An Invitation to Weakness | Pastor Sabrina Osborn

God, we honor you, but we glorify your name. It's Jesus. We've gathered in the name above all names, the name of Jesus. No limit to what he's about to do. Every power and authority bows before the name of Jesus. No limit to what he's about to do. He's on the move. He's on the move. The Lord is here. The Lord is here. We welcome him with songs of praise. Let faith arise in the atmosphere. The Lord is here. We glorify his name. We glorify his name. We surrender everything we've laid at the feet of Jesus. No limit to what he's about to do. Every chain, every curse is broken at the name of Jesus. No limit to what he's about to do. He's on the move. The Lord is here. The Lord is here. We welcome him with songs of praise. Let faith arise in the atmosphere. The Lord is here. We glorify his name. Yes we do, Lord. Oh, we glorify his name. If you exist in heaven, glorify his name.

If you've been forgiven, glorify his name. Glorify his name, if you know his reason. Glorify his name, glorify his name. If you exist in heaven, glorify his name. If you've been forgiven, yes we glorify his name. If you know his reason, glorify his name. Glorify his name. We say, the Lord is here. The Lord is here. We welcome him with songs of praise. Let faith arise in the atmosphere. The Lord is here. We glorify his name. The Lord is here. The Lord is here. We welcome him with songs of praise. Let faith arise in the atmosphere. The Lord is here. We glorify his name. If you exist in heaven, glorify his name. If you've been forgiven, we glorify his name. If you know his reason, glorify his name. Glorify his name. If you exist in heaven, glorify his name. If you've been forgiven, glorify his name. If you know his reason, glorify his name. Glorify his name. Glorify his name. Come on, can we glorify his name today? Yes, we glorify you, Lord.

Glorify you. Psalm 136 says that the Lord is good and that his love endures forever. So Lord, today we praise your name. God, we lift your name higher today. Thank you. We give you glory. We give glory to him. We give glory to you Lord. song Luke 23 we embrace you we declare your name He's my defender, yes you are. we glorify your name we praise your name we glorify your name He's faithful and patient. we proclaim your name we declare your name He's loving and He's gracious. From age to age, His goodness never changes. So I will sing praise. I will sing praise. I will sing praise. For the Lord is good always. All of my days held by His grace. For the Lord is good. The Lord is good always. Always. Always.

He's my prize. You're my prize and my treasure. He's good beyond all measure. Oh, I've tasted and I've seen. There's nothing better. So forever, I will sing praise. I will sing praise. For the Lord is good always. All of my days held by His grace. For the Lord is good always. I will sing praise. I will sing praise. For the Lord is good always. All of my days, they've been held by His grace. For the Lord is good. The Lord is good always. Always. Always. We sing that the Lord is good always. Always. Always. Yes, you are. Oh yes, the Lord is good always. Oh, I'm standing on the rock. The rock of ages. Holding to the hope that's never failing. I've got all I need. Cause I've got you. Come on, let's sing this if we believe it today. Oh, I'm standing on the rock.

The rock of ages. Holding to the hope that's never failing. I've got all I need. Cause I've got you. It's true. Oh, I'm standing on the rock. The rock of ages. Holding to the hope that's never failing. I've got all I need. Cause I've got you. And I will praise. I will sing praise. I will sing praise. For the Lord is good always. All of my days, held by His grace. For the Lord is good always. I will sing praise. I will sing praise. For the Lord is good always. All of my days, held by His grace. For the Lord is good. The Lord is good always. Always. Always we sing. The Lord is good always. Always. Always. Yes. Oh, I'm standing on the rock. The rock of ages.

Holding to the hope that's never failing. I've got all I need. Cause I've got you. Oh. Yes, I'm standing on the rock. The rock of ages. Holding to the hope that's never failing. I've got all I need. Cause I've got you. Oh. Oh. I've got all. ♪ I love you, cause I love you ♪ ♪ All the same praise, all the same praise ♪ ♪ For the Lord is good always ♪ ♪ All of my days are held by His grace ♪ ♪ For the Lord is good, the Lord is good always ♪ ♪ Always, always, always, the Lord is good always ♪ ♪ Always, always, the Lord is good always ♪ ♪ Yes you are, you are, you're good always ♪ He's always good, amen. No matter the season. Come on, can we just tell Him that right now? God, you are so good. God, you are so faithful. There's nothing like you, Jesus. Nothing like your faithfulness. God, we praise you. We praise you. As we continue worshiping,

we're gonna be singing this word Elohim. And I just wanna let you know that Elohim is a Hebrew word for God. It's mentioned all through the Old Testament scripture hundreds and hundreds of times. In fact, it's the very first name ever mentioned in scripture. It's Genesis 1.1. It says, in the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth. And so we're gonna be singing just a reminder that this time of worship is singing to our creator. The same God that created the heavens and the earth knows each and every one of us by name. There's nothing beyond His power. There's nothing beyond His care for us. The same God that created the universe knows each and every one of us. And so as we just continue worshiping, let's just sing that name Elohim together. Thank you, Jesus. ♪ Time and time again, we've asked if you were able ♪ ♪ Time and time again, you've proved ♪ ♪ You're the God of our salvation ♪ ♪ And worthy of our praises ♪ ♪ Time and time again, we worship you ♪ ♪ Oh, anyone with eyes can see a mountain ♪ ♪ But anyone with faith will see a moon ♪ ♪ Oh, Elohim, you're the God who goes before me ♪ ♪ Prince of peace, and my heart is found in you ♪

♪ You're the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ♪ ♪ There's no end to who you are ♪ ♪ And there's no limit to your power ♪ ♪ Thank you, Lord ♪ ♪ Merciful and true, and God of every virtue ♪ ♪ This holy rock we're standing on ♪ ♪ You're holy and you're kind, the epitome of life ♪ ♪ We magnify the worthy one ♪ ♪ And we magnify the worthy one ♪ ♪ We're singing, Elohim, you're the God who goes before me ♪ ♪ Prince of peace, my heart is found ♪ ♪ You're the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost ♪ ♪ There's no end to who you are ♪ ♪ And there's no limit to your throne ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh ♪ ♪ And there's no limit to your throne ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh oh oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ You see, no one is higher, God our provider, Prince of Peace ♪ ♪ He's good beyond measure, worthy forever, Elohim ♪ ♪ And no one is higher, God our provider, Prince of Peace ♪ ♪ He's good beyond measure, worthy forever, Elohim ♪ ♪ And no one is higher, God our provider, Prince of Peace ♪ ♪ He's good beyond measure, worthy forever, Elohim ♪ ♪ And no one is higher, God our provider, Prince of Peace ♪ ♪ He's good beyond measure, worthy forever, Elohim ♪ ♪ We sing Elohim, the God who was born, Prince of Peace ♪ ♪ My heart has found a home, true Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪ ♪ There's no end to who you are, there's no limit to your throne ♪ ♪ There's no limit to your throne, there's no limit to your throne ♪ ♪ Thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord ♪

♪ There is nothing greater, there is nothing stronger ♪ ♪ Nothing greater, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ There's no limit to your throne, nothing higher, nothing, nothing ♪ ♪ Our creator, there's no limit to your throne, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ There's no limit to your throne, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ There is nothing, oh, to your throne, oh, oh, oh ♪ Come on, we sing, no one is higher. ♪ And no one is higher, God our provider, Prince of Peace ♪ ♪ He is good beyond measure, worthy forever, Elohim ♪ ♪ And no one is higher, God our provider, Prince of Peace ♪ ♪ He is good beyond measure, worthy forever, oh, oh, oh ♪ We're singing Elohim, you're the God who goes before me Prince of Peace, and my heart is found, oh You're the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost There's no end to who you are, and there's no limit to your throne There's no end to who you are There's no limit to your throne As your great Jesus We sing and all hail King Jesus All hail the Lord of heaven and earth All hail King Jesus All hail the Savior of the world All hail King Jesus As your great Lord All hail the Lord of heaven All hail King Jesus All hail the Savior of the world All hail King Jesus All hail the Lord of heaven and earth All hail King Jesus

All hail the Savior of the world All hail King Jesus There is no one like you Lord All hail the Lord of heaven and earth All hail King Jesus All hail the Savior of the world No one like you Jesus Let every knee Let every knee Come bow before the King of kings Let every tongue Confess his love Lift up your shout Let us call you with all of heaven Singing holy We're singing holy We cry out holy We're singing holy All hail King Jesus All hail the Lord of heaven and earth All hail King Jesus All hail the Savior of the world I love that we just declared all hail King Jesus The Lord of heaven and earth Paul says it this way in the book of Acts chapter 17 He is talking to the Athenians and they have What's known as an unknown God to them And Paul says listen let me tell you who this unknown God is And he says this in Acts 17 verse 24 He says he is the God who made the world and everything in it

Since he is the Lord of heaven and earth He doesn't live in man made temples He's the Lord of heaven and earth But then he doesn't stop there Just a few verses later Verse 27, he says this, his purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him, though he is not far from any one of them. What was his purpose? He wanted that the nations would seek after him. And here's why I say that this weekend we are celebrating Independence Day weekend. We are 250 years as a nation celebrating our freedom, thankful for the men and women that have given their lives and sacrificed so that we could have this freedom. But as a nation, we want to take a moment and pray because Paul said something very clearly that his purpose was that the nations would seek after God. And how many, you know, church, we need to seek after God in this nation. We need God. We need a touch from God. We need revival. We need an outpouring of his spirit. And so here's what we're going to do. We're going to take a moment this morning and we're just going to pray. And we're going to do what's called corporate prayer, which means I'm going to lead us. But if you feel comfortable, I want to invite you to pray out loud as well. And we're just going to invite God to do a work in our nation. Amen. So let's pray. Father, we just thank you so much for the freedoms that we experience as a nation. We do not take it for granted. And we also respond to what you spoke through the apostle Paul. You said your desire is that we would seek after you. And so father, we pray right now for the hearts of the people in America to turn towards you, to seek after you, to find you and to recognize that you're not far, but you're near, you're close and you're pursuing us. We pray for revival in America. We pray for an outpouring of your spirit here. We pray that we would get back to seeking you above everything else in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. One more time. Let's give him praise. Amen. Well, listen, it was so great worshiping with you today. And as we continue in the service, I just want to take a moment and welcome all of you to Gateway Church. And I am so excited about this weekend because we have our very own pastor, Sabrina Osborne, who is going to bring the message this morning. If you don't know her, she is actually one of our worship pastors and she leads a worship here for our kids and youth ministry. And you've seen her here on the weekends on the platform, but she has a powerful message for us today. But

before we turn our attention to her, why don't you turn to two or three people, greet them and welcome them to Gateway Church. 250 years ago, a nation was born, a nation formed by imperfect people through rain and storm to cement our rights that come not from government, but from God. Today, we remember the men and women who sacrificed, the generations who prayed and our freedoms granted by the price Jesus paid. And to this day, families still pray, churches still sing, hope still rises. The very reason our hope survives is for these 250 years, God has been faithful. And we look ahead knowing He will remain faithful. So as our flag flies this 4th of July, we celebrate more than a nation's birthday. We celebrate God's goodness. God bless America. Hey, church family. I hope you're having a wonderful summer. I'm so excited about this weekend. Not only is it 250 years as a nation, I hope you're finding some time to be with family to celebrate this moment. And I pray that you'll take a moment to pray. We pray for God's continued blessing over our nation. We pray for favor. And most of all, we pray for revival, that the spirit of God would move in a fresh way in and through the people of this great nation. I'm also excited about this weekend because we're doing something very, very special that I know you're gonna love, and we're calling it Young Communicators Weekend. You know, in our heart, mine and Tammy's have always been to raise up the next generation of leaders and to give ministry away. We never wanted to stand in the way of what God was doing in the lives of people. And so one of the things that we're launching this weekend is Young Communicators, and here's simply what that means. It means this, is that we've taken some of the team who we believe have the gift of communicating God's Word. We've spent months with them, helping them develop the message and develop the outline and hear from the Lord and complete their message. And now this weekend, at every campus, we have different communicators sharing the Word of God. And so let me just tell you, for some of them, very first time, they're standing on the platforms they're standing on. And I told them, I said, our church family is gonna love you.

They're gonna cheer you on. They're gonna clap. They're gonna amen more than they normally do to encourage the gift and encourage this step of faith that these communicators are taking as we see God develop a fresh gift on the inside of them. So here's what I want you to do. I want you to lean in. I believe God's gonna speak to you today. And I want you to be encouraging and I want you to amen. I want you to open your heart for what God may want to say to you today through His Word and through His people. So at every location, here's what I want you to do. Stand up on your feet and put your hands together and welcome to the stage, the one who will be communicating God's Word today. Come on, celebrate with me. Good morning. Thank you. Thank you. Y'all can have a seat. Good morning, Gateway. Hey, family. I am so excited to be with you this morning in a new way. And I'm so excited for what the Lord has laid on my heart. I just want to say good morning to everyone who's watching online, our prison campuses. We are so glad that you joined us for church. You guys, if I hadn't said it already, I'm so excited. Okay, well, before I jump in, I want to take a moment and just honor our lead pastors. Pastor Daniel, Pastor Tammy, so grateful for you. What an incredible heart that you have to pour into the next generation, pour into this house.

Thank you for the way that you love us and the ways that you do. We are so thankful to be led by you. And I'm honored to be up here today. And I also want to take a moment and thank Pastor Jelani. I want to thank you and just honor the intentionality that you have poured into. Yes. The intentionality that you have poured into me and the encouragement and the feedback throughout this whole process with me, other people involved, but also the way that you lead our Southlake campus. We are honored and we love you. So thank you. Before I jump in, I want to pray and just acknowledge the Holy Spirit in this room. Worship was incredible and our God is an incredible God. And so if you will, let's pray and let's honor his presence and then we'll jump in. Lord, we are so thankful for you. What an honor it is to have woken up today with your breath in our lungs. Lord, I thank you for the sunshine, the day that we get to live in that glorifies you. Lord, I just pray that over these next couple minutes that you would come and that you would speak through me. Lord, you are the goal. You are the prize. You are the focus. I need you. We need more of you. Lord, we acknowledge your presence in this room. We thank you for who you are. And it's your name I pray. Amen. Okay. Okay.

I have a question for the room. I, as Pastor Jelani said, I come from youth and kids ministry. And so typically when I'm speaking with them, I will ask for a little bit of collaboration from the room. I'm not going to do a lot of that today, but I will ask you all to participate in at least this one question. I want to know by a show of hands, who in here has been the new person? Oh, took us a second. If you're not raising your hand, I don't believe you because we've definitely all been the new person before. Okay. Some examples. Maybe you are the new person walking the halls of a high school or middle school or elementary school, but you're in line with all your friends. Maybe you are the new person that just joined a sports team. Maybe you have been working at your workplace for a while and you have been invited into an important meeting for the first time and you were the new person in that room. Maybe you're a new mom and you have just joined a new mom's group and you feel like the less seasoned one in the room. Maybe it is your first time here in church today and you really feel like the new person in the room. When we are the new people in the room, those times can often bring up moments and feelings of insecurities, inadequacies, questioning ourself and if we should even be there. I know that I have felt that before, for sure. Back when my husband and I, Luke, we've been married for almost five years this November. That's right, that's right. He's my best friend, truly, truly my best friend

and my better half. I'm so thankful to do life with him. But we started dating whenever we were 16 and I, first of all, just wanna take a moment and thank our parents and our friends and our family that came alongside us whenever we were 16 years old because we were babies. But we were a couple months into dating and I had met his parents already. So we'd met each other. I love them and they love me. And I just found out that I was gonna meet the entire rest of the family. So like Luke's cousins, his aunts and uncles, grandparents, all of the things. And I was really nervous. I was really nervous. I knew that I was gonna be the new person walking into that family dinner. So leading up to that night, I had all the questions running through my mind. Like, are they gonna like me? Am I gonna say the wrong thing? Am I gonna do the wrong thing? Am I gonna wear the wrong thing? Like, am I gonna show up okay? And leading up to this night, I have remembered something that my parents have always taught me growing up, which was Brie, they call me Brie.

Sabrina, you are exactly who you are created to be. So just show up as you. And you and the Lord will do the rest. And so something as simple as meeting my boyfriend at the time's family, I decided, okay, I'll be myself. So I walked in, conversation was going well. I enjoyed meeting them. And we circled up, we were at his cousin's house. And we circled up around the kitchen, prayed. And after amen, typically, if you're like new to the party, or maybe not even new, you'll wait till other people get in line for dinner, be, I don't know, maybe polite. Maybe that's modest. I don't know. As soon as we said amen, I was running for that Mexican food and I was ready. I was ready to eat the food. I was so much so myself. I'm like, this is who I am. I love food and I love you guys. And it was a great night. And I'm so thankful to be a part of the Osborne family. But I was the new person. And walking in, I had the questions of, am I gonna be enough? Am I adequate? Are they gonna like me? And many of us walk into new spaces feeling those same things.

There's someone in the Bible who I know is just as human as you and me. And I truly believe that he had to have felt some of these same things whenever he was walking into the spaces that the Lord led him to. Yet he emptied himself of all of his self-doubt and his questions and leaned on the Lord's strength. That is why I'm encouraged by the story of Paul. Now, if you don't know Paul in the Bible, Paul also known as Saul was a man who was known to persecute Christians. Now Paul himself, he grew up as a Pharisee. He grew up knowing the law. He knew it really well. He was Jewish himself. He knew all of these things. Yet when people started believing in Jesus Christ and becoming a Christian themselves, he believed that they were in the wrong. And so he was persecuting Christians, believing that he was doing the right thing, which he truly wasn't. But one day on the road to Damascus, Jesus stopped him on the road, quite literally blinded the man, and was like, Paul, why are you persecuting me? Paul then realized, oh, this is the Jesus that people are talking about, speaking to me here and now.

And so Jesus then gave him the instructions. I want you to go into Damascus and trust that I'll do the rest, basically. And so Paul, blind, went into Damascus and the Lord spoke to a man named Ananias and told Ananias, I want you to go find Paul, lay your hands on him and heal him. And so Ananias confused, Paul, as in this man who persecutes Christians, trusted the Lord and went, laid hands on Paul and the place that he was at. And the Bible says that scales fell from his eyes and Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit. So now Paul was a new creation. After that encounter, Paul entered the space, entered many spaces as the new person. People knew him before as the man who was the persecutor of Christians. And honestly, if I had to put myself into Paul's shoes, he was just as human as you and I. If I'm putting myself into his shoes, when God had called him to the ministry of being apostle, I can't help but imagine all of the things that he came up with in his mind as excuses. Lord, why me? Are people gonna believe me? Are they gonna listen to what I have to say? I know who I was and I'm kind of ashamed that I was in the wrong. Like all of these things as human

that he was probably going through in his mind, many distrusting him, being opposing of his message. He could have given in and been paralyzed by shame and security and feelings of inadequacy. Yet he led with a Christ-like humility. Paul ministered with a remarkable humility and confidence, not because he believed in himself or because he didn't believe in himself, but because he believed in Christ, the one who saved him when he did not deserve the saving. We are called to do the same. Every single one of you are called to do the same. It is important to remember that our confidence is found only in Christ. Our confidence is found only in Christ. This is important to remember because if our confidence comes from our abilities, our accomplishments, or other people's approval, we will find ourselves worn out, exhausted, and not standing in who we are called to be. But with Christ, we can faithfully step into whatever he calls us to do, representing him in everything that we do. If you will, if you have your Bibles with you, I'd love for you to open them up this morning. And we are gonna read a verse from 2 Corinthians chapter 12, and we'll start in verse nine. This is Paul addressing the Corinthian church. And where we're starting out is he is telling them

about something that God had spoken to him. So 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verse nine says this. Are we doing good this morning? Yes. Okay. But he said to me, again, this is God speaking to Paul, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. And then Paul goes on to say, therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then I am content in my weaknesses, my hardships, my persecutions, and calamities. And insults, I don't think I said that one. For when I am weak, then I am strong. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Rather than hiding his weakness, he boasts in it. Paul knew his identity and strength came from the Lord, and he had discovered that when we are weak, God's strength is exemplified. When we are weak, God's strength is exemplified. So also keeping in mind, every place that he stepped into, he had every opportunity to come up with excuses as to why he shouldn't. But he knew that God had called him, and he knew that in his humanness, in his humanity, God was made strong. So I wanna ask the room another question, but you don't have to raise your hand for this one. Just something I want you to keep in mind

as we go throughout the rest of our time this morning together. I wanna ask the room, where in our lives do we show up assuming what others may think of us? I know I do in a lot of places. And where do we allow our insecurities to become more important than showing up with the confidence in the one who called us and qualifies us? We cannot strive for the approval of others when we already have the approval of the one who saved us. The title of my message today is an invitation to weakness. An invitation to weakness. God has a plan for your life. He has something specific for each and every one of you. Sometimes it's stepping into new places, and sometimes it's in the place that you already are. God has a calling on your life. He has a purpose for you. And what does that look like to lean into it? Letting go of what we think qualifies us and standing true to who actually qualifies us. I have three steps for us today that I believe will help as a guideline as we walk out of here. In order to fully discover our confidence in Christ and live according to his plan in our lives, we need to know our God-given identity. You need to know your God-given identity. I'm gonna take a drink of water.

I feel like the drinking the water part is like the most awkward part. Okay, I'm like, can you hear me swallow? I hope not. Okay. Okay, know your God-given identity. Our identity is not in what we do or a title that we hold. It is not in what we do or a title that we hold. It also is not found in the opinions of what someone else thinks about us. That is not where our identity is found. It is found in being a son and a daughter of God. You are a son and a daughter of God. And knowing more of your God-given identity is knowing more of God himself. The more that you know God, the more you dig into your word, the more that you know who he has called you to be. You have to know your God-given identity in him. Jesus came so that we could be made new, die to our old ways and be made new in the sacrifice that he made for us on the cross. Second Corinthians 5.17 says, this means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new creation. The old life has gone and the new life has begun. Thank you, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes. He is so good.

Paul knew where his identity came from. He knew where his identity came from. It was not the on-paper education that he had, and we'll talk about that here in a moment. It was not the amount of people who accepted Christ after he brought the word. His identity was not found in the amount of people who told him, good job. And it was not found in the amount of people who insulted his efforts either. His identity was found in the one who saved him when he did not deserve the saving, just like you and just like me. I did not deserve it, yet he freely gave it to me. And for that, I am so grateful. There's a point in Philippians 3 though, where Paul goes on to talk about all of the ways that he is qualified, his education, the way he grew up, the people he knew, all of the things. And then he punctuates his statement by saying, I used to count this all as such valuable things to be. I used to count this all as value, yet now I consider it all garbage compared to knowing Christ. All of that, all of his qualifications mean nothing compared to knowing Christ. And when he knows Christ, he knows who he is in Christ. Knowing Jesus and who we are in him is what gives us the confidence to show up without letting our ideas of success or insecurities be at the forefront.

Remembering that we are all sinners saved by grace. Now, the Lord, as I said a few moments ago, has all called us to something, somewhere, someone, someplace. And yes, there are things that we walk through in life that qualify us, education, experience, those things are valuable. But there are also things, well, let me phrase it this way. In the places that we step into, it can be easy to walk in and let the things that we've accomplished puff us up and we become prideful about those things. I've done this, I've been here, I've said this, I know this. Again, the Lord prepares us for where he puts us. So we don't wanna come in prideful into new places that he calls us into. But if you would go with me here for a moment, I wanna present the thought that our insecurities are just as prideful as our accomplishments. And I say that because whenever we're talking about our accomplishments and seeing that as what qualifies us to be somewhere, we're looking at ourselves. We're looking at ourselves rather than the one who qualified us. But if we're looking at our insecurities, when God calls us into a new place and he says, I want you to go here and we say, no, I don't think I can do it because I can't this. And I don't do this well, and I don't do this well.

I'm really looking more at myself than I am at the one who's called me. And so I just wanna challenge the room today. When God calls you, he'll prepare you, he'll equip you, he'll be with you. But the things that you. think holds you back are not the things that the Lord sees that holds you back. And so you need to step into where he's called you, what he's called you to do and how he's called you to do it with him. Laying down your insecurities. Insecurity in a way highlights ourselves as the source rather than God as the source. He is our source. I love when Paul mentioned Jesus in Philippians 2, five through eight. He says this, you must have the same attitude. Yeah, you must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. Jesus had every reason to walk into those rooms and be like, do you know who I am? I mean, Jesus had no reason to be insecure.

So we're setting that aside for a second. He knew who he was and he knew who he belonged to. Yet he came as a human and as humans, we are weak. And he allowed the Lord to move through him. There's a quote from a theologian that I love. And it says, humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less. It is not thinking less of yourself because remember, you're a child of God. Remember your identity. Remember who you are in him. Not thinking of yourself less, but just thinking of yourself less. Thinking less of yourself. Yeah, you're with me. You're there. You're there. Moving on. This means that when God asks us to step into a new space, we need to empty ourselves of what we think qualifies us, what we think defines us and recognize that without Jesus, we would not be a new creation. And we need to find our identity in him. So after we know our God-given identity, what comes next? We need to let our weakness produce dependence. You need to let your weakness produce dependence. Paul talks about being content in his weaknesses, knowing that when he is weak, he is strong. This feels like an oxymoron. Like the world that we live in today is very much so,

I got this, I know all the answers. And if I don't know the answers, then I'm not gonna let you know because I don't wanna look like, I don't wanna look weak. I don't know about you, but I've definitely been there. I've definitely been there. Weakness is, it's unique. God's kingdom is not a heavenly kingdom. The way that God reigns and his authority feels opposite to what we might do here on earth. But weakness, weakness is an invitation from the Lord. Because when we know our identity in him, we know who we belong to, then we know that we can't do anything without him. So I wanna just separate out, what is the difference between insecurity and weakness for a moment? Insecurity says, God can't use me. God can't use me in my workplace. Well, they're not believers around me, God can't use me. I don't know, I don't wanna embarrass myself for I'm not a great communicator. God can't use me in that way. Never say never, the Lord's funny, he's funny. Insecurity says, God can't use me. But weakness says, God, I need you. God, I need you. God, I need you. God, I need you in this workplace where no one around me is a believer

and they're a little crazy. God, I need you in my school that I go to and in the people that I'm talking to in my classroom. I need you. God, I need you when I'm going into Starbucks and I see the person you want me to talk to and pray with and I don't wanna do it, but I need your strength with me. I need you. God, I need your help because I need to do these dishes. Like, come on, like we need him in everything. We need him in everything. Paul never claimed to be self-sufficient. He never claimed to be self-sufficient. Instead, he constantly openly acknowledged his dependence on God in everything, in everything. Many of us, including myself, truly including myself, because I am so human, we try to compensate for insecurity by pretending to have everything together. But scripture paints a different picture. God's power is the most visible when we admit our need for him. Second Corinthians nine, when I had mentioned a few moments ago, God had spoken to Paul and said, Efficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Now in verse eight, or the verses leading up to this, this one verse, Paul's talking about having a thorn in his side, something that keeps him utterly dependent on God in everything that he does.

That's called being human. This thorn in his side, we don't know exactly what it is, but I truly believe that in everything he did, every space he walked into, it kept him dependent on God. God, I can't do this without you. I can't walk into this room without you. I can't do this without you. I need you, I need you. Our weakness in humanity does not disqualify us. It does not disqualify us, especially by kingdom standards. God wants to move through that. Our weakness becomes opportunity for God's strength to be displayed. I also want to acknowledge that Paul had many friends in his missionary journey. He had people that prayed with him, that celebrated with him, that did ministry alongside him. And this tells me that not only did Paul know that he had to lean on God's strength when he was weak, but it also tells me that he needed people around him to lean on whenever he needed that physical strength around him as well. The same is for you and for me. We need people around us. Going back to a few minutes ago, I think we live in a world where it's like, I got it all together, I'm fine, don't worry about me. No, we need people in our lives to come alongside us when we are weak to physically show the strength of God in our lives.

We're the body of Christ, y'all. We carry his presence with us. We carry his strength within us whenever we allow him to move through us, and so we need community. You need community. I know that community in my life has been so valuable, has been so humbling, has been so grounding to remind me of who I am in Christ. We need that around us, and I think Paul did that beautifully. So get in a group. You guys hear me? Find a group of friends, you guys. Find somebody that you can just connect with, that you can have fun with and get real with. Truly, it is such a blessing, and it has impacted and changed my life. It truly has, and my people know who my people are, so I love y'all. Weakness is God's invitation to us. The places where we feel least capable are often the places where we learn to depend on him the most. I love how Jonathan Pakluta says it. He says, if dependency is your goal, then weakness is your advantage. Philippians 3.3, for it is we who are the circumcision. We, you, me, us, we are the set apart. We who serve God by his spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.

One more participation. What confidence? No confidence. Thank you. I feel a little bit at home. Our weakness is God's vessel for greatness, and I do not just mean whenever we're walking through something hard. I mean that it takes us laying down our insecurities, our accomplishments, and everything in between at the feet of Jesus daily. Daily, so that he can move through us. When we stop trying to be strong and have it all together, we stop exalting ourselves, and we start exalting the savior. And isn't that the goal of life? Isn't it the goal just to have everything actually point back to him? That's my goal, and I hope that's your goal. Remember, even Jesus had every opportunity to come in strength, yet he came as a human, and he allowed God to move through his weakness. It was simply through his weakness that God worked miraculously through him. So, after we know our God-given identity, and also, these steps are something that I have to practice every day. Every day, I need to wake up and remember who I am in Christ. Lord, what is my identity?

Who have you called me to be? A child of God, okay? Okay, Lord, make me weak before you. I admit that I am weak, and I need your strength, so I need to let my weakness produce dependence on you. So, once we know our God-given identity, let our weakness produce dependence. We then need to move forward in faith. We need to move forward in faith. Again, those places that the Lord has called you to, new, maybe not new, there's a reason that you are in the season that you are in. There is a purpose in it. The Lord has something for you in it. The Lord wants to do something through you in it. You need to know your God-given identity. Allow God to move through your weakness. to move through your weakness, and then you need to move forward in faith. Knowing your identity and depending on God must ultimately lead to action. He has a plan for each and every one of us, and the biggest one is this. It is the Great Commission. Matthew 28, 18, 18, 18, 18 through 20, sorry, I'm making fun of myself. 18 through 20 says this. Jesus came and told his disciples, I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you, and be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. When I was little, me and my dad used to do these trust falls. Do any of you do them with your kids? I bet you do. Don't do them with your friends, they're not as trustworthy. But my father, when I was little, I would stand up on this ledge and he would stand right up behind me and he'd be like, trust me, I gotcha. Just fall, just trust me. With my back to him, I had to trust that he was there. And then every time he would move back just a little bit, he'd be like, will you trust me? And I'd trust him. And then he'd move back just a little bit more and he'll be like, would you trust me? And I'd fall into his arms. And time and time again, he would always catch me. The same as with our father, our heavenly father, where he asks you to go, he will be with you, he will catch you, and he is right behind you and before you and all around you. He is with you. And Jesus said, I will be with you always, always. So moving forward in faith

is not the absence of feeling inadequate, it is obedience in the middle of it. This does not mean a life free of insults, hardships, persecutions, or calamities, like Paul said, because they're gonna come, they're gonna come. Paul, his life was not easy by any means. They came, yet he knew who he was. If we accept the invitation of weakness and dependency on the one who saved us with his sufficient grace, then we will be moving forward in a faith that trusts in him alone. Philippians 4.13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, all things. So practically, moving forward, what does this look like? Praying before walking into that difficult meeting or conversation that you have. There's a theologian who once said, a day without prayer is a boast against God. I feel convicted hearing that statement. A day without prayer is a boast against God. Why? Because prayer is a declaration of dependency on God. I need you, God. I need you. Practically, this looks like serving, even when you don't feel qualified. Practically, this looks like sharing your faith, even when you feel nervous. Me. Practically, this looks like saying yes

to God's calling on your life before you feel completely ready. I don't think we'll ever get to a place where we feel completely ready, because if I get to that place, that means I trust more in myself than the power of God in my life. So saying yes and moving forward in faith is saying, God, I trust you where you're taking me. I trust you. Even if I don't feel ready, I know that you're with me. I know that you're with me. That's me today. That is me today. Thank you. When I was reached out to a few weeks ago about this opportunity and this honor, I was terrified. I immediately got this message and I thought through every reason why I should say no. There are better communicators. I'm young. There, I don't have the right education. I have my own insecurities. And the Lord spoke to me in that moment, so sweetly, so kindly as our heavenly father does. And he said, Bree, would you lean on me? Are you gonna lean on me? Are you gonna remember

who I called you to be. Are you gonna remember that in your weakness, I'm strong? Are you gonna remember that I have called you in your life to move forward in faith? Move forward in faith, faith without having all the answers, faith without knowing what's next. Will you trust me? And will you let me move through you? This message is something that I am walking out every day, every day, I will never have reached it. We will never have reached it. The best thing that we can do is stay humble and weak before the Lord saying, I need you. Lord, we need you. And so my encouragement to you as you leave here today, and as you go throughout your week and everything, every conversation in the car, when you're dealing with those people on the road, and the new spaces that you step into, saying, God, I need you, I need you. But I also wanna speak to the person here in the room whom I mentioned at the beginning, maybe you are the new one here at church today. Maybe you walked in here and maybe you've been coming for a couple of weeks. Maybe this is your first time. You've been feeling this God thing out. God wants to meet with you. He wants to know you and he wants you to know him. In fact, he already knows you, but he wants you to know him.

Because when you know him, you know who you are. You know that you're human, but you are a sinner saved by grace. And so I wanna give us an opportunity here in this room to receive him as our Lord and savior. So if you will, all across this room, would you bow your heads and close your eyes? We are all sinners saved by grace. Christian, living life with Jesus doesn't mean having it all together, because I know that I don't. But it's knowing that in our weakness, he is made strong. And my goal here on earth is to exemplify his name, glorify his name in everything I do, every person I touch, every encounter I have. And so the first step today is we need to admit that we're sinners. If that's you in this room, then we need to admit that we're a sinner. We need to believe in Jesus Christ and the blood that he shed, the sacrifice he made so that we could live with him. And we need to call on the name of Jesus. If that is you here in this room this morning and you want to know your God-given identity, and you wanna see his strength in your life, then I'm gonna ask you, I'm gonna encourage you to move in faith. And with every head bowed and every eye closed, I would just love to know who I am praying with.

If that is you here in this room and you would love to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior today, with nobody looking around, would you just raise your hand? I see you. He sees you. He loves you. You can put your hands down. Would everybody pray this prayer with me for the benefit of those that just received the Lord. Would you say, dear Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins so that I could have new life. Today, I receive the gift of your forgiveness and salvation. Come be the Lord of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Amen. Can we celebrate those who just committed their life to the Lord? You have made a powerful decision. You now are on the journey of knowing your God-given identity, of knowing what it looks like to let him move through your weakness and be your strength. We would love to know if you made that decision for the first time today, would you just simply text Jesus to 71010

so we can know and pray with you and come alongside you in your journey? But if you would, as well, stand up to your feet. The best way that we can say, Lord, I need you is to respond in worship. And so if you would, let's worship together for the next few moments. I love you, church. ♪ Lord, the Savior ♪ ♪ Isn't he wonderful ♪ ♪ Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen ♪ Bow down before Him, for He is Lord of all. Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen. Oh what a Savior, isn't He wonderful. Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen. Bow down before Him, for He is Lord of all. Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen. Oh come to the altar, the Father's arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Oh come to the altar, the Father's arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Amen, amen. Can we give it up for Sabrina one more time? So proud of you. Such a great message. Such a powerful word. Such a great message. And I'm going to share a few closing announcements. But this still is an opportunity to confess our weakness and our dependency on the Lord. And so here's what I want to do.

I want to invite our prayer team to come forward. They're going to be here at the front. We also have prayer team members there in the balcony. And if you have any needs today, if you're going through a difficult time in your marriage, if you need wisdom for a decision, or if today you gave your life to Jesus, we'd love to celebrate with you. We'd love to pray with you. And so even as I share a few announcements, you can just start coming forward. Our leaders will stay here as long as we need to. We would love the opportunity to pray with you. Just a couple of reminders for you. In a couple of weeks, actually less than two weeks, we have a youth con coming up, which is our youth conference. And I want to encourage you students, if you haven't signed up, you need to sign up. Parents, sign your kids up. My daughter Judah's going to come. And the reason why we believe in this is, one, my life was personally transformed at a youth conference. And we believe God's going to do some amazing things in our young people. So I encourage you, you can simply text the word youth to 71010, just youth to 71010, and we can get you signed up there. Also, in two weekends, Pastor Daniel is beginning a brand new series called TikTok Theology. And he's going to be talking about really what we're consuming and the voices that we're listening to and really going back to the most important voice, which is the voice of God and the word of God. And so I encourage you to come back in two weekends and invite some people because it's going to be an amazing message. Lastly, if you are new or you're here for the very first time or maybe the first time in a long time, we're so excited you chose to be with us this weekend. Church, can we just put our hands together for everybody? So excited you chose to be with us. And we would love the opportunity to connect with you. And there's a couple of ways to do that. First of all, you can just text the word connect to 71010. Or if you're joining us online, just text connect to 71010. We'll follow up that way.

But if you have time after service today, there's an area called Connect Central, which is located out in our lobby. And I'll be there along with some of our leaders and would love to just meet you personally, shake your hand, answer any questions that you have. And so if you have a moment after service, please stop by Connect Central. Let me pray a blessing over you today out of Numbers chapter six. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen. God bless you. We love you and we'll see you next week. Transcribed by https://otter.ai