Looking for a Leader Part 4

We're going to begin reading in verse number nine, 2 Chronicles chapter 16, if I can find it. That's Corinthians, Earl, what are you doing? 2 Chronicles, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles. There we go. 2 Chronicles chapter 16, verse number nine. It reads, for the eyes of the Lord, the eyes of the Lord reign throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth. If you ever watch NBA basketball or college basketball, they'll do this sometimes when they do an assist. You all know what I'm talking about? You guys watch basketball? You can do a great pass like, I see you, I see you, I see you. And this scripture here is telling us that God's eyes are ranging all throughout the earth. He's looking for somebody whose heart is completely given over to him. God wants to show himself strong in that person's life. We've been in the series called Looking for a Leader, Looking for a Leader. And that is who we see all of you being, not just those of us who have a company or those of us who have some employees or those of us who are supervisors and directors, but every one of us. I'm talking to teenagers. Can I hear it from the teenagers for a second? Oh, wow, weak sauce. Let's go, teenagers. Give me some.

You guys aren't going to be louder than that? Okay, okay, it's early. Talking to young adults. I'm talking to single people and married people. This is not just for the elite here or the people that you think God will want to use. The reality is that God is wanting to use you. He wants to flow through you, and he's not just wanting you to do that at church. And I believe God wants to do that at church, but he wants to do that in your family, in your business, and at your home, and in your neighborhood, that God is actually trying to empower you to be who he's called you to be in every single area of your life. I love sports, okay? I do. And sometimes when you're watching football, you'll see a quarterback, and the commentators will say this. The quarterback will throw a pass, and maybe he threw an out route, but the... And I'll explain this for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about. And then, but the receiver ran a go route. So, that's the quarterback's throwing the ball to the sideline, but the receiver is basically running towards the end zone. And they'll say something like, they weren't on the same page. The quarterback was expecting him to be in one spot, but the receiver wasn't there. Same thing can happen in basketball. If you're going down on the fast break, and I'm throwing an alley-oop, but you're running to the three-point line, there's a disconnect. I was expecting you to be in one spot, but you actually ran to another spot. Let me help, maybe Uber, this might help us.

You know, when you... Uber, I'm right here. I pin my location. And you see that car, you're looking at the app, and you see that car? Going back and forth, flipping back and forth. You're like, hey, no, I'm right here. I expected you to be at a certain spot, but you're not at the spot I was expecting you to be in. I wonder if God is looking at us going, I'm throwing you the oop, you're running to the three-point line. I'm giving you an out route, but you're going. You're not in the spot that I'm asking you to be. And this goes back to the very first question that God asked humanity in Genesis chapter 3, verse number 9. We looked at it a couple of weeks ago. Where are you? Where are you? Because I expected you to be here, but you're someplace else. Where are you? You ever at your job bring your lunch and put your name on your container, put your lunch in the refrigerator, you remember doing that, and then you go back and your lunch is not there? This doesn't happen to y'all. I know it happens in my own house. This is my stuff here, okay? L. Grayson Parker, you can't have this right here. It is mine. I come in, it's one bite. It's taken out of it, or it's gone from the refrigerator. I put my name on the thing.

I'm saying, this is mine. Don't remove it. And God, what he did is he put his name on you, and he sealed you, and he called you. And then you and I are still getting legs and leaving the place that God is asking us. to go, where are you? In this series, I feel like I'm calling on a part of you that you know is there, that you don't want to be the same. But at the same time, I feel like I'm fighting against culture that is telling you to stay exactly where you are. I know there's a part that's like, I want more of God. And I want to be all that he's calling me to be. But there's also a whole culture in society. And sometimes it's even in the church that's saying, settle. Stay where you are. You're fine. So even though culture and sometimes our own tendencies are telling me, preach something that will just make them feel good. I don't want you just to feel good. I want you to be good. I want you to be the man or woman that God is calling you to be. I want you stepping forward, because I know that part is in you, because God puts you on this earth for a reason and for a purpose. He does not make junk, and he does not do accidents. You are here for a reason and on assignment.

So today, we're going to wrestle through the verses here and the story. And I'm praying that it captures our hearts. Go with me to Genesis, chapter number 11. Genesis 11. I can find this one. This is the first book of the Bible, Genesis chapter 11. We're going to begin reading in verse number 27. It says, this is the account of Tara's family line. I want to say I'm proud of y'all, too. I see you putting your heads down and turning in your Bibles. Well done. Well done. Keep on bringing your Bibles. That's great. This is the account of Tara's family line. Tara became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. While his father Tara was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. Pause with me for a second. Sometimes when you're reading the Bible and you're reading all these names, it's like who, and what, and where, and how, and where's Ur of who? And who's married to who? So I'm trying to break this down for us here. Boom, look, look, technology helping me out, OK? Little family tree, little family tree, OK?

Um, this text that we just read, they're currently located in this Ur of the Chaldeans. Now, we get the name of this guy, Tara. He's the dad, OK? He has three sons. These three sons, Nahor, Haran, and right here it's Abram. He ends up being Abraham later. I'm not giving the whole family tree. Abraham is where Isaac, and Jacob, and the 12 tribes of Israel end up coming later out of Abraham. We're not looking at that right now. We're looking at Tara. And Tara has these three sons. And when you're reading it, we can skim past some of the emotion that I think was probably present, not probably, was definitely present in Tara's life. Let me go back again and read this. Verse number 28, while his father Tara was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans. It's telling us here that a father had a son, and the son died before the father. I've walked with enough people and have had enough friends in my life that have gone through this pain. It is a horrific pain. It is a pain that no parent ever wants to endure, the pain of burying your child. Now, some have experienced this even in a miscarriage. It can feel like a death, because it is. Some I've walked through, they've even

had to give birth to a baby that was stillborn. I've done those funerals. It's heavy. Some have had the joy of walking with a child for years, 5, 10, 15, 20 years, 30 years. And then they go through the pain and the tragedy. of burying their child. If you go to that funeral, you recognize that what that parent is going through, unless you've been through it, you probably can't really identify totally with what they're feeling. But you definitely understand why they're crying. You definitely understand why they're hurting. You definitely understand why they're broken. And in this text right here, it tells us that Tara went through this type of pain. Now something interesting. Follow with me. Follow with me. Verse 29, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife. Okay, keep on going through that. Go to verse 30. Now Sarah was childless because she was not able to conceive. Okay, keep going. Verse 31. Go to verse 31. Tara took his son Abram, okay, his grandson Lot, which we can see that's a son of Haran. He took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. Watch this. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. Tara lived 205 years and he died in Haran. Put a little map. I don't know if this map is accurate, but you wouldn't know. Full disclosure. I don't really know either. You're just Googling and you're putting it in your Bible dictionary like I'm hoping this is right, but I've never been to Ur. So here, here they're down here at Ur. This is where Tara has his three sons. One of his sons dies there. Now they're on their way on a trek. They get to a city named Haran. It's not the exact same name as his son that died. It's close. It's not 100% the same. It's just close. Even if you look at it in the Hebrew, and I almost put it on there, the name of the son and the name of the city, unless you are a Hebrew scholar, you won't even be able to tell the difference between the two names. That's how close they are. There's a slight difference,

but it's so, so close. Do you see what happens when Tara gets to the place that is named close enough to his son? The Bible tells us he settled there. He settled at the place that reminded him of his greatest pain. He settled. He's supposed to keep going forward, but he gets to a place that reminds him of his son. I'm reading into the text here, but reminds him of his son. And since he gets this reminder, he can't move past this place. He ends up dying in the place where he settled. So, I'm thinking about us. I'm thinking about the very real pains that we navigate. I'm thinking about the very real tragedies that we've walked through. I'm thinking about the very real disappointments that we've gone through. Come on, I'm talking to real people here, okay? And this is not just for people who are really old, because I read a Connect card of a middle schooler that said, I'm dealing with suicidal thoughts. Okay? So, this demon is trickling down to our kids. So, it's not just 20-somethings and young adults and those of us who are older now and feel like, I haven't done much with my life, and you get those lies. It's also little kids that are getting these lies from the pit of hell. And when you have been through enough pain, when you have experienced enough disappointment, when you have been hurt deep enough, when you have asked God to make a way and he didn't seem to make the way the way you needed him to make the way, it is very... Real that you get to a spot that might remind you just enough of a place that you once were before Where things did not go the way you wanted them to go and you and I say I'm stopping right here I'm settling here and The tragedy is when God didn't call you to settle But he called you to conquer when God didn't call you to settle but called you to keep going forward when God didn't call you To settle but called you to keep on dreaming when God didn't call you to settle but called you to forgive again But God didn't call you to settle but called you to hope again You have all this that God has in front of you But you and I are faced with this reality that God this hurts right here I'm stopping i'm stopping stop

Uh I started thinking about us Tara again, I understand that there's no shame. I'm not throwing any shame or shade on Tara I I've got I I love the guy Uh, just like I love you I'm saying I understand But just because I understand doesn't mean it's right Just because the pain is real Doesn't give us an excuse So I I and i'm not trying to diminish what you walk through I can't I can't diminish what Tara went through. It's real I'm, just trying to say That there's still something else that God is wanting you to do in another place That he's trying to take you in another level that he's trying to bring you to And if he wants to do that, then who are you and I to say god i'm stopping here Great word girl great word So I was I was thinking about man, why do why do we stop? Why do we stop? So I got a couple of reasons why we stop the first one is I know what it will cost me How am I going forward Because I know what's going to cost me I I like I I did it before I remember being on fire for god I know what that cost me Remember when I was in college or a teenager or a young adult and I I was all in my enthusiasm my zeal my passion For god was at an all-time high. I remember that I know what it's going to cost me and rather instead of living that type of On fire fully passionate fully devoted life. I'd rather just go to church Because going to church and living for jesus are not the same thing I want you going to church

But the world is trying to tell you that going to church Is a box that you check and I don't think that god died on the cross He did not send his son for us to check a box He called for us to be the church In the world to be his hands and his feet not just to go to church on sunday and to leave our spiritual life In a seat until we get there next week I know what it will cost me And I just I don't want to do it Wow, I don't want to do it You ever uh parents of toddlers you ever told your toddler do something And they look at you like you're an idiot And do exactly what they want to do. No matter what you're telling them. You're like sit down. They're like Especially if you're in public they know they got you, you know You know You can't you can't do anything my grandmother she would do this little thing that she would just flick she would flick me So hard on my knuckle So quick so nobody knew what happened they just saw me crying I'm pointing at her. She's like What You're trying to tell your child what to do where to go you want them to listen but they're like I don't want to This is us I don't want to Let's not over spiritualize it I don't want you I know what it's going to cost me. I don't want to Another reason Sometimes you know what it's going to cost but another reason we settle Is we don't know what it's going to cost So i'd rather stay in a place maybe of dysfunction and comfort that's known

Rather than to move to a place in my faith In my marriage in my business in my professional life. That's unknown And I might not be able to control it. I'd rather stay here. Come on, try to help us move forward, okay. Try to help us move forward. Because I know you don't really want to settle. I know you don't really want to. There's something in you that's like, no, no, no. I want to, I want to. And I recognize this. I recognize that the Holy Spirit can even use these words of mine as broken, as fragmented as they are, to touch your heart. And your heart can be stirred. But your heart can be so stirred, but your feet don't want to move and your mind is not changed. So then we give ourselves credit that my heart was stirred. I wanted to. But you didn't move. Because our minds are telling us, don't you, no, no, no, no, no. You know how many wonderful, amazing people that I meet at our church that are like, yeah, I've been here for seven years. Seven years? I've never seen you. You've been here seven years. I kind of pride myself on knowing a lot of people in the church. I actually, I'm one of those pastors that likes people. I do. I'm like, hey, what's your name? Which I actually enjoy meeting people.

You've been here seven years? I've never met you? I'm not mad. A little bit. I'm a little mad. I'm a little mad. You go to connect group? No. You're on a serve team? No. You participating at all? No. Sitting at the top? Come a little late? Leave a little early? Let me look at the balcony right now. I see y'all up there. You cannot hide. Today the Holy Spirit is coming for you too. But he's also coming for people in the front row. Because the front row, you're like, I'm here. Okay. Are you? Are you? Are you? I don't know what it's going to cost. Here's another reason we settle. We say, it already cost me too much. It already cost me too much. I already went all the way in for God.

I obeyed. I followed. And I've got scars and wounds that I'll have for the rest of my life. It already cost me too much. It impacted my husband or my wife. It impacted my kids. It impacted my mental health. My physical body will never be the same. My emotions will never be the same. I've already, it's already cost me too much. I'm not going all in. I already did it. I got the scars to prove it. Go with me to the gospel of Mark. Is this too much? Is this too much? Even if it was, I don't care. Mark chapter 10. There's going to be a day I'm standing before the Lord and he's not going to ask, did your church like you? Did you make them feel real good? I hope you feel good. I want you to feel good. We got comfortable seats. We're not putting nails in the seats. I'm not trying. But I want you to be all that God has called you to be. I want you to walk in your full purpose and potential that God placed on the inside of you.

If Jesus has gone this far for you to give you his everything, let's go ahead and live our lives fully alive for his glory. Mark chapter 10, verse number, let's go verse 17. As Jesus started on his way, as Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. I want you to remember this. Fell on his knees before him. He fell on his knees before him. This is in front of a bunch of people. He falls on his knees in front of Jesus. And Jesus said to him, what must I do to inherit eternal life? So give me the reason for life. The purpose for life. I want to be whole. I want to live for your glory. I don't want to live for the temporary, I want to live for the eternal. All of that. What's my purpose? All of that is wrapped up in that question. Skip with me to verse number 19. Jesus says to him, you know the commandments. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother, verse 20, teacher he declared, all these I have kept since I was a boy. Verse 21, Jesus looked at him and loved him.

You can't skip that. You can't skip it. Jesus looked at him and loved him. Jesus did not look at him and shame him. Jesus did not look at him and condemn him. Jesus did not look at him and despise him. Jesus looked at him and loved him. And he says, one thing you lack. He loves him enough to tell him the truth. One thing you lack. Go so everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me. At this the man's face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth. We looked at this a few weeks ago at our live in Bible study on Thursday morning. This text, and we're talking about how this rich young ruler as the Bible describes him, he runs to his, he falls, runs to his, and Jesus falls on his knees in front of Jesus. He's asking Jesus to give him purpose, understanding, wisdom, knowledge. He's asking Jesus for soul to be satisfied. And Jesus looks at the man and loves him. But then when he tells him what he wants him to do, the man is not willing to do it. This rich young ruler, I wrote it down like this. He was willing, he was willing to go to his knees. But he wasn't willing to go to his heart. And this is us.

This is us. He's in the room. He's in the room. Yes, he is. Yes, he is. Man, just like falling to your knees. Then Jesus goes, I love you. Hey, can we talk about your unforgiveness? I'm leaving the room. I'm leaving the room. I'm walking out this aisle. Don't touch this wound. I'm hurting too much. No, no, no, you can't have that. You can't have that. And then you and I end up settling in a spot. That we were never called to settle in. Supposed to move past it. Supposed to go conquer more land. And we stopped. That's one thing you lack. Hey, can I have that, your career? No. Hey, can I have your single life? Can I have it? Can I have your dreams? It's not just for, it's for all of us. A pastor, can I have your church? We're going to find your identity in it. Can I have that?

It doesn't matter who you are, where you are. Where you are on the totem pole. Ph.D. Lawyer. It doesn't matter. All those titles, great. They're not like impressing God. He gave you the gifts and talents and abilities anyway to do the very thing that you're doing. And now he goes, can I have it back? I don't want the gifts I've given you to get in the way of where I'm trying to take you and what I want to do in you. For many of us. But yes, man, I'd rather just stop right here. And you're going to go to heaven, once you give your heart and life to Jesus Christ. It's not like everybody is going, you have to give your heart and life to Jesus. You're going to go to heaven. But I just think there's an element of heaven on earth that you are missing. There is an element of grace and power that you're not experiencing on this side of the world. You're not experiencing on this side of the world. Because you're saying, God, you're taking the proverbial You're not experiencing. You're feeling. water hose, putting a massive kink in it, tying a big knot. You're not experiencing. You're feeling now.

And God's like, I'm trying to flow through that, but I can't. You're not feeling. You're only getting a trickle, and it's not because I'm not You're not feeling. trying to pour out. It's because you won't let me untie that thing. So where is it in your life that you've settled? This happened, listen, I remember when I got my knee scoped. After I got my knee scoped, I was concerned about just jumping. I'd been jumping my whole life, but I didn't want to get injured again. So my knee, just my knee getting scoped made me just be a little bit more cautious. You want to squat? No, no, I don't do that. I don't squat. Want a deadlift? No, no, no, I don't deadlift. No, no, I don't do that. Want to go play basketball? No, no, no, I don't play basketball. And if I had stopped, this is years ago that I had my knee scoped, I wouldn't be able to play basketball with my son. My oldest son wouldn't be able to play soccer with my middle son. And I wouldn't be able to have Elle run and jump on my back at the most random times and knee catch her when she's not telling me that she's coming.

And I almost buckle underneath the weight of my beautiful daughter getting me, you know, jumping on my back at the most random times. But I had to recognize my knee's stronger than I think it is. It actually can handle the pain. I went through the rehab. I got stronger here. It's not what it used to be. It got healed. It can handle the weight. And I'm telling you, you can handle the weight. You can handle what God has for you. And it's not you handling it in and of yourself. It's you partnering with the king of kings and the lord of lords that gives you the grace and the strength that you need. So you don't have to stop here. You can keep moving forward because you can handle the weight. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. Again, sometimes I think when I say handle the weight, I'm cautious with that. Some of us are living so much by grit and not by grace. We're living so much by, I can do this. I can do this. I got this. I got this. There's a limit to that. There's a ceiling. Maybe you haven't reached it yet. But there's a limit.

There's a limit. There's a limit to that. There's a ceiling. Maybe you haven't reached it yet. But there's a ceiling. There's a ceiling. And I want you to maximize your potential. But I don't want you living like that. That's not the Christian life God has called you to. You and I are called to live spirit empowered lives. So you're looking at your life and looking at where you want to go. And where God is trying to take you. Wherever that might be and whatever that might be. Relationally, emotionally. And there's a gap there. And the gap is so big you and I can't run and just clear it. You know it's too far. It's the same gap that was there with you and I when we didn't know Jesus Christ. We're lost in our trespasses and sins. This is my next little picture. I like my little iPad. I'm having fun with this. You can take your, you're looking at God, I want to come to you. Can't make the jump. It's too far. So what Jesus did is he comes and he fills the gap. So now you don't have to jump.

Now you put your faith in Jesus. And you're able to walk across, if you will, not on your own strength and power. But in the salvation and the grace that God provides. I was looking at this picture and I was thinking, we can understand this for salvation. But for some reason we don't understand it with our fears and our chains. And I want to submit to you, what I felt the Holy Spirit speak to my heart, is what we use for salvation from our sins. What I felt the Holy Spirit speak to my heart, is what we use for salvation from our sins, is what we use for salvation from our fears. That you're not trying to find another way to bridge the gap. There's only one way to bridge the gap. And the only way to bridge the gap is through Jesus. So now you and I understand his power and his death, burial and resurrection that impacts us. And now we begin to live our lives a different way. This whole series is looking for a leader. Looking for a leader. And there's a lot of leaders, under the sound of my voice, that you are fully and completely loved. And some of us have fully settled. And some of us have partially settled and it's really the Lord that will be able to speak to you and let you know any area of your life that you have. Now there might be a very small percentage under the sound of my voice and you're like, ah, not me, I'm all in.

Ha-ha, let's go, let's go. And I say, praise God, keep on going. But if you ever get a bump or a bruise or a wound along the way, don't allow that thing to make you stop short of where God is trying to take you. Because our lives were never designed to be lived for ourselves. I put it like this, that you might have a dream for your life and I love that. But we weren't put here to fulfill our dreams. We were put here on this earth to fulfill God's dream in our generation. That's why you and I are here. So I'm trying to raise us up. Grow us up. Mature us. So we step fully into who God is calling us to be. Y'all with me in this? Kinda, kinda. Let the Holy Spirit work, friends. Bow your heads if you wouldn't mind. Lord, I just say thank You for Your grace. Man, it's in the room. It's for our online family. Your grace is here. And in this moment I ask Holy Spirit, would You make it clear the conversations we need to have with a friend, with a spouse, with a fiance, with a family member. Or a conversation we need to have with You. Thank You that You're looking at us and You love us.

And show us any area we lack. And then we will apply the grace and the cross of Jesus Christ to that area. As your heads are bowed, if you're under the sound of my voice and you have never given your heart and your life to Jesus Christ. You've never made Him first. You've never made Him number one. This next moment is for you. Jesus got on an old rugged cross to fill that gap between you and God. And today is a day of salvation for you. Today is a day where you can have a brand-new start. Today is a day where you can turn from going your own way and turning to Jesus Christ. If you are under the sound of my voice and never given your heart to Jesus. Or at one point you did and slipped away. I don't want to go my own way, I want to go the way of Jesus. On the count of three, throw your hand in the air and say, yes, that's me. Ready, one, two, three. Lift your hand up in the air. Yep, that's me. This is beautiful. We have friends all over. Yep, that's me. I'm going to ask everyone to do me a favor. Put your hand over your heart if you would not mind. I want everyone to repeat this prayer out loud after me.

Say, dear Jesus, I ask You to forgive me of all my sins. I admit I made mistakes. And today I give You my heart. I give You my life. Give me the power to live for You. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. Can you lift your heads up and clap your hands with joy.