When Their Blessing Is Your Burden | Pastor Nelson Bowen

Well, I'm ready to teach, let me pray real quick. God, thank you so much. I decrease, pray that you'll increase, and I ask, Lord God, that you'll be with me so that we can make this as plain as possible so that people can experience transformation. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Everyone said. Amen. Man, who's like really excited to be in the house of God this morning? Come on, I love it. I have really been enjoying this sermon series. When if it's your first time here, let me be one of many to just welcome you. My name is Pastor B. I pastor, I think, the greatest church on this side of heaven, Engage Community Church. Let me say, what's up? Everyone say, what's up, God Behind Bars? Say, what's up? What's up? Man, if you're like, what is that? God Behind Bars is a platform that God has used us to be able to go into prisons. Here's what I found out this week. There are more than 4,000 people that watch this church in God Behind Bars, and they are giving their lives. More than 28 salvations come on,

and people are really watching every single week, and so we thank you for that. But it's just a wonderful privilege. I am committed. I was just thinking about this. I took a little extra time in between these two services. I'm gonna do my best. We're already gonna be a little over. Is that okay? Because I'm just like committed to preaching at least these four weeks, the entirety of these messages. But I'm just like really committed to, ooh, do not cry. Like, stop. I'm really committed to God saying that's who I had in mind. Like, when he looks at my life. You have to understand that you are going to face Jesus. I'm sorry, you're going to face God. When you take your last breath, you are going to face him. Scripture says that before I placed you in your mother's womb, I knew you. So there's a version of you that he knows that he's created. And my job that I'm endeavoring to do is that when I come back to have to give an account for this life that he gave me to live, and I take my last breath, he looks me in my eyes and says, that's the one I knew. Which means that there are moments in this journey with Jesus and with God that he sits you down and say, let's get some stuff together.

Let's figure this out. And I'm just like becoming okay with, you may not come to church and hear a message that's gonna cause you to run around. But you may hear a message that's gonna come and say, oh, that's gonna shape me, inform me into the person that God knew. Does this make any sense? So this series is really about like, what are these sneaky sins that if I don't like really take the time to do some reflection of my own life, I may find myself drifting from who it is that God knows. Solomon was writing this, and this has kind of been our verse in Solomon chapter two, verse 15. Here's what he said. He said, you should catch the lions. Catch the what? Them big foxes. The little foxes, because it's those little foxes there that can destroy the vineyard. Your life, like your life will not be destroyed by this big, horrible act that you've done. As a matter of fact, the enemy don't even gotta waste time trying to convince you to do some of these horrible acts. He says, but it's these little things that you just compromise on, these little things that you just kind of let slip by, these little things that you ignore. How about this? The little stuff, gee, that's so justifiable.

Like you can actually justify why you may feel the way you feel. He said, but if you're not careful, those little things will actually blow up your life. And so we begin to recap, and we spent the first week talking about greed. And greed says, I need more. Last week we talked about gluttony. Anyone enjoy gluttony? We talked about gluttony last week. Some of you are like, I didn't even know that gluttony was a word until last week, but I got it. And gluttony says, I need this. So greed says, I need more. Gluttony says, I need this. Let me just give you a snap preview. Next week, we're gonna bring this to a conclusion in week four, but I'm really excited about it. We're calling it, obviously, let me just give it to you. We're talking about slothfulness. Because some people think that slothfulness is just lazy. And that's incorrect. Lazy is a byproduct of slothfulness. Slothfulness is when you disconnect from your purpose. Slothfulness is when you choose comfort over calling. And so I just feel like we should end it that way because many of us have disengaged from our purpose because we've gotten to let our appetites give us something different to eat on, which is why I got to spend three weeks

talking about this appetite. And if we can really check maybe this greed and this gluttony that we have, you may be actually be able to identify why you're not being used the way God desires to use you, not because he's not doing anything in your life but because you've disengaged from what he's called you to. But today, let's just talk about envy. It didn't get any better, huh? James said this. James is a very tough book to read, if you're honest. I told him at 9 a.m., James will snatch your edges. And if you don't have edges, it's because you haven't read the book of James. But James is the brother of Jesus in chapter three. Look at what he says in verse 13. Here's what he says. He says, who among you is wise and understanding? Because I've discovered that you can have wisdom and lack understanding. Meaning that you're actually, you have so much wisdom, you're so smart, but you also don't understand the people around you. And so you actually come off as demeaning. Okay, whatever. But by his good conduct, he should show that his works are done in boastfulness. Gentleness that comes from what? Wisdom. Verse 14, watch this.

But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition, selfish ambition, what is selfish ambition? When you do things just to be seen. You only serve because you want people to give you attaboy. You only are nice to your spouse because you want them to do something for you. This selfish ambition, if that's in your heart, he says, don't boast and you actually deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above, but it's earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For where there is what guys? And selfish ambition, there's disorder. Watch this Will. In every, not some, not most, but every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, then gentle, and then here's a word that I think all of us should really study, compliant. Because it's absolutely possible to be in relationship with people, but not be compliant with them. Full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering without pretense. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate what? I think it's funny, or interesting, that James doesn't say that envy creates some problems. He doesn't say envy's gonna give you a tough time.

He says, no, envy will actually create every evil practice. As to say that envy isn't a small deal, it's actually a gateway sin. I'm gonna take you on a trail, maybe this sounds familiar. You were so genuinely happy, and then you opened up Instagram. You were enjoying your marriage, and then you saw theirs. You liked your house, but then they got a bigger one. You were thankful for your job, but your friend got promoted. You loved your vacation, and then you saw they went to Greece. You're good. She said, you're good, that's good. There was nothing about your life that changed. Your perspective changed when you saw someone else's. That's envy. The sneaky attribute to envy, say what's so sneaky about it? That envy has the ability to rob you of your joy without changing your circumstance. It'll rob you of your joy without changing your circumstance. It just likes to change what you're looking at. And the problem is that most people will confuse envy and jealousy. They're not the same thing. Jealousy is this, I fear losing what I have.

That's jealousy. I don't want to lose what I have. I'm scared you're going to take what I have. Envy is this, I resent you for what you have. Two completely different things. Jealousy, I'm afraid to lose what I have. Envy, I actually don't like you. I resent you because of what you have. Jealousy comes from fear. Envy comes from comparison. The Greek word for envy, I'm not even going to attempt, but I will give you the definition because it's important. It means resentment, ill will, pain. Listen, at another person's success. Wishing that someone else had less. Envy is not, I want more. Envy is, I want you to have less. Envy is not, I just want what God has for me, hear me. Envy is, I'm upset at what God has done for you. None of y'all got this though. I could say it this way. Envy is what happens when your eyes leave your assignment and you become fixated on what God is doing in someone else's life. Envy is when your eyes leave your assignment and you become fixated. You start looking, you lock in on what God is doing in someone else's life. And to show how this play out,

I want to look at this in detail between two important kings, King Saul and King David. Because King Saul has already won battles. He's already been anointed as king. He's already experiencing God's favor. He's already becoming famous and is famous. He literally has become everything that Israel has asked for. And then on one day, everything changes when this scrawny little teenager kills a giant. Teenager named David. But David never asked for Saul's throne. David never campaigns for it. He never competes for it. David was just obedient. And the most important thing to note about David and Saul's relationship is that David was probably the most honorable person in Saul's life. Never once did David say, I want what you have. Yet Saul had convinced himself that David wants to replace me. This is what we pick up in 1 Samuel 18, verse number six. Look at what it says. It says, as they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistines, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another.

They celebrated. Saul had struck down his what? Thousands. And David, his ten thousands. And Saul was very angry. And this sang displeased him. He said, they have ascribed to David ten thousands. And to me, they've ascribed thousands. And what more can he have but the kingdom? Verse nine, and Saul eyed David from that day on. David comes back from battle. And all of a sudden, the streets are singing. Them ladies got them tambourines, singing and dancing. I was wondering the other day. That's that Joe Scott right there. Okay, get back on track, get back on track. Never around. Okay, okay. David has killed ten thousands. Saul has killed thousands. And what's amazing to me that if you take this out of context, if you don't know the history, this wasn't two women trying to put these two kings at odds. They were literally just singing about the heroes of Israel. They were singing about their accomplishments and what they've done. If you look at it under further inspection, what you also see is that Saul's name. It's mission first. They sing about Saul first, and then David.

But the problem is that envy will ignore encouragement and magnify the comparison. Maybe you've been there where you're having a conversation, you're like, man, you're amazing, you're killing it, you're so awesome, and they're great too. What? And it's like, did you not hear anything that I said? I just bigged you up, and all you heard was that? Out of this hour-long conversation, you heard the one minute of me talking about this. Why? Because envy will magnify comparison and downplay encouragement. And so Saul becomes very angry, and verse number eight, it says that he became very angry. The problem is nothing's changed. The kingdom hasn't changed. The throne hasn't changed. The army hasn't changed. The crown still belongs to him. The only thing that has changed is that on this day, comparison entered his heart. And when comparison entered his heart, we get verse number nine, which is probably the most detrimental thing to Saul's kingdom that day, it says, and Saul eyed David from that day on. Now without Hebrew understanding, you don't understand what that means, but here's what the word, this phrase, he eyed him, what it means in Hebrew is this, he closely observed with suspicion. Well, he had a hostile intent. He's watching him. This isn't like I'm just casually glancing, it's I'm watching you out of fear and rivalry. If we were to write this verse today, what it would say, Darragus, from that day forward, he could not stay off his IG. You don't follow them, you just like looking at them. He watched every promotion, he knew every post, he knew every success, watched every

interview, every accomplishment, every vacation they went on, every trip, every blessing, he could not get his eyes off of David. And what I love about this progression, if you begin to read, and I don't have a whole lot of time, but if you're going to read this chapter 18 and verse 9, it says that he watched him. In verse 10, he feared him. In verse 11, he threw a spear at him. In verse 12, he was afraid of him. He watched him. He feared him. He threw a spear at him. He was afraid of him. He watched him. He feared him. He threw a spear at him. He was afraid at him. He became so fixated that it actually started to control everything about him that by the time you get to verse number 29, it says that he had continued or devoted himself that I'm going to be your continual enemy. And it all started with his eyes. It all started with the way he started to look at David different. I'm wondering who's shifted in your life. Who you look at different? What opportunities are you looking at different? Like where has this shift occurred? Because here's what happens, before it gets to your heart, before it comes to your hand, before you become a continual enemy, you don't become someone's continual enemy overnight. It happens the day that you started comparing your life to theirs. The day where your eyes just kind of shifted. We can trace this moment all the way back to when these ladies started singing and Saul

made it about comparison. And David keeps winning, Saul keeps watching. David's focused on giants and building his future and Saul's focused on monitoring David's future. One man's pursuing purpose and the other is stuck in comparison. And we get this progression up. I've got three favorite social workers in my life. Arshele, that's Lady B, Alexis, and then Brene Brown. You decide the order, but I got three of them. My favorite social workers, G. One of them wrote a book called Atlas of the Heart. They wrote this book, Brene Brown, she wrote this book called Atlas of the Heart and it's how do you just begin to identify your emotions. I probably read it like once a year the last three years. It's just how do you identify with your emotions and she says envy. She has a chapter in it called Feelings We Run To When We're Comparing. And so she begins to talk about this progression of envy. and she actually wrote these stages out and I want us to look at them really quick. She says, the first stage is comparison. Here's what it means that I begin measuring my life against yours. I begin to look at your house and my house, your car and my car, your marriage or my marriage, your singleness versus my singleness. I just begin to compare. And the question that I'm asking in this stage is simply, how do I measure up? How do I measure up? And oftentimes in that, if it stays healthy,

it just leads to admiration where you actually become inspired by them. There's some people that you look at, you're like, yo, they're killing it. That's what's up. Man, I'm just inspired by the way they do things. G is one of the most inspiring people to me. They're just people who will inspire you for their gift and their craft and whatever it is. But if it's unhealthy, if it's unchecked, it actually lends to envy where your admiration turns into comparison and resentment. And the biggest question in envy is this, why them and not me? How come they get this and I don't? How come they get to experience this and I don't? And envy turns into resentment. Well, I don't just want what you have. I don't want you to have it. You know, some of y'all know people like that. Where in your head, you'd be like, they don't deserve that. They don't deserve that. Like, why would they? Like, what? No. And then she talks about this German word, which is, schoops, oud. Let's say it together, schoops, oud. Where, here's what it says, I secretly find satisfaction in your failure.

Where, and here's how it shows up. I knew that relationship wasn't gonna last. What, wait, what? Like, I knew that was gonna fail. I knew they weren't gonna be able to do that project. Man, and what it is, is you envy them. And the truth about envy is that it doesn't just rob you of your joy, listen, it makes you question the goodness of God in other people's life. Where you start saying, why them and not me? And there's three lies that envy will tell you. Can I give you the first one? Here's the first one, here's the first lie, that God is better to them than he is to me. Now, I gotta read this because this, I'm getting ready to read a whole chapter in Psalms, but it's written by Asaph. Asaph was a worship leader that was actually appointed by King David. I mean, he was amazing, say amazing. Awesome, I mean, like legit, like the do among dos among dos, but he has this moment of humanity that I'm thankful for. And so I'm gonna do something that I haven't done. I don't know if I've ever done it on a Sunday, but I'm gonna do it today. Well, I'm gonna read the entire chapter of Psalms and then we'll see how far we get after this. But I think you're gonna find yourself in his moment of humanity.

And I'm so grateful that the Bible will include stuff like this to help me know that I'm not alone. So let's do this in the book of Psalms, let's go right now. Psalms chapter number 73, here's what it says. No one can deny it. God is really good to Israel and all of those with pure hearts. And I love this moment of transparency. He says, but I nearly miss seeing it for myself. He said, I nearly miss seeing just how good God is. Here's what he says. Here's my story. I narrowly missed losing it all. I was getting ready to lose it all. Here's why, because I was stumbling over what I saw the wicked doing. Told you envy is when I can become, I take my eyes off my assignment and I become fixated on what's happening somewhere else. For when I saw the bolsters with such wealth and prosperity, look at this. I became jealous over their smug security. He said, I started looking at the people who don't even know God, indulging in whatever they wanted, going wherever they wanted, doing what they wanted with no care in the world, no pain, no problem. They seem to have it made. They lived as though their life would never end. They don't even try to hide their pride or opulence.

Cruelty and violence are parts of their lifestyle. Look at this verse seven, pampered and pompous. Vice, he mad, ain't he? Big mad. Vice oozes from their soul. They overflow with, he's talking about these people who don't know God yet seeming like they're getting everything that I'm praying for, everything that I'm believing for. Like these people, they don't confess to know you. They don't pretend to know you. They're such snobs. Looking down their noses, they even scoff at God. They're nothing but bullies threatening God's people. They're loud mouths with no fear of God, pretending to know it all. Windbags full of hot air, impressing only themselves. Yet the people keep coming back to listen to more of their nonsense. This part's important because you understand that he's a worship leader. He's a writer. He's like, I'm writing all this music for you and no one wants to listen. And here they are writing crap. And everybody keeps coming back to listen. I'm trying to figure this out because I'm trying to live right. These people not even pretending to live right. And I see their blessings.

I see how they're advancing. I see how they're maturing. I see how they're getting the very stuff that I'm praying for. And then they tell all their cohorts, God will never know. They're doing stuff that I know we're not supposed to do. But they're acting like we can do it. And they're saying, God ain't going to find out when you do it because you can't see him anyway. See, he has no clue of what we're doing. How I can dibble in this and dabble in this, still get blessed, still get promoted, still advance, still do it like, God, what is going on? Verse 12, watch this. Watch 12. These are the wicked ones I'm talking about. They never have to lift a finger and they live in a life of ease by their riches multiplied. And here's what I appreciate the humanity for. Have I been foolish to play by the rules and keep my life pure? In other words, what he's saying is I have been doing everything I can to live right. I've been doing everything I can to do what the pastor tell me to do and yet seemingly I have not advanced. Seemingly, I feel like life has gotten worse. Seemingly, it feels like things have gotten difficult. So here I am trying to live right. Here they are not even trying to act like they live right. And why is it that it seems like they are more blessed than I am? Here I am suffering under your discipline day after day and I

feel like I'm punished all day long. And then here, I appreciate the humanity. Here's what he said, Mom and Dad. If I had given it to my pain and spoken what I was really, you're not hearing what I'm saying. If I had spoken what I was really feeling, it would sound like I was being unfaithful to the next generation because if I really told them how hard following you is, if I really told them how lonely following you is, if I really told them how much you have to deny yourself, if I really told them that you might lose it all, if I really told them your friends gonna walk out on you, your family will understand. If I really told them that. And I've tried to understand it all. I just couldn't. It's too puzzling. This is a riddle to me. Here's where it all changed. 17. Watch this. 17. But the one day, I was bought into the sanctuaries of God. In the light of glory, my distorted perspective vanished. Then I understood the destiny of the wicked. He said, hold on, hold on, hold on. He said, I was so confused. But when I walked into the house of God and I got into his presence, there's something about my perspective that started to shift. In the world, I couldn't see it. But when I got in the presence of the Most High, the ones who

are on their slippery path, God will suddenly let them slide off into destruction to be consumed with terrors forever. Watch this. 19. Watch this. It will be instant. In all their life of ease, a blink of an eye, they're swept away by sudden calamity. They're all nothing more than momentary Marnuks. I don't care how many rock signs they throw up. I don't care how many coats they lift up. I don't care how much incense they burn. I don't care how many songs they like. It's all useless because he despises all of their fantasies. And when I saw all of this, he wasn't even happy. He says, man, what turmoil filled my heart? Piercing my opinions with your truth. Here it goes. I was so stupid. Y'all not shouting at that part. I was senseless and ignorant, acting like a brute beast before you, Lord. 23. Watch this. Oh, yet in spite of all this, I still belong to you. You hold me by your right hand. Oh, this is so good. You lead me with your secret wisdom and following. me brings me into your brightness and glory. Verse 25 is where it changes, who have I in heaven but you.

You're all I want and no one on earth. I need you to see what's happened, I need you to see what's happened because at the beginning of this, he's actually comparing himself to wicked people. He's actually in a place of perplexity because he's like, how come you're doing all of that in their life and you aren't doing nothing in my life? But when he actually got into the presence of God, he went from looking at what they have to declaring God, you're all I want. I don't even want what they have. I don't even want to be influenced by what has them. If I have you, I have it all because no one on earth, nothing on earth means to me as much as you. You see, where Saul got off, where Saul got off is he looked at David's life and he kept on looking. Asaph looked and then he looked up. You missed it, you missed it. He looked at David's life and he kept on looking and that looking turned into comparison. Asaph looked at their life and that looking turned into conviction. He said, no, wait a second. I can't just desire what you have. I have to desire who you are. By the time we get to 25, this man is saying, no, no, no, no, no, God is all about you. Second one really quick, the lie that envy would tell is someone else's win is your loss. The kingdom don't work like that.

God does not run out of blessings. I need you to hear me, I need you to hear me because some of you think that God's hand is short. It's not short. Like God, if he's doing, like the reason why, I don't have enough time, it's already eight minutes over. I'm going to try, I promise you. I need to take my time and hurry up. But oftentimes what happens and it's where I've been is that if you don't see yourself as a secure son and secure daughter, the only other way to see yourself is as an orphan. And the problem with the orphan mentality is that it doesn't understand the nature of the father. So as an orphan, when you see the father giving something to someone else, you assume that all what he gave is all he has. And he gave what he has to the one that he loves and he's left me without. And so that's where this comparison begins. See, envy isn't even about possessions, it's about identity. It's you don't think or you don't believe that the father has enough for you as well. But if you know anything about a good father, you know that he cares and thinks and loves about all his children. And just because he gave to one child doesn't mean that he doesn't have enough for the other. In fact, if you really know anything about a good father, he won't even bless until he can bless all his kids. And so when you see the father handing out blessings, the orphan gets scared, the son gets in line.

He knows that I am next. He knows that God has something for me. So what you have to understand is that I cannot begin to think that just because he's giving it out, he has nothing left. He's just getting started. His hand is not short. Romans 2, 10 through 11, you can read that really quick. But it says, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does the Jew first and also the Greek, and also the Greek, and also the Greek, for God shows no partiality. Meaning that what he can do for you, he'll do for anyone else. What he does for someone else, he can do for you. So we can't be these people who just think that because God did it for them, that he can't do it for me. In fact, this is just a sign that because he did it for you. Okay, I don't have enough time to keep going on all that. Number three, my timeline is not God's timing. Or that's what, like the lie would tell you that my timeline is God's timing. I'm trying to tell you that your timeline is not God's timing, guys, like at all. And you got to know that. Read Ecclesiastes chapter 3, because Ecclesiastes chapter 3 says, for everything there is a season, a time for every matter, a time for, a time for, a time for, a time for. See, the problem is. You got your time in the place of every matter and it doesn't work that way and if you read all through Ecclesiastes chapter 3 He begins to tell you what there's a time for a time for this a time for that a time for this a time for that God don't work on your timing and for some of you the reason why you're so frustrated with God It's because the creator of the universe didn't keep your deadline

And that's actually a place of arrogance and pride and how actually even Wickedness because we actually got Satan kicked out And it's also we got Judas out of position because Jesus wasn't moving on his timeline Satan wasn't working and so what you have to understand There's one thing that can get you to a place where God will kind of look sideways not abandon you But like are you serious is when you start to think that you're the one who directs time So we got to get to a place and get to a season where we understand that God you are the one that's in control You are working all of this together Amen I've been talking about appetite. I appreciate it because I need it I've been talking about appetite these last couple of weeks Because it's just important and and I'm preaching to myself here, but I have like really Started to just realize how unhealthy my appetite can be It see see greed is an appetite for more Gluttony is an appetite for pleasure Envy is an appetite for significance What do you mean explain that because you don't actually want their car You don't want their house. You don't even want their relationship. You want what that car says about them You want what that relationship does in them You don't want their platform you want the validation that that platform brings See envy I'm telling you guys is rarely about a possession. It's about identity It's all about identity and until we can start asking some real questions about our appetite Like really about like like okay calm down Nelson I'm starting to ask different questions because God has just been really good. He's been really good to me up And like And like What I'm struggling with is like God, I don't I don't want to lose what you've given me I don't want to take for granted your goodness Because you follow God long enough you be faithful long enough listen to me You may be able to do whatever you want You didn't hear what I just said

You may know for whatever you want go where like? And you that's where the relationship is really tested And so I'm asking different questions, I'm no longer asking what do I want because I want a lot Here's the deeper level question, what am I hoping that this will make me feel? See if you really want to know who God is and grow in the things of God you got to ask some deeper questions God I want this do you really want that house or what are you hoping that that house make you feel a certain type of way? I just want to be in a relationship. Well. Do you really want to be in a relationship, or do you want to be loved? Because if it's really that you want to be loved I don't care who you relationship with they won't love you the way that you need to be loved There's no person who can love you the way you need to be we all need Christ in us to love through us And if we'll ever go to God about these deeper appetites that's within us Like you want to feel significant okay coaching isn't going to do it for you It's security and the father that does it for you Like there's a different level of appetite that you're going to have to grow to where we're like okay How and what does this really mean? Because you can have everything and still be empty And you can get everything that God gives you and still feel like with it because your appetite really isn't being sold So if greed gets killed with generosity and gluttony gets killed with self-control You can have everything and still be empty And you can have everything and still be empty And you can get everything that God gives you and still feel like with it because your appetite really isn't being sold Oh, the only thing that I'm finding will kill envy is honor. So if greed gets killed with generosity and gluttony gets killed with self-control That's it. Look at Romans 12, nine through 10. Almost done. Don't just pretend to love others. How about, you know, that's a message. Don't just pretend to love others. No, really love them.

Hate what is wrong. I can tell you what you love by what you hate. If you, even if you say you love God, then you gotta hate what he hates. Hold tightly to what is good. Watch this. Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. Can I help you out? Being a pastor, I can get into envy real quick. It's so easy to look at what God is doing across all so many churches. And be like, man, God, I... But I'm faithful, but I worship, but it's so easy. And I've got friends that are pastors. And I remember one time it was a pastor. I'm just like, yo, like killing it. And it was real like, like it was borderline moving from admiration a little bit. And God said, you need to bless this individual. You need to sow into this individual. And I remember, here's what God said. Nothing will kill envy faster than intentionally celebrating someone you're tempted to compare yourself to. Like, who are the people that like, instead of comparing yourself, you just like, that's the person I sow into more than anyone else. There's something about your heart changes

and your perspective that will change when you look at people and say, man, I honor this person, man. Like, I'm celebrating. I'm your biggest cheerleader, like you're killing it. Like, what happens when you make a decision to do that? I'm gonna throw this chart up. I'm gonna tell you this story and we're done. Look at this chart. This is Practical Handle Steps. You gotta practice gratitude daily. Whose success are you just committed to celebrating? G's on the front row, so I just love, like G gonna call you, be like, bro, you're killing it, bro. I'm proud of you, dawg. You doing it. I just wanna let you know. They be like, man, ain't no better preacher. Like, who are the people that you'll celebrate their success? I got friends out cars, I'm gonna let you know. I don't care what nobody say. I think you the baddest, you a bad man. And if you're not doing that, what does it really say about your heart? But this third one is the one that I really wanna talk about. I want you to stay focused on your assignment. Jesus was reinstating Peter back in the ministry. He had a moment that we all have.

He just kind of drifted away. They've been, Jesus comes to Pete and he talks about all these great things that Peter's gonna do. And he says, but you also wanna die. And Pete has this moment where he looks at John and he says, okay, well, what about him? I need you to see this because one of the greatest privileges of my life is that I'm fathering a six-year-old and a four-year-old in the same house, two boys. It's really interesting. And all my parents will probably know, like, whatever I do for one, they start, the other one will bring it up. So I'm like, if I give Ace some juice, they're like, well, how come Winn got that much? And I might give Winn a gift and Winn be like, but how come Ace got that? Or, hey man, let's get our hair done. Well, how come Ace gets to go first? He always goes first. And like the other day or yesterday, I'm building Legos with Ace and Winn goes, well, what about me? So then I go outside and I play with Winn and the Ace comes out. Dad, you didn't finish what you started. What about me? And then you just got, it's just always Ace this

and Winn that. And how much of that just reminds us of like when God begins to talk to us about our life and how the great things that he wants to do and the things that he wants to bring us to, how quickly we say, well, what about them? And this is kind of what's happening between Jesus and Peter right now, because Jesus is saying, hey man, you're gonna live a great life, but here's how you're gonna die. And then Pete looks at Jesus and say, well, what about John? How's John gonna die? And I love Jesus' response to this in John 21, 22, but hold on, hold on, before you read it up. John was gangster because John's writing about John. And so Peter, so when he's telling the description, he says, Peter looks at the one that Jesus loved, but he's talking about, that's something I would say, but like, he's like, he's talking about himself. And so it kind of makes this whole thing because Peter and John kind of had this rivalry. They're these brothers. They're the one they're always comparing each other and says so what about John and look at what Jesus says Jesus says If I decide to let him live until I return What concern is that of yours? In other words, Jesus time enough. He says what if he never dies? What if he never dies What concern is that to you? you must keep on

Following me. Can I give you a translation? What if you never get the house? You must keep on following him What if you never get that job? You must keep on following him. What if you never get that relationship? You must keep on following him. What if you never get a marriage like theirs? You must keep on following him What if it never comes out for you? will it change who you follow because if it's if you can't get what you want and it Changes who you follow that you were never following him in the first place We gotta be people who commit ourselves that I'll follow Jesus not for what he can do for me Not because of what he's doing in other people's life, but I'll follow Jesus because of who he is to me Why did you yell for 45 minutes? But are you following Jesus man Keep your eyes on your assignment bow your heads God thank you so much For you being so good, man You're so awesome God forgive us for taking our eyes off you at times And making it about what you're doing other people's life and how you're advancing them I Got me put our eyes back on you We fix our eyes back on you Thank you for your goodness Forgive us for allowing me to sneak up at times We commit to following you in Jesus name we pray Hey, no one look at all eyes closed heads bow. I will pray for one more person a Person today who says I'm deciding when to follow Jesus That's how we ended this thing with I'm gonna keep my eyes on him and maybe you kind of just drifted a little bit your eyes Wandered into someone else's life and the next thing, you know, you looked up and you're like man God How did I even get here? How did I get to this place where I'm just further from you than I would like to you know? Life happens that way. Sometimes we just find ourself drifting. We find ourselves comparison

We find ourselves looking everywhere else and we just get unfocused But today's the day I believe that God wants to help recalibrate you a little bit where he says come back home to the father See God loves you so much that he sent his one and only son Jesus to die for you Now there's these myths and these debates about heaven and in hell and are they real or they fake? I'll sell it heaven and hell both are real. There is a myth and that's that God sends you to one or the other Reality is you got free will so he doesn't send you to neither one you get to decide where you go And we decide that we're going to spend our lives in eternity with Jesus when we say I need you man God, I need you to come into my life Jesus. I need you to give me a fresh start And maybe even now your hearts racing you're like, what's this? It's simply Jesus knocking on the door of your heart. It's a simple question. Would you allow me to live with you? See Jesus is the perfect gentleman. So he doesn't come by intrusion. He doesn't come by invasion He only comes by an invitation that invitation is I'm a sinner and I'm in need of a Savior or maybe even dumb it down To this I've drifted too far and I want to come back home I want to follow you again And if that's you here's your moment So the reality is we're all gonna have this moment when we take our last breath And when we do my job is to make sure that you spend an eternity with Jesus And if you don't know if that's the case if you don't know if that's going to happen Well, let's make it right today by simply saying I want to follow Jesus Now we're not gonna do things spooky. We don't do things scary I'm not gonna ask you to stand or even come to the front I just want to ask you to raise your hand on the count of three and say that's me I want to give my life to Jesus today Don't make this to the person to the left Don't make this about the person to the right Make it between me you and God and with boldness I want you to raise your hand and say yo, I'm committing my life all over again I'm giving my life for the first time and then we will say a faith confession Because scripture says that when you confess me before man, I'll confess you before the Father So if that is you today, come on, man. Here's your moment. Let's be excited about this

Let's be bold about this and on the count of three just raise your hand with confidence Raise your hand with boldness one God loves you to your life would never be the same three if that's you raise your hand Oh, we got one there, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, anyone else, raise your hand on the count of three. Come on, I love it, come on, let's clap, let's celebrate. Come on, let's do better than that, God is good. So awesome, come on, let's say this together, say, God, today, I give you my life, I believe in my heart and confess in my mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord. Come on, let's celebrate one more time. So awesome, man, God is incredible. We said that prayer for the first time, there's QR codes on the screen, there's a table out there in the lobby, we'd love for you to fill out that card, give you a gift, tell you welcome to the family. I love you guys, man, stand to your feet, we're gonna worship on the way out of here. See you next week for part four of Stinky Sins. ♪ Jesus be the Lord, Jesus be the Lord, Jesus be the Lord ♪