I Am Focused and Clear

God, we honor you. God, we thank you. God, we praise you that you are who you said you are and you do what you say you do. Let your word reach us today to unveil another level of our gratitude. In Jesus name, amen. Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 18. If you have your Bible, stand with.

Us, if you would.

I want to read two different, different translations. We're going to read the new International version as well as the message translation this morning. This, this is one of those sermons, I'll be honest with you, that if applied, can change so much of our, the depth of our faith if applied. A lot of Christians get to the place where we read this and we leave it. I pray that as we read it, we hold on to this. I'm going to tell you some things to underline, I'm going to suggest. Sorry. Some things to underline suggest some things to highlight. And I promise you just the word of God will do some really amazing things for you. Ephesians 1, verse 18. This is a new International version, says these words and I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know the hope to which he's called you. The riches of his glorious inheritance to his holy people and his incomparably great power for those of us who believe.

What power, Paul?

That power is the same as the mighty strength he gave when he raised Jesus from the dead.

Did y' all see that?

I'm gonna go back because y' all missed it. I pray the eyes of your heart are open, are enlightened, so you'll know the hope you've been called. The riches of glorious inheritance for his people and the great power for those of us who believe. What power, Paul? That power is the same mighty strength he exerted when he raised Jesus from the dead. He seated him at the right hand of the heavenly realms, far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that's invoked not only in the present age, but the one to come. And God placed all things, somebody say, all things under his feet. Y' all see that? Y' all tripping over y' all boss and exes. I'm gonna come back. And God placed all things, somebody say, all things under his feet and appointed them to be head over, over everything for the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. You're going to see the message translation. I want to read the message translation. I love the way it reads. This is the word of God. I ask, ask the God of Our master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory, to make you intelligent and discerning and knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he's calling, calling you to do. Grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers. Oh, the utterance of his work in us who trust him. Endless energy, boundless strength. And all that energy comes from Christ.

God raised him from the dead and set him on the throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe.

Everything from galaxies to governments. No name, no power is exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, being, but forever.

Somebody say forever. He is in charge of it all. Jesus has the final word over everything.

And at the center of all this, Christ rules the church. Because the church, you see, is not peripheral to the world. The world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body in which he speaks and acts and by which he fills everything with his presence. I want to call our title today. I asked the God, our master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory, to make you intelligent and discerning, knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear. Somebody say, I am focused. Somebody say, I am clear. You may be seated even in the presence of the Lord. I am focused and clear. I am focused and clear. You know what I can't stand when you go out to eat with somebody, right? And they be texting on their phone the whole time.

Y' all ever had that? Y' all got friends like that? Maybe y' all do that. That's why y' all getting weird. You know, you go out to eat.

Y' all schedule lunch, you schedule brunch, you're acting bougie, you got some eggs Benedict, all that type of stuff. You got avocado toast, and you order your $55 avocado toast with the smoked salmon on top, and you get your avocado toast, and then somebody got the nerve the entire time, for the 45 minutes that y' all have allotted for breakfast, to be texting somebody else the whole time.

It's annoying, doesn't it? Or like when you're watching a TV show and you're ready to sit down and watch Real Housewives or watch HGTV or watch something, and the entire time you look over and somebody scrolling through.

Facebook, texting somebody else.

Because the purpose we had was to come down and eat.

The purpose we had was to sit and watch tv. And you made a decision to be distracted, to switch scroll through somebody else's life instead of living the One that you have.

How often do we do that to purpose?

You go into the word of God, you're hanging out with God when purpose.

Calls your name, and you find a.

Reason to be distracted. We do the same thing to purpose almost every day.

Because really, a lot of us are.

Afraid of the best versions of ourselves.

And so we find reasons to be.

Distracted from the best versions of ourselves.

That if you, you know, if you really were to lean into all that God has put in your life, what you could destroy, what you could eviscerate. And because we're afraid of the best versions of ourselves, because we're afraid of.

Who we're going to lose and afraid.

Of people who will not hang out with us, afraid of the circle that will change, afraid of how people will judge us.

We.

We find things to distract us. So you remember your past, to distract you from your future. You remind yourself of old relationships to distract you from the ones in front of you. And we find reasons to scroll through.

Somebody else's life instead of living the life that God has created you to live.

Can I give you something? If you keep your head down, you.

Won'T see what God is up to.

Did you catch me?

I'm going to say it again.

If you keep your head down, down, you won't see what God is up to.

Distractions are internal denial on the destiny that God has destined for you.

And when you are distracted, you know the destiny, you know the vision, and you are finding ways to outwardly express your internal frustration with where God is taking you to. What are you afraid of that you keep running from yourself? How much money are you going to keep spending, spending. How much energy are you going to keep spending on running from who God.

Has called you to be?

Paul comes back and says, here's what I want you to do. I wanted to kill these distractions and.

Get us focused and clear.

Paul comes into this text. Remember earlier in chapter one, Paul says, how do we get this focus and clarity? First of all, chapter one, verses one and two, I am a Christian. Second affirmation, the verses three through 14, I am worthy of every spirit, spiritual blessing. Last week, verses 15 and 16 and 17, I am in God's heart. And this week Paul says, because you're a Christian, because you are worthy of every spiritual blessing, because you are in God's heart. Paul says, I want us to grab a hold of this.

I am focused and I am clear.

I want you to write down, you see it on the screen here in.

Your journals and in your Bibles.

Whatever you have for notes. Where did you. You came the church today. Where do you need more focus and.

What do you need clarity on?

I want to really make this intentional. Where do you need focus?

I need focus in this.

I need clarity on this.

I want to be intentional about this.

Because Paul says, I'm going to show you how to keep your focus and clarity just in Scripture, but I want you to describe it for yourself because every single one of you have a different entry point to this word.

Where do you need focus and where do you need clarity? I want to tell you, as we saw a couple weeks ago, we have every spiritual blessing in Jesus Christ.

You don't need to pray for those Blessings. Remember verses 3 through 14.

I'm forgiven. I'm adopted.

I'm elected.

I am chosen.

I'm predestined, I am redeemed.

I make known the will of God. I'm sealed with the Holy Spirit.

I have a future. I'm a future. I have a future inheritance in God. You don't need to pray for those blessings. You have it.

You are chosen, adopted, predestined, elected and chosen.

And forgiven. We possess those because you are worthy.

Of every spiritual blessing in Jesus.

Last week, Paul showed us how we. How Paul.

How we are in God's heart in Paul's prayer for the people of Ephesus. So now Paul ends chapter one.

And as Paul ends chapter one of the book of Ephesians, Paul gives us this conclusion. He concludes his thought and he does something, something Paul always does in his books. Paul always concludes his first movement, his first thought, by praying for God's people. And here's his prayer.

Paul says, here's the prayer. I want you to have verses 18, sorry, through 23. I pray that you want to know God intimately. Paul is challenging us to have a.

Deep intimacy with God. That's the goal. Paul wants every single person, every follower of Jesus, to have an intimate relationship with Jesus. Because remember First Corinthians, chapter 2. We saw this last week, that we have access to the deep parts of God. And Paul's goal in this prayer is to deepen our desire for God, to increase our hunger for God, to increase our desire to want the deep thoughts of God. Because here's what I want you to see. See, when God deepens your hunger, he increases your capacity. And a lot of us need an increased capacity that needs to be filled with the Word of God.

Because God loves hungry people. He feeds hungry people. Because hunger attracts God. Because you only have as much of God as you are hungry for. Because God goes where people are hungry for him. Did you come to church hungry for somebody else? Did you come to church hungry to fill yourself with yourself? Or did you come here hungry for.

The deep things of God? Paul says, I want a church. I want a people who are hungry for the deep things of God. And he continues his prayer from last week. And he says, here, remember from moving from faith and love to wisdom and revelation. And Paul says, if we're getting into the deep things of God, if you desire to have intimacy with God, then if you desire to have revelation and wisdom with God moving from faith and love to wisdom and revelation, Paul says, here's a prayer, verse 18. God, make our eyes open so we can see you in our hearts. This is walking in revelation. Let me tell you something. When you come to church and the prophetic word of God goes forth when praise breaks out, let me tell you this prophetic word, Words and revelation are not just goosebumps in church. It's not just phony little movement in church. It's not frothing at the mouth and rolling on the floor whenever there is revelation. God reveals to heal. And the next step after revelation is.

That the eyes of your heart are open to another aspect of God you.

Have never seen before. Paul says, after the worship is over.

After the goosebumps go away, after your.

Youth, lay your hair back down.

After you put your lashes back on, after you put your heels back on. There is a necessity to be intimate with God, to get to the deep parts of God's heart, because that part of you is then going to protect you. When Satan tells you that everything you experience was a lie in the first place.

I'm talking.

Y' all ain't listening. That when God reveals to heal, the Satan will try to rewound you in the very places God healed you. Because Satan doesn't want you whole. But God came that you might have life and life abundantly and the revelation of God. God gives you his word to push you into places eyes have not seen. Y' all missing me? And ears have not heard. And so revelation heals you so that God may get to know you.

Intimate. Ultimately, church is deeper than goosebumps. Church is deeper than praise breaks.

It is making known the will of God on earth.

And so Paul says, if you want to know God intimately, there are three things you must understand. But here's what I want you to see. Church. It's not something new. It's something you already have a couple years ago. First, I remember not a Couple years ago, when I was in middle school, I had astigmatism. It was really, really bad. It was really bad in my eyes. I didn't know. I always got headaches. I would come home, headaches, get on a computer, headaches. So my mom said, justin, we got to go to the eye doctor. Went to the eye doctor. I was farsighted, so things were just blurry around me, and I had terrible headaches. Eye doctor got on there, did a little clicky thing on my eyes. And then all of a sudden he said, young man, you need glasses. I don't want to wear glasses, but I don't like touching my eyes. I don't want contacts. I said, man, if I'm going to get glasses, I better look good in these glasses. We order some glasses. And here's what glasses did. Glasses didn't change the world around me. It just cleared it up so I could see it. The spirit was here the whole time. And revelation clears the room so you can see it. Let me tell you, healing and peace and joy and mercy and next level and blessings and favor are already in the room.

And the word of God just clears it.

God, I wish I had somebody so.

You can see what's already in the room. The very thing you're praying for. God has already said yes to. But God wants to open your heart, the eyes of your heart, to clear.

It up so you can see what God already has in store for you. So how do we do this? I'm not giving you anything new. I'm showing you something you already have. I want to clear up your vision so you can see what's already in the room. You don't need nobody to give you more prayer cloths. You don't need anybody to snot all over you. You don't need to order another bottle of water. You don't need nobody else. You don't need to call in for somebody to pray tongues over you.

You have access to the deep parts of God.

Now, do you want it? All right, look at verse 18. Paul says, if you want this, let me remind you, Paul says, of three things you already have. Number one, the hope of our calling. Look what the text says. And I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you know the hope. He's called you too often. Hope has been seen as this Zen energy, a vibe. Hope ain't no energy. The word hope in the Greek is confidence. It's confidence in the work of God. In the Old Testament, they believed that even if Things didn't work out the way they wanted them to work out all the time. They had a hope that the righteous would always prevail. There were people in the Old Testament who never saw Jesus, but they stayed fasting for a Messiah who was going to come. Because while they may not have seen it all in their lifetime, they trusted God at his word. Paul says, that's hope. I'm confident that if God said it, it's going to happen. Then Paul builds his words there in the Greek, Paul says this calling for Paul. In the New Testament, whenever you see Paul say, call, calling, calling for Paul always equates to salvation. Okay, so Paul says, the hope of your calling, the confidence of your salvation. Hallelujah. The confidence that I'm saved. Hallelujah. The confidence in my salvation. Hallelujah. And confidence because of my salvation. Hallelujah. Paul says that the reason you can keep going and have the deep, intimate things of God is that I'm confident that I'm saved. I'm confident in my salvation. I'm confident because I'm saved. Paul is denoting a confidence.

What confidence we have, Paul.

Paul goes back to Ephesians 1, chapter Ephesians 1, verse 3, that we have been chosen by God. We are the elected of God. We are the called of God. We are the adopted of God.

We are the beloved of God. So Paul says, I want your heart to be open to the truth. What truth? To be confident that because you are.

Saved, you are holy.

Because you are saved, you are blameless. Because you are saved, you are loved. Because you are saved, you are predestined. Because you are saved. Everything works out. Because I want you to be confident in your salvation. All Paul is trying to get us.

To do is to say yes to God.

Watch this, because God already said yes over you.

Okay?

In the beginning, God said God created.

The heavens and the earth. The earth was null and void and.

The Spirit of God hovered over the waters. And the Lord, the God, God said, let us make.

Let us. Let us bring out water, let us make man, let us make animals, let us create fruit.

And every single time, God said, and it's good.

The Hebrew there is. God says, yes, God.

And so when he made man, God said yes. When he made animals, God said yes. When he made the fruit, God said yes. When he made land, God said yes. So when God made you, God said yes. Because you were never good enough to get to God, but God came down and came to you. And all salvation is, is me saying yes to God's yes. I'm tired of saying no to my future. Future. I'm tired of saying no to vision. That if God said yes over me, no knuckleheaded person gon tell me no. No nappy headed person gon tell me no. No finances gonna tell me no, no government's gonna tell me no. Because God already said yes over your life.

God.

The good news of the gospel is not that you can get to God, but God through Christ. Jesus is came to you and said yes.

So Paul says, are you confident in God's yes, God.

Are you confident that when God made.

You, he didn't make a mistake?

Are you confident in your salvation?

Are you confident that you are saved?

Are you confident that you trust what Jesus did? Are you confident? Watch this. That since Jesus died for your sin, you don't have to.

Are you confident in your salvation? We can talk about this, but for some reason, this is the place where we ought to be praising God and running and jumping and screaming and being emotional. Because the fact is, church, because you say yes to Jesus, your eternity is set. But too often we've said no. Let me pause here really quickly because this is a good moment for me to just throw this, put a nickel in the meter and park right here. There is a huge difference between you joining a church and giving your life over to Jesus. Okay, let me tell you something. If you join a church and don't give your life over to Jesus, you just joined a social club. Giving your life to Jesus expresses a confidence that Jesus is who Jesus said he is. Giving your life to Jesus is. I'm confident that what Jesus said about himself is 100% true. And it begins my hope for eternity because I want my soul set for eternity. But if you just join a church, that's weird because joining a church says, pastor Justin, be a life coach, don't be a pastor. Come here. I ain't scared of none of y'. All. Joining a church says, stop preaching scripture because that makes me uncomfortable when you talk about sin. Uh huh, uh huh. Come here. Y' all can get quiet if you want to. Joining a church says, we get distracted over a video about tithing because we're looking to give less to God instead of giving God more of ourselves.

My name is Justin Lester and I approve this message. Joining a church makes you bounce from church to church looking for attention from people on Facebook because you don't want to serve Jesus. You want attention so folk can see your gift. Jesus says, is your confidence, confidence in yourself or is your confidence in Jesus? In your confidence as a preacher or is your confidence in Jesus? Is your confidence in your gifting or is your confidence in Jesus? And I wish I had about four or five folk in the building that can say my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and his righteousness. I don't trust myself, I don't trust my boss. I don't trust, I dare not trust the sweetest frame. But I'm going to lean on Jesus name because my confidence ain't in no church, it's in Jesus.

Put on the screen Amos 5.

Let me show you what happens.

Let me show you what happens if our confidence is in church. I want you to see this text. God screams at the people. Amos 5, verse 21:24. It's in your Bible. I'm not making it up. This is what happens if my confidence is in church. This is what God says. I can't stand your religious meetings. Hallelujah. I am fed up with your conferences. I am fed up with your conventions.

I want nothing to do with your.

Religion projects, your pretentious slogans and your goals. I am sick of your fundraising schemes, your public relations and image making. I have had all I can take of your noisy ego music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice.

I want oceans of it.

I want fairness, rivers of it. That's all I want. I want to show you here church. I'm not being weird, but if we are more in love with church than we are with Jesus, this is what.

God says to that foolishness. When your ego is bigger than the.

Gospel, my God, my God put up Matthew 11. But this is what happens when you fall in love with Jesus. Matthew 11 says this. Jesus says so are you tired? Are you worn out?

Are you burned out on religion? Jesus says, if you want to change.

It, come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. God, I wish I had somebody look at somebody say get your life. Get your life.

I'll show you how to take rest.

Walk with me and work with me.

And watch how I do it.

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you.

Keep company with me and you'll learn.

To live freely and lightly.

Church. Don't put your confidence in no pastor. Don't put your confidence in your deacon. Don't put your confidence in a worship team. Don't put your confidence in a musician. Don't put your confidence in an usher. Don't put your confidence In a greeter. Don't put your confidence in a tv, but put your confidence in Jesus. Am I talking anybody in the building who can testify I'm here because of Jesus. I'm confident in Jesus and can't nobody do me like Jesus? Is there anybody under the sound of my voice that can pause for a second and say, I thank God for Jesus, I praise God for Jesus. I'm here because of Jesus and can't nobody do me like Jesus. Hallelujah.

Where is your confidence? Some of y' all mad at me today? No, I want you. I'm trying to shift your confidence because.

You'Re putting your weight on things that will fail. But if you build your hopes.

On things eternal and hold to God's unchanging hand, Paul says, I want the eyes of your heart to be open, number one, so you are confident and your salvation, number two. Paul says, I want you to have the eyes of your heart open so you understand the riches of God's glorious inheritance. I've read so much of this text. I've looked at the Greek and the Aramaic of this text. I may just throw this in for free. If you're studying the words of Jesus and you really want to get an in depth study of Jesus, Jesus didn't.

Speak Greek, he spoke Aramaic. Aramaic.

So if you're studying the New Testament, I'm just gonna throw this out for free. Trust the Aramaic. And so reading the Aramaic of the text, what they spoke in the time frame, people talk about the Greek. The Greek is what Paul wrote.

Aramaic is what Jesus said.

Anyway, so. So the riches of his glorious inheritance and the way that it was written is so powerful because the way that Paul writes is that the riches of his glorious inheritance, which are the saints. Remember we discussed that Saints are not who we become after we die, it's the person we are as we live. Hallelujah. The saints are God's inheritance. And remember last week we talked about how we are trusted to carry the weight of glory in the world. You and I can know God intimately to a point where we bear God's image and showcase God's glory with all of God's people. Hallelujah. Now here's the difficult part. The body of believers is called saints. To be God's inheritance. Saints are God's. Now remember the problem in Ephesus was that Jews and Gentiles weren't getting along. Paul's prayer here was to remind them that you are carrying the glory of God. You are the inheritance of God. Every person in this room is bearing the image of God. And if we are to be the saints, we must grasp, Paul says, the immensity and the assignment that we are to walk with all of God's children. Now, let me say something. It's real easy for me to pause here and talk about, like, who makes it difficult for you to walk with Jesus, right?

Cause we all like.

For some reason, we all love talking about haters. Everybody got haters. All these folk hate you. All these folk can't stand you. You know, it's amazing to me, everybody want to talk about haters, but we don't talk about how we got hater tendencies. So let me ask you some questions. Who do you make it difficult for to get to Jesus? If y' all came to ice cream. None of y' all this morning. Who have you kept from joining a ministry because of your ego? Uh, come here. Oh, I'm in it. Uh, I'm in your Kool Aid today. Oh, baby, you got two mixes. You got that blue mix and that red mix. Who have you talked about behind closed doors, trying to ruin their reputation before they say yes to God? Uh, come here. Come here. Who have you tried to exempt from salvation? Paul is saying God will be made known through his inheritance. Who? You look at somebody. Say, you, too. Look at somebody else that you don't like. Say, you, too.

We all bear the image of God.

Look at somebody who got bad hair. Say, you, too. Come on. Look at somebody else that got a nappy weave. Say, you, too.

Come on. We all bear the image of Christ.

Christ.

No matter your spiritual maturity, no matter your spiritual immaturity, no matter how much.

Money you make, no matter where you.

Live, no matter what you wear, we are all image bearers of God. And Paul says, God has a glorious life for every single one of his saints. And Paul says, may your eyes be open where you value every single person the way that Jesus values them. And that is, we all are bearing the image of God.

Woe unto us for rejecting people from the body of Christ. Come here.

Woe unto us. Jesus died for your worst enemy.

Now he don't like my boss. Jesus got on the cross, and your boss's sins were on his body, too.

And when we get to glory, your.

Boss gonna be looking right back at you.

So, you know, you gonna praise God.

With me, or you gonna sit here and get frustrated that I asked you to do something that you didn't do on time?

Jesus said jesus died for every single one of us.

How dare we reject people from the body of Christ? You know, a couple. I have a pocket watch. It was given to me by my grandfather. My grandfather was cool. Edward Roselle Lester. My middle name is Rozelle R O Z E L L. It's a really unique name. And it was given down to the oldest grandchild. And so I got my grandfather. My grandfather, he smoked cigars. He was so fun. He was so cool. One time, I was at my house in Brookfield, Wisconsin, and my grandfather saw a rabbit, and he was like. He told my dad, get my gun, because he wanted to kill him. My granddad was a country boy. He was awesome. My granddad was amazing. He died when I was very young, but I remember that because I have his middle name. My grandfather gave me something so powerful. It was his pocket watch. Oh, it's a cheap little pocket watch.

Dead serious.

Cheap pocket don't even work anymore. It's a cheap pocket watch. Every time I wear my vest, when I wear my suit up and I wear a vest, you'll see my pocket watch in my granddad's pocket watch. To you, it means nothing. But to me, it's expensive. Let me tell you a secret. When Jesus looks at you, he said, you're worth my body. Hallelujah. When Jesus looks at you, he says, you were worth my blood. To somebody else, you're just another person. But to Jesus, you're his friend. You're his inheritance. You worth everything you were worth him.

Dying for so you don't have to suffer from it.

And Paul says, I want us to have the eyes of our heart open so we can see people the way.

That Jesus sees them.

You all are God's glorious inheritance. So if you want to know God intimately, be confident in your salvation. Recognize you are God's inheritance. And thirdly, and finally, Paul says, and understand the surpassing greatness, God's power. So the past, my life was built on the confidence of my salvation. The future of my life is based on the inheritance. And now the present. How do I work my confidence? It's in the power that we have in Jesus. So look at this power. Verse 20 tells us, the power is the same as the mighty strength. I want you to see this. Paul says here, first of all, the word power in this text is the word dunamis. A lot of time the word dunamis is misread.

It's root word for dynamite. It's not explosive power.

Let me. Let me give you this. So when it was a military reference, and what it tells here is, it's when every troop would line up perfectly the front line was ready. The second line was ready. The tanks and everything they need is ready. They're aligned perfectly. It's power. And they haven't unleashed their fury yet. But just looking at them, you know they're capable of destroying anything in front of them. That's the power. It's organized power. Then he says the working strength. Enter here, the same place we get the word energy. Here's the thing you know, about energy. You have to plug. If you have a coffee pot, you want some coffee, you gotta plug it in. It's connected to the right current. And because it's plugged in. So here's the thing, Church Paul says we have power that's working. This working energy, this working, aligned power connected to two things, mighty strength. The word strength. There is supernatural power. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Wisdom and revelation. And then the might is angels. Okay, so Paul says you have perfectly aligned power waiting to be plugged in to supernatural strength with angels working on your behalf. That's why you don't have to fight the battle. We live with this type of power.

And it's that type of power, Paul.

Says that raised Jesus up from the dead. Oh, my God, I wish I had. Remember, Jesus didn't get up. The Father raised him up. And the power, God is accessible to all of God's children in Christ. And with Christ, we have perfectly aligned power that is working through angels on your behalf, that is waiting for you to trust him and plug it in. The surpassing greatness. Hallelujah. Of God's power. And Paul says, so what does that power do? Well, this is the work in Jesus. Look at verses 20 through 23. He exerted this power when he raised Christ from the dead, seated him at the right hand in heavenly realms. I'm just reading scripture. Far above all rule and authority, power, dominion, every name invoked in the present age and age to come. And God put all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything in the church, which is his body, the fullness of one who fills him in every way. You have all spiritual blessings in Jesus.

You have all power available from God.

And here's the evidence.

God gives us evidence.

Evidence that here's the evidence that the power of God works. What's the evidence? Number one. Christ was raised from the dead and he's seated at the right hand of God. The power here, y', all, is not that Jesus was just raised because this wasn't new. Elijah raised dead people. Elisha raised dead people. Jesus, Ray, Lazarus. But here's the Thing. Jesus was raised from the dead and did not die again. Ah. And Jesus is seated at at the right hand of the Father. The right hand, for God is his strong hand. Benjamin's were lefties, but God is shown in his right hand.

God's power is shown in his right hand. Watch it.

That does not mean Jesus isn't working. He's seated in a position of authority. So let me give you this principle. Stop fighting. Where God has already declared victory. My God, I wish I had a witness.

Sit down, praise up and trust God because of the favor of God. On your life, build your integrity and quit cussing folk out. I wish I had a witness. Build your self awareness and don't ruin your reputation. Because the battle that you're fighting has already been declared victorious in the name of Jesus. So sit down, shut up, and let God fight your battle. If you. You have to fight for it, you don't need it. Because God didn't give you the authority to fight. He gave you the authority to win. God, I'm a winner, not a fighter. I'm a victorious, not a victim. Because I trust that God gave me power to win. So quit fighting. Where God's called you a victor. Sit down. Put your Twitter fingers away. I wish I had a witness.

Shut up.

Quit talking about folk. I wish I had somebody. Quit tearing yourself down. I ain't scared of none of y'.

All.

Quit tearing apart your reputation. Quit tearing apart your relationships trying to find something on somebody. Quit making up stories about people without people. Sit down, shut up, and let God show you. You woke up in victory. I woke up like this. I woke up with with favor. I woke up with joy. I woke up with mercy. I woke up with peace. I woke up like this because I'm a victorious Christian.

Look at somebody say, stop fighting. Some of y' all got mean mugs under your mask.

Don't look back. At somebody else say, stop fighting. You don't even know what victory feels like because you stay fighting. God says, stop fighting.

Hallelujah. Paul says not only does he show his power into the right hand of God, but he shows his power. Paul says, because everything is under his feet. I'm trying to get to my last point, but I'm about to shout out of my own shoes everything. Somebody say everything is under his feet. Let me show you what's under his feet. Paul says the first thing under his feet is government and authority. Misused power in government is against the grace of God. God says the government is under his feet. And y' all Tripping over Biden's America. God says the government, I wish I had somebody is under his feet.

Tripping over student loans.

God says the government is under his feet. That's why. What? But the reason why the government seems to be stronger than churches. Because right now churches have been weak because pastors are afraid to speak truth to power. Watch this. Because we've gotten too close to the government that we can't call out what we close to. Oh, I'm in it, so I might as well stay in it. We gotten too close to it that they don't trust our voice because they've seen our sin. Yeah, yeah, yeah. God says, but when we trust him, it's under his feet. Not only that, but dark realms are under his feet. Paul is talking about the many. We're going to get to this in a couple weeks. Dominion, authority, principalities, the spiritual realm, we cannot see, but here's how we can see it. Wisdom and revelation. Hallelujah. That wisdom and revelation allows us to see things in the spirit to destroy. Because God says, but even when you see it, it's already under his feet. And the world yet to come is under his feet. What does that mean? Paul says Jesus, the power of God that's working through us has everything under his feet. And so since it's under Jesus feet, it's under my feet too. Hallelujah. Now if I. Now here's the thing. Now here's the thing. Let me say this. If I hooped that y' all be running around the church, I'm gonna just say it again. If it's under Jesus feet, it's under my feet too. Okay, I'm gonna get you Psalm 8. Put it like this. What is man that thou art mindful of him for? You've made them a little lower than the angels and you've given them glory and honor and you've made dominions over the work of their hands and you've put all things under their feet, here's what it was. It was a military practice. To give you the truth of it, it was a military practice that when you defeated your enemy to signify, you won. Watch this. You told your enemy to lay down and you put your foot foot on their neck. Hallelujah. To remind them of who they messing with. Okay?

Paul says God, that because of the resurrection of Jesus, when st. God, when.

They come your way, you can put.

Your foot on your storm's neck. Because everything God.

So what does that mean, Pastor Justin? If it doesn't bother Jesus, it can't bother you either.

If it doesn't make Jesus wake up, it won't bother me either. Because if it's under his feet, I ain't gonna trip over stuff I can step on.

God, I wish I had somebody.

I'm not gonna live under stuff I wish I had somebody. I'm gonna step on pride. I'm gonna step on addiction. I'm gonna step on my trauma. I'm gonna step on my past. I'm gonna step on what they said about me. Because if it doesn't bother Jesus, it ain't gonna bother.

Paul says, power of Jesus is shown. See that right hand of the Father, Everything is under his feet. Lastly, Christ is the head of the church. I'm just preaching Bible, I ain't got.

Nothing else to give you.

I'm just preaching about Christ. Here's what God does. God is so smooth. God creates sustainability. It's the church. The constant in God's revelation is the church. Jesus has put everything under his feet and God has given his son to the church. Now, this is the first time we get Paul talking about Christ as the head and viewing the church as whole as a body.

We see that later in Corinthians and.

Romans, Paul brings unity to the church. And here's what unity in church looks like. Hear me when I say this. Unity in church is this humanity with divinity. The body of Christ is whole when humanity is together with divinity. The reason we talk about black churches dying, people ain't going to church. Here's why I can give you right now. Because humanity is not together with divinity. Okay? It ain't cause millennials ain't coming to church, huh? It ain't cause we didn't sing certain songs. Ain't cause we didn't wear a robe. It ain't cause we didn't. We wore robes.

It ain't because you wore a suit.

It didn't wear a suit. Ain't cause church at 8 or 11 or 1. It's because humanity has isolated itself from divinity. The church ain't got no power unless Jesus is in the church. And we've got so many social clubs, humanity. But when humanity is united with divinity, the reason we fight is because we ain't got divinity.

Because if you put your focus on.

Jesus, some stuff just don't matter.

That Jesus is the ruling, guiding, originating power over the church.

Don't believe me? John 15. I am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser. That which does not produce, he removes. That which does produce, he prunes. So that it may Bear more fruit. You are clean. Why?

Because Jesus is in you. Paul is telling us that the church will only be as strong as his unity with Jesus.

Huh?

I'm in this today. Look at the message translation at the center of all of this. Christ rules the church because the church is not peripheral to the world. The world is peripheral to the church.

The church is Christ's body where he.

Speaks in acts and fills everything with his presence. Church. Jesus is the head of the church and we are here to build his vision of the church. When Jesus speaks, we move. When Jesus moves, we keep moving. Because the world does not tell the church what to do. The church tells the world what to do. Culture does not tell the church what to do. What? The church. Church tells culture what to do. Why? Because Jesus is the head.

But we got a lot of brain dead churches. Oh, I'm going to say it.

We got a whole lot of brain dead churches. More focused on what the hands are doing and more focus on what the feet are doing. But I wonder if you can get your focus back on what the head is. Because verse 23 says when you focus on the head of the church, you have the fullness of God. Yes. Missed it. That. When you focus on the head of the church, you have the fullness of God. Because God trusts the church with the power of God in the church. And I don't want to go to no brain dead church.

God, I don't.

I don't want to go to no church that don't know Jesus. I don't want to go to a church that doesn't want to worship Jesus. I don't want to go to a church that can't say thank you to Jesus. I don't want to go to a church where the gospel's not preached. I don't want to go to a church where people can't get excited over the name of Jesus. Because when you look back over your life, it wasn't your talent, it was Jesus. It wasn't how fine you are, it was Jesus. It wasn't what you got, it was Jesus. It wasn't your money, it was Jesus. It wasn't your honey, it was Jesus. It wasn't what school you went to, it was Jesus. And that's why grandmama said all hell the power of Jesus name Let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem and crown him Lord of all.

I came to lift up Jesus. Sad reality.

We get numb to Jesus. It's a sad place, church, but we get numb to Jesus.

We Forget that.

I didn't come here to. For nobody else but Jesus. You look good, you smell good. Your car is nice. You got it all together. But let me tell you, I came.

To church because I need Jesus. I need Jesus.

I drove all the way here with $7 a gallon gas to tell somebody I love Jesus.

The reason in our prayer time we move from thanks to praise is because thanks is for what God has done. Praise is because of who he is. And we've got a faith. I want to dismantle this faith today. We got a faith that's so consumed with what he's done, we don't care about who he is. The reason we don't praise God from our bosom is because we're so consumed with what he's done that we haven't.

Gotten consumed with who he is.

Ah, He's El Shaddai. He's Elohim, He's Yahweh, He's Jehovah, He's.

Jireh, He's Tishkenu, He's Shalom. He's my battle axe. He's my wheel. In the middle of a wheel, he's. He props me up. He restores my soul. He's my shepherd. He's my salvation. He's my everything. Because if God never does anything else, I'm glad. For who he is. He's everything. Am I talking anybody in the building that's got a praise on the inside that can say, God, I'm not here to give you thanks. I want to give you praise for who you are. That's mature.

For who he is. I'm trying to leave that alone. For who he is. Some of y' all are mad at me.

You want me to shut up and sit down.

But I'm gonna tell you. For who he is, you have too much power. For who he is, he's been everything. He's the water that you drink.

He's the air that you breathe.

He's the breath in your body. He's the blood coursing through your veins.

For who he is, he props you. He keeps you. He walks with you. He sustains you. He listens to you. For who? He's El Shaddai. He's Jehovah, Jireh, Jehovah, Tishkenu, Jehovah, Rapha, Jehovah, Shalom. He is everything to me.

It's amazing. So, Pastor Justin, we have all this power. We can know God intimately. But my question and study was, if that's all true, why do we live without power? I can read it and sing it and scream it. But we don't live life with power. We get surprised at miracles instead of expecting them. Y' all don't like me. We get surprised when God opens a door instead of expecting that that's what God does. And so that anxiety and that sin and that pride and that self doubt and that worry and that self loathing and then negativity and that lack and that sexual sin and that need for power and that worry about your children and that pornography and that trauma you won't confront. And that addiction you're consuming, it consumes you. And it gets your prayers focused on yourself and not focused on God. That you have the same old prayers for the last 10 years. And I want to break that in you. Because if you don't break that and get focused on who he is, you'll miss out on the power that you have. I want you to consider how your sin has controlled you, how your sin has made you reject the words in this text. Sin controls your personality. It's grayed you early. It's made you lose some friends. It's drive different what you wear. It drives where you sit, how you engage with people. Because our faith is not hoping for. You need faith that has confidence in. So where's the power to stop all of this? Hallelujah in Jesus. So if you came to church looking for an answer, Jesus. If you came to church needing something to sustain your soul, it's Jesus.

May the eyes of your heart be enlightened so you'll know one thing, Jesus. That you belong to Jesus.

I didn't mean to do this. That you are a saint in Jesus.

You are anointed because of Jesus. You have focus because of Jesus. You have clarity because of Jesus. You have future because of Jesus. You have peace because of Jesus. I said you belong to Jesus. You are a saint because because of Jesus. You are. You are. You are. You are anointed because of the Lord Jesus Christ. I feel my granddaddy today. I said you have focus because of Jesus. You have clarity because of Jesus. You have a future because of of Jesus. And I wish I had somebody that can help me close this sermon and just thank God for Jesus. He woke me up this morning. He started me on the way put running in my feet. He put clapping in my hands. He put joy in my soul. He gave me hope for tomorrow. Anybody here can help me close this sermon and stand on your feet and begin to thank God for Jesus. Y' all know who he is.

Don't you.

He came down through 40 and two generations. He stayed here for 33 and a half years. He raised the dead. He healed the sick. Then one Friday, he marched down the Via Delarosa.

They hung him high and they stretched him wide. He hung his head in the locks of his shoulders and he died. I said he died from the sixth.

To the ninth hour to the moon Ran down in a purple stream the.

Sun refused to shine. Every, every, every, every, every star disappeared that night when he died I said he died to the centurion soldier said surely this is a man of God. But that's not how the story ends. Three days later, he rose again. So I'm here today because he lives. I can face tomorrow because he lives. All fear is gone. You asked me how I got with Jesus. So let me tell you one last thing. There is a name I love to hear. I love to hear his voice. It sounds like music in my ear. The sweetest name on earth. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Do you love him? Do you know him? Say yeah. Say yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus.

Jesus.

I want a church that can get excited about Jesus.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Everybody standing the question. And the answer is Jesus.