The Cost Of Saying "Yes" To Jesus (Ed Young, Sam Kelly)

of being a pastor. Pastor's kids, both of us, how great it is, but also just the reality of it. - When you get all of the behind-the-scenes and you see the wrestle and the struggle and still see your dad get up on Sunday and preach these walls and like no one would ever know. - That's right. - It just gives you a newfound respect for integrity, the faithfulness, and the character of your parents. People's number one fear is public speaking. - Yes. - Every seven days you're starting from scratch. - Yes. - So if you like think about an NFL quarterback, the playbook's set for the year, but you get to rely on the plays you may throw in one or two. As a speaker, if you just finished Sunday and you felt like that went well, the wall is coming of next Sunday coming. - And you're starting from zero. - Yeah. - That is one of the pieces. - Right. - That a leader has to deal with week and week out. Every job has its reality. - Yes, it does. - I already said they're really good about speaking

recently where when you prepare a message, tonight you're gonna speak how long, 20 minutes? - Yeah, 18 to 20 minutes. - Okay. - You have your 18 to 20 minute talk down. Don't memorize it, he said. You have to talk down. - Yeah. - Can you give me the talk in 10 minutes? Can you? - Yes, you can. - You guarantee you can, you can do it. Can you do it in two minutes? - Two would be easier than 10 for me. - That's good. - Yeah. - Okay, he said when you can do that, I don't mean perfectly. - No, I get that. - But he said when you can do that, you're ready to speak. - I love that. - And I thought, I do that because I talk a lot to different people as I'm preparing and synthesizing information. - Yes, yeah. - So I'm talking and I can talk it through but then what I do is when I meet people around the gym, on the golf course, if I'm talking to someone and they might say, what do you do for a living

or yeah, you're a pastor at Fellowship Church, what are you talking about? One minute, I'll give them the message. - I feel like that's the greatest litmus test. It's like a conversation. - Yeah, can you do it? - Yeah. - And last week, I met, well, I know these ladies who work in this gym and one of them is a two-town world champion, Jiu Jitsu, a fighter. And she was asking me about, you know, you're talking about technology. Oh, I need to hear that. And I go, yeah, you know, Jesus said to stay away from pigpins, you know, that he wasn't literally saying people are pigs and Matthew's, everybody's saying they have pigs like qualities and don't wrestle with pigs. She goes, oh my gosh, black belts don't fight white belts. - That's great. - I thought that's a great line. So she, so I was able to communicate it. She got it. - Yeah. - Because she was able to-- - She was able to do additional insight. I love that. - What are you speaking of tonight, Sam? - I say a six. So it's going to be--

- Is that in the New Testament? - When I say a C's, gets a vision of God. And the first line is like, King Aziah just died, which is cool because it was a king that brought stability to the nation of Israel. - Oh, you know Sam, you know it. - And so he's off the throne, gets a vision of God on the throne. We're talking about revival and where it starts. Rather than out there, it starts first and first. - Exactly, and getting a vision of God, getting a vision of yourself. - Inside out. - That's it. - And then saying yes to the call of God. - I won't quote this guy, but I thought this is such a great way to say it, Sam. He was talking about when someone becomes a Christian. And it's really from the inside out, but he said when someone becomes a Christian, they receive Christ. - Yup. - Okay. And they get the total package. Obviously there are in fillings. - Yeah. - I'm not talking about that. So no comments from the theologians or quasi-theologians. But here's what he said. He said, you know, when you receive Christ, boom.

You receive the whole thing. - Yup. - And he said this, he said the Holy Spirit is committed, totally committed to work from the inside out to produce supernatural, what of a kind fruit. - That's right. - Fruit to the spirit. - Isn't that well said? - That's great. - 'Cause I just like that. - Same here. - And I think. - 'Cause people wonder, what is the Holy Spirit? Who is the Holy Spirit? - Yup. - You know? - And I think it's really easy to focus on the external things, but it's just so, it's such a helpful reminder to go. This is, it starts in the heart. And then it produces the fruit. So I love that. - Is Sam, do you have Pentecostal background? - Sure do. - Tell me, tell me the benefits of your background. You were one of the rare breeds who actually had a very close connection with Hillsong. There's a lot of benefits. I think some of them that come to mind the expectation that people have going into church. It's very high. I think that right there, Sam, that's saying it's brilliant. They do. That's what I love. I mean, I love many things, but that's what I love about talking to people with Pentecostal cares about it background.

The expectation. That's brilliant. I think a hunger for the presence of God, yes, kind of drawing off that idea of God draws near to those who draw near to them. Right. I think they're celebratory. That is a fat. You are preaching now. Why don't you do that message tonight? You enjoy being around them, and I think that's a good quality to have, so. Sam, can I tell you a story? Please do. Now that I'm 65, everything is stories. See, my mother, God bless her. You didn't know her super well, Sam. She's a story's best friend. Is she? I'm turning it to her more and more. That's a good thing. Well, God really changed my life in many ways, at least in I, and I know this is a I know this is a Holy Spirit thing, but early on in the history of fellowship church, I, you know, pastors will be in kind of different camps or whatever, and I never really felt like I had my tribe, my camp. I just didn't feel it. You know, sometimes you go to places just what you said. You don't feel like you're celebrated. Yes. I hate to rhyme, but you tolerate it kind of like, you know, whatever. Yeah. You're like, why did you invite me? Yeah. So I, and I tried. This is terrible to kind of break into that. I just, yeah, much I think anyone would do. I can do it. Yeah. So then to forget this, I got this now. This is, this is way, way back. I get this invitation from a charismatic Pentecostal church in Seattle, Washington. Oh, come on. Now the champion center. Let's go on with Kevin honored and Sheila Gerald on her all around. And here's the thing, Sam, this was so funny. When I got it, I'm like, they're inviting Lisa and I to a conference to speak. Yeah, I love it. And I was a little nervous. I was like, I've never, I mean, this is full on me to me, you know, you know, tongue talking. Yeah. And no, I'm like, but you know me, I'm like, well, we're going to do it. We're going. So we went out there. And I was like, this is incredible. The hospitality. And I know the real hospitality. Totally. The joy. Yeah. The celebration. The freedom. I've never seen anything like it in my life. Yeah. I love it. I want to tell you, this is brutal. I'm going to tell the story. I'm going to do it. Okay. So I just, and this sounds like bragging. I'm not, I just, maybe this is a humble brag. I just come from speaking at Willow Creek Community Church. From third time.

This is the first time. Okay. This first time. Okay. I just come from speaking there. And that church at the time was cooking with fish, grease, bill Hibles was the leader. It was like the spot. Okay. And they invited me to speak. So I show up to Willow Creek. It was a brutal experience as far as hospitality, how they met us at the airport, what they didn't do, the place they put us up. And they gave me a paper sack with an apple and an orange and a hideous button-down shirt. Polyester on top of that, Sam. Yeah. As good as it gets. And, you know, I don't speak for honorariums, but the honorarium was like just a couple hundred dollars. And they were bringing in stupid amounts of cash. So on the heels of - K.G. - And let me tell you on that there. - Ew. - A young man named Brian Houston. - Really? - How 'bout that, Sam? - I didn't know that, did you? - No, I didn't know that. - Yes. - Wow. - And guess who else was there? - Ew. - A little band called Hillsong. - Stop. - With a little blonde-haired girl named Darling Czech. - Wait, no. - Yes! - What year? - I don't know, Stanley are all runs together. - Yeah, fair. - I don't have a good memory. (laughs)

- I do. - Sam's my son-in-law and we kid, Sam's brilliant, but for some reason, there's some laps in memories. - Yeah, and it's interesting. We all have lapses, everyone does. - I don't know why you laugh so hard. - But you was a funny yesterday. I was playing golf with Dodge, Sam. I asked him, "I'll go, I'll go to Dodge him." That's the lake where we finished. - Yeah, no memory. - I've told you when we said, "Dad, I'll go, "Dodge, don't you remember what we called a catfish?" He got that from his father. We'll sit down and talk about highlights from the day and he'll be like, "Can I talk about it right now?" We're like, "No, no, no, Dodge, "think about what's happening today." - That's why he's a great athlete, Sam, because his brain went, "You can't." - No, Dodge is smart. - He's great, I'm just saying, it was funny. That's the only time he was just like, "And I explained to us, 'Dodge, you know where we are? "That's the lake." He still didn't, anyway, thunder would remember all of it. So where was I talking? Okay, so, all right, so, Brian Houston. - Yeah, so I didn't know them. I didn't know he'll song from Sing Song.

- That's wild. - No. And it was just an amazing time. So the Holy Spirit of God, Sam, I'm talking about my life. - Yeah, I'm playing off what you said. Used Kevin and Sheila Gerald in a mighty way in my life. No doubt. - That's so cool. - And I don't want to mean to, and it opened me totally to not that I was closed, but I mean, it really opened me to the gifts, to the work of the Holy Spirit. I mean, and here's what's so crazy about it. I don't know why this is, Sam. I've spoken in more Pentecostal churches by far after that. - That is fascinating. - Then just your normal, what would you say? I would just, not normal, non, I hate to say non-spirit field, but you know what I'm saying? - In the Baptist world. - Well, as C.F. said earlier, - I know, I know. - Dad's not a Baptist. - Well, that's what's hard. I mean, if there's people think he is. - Are you dad, I know he's a Baptist? - No, he's not. So, but anyway, Sam, so then through that, I heard, I met, I met you guys and oh man,

you know, you're obviously your great family. Your dad was instrumental in informing Hillsong. I've never seen him move in like, I didn't mean to go off, but when you said celebration, - Yes. - The take home is go where you're celebrated. Going back to the front of being charismatic. - Yeah, those would be the big two or three, so, yeah. Expectation. - Expectation walking in, yeah. And then. - No, you're gonna be with God, you're going, okay. - Exactly, desire for the presence of God. - And then. - And then, yeah, celebratory, they enjoy having a good time at church, which I think is such a good quality to have. - I would say, Sam, my background, I hate to say Baptist, but let's just say it, but it's not Baptist like people think. - Yeah, no. But it's hard for people to even comprehend that. - I know, it's not, it's more entrepreneurial, Bible teaching. - Yep. - You know, and the thing is funny about dad, Sam, now especially, he's always been open to the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. But as I've always said, that was just one relationship away from having the largest Pentecostal church in history, I'm afraid. - And running TPN. - He would have owned the Crouches, yes. - Yes.

- All of it. - He would have. - Yeah. - People think we're crazy. So, my background, here's what I say about Baptist, Sam, here's the good thing about that. I would say a love for the Word of God, scripture, theology, you wanna say scripture, theology. Definitely would say souls, evangelism. - Yeah, I love it. Yeah, we had, we had, but, but, uh, the positive would be the Bible, soul winning, sharing your faith, the daily disciplines, the DQT, daily quiet time, yep, that would be everything. And I would, I think that's the beauty though of opening yourself up to the different streams is you get to see all of the strengths and get to produce, like that's what I love about fellowship is like, there's, there's a lot of people that might come in because of your background going, Oh, it's this way and you come in and it's totally this, like it's because of all of that, you get to pull from the strengths of different, and I remember no theology a year ago talking through some of those things and just a balanced perspective, because I think that's where people get in trouble is when you find yourself, the pendulum swinging too far one way or another and so much of truth is found in the tension. So Sam, what's the best thing, what is the best things about being a pastor's kid? Best things about being a pastor's kid, uh, I think one of the best things is being around people and you get, you get, um, your EQ naturally just goes way up. What's an EQ? Emotional quotient, just being able to relate with people. Okay. Um, I think obviously just the cliche things, but it's true. I mean, being able to see lives and families trans in front of you. Totally. Um, I think the behind the scenes perspective of the church, I think it gives you a newfound respect. Now that is a good point.

Yeah. I need to bring that up. That is though, cause you don't. That's right. Totally. You get to see behind work. Yes. That's great. Your parents take a beating and then end up taking the high road and they don't, people don't get the full story, but you get to see faithfulness for the whole time. Okay. Let me, let me stop you on that. Okay. Sam. So, so you've seen your parents, they, they passed for a great church, wave church. You've seen them absorb a lot of tough stuff, haven't you? Yeah. A ton of tough stuff. Brutal. Brutal stuff. And I think, you know, to a certain degree, just like most pastors, I know you've been through a tremendous amount, but when you get all of the behind the scenes and you see the wrestle and the struggle and still see your dad get up on Sunday and preach balls and like no one would ever know. That's right. It just gives you a newfound respect for the integrity, the faithfulness and the character of your parents. It's the most difficult thing, not, not, I'm not mentioning names. I don't want you to do that, but just generally what, what, what are like two or three of the difficult things you've seen your parents go through in the ministry that, that people

who are watching this are like, wow, I think, I think it's the big ones for, for, I think most pastors, it's, you've got people that leave the church and start telling a story that's not the, either the full story, even just true. Okay. That hurts, not only the pastor, it hurts the family, it hurts you, the Josh, and Alissa didn't it? Yeah, 100%. Because you've got, you know, friends that are involved and they're starting to hear certain conversations and you're just going, hey, that's, that's actually not true. Okay. And so you've got that, you've got obviously just certain times and certain situations, certain staff leaving and changes and the tensions that that can bring and then people are leaving and following this person and this, that and the other. Okay, and here's what, I would say about that, Sam, and no one is a perfect leader, honestly, but when, when staff members leave, most leave for a reason, yet the gen pop, I'm talking about the church, they don't know the reason and the pastors, they're not going to stand up and say, no, this person is no longer here because he was sleeping in the wrong bed or this person is no longer here because he was taking things from the church. In other words, stealing, I mean, and that's, that's been a tough thing for me because I want to go. You don't know. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, and you just end up taking the punches. And again, as a pastor's kid, you see the behind the scenes thing and sometimes you want to get up and go, well, you need to tell them, I know, but, but you see again, you see over the long term, the faithfulness, integrity and character of, of your parents and others, obviously, I've gotten behind the scenes view here and just the respect that has grown throughout the years being here, throughout the years being under my parents. I think that behind the scenes perspective and the work it takes to run a church that's

consistently reaching people and managing the staff, managing the business side of this. You just see a whole news. There's something else people don't understand about church. There is a business side to it. I mean, that's the only term I come up with or whatever. You have to run without staff members, finances, yada yada yada. - Exactly. - So there's a lot that goes into it. - Yeah. - Do you think that there are any other occupations like being a pastor? And what I'm talking about, Sam, I'm just talking about being called, you know, and that, do you think, I mean, you have to be called to it. It's not something, I didn't wake up one day and go, you know? - You don't sign up to do it for fun, that's for sure. - But see, with social media, it looks so fun for some of them. - That sure does. - Yeah. - And don't buy that, Lord, it is, it is great. It's a great life, but. - It's the greatest job in the world when you know it's the only job that you could have said yes to, when it's that call that you go. But my goodness, if you're not called to it, but some of the social media accounts, I mean, here's so-and-so speaking in Tokyo. And here they are in the beach, you know, whatever. And here, you know what I'm saying to you,

doing another podcast with Joe Rogan, whatever. - Oh, yeah. - Oh, I wanna do that. I want some of that, no, you don't want it, no. Unless God wants it. - Totally. And even, I even think, I mean, you put about, I was talking to someone recently, and I had forgotten Shocker, that people's number one fear beyond dying anything, heights, yada yada yada, is public speaking. - Yes. - So you've got every seven days. This is what I, like, I don't realize how challenging it is. Every seven days, you're starting from scratch. - Yes. - So if you like think about an NFL quarterback, the playbook's set for the year, and you're not having to rework an entire new playbook every seven days. - I wish I could do that. - But you get to rely on the plays you may throw in one or two. As a speaker, if you just finished Sunday and you felt like that went well, the wall is coming of next Sunday coming. - You're only as good as your last message, aren't you, Sam? - And you're starting from zero. It's not, you don't get to re-preach what you preached last week.

- You gotta, you gotta restart. So it's, you just, and that is one, obviously, it's a big chunk, but that is one of the pieces. - Right. - Of what a leader has to deal with week and week out, and then you've got all the behind the scenes, staffing, the leadership, the finances, and all the rest of it. - So Sam, you did, you've seen your parents go through so much, but your parents love Jesus. - Yep. - They hear phenomenal people. - Love the people, God. - Yes, yes, yes, yes. And I guess you're coaching Sam to pastors, kids, young pastors, even old pastors like me would be, when it comes to difficult times, you've already answered the question, like your parents, just move on, unless it's something like you have to, like dress, but I mean, that is, that's rare. That's not an anomaly. - Yeah, it is rare. And obviously you've gotta have the people that you need to be able to tell the truth to and talk to and work through it all, but yes, for us, I just think, as a leader, your job is to take the high road and move on and roll with some of the punches, so. - That's good.

You know, today you get a behind the scenes view of being a pastor. - Yep. - Like pastors, kids, both of us. And then what we deal with, how great it is, but also just the reality of it. - Yeah, yep. - Every job has its reality. - Yes, it does. - And people don't see it. You know, we go to a game or whatever, a professional football game, and we just see the colors, the fans, the fire, the yeah, or whatever. And we miss, we don't see what's true to work, yeah. - All right, Sam. - All right, Pastor. - Yeah, thank you. (upbeat music) (gentle music) [BLANK_AUDIO]