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[MUSIC]
>> WHAT AREAS OF LIFE DO YOU WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE?
ARE YOU A PART OF AN UNIFIED TEAM OR EVERYBODY IN YOUR
FAMILY OR IN YOUR WORLD OUT FOR THEMSELVES?
DO YOU SEE THE GOOD IN PEOPLE? DO YOU SEE
THE GOOD IN LIFE AND LIVING? IN ROMANS 12
PAUL INSTRUCTS US HOW TO LIVE IN HEALTHY
AND UNIFIED RELATIONSHIPS. WE’VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT US, BUT THAT WHAT WE ARE PART
OF IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN THE PART WE PLAY.
WELL I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING THIS WITH YOU BECAUSE
I GET EXCITED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL WHEN YOU WORK WITH
OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE. ENJOY WHAT IS ABOUT TO COME.
>> NUMBER 8, UNIFIED TEAMS FOCUS ON THE LORD. ROMANS 12:11,
NOT LAGGING IN DILIGENCE, FERVENT IN SPIRIT, SERVING THE LORD.
PSALMS 100:2 SAYS SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS. NOT WITH
SADNESS BUT WITH GLADNESS. FOR BOBBIE AND I, 35 YEARS
MARRIED, WHAT WOULD MY NUMBER ONE MARRIAGE TIP BE?
HONESTLY, I THINK THE GREATEST STRENGTH FOR BOBBIE AND
I IN OUR RELATIONSHIP, OVER 35 YEARS, IS THAT WE'RE
BLESSED—WE'RE TWO VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
I THINK THAT AS A CHURCH OFTEN, WE LIVE IN THE
BLESSING OF THAT. BOBBIE BRINGS THE WHOLE FEMININE,
THE WHOLE GENTLE, THE WHOLE SORT OF PROPHETIC, BEAUTIFUL,
IN LOVE WITH GOD, IN LOVE WITH JESUS SIDE. I BRING THE
‘I LOVE THE LORD, I'M THE LEADER. LET'S JUST MOVE
THIS WAY.’ THE VISIONARY. PUT US TOGETHER, WE MAKE A
MIGHTY TEAM, EXCUSE ME FOR SAYING SO MYSELF.
WE BOTH SERVED THE LORD TOGETHER SINCE THE DAY WE MET.
WE'VE ALWAYS MADE IT TOGETHER ABOUT HIM,
ABOUT SEEING THE CHURCH BEING ALL THAT GOD HAS
CALLED IT TO BE. YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO
BE FOCUSING ON YOUR OWN DYSFUNCTION, YOUR OWN
TENSIONS AND YOUR OWN, WHEN YOU MAKE IT ABOUT
THE LORD. IT'S TRUE IN THE CHURCH. THE MOMENT WE
GET OUR EYES OFF JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER
OF OUR FAITH, THEN THAT'S WHEN ALL SORTS OF OTHER
THINGS CAN CREEP IN. WELL, THANK GOD I WOULD
ENCOURAGE EVERY ONE OF YOU TO LIVE YOUR LIFE
SERVING THE LORD BECAUSE IT'S A POWERFUL, POWERFUL
WAY TO LIVE IN UNITY, TO DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY.
NUMBER 9, UNIFIED TEAMS ARE NOT PARANOID. ROMANS 12:14,
"BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU."
I LOVE THAT VERSE. BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU.
BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU. BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE
YOU. BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU.
YOU KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE A PERSECUTION COMPLEX.
"WELL WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAID THAT?
WELL WHAT DO YOU MEAN. BUT YOU DIDN’T SAY THAT IT'S
NOT WHAT YOU SAID BUT WHAT YOU DIDN'T SAY. YA BUT THE
LAST TIME YOU SAID THAT, WHAT DID YOU MEAN WHEN
YOU SAID THAT?" HEY LISTEN, UNIFIED TEAMS
ARE NOT PARANOID BECAUSE "IT'S NOT ABOUT ME".
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY VERY GOOD. WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN? I MEAN LAST TIME YOU SAID THAT, YOU WEREN'T
VERY HAPPY WITH ME." HEY, THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MINUTE.
AND WHETHER THE PERSECUTION COMES AT A BIG LEVEL OR WHETHER
IT COMES AT A LITTLE LEVEL, IT DOES SOMETHING TO YOUR
SPIRIT WHEN YOU DECIDE YOUR NOT GONNA ALLOW ANYONE ELSE
TO CONTROL YOUR SPIRIT. AND YOU BLESS THOSE THAT
PERSECUTE YOU. WHEN YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE WITH A
PERSECUTION COMPLEX, OR PARANOID, IT'S EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE, AND
IT WILL ALWAYS BRING TENSION INTO EVERY SITUATION.
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING, I DON'T
WANT EVERYONE ELSE CONTROLLING MY SPIRIT, SO BLESS THOSE
WHO PERSECUTE YOU IN JESUS' NAME.
NUMBER 10, UNIFIED TEAMS WEEP AND REJOICE TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW THE SCRIPTURE. IT'S IN THE SAME PORTION OF
ROMANS, ROMANS 12:15, IT SAYS REJOICE WITH THOSE WHO REJOICE,
AND WEEP WITH THOSE WHO WEEP. CAN I ADD ANOTHER VERSE?
BECAUSE YOU'LL LOVE THIS ONE. IT'S FROM THE MESSAGE.
AND THE MESSAGE, IT'S PARAPHRASED BUT IT'S
BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL WRITING. AND LISTEN TO WHAT IS SAYS HERE.
PROVERBS 14:10, IN THE MESSAGE THE PERSON WHO SHUNS THE BITTER
MOMENTS OF FRIENDS WILL BE AN OUTSIDER AT THEIR CELEBRATIONS.
THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT. WHEN PEOPLE ARE HURTING LET'S
BE THERE FOR THEM. AS A CHURCH WHEN PEOPLE ARE
HURTING I PRAY WE'RE THERE FOR THEM MORE THAN ANY OTHER
TIME. I GET SO BLESSED WHEN I HEAR ABOUT PEOPLE WHOSE
FAMILIES ARE FACING TRAGEDY OR SICKNESS OR A DIFFICULT
TIME BECAUSE PEOPLE TELL ME ABOUT THE CHURCH IN ACTION.
THEY START TELLING ME ABOUT THE MEALS THAT ARE DELIVERED, ABOUT
THE PEOPLE WHO SAT WITH THEM FOR HOURS IN THE HOSPITAL.
ABOUT THE WAY THAT FAMILIES ARE SUPPORTED, AND OFTEN SIMPLE
HOUSEHOLD CHORES ARE LOOKED AFTER. ABOUT THE CHURCH IN ACTION,
AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU, BE THERE FOR PEOPLE IN THE TOUGH
TIMES, AND YOU'LL LIVE TO BE THERE WITH THEM IN THE BLESSED
TIMES, IN JESUS' NAME. DO YOU KNOW YOU ONLY REALLY
FIND OUT WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE IN ADVERSITY.
AND IF I COULD READ THIS VERSE ONE MORE TIME BECAUSE I THINK
IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL VERSE, PROVERBS 14:10, THE PERSON WHO
SHUNS THE BITTER MOMENTS OF FRIENDS WILL BE THE OUTSIDER
AT THEIR CELEBRATIONS. THERE SHALL BE NOTHING INSIDE
THE CHURCH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WHERE WE REJOICE WHEN
SOMEONE ELSE IS WEEPING AND WEEP WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS
REJOICING. AND SOMETIMES SADLY AMONGST PASTORS IT
CAN BE LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW THE CHURCH DOWN THE ROAD IS
GROWING, REJOICING, AND THE GUY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
ROAD IS SORT OF, GOD BLESS YOU, YOU KNOW, WEEPING.
THEN WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS HURTING, WE FIND OURSELVES
INTERNALLY REJOICING, YOU'LL NEVER BUILD UNITY THAT WAY.
BUT WHEN WE LEARN TO REJOICE WITH THOSE WHO REJOICE AND
WEEP WITH THOSE WHO WEEP AND WHEN WE’RE WITH PEOPLE IN
THEIR TOUGH TIMES SO WE'RE NOT OUTSIDERS IN THEIR GOOD TIMES,
THEN THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO LIVE YOUR LIFE IN AN UNIFIED WAY
IN JESUS’ NAME. AND DO YOU KNOW BY THE WAY, IN TEAM, THAT'S
WHERE, REALLY, COMMUNITY IS SO IMPORTANT. THERE IS A TIME WHEN
WE'RE ALL FUNCTIONING, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. BUT THERE IS ALSO A
TIME WHEN, HEY, WE'RE ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS. WE'RE
COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S JUST IMPORTANT WHEN YOU ARE CREATING
AN UNIFIED TEAM. NUMBER 11. UNIFIED TEAMS
DIE TO THEIR OPINIONS. IT’S ROMANS 12:16, THE VERSE
SAYS ‘BE OF THE SAME MIND TO ONE ANOTHER. DO NOT SET YOUR MIND
ON HIGH THINGS BUT ASSOCIATE WITH THE HUMBLE.’ DO NOT BE WISE IN
YOUR OWN OPINION. WE LIVE IN A VERY OPINIONATED
GENERATION. PEOPLE PUT A HIGH VALUE ON THEIR OPINION.
THE WEB WORLD IS FILLED WITH OPINION.FACEBOOK, BLOGS,
TECHNOLOGY IS FILLED WITH OPINION. TRAGICALLY TO ME IN CONTEMPORARY
CHURCH THEOLOGY AND OFTENTIMES WHAT TO ME IS ELITE
INTELLECTUALISM PEOPLE PUT A HUGE, HUGE VALUE ON OPINION.
AND YOU KNOW THE BIBLE SAYS ‘DO NOT BE WISE IN YOUR
OWN OPINION.’ YES, YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR
OPINION. ABSOLUTELY. AND SO DO I. BUT YOU KNOW,
OPINION WILL NEVER BUILD ANYTHING, AND IT
ESPECIALLY WILL NEVER BUILD UNITY. IF YOU FILL YOUR
RELATIONSHIP UP WITH OPINION, WELL YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO KNOW
MY OPINION, YOU WANT TO KNOW MY OPINION, WELL MY
OPINION, MY OPINION, AND THE THING IS WE HAVE A
RIGHT TO OUR OPINION, BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS RIGHT TO SHARE IT.
IF YOU WANT TO LIVE IN UNITY, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT ABOUT ME.
DYING TO MYSELF MEANS THAT I'M NOT GOING TO BE LEADING
WITH MY OPINION. YOU SEE THE THING ABOUT OPINION,
IT'S DIFFERENT THAN COUNSEL. YOU RECEIVE COUNSEL.
SO IF I ASK WHAT SOMEBODY THINKS I DON'T GET JUST
OPINION, I GET COUNSEL. BUT USUALLY WHEN SOMEONE SAYS,
WELL, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MY OPINION, REALLY, IT DOESN'T
MATTER HOW YOU ANSWER BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT ANY WAY.
DON'T LEAD WITH YOUR OPINION, NOT IF YOU WANT TO LIVE YOUR
LIFE IN BLESSING IN AN UNIFIED WAY.
WELL, WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE, I'M TELLING YOU.
NUMBER 12, UNIFIED TEAMS SEE THE GOOD IN EVERYTHING.
ROMANS 12:17, ‘REPAY NO ONE EVIL FOR EVIL, HAVING REGARD
FOR GOOD THINGS IN THE SIGHT OF ALL MEN. SEEING THE GOOD.
WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE PURE. WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE NOBLE.
WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE OF GOOD REPORT, THINK ON THESE
THINGS.’THAT'S THE TEACHING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
SEE THE GOOD IN EVERYTHING. IT'S SO EASY TO SEE THE BAD.
HEY, HUSBANDS, SEE THE GOOD IN YOUR WIFE.
WIVES, SEE THE GOOD IN YOUR MEN. HUSBANDS AND WIVES WHO
ARE IN THE ROOM, OR BOYFRIENDS, GIRLFRIENDS, OR FIANCÉS, JUST
FOR A MOMENT LOOK IN YOUR PARTNER'S EYES. LOOK INTO THEIR EYES.
I CAN TELL WHO HAS BEEN FIGHTING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T
DO IT. I CAN TELL YOU IF YOU'VE BEEN FIGHTING.
HEY, LOOK IN THOSE EYES. REMEMBER, THOSE ARE THE EYES
THAT YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH. COME ON, COME ON.
LOOK, THERE'S THOSE EYES. THERE'S THAT SMILE YOU FELL
IN LOVE WITH RIGHT THERE. SEE THE GOOD IN LIFE.
WE CAN MAKE CHOICE TO SEE THE BAD OR SEE THE GOOD.
I LOVE THIS CHURCH. I LOVE YOU BECAUSE YOU TEND
TO SEE THE GOOD IN THINGS. I DON'T TOO OFTEN HEAR PEOPLE
WHEN IT COMES TO WHOEVER SPEAKS WHOEVER TEACHES, NO MATTER WHAT
OUR OPINION, YOU KNOW YOU DON'T OFTEN SAY, WELL I DIDN'T LIKE
THAT AND THAT. MOSTLY PEOPLE JUST FIND SOMETHING THEY DID
LIKE. THEY SEE THE GOOD. AND THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO
LIVE IN UNITY RIGHT THERE. NUMBER 13, UNIFIED TEAMS
UNDERSTAND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. ROMANS 12:18,
IF IT IS POSSIBLE AS MUCH AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU LIVE
PEACEABLY WITH ALL MEN AS MUCH AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU.
OBVIOUSLY SOME THINGS ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL.
BUT IF WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN AND TAKE PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY IN A RELATIONSHIP, IN A TEAM, AS MUCH AS IT DEPENDS
ON ME, LIVE PEACEABLY WITH ALL MEN. SOME PEOPLE THEY DON'T
WANT TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT DEPENDS ON THEM. BECAUSE I CAN'T CONTROL
ANYBODY ELSE, TRUTH BE KNOWN. I CAN'T CONTROL. ALL I CAN DO
IS TAKE PERSONABLE RESPONSIBILITY. AND AS MUCH AS IT DEPENDS ON ME
LIVE PEACEFULLY WITH THOSE AROUND AND ABOUT ME.
NUMBER 14, THIS ONE IS GOOD. THERE IS A GOD, AND YOU'RE
NOT HIM. YOU ARE NOT GOD. AND UNIFIED TEAMS UNDERSTAND THAT.
THE APOSTLE PAUL, HE PUTS IT THIS WAY IN VERSE 18. AFTER HAVING
SAID AS MUCH AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU LIVE PEACEABLY WITH ALL
MEN, HE GOES ON IN VERSE 19 SAYS, ‘BELOVED DO NOT AVENGE
YOURSELF BUT RATHER GIVE PLACE TO WRATH FOR IT IS WRITTEN
VENGEANCE IS MINE. I WILL REPAY, SAYS THE LORD.
‘DO YOU KNOW,SOME THINGS YOU JUST LEAVE TO GOD.
WHEN YOU’RE BEING UNFAIRLY TREATED JUST LEAVE IT TO GOD.
AND BY THE WAY DON’T LEAVE IT GOD WITH AN ATTITUDE THAT SAYS,
I HOPE GOD KILLS THEM’ BECAUSE THE NEW TESTAMENT, NEW COVENANT,
TURN THE OTHER CHEEK, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S LOVING.
BUT I TELL YOU SOMETHING, SOMETIMES WE FORGET.
WE TRY TO BE REFEREE, AN UMPIRE, AND JUDGE,
AND WE'RE NOT GOD. HIS WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN OUR
WAYS AND HIS THOUGHTS ARE HIGHER THAN OUR THOUGHTS.
AND YOUR FAMILY, YOU ARE NOT GOD. VENGEANCE BELONGS
TO ME SAYS THE LORD. AND YOU KNOW IT'S AMAZING HOW
IN LIFE WHEN PEOPLE ARE UNFAIR AND WHEN PEOPLE
BEHAVE BADLY TOWARDS OTHER PEOPLE, IT'S AMAZING HOW
IN LIFE IT HAS A WAY OF WORKING ITSELF, WHERE YOU
FIND, OVER THE YEARS PEOPLE REAPING WHAT THEY SOW.
NUMBER 14 IS IT?--NUMBER 15, WE'RE GOING FOR THE RECORD.
WE’RE GOING, WE'RE NEARLY THERE. LISTEN TO THIS.
UNIFIED TEAMS TAKE THE HIGH GROUND. FINAL POINT, VERSE 21,
ROMANS 12, ‘DO NOT BE OVERCOME BY EVIL BUT OVER COME EVIL
WITH GOOD.’ DO NOT BE OVERCOME BY EVIL, BUT OVER COME EVIL
WITH GOOD. YEARS AGO, YEARS AND YEARS AGO, ANOTHER PASTOR
WROTE ME A LETTER, AND IT WAS MEAN, AND IT WAS ACCUSING
ME OF ALL SORTS OF THINGS. NOW THIS WAS A LONG TIME AGO
BUT, DURING THE NIGHT I CRAFTED IN MY MIND THE MOST
PERFECT RESPONSE. EVERY WORD DESIGNED TO CUT, EVERY WORD,
IT WAS THE MOST POWERFUL, CREATIVE RESPONSE YOU COULD
EVER IMAGINE. THE WAY THINGS I WAS GOING TO SAY AND THINGS
I WAS GOING TO DO. BUT HERES THE POINT YOU KNOW.
I'VE OFTEN, BY THE WAY CREATED THOSE RESPONSES. I NEVER SEND
THEM BUT I DON’T KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST FUN THINKING THEM
THROUGH AT LEAST FOR A MINUTE BEFORE YOU REMEMBER THAT YOU'RE
NOT GOD AND YOU ASK FOR REPENTANCE, BUT LISTEN, FOR FORGIVENESS.
BUT I AT THE TIME I TALKED TO A FRIEND OF MINE TOLD THEM ABOUT
THE SITUATION. I SAID THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING TO DO AND THIS
IS WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY. AND MY FRIEND JUST LOOKED
AT ME AND SAID, “BRIAN, YOU'RE BIGGER THAN THAT.”
AND I THOUGHT, AM I? I THOUGHT, I AM, TOO.
YOU KNOW IN LIFE YOU TAKE THE HIGH GROUND?
IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT YOU THINK OF HIGHER THINGS AND
YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER, BUT YOU JUST TAKE THE HIGH GROUND.
IF SOMEONE IS AIMING HERE, DON’T GO DOWN THERE.
THAT'S WHY I DON'T BELIEVE IN ANSWERING CRITICS AND GETTING
ON THE TWITTER SOMETIMES, AND PEOPLE TRYING TO, BECAUSE IF
YOU JUST TAKE THE HIGHER GROUND YOU LIVE IN UNITY.
FRIEND, IT'S NOT AS HARD AS YOU THINK TO BRING UNITY, TO BRING
LOVE BACK INTO YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. FOR TEAMS TO WORK TOGETHER,
FOR PARTNERSHIPS TO WORK TOGETHER, ALL WE HAVE TO DO
IS DECIDE IT'S NOT ABOUT ME. BE PREPARED TO MAKE THE
SACRIFICES, DECIDE THAT WE ARE GONNA LIVE OUR LIVES
WHERE WE CELEBRATE DIFFERENCE AND WE GET SO BUSY FUNCTIONING
WE CAN'T BUILD AROUND OUR OWN DYSFUNCTION. WE DECIDE THAT
WE'LL REJOICE WITH THOSE WHO REJOICE AND WEEP WITH THOSE
WHO WEEP, AND IT'S INCREDIBLE HOW WE CAN LIVE OUR LIVES
IN A PEACEFUL WAY. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE
POWER OF YOUR WORD AND I PRAY THAT IT SPOKE LIFE INTO
PEOPLE TODAY. LORD, I JUST THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE
RELATIONSHIPS AT WHATEVER LEVEL THEY ARE IN THIS BUILDING.
AND JESUS, I PRAY FOR YOUR PROTECTION OVER THEM.
HELP US, LORD TO, BUILD OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS WHERE
WE'RE PUTTING THE BASICS, THE FUNDAMENTALS IN PLACE
WHERE WE’RE LISTENING TO THE PROMISE OF THE WORD, WHERE
LORD WE DETERMINE THAT WE WANT IT TO BE ABOUT YOU, AND
WE'RE HERE TO SERVE THE LORD. AND FATHER, I JUST THANK YOU
FOR THE BLESSING OF AN UNIFIED TEAM AND CHURCH, AND WE DON'T
TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. AND I PRAY THAT WE'LL ALWAYS
CONTRIBUTE TO IT IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. AMEN. AMEN.
[APPLAUSE]
[MUSIC]
>> WELL, ALL THE WAY THROUGH ROMANS 12 PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT
RELATIONSHIP AND THE WAY WE LIVE WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
HE SAYS AS MUCH AS IT'S UP TO YOU, LIVE AT PEACE WITH ALL
PEOPLE. IN OTHER WORDS, WE'VE GOT TO DO WHAT WE CAN.
I'M TALKING ABOUT ‘IT'S NOT ABOUT ME.’ SO IF WE'RE GOING
TO LIVE AT PEACE WITH OTHER PEOPLE AS MUCH AS IT'S UP TO
OURSELVES, THEN OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T JUST MAKE IT ABOUT OURSELVES.
AGAIN, ROMANS 12 IT TELLS US THAT WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT
FUNCTIONS. WE'RE DIFFERENT. BUT LET'S LIVE OUR LIVES
FUNCTIONING, AND NOT START LIVING OUT OF DYSFUNCTION.
AGAIN, WHEN EVERYONE LIVES OUT OF THEIR DYSFUNCTION
THERE IS NEVER GOING TO BE A UNIFIED HOME.
NOTHING WILL FLOW TOGETHER. WHEN WE JUST ALLOW OURSELVES
TO CAMP AROUND DYSFUNCTION. BUT WHEN WE UNDERSTAND
WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT, HEY, BUT WE START FUNCTIONING
ACCORDING TO WHO WE ARE, ACCORDING TO WHO GOD CREATED
US TO BE, THEN WE CAN LIVE IN HARMONY, WE CAN FIND OUT
THERE IS SO MUCH MORE POWER IN WORKING TOGETHER THAN
THERE IS IN GOING IT ALONE. SO MANY PEOPLE DON'T EVER
LEARN TO CELEBRATE DIFFERENCE. I LOVE DIFFERENCE. I GUESS
MY WIFE AND I, WE'RE DIFFERENT. IT’S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT
WE'VE GOT A 35-YEAR-LONG MARRIAGE. BECAUSE WE'RE
NOT JUST THE SAME. BUT TOGETHER WE'RE MUCH
STRONGER THAN APART. IF IT'S JUST ABOUT ME AND I
DON'T LIKE ANYTHING ABOUT ANYONE ELSE WHO IS DIFFERENT, I'M GOING
TO MISS OUT ON SO MUCH. GOD IS BIG. HE'S DIVERSE.
HE'S WIDE. THERE IS ROOM FOR DIFFERENCE IN HIS CHURCH.
THERE IS ROOM FOR DIFFERENCE WITHIN PEOPLE. THERE IS ROOM
IN DIFFERENCE EVEN IN THINKING. DO YOU KNOW SOME PEOPLE
DOCTRINE IS MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM IT SEEMS, THAN ALMOST
ANYTHING WHEN NO ONE AGREES WITH THEIR DOCTRINE, THEY CUT
EVERYBODY ELSE OFF. WELL, LET ME JUST TELL YOU, IT'S
NOT ABOUT YOU. IT'S ABOUT GOD, AND GOD IS BIGGER THAN THAT.
WHEN THE NAME OF JESUS IS BEING EXALTED, IT'S NOT THE NAME OVER
THE DOOR OF A CHURCH THAT COUNTS. IT'S THE NAME THAT
IS PROCLAIMED. THAT'S THE NAME OF JESUS. WHEN WE UNDERSTAND
THAT, THEN DIFFERENCE DOESN'T HOLD US BACK. AT OUR HILLSONG
CONFERENCE, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COME EVERY YEAR, THEY
COME FROM VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS, VARIOUS NATIONS, THEY COME FROM
ALL AROUND THE WORLD AND FROM EVERY PART OF AUSTRALIA.
THERE IS A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENCE. AND THE SPEAKERS
WE GET, WE GET PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE BODY
OF CHRIST, AND WITH DIFFERENT STYLES AND TEACHERS AND PREACHERS.
IT'S KIND OF FUNNY BECAUSE OVER ALL THESE YEARS WE'VE PUT
ALL THESE PEOPLE TOGETHER, AND THE DIFFERENCE HAS ACTUALLY MADE
IT STRONGER. DIFFERENCE IS A GOOD THING. LET'S NOT JUST MAKE
IT ABOUT OURSELVES. THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THE GOSPEL OF
JESUS CHRIST THAT IS EXCLUSIVE. EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS
INCLUSIVE. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ME. IT'S NOT JUST
ABOUT YOU. LET'S LIVE OUR LIVES UNIFIED, AND LIVE
FOR OTHERS.
>> SO THIS IS SUMMER ISABEL ALLEN. MY FIRST DAUGHTER,
MY FIRST CHILD. SHE CAME INTO THE WORLD NINE DAYS AGO.
IT ALMOST CAME TO A POINT OF PANIC WHERE THERE’S TWO
MIDWIVES THAT WERE WITH US. HER HEART RATE HAD INCREASED
AND THEN DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY, STRUGGLING TO TAKE A BREATH.
I JUST WANTED--I KEPT SAYING TO MYSELF, I JUST WANT TO HEAR HER CRY.
AND IT LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS ONLY STRUGGLING AND BREATHING
AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS. HAVING BEEN MY FIRST CHILD, I
DON'T KNOW WHAT'S NORMAL. IT CAME TO THIS POINT WHERE I
JUST SAID, ALL RIGHT, I DON'T KNOW CARE HOW IT LOOKS.
I DON'T KNOW CARE WHAT THEY'RE DOING. THEY JUST
NEED TO STOP, AND I NEED TO PRAY FOR MY DAUGHTER.
I JUST LAID MY HANDS ON HER, AND FROM THERE SHE STARTED
TO CRY A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, AND IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST
SOUNDS I HAD EVER HEARD. YOU KNOW, HAVING A DAUGHTER,
AND SEEING HER COMING INTO THIS WORLD, I JUST THOUGHT TO MYSELF
HOW COULD OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN GIVE HIS SON TO PAY THE PRICE
THAT HE DID FOR US? AND IT JUST SHOWS ME HOW
MUCH HE TRULY LOVES US. HE PAID THE PRICE THAT NO ONE
ELSE WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY.
>> I STAND A NEW CREATION BAPTIZED IN BLOOD AND FIRE
>> SING IT OUT, "NO FEAR." NO FEAR OF CONDEMNATION
BY FAITH I'M JUSTIFIED I WILL RISE
I WILL RISE AS CHRIST WAS RAISED TO LIFE
NOW IN HIM NOW IN HIM
I LIVE I WILL RISE
I WILL RISE AS CHRIST WAS RAISED TO LIFE
NOW IN HIM NOW IN HIM
I LIVE I RISE AS YOU ARE RISEN
DECLARE YOUR RULE AND REIGN MY LIFE
CONFESS YOUR LORDSHIP AND GLORIFY YOUR NAME
YOUR WORD IT STANDS ETERNAL YOUR KINGDOM KNOWS NO END
YOUR PRAISE GOES ON FOREVER AND ON AND ON AGAIN
NO POWER CAN STAND AGAINST YOU
NO CURSE ASSAULT YOUR THRONE NO ONE CAN STEAL YOUR GLORY
FOR IT IS YOURS ALONE I STAND TO SING YOUR PRAISES
I STAND TO TESTIFY FOR I WAS DEAD IN MY SIN
BUT NOW I RISE I WILL RISE
AS CHRIST WAS RAISED TO LIFE NOW IN HIM
NOW IN HIM I LIVE
NO POWER CAN STAND AGAINST YOU
NO CURSE ASSAULT YOUR THRONE NO ONE CAN STEAL YOUR GLORY
FOR IT IS YOURS ALONE I STAND TO SING YOUR PRAISES
I STAND TO TESTIFY FOR I WAS DEAD IN MY SIN
BUT NOW I RISE I WILL RISE
AS CHRIST WAS RAISED TO LIFE NOW IN HIM
NOW IN HIM I LIVE
I WILL RISE I WILL RISE
AS CHRIST WAS RAISED TO LIFE NOW IN HIM
NOW IN HIM--
>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME.
I PRAY THAT THIS COMING WEEK WILL BE A WEEK FILLED WITH
ANSWERS FOR YOU. YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TALKS
ABOUT GOD'S COUNTENANCE. WHEN YOU GO TO CHURCH SOMETIMES
THEY PRAY AND SAY MAY THE COUNTENANCE OF THE LORD BE
UPON YOU. IT'S TALKING ABOUT HIS SMILE OR HIS
FAVOR. THAT'S THE WAY THAT GOD LOOKS AT PEOPLE,
FAVORABLY. OFTEN THINGS ABOUT OUR LIFE THAT GOD DOESN'T
LOOK AT FAVORABLY, BUT HE LOVES YOU, AND HE WANTS
THE BEST FOR YOU. AND THROUGH RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS
CHRIST YOU CAN KNOW THE LOVE AND THE GRACE OF AN ALL MIGHTY GOD.
AGAIN, GOD BLESS YOU, AND I PRAY THAT YOU'LL NEVER FORGET THE
BEST IS YET TO COME.