FREE.CHURCH - FREE CHURCH OAK PARK
FREE.CHURCH - FREE CHURCH OAK PARK
I Declare: Grit // Pastor Robby Emery // February 9th, 2025
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The Power of Declaration
Speaker 1Hey , what's up ? Free Church . Hey , before we jump in this morning , I just wanna like I love church in a way that church is not . Church is not a spectator organization , it's a participatory one , that we jump in , that they're not just leading us in worship Like we're going there with them . So I wanna say thanks to our entire team for taking us somewhere today . That was refreshing , that was encouraging , and worship Like we're going there with them . So I want to say thanks to our entire team for taking us somewhere today . That was refreshing , that was encouraging , that was helpful , and I hope you felt that . I hope you know how important that is . And again , I'm going to talk a little bit about what this day is , and we've been declaring a whole lot over the past several weeks and I want you to continue to declare things in your life , especially the words that we've been using and speaking about , because they're important , they're vital to your tenets of faith .
Speaker 1My best friend growing up he's from the South and so his family came up to Michigan . They started the church and when I was just a baby , my parents started going to that church and he was about my age and so we ended up becoming the closest friends ever , and so he had grandparents , right , and but he didn't call them . We call my grandparents and my kids call my parents . They call them Nana and Papa , right , that's kind of like a Midwest thing , right , papa , any Papas in the room , any Papas ? Or ? Or ? Or grandma and papa , right , that's kind of like a Midwest thing , right , papa , any papas in the room , any papas ? Or grandma and grandpa , right , that's what we say . But there , because they're from the South , it's a mamaw and papaw , mamaw and papaw . And so because I was just his best friend and always around him , they were my mamaw and papaw , my mamaw and papaw , my mamaw and papaw . And so his grandparents were really old and so by the time I really hang out with them they were in their late 80s and so they're kind of on the latter part of their life .
Speaker 1But we would , as , unfortunately , as little kids kind of like , pick on them a little bit . And so mamaw , who we loved Mamaw , was great . She would always make us sweet tea , because you didn't get sweet tea in Michigan unless you went to Mamaw's house . And so we would go to Mamaw's house and we would just be playing out in Mamaw's yard and we'd walk in because we'd have BB guns and Mamaw , we killed the squirrel , right ? And she would respond with the word well , I declare , right . She would say , well , I declare . And then we'd say , mamaw , mamaw , we had a great time at church last night . She says , well , I declare . It was her response to every aha moment she was having . It was like I declare Well , I learned something that I don't need to give you kids BB guns because you're going to kill the animals in the yard .
Speaker 1Well , I realize that when you go to church , you're actually experiencing something and you're willing enough to share it with mamaw when you get home . Well , I declare . How about we allow that to be in our narrative ? That when we have an aha moment of wow , this is awesome , well , I declare , that was just a move of God in a worship service ? Well , I declare that the negative and dishonor and discord that's in our world , I declare that that's not good and we're going to try to remedy that everywhere that we go see , I declare , is something that we all need to allow to be in our lives . God has called us to be agents of change . We're , we're expected to be , agents of change . We're expected to be agents of change and he called us to be salt and light , and we understand this .
Speaker 1Growing up in the Midwest and Chicago and Detroit areas , we know that man salt is important . This time of year , when the rest of the world had to shut down for a few days because they got a half an inch of snow , we were like what in the world are you doing ? We're going to work , we're going to church . Put your big girl pants on and get out your business . But the way that salt works is salt has to come in contact with what it wants to change . Salt in a shaker on your table will never change the flavor of your food .
Speaker 1As Christians , if we're to be salt , if we want to actually change the world or change the people that we're involved with , we have to come in contact with them . We can't do this from a distance . We can't make declaratives for our lives and expect to change the world . We have to get out into the world and grab them by the hand , touch them in their heart , move them to places where they've never been before , encourage them every step of the way . That's the way it works . If we're to be truly salt , then we're going to have to do those things , silas .
Speaker 1Hurry up here . Silas , let me see your phone . Thank you , it's my son's phone . Parents , let me just say this If you don't know your son's passcode , I'm just saying I was just a little into it , like I know it . Also , a little trick when you get it opened up , go to the settings and have your face put in it , because those little sneaky kids , they may change it on you , but your face . Go to the settings and have your face put in it , because those little sneaky kids , they may change it on you , but your face that's in there .
Speaker 1Here's what I want you to do . If you have an iPhone sorry , samsung Galaxy , you can't do this Get your iPhones out . Everyone in here . Get your iPhones out . Here's what I want you to do . I want you to . I want you to swipe down . I want you to turn your camera on . Got it , silas ? You have too many apps open , son , all right , turn your camera on Camera .
Speaker 1Everyone in the room . Just go ahead and put it on selfie mode . Make sure you're looking at yourself . You have a selfie . You know how to do it . Don't act like you don't . Don't act like you don't . Everyone in the room . People in the back . You're not doing it . I can tell your phone's not out . You've been on your phone all day until I asked you to do it .
Speaker 1All right now , go ahead and close out the camera . Just swipe it and close it out . You close it out . Make sure it's closed . All right now . Here I want you flashlight , flashlight , flashlight . Look at it , look at it . Turn around past the ship , look at the lights on . Look at the lights on . Beautiful , beautiful , beautiful . All right now , in the same way , someone's snapping you , son . In the same way , I want you to swipe back down . So now the flashlight's on , swipe back down . I want you to turn on the camera that you just had on selfie mode mode . What ? What's happening ?
Speaker 1You see , even the brilliance of Apple lets us know that as long as we're in selfie mode , we can't shine a light , and so , as long as we're so focused on Robbie , so focused on what I'm doing , I can't shine the light that God has called me to shine . And so when we declare God , I declare I'm out of selfie mode . God , this is not about me . This is all about you and shining the light that you put in me so I can make a difference in this world . And let me tell everyone in this room when you do shine your light , don't shine into someone's eyes , because the first thing they do is they're going to turn their head , but you shine on a path that gets to him .
Speaker 1Silas , well , it is Super Bowl Sunday and , just like you in Chicago , we have no dog in the fight . We have some people we can cheer for , but on this day , the reports say that more money will exchange hands on this weekend than a good day on the stock market . They say that people who do not gamble will gamble on the Super Bowl . In fact , some of the largest amounts of money are won or lost before the game even begins . How long will they sing the national anthem ? Millions of dollars are won and lost on this one bet , though Heads or tails . Millions of dollars are gonna exchange hands worldwide on the flip of a coin Heads or tails .
Speaker 1I'm so thankful that , when it comes to the promises of God , it's not a gamble , it's not 50-50 whether or not we will win . In fact , I'm going to prove it to you . You ready . Luke , chapter 10 , 19 . Behold , I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy , and nothing , everyone say nothing shall by any means hurt you . Did you get the word of God there ? Did you get what he said ? You're going to trample on serpents and scorpions . Serpents bite with their head and scorpions sting with their tail Heads you win , tails you win . It's not 50-50 . There's not a flip of a coin whether or not you're going to be able to defeat the enemies in your life . You declare , I declare I will win the victory through the power of Jesus Christ working in me . Not a gamble . It's not a gamble .
Speaker 1Today I'm going to talk about what I feel is extremely important to our Christian faith , but maybe something that we forget about , something that we don't realize that we need , so important in our lives . I'm gonna talk a little bit about grit and how grit is found in the Bible . Maybe not that exact word , but the word is there in the word of God . Now , I enjoy working out , but I can't stand running . I do cardio because I wanna live right . I hate it .
Speaker 1You can tell people who run though yeah , they have runner's face . It's the same to a lot of other faces you may know about in this world , but they do they have runner's face ? They don't smile when they're running . I've never seen them . And then they run so long and so hard that that face is what you see every day . You don't have to say do you run Like you're a runner , aren't you ? I can tell by your face . Next time someone tells you they run , you're gonna find out . Well , yeah , I can tell . Pastor Robbie was absolutely right .
Speaker 1Running's hard , especially when you have to run uphill . Now it's proven that people who are trying to break their records whether it's a marathon , they're marathon runners , they're long distance runners . They will go to a course , whether it's a marathon here in Chicago , one in Detroit , one in Boston , wherever they're going , and they're gonna find a course that is less hilly than other courses because they wanna break their record , because they even understand that I'm not going to be my best or break my record running uphill . No one likes to go uphill , and this is a picture of a problem most of us have in our lives . We live in an uphill world , but we also just want a downhill life .
Speaker 1So let me ask you what's one really good thing in your life that hasn't required you to go uphill to get to it ? What's one really good thing in your life that hasn't been hard to do . That degree you went after those long nights of studying . I've been married 25 years . Pastor Chuck and Pastor Ursh in just a few weeks on February 27th , am I right are going to celebrate another anniversary . I think they're on 40 now 40th anniversary , just kidding .
Speaker 1But you know that anything worth it , anything , it's uphill , it's uphill , and sometimes we think in our lives , man , I'm living for God , it's gonna be a downhill , I'm living for God , everything's gonna be perfect and right and everything's gonna be okay . And that's not the case . Having a newborn is that easy , priscilla , parenting , toddlers , teenagers , college kids I mean it doesn't get easy . But here's the question I ask today , when life gets hard , how easy is it for you to give up ? I ask today , when life gets hard , how easy is it for you to give up ?
Speaker 1Almost one year ago to this day , we were here in Chicago and got some horrible news and it made us want to give up . But that news didn't cause us to give up . Let me just pause here . You may think it , but you don't have to do it . I'm just being reality . You may think it . You may think , man , I'm just gonna throw in the towel . It didn't cause us to give up . It was discouraging and heartbreaking and we had a lot of questions , but we didn't give up .
Speaker 1And let me say this Just because you change your pace , don't give up . See , if you know anything about running and I don't like to run , but I have run and there's times when you're running where maybe you have a quicker pace than you do before , maybe you're clipping at a higher rate of speed than you were previously . You're still running , you're just at a different pace . Don't stop , I know , maybe you're just at a different pace . Don't stop . I know , maybe you gotta slow down a little bit . I know , man , the pace of life is causing you to maybe take a step back a little bit , but don't stop . We get stuck when we stop . Keep going , keep moving . You're not stuck unless you stop . You're not stuck unless you stop .
Speaker 1How many times you could look in your life the times you quit piano lessons at 12 , how good would you be today . Classes you've dropped , Thought about getting your passport to travel the world but just never took the time to do it . How many times have you started out like a rocket but flamed out and not finished , as I said . John Maxwell said this most people have uphill hopes but downhill habits . We're encouraged all throughout scripture to persevere . The mindset of perseverance and determination has coined these days , these this day , as grit . Perseverance is a good word , but I like grit . We're just going to talk about grit today . Perseverance and grit , they're the same . I'm going to about grit . Some of us need to get some grit in our gut . I always say this and we let me just put this into your vocabulary it's Super Bowl Sunday . I'm gonna talk a little about football At the University of Michigan , where I had the privilege of being able to be on staff and work with the football team as the director of character development , and this is my 10th season with the team and one of the things I've learned over the years is that we don't talk about losing the game , we talk about keys to victory
The Power of Integrity and Grit
Speaker 1.
Speaker 1What we don't say is if we fumble the ball , we'll lose the game . We say the key to victory is ball control . So our language is so important to how we communicate , and so I will say this and throw this up there . I think we got the word grit up here . Let's throw the grit up there .
Speaker 1So we have grit , but here's what the center of grit is , or the center of this word . You can't have grit without this word right here , this integrity . You see , grit is integrity , that is what it is . Gr . Grit is integrity , that is what it is . Great is integrity , you know integrity is is . I'm a man of my word . Do you know how , how hard it is to be a person of your word ? You have to have grit , and the reason why a lot of us don't speak about our visions or our dreams is because we're afraid that we'll have to fulfill them , that if I tell somebody in my world , then they're gonna hold me accountable to it and I'll actually have to follow through with it , and so I just keep it to myself . And so integrity is so important . And so I don't say this to say anything about me , but I say this to tell you this reason .
Speaker 1I make my bed everywhere I go . I sit in a hotel room . Last night , got up this morning , made my bed . I know my wife wouldn't have to make it . I know that someone who's employed by the hotel later on today will come in and do that exact job for me , but I make my bed every day at home . I make my bed everywhere I go , because I believe circumstances don't change your responsibilities .
Speaker 1A few weeks ago we were sitting , we were watching a football game with my daughters and it was a teaching moment . Guess what ? If you live in my house every chance I get , I might teach something to you , especially if you're 18-year-old girls at college . And we're watching a football game and they're playing , and it is snowing . They're in Buffalo and there is snow everywhere and they're playing and it is snowing . They're in Buffalo and there is snow everywhere and they're playing the game of football . And just because it's snowing , just because the climate's not right , just because the environment's not perfect , just because the scenario's not great , doesn't mean they stop doing their job . And the same for us as followers of Christ . Just because our circumstances change doesn't mean our responsibilities do . I'm just going to go here .
Speaker 1Over the holidays we were talking about different things and again you can have your idea about it . You have to tip everywhere you go . Now , right , I'm tipping at the . I'm like you just took my order at McDonald's . Oh , here's , they're going to ask you a question , sir . I'm like I know what you're going to ask . I'm not what . Where's this tip ? It's a $5 cheeseburger that you're pulling off . It's cold , you know , but you're tipping . Everywhere you go , everywhere you go , you're tipping , you're tipping , you're tipping . And I understand you go , you're tipping , you're tipping , you're tipping , and I understand you go to a restaurant , you're gonna be served and you're gonna tip . Whether , whatever that tip is , you're gonna tip .
Speaker 1And so we're discussing like hey , do you always tip 20 ? I said , yeah , I always tip 20 , always tip 20 . They're like even if the service is bad , you tip 20 . Yeah , I 20% , even if they're having a bad day and they treated you bad . Yeah , I said because I'm not going to allow someone else's bad day or someone else's character to any way affect mine . And see , we live in a culture that we allow , that we allow someone else's problems , someone else's issues , someone else's bad day to change who you are . Don't allow it .
Speaker 1Say I declare I am a follower of Jesus Christ . I declare I am salt and light . I declare I'm going to be an agent of change . Some of you are like oh man , I got a tip again . Do we have any servers in the room ? Any waitresses and waiters ? Come on , give me amen .
Speaker 1So today's declaration is for you . Like every week , we give you a declaration , we look at it biblically and give you a chance to commit at the end , not only make this declaration , but at the end we're gonna cement this all right . So this year this is gonna be our declaration . I'm gonna say it right here and then we're gonna do it at the end . This year , with God's help and the power of the Holy Spirit , I declare I will develop godly grit .
Speaker 1Most people give up when life gets hard . I'm , not most people . If I commit , I don't quit . Now I'm gonna preach for the next few minutes . I wish I could say I don't struggle with this declaration . It's not true . So many times I've wanted to quit . I'm gonna be real .
Speaker 1In 25 years of ministry , there have been a few times in ministry that I wanted to quit , especially in 2016 and 2017 when we started our church and we were struggling financially . The government had to assist us in food and insurance . It was demoralizing . It's hard . We wanted to quit and someone sent us a check . Someone had us come preach . Someone cared enough to check in on us .
Speaker 1See , god has you here because you have no idea what hangs in the balance of you learning not to give up . You don't know what's on the other side of your ability to say , hey , I'm gonna keep going after this . You don't know how many people need you . You might be the answer to someone else's prayer and if you give up , you will never be the be that for that person . God has you here because you have no idea what hangs in the balance of you learning to have a grit . Galatians 6 and 9 says let us not be weary in doing good For the proper time . We will reap a harvest if we do not give up . I said this before but do not pull up in fear what you planted in faith .
Speaker 1One man seemed to have the deck stacked against him in a lot of ways , a stuttering political enthusiast with a lisp , and not to mention an unforeseen accident that was about to happen on a very normal day , this man was struck down by a car , mangled , crippled and knocking on death's door . Some had written him off , born with a speech impediment , born with everything stacked against him . And then , on a normal day , you get hit by a car , mangled , crippled and knocking on death's door . But this man , it's told that he knew he had a calling far greater than his current situation . This man understood that . I know this situation is not perfect , but I have a responsibility that's on the inside of me . I've got this grit in my gut that's not going to keep me in the hospital and , thank God , sir Winston Churchill got out of the hospital . Can you imagine the landscape of our world if he decided to give up ? Can you imagine what our world would look like today if Sir Winston Churchill said I was born with problems , I faced major problems . He didn't give up . Sir Winston Churchill , where are you ? Where is that grid inside of you to get you down the road to where you need to be ? God has given us so much on this topic and science has finally caught up to this idea of grit . Angela Duckworth , studied neurobiology at Harvard . Now has a PhD Foremost researchers on this , on the idea of grit Shown
Cultivating Perseverance Through Grit
Speaker 1scientifically .
Speaker 1Grit is the number one trait that separates successful and unsuccessful people , not IQ , not upbringing . Aw , hey , where's my Bears ? Fans at your greatest running back of all time , shout it out , come on , walter Payton . Walter Payton is known . He's not the biggest , not the fastest and not the strongest . You go look it up , he's quoted . I'm not the biggest , I'm not the fastest , I'm not the strongest . What made you one of the most successful running backs in the history of NFL ? To where now there's awards giving out by your name , the Walter Payton man of the Year ? What makes you great ? He says I wanted it more than they did . You know what that's called ? That's called perseverance . You know what we call that in 2025 ? That's called grit . I know my kids are not in church yet , but they coming . I've been coming to church by myself for a long time , but they're coming . That's grit . That's grit . Angela Duckworth said that it's grit . What if I told you ?
Speaker 1Scripture says something similar about grit . The Bible says in James 2 , in verse 2 , now , this is the brother of Jesus . He says consider it pure joy , my brothers and sisters , whenever you face trials of many kind , I mean , james is walking through the tough times of life and he's just shouting and jumping for joy . James is just doing his thing . When I face a trial , man , the last thing I do is man , I want to be excited about it . But James says , hey , when you face trials of many kinds , he's joyful through this .
Speaker 1Verse 3 goes on because you know that the testing of your faith , you push through hard things , the testing of your faith , what it does ? It produces perseverance . It goes on to say let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete , not lacking anything . That grit , that grit that I wake up with every day , that grit that I go to work with every day , that grit that I drive in traffic with every day , that grit that I have to be around people that are negative and they're opposing to everything that we have , that grit that I'm not giving up people that are negative and they're opposing to everything that we have . That grit that I'm not giving up and that I'm going through it , it's working in me , it's making me mature , it's making me complete , so that I lack nothing . Why is grit so important ? Because some of us are still in the elementary stage of our maturity . You've been dodging all the tough sayings , you've been dodging the testing of your trials , but God said no , I got to put you through this because I need you to have that perseverance , because you ain't get on the other side . You're going to graduate with a PhD , in fact , in the greek words for mature and complete and implied , gradual process to finish its work .
Speaker 1People aren't born with grit . You must develop it . Sure , upbringing impacts grit . I grew up in the 80s . Not everybody got a trophy when we played sports . I think , culturally , we may be developing a lack of grit . Unfortunately , it seems like everyone wins and no one gets corrected when something is done wrong . When the world world hits , it's going to hit harder and you can't be out there like I thought everyone got a trophy . I showed up . So how can we develop more perseverance in a world that says it should be easy ? Let me give you three points and I'm gonna get out of your way Principles for developing perseverance .
Speaker 1Number one is set your mindset . Set your mind . Everything worthwhile in life is uphill . Consider it pure joy , my brothers and sisters , when you face trials of many kinds . Consider it as a Greek word that has to do with our thinking , our mind , our mindset . What's our mindset going to be ? What are we gonna do ? It doesn't say if things happen , it's when things happen . Whenever you face trials of many kinds , it's gonna happen . So I gotta have the mindset I'm gonna go through this , I'm gonna get through this . I'm gonna have the grit to be able to finish what's ahead of me . Life is going to happen . It's gonna be uphill and this life is broken . It's simple the world's never gonna be easy . Jesus told us this in this world in John 16 , 33 , you will have trouble , but take heart . I've overcome the world With me . You can overcome anything he says . But this world will never be easy . It will always be uphill . The problem for us is we seek ease through others , but ease in life is only found when we overcome the world . When I say ease , I mean this way Living in Houston , we understand this .
Speaker 1We used to live in Houston and we understand the concept . In this world , we have trouble , but take heart and overcome the world . So in Houston we would go to church and we had like 87 services on Sunday , waking up before Jesus , even up on Sunday , and they're all day Family members . In Houston . They have season tickets to the Texans . Can you come to the football game ? No , I'll be in church because Jesus loves me and I love him . But you would always be there In our church .
Speaker 1You'd see , on Sunday , especially if the texans so happen to be playing the cowboys , they'd be . They'd be divided , they'd be dallas fans and houston fans , but on any given sunday when the texans are playing and my son was born on february 25th 2011 . He's he's born on good , he's born on texans day , so he is a huge texas fan , texans fan . And even though cj stroud played for the howell buck guys , he is a huge Texas fan , texans fan . And even though CJ Stroud played for the Ohio Buckeyes , he's a fan of CJ Stroud . No , don't clap , anyways .
Speaker 1And but on any given Sunday , any given Sunday , you know , all of us , we wanna go home and watch the game because we would record it . Right . We either get there by the third quarter , maybe the fourth quarter , we would wanna watch the entire game , but always , pastor Chuck , someone would tell us about a play oh man , they're watching in church . They would tell us about a play that happened . They'd say , oh man , the Texans are down 25 to nothing . And by the end they're like , hey , the Texans came back , it's 32-25 and all this stuff , and you would go home , but you still wanted to watch the game . Still want to watch it , don't ? You know when I sit and watch that game and they told me that the final score was 32-24 ? You know when they fumble in the first quarter and they just run it back for a touchdown ? I'm not nervous at all . You know , in halftime , when they're down by two touchdowns , they're just .
Speaker 1How come we live our lives in so much fear and trepidation when he says , hey , I've overcome the world , I've got this . And we sit back and we're so nervous each and every day . I don't know what tomorrow holds , but I do know who holds my tomorrow , and that is my Savior , jesus Christ . You got to have that mindset . Number two surround yourself with a no-quit team . I mean , it is the best time to sign up for a team , to be a part of a team . We're doing groups right now . If you don't find a group , I'm telling you life is hard when you try to do it alone , but life is a lot easier when you have people around you who are telling you not to quit . Perseverance comes when you have people around you who are telling you not to quit . Perseverance comes when you have people around you as witnesses to what can happen if you do push through .
Speaker 1Let me give you some tips on building a great team . People who know you you've heard me do this people who know you and people who know you . People who know you and people who tell you no , that's not good for you . People with a message . You want to build a great team . Get someone with a message . They've been through mess and it's aged People who've been through something . Give me somebody who is a tour guide , not a travel agent . A travel agent tells you where to go . A tour guide takes you where they've been . Come on , build your team .
Speaker 1People with a testimony , someone who's been tested . People with scars , someone who has been through it but they've healed . Some of you are around people who've been cut but they've not been healed and they're just bleeding all over you . Find you somebody who has found healing healing in their life . I've got scars , but this scars doesn't represent a time of brokenness , no , the time of blessing . I made it through and so can you . You can do this . Jesus inhabited in his life . He didn't give up . Some of you need to fire some friends . You think people on social media know you definitively . They don't know you . You have people who talk to you but have never done anything . They're giving you advice based on what they watched on TV the night before , what they found in social media people talking about what they've done . Get some guides in your life . People who are still bleeding . Get rid of those people . Find some people in your lives that have been healed .
Speaker 1I broke my finger when I was in high school . I don't know if you've ever broken a finger or anything , but I broke my finger when I was in high school . I don't know if you ever broken a finger or anything , but I broke it playing football because I'm not very good . People who get injured playing sports are the people who are not good at it . All of you like pulling hamstrings playing pickleball . Sorry , but I broke my finger . That hit too close to home , I guess , and they did as they . They went and I went to the doctor and he set the finger back . And then what he did with the broken finger he simply taped it and put a splint and he tied it to the finger that wasn't broken . The only way I could that finger would get back to the wholeness was connected to somebody that was and said so . If you're bleeding today , it's because you've not connected yourself with somebody who's whole . And I'm telling you , if you don't get in a group , you'll still be broken . Why ? Because you're not connected to somebody who's whole . And guess what ? Yeah , once you get whole , other things are gonna fracture , other things are gonna break , but you have to be connected to something that's whole for it to heal . I've gotta get in a group .
The Power of a No-Quit Team
Speaker 1Pastor Matthew , jump up here real quick . How many pushups can you do , like right now ? Can you do 20 ? Yeah , do 20 . All right , get down , yep , do 20 . All right , you can do 20 , 20 pushups . Yep , right down , yep , do 20 . All right , you can do 20 , 20 pushups , yep , right now . Yep . One , two , three . He said he can do 20 . Five , six , seven , eight , nine , 10 . Let's go 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 . Stop right there . Do one more , do 20 . 20, . Can you do five more ? All right , five more . Go One , two , three , four , five . Yeah , you can do five more . Let's go five more . Let's go One , two , three , four , five . Give me five more . Let's go One , two , three , four , five , five more . Let's go one , two , three , four , five . Give me five more . Come on , keep going five . One , two , come on five more . Five more , five more . You got it five more . Let's go five , five . One , two , three , two more , two more . You got it four . One more , one more . You got it one more . Let's go , come on one more , one more , one more , one more , one more , one , you got it . One more , let's go . Come on , one more , one more , one more , one more , one more , one more , you got it , let's go . Yeah , who do you have in your life that , when you say you can do 20 , now give me five more . Give me , no , give me five more , give me five more , give me five more . I'm telling you , that takes some grit and if you got the wrong team with you , you'll quit at 20 when you can actually do 30 more . Oh , don't make me preach on you and prove this .
Speaker 1The Bible says that there was a man who was sick and he was lame and that he could not get to where Jesus was on his own . So he got four friends . These four friends began to carry him , one on each end , one on each end . They got to the house where Jesus was . And the Bible says because the door of the house was open , it was filled , because Jewish custom says anytime my door is open , anyone can come in and eat and sit with us . And so it was packed . Jesus is in there teaching .
Speaker 1They get to the door and they don't give up just because they couldn't get to Jesus through the front door , just because his adversity was in front of them , they door just because his adversity was in front of them . They had some grit . Four guys had some grit . They said we're not giving up because we got a friend that needs to be in touch with Jesus . So they make their way to the roof and I don't know why they're on the roof or what they thought , but they begin to lift the roof . Somebody needs some people in your life that will simply raise the roof for you . Who's cheering you on , who's lifting you up ? Who's supporting you ? We don't give enough high fives out . We don't celebrate enough . Let me tell you , your ability to celebrate someone else doesn't in any way take anything away from you . Raise the roof for somebody else . They took them to the roof and they begin to remove the roof part and they begin they got some rope . I don't know where they got rope from .
Speaker 1The Bible says they lowered the man down to Jesus and Jesus healed the man . He forgave him of his sins and healed the man . And he said this . He said because of your faith . He wasn't talking to the guy on the stretcher , he was talking to the four friends that brought him there .
Speaker 1That day , I'm telling you , you're going to need some people in your life that , when you can't walk and you can't make it , say I got you , we're going to church . I got you , we're going to get prayer . I got you , we're going to get to Jesus . Got you , we're going to get to Jesus . And it's going to be your faith that's going to bring about their healing . The keys can come . You know what the people said that day . They said we've never seen anything like this before . The people that were watching Jesus heal that man , lower him down . We've never seen anything like this before . And I'm ready . I'm ready on Sundays for us to walk out of this place and be like I've never seen anything like this before , I've never experienced anything like this before . And that's gonna take a church that has grit .
Speaker 1In Exodus , chapter 17 , theites are in a fierce battle with their arch , arch enemies , the amalekites . Moses is a leader on a hill . Nexus 17 says as long as moses held his staff above his head , the army was winning . Dropped his , they would begin to lose . Have you ever held something heavy above your head for a long period of time ? I mean just in your hands ? It gets heavy really fast . It also gets to a place where it's ultimately impossible . And even those around Moses understood that he could not hold his hands up on his own by himself .
Speaker 1Let me just just be real and honest . Whether it's the men in the room with the ladies in the room , that man , you're locked in , you have it all together . There's gonna come a time in your life that , yeah , as important as it is for you to hold your hands up and to win the battles , that your hands are going to fall , you're gonna get tired . It's going to happen , and if you're not in the right place and you're not around the right people , they'll just let you drop your hands and lose the battle . I hold my hands up for my 18-year-old daughters at college , but I'm telling you what these hands I'm their dad these hands get heavy and I need to come to Chicago with my wife and son and I get to preach , but I need to be around Pastor Chuck and Urs to just hold up our hands Because they get heavy . Why ? Because it's life it just get heavy . Why ? Because it's life , it just gets heavy . And if I'm not in the right group , if I'm not around the right people , don't just let me drop my hands and those that I have my hands up for are gonna lose the battle . So they came to Moses and they come here , moses , I'm gonna get to do this this afternoon . Come on , robbie , I'll watch some football . Come sit down on the couch and just rest for a minute and don't worry about your hands being held up , because Aaron and her , we said , we said we got this , and so they went around Moses and they understood that Moses physically cannot do it , but we can do it for him .
Speaker 1Robbie , what do you need me to pray with you about ? What do you need me to partner with in your life ? How can I hold up your hand ? What can I do for you ? I'm telling you church , I've lost . I've seen too many battles lost because I didn't have the right people around me to hold my hands up when they got heavy . I'm sorry , we're related . One of the most beautiful pictures of perseverance .
Speaker 1You want to quit , got people holding you up Marriage , finances , kids , job , faith . Sometimes you wanna walk away , but you need a no-quit team . You need to make sure to say no-quit team . These have to be godly people , otherwise they'll tell you to quit when you shouldn't . You gotta have a godly no-quit team when you're in the dark valley , david , even though you walk through , you're not gonna fear Paul , when you feel shame from your past , your mistakes don't disqualify you . Let me see . You need people to remind you of that , joseph . I know they betrayed you . What Satan intended for evil , god used for good . You need people to remind you . Remind you of the word of God . Remind you of the word of God . Remind you of the scriptures that he's put in your heart . Do you have a no-quit team around you ? If you don't , you will not be able to persevere .
Speaker 1But there's one more important principle , maybe the most important Acts 20 and 24, . But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus , the work of telling the good news about the wonderful grace of God . Shipwrecked , betrayed by friends , sick , bit by a snake , talk about grit . That's the apostle Paul In 2 Timothy 4 , right before he dies , I fought the good fight . I finished the race . Paul finished his race . You haven't finished yours . So how do we do it ? How do we finish this race ? We run for something bigger than us . I run for something bigger than me . I know you're ready to quit . You're out . But if you find something bigger than you , run for something bigger than you . Life has to be lived for something bigger than you . Set our mindset uphill , surround yourself with a no-quit team and run for something bigger than you . I'll tell you , this place , right here , free church , is bigger than you . That which we're a part of is greater than the part we play , pastor Chuck , it's bigger than me .
Speaker 1The researchers that I talked about . They begin to do a study for almost 80 years following people who are just young men , now 80 years old . Some of the people they looked after and researched , that were in this group , became presidents , became business leaders , and some flamed out in terrible ways . And you know what they did . There was a test , the same test I did to Matthew . They put him on a treadmill and they told him to run . Some ran for a minute and a half , some ran for three minutes , some ran for four , some ran for over five minutes . And because they continued to have grit and persevere the longest , those people , the five-minute people , were the ones who became the world leaders , were the ones who became the business leaders , were the ones who became people of impact . I'm telling you , grit has the ability to change your world and our world around us . I've got to have a mindset , I got to have the right team around me and I have to go after something bigger than myself . Start living for something that's bigger than you .
Speaker 1Jesus Christ , the same yesterday , today and tomorrow . He endured the cross . The Bible says in Hebrews he endured the cross for the joy that was set before him . The joy is not the cross . For the joy that was set before him . The joy is not the cross . The joy no , the joy was you and I was here today . This is the joy of Jesus Christ . How can you go through something like the cross ? It's because of you sitting on the third row , it's because of you who made their way to church on Sunday . How can you go through the horrible crucifixion of the cross ? And because the joy that was set before him . It was something bigger than him the salvation for humanity .
The Power of Commitment and Declaration
Speaker 1So bow your heads all over this room today . If you've never given your life to Christ and you wanna say yes to Jesus this morning for the first time or maybe it's the first time in a long time Maybe you've given up in some areas , maybe you've stopped , maybe your hands have become heavy and you're ready to lean into the things of God . Maybe you're just ready to say yes to him for the first time . When I count to three , just raise your hand and we'll pray a prayer together . One , two , three hands up . Thank you for the hand . Thank you for the hand . Thank you for the hand . Thank you for the hand . Amen , amen , amen , amen , amen , amen . Go ahead , pull those hands back down now , all over this room .
Speaker 1Say this prayer with me , repeat it after me , say it out loud . Heavenly Father , I realize today that I'm a sinner and I need a savior . Jesus , forgive me of my sins . Jesus , I repent of my sins and I turn to you . Today I confess with my mouth and I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and God raised him from the dead . Today I say yes to Jesus Christ In Jesus' name , amen , amen , amen . Come on , stand to your feet and clap your hands today . So here's what I wanna do . It's on the screen and we're going to say this loud and we're going to say this proud , and we're going to say this together . You ready , you're not ready . You got to say it like a preacher . You ready From your gut , ready , ready . This year , in the power of the Holy Spirit , I declare I will develop godly grit . Most people give up when life gets hard . I'm not most people . If I commit , I don't quit .