The Loss Adjuster | Charlotte Gambill

Welcome to Gateway, we're so glad that you're here with us. I'm telling you why you picked a great day to come to church, thank you so much for coming. We're so excited to have a good friend of us for the, of this house, Tasha Layton is here to lead worship, can we welcome Tasha? And right now, let's just fill this place with our worship to God. Lord, we just honor you, Lord, we're here for you. God, be glorified, be enthroned on our praise. We're being enthroned in our worship in this place. Thank you, Jesus. Come on, we sing. ♪ I have found the hands that bear the scars ♪ ♪ Reach down and rescue me ♪ ♪ I have known the love of the Father's heart ♪ ♪ A prodigal now redeemed ♪ ♪ From where I was to where I'm now is overwhelming ♪ ♪ The more and more I see you move all around me ♪ ♪ Oh, I can't help but praise you, praise you, praise you ♪ ♪ Lord, I can't help but lift a shout of joy ♪ ♪ When I think of how good you've been ♪ ♪ Faithful now till the end ♪ ♪ Oh, I can't help but praise you, praise you, praise you ♪ ♪ Lord, with blood you spilled to save my soul ♪ ♪ My life, a debt I cannot repay ♪ ♪ For the cross you bore with open arms ♪ ♪ Salvation that called my name ♪ ♪ From where I was to where I'm now is overwhelming ♪ ♪ The more and more I see you move all around me ♪

Come on, we sing. ♪ Oh, I can't help but praise you, praise you, praise you ♪ ♪ Lord, I can't help but lift a shout of joy ♪ ♪ When I think of how good you've been ♪ ♪ Faithful now till the end ♪ ♪ Oh, I can't help but praise you, praise you, praise you ♪ ♪ Lord, I can't help but dance cause I'm free ♪ ♪ Got no chains on me, I'm healed and retained ♪ ♪ Oh, I can't help but call on the day ♪ ♪ Where buried my shame, grew open my grave ♪ ♪ Oh, I can't help but dance cause I'm free ♪ ♪ Got no chains on me, I'm healed and retained ♪ ♪ Oh, I can't help but call on the day ♪ ♪ That buried my shame, grew open my grave ♪ ♪ Oh, I can't help but praise you, praise you, praise you ♪ ♪ Oh, I can't help but lift a shout of joy ♪ ♪ When I think of how good you've been ♪ ♪ Faithful now till the end ♪ ♪ Oh, I can't help but praise you, praise you, Lord ♪ ♪ I can't help but praise you, praise you, Lord ♪ ♪ Oh, I can't help but praise you, praise you, Lord ♪ ♪ Praise you, Lord ♪ Come on, let's give Him praise in this place. Yes, God, we praise your name. Praise your name. Oh, we have so many reasons to praise the Lord this morning. Think about it. Think about who you used to be. Think about where you could be right now, but you're in the house of the Lord.

That's something to thank God about. Oh man, I love him so much. I'm out of breath, because I just want to dance to that song. So good. Psalm 9 says, I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart. I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exalt in you. I will sing praise to your name. Oh, most high God. And that's exactly what we're gonna do. ♪♪ ♪ If a simple song can please your heart, I'll sing it ♪ ♪ If a humble spirit's what you want, I'll bring it ♪ ♪ Make all I am an offering, a living sacrifice ♪ ♪ I'm gonna praise you for all you have done ♪ ♪ God, I'm so thankful I can't say it enough ♪ ♪ Every beat in my chest, every breath in my lungs ♪ ♪ All of my life and all of my love ♪ ♪ I'm gonna praise you for all you have done ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ ♪ I have searched the world, I know there is less in it ♪ ♪ For your faithful love, it knows now and forever ♪ ♪ So from now until eternity, my song will be the same ♪ ♪ I'm gonna praise you for all you have done ♪ ♪ God, I'm so thankful, I can't say it enough ♪ ♪ Every beat in my chest, every breath in my lungs ♪ ♪ All of my life and all of my love ♪ ♪ I'm gonna praise you for all you have done ♪

♪ Hallelujah, we thank you Lord, oh Jesus ♪ ♪ I was blind but now I see, I was bound but now I'm free ♪ ♪ Jesus you have rescued me, I just wanna thank you, I just wanna thank you ♪ ♪ Before the battle's ever won, before the answer ever comes ♪ ♪ It is finished, it is done, I just wanna thank you, I just wanna thank you ♪ ♪ I was blind but now I see, I was bound but now I'm free ♪ ♪ Jesus you have rescued me, I just wanna thank you, I just wanna thank you ♪ ♪ Before the battle's ever won, before the answer ever comes ♪ ♪ It is finished, it is done, I just wanna thank you, I just wanna thank you ♪ ♪ And I'm gonna praise you for all you have done ♪ ♪ God I'm so thankful, I can't say it enough ♪ ♪ Every beat in my chest, every breath in my lungs, all of my life and all of my love ♪ ♪ I'm gonna praise you for all you have done, oh hallelujah ♪ ♪ I was blind but now I'm free, oh Jesus you have rescued me, I just wanna thank you, I just wanna thank you ♪ ♪ Before the battle's ever won, before the answer ever comes ♪ ♪ It is finished, it is done, I just wanna thank you, I just wanna thank you, I just wanna thank you ♪ We thank you Lord, we give you all the praise We give you all the praise. You know, there's a word in Hebrew for worshiping before the breakthrough, it's kabod. It's like, before you see the miracle happen, before you know that it's gonna work out because God is the way maker, the miracle worker, the promise keeper, that's who he is. And he doesn't change, and so he's already made a way. But before you see that way, we worship. Before you know if it's gonna work out, you worship. Paul says, what good is it to hope for the things that we see? You hope for the things that you don't see, that's faith.

So when I think about this song, we're thanking him. He's already made a way. Amen. Every beat. I'm gonna praise you for all you have done, hallelujah. We praise you, Lord. Yes, we praise. You know, God is good. No matter all those times that you couldn't see him, you weren't quite sure, you know what I mean? He's still good. I said, he's still good. Thank you, Jesus. I will sing of the goodness of God. Sing all my life. Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God. I love your voice. You have led me through the fire in darkest night. You are close like no other. I've known you as a father. I've known you as a friend. And I have been in the goodness of God. Sing all my life. Oh, all my life you have been faithful. All my life. All my life you have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able. Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God. Sing your goodness. Your goodness is running after.

It's running after me. Your goodness. Your goodness is running after. It's running after me. With my life laid down for surrender now. I give you everything. Your goodness. Your goodness is running after. Oh, your goodness. Your goodness is running, it's running, it's running. Oh. Your goodness is running after. No matter what it looks like. No matter what I'm feeling. We surrender everything to you. Your goodness is running after. ♪ It's running up to me ♪ You know, I know there's probably a lot in this room we're trying to maintain control of in our lives. If you're anything like me, that's the case. But we wanna lay it down. Our lives are a living sacrifice. So I want you to take that thing mentally in your heart or whatever you're carrying right now, just kind of lay it at the feet of Jesus, figuratively. God, we surrender those things that are taking up more space than you. We surrender those things that are sitting on the throne instead of you. We surrender those things we're holding on to tightly

instead of letting go and receiving what you have for us. We let it go. ♪♪♪ ♪ Goodness is running after, it's running after me. ♪ Sing all my life. ♪ All my life you have been faithful. You've never let us down. ♪ ♪ All my life, you have been so good. We sing of your goodness, Jesus. ♪ ♪ Everything we have. I will sing. Worthy is your name. Jesus. ♪ ♪ Jesus, you deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. Worthy is your name. ♪ ♪ Jesus, you deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. Worthy is your name. Jesus. ♪ ♪ We sing your name, Jesus. You deserve the praise. Everything we have. Everything we are. ♪ ♪ Worthy is your name. Jesus. You deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. Worthy is your name. Jesus. ♪ ♪ You deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. Worthy is your name. Jesus. ♪ ♪ You deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. Worthy is your name. Jesus. ♪ ♪ One from you are all things. And to you are all things. You deserve the glory. You deserve it all. Everything we have to give. You are worthy of it all. As deep cries out to thee. You are worthy of it all. ♪ ♪ One from you are all things. And to you are all things. You deserve the glory. You are worthy of it all. You are worthy of it all. Everything we have to give. You deserve it all. Everything we have to give. You are worthy of it all. Everything we have to give. Jesus. ♪ One from you are all things. And to you are all things. You deserve the glory. ♪ You deserve, you deserve the glory ♪ ♪ You deserve, oh you deserve the glory ♪ ♪ You deserve it all, for from you all things ♪ ♪ And to you all things, you deserve the glory ♪ ♪ Sing I exalt thee, and I exalt thee ♪ ♪ I exalt thee, above it all, above it all, oh oh oh oh ♪ ♪ I exalt thee, you and you alone, oh oh oh oh ♪ ♪ You and you alone, oh oh oh oh ♪ ♪ I exalt you, I exalt thee, I exalt thee ♪ ♪ I exalt thee, above it all, above it all, oh oh oh oh ♪ ♪ You and you alone, oh oh oh oh ♪ ♪ We lift you high to sing all your praise to the Lord ♪ ♪ We call out to you God, you're so worthy of our praise ♪

♪ We lift you high in this place, oh oh oh oh ♪ Sing it out to Him. ♪ I exalt thee, I exalt thee, I exalt thee ♪ ♪ I exalt thee, oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh ♪ We exalt the Lord. We exalt His name, the name above all names. I want you to give Him the kind of praise that you think He's deserved right now. Come on, let's lift it up. Thank you, Jesus. Will you pray with me? Let's pray together. Would you put your hands out if you're comfortable, just like you're receiving a gift? Father, we're so grateful for your presence in this place. We declare today that we believe that in your presence anything is possible. That burdens can be lifted, that peace can be found, healing in our mind, healing in our emotions, healing in our bodies can be found in your presence. Thankful that a moment in your presence can direct the rest of our lives, shape our destinies. Can redirect, can give us coordinates for a new path. Just a moment in your presence can do more than days and days of labor could ever do. So I just pray for this moment for anyone in our church that is in need of a touch of you today. Holy Spirit, have your way in their life right now. If it's healing they need,

would you touch them from the top of their head to the sole of their feet? If it's the peace of God, would your peace envelop them right now in this moment? If it's courage, if it's direction, if it's hope, in the middle of hopelessness, if it's someone walking in carrying a heavy weight today, would they know that your yoke is easy and your burden is light? So we do as the words of the psalmist, We lift our head to the hills from where our strength comes from, comes from the maker of heaven and earth. For those with a broken heart today, would you be the balm that soothes and mends the most broken of places? Jesus, we honor you. Worthy are you to receive all the glory, all the honor. We echo the words of David, not to us, oh Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory and the honor forever and ever. And the church said a big amen. Amen. Oh, come on, can you give Jesus the very best? Praise that you have today. The Bible says, clap your hands, all you people. Shout unto God with a voice of triumph.

Come on, how many of you know you're on the winning team today? The grave is empty. Jesus is alive. So we have reason to celebrate, don't we? Thank you, team. How blessed are we? How blessed are we? Wow. Well, this morning, we wanna take a moment to honor all those who are graduating, but if you're standing, it's gonna be hard to see them. So I'm gonna have you take a seat all across the room, if you would, just for a moment. And if you are graduating high school, college, graduate school, trade school, any kind of graduation, I'm gonna ask you if you would just stand up. We won't pick on you. You would just stand up all over the room, come on. Incredible. See you up on the balcony. Just stand up, remain standing. What a huge accomplishment, congratulations. It's a big deal. A lot of work, a lot of effort. We want you to know, stay standing, we want you to know your church family's with you and celebrating you and behind you. I wanna share with you a little bit of a story.

I wanna share two thoughts with you. First is this, is that many of you are in a moment of transition. It's high school to college, it's college to a career, it's into graduate school, maybe into a promotion, into a new job, no matter what it may be. Is that any moment where you are leaving something you've been in and entering something new is a moment that's uncomfortable. I know all too well what it's like to let go of one thing to grab ahold of something new. And the Lord said this to Joshua because he was moving from being the aid of Moses to the leader of the nation. It's a big moment of transition. And I say this over your life, Joshua 1, be strong and courageous. Don't step into the next season, trepid. Don't step into the next season, just hoping maybe, no, be strong and courageous. Why? For the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go. Just remember that. The Lord, your God is with you. He's gonna walk up into that dorm room with you. He'll walk up into that new job with you. The Lord, your God is with you. So walk in strong and courageous. The second thing I would say to you is this, is moments of transition are often moments of uncertainty.

And I just wanna speak over you what Jeremiah said, that the Lord knows the plans he has for you. And there aren't bad plans, they're plans to prosper you. And the word prosper there doesn't mean that you give God a dollar, he'll give you a Mercedes. The word prosper has this image, is that when you've done all you can do, God will put his hand in your back and push you beyond you. And that's what you need. You need to know that God wants to prosper you. He wants to give you a job. God wants to prosper you. He wants to push you further. Then your intellect could take you. Then your network could take you. Then your mom and dad's friendships could take you. God will prosper you. And they're not to harm you, but they're to give you a hope and a future. So as you step into this new season, be strong and courageous. God's got you and he's with you. And remember when you let God, Tammy says this all the time, when you let God, he writes the most beautiful stories. And so live surrendered, let him write your story, trust him each step of the way. And you will look back and be amazed at what he does in and through. your life we celebrate you today I want to pray for you and if you're around a

graduate and they'll let you just put a hand on the shoulder if you don't want that say don't touch me but if you would stand around them anybody just put your hand on their shoulder don't let anybody be standing alone and if you can't reach them and you're new to church just stretch your hands to her that's just a sign saying I wish I could get over there to you but I can't so I'm just gonna pray for you from a distance father we're so grateful for all these graduates thank you for all that they've accomplished knowing that you have helped them to this point you will help them in the days ahead so Lord we speak Joshua 1 9 over them be strong and courageous for the Lord your God is with you we speak the words of Jeremiah over their life that you have great plans for them there to prosper them and not to harm them to give them a hope and a future thank you that you are gonna take them further than they could take themselves as they live a life surrender to you so may your hand be upon them bless them in every way protect them keep them close to you and guide every step of their life we pray in the mighty name of Jesus everybody said a big amen amen come on one more time let's celebrate all of our graduates God bless you all right now I'm gonna ask you to stand back up everyone in the room if you would and I want you to meet somebody around you learn a new name make a new friend don't say hi to the person you always say hi to find somebody new you starting route estimated time of arrival on God's time hazards reported ahead but continue anyway because the journey of faith is about who you're becoming along the way proceed to root be lost well welcome to church everybody we're so glad you're here come on if we're gonna clap put your hands together for Jesus let's do it I do want to say hello to all of our locations everyone did everyone joining us online or maybe on demand later in the week and of course all of our prison campuses we want to give us big hello to you and and I did get feedback this week because

last week I said we visited all the campuses the prison campuses let me know that we have not visited all the campuses so I still got a little work to do and we're gonna make our way there I promise you that we want to give a special hello and we love you so much of course all of our gatherings come on and everybody with us for the very first time or maybe the first time in a long time church family at every campus let's put our hands together and welcome all those with us today it's a great day to be in church as you saw next Sunday we begin a brand new series I'm gonna kick that series off called road trip and you know many of you will take road trips this summer at least I hope you are I hope you're getting some time away to relax me with family but how many of you know that the journey of faith is that it's a journey and there are great markers along that journey of faith and we're gonna be talking about those the first part of this summer and then I want to point out to you that in two weeks two weeks from now not next Sunday but the next Sunday is water baptism Sunday and so if you have not yet signed up you've taken the step of faith you've said yes to Jesus but you haven't gone public with it yet then you need to get signed up it's gonna be a great day to celebrate water baptism and so make sure that you're signing up if you haven't done that yet and today I'm so excited we have a dear friend in the house to Tammy and I and no one new to our church here at Gateway pastor Charlotte Gamble is in the house everybody excited to have her here you know as we were praying through the decision to whether or not God was saying this was our next yes and the assignment that he had for us we gathered really about nine to ten people and said hey will you just be our counsel will you give us wisdom will you pray with us will you process with us and pastor Steve and pastor Charlotte were two of those people and they journeyed the whole journey with us and really spoke words of life and direction into Tammy and I along the journey. And so we love you both so much. We're so grateful that God knit our hearts together.

And I just tell you this, I don't bring people into the house just to bring, to have a speaker and to have not a Sunday to preach. I bring friends, everybody. It's my excuse to get my friends to Dallas so I can go to a good dinner and we can hear a good word. Can I get a better amen, right? And so we love you guys dearly and they have made their way from across the pond, no longer in the UK, they have come to the holy lands of the United States. And now they are in the holy of holies, Texas. Come on, right? Hey, will you stand to your feet all over the room and show some honor and love to Pastor Charlotte Gamble. Let's give her a big gateway Texas welcome. Hey, hey, good morning. I'm gonna have you stay on your feet. Don't be too quick to sit back down. We're gonna pray in a moment. And so I'm gonna have you stand to do that. But I wanna start by saying what a joy it is, what an honor it is to be back with you. You are family to our family. I have known y'all for a long time. You've adopted this English sister many years ago and I'm glad you've not sought to get rid of me anytime soon. And it was a privilege to be entrusted to be in the circle that Pastor Daniel just mentioned.

And in that circle, I got to see up close the journey of your pastors processing God, what God was asking. Not only what he was asking of them, but what he was asking of the whole family. It involved their kids, their kids' future. Because we had just made a decision to emigrate, which was a big move for our family and our kids. We kind of understood on every level, this is not a small ask. This is huge. And to watch the process be handled with such prayer, with such surrender, with such sacrifice. In fact, I don't know if you remember, but I was here a little while ago before they came as your pastors. And I said, guys, you're about to get gold. Because I knew God was giving you something that was so special. And so to be here and to see this story keep being written by God, to see all that God has for you and also anticipate all that is to come, it thrills my heart. God is a good God. He is the author and he is the finisher. He is the perfecter of our stories. And so I'm honored that I still get to come and see the beautiful story he's writing here at Gateway. And you know, this house is built on this book.

And we never drift from the truth of what this book is all about. And you know, worship is a time where we lift our hands to God, we exalt him. We let him know, God, I'm placing you above everything. I'm letting you know I'm thankful. I'm letting you know I'm grateful. That is what we do in worship. You just all did that a moment ago. It is our sacrifice of praise. But when it comes to the Word, we need to understand that your posture has to change because now you're not giving something to God, but in the Word, it's about God giving something to you, which is amazing to me, that he actually wants to give us something after everything he's already given us. So in the Word, we have to change our posture so when we take our seats in a moment, I want you to have the right posture. And if you could imagine it this way, if you were on a football team and you were on my team and I had the ball, and I know when I throw this ball, we're about to win if you catch it. I know if I throw this ball, we're about to beat the opposing team in this one move. And I know you're on my team and I know your job brief on the team is receiver, but I look at you and you got your hands in your pockets

or you're on your phone or you're chatting to someone on the field, I'm gonna think, what are you doing? Do you not understand that in this moment, you have one job? And if you don't do the one job in this moment that you're here to do, we're gonna lose this whole thing. When it comes to the Word of God, whoever is up here communicating, it's like they have the ball in their hand from God. I've prayed, I've prepared, God's spoken to me, I have something He told me to tell you. So right now my job is to throw into the atmosphere what God gave me and your job is to have the posture of receiver. That's why in the Word of God, we don't need to be distracted by anything. You got to shut everything else out because in this moment, there is a ball coming towards your life and it can change the trajectory. of your life. It can be one word that God drops in your heart and it literally pivots your life in the right direction. It can be one word that literally becomes the light in that darkness. It's clarity in the unclear. It's hope in the hopelessness. So let's never be casual when it comes to this moment in the meeting. Let's never go into autopilot but let's always remember I just had a posture to give but now I have a posture to receive. So God right now we fix our posture. God we need your word. We don't need another opinion. We don't need another

viewpoint. God some of us have had a week that feels like it's been surrounded by so many words and yet none of them have brought the light that we seek. But God we are now underneath your word and so we listen differently. We accline our ears and our heart and we change our posture. God we do not have all the answers but you do. We do not know all the directions but you do and I pray today that there would be an openness in every heart that God wherever it is that we need to change we would say yes. Wherever it is we need to surrender we would say yes. God I pray today we would not just be in the room but God we would hear you and we would receive all that you have for us and we would leave this place differently. God I pray as always that I would get out of the way. God let me be invisible in these next few moments. God the only one we want visible is you. Give you all the glory in Jesus name. Amen. You can take your seats. At the beginning of the year I took some time like I'm sure many of you did seeking God for what was about to happen unfold the plans that I had made the plans that I didn't know that God may have for my life. I was in that prayerful moment and you know I have been preaching the Word of God since I was 21 and I'm 53 in a few weeks time so I've been doing this a while and so I guess I was praying God what's the direction what is it you have for me is there something you're asking from me that I'm not even aware of and and honestly at the beginning of this year I felt such a renewed passion to run like I'd never run before. I'm like I'm getting older but in my spirit I feel younger. I want to run harder. I want to serve greater. I want to surrender deeper. I felt an urgency to preach with renewed fire. I felt an urgency to pursue the things of God with such a sense of passion but at the same time I felt the Holy Spirit caution me and the caution was this Charlotte I don't just need your urgency this year I need your accuracy and that kind of slowed me down in that moment for I was urgent to pursue but now I realized there was a caution there was a pause that God was like I don't just need you running I need you running in the right direction. I don't just need you speaking everywhere but I do need you speaking somewhere. I don't just need you to go to every opportunity but I do

need you to be in some places at certain times. There is an accuracy that I'm requiring from you this year and I was reminded of an incident that happened to us many years ago. God just brought it right back to my mind. I'd forgotten all about it. It was over 20 years ago and I desperately needed help in a medical situation that I had need of a certain surgeon to be involved and this surgeon in England was super hard to get an appointment with and so I had been put on a waiting list and the waiting list to see this doctor this surgeon that had the potential to totally change my life the waiting list was 18 months long and so I had waited 18 months to see this man and you can imagine how excited I was when finally the letter came letting me know he's going to be in your region of the United Kingdom. He will be there on this day. He is scheduled to see you at this time. I had the appointment. I had the time and so I was not going to be late. I was up early that morning. I was setting off well before my appointment, just in case there was bad traffic. So I arrived at the appointment 30 minutes prior to my time. I'm sitting in the office, I'm hearing everybody's name be called. They call a name and then they say a room number and the person gets up and goes to the room for their appointment, but my name has not been called yet and I understand it's not my time yet. But now it gets to my time, but no one's calling my name. So I begin to get a little agitated because I don't wanna miss my appointment, but I think, well, everyone else has probably waited 18 months to see this man, so he's probably overrunning a little. So I had grace and so I waited, but now we're 15, now we're 25 minutes past my appointment.

So I go to the lady at the reception, I say, hi, I just wanted to register with you, I'm here. This is my name, just needed to remind you, I'm here. She said, well, ma'am, she said, who's your appointment with? And so I tell her my appointment and I tell her the time, I tell her the date and so she said, just let me check a moment. She goes on the computer, she looks back at me and she says, ma'am, you do have an appointment with that doctor and it's today and you have the right time. But did you not get the email update? I said, I don't know what you're talking about. She said, we emailed all of his patients to let them know. He no longer works from this building. He's in a building that's an hour from here. I had the time right, I had the day right, I had the doctor right, I had 90% of the equation right, but I had 10% inaccurate and my 10% of inaccuracy meant I missed the entire appointment. I'm sitting in the waiting room getting frustrated, tipping into being angry that no one is calling my name, but an hour drive away, someone is frustrated because they're saying my name over the speaker system and nobody is coming to the room. And I had not thought about that for over 20 years and I felt the Holy Spirit say, Charlotte, it's not that I will not be calling your name this year. I will be calling your name, but I'm not gonna come to the wrong room.

This is a year where you need to be more aware than ever of the room you should be in at the time you should be in it for I have divine connections and I have things I need you to walk into, but I'm not bringing what I have for you in the future into somewhere that you're locked into in the past. And I was reminded of the story in the Bible that is in 2 Samuel. In 2 Samuel 11, it literally just says this line. It says, at a time when kings went to war, David was the king. It was the time for someone who was a king to go to the location, which was the battlefield. But David knew the time. He knew who he was and his calling, but he decided not to go where he should have been. And he decided to stay home instead. It seems a small diversion. It seems an almost insignificant decision until you read further and you realize that the choice to stay home led him to the choice to see Bathsheba, which led him to the choice to change the trajectory of his future, why? Because when you are not where you should be, doing what you should be doing, the enemy will give you something else to do. And I just feel in my heart, in my spirit today, that God wants to drop on every single one of you a renewed awareness of the time that we live in,

of the day that we're alive in, that there are no hours to waste. There is no time to squander, that we have to steward right now on the earth what God is requiring from all of us. We were born and predestined for such a time as this, and you don't have a day to waste. This is your day to be used by God. This is our time to be assigned by God. We can't be spending our life in the wrong place with the wrong people when God chose to put breath in your lungs this morning, because you have a purpose to fulfill on the earth right now. Every single one of you, listen to me, every single one of you, God is calling your name. He doesn't call just a few. He's calling every single one of us, but God is calling your name. But if you're not in the room, you're not gonna hear it. And I was reminded. of a scripture in Galatians. And Galatians 5, verse 25 says this. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. It's a short sentence to read, but it is a whole mind-blowing concept to wrap your head around today. That it's letting us know that we have the Spirit of God on the inside of us, but we actually have to choose

to live in step with the Spirit. Do you know you can live out of step with the Spirit? You can have the Holy Spirit, you can have the power of Christ on the inside of you, but you can live out of sync with Him. You're called, I'm called to be in sync. Have you ever danced with someone that is not very good? And they don't know how to be in sync with you, it means they keep stepping on your toes. It is uncomfortable because not two people in a dance can't lead. Somebody, if we're gonna dance together, somebody has to say, I'm surrendering, you take the lead. And when you don't surrender in your everyday life to the Holy Spirit, you keep feeling like your toes are being stepped on because somebody has to surrender and I'm just giving you an advance notice, it ain't God. He ain't surrendering to your will. You're supposed to surrender to Him. Let me illustrate what this looks like. See, you can't lose Jesus. Once you say yes, He's right there with you. Once you accept Him, He's right there with you, right? That's not gonna go away, but it's like having a power source on the inside of you. But as you have this power source on the inside of you, just like you have a power source in your home until you put the switch on, you don't activate it. So that's why some people are being here and they feel the presence of God

and they're moving in the power of God. They have no more power of God than you do, but they've just flipped the switch on maybe more than you have. So we come on Sunday or we come to service like this. Y'all came in looking like lovely Christian people and looking like you love Jesus and looking like you're all put together and you come in here and you're like, okay, this is my Jesus slot in the week. This is where I come and I worship and this is where I come and I say amen and I listen to the Word and it's awesome. But then we go to our car and we're like, I love you, Lord, but now I have Monday. And I really don't need you on Monday to tell me how to do my Monday. And I really don't need you to tell me how to do my business on Thursday, but I'll be back on Sunday. You can have a Sunday. You can tell me on Sunday, but I'm unplugging on Monday. We start to do this in-step, out-of-step. In other words, when it says be in-step with the Holy Spirit, it means you've got to connect up to the Holy Spirit. But when you connect up to the Holy Spirit, it begins to change the way you walk. Because guess what? The Holy Spirit doesn't always walk like you walk.

Doesn't talk like you talk. Doesn't act funky like you act funky. And so we don't keep in-step with the Holy Spirit because He cramps some of our style. But when you keep in-step with the Holy Spirit, you start to want to do something and the Holy Spirit is like, I don't wanna do that. So you have to reconnect your life to the Holy Spirit. And then you reconnect your life to the Holy Spirit, like, I'll try this again. I'm gonna try and stay in sync with the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is like, I don't wanna talk the way you talk. And so you start to have this awkwardness in your life, this tension, and some of you are right there. You're in this tension in your marriage, this tension with your kids, this tension in your finance. Why? Because you're not in-step with the Holy Spirit. You're like, I wanna do it my way. Holy Spirit's like, I don't do it that way. Well, I wanna retaliate on social media. He's like, I don't retaliate. Well, I just wanna let them know. I don't wanna let them know. Well, they need to know that they upset me. I don't need them to know that they upset you. Like, we're trying to, and the Holy Spirit's like. And so what we do is we detach

because we just wanna do it our way. And then we wonder why we're not feeling His power and His presence in the way we did in the service on Sunday because you detach between Sunday and Monday. So the Bible says you gotta learn to keep in step. So at first, it's kinda awkward like this. You're like, I don't really know how to do this. I don't need to have to do it outside of Sunday. But then you start to go, okay, I'm gonna stay in step. And all of a sudden, you start to find a rhythm. And all of a sudden, you start to find a pace. And now you have something else going on in your decision-making. This is a picture of how God's wanting us to live. He wants us to stay in step. Now, one of the places that we often get out of step is when we go through situations that are painful. When we go through seasons or times in our life where we feel like, you know, God, I just, I don't appreciate this. I don't see you in this. I don't feel. you in it's in those moments when our feelings want to go left but the Holy Spirit tells us to go right we're like no I'm not ready to go right so I'm going to detach so I can go left a little longer it's in those moments when you're like I prefer my life when I do this and God's like I don't like it when you do that it's in those moments when we get into a situation and we want to overstay our time in something that God doesn't want to stay in anymore and a lot of times the Holy Spirit feels insensitive to your feelings because he wants to move on and you're not ready to move on he's challenging your attitude and you just have just started getting out of your attitude you're you you're trying to camp up in your frustration for at least another few weeks

and he's already out of your frustration and so we don't understand it feels insensitive but the Bible says in Ecclesiastes that everything is beautiful in its time in other words there is a time when certain things are no longer beautiful there's a time when what was beautiful is now ugly because you've kept it going way beyond its time and there are some seasons in our life that we extend way beyond the Holy Spirit extending them there are some things we stay in way past their expiry date and then we wonder why it feels off it's off because it's ugly it's no longer beautiful that behavior is no longer beautiful it's like you raising kids it's like you raise your kids and there's a moment it might not be beautiful but it's acceptable you're like there's a moment when you can sulk you're three I told you to go to bed and I told you no more cookies you don't get it but if they're 33 it's ugly it was cute when you kind of did that sassy little attitude when you were two it ain't cute now you're 22 it's ugly it's disobedient it's disrespectful it's not beautiful anymore do you understand there are some things we're putting up with that God is not putting up with and God's like why are you still putting up with it when I've already moved on from it and today God wants to move some of you like literally move some of you that you would actually leave this room and you would realize I have to change some stuff because I am camped up in the wrong place and there's a story in John 20 where God helps someone move on Jesus helps someone move on that's about to get stuck in the wrong place her name is Mary and she loved Jesus but Mary had just been through something that had caused her great grief she had just watched Jesus be crucified on the cross she was devastated her hope was in Jesus and now Jesus is gone her life was about Jesus and now she has no rhyme or reason to her life she is confused she is distraught and so we find Mary grief-stricken over her loss in John 20 several days have passed and now she is able to go to the tomb so Mary is about to pack up all of the embalming fluids and she's about to run to the tomb so she can carry on grieving she's about to go to the tomb so she can embalm what she knows is laying there waiting for her she's about to continue her grief-stricken state in a new location and some of you entered this year with embalming fluids in your pocket carrying on grieving from what happened six months ago carry on being frustrated from what happened a month ago going to embalm the body some more

but when she gets there she's about to have a conversation because Mary I appreciate that you came but I need to now help you get in step with the Spirit Mary gets to the tomb and he says now Mary stood outside the tomb crying and as she wept she bent over to look into the tomb and she saw two angels in white seated where Jesus's body had been one at the head and the other at the foot now here comes the first question that you might need to answer yourself today they asked the woman woman or man they asked the woman woman why are you crying I told you the Holy Spirit at times seems insensitive I mean why in the world would you ask Mary why she's crying isn't it obvious Here's why she's crying. She just watched Jesus be crucified. It's only a few days after the brutal crucifixion. She's obviously crying because of what she's just lost. It's a stupid question on so many levels, but the angels are asking an insensitive question to a woman that is grief stricken. Why are you crying? But I need you to notice someone. No one asked her why you are crying at the cross. No one asked her why you crying when she was at the foot of the cross. Why? Because in that moment, that was the right response. In that moment, the tears were beautiful in their time. In that moment, her grief was an offering to those that watched around her, letting everyone know how much she loved Jesus, how much she cared for Jesus. In that moment, no one's asking, why are you crying? Because the tears are appropriate.

They are beautiful in their time. But Mary, we're not at the cross anymore. And I know in your mind, you need a lot longer, but heaven has chosen to speed things up. I know you want to linger in your grief for another month, another year, but I'm letting you know, I'm asking you the question, why are you crying? Because your emotions and your feelings don't fit with the facts of this situation. Best way I can show you what's happening is to tell you a story of what happened to us a few years ago. It was Christmas Eve in England. We'd been hanging with our family upstairs and having a great time. And then it came that time in the evening, you know, when the kids go to bed and you have to become Father Christmas' helpers. You know what I mean? Like we need to go get the goods and get them in position. And so the kids were asleep. I say to Steve, I'll go down and start bringing everything up. I go to the basement. I put my foot onto the basement step, but my foot doesn't hit the step before it hits water. I'm like, what in the world? It's not just a little bit of water. It's all the way up past my ankles.

And I have this horrific revelation that while we have been upstairs on Christmas Eve, a pipe has burst and the entire basement is flooded. Everything was in the basement. Every gift, every present, every decoration, it was all in the basement. And now it is ruined. It is 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve. There is no way of fixing this by the morning. And I would like to tell you that I'm such a spiritual woman of God that I stood on that step and I said, it does not matter. Joy is my strength. The Lord is my provider. But I said no such thing. I said things I had to repent about saying later because I was mad. I was like, God, this is not good. This is not fair. I was upset. I cried all night. I cried the next morning when Christmas was ruined. I cried the next week. In fact, I cried for several weeks because I was just so devastated at the loss until there was a knock on my front door. I go down the stairs. I open the front door. There's a gentleman there in a suit with a briefcase. He says, hello, are you Mrs. Gamble?

I said, yes, I am. He said, well, I'm sorry. It's taken me a minute to get here. It's been kind of busy over the vacation season. But he said, I'm from your insurance company. I believe you had a flood. I said, yes, we did. He said, well, he said, my job description is I'm the loss adjuster. So I'd just like you to show me what you lost so I can make a calculation for what we owe. How many of you know I ain't crying anymore? I ain't crying. In fact, I'm thinking to myself, I hated that sofa. My granny gave me it. We're about to get a new one. We bought the kids some cheap presents. We're about to get some upgrades. I was not crying anymore. Why? Because I had forgotten I had insurance. I'd forgotten that I had a policy that covered everything that was in the basement. And some of you have forgotten you have insurance. You have a heavenly loss adjuster. So when the Holy Spirit shows up and he's knocking on your heart and he starts asking a question that seems insensitive, it's not because he's rude. It's not because he doesn't care.

He just knows something you've forgotten. Hey, I'm just wondering why are you crying? Because heaven has a loss adjuster. I'm just wondering why are you crying? Because what you're trying to embalm is already resurrected. I just wonder why you're crying? Because I already did a miracle where you've come to mourn. I'm just trying to bring you up to speed with where the Holy Spirit is. Maybe the question today is not why are you crying? Maybe the question for you is why are you angry? Well, you don't know what happened to me six months ago. Well, you don't have a clue what happened in my marriage. Well, you don't know how bad they treated me. I'm not asking you about what happened. I'm just asking you what. Why are you still angry? Or maybe the question is, why are you anxious? Why are you bitter? And we may have an answer like Mary had an answer, but you need to understand, God is trying to get some of you back in step with the Holy Spirit, because where you're living has no more beauty in it because it's out of time. Why are you crying? It gets worse, because she's about to be asked the question again and a second question, but this time not by an angel, by Jesus himself.

So they asked her, why are you crying? She says, well, they've taken my Lord away and I don't know where they put it. Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. How can you not realize it's Jesus when you know Jesus, you follow Jesus, you serve Jesus, because when your mind's in the wrong place, you can't see what's right in front of your face. And when you think crazy, you act crazy. And some of you are cray cray right now. And the Lord sent your English sister to stop you being crazy any longer. It is time to be done with the crazy behavior. Stop being crazy. Listen, now she's talking to Jesus. Jesus is standing there. So this is what Jesus asks her, number one, woman, you might've heard this a few seconds ago, but I'll say it again. Why are you crying? Second question. And who or what is it you're looking for? In other words, what in your mind will make this better? What is it that you're looking for today that will make you feel that you can move on? So Mary, it says, thinking he was the gardener. See, I told you, you get crazy when your mind's not in the right place. Thinking he was a gardener.

Now she says crazy to Jesus. Sir, if you have carried him away, you better tell me where you put him and I will go get him. Hello, all my control freaks in the house today. I'm just gonna control this. Tell me where the body is. Tell me what you did. I'll just fix it. Some of you are the control freak in your parenting, the control freak in your family, the control freak in your finances. I'm just gonna sort it. I'm just gonna make it better. Like, just tell me. She's accusing Jesus of stealing Jesus. She's talking to the answer as if it's the problem. And some of you right now are talking to the answer as if it's the problem. It's not the problem. It's the heaven sent provision. It is not the problem. It's your mind is in the wrong place. What are you looking for? It's a good question. Went through a season in leadership that was really hard. Almost made me feel like I wanted to quit. Just people being mean. People saying stuff that just was devastating. I remember in that season, having a moment with God.

And I guess it was this question. He's asking me, Charlotte, what are you looking for? And my honest answer was, I'll tell you God, I'm looking for that person that told that lie to crawl on broken glass until their knees are bleeding to my feet and let everybody know they lied. That's what I'm looking for. And I felt God say, do you want a resolution? Or do you want a solution? Well, those two words sound the same to me. So I went to the dictionary. Like, I don't get it, God, what's the difference? Look it up. A resolution is when you get the situation resolved to a place that you feel, okay, I can move on. A resolution is they wronged you, they right you. A resolution is they stole from you, they pay you back. A resolution is they lied and now they tell everyone they lied. A resolution is they say sorry for what they did. And I felt God said, do you want a resolution or a solution? Because by the way, I never promised you a resolution, but I did promise you a solution. That's why the Bible says, hey, I know they hurt you, but forgive them anyway. But that's not a resolution. I know, but it's a solution. It will move you from your hating to a place of healing. It will move you from your past into your future. Well, I want a resolution.

They need to put right what they did wrong. I can't guarantee you a resolution but I can give you a solution. I am the answer in the midst of the problem. I am your ever-present need in a time of trouble. I am your restorer. I am your healer. I am the lifter of your head. I am the answer talking to you right now. Do you want a resolution or do you want a solution? Some of you have been waiting for a resolution for five years. I just came today to say really you're gonna wait another five? You're gonna put your life on pause for another five years? You're gonna hold all that pain for another five years? You're gonna sit feeling angry for another five years? How don't you today decide you know what I am no longer embalming this body. I am no longer camping out at this tomb. I am actually gonna have my eyes open and realize the answer is right in front of me and I can right now have a resurrection or I can sit here feeling sorry for myself. I have to choose. Mary lost her mind. Caught in her emotion. Jesus realizes I got to get you back girl. There's a job to do. There's a world to reach. There's a plan for your life even though it doesn't look like the plan you had for your life. So Jesus brings her all the way back to center with one word. Mary. It just says her name and the moment she hears her name from those lips she realizes exactly who she's talking to and she shouts for a bowed eye. Teacher. Is it you? Mary I've been here right along. Mary I've been standing here while you have been freaking out. Mary the solution has been here while you're looking for a body. Mary the hope is here in your hopelessness. Mary the relief is here for your pain. I've been right here all along and some of you need to hear afresh your name on those lips. He is calling your name today and he's needing you to come out of where you have been camped up for too long. You are not supposed to live by the graveside. You're not supposed to live by the pain. You're not supposed to live by the past. He's doing a new thing and God is inviting you into his new thing but he's not gonna bring it to the old thing. He's your last adjuster but God I lost people. I lost time. I lost hope. He's like I got you. Anything you could put on the list of things you lost. I sent my only son to adjust. Anything

you would ever face he faced. Anything you would have to go through he went through worse. He is my loss adjuster and you are covered by the insurance of heaven. And so today I want to help some of you. God wants to help some of you get back in step with the Holy Spirit. You've just been out of step for too long. You lost your joy. Lost your excitement. Lost your fire. Lost your zeal. You don't walk into the house of God like you used to. You used to run in. Now you kind of shimmy in. He used to worship with all your heart. Now you kind of give him half-mast. What's happened? He didn't change. You did. Mary, I'm right here. He's right here. He's never wandered a step from you. The question today is would you like to get back in step with the Holy Spirit? Just close your eyes all across the house. God, we cannot even comprehend what it cost you to adjust our loss. We were so far from you that you knew that you could not bring us back with a token gesture. But you had to send the greatest sacrifice of your only Son. God, I pray today you would help every single person who has allowed whatever loss, whatever disappointment, whatever trial, whatever pain to sever their sense of being in step. God, I sense the urgency today that you have for every one of your sons and daughters to come back into sync with you. And I sense today the call for an accuracy in our hearts to lace up things down and pick some things up and accuracy to let some things go and grab a hold of some things new. God I pray today for honesty in our homes and in our conversations that we would leave this place today and we would ask the question why am I crying? Why am I angry? Why am I still in this place that God I know you don't want me in anymore. God I pray for movement today. Movement in our soul, movement in our hearts, movement in our emotions. God that we would be those that leave what needs leaving and cleave to what needs cleaving. You are right here right now. And as eyes are closed if you just know you're not where you should be with God today. There is no judgment, there is no condemnation. We all sometimes drift and wander which is why we always need an opportunity to come home, to turn around, to say I don't want to go this direction anymore. I want to get back in sync with God. I want to be all in with Him again. If today you need

a moment to repent, you need a moment to make Him Lord and Savior maybe for the first time or you need a moment like that prodigal did to run home to the Father. This is your moment. Those eyes are closed all across every location. If you know I need that moment tonight just lift your hand in this moment and just say that's me today. I need this moment and I'm gonna see your hand in a moment when you raise it and I'm gonna acknowledge that hand and I'm gonna pray with you. That same hand you just raised, take that same hand put it right on your heart. God you know every single person right now that's responding and you're calling them by name. God I pray right now as they ask for forgiveness, as they repent from their sin, as God they say I'm coming home today. God I pray that they would feel the embrace of your arms Father. I pray today that they would feel you adjusting the loss that they have been living with for too long. I pray today for salvation and restoration and transformation. Today I pray the old would be gone and the new would come. I pray Holy Spirit they get in sync with you and begin to walk in step with you into the days that you've already predestined Father. Thank you Jesus for what you did on the cross. Thank you for adjusting every single loss that we would ever face. Amen and amen. I'm gonna ask us all across the house to stand to our feet right now. I'm gonna ask the prayer team to come and take their position at the front. You know in moments like this often we go back into the posture that is not the receiver but don't cut out what God may want to finally seal in your life today. As the prayer team take the position some of you need to come forward and have prayer today because you need to say I'm getting a loss adjusted today. I'm putting something right today. Some of you as married couples need to come and say we need prayer today. We're in agreement today. We're gonna leave this place where we've been camped up for too long. Some of you that prayed that prayer a moment ago you need to come forward and say I need someone to stand with me in my agreement today that I'm making a change. I'm making difference. I want to encourage you. This is a moment for you to be a doer of the Word. You've now heard it but now it's your turn to do it.

God where do I need to today respond and if that means come forward, come forward. If that means seek prayer, come and get prayer. That's what we're here to do and as we do that we're gonna worship the rest of us in this moment and let God seal what he's already begun. So begin to come right from where you are. Begin to come right from where you are. The team are already here and let's worship in this moment. Let us become, let us become more aware of your praises. Let us experience the glory of your goodness. Let us become more aware of your praises. Let us experience the glory of your goodness, Lord. Singing, Holy Spirit, you are welcome here. Come find this place. ♪ And fill the atmosphere ♪ ♪ Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for ♪ ♪ To be overcome by Your presence ♪ ♪ Lord and Holy Spirit, You are welcome here ♪ ♪ Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere ♪ ♪ Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for ♪ ♪ To be overcome by Your presence, Lord ♪ Our prayer team will remain down here. For those of you that still want to come forward, they will be down at the front to pray with you as you make your way forward. Such a great word. Thank you, Pastor Charlotte, for being with us this weekend. Can we just let her know how grateful we are? Such a wonderful word. Next weekend, remember, I know Pastor Daniel mentioned this before Pastor Charlotte came up. We are beginning a new series called Road Trip.

You don't wanna miss it. Pastor Daniel will be speaking next weekend. As well, if you want to get involved and dive a little deeper into Gateway Growth Path next weekend, also next Sunday at 9 a.m., you can come and be a part of that growth path class. If you're a graduate and you stood today, don't forget we have a gift for you in the lobby and it is Legacy Letters. That's the book by Pastor Chris Hile. Just don't forget to pick that up. God bless you. Thank you for joining us. Have a great rest of your weekend. God bless.