I've overcome because of the blood that was shed for me.

And because I have a testimony that that blood still works. I am Christian. I am not arrogant. I'm anointed because I know Jesus Christ.

How do we live this? I'm finished. I'm gonna give you two quick things. Number one, Paul challenges up. We're gonna own our ambition. Number one, I will always speak well of Jesus. I will always. Somebody say, always speak well of Jesus. Look at verses 18 and 19. Paul says, I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by leading Gentiles to obey God, by what I've said and what I've done by the power of signs and waters. Paul says, here's what ambitious Christians have. There's three things. Number one, my goals are centered around communicating Christ. Number two, I desire to show the power of. Of miracles. And number three, I'm tired of working. I'm gonna let God do the work on my behalf. Okay? He says here, first of all, my goals center on communicating Christ. My goals ensure that everybody around me hears Jesus through me. That's not boasting, that's communication. Right? Number two, I desire to show the Power of miracles. Listen, it's one thing. Have you seen the. The miracle that you are? I want my life to be so unique in line with the gospel that I'm driven by the power of God to be a miracle so I can show a miracle. Let me ask you a question. I want you to write these things down. Do it this week. What miracles did God perform in your life last year? Take comparison off the table. Take comparison off the. I want you to consider in your life, what miracles did God perform in your life last year? What in your life authentically shows the power of God. So we talk about signs and wonders. I'm gonna give you this definition. I got so much information, y'. All. I've been writing sermons all week and I've been waiting to get this one out. I didn't realize the time. But let me give you this. So there's the difference between signs and wonder. Is this helping anybody today? It's helping. Okay. So the difference between signs and wonders. So signs authentic God's purpose. Signs authenticate God's purpose. Wonders are the effects of God's work in the world. That's why sometimes we call it strange. Strange things happen. That's a wonder. Paul says, I desire to show miracles, signs and wonders. So lastly, Paul says, I'm tired of working. Paul says it like this. All of this work is not by my power power. It's by the power of God. You don't have to work to accomplish what Jesus has already finished. Hallelujah. Jesus is the fulfilled, completed work of God. The word a man literally means, I agree. Somebody say, I agree. So when I say amen, I'm literally telling God, I. I agree with what you've completed. The future is a memory to God. Okay? The things you are concerned about, God is laughing at because he's finished it. Okay, okay, okay. I'm walking in this. I'm trying to free some of y', all, trying to tell God what to do. And God says, I already finish the work. I need you to trust me. So when I pray unto God, I'm saying amen. Is saying, lord, I agree. Maybe that's the way you end your prayers this year, God.

That's why you hear me pray.

God, I agree with your word because it's already done. I agree that God says, this is our vision. It's already done. It's just a matter of, do we agree with what God is doing? I agree that my body is already healed. It's just a matter of when it happens. I agree that my marriage is back together. It's just a matter of when it happens. And I'm not just agreeing with my mouth, I'm agreeing. Paul says with my actions that I'm agreeing, that if God said it, it's already done that because Jesus has already completed it, because the future is in his memory. That's prophetic words. Prophecy is revealing the future. So when we prophesy, when we speak life into others, it's literally telling them the future that God already knows is going to happen. And the reason, reason God speaks over you is because God knows you can do it. You just don't trust him. The future is a memory to God. Number two, I have tools for new territory. I have tools for new territory. Put the map on the screen, if you don't mind that I sent over. I want you to see this map on the screen. So Paul says in verse number 19, from Jerusalem all the way to Illicrum. So Paul is in Corinth about the southern tip of Greece. So Paul's in the southern tip of Greece. And Paul says, here's where I believe God's called me to take the gospel from. I want you to see this from one end of the world to the other end of the world. I want you to get the picture. So we see the entire globe. You can take it off. We see the entire globe. So for us, we're like, yes, Africa is over there and Asia is over there, and Europe's over there for them. Like when when Jonah got into the boat and he said he was paying his fare to go all the way to the other side of the world, it was literally for them. I want to go as far away as I know Paul is saying, I am writing this letter. And I'm writing this letter so that God gives me the strength to tell the gospel from one end of the world to the other end of the world. And Paul says, what do I have to do it to go to new territory? I have the tools. What's my tool? The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says, I will reach the entirety of the Roman world with the gospel because the gospel does all the hard work. I have the tools of the gospel. I have the skills of the gospel. I have the ability with the gospel. And I'm going to go from one end of the world to the other end of the world because of the gospel. What you are praying for, you have been equipped to do. So I want you to move. Let me give you this. I want you to move from being a generalist to a specialist so generalists do this. So generalists should get a job. Am I helping anybody today? I hope I'm helping somebody. So generalists, you get a job, you know, you get a job, you got to do everything. You're know it all. Your do it. You're know it all, know it all, know it all, do it all, do it all, do it all. That's a generalist. That means you're staying very surface level. That's a generalist. I'm just doing everything. But a specialist says, what is the thing that God called me to do that no one can outdo me in? Because the only person in this world who's been equipped to do what you've been God called you to do is you is your future. Your priority is what God has called you to accomplish. Your priority. God says, concentrate on it now because you have the tools to handle new territory. And thirdly, and finally Paul says this. If I'm going to be ambition, if I'm going to own my ambition, he says this. I. I will not. I will not go where others have already gone. I will not go where others have already gone. Paul says it like this. It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known. So that I'm not building on somebody else's foundation. Okay, can somebody repeat after me? Somebody say this. Someone say this. I am. Come on. I, not my mother. Let that sink in. Somebody else. I am not my father. I'm trying to free somebody today. Someone else says I am not my mentor. Do you hear yourself? God did not call you to be what your mother didn't accomplish. God did not call you to be what your father didn't finish. Let me give you a positive and negative. Positive and negative. I'm not beating up your parents or your mentor. I want you to see how much God sees in you. Paul says, my ambition says this. I ain't going to where people have already gone. If I have all this gospel, I'm going to go where no one else has built a foundation, you know, for my own personal story. And I'm finished. I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My parents were pastors son to church in the mid-90s. This is part of my story I don't think I've ever shared with anyone. Parents started a church in the mid-90s and parents started a church, started growing, started doing well. My father was a terrible leader, just horrendous leader. And my mother actually went and got her master's and her doctor. I was on the way to get her doctorate. And that's when all the divorce and everything happened with my parents. And my father just left and talked to him in years until after my mother passed away. That's a whole nother story. If you guys are wondering why August so hard for me, try to talk to your dad after not talking to him for 14 years. And the only time he came back in was because of your mother's passing. It's a whole thing. So that was. August was very difficult for me. So with all of that, I remember a couple of years ago, there was a church that had recruited me to come and talk look at a church in Milwaukee back in 2019. And so I sat there, and for me, I didn't care where God was telling me to go. I wanted to redeem the Lester name in Milwaukee. I went back to this church, y'. All. I'm looking at it. I didn't care how big it was. All of this. And so literally, you know when you get red flags after red flag after red flag after red flag, but your ego says, I can do it all. That was where I was. So I was like, man, I can fix it. I can change it. I'll grow it. I'll get young people's. You know, we got an S on young people. I'll get young people's. I'll do this. I'll get this college. I'll teach here. I had all this stuff I was gonna do. I got back to the home, talking to my wife about it. Said, how was your trip? I don't think it's for me, but I've got to redeem what my parents didn't finish. I wasn't going to preach the gospel. I was going because I wanted to finish, and my parents didn't finish. And then I had to realize that I am not them. I'm Justin. And Justin is anointed. Justin is called. Because when I finally understood that God did not make me to do what Anthony didn't finish, God did not make me to do what Judith didn't finish.

He made me to do what Judah.

Justin need to do.

I'm not the father that Anthony wasn't. I'm the father Camden needs. I'm not the husband Anthony wasn't. I'm the husband Courtney needs. And your ambition says, I am unashamed to be myself. Because the gospel is at work in me. I'm talking to people in the building that your fear is not being your mother. Your fear is being your father. And God says, no, I want you to build where no one else is built because your. You will be the one who breaks the curse. You will be the first one who goes to college. You will be the first one who retires early. You will be the first millionaire in your family. Because you are not them. You are who God called you to be.

So let me give you this we. I want you to know yourself and imagine yourself. See, it's one thing to have retro reflection turns information into insight. Okay? So we. We often reflect and find ourselves. We know ourselves, but don't imagine ourselves. So it's one thing to have introspection. It's another thing to have intention. I'm understanding who I am, and then I'm gonna be intentional to build who God's called me to be. And that's where you move beyond your One day. One day I'll be better than this. One day I'll be the mom. One day. You know, one day is the busiest day of the year. When you gonna work out? One day. When you gonna stop drinking? One of these days. When you gonna call him back? One day. When you gonna forgive him? One day. When you gonna give your life over to Christ? One day. We know one day means never. We know one day is calendared. And it keeps moving back and back when you make the decision. I'm not gonna build what somebody else didn't build. I'm not gonna do what somebody else didn't do. I am building and doing what God called me to be. And here's how I know you're gonna win when you do what God has called you to do. You put his reputation on the line. You ain't messing with me. You're with messing. Messing with God's reputation. So I'm not worried because his reputation's on the line. My son, a couple years ago, was in school. He was in aftercare. My son was bigger than most of the kids at his age. And we were in the. He was in the gym. He came home sad one day and he's like, daddy, the kids are making fun of me because he couldn't dribble the way other kids are dribbling. He was the size of first and second graders, but the dude was in pre K. And so he came home and said, daddy, they're making fun of me. I bought this, that, and the other. So me, I'm like, what? Because we go to school. We go to this school. And he was lit this color. And I'm like, oh, my God. Okay, I gotta roll up in there. So I went and got my suit On Courtney was like, oh, my God, Justin. Like, don't lose your witness when you go, because you can mess with lots of. But don't mess with my son. And so now I get back, I'm like, these little knuckleheaded kids. They're talking about my son, what he can't do. So I roll up to the school. I walk in there, I'm saying, who are the kids, son? And Cam points them out. I pull the teacher to the side. I say, hey, teacher, these kids are making fun of my son. Oh, you know, they're just playing. And I was like, cooling the gang. I said, cam, point to me who the kids are. I'm looking at the teacher, Cam pointing at the kids. I said, cam, you tell them that if they say something to you again, they gotta come talk to me. Because they ain't messing with Camden. They're messing with your daddy and your dad. And if their dad wants to talk to me, you tell their dad to find me.

Because they're not messing with Camden. Let me tell you something. When you're going in the gift that God can came gave you, you're not your fear, ain't messing with you. You messing with my daddy. Ambition. You're not messing my pride. You're not messing with me. You're messing with my daddy. And if you mess with my daddy, my daddy owns a cattle on a thousand hills. My daddy will see me through. And when I trust who God has called me to be, I stop messing with me and I start trusting my daddy. My daddy was. Will provide for me. My daddy will see me through. My daddy will grow my business. My daddy will restore my mind. My daddy will hold my marriage accountable. Because the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. And even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I. I will fear no evil. Because my daddy is with me. His rod and his staff protect me. My cup. He anoints my head with oil. My cup overflows. And surely goodness and mercy will be with me at work, will be with me at my job, will be with me in counseling, will be with me on my job, will be with me in my money. Because you not messing with me, you messing with my daddy. I dare you to look your bank account in the eye and say you.

Messing with my daddy.

I wish I had a witness. I dare you to look your health in the eye and say you messing with my daddy. I dare you to look your fear in the eye and say, you messing with my daddy and no weapon formed against me.