Speaker 1: 0:00

What a great day to be in God's house If you're a guest today. Thanks for joining us. We know you could be a lot of places this morning, but we're so glad you've decided to come here. You've made our day special and we always say there is no place like this place near this place, so this must be the place. So good job, good job finding the place, come on church family. Let's welcome our guest today. Everybody watching online, thank you for joining us. They're joining us in this region and even around the world. We get shout outs from all over, so we're glad that you joined us. I hope all of you at home feel exactly what we feel in this house, because there is something special happening in this congregation, in this auditorium. When we gather man, there's just no telling how many felt like you just had to race to Sunday, like let me get to Sunday. If I could just get to Sunday, everything will be okay. And that's definitely the way I felt all week. I'm ready to preach God's word. Are you ready to receive it today?

Speaker 1: 1:02

The year was 2000, and I was Ursh and I had just moved to Houston, Texas, from Dallas. We'd been living in Dallas for about seven years and we moved to Houston to take a role at a church as youth pastors and it was our second assignment in full-time ministry. You've heard me say I was born on Sunday in church the next Sunday. I didn't miss a Sunday. That's not because I'm such a good kid, it's because my parents were pastors and we didn't get to miss. Even vacation revolved around church. It was like we went on vacation and my dad preached somewhere and we were in church on that Sunday, so that was our vacation. It doesn't make me any better. It just really gave me a heart and a love for God's house and for his church. Ershana, the same, grew up in the home of a pastor and I don't know, I think she probably missed more church than me. Who's keeping track? So we were blessed to be raised in homes that had just this incredible love for the church, and so our first assignment out of college was Dallas. Then we moved to Houston and we got there and it was about a church this size and we were called there to be youth pastors. So we arrived and we gathered and never went to a youth service, just went to one Sunday service to be youth pastors. So we arrived and we gathered and never went to a youth service, just went to one Sunday service to meet the pastors earlier that year and then, in July of 2000, moved to Houston and became youth pastors and started working with the team and getting students ready.

Speaker 1: 2:40

And as fall came, we had our first youth service and launched with about 35 kids and it was exciting service and they had spent money before we got there in renovating their youth center and they had ping pong tables and pool tables and video games and a cafe and a lot like what Pastor Matthew does with Witness. And so we gathered these students and all the games were on and the pool table was ready and there were burgers frying on the grill and students got there and they were like what's all this? We thought we're coming to church. I'm like this is this is Grab a hamburger, grab a cheeseburger, play some video games. And we started getting to know the kids that Sunday and got their names. And the next week a bunch of those kids came back and we remembered their names. And the next week those kids came back and we remembered their names again and it was growing and within about the first month we doubled the size of youth gathering and it was really because we created an atmosphere that just wasn't about the church spiritual experience. We created an atmosphere where those kids felt a need was being met and this year I learned that everyone wants to be known, needed, empowered and released. Known, needed, empowered and released and that's no secret formula. But that's just when people are known, needed, empowered and released and that's no secret formula. But that's just when people are known and needed, empowered and released, great things can happen. Why don't you turn to your neighbor and just say come on, let something good happen today, and then turn to the other one you're sitting next to and just say man, you look so good today. Husbands, I'm helping you out right there, that's a little Teenage. Guys, I'm giving you some help right there.

Speaker 1: 4:44

We're in our series entitled Summer Shorts and we're taking just a short look at the Gospels and we are talking about becoming more like Jesus. In the summer you get sun-soaked, s-u-n soaked. I heard I said the wrong word last week. Three people took notes and remembered. So I'm not even. I don't even know what it is anymore. I'm so lost. So if you know, you know. But we're talking about getting sun-soaked, not just S-U-N this summer, but S-O-N sun-soaked At the end of the summer people say, wow, you look really different. It's not just your haircut, it's not just the complexion of your skin, it looks like you've been with Jesus. Come on somebody.

Speaker 1: 5:40

And we're using analogy from the book of Ezekiel and also in Revelation. But we have the book of Ezekiel pulled up, chapter chapter one, verse 10. It says this their faces look like this Each had the four one the face of a human being, on the right side, each had the face of a lion, on the left the face of an ox and also the face of an lion On the left, the face of an ox and also the face of an eagle Four faces. You look at this. In the book of Revelation we're talking. It's really a picture of Jesus, giving us an example In the spirit what he looks like. He was human, so he was. You know he was. He didn't look like me, but he was human. But in the spiritual world, in the spirit realm, he represents these four characters the face of a lion, the face of a man, the face of an eagle, the face of an ox. And we're breaking those down in this short series for you this summer.

Speaker 1: 6:41

Last week we talked about the face of a lion, that Jesus had an incredible anointing, that he had great boldness, great power, and we talked about how to. If we want to be like Jesus, we need to live with an anointing in our life. How many know, just on my own, strength and power is not enough for me to accomplish what God wants me to accomplish. The Bible says that it is not by might, it is not by power, but it is by my spirit, says the Lord. And so if we want to have an anointing like Jesus, we need to lean in and seek the Holy Spirit and feed on the word of God. Jesus wasn't just a reader of the word, he was the word. And then we have to be obedient or practice what the Holy Spirit's asking us to do.

Speaker 1: 7:30

How many had some moments this week where the Holy Spirit leaned in on you and pressed you to do something and you respond? It happened to me on a Wednesday. I was in a meeting and talking with somebody. They shared an experience they were having and while they were sharing the story with me, I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me and I delivered a word, and I believe there was healing power in that word. And listen when the Holy Spirit prompts you, you respond and then the Holy Spirit will keep prompting you. So that's what we learned last week you have to live with an anointing in your life. Is it loud? Is it too loud? Let's back it down just a little bit. I'm excited today, but I don't want to hurt anybody's eardrums. All right, we're ready this week.

Speaker 1: 8:15

This week, we're looking at the second face and it is the face of man. Jesus had the face of a lion. He was anointed, but he also had the face in the spirit, the face of a man, which means he was human. We know Jesus was 100% God the word wrapped in flesh, dwelling among us, as John said, we talked about it last week wrapped in flesh, dwelling among us. We beheld his glory, full of grace and truth. But Jesus was not only powerful, he was relational and truth. But Jesus was not only powerful, he was relational. Jesus walked in great power, but he also walked with great relational fortitude. A great people, person.

Speaker 1: 8:55

The gospel of Luke is where we're going to camp out for a little bit today, and Luke shows us the humanity of Jesus. John showed us the anointing and power and boldness of Jesus, but Luke shows us the humanity of Jesus. John showed us the anointing and power and boldness of Jesus, but Luke shows us the humanity of Jesus. He shows us that he's 100% God, but he was also one of us. He was not just for the Jewish people, he was for all of us. And in the book of Luke we see that Jesus was born into a family just like we were, that he grew up in a community just like we do, that he laughed, he wept, he celebrated, he grieved with people. He was very relational.

Speaker 1: 9:41

He didn't just walk in power, he walked in relationship. And how did he do this? How did he teach the word of God? He taught the word by parables, parables, stories, parables. The breakdown of that in the Greek is para means alongside, para means alongside, and then so the parable is he tells truths alongside stories. And so Jesus teach, teaches us in stories. He doesn't just download theology Like here. Here's the thing. Like this is why church should be enjoyed and not endured. This is why it's okay for us to laugh in church and have stories that we tell in church, because Jesus used stories to tell about the truth of God's word, in fact. In fact, he didn't just download theology.

Speaker 1: 10:32

Some of you want to go into a church where they teach deep, deep, deep theology, and I don't know if you really want that. It might be boring. It might be boring, might be you might enjoy it, but for me it might be boring deep. Jesus didn't just teach deep theology, he told stories that we could find ourselves in. We can find ourselves in the story of zacchaeus, who couldn't see over the crowd, so he climbed up. I've got to see Jesus and he climbs up in a tree. No one else would have taken the tax collector home for lunch, but Jesus did.

Speaker 1: 11:17

He teaches about the paralyzed man who his friends wanted to see him healed. And well, I mean the crowd pressed into the house and there was no room and his friends had just enough tenacity in them to climb up on the roof and dig a hole in the roof and drop that man down in front of Jesus so he could be healed. Jesus reached the marginal and the overlooked. He reached the people that no one else thought should be reached. Aren't you thankful because he reached you and he reached me.

Speaker 1: 11:46

He was relational, not just powerful relational. So I want to let you know this Relational power is not less than supernatural power. It is the vehicle that the supernatural works through. The Holy Spirit doesn't just fall on the spectacular, it flows through the relational. The same hands that heal the sick are called to hold the broken. There is this idea and we find it in 1 Corinthians 13,. I'm not gonna read it all. But power without love is noise. But when love leads, power lands. Spiritual power isn't diminished by human connection, it's delivered by it. The Holy Spirit needs a person to step into a space and do the will of God, so that we are not just. We are not just in what God's doing, we are a part of what God's doing.

Speaker 1: 12:54

Jesus, we know, prayed a lot. He prayed a lot. You read through the Gospels. He got away to pray privately. He prayed in front of people. He was always praying. That's why Pastor Matthew said prayer is our first response, not our last resort, because we must be people of prayer. Jesus prayed a lot. He prayed before big decisions. He prayed before healing the sick. He prayed before choosing his disciples. But he didn't just pray, he also connected with people where they were at. He helped people who listen. They knew they wanted to be known and needed and empowered and released. And that's what Jesus did.

Speaker 1: 13:36

And what do we run into in our community? We want all the power, but we don't want any of the patience with people. Give me the power, but don't put me around people. Well, guess what? You're not gonna have any power, because there won't be any power without the people. The Bible says in Galatians 5.13, when we serve one another, the love we've been given is not for ourself, but when we give it out. That's how true freedom grows. That's how power grows.

Speaker 1: 14:04

Anointing flows through relationship. Matter of fact. Where's Mia? Oh, I'll be right back. I've got something I want to share with you, mia, in just a minute. Let me keep going. So he walked in anointing because he stayed in communion with the Father, but he also was close to people where they were at. Do you want a powerful ministry? You want a powerful influence in this world. You want to be a powerful person in your workplace, a powerful dad in your home, a powerful mom in your home, a powerful student in your school.

Speaker 1: 14:42

You got to pray a lot we talked about last week. You got to be anointed. There has to be an anointing in your life, but you also have to love people deeply. That's why the values of this church is we love God and it shows in our worship. Listen, when the worship starts, cancel everything else, put the phone down. Just let it be for you, only for the glory of your name. Like, we love to worship because we love God, but listen, the other value is we love people. You know it's tied to the new Testament commandment that you love the Lord, god, with all your heart, your soul, your mind and your strength. But the second is this with all your heart, your soul, your mind and your strength. But the second is this Love your neighbor as yourself, equally as important as loving God. So you gotta pray a lot, but you gotta love deeply, because anointing flows best where love grows most. All right, so you ready to learn how to love and live and lead like Jesus.

Speaker 1: 15:47

Number one see people as they can be, not just as they are. See people as they can be, not just as they are. Listen, being good with people isn't just a good personality trait, it's a spiritual discipline. I told you about our values. We love God, we love people, some of us. In life you're called to just live in the space of being really good with people, and there's something powerful about when you remember a name. In fact, let me give you this little tip If you say you're bad with names, you'll always be bad with names. But if you'll start practicing the idea of I'm good with names, I'm good with names I'm actually very good with names and you start telling yourself that and then when you meet somebody, say their name several times, identify their name with something that matches with their name and the last name, and the next time you see them, it is likely that you'll remember their name and if you don't recall, ask again hey, listen, I know I should know your name. I'm very good with names usually, but I need to know your name again and then the next time you see him, you'll know their name. Just a little help to be a good people person, because we all want to live in the power, but we also need to be good with people people Not manipulative, not fake, just genuinely good with people.

Speaker 1: 17:31

When we visited Oak Park in 2011, there was no free church. There was no building. There was a dream in our heart to plant a church that would represent the community. We were going to A dream that we would plant a church that would honor God and lift his name up and represent heaven on earth, all of those things. And when we were walking the streets, we found that people were genuinely interested in what we were saying. I was at a graduation party yesterday and somebody asked me what made you pick Oak Park? And I said exactly, let me tell you what I think it was when we would talk to people and explain to them the kind of church we were dreaming about, a church that looks and sounds and feels like this. By the way, to God be the glory, it's worked out over the years, probably not because of me and her, but because of what God's doing and because of all of you. But I said, I said what. What we found was we would tell people about the church we dreamed about and they would say that church doesn't exist here.

Speaker 1: 18:33

Over and over again, when we went to Dallas, when we went to new Orleans, when we visited a couple of other cities that we just like one city, we drove in and we drove right back out, we were like that is not the city. Urge was like don't even stop, don't even open the door. I was like, okay, we're gonna drive on from that city. I'm not gonna tell you what city it was. Maybe, maybe I'm gonna take an offering to see if I'm gonna tell that I'm joking. I'm joking, but everywhere else we went people are like, oh yeah, that church just met here last week. They were in this building last week, not Oak Park, and thanks be to God, cause man, I'm so glad we picked here and God led us here so we could get to meet you.

Speaker 1: 19:22

But you have to see people as they could be, not just as they are. Jesus saw. He called fishermen, but he saw world changers. He called a tax collector, but he saw a gospel writer. He called a hothead named Simon who had a big mouth. He called that one, but he saw Peter, a rock, a pillar of the church. If we can see people as they could be, as God sees them, how much would we treat them differently? I don't know if you're my age or around my age. You might remember this song what If God Was One of Us, just a guy like one of us, just a stranger on a bus trying to find his way home? If we saw people the way they could be, the way God sees them, we wouldn't marginalize the people around us. That's another message. So, number one see people as they could be. Number two it's always the singing, by the way, when I sing it like shuts down, like shuts it down, I'm done singing Back to you. So see them as they could be. Number two say what you see, be an encourager. You want to be good with people. Number one see people as they could be. Number two be an encourager. Be an encourager.

Speaker 1: 21:00

If you read Paul's writings, through the epistles Paul writes, and you always see Paul shouting out hey, hey, good job, hey, good job Lydia, hey, timothy, you're doing great, hey, well done. Tell everybody we said hello, greet everybody with a kiss, like he's always giving these shout outs to people. He's like I'm gonna encourage her, I'm gonna encourage her, I'm gonna help you, I'm gonna encourage her, I'm gonna lift you up. Encouragement isn't just a filler, it is fuel.

Speaker 1: 21:30

I have a little folder by. I have a little folder, by the way, it's called Fuel for what I do, and when you open it up, it's just a collection of notes and cards that people have sent me over the years, that have encouraged me and have told me something I said helped them out, or something I did was a blessing to them, or something that's happened in their life as a result of what's been happening in church life and I have this folder that says fuel, because on most days I get all the other kind of emails you preach too long, you preach too loud, music is too loud, church is too hot, church is too cold. What if we did this? What if we stopped doing that? Yeah, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop. Not from any of you, obviously, because you're in church on summer Not from any of you. But typically I don't get that many encouraging notes, so when I get one, I hold on to it for fuel for later, so that when I get one of the bad notes, I remember how good the encouraging note felt, because it's not filler, it's fuel.

Speaker 1: 22:37

And when you begin to say what you see, don't just compliment them, speak to their calling and don't just praise them, prophesy over their life, see what God sees and say what God says about their life. In fact, that's where I wanna pause, mia, as you were leading right here. I'm sitting right here where you were leading. We've watched you grow up, praise God for the day your mom and dad found free church and brought you into this house, and I know it's been your desire to be used by God in worship and I felt to tell you this that last week you were in an environment with thousands of people, in one of the very best worship environments that there is, and it's one of the very best worship environments that there is and I want you to know maybe you did or maybe you didn't, but I want you to know a mantle was passed down on you to lead powerfully.

Speaker 1: 23:51

And I want to encourage you to get a journal, if you don't already have one, buy your bedside or with you at all times, Because I believe the Holy Spirit is going to begin to download worship songs into your spirit that you're going to be in the right songs. Look, and if you will keep the posture of all of this for the honor of your name, Let my life tell the story, let it be for your. If that will be your posture, the Holy Spirit wants to direct you and guide you and put songs through you that will change this, this atmosphere, that will change your generation. Listen, I'm not just trying to encourage you. I am speaking to the calling of God on your life. If you'll honor that calling and you'll submit to, to the calling of God on your life, if you'll, if you'll honor that calling and you'll submit to what God wants to do in your life. It might be difficult at times. People might point fingers and say, why are you doing all that? But if you'll persevere, god has something in store for you. Can you receive that? Speak to their calling.

Speaker 1: 25:00

There's actually a study that's been done. It's called the Pygmalion Principle and I could best relate it through this story. And there was this teacher. She was very distinguished, very distinguished teacher and in her later years she she stepped back and just began to substitute. She had taught at every level, had been a renowned teacher, known, awarded, celebrated but began to be a teach in just as as a substitute role in her later years. And she got a call one morning to go to a very tough high school and she walked in and when she walked into the teacher's lounge, up on the board it showed what class she was to report to and it said the room number. And then it just said in the handwritten cursive challenging class. And so she got in there and she thought I'm so excited, I get a challenging class. I love to challenge students and they're used to being challenged and so I'm going to teach them like a college class and this class actually was a class of near dropouts, kids that were failing miserably, kids that have just been kind of put into a room and thought we don't know what to do with them, we'll just put them in this classroom. And they couldn't keep a teacher.

Speaker 1: 26:16

And finally the substitute shows up. She's walking in, thinking the challenging class is they love to be challenged, so she teaches them. She says I understand this is how she starts the first class. She says I understand you're some of the top learners in this class. I understand that all the other classes look up to this classroom. I understand that you are greater than the population of this class, of this school. So I'm going to teach you like I taught taught my last college class and in a week, in a couple of weeks, three weeks, these, these kids were making incredible leaps and bounds. They love school. They were performing well and after about three or four weeks she got back into the teacher's lounge and one of the teachers said what on earth are you doing in there? And she said I'm just man. I love this challenging class. They are accepting the challenge. They are so good at being challenged Wow, I can't believe I get to teach this class. And the teacher said you know that those were all dropout, near failing, near dropout, the kids that were in so much trouble, just put into one classroom and we didn't know what to do with them. She said what I thought they were the challenging. Like, challenge the class, like, give them your best, like, no, no, that's the kid. No, that's the other room, that's this room. She said well, guess what? Now they're all the best kids on campus.

Speaker 1: 27:38

Listen, that is the principle, is the Pygmalion principle, that people will become what you believe about them, whether spoken or perceived. That's why you got to see people as they can be and then speak over them. Speak it, don't be afraid to speak it. Listen in scripture not in the book of Luke, but in the book of Matthew two times God, the Father, speaks over Jesus, his son, two times and he says the same exact thing both times, when Jesus is baptized by John and then at the mountain of transfiguration. Two times God speaks over Jesus. You know what he says. He first says this is my son. He speaks an awareness and an identity over his son, in whom I love. He speaks the affection he has for his son, and then he says in whom I'm well pleased. He speaks, the affirmation of his son. He speaks to the awareness and identity, his affection and his affirmation.

Speaker 1: 28:48

Parents, you want to be a great parent. Don't let everybody else label your children. You speak to their, their identity. You speak to let them know you are my son, in whom I'm well pleased. You are my daughter, in whom I'm what you speak to, who they are. Don't let anybody else identify them. You have the responsibility. Teachers, young leaders, young adult leaders, youth. You speak over our kids to their identity and awareness of who God's called them to be. Then show them how much you love them. You know what Kids know, how much we love them by, not just by what we say, it's by how much time we spend with them and then affirm them you're my son, in whom I'm well pleased. Parents, if we would do this on the regular, listen it would change our homes, it would change our schools, it would change our communities. Why? Because everybody, everybody wants to know Jesus was getting the model. The model was given to us by God, the Father. That that's how to best release somebody into what they're called to is to help them with their identity, show them how much you love them, the affection, and then affirm what they're doing. That was extra. Then the last one is this so see them as they can be, say what you see and then develop them, disciple them.

Speaker 1: 30:24

And discipleship happens in the context of relationship. Me preaching to you is not discipleship. It's not Because I don't know if you're going to do anything with what I say. But in relationship I can ask you hey, how's it going? Hey, how are you doing as a husband? Hey, how are you doing as a dad? Hey, how are you doing as a young man? Hey, how are you following God's leading? What are you doing right now that God's showing you what to do? What are you following God's leading? Where are you sitting? What are you doing right now that God's showing you what to do? What are you responding? What are you watching most in your life right now? Like, I can disciple you, but through relationship I can't disciple you from here, and that's why we need small groups. Small groups help us to disciple at a greater pace, because discipleship happens in the context of relationship.

Speaker 1: 31:21

Jesus didn't just say follow me and just take off walking way out in front. Oh, by the way, if you want to know if you're a leader, if you're on a walk and you look back and nobody's following you. You're not a leader. You gotta have people following you. You know how you get people you disciple, you disciple. So Jesus called them, said follow me. But then he spent a lot of time with them. He walked with them, he taught them, corrected them and then he released them. You don't just build a crowd, you build people. That's been our heart. If we can just build people, god will build his church. That's why I love it when we have young people up here leading in worship. Sammy, where you at, Sammy, oh, up here leading them worship. Sammy, where you at, sammy, oh, sitting in the front row. How you know, you got a great church. You got a center section full of young people. That's how you know.

Speaker 1: 32:33

Sammy, I thought about this while you were leading in worship and, man, I thought about this you are so steady and I want you to just not be discouraged by the pace that you're on right now. But I had this thought Remember, when you first started singing, we used to tell you, like, put the microphone right in your and you gotta sing out. You gotta sing loud, silent, sammy that's not what they called you, I just made that up. But listen, this is my thought for you. If you'll, if I believe, if you'll keep to model the silent time that you have with God, the alone time, the private time you have with God, when everybody else is like swiping left and right and up and down and like paying attention to everything on media if you'll invest the quiet time silent, sammy it's not because you're afraid to speak, it's because God's got a special place for you.

Speaker 1: 33:42

And if you invest that quiet time, that what happens here is gonna be strong Sammy, strength Sammy, sound Sammy. And I just wanna tell you, like I've watched you grow up and and and I know, I know that you have a call of God on your life and I just want you to invest your time privately, make that a priority. And as you make that a priority, god's going to elevate what you're doing in all the other arenas. In fact, I think I don't wanna put any pressure on you. How well do you know Spanish? Are you learning Spanish? Do you know Spanish? Do your parents speak Spanish to you? Parents not enough. No judgment. No judgment, because I only know like taco and burrito and quesadilla. Listen, you need to start learning, because I think I want to speak that over you, that I see you in arenas, in congregations, in atmospheres, through this church where you're leading in Spanish. You got some work to do. Silent Sammy, the silent time is your time to invest for what God's about to do in your life. Amen.