INChurch Phoenix Live

e e e e e e e e just thank you Holy Spirit we thank you for every single family here today for all these kids that are being dedicated to you Lord I just pray holy spirit that you have your way in this service we pray these things in Jesus mighty name amen amen amen feel free to stand with us as we praise God this morning [Music] all I want is nothing more the for my Savor SC nothing in this world comes close to the purpose found in you alone [Music] Lord our purpose you given my life my life has a reason my steps my steps have a focus to bring your love to the broken you have use you have use for me as I Surrender you wereing me you have used for me more than I could dream this is my destiny oh this is my destiny oh this is my destiny all I want is nothing more than to be Ed for my savior's CA nothing nothing in this world comes close to the purpose founding you alone I know you are giving in my heart my heart is [Music] receiving because with all that I could give in this grace that you have provided has used for me you have used for me as I Surrender you were using me you have used for me more than I could dream this is my destiny you have used for me as I Surrender you are using me you have used me more than I could dream this is my destiny oh this is my destiny oh this is my [Music] destiny all I want is nothing more that to be used for my savior's heart nothing nothing in this world comes close to the purpose found in you alone call nothing more than to be used for my savior's CA nothing in this world comes close to a purpose found in you alone and this has taken me over oh your purpose lives in me oh this is my destiny sing this out this has taken me over all your purpose lives in me oh this is my destiny this go this go this go has taken me over all your purpose lives in me all this is my destiny this cross is taking me over all your purpose lives in me oh this is my destiny oh this is my destiny cuz all I want is nothing more to be used for my savior's nothing nothing in this world comes close to a purpose found in you alone he nothing moreuse for my savior's [Music] nothing in this world comes close to a purpose found in you [Music] [Music] alone come on you got a hand clap this morning all the other gods they are the worst of men but you are the most high God there is none like you all the other gods they are the works of men but you are the most high God there is none like youold you are the most high you are the most high God you are the most high you are the most high God all the other God we are the worst of men but you are the most high God there is none like you all the other gods they are the works of men but you are the most high God there is none like you you are the most high you are the most high God you are the most high you are the most high God my redeemer you are the most high you are the most high god king of king you are the most high you are the most high [Music] God hey there you go you can move around a little bit you can keep me hold you are good and your mercy is forever Hallelujah you are good and your mercy is forever Hallelujah you are good and your mercy is forever Hallelujah you are good and your mercy is forever Hallelujah [Music] the final has the final say who has the final sayov has the final say who has the final say je has the final who has the final sayov has a final s Jehovah turn my life around he has turned my life around he makes a way where there is no way Jehovah has the final who has the final Jehovah has the final you guys sing [Music] final has the [Music] final theal has a final final has a final my life around he has turned my life around he makes a way when there is no way has the final who has the final Jehovah has the final theal has the final final has the final final has the final turn my life around he has turned my life around he makes a way where there is no wayah has a final [Music] [Music] he [Music] jovov [Music] one more time [Music] Hallelujah I I don't know where you dance church is the only place I dance I don't know you I'm just father we just thank you Father we thank you that we can have joy in your [Music] presence it's because of you we have joy it's because of you we have peace we're here to meet with you King of Kings and the Lord of lords would you have your way in this place this morning come on if you're able to just tell them say have your way Lord say have your way Lord we want more of you we need more of you Hall we love you Lord you are worthy of our praise worthy of all honor worthy of all praise to you and to you alone be all the glory yes you are the beginning the end and everything in between no words can describe who you are you are alpha the Omega yes God the beginning and the end there is none like you there is none like you God we can search high and low who'll never find another like you your name is above every other other name above every other name We Worship You Lord may your name be lifted high this place this morning we worship you Lord come on church tell them we worship you Lord we worship you Lord in the midst of our circumstances we worship you if you're happy we worship you if you have no joy Lord we s to you and we worship you the Prince of Peace we love you Lord we want we one and all we is found in Jesus and all we ask is more of you oh sing nothing [Music] else [Music] else it's [Music] satisfied my heart [Music] Ste we want is more of few let's sing that again all we want Jesus and all be one and all we need is found in Jesus and [Music] all we ask is more of [Music] you for the Lord is good and his love Ur yes the Lord is good forever and I'll shout it out from the mountain yes the Lord is good forever hallelujah oh you good Lord [Music] so good so good nothing else we want and all we need is found in Jesus andent we ask is more of you oh there's nothing else but you [Music] go can satisfy our heart desire and all we want is more of you more of you for the Lord is good and his love end yes the Lord is good [Music] forever and I'll shout it out from the mountaintops yes the Lord is good [Music] forever for the Lord is good and his love yes the Lord is good forever shout and I'll shout it out from the mountain to yes the Lord is good forever we want you more and more we want you more and more we want you more and more more and more oh [Music] J we love you we love you sing We Want You Jesus we are you and more we want you more and more we are you more and more more and more we want you Jesus we want you more and more we want you more and more we want you Jesus more and more more and more we want you see it out we want you more and more we want you Jesus and more we want you more and more more and more for the Lord is good and his love and the Lord is good forever and I'll shout it out from the mountain to yes the Lord is good forever the Lord is good and his love yes the Lord is good forever and I shout it out from the mountain yes the Lord is good forever we all just we are you more and more we are you more and more want you more and more more and more just just a drum singing everyone we want you more and more we want you Jesus more want you and more more and more we want true we want you we are you more and more we want you more and more we want you more and more more and more for the Lord is good and is Ling yes the Lord is good forever and I'll shout it out from the mountain tops yes the Lord is good forever oh we want you Jesus we want more of you Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus oh how we need you Lord Oh how we need you Lord Jesus Jesus how need you [Music] Lord oh let's tell him tell them you Lord you are our everything oh how we need you God we draw near to you we cling to you this morning you are our hope you are our peace God it's for you we sing to you we sing alone Jesus all I want all I want all I need more of you less of me take this life lord it's yours have my heart have it all all I want let's tell him all I need more of you Lord bless of me take this life lord it's yours have my [Music] heart all I want all I need more of you bless of me heart take this life lord it's yours lord it's yours heart my [Music] heart all I want all I need more of you bless of me take this life lord lord it's yours have my heart all I want all I need more of you Lord bless of me take this life lord it's yours have my heart have it [Music] all have it all have it all Lord want to be more like you Lord oh have it all Lord [Music] oh oh [Music] Jesus Jesus all I want is to be like you Jesus Jesus all I want is to be like you oh Jesus Jesus all I want is to be like you oh Jes Jesus Jesus all I want is to be let's sing that one more time oh Jesus Jesus all I want is to be like you Jesus Jesus all I want is to sing all I want all I want all I need is more of you Lord rest of me take this life take this life lord it's yours lord it's yours have my heart heart all I want all I need more of you bless me take this life lord it's yours have my heart have it all oh have it oh lord lord we surrender to you God we give you our lives back for all that you've done for us Jesus you can have it all Lord use us Lord use us [Music] Lord As we sing this next song I just want to encourage you cuz we're also celebrating Mission Sunday this morning [Music] sometimes we look at things that people are doing around the world missionaries and we think that that can't be us but all the Lord needs is a willing heart a heart that says God I am available to you to use me use me as you need Lord we're all yours that's our prayer this morning amen [Music] narrow as the road May s follow where your spirit leads broken as my life [Music] may I will give you every [Music] peace I I hear you call I am available I say yes Lord I am available Here I Am With Open Hands I'm counting on your grace again less of me and more of you I just want to see you move I here I hear you call I am available I say yes Lord I am I he I hear you call I am a AV I say yes Lord I am [Music] available oh we are have it all Lord oh so here I am here I am you can have it all you can have it all here I am here I am you can have it all you can have it all here I am here I am you can have it all you can have it all here I am here I am you can have it all you can have it all oh have my life have my plans have my dreams lord it's all yours we trust you we trust you Lord for the one who gave me life oh nothing is a sacrifice use me how you want to go have your throne within my heart oh I hear I hear you call I am available I say yes Lord I am [Music] Avail second Corinthians 5: 21 says God made him who had no sin to be sinned for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God Amen God made him who had no sin to be sinned for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God in other words God took my place he took my place and he pushed me aside and now when the father sees me he sees him not because of what I've done but because of what he did on the cross now you and I brothers and sisters can say we identify with the Lord because he took him who knew no sin and he put sin on him at my worst moments God took my worst moments to every every worst thing I can ever do and it placed it on on Jesus Christ on that [Music] cross so that we might become the righteousness of God H we are grafted in now we can identify as Sons and Daughters of Jesus [Music] Christ you and I Church body can identify with Jesus Christ the one who laid down his [Music] glory that we might become the the righteousness of Jesus of God hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah John says but as many as received him to them he gave the right to become children of God if you receive him he's given you the right the right you did not have that right we did not have that right before but now if I receive him you Jesus now I've become I have the right to become the children of God I have his last I bear his name I bear his identity the children of God to those who believe in his name who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of God of man but of God he took him who knew no sin to become sin for us now we you and I can identify as children of God my last name is his last name hey my last name so we're singing this morning I want to be like you father I want to be like you are my father you are our Father God I want my church to be like you Lord I want my church to be the church that you want it to be I want my home to be the home that you wanted to be I want my relationships to be the relationship that you wanted to be I want everything that is good to come from you because you are my father we are his family church so father we thank you thank you for who you [Music] are you gave us life you gave us life now we give it back to you you are our head and God we follow you because we are your children we follow you because we are your children born in your image you've taken away all our sin Lord and put on us the righteousness of God hey [Music] Hallelujah for the one who gave his life nothing is [Music] a me as you want to go have your with my heart let's sing that again for the one who gave me nothing is a [Music] sacri use me as you want [Music] to have your thr within My Heart Lord that's our prayer this morning you gave us life Lord we give it back to you Lord we surrender all that we [Music] are because you have paid the ultimate price we're here to lift up your name we're not here to play Church oh God that's right we're here to meet with you you saved us now we give our lives back to you we give our fears back to you we give our hopes unto you we give our future we give our past we give our now to you because you are our King Our Father Lord we are in your family we love you Lord we love you Lord thank you for what you're going to do this morning we'll come with an expectant heart thank you for what you're doing we love you Jesus in Jesus name and all God's people say amen amen amen amen good morning welcome to imagination Church turn around and say good morning to the person next to you tell them you like their [Music] shirt e e e e e e e e special art for the house service today we're going to with the missionaries that we serve on the Missi right here in our own an four Connors here around the valley these every Tuesday and th find a host get connected stay connected SE we will be having our Boys to Men trip it is for all young men and all older men alike to come together to go to San Diego and see the air show it'll be an amazing time of fellowship with one another and learning about what it means to be a man of God it'll be $100 and it's not too late to sponsor somebody to go if you want more information you can find out in our E Church Phoenix app for you can talk to Dan Scott you're man enough to come to Men's breakfast 7:30 this Saturday don't be [Applause] late hello thech you don't have downlo have request sing up if you need any information please go to Center or talk to somebody after service also make sure you stay for an amazing pot luck the bounce hous and if you haven't signed up yet make sure you get your family photos we can't wait to see you next week good morning good morning good morning imaginations Church Phoenix just really quick I have two more quick announcements so we are doing I have two announcements the first one is for School of Worship if you are interested in joining the worship team or you just want to learn a little a bit it's a deeper dive into what it means to worship God what it means to be on the worship team what it mean like how how what's the difference between personal worship corporate worship what worship should look like in our daily lives if you are interested in that come see me after church and then you can scan this QR code and sign up if you have any skills the like the piano guitar keep use it to serve the Lord well let's let's use that to serve the Lord amen and my next announcement is about going into this serving the lord so in the Bible it says Jesus came to serve and not to be served and serving at church I think is an important way that we can grow in our faith and embody Christ so if you guys are interested in serving in lights in lyrics if you would like to be on the worship team if you'd like to help set up the cafe before church to work in kids church we would love to give you guys an opportunity to volunteer and it's not just the church you're serving it's God serving is a way of worshiping God and it's giving your time it's getting here a little bit early it's praying over it throughout the week so if you're interested in taking taking the next step um in our church and serving just you can go ahead and scan this QR code or I'll have the same QR code after church and you can come see me and scan it and it'll just ask you some questions about what area you're interested in serving in and then one of us will connect with you thank you so much here's Pastor Dan Awesome okay so we're gonna we're gonna take time right now and do the baby dedications which is we're super excited about and um what I'm going to do is I'm gon to ask the couples and their children to come up and uh but we're going to do it in we're gonna do it with the the children so I'm gonna do Gabe Carly come on up then and Steve oness Scott and shayin Dave Ari Justin Veronica Jonathan Isabelle and then um we're gonna dedicate six babies today and I want to take a moment like uh yes SE oh okay we we'll do it again you don't have to worry Devin we'll do it again um but uh so you know I got lots of questions actually questions even from out of state like because because uh most of you guys know that Austin had his first child him and Michaela and so he was talking to me um why do we do this why do we do this is this a tradition is there something why do we do this and honestly you know what I said and I really want to encourage the church I said to him if you believe in prayer why wouldn't we do this if you believe in prayer and you know when you're looking at the stats and you realize that uh young people in this country right now unchurched secular young people are deciding not to have children because that's how terrified they are about the condition of the world and the power of prayer is the most powerful thing that God has given us as followers of Jesus Christ and so when we're talking about this and I fir I firmly firmly firmly believe that the greatest gift we have to offer the world is the children that we have and the greatest gift we have to offer the kingdom of God is the children that we have and so there is no greater task there is no greater U responsibility that God gives to us than the responsibility of raising our kids in his ways amen and so what I'm going to ask and I'll tell this now before the couples come up here so I'm going to let the couples who I won't put anybody on the spot husbands but uh well let them introduce their family and then introduce The Supporting Cast that's here and and also they picked the verse they've got these awesome my wife along with Melissa and and Tess put together these really great little gift baskets so there's uh they each parent each parent actually um picked a Bible verse uh for their children and so I'm going to ask the couple to to tell us the Bible verse and and share maybe why you picked this Bible verse and then I'm going to ask the uh elders and the prayer team and and any one of the family members that are here with them that want to come up here and we're going to stretch our hands we're going to lay hands on these families and we are going to pray for them as they raise these uh children in the way of the Lord amen Okay cool so let's do that I'm going to have the couples come on up with their with uh all their kids and we'll just have them come along and we'll move along down the side yeah in case you guys are wondering we'll do the offering at the end of the at the end of service like what happened we messed up the schedule it's all right absolutely I think we can fit if we do it this way yeah yeah give them their um yes they are this one is this for all right oh this did not work out in your favor because I'm going to start with you guys and I know that this is not your favorite thing to do all right okay good I'm gonna hand this over to Gabe and he's gonna introduce his family and then his Supporting Cast hi my name is uh Gabriel Simmons this is Jude Titus Simmons our uh bab our miracle baby um took seven years um for the Lord to open my wife's womb so and now we have uh another on the way [Music] uh Supporting Cast is the McIntyre Clan back there uh we all live together so it's a great help and thank you guys for being such a blessing all right here we go [Music] wedlick this is Rhea an wedlick and what's interesting is I would be lying if I said we prayed a verse over her life that is not true but what we did do is we were praying over her and when we were told to find a verse there's actually a verse that perfectly depicts what we had been praying we had always prayed that she would be a light uh in the darkest of rooms and that she would bring peace everywhere she comes and so when we were asked to find a verse I searched hope peace and light Bible verse and this is what I got I pray that God the source of Hope will fill you completely with joy and peace because trust in him and then you will overflow with confidence hope through the power of the Holy Spirit Romans 15:13 and um I would like to take the pleasure of asking my family and Tessa's family to stand up we've been a part of this church for a long time and no one has met half of you guys we are honored that you guys are here all 20 there are a couple who are homesick mom pup and Tyler um so we wish they could be here but thank you guys wooo I'm Justin um this is Veronica Amelia and Katherine uh we have a lot of people that came here with us today or at least drove separate um but we my parents are here um Steve and Paulina and we have uh Carrie and we have Jeff yeah I know everybody's names thank you very much I see you side eyeing me we' got Nana and Lori and Chris came out I'm very happy that they were able to join us today and we have Grandma Sophie see I know everyone we have Grandma Sophie coming out too and yeah are you looking at me too yeah it's a it is I know it's all right and we have Tracy and Dylan and their little boy coming out too um so when we were trying to figure out a verse for Catherine um I'd like to say that I chose it but I didn't um but we prayed about it and God kind of impressed this verse on us it says have I not commanded you be strong and of good courage do not be afraid nor be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go Joshua 1 19 right you want to say anything Millie okay what do you want to say I don't you don't you don't know what you want to say okay say thank you and then pass on the microphone thank you uh I'm David this is my wife Ari Emy and lighton uh got my family here my mom brother niece and nephew Aunt Uncle cousin and Grandma um so we picked Proverbs 169 a man's heart plans his way but the Lord directs his steps U just to put everything on the Lord pray and he'll take care of things that's it morning I'm Scott this is shayin and this little bundle of joy here is Brooks uh we got my parents here uh John Linda my brother Jacob and then her dad Justin and and grandfather cleave one of the things that we looked at when it came to his life was what did we like what did we want him to think and one of the things we wanted him to think was that through the good times or through the bad times always looked uh to Jesus and always looked to God and so um similarly I would be lying if I said I found this verse but uh the verse was laminations 3:22 through 23 which was through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed because his compassions fail not they are new every morning great is your faithfulness and so we just we just wanted him to make sure that he just remembers every morning that uh God is with him hi I'm Jonathan this is my wife Isabelle and this in order is Aiden Joelle Elizabeth and Silas we are the love Joys uh we did this so many times we kind of forgot to invite anybody so they're celebrating with us but they're not here today so oops um and this was this verse was picked um by my wife but I'm completely supportive of it um the experience that we've had with Silas unlike any other child so far which everyone's a blessing but there's something unique about uh transformative healing and just certain type of recovery that can happen and what God can do through the life of a child so um she picked and I support Isaiah 45: 2 and 3 I will go before you and make the Crooked places straight I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden Riches of secret places that you may know that I the Lord who called you by your name am the god of Israel uh I'd like to ask uh the board the prayer team if you guys will come up any of The Supporting Cast that that came here with family that would like to come up and and pray with your family as we get ready to do this can I ask Church to stand if you're able to just stand and stretch your hands towards these guys and I'll tell you um trying to raise a child in God's ways in in the world in which we're living is is not an easy thing to do and I would say that there's so much of our life that's hard to do without God anyways I would never attempt and don't know how people uh intend to raise children without the Lord without his word without his help without his spirit to guide us and so um while this is just a single Moment In Time the power of prayer is very real and the Holy Spirit is very real and and we're praying that not only that these children will be dedicated to the Lord but that we're praying that the Holy Spirit and would would be around to remind the parents and to stir the parents and and and to bring up the word within them and to speak that word over these kids' lives because nothing God does is an accident nothing each and every one of these children are planned and and have been set apart by God Amen and it's our responsibility it's our responsibility to raise them in God's ways and so this is just the very beginning of that process and so as a church it is an honor that they would even allow us that they would ask us to be a part of this it is such a big deal that this is something that they want to do so I'm going to ask you to stretch your hands and we're going to pray for these families heavenly father I thank you Lord Jesus God I thank you for Gabe and for Carly I thank you God for this wonderful family I thank you for the Miracle of Life I thank you Lord Jesus that you brought these two together to build this family father God and I pray Lord Jesus that your hand would be upon them your hand would be upon baby Jude I pray Lord Jesus that your spirit would surround this family and give them wisdom and strength and courage I pray you give them the words that need to be spoken when they need to be spoken I pray that they would draw closer to each other as they draw closer to you father God and that you would raise up this child through them in Jesus name God I thank you for steo and Tess I thank you God for the life that they have committed to you I thank you for this beautiful baby re I thank you God that Lord Jesus you know things about us that we didn't even know about ourselves Lord Jesus and how you brought this unexpected Joy father God into this uh family and I pray Lord Jesus you would surround them and continue to raise them continue father God to anoint them to speak your word into her life father God and we thank you for that protect her and guard her in all that she does Lord Jesus I thank you for Justin and Veronica I thank you Father for baby Catherine I thank you Lord Jesus for ailia and I pray God for this family I pray you would continue to protect them I pray you would continue Lord Jesus to have your hand upon them I pray that you would anoint these parents father God to speak words of wisdom that they didn't even know they had father God that they would be they would trust your spirit that they would speak words of wisdom I pray Lord Jesus for this wonderful big sister and I pray God that you would help her and gift her to be that great big sister father that this family would grow in your ways and in your word and I thank you for it father God and I thank you Lord Jesus for Dave and for Ari father God I thank you for baby Leighton I thank you Lord Jesus for this family and how they have trusted you and how they have walked through some of the most difficult seasons of any life father God and never let go of Hope never let father God and you Lord Jesus have blessed them beyond measure and you are just getting started I thank you for that I thank you for the miracle baby emry who's now a big sister father God and I pray God that you would help her Lord Jesus to speak your word and to love and to guide and to be that big sister father I thank you for that guard them and protect them Lord Jesus and father I pray for Scott and for Shay Lin Lord Jesus I thank you Father God for this beautiful beautiful baby father and I pray God that you would not only uh grow them in their faith father God but you would help them to raise up Brooks in your word and according to your ways father God that you would guard their ears that you would guard their eyes that you would keep any outside influence from them and Lord Jesus that you would help them Father God grow closer to each other as they grow closer to you and father God that this young child would know your word even better than I pray you God you would just raise up a mighty man of God in this child we thank you for it father God I thank you for the love Joys I thank you for this incredible family father God I thank you Lord Jesus how you father bring things together and father God that Lord Jesus in in in what might seem impossible circum ances father God you bring things together and father God you have a plan you have a purpose father God I'm so grateful for that and I pray for Jonathan Isabel I pray for continued growth in their faith for continued growth in their Ministry father God I pray Lord Jesus that you would help them Father God navigate all the children father God but I pray for Silas and I pray special anointing on him as the youngest father God I pray Lord Jesus that your word would flow freely in this home I pray you would guard this Home Father God from outside influences Lord Jesus and that your spirit would reign supreme within their hearts and within that Home Father I thank you for it Lord Jesus I thank you God the joy of raising children I thank you God that yes sometimes it's a chore father God but it is a chore that reaps more fruit than we could ever hope or even think father God may we never forget to involve you may we never forget father God that it is you and by you and for for you and because of you God that we even get to participate in this unbelievable undertaking of raising up children father God I pray holy spirit that you would have your way and that this would be the next Generation God they were born for such a time as this and so we pray God that you would protect each and every one of them that these families would be guarded that these homes would be sacred and sanctuaries father God and that they would as a family always turn to you for all all of the glory and all of the honor forever and ever in Jesus name amen amen you guys Eddie thank you guys are awesome all right so we're going to jump right into the message this morning with everything we've got planned we did plan to do um a heart for the house message and so we're going to get right into that but they got a a missions video so I'm going to ask them to play that missions video as everybody's kind of getting their way back to their seats yes I did there is such power reement [Music] they'll get screen PA e gener e support compion supp AC thank you so for your that is awesome well so it's been an exciting morning already it's great to see everybody here at Imagination Church obviously this is a video that they send out from our home Church in Australia and um and so this morning I wanted to talk about the heart for the house and um in wonderful set of circumstances I opened up my iPad and it decided to update um right before I walked up here you're GNA find out how much of this message I've memorized um this could be very brief or the opposite um anyway Reagan's actually going to print them off so I I just want to get started you know we're heart for the house is a this is a term Reagan and I have been pastoring for 24 years we've been youth pastoring for the vast majority of that we really didn't start focusing on adult church until um uh probably about six years ago uh which is ironic because we've been doing adult church for 14 years um but our heart and our calling has always been for Youth and it continues to still be that um when we went to Australia we uh we were really introduced to something that really radically changed our lives and and so we were able to wow that was fast let's give Reagan a round of applause be praying for me this week I mean pray for Reagan too but pray for me this week Reagan leaves for Australia on Tuesday her and Sosa are going to Australia and so pray for her uh she'll be gone pray for me because my I don't know if I will eat um so this place doesn't run without her so thank you very much um for taking care of that um but I really do so hard for the house you guys in the 24 years that we've been doing it always has the same kind of uh theme which is we're going to talk about the vision of this church we're going to talk about what we feel like God is going to do on this campus and and why we exist here in Phoenix Arizona and uh that's pretty much the norm I've always thought they were really great Sundays I've always thought it was a cool concept but this year I've decided that I really don't want to talk about a heart for this campus I want I want to talk I don't want to talk about the heart for this house I want to talk about the heart of this house and the Heart of this house is really a heart for his house and that might seem like well isn't this his house technically you guys this is not his house you are his house that's technically let's get real right I always find it fascinating that Christians will be like oh you can't do that we're in a church I'm like bro you are the temple of God if you can't do it in here here you can't do it all right like technically you're the church that's that Jesus himself said you can't build me a temple with your hands I've already built for myself a temple and he was talking about you he's talking about our bodies and so that's the temple right so I'm not talking about that kind of house what I'm talking about is a heart for his house and so you know even though as a church right when we went to Australia um we went there and they were talking to about the Great Commission and they were talking about missions and one of the things that occurred while we were there in Australia in 2016 was God spoke God said something to me that pretty much rocked my world which was the kingdom of God Is Bigger Than The Refuge and I won't bore you with the details of what that actually means but the reality is is we felt firmly that God had called us to nothing else but the Refuge and so when God said the kingdom of God Is Bigger Than The Refuge there is something that happened in me and when I talked to Reagan and uch and SOS were there as well and I was like wait a minute we're not we're not we're being shortsighted God has a bigger vision and it's crazy to think about because um wow it's really weird reading my notes off paper now like how weird is that um a verse I really didn't know what I was getting into at at the time but it did radically change our lives a verse that was the pretty much the first Bible verse we all memorized if you've ever memorized a Bible verse the chances are pretty great that it was John 3:16 and after going to Australia it was like all of a sudden John 3:16 for God so loved the world all of a sudden this Bible verse seemed like a brand new Bible verse to me I always knew God loved always knew as a child growing up in church there was no doubt in my mind that God loved but all of a sudden that word world took on a much bigger role he loved the world so much that he sent his son that's what he gave he loved the world he didn't just live love us he loved the world so much that he sent his son his son his son is the answer his son is salvation his son was sent to redeem the world right and that's a that's as silly as it seems that's a big distinction right for God so loved the world we don't tend to think about the world and we sure as heck don't tend to read scripture and think about the world right and so he sent his son his son was the solution for what separated the world from the Creator and that was sin and so his son the last thing his son said before he ascended into heaven was what go into all the world go into all the world Jesus said I've got to go so that my spirit can come and when my spirit comes he's going to fill you with with strength he's going to fill you with my spirit so that you can be Witnesses of me in the world so on the day of Pentecost the spirit comes down and these disciples begin speaking in tongues and in Acts chapter 2 they were speaking in tongues they were speaking in foreign tongues Act CH 2 this is what it says now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem devout men from every nation under heaven and when this sound occurred the crowd began to gather and they were bewildered because each of them was hearing them speak in his own language they were amazed and astonished saying why are not all of these who are speaking aren't they all galileans they're all from one place yet there we're hearing them speak in our own language to which we were born parthians Med amonites residents of mesop Amia Judea capid dohia pones and Asia fesia pamilia Egypt and the parts of Libya around sirene and the visitors from Rome both Jews and prosites cretans and Arabs we hear them speaking in our tongues and what are they saying they're saying the mighty Deeds of God and they all continued in amazement and great perplexity saying to one another what does this mean so quickly Jesus loves the world so much that he sends his son to be the sacrifice for our sin uch said it beautifully this morning right when you think about that Jesus didn't carry our sins to the cross in which he could be beaten and whipped right like beating and whipped and then for that for that punishment he became sin so that the wrath of God would have to thoroughly Purge Sin from Jesus right and and so Jesus became it he becomes the Sol ution to what ails Humanity every bit of evil every bit of wrong every bit of of of disease every bit of sickness that we see within the world Jesus is the cure for it and he comes down there and he says listen I have to leave so that my spirit can come I'm just me in this body I can only walk and travel just like you do but if I Ascend my spirit will descend and then I will fill you with my spirit so that you can be Witnesses of me in the world right and so when we see this we see this story he goes what does this mean they're speaking in all these different languages they're doing that because the message of the Cross is for all nations and is for all tongues When Jesus ascended he said I go to prepare a place for you for those who will follow me it is our job to fill what he is preparing that's our job when we're talking about a heart for this house what is the heart of this house the heart of this house is to make Heaven crowded that's the heart of this house that whatever it is that God is doing right now preparing a place that there will be no empty rooms in heaven and so when we're thinking about what's the heart of this house it's to make Heaven crowded sadly though the spirit has descended and so many of us if not all of us are the beneficiaries first of all everybody on the earth is the beneficiary of the spirit of God whether they realize it or not the world is nothing like it was before the descending of the Holy Spirit but if you're filled with the holy spirit it's a completely different ball game and the spirit descended and sadly there are still over 1,700 languages in the world without any Christian literature in them 1700 even though we have this moment in acts in which we know God said by showing us what I'm doing on the face of the earth is for every language but there are still 1,700 language when we joined forces with this church out of Australia in 2017 one of the first projects we were given the opportunity to support was a project in turning the very first writing the very first language or very first Bible into an Aboriginal language in Australia and think about this AUST is a first world country everybody in the world knows about the Aborigines they live smack dab in the middle of Australia and yet within driving distance in 2017 they still had not a single bit of Christian literature in their own language now think about this in the unbelievable number of dialects in India and in China and in the Middle East right there's still so much work for us to do there are more than three billion people on this Earth who have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is why one of our motos here is to serve locally and to send globally that's what missions is to us to to to serve locally which is to evangelize locally that's what the Refuge is it's why we're building that building there off of 47th Avenue in the 101 right in unbelievable visibility over a million eyeballs will see that when that building goes up over a million eyeballs will see that building every day every day why so that we can get all of the Christians who are disenfranchised no so that we can reach the people who don't know about the hope of Jesus Christ I'm believing God I I'm saying this now I haven't even told the board this one of the goals I'm setting when we move into that new building is within five years I want 50% of that church to be brand new Believers not people that gave up on Church brand new Believers right now I've asked Scott who's gonna uh one of our board members and he's going to share briefly about what missions means to to him thank you Hallelujah good morning there a lot of people out there today wasn't expecting that the Lord is good jesus' last command uh is our first priority that's a book that Pastor Jack wrote and that's kind of what we live by his last command to share the gospel Make Disciples of all Nations so God's working on me on this and I guess the question from God to me and me to you is is it you know we can get distracted um by our own lives the challenges of our own life I think our culture today is saying you know what the highest thing you can do is just love somebody that's the highest thing you can do just accept any anybody for whatever they believe wherever they are whatever they do what whatever just if you just love them that's that's it the problem is it's better than hating them we don't want to hate them but Love's only half the equation if we only have half the equation you you can't prove anything you have half the equation equation the other half is truth you got to have love and truth so what is the truth the truth is is that Jesus is the only way to heaven right Jesus is the only way to heaven but do we believe that or is he like any other God you know Hinduism Buddhism right do they have this do they have the love of God God they have the peace of God I was in India once and this guy gave me a little elephant and he was like you know face it this way on you know on your window sill and they worship these things I can tell you right now the love and peace of God is not in that little plastic elephant so of course as Christians we don't believe that we don't believe that those other religions in and a plastic elephant is the same as what God has done through Jesus Christ I'm going to ask you a question what happens to people who don't know the Lord what happens to people who don't know the Lord I'm uh reading a book called radical don't be too scared I this guys are really big church but I tell you what he is absolutely 100% anyone who doesn't know the Lord including those who have never heard about him are in hell and you're like wait a second but I want to ask you that what that last part especially what what do you think I posed this question to our connect group we've had some discussion about it I think it's a powerful question because no matter how you answer it it impacts what you think of God if you say yeah I agree with that or wait a second no I that's that can't be right I'll just challenge you with this if someone doesn't accept the Lord whether they've ever heard about him or not you know how were their sins forgiven why send Christ in the first place so what am I saying all the for I just I think there's an urgency that we have and a reality that we have that we sometimes lose like God will just take care of them like it's okay the people I know in my life they don't know the Lord but you know what I'm kind of busy they're good people so I I'm just going to kind of let them go I'm not going to care about them and I think the Lord is telling us that's that's not why I sent my son that's not why I sent my son I watched a movie recently and I walked away with one thing and I'm going to close on this it was a just I was like Wow leadership like leadership you know what's leadership I don't know if you seek leadership or if you're scared of leadership this is what I think leadership is it's knowing what to do and doing it and so if you don't know what to do then find out if you know what to do and you're not doing it well then we're just just hearers of the word and we're not doing it so James chapter 1 tells us don't don't be just hearers of the word but the blessing is in the doing so if his last command is our first priority we know we know what to do let's do it let's do it in Jesus name amen hallelujah you know we uh we're building a relationship with this guy who owns a pizza place up here you know when you run the Refuge you order a lot of pizza and um he's he's a he's from Lebanon he's Muslim really awesome loves God talks we went in late on Friday night sat there for almost an hour and just listen to him tell his story and um he shared something that I hear a lot about and and I want to share because I think it it's fitting to what to to should be a part of the thought process for us which is a lot of people believe that we all are serving the same God right that that God sits on top of one mountain and that all the religions of the world are trying to ascend to the same God and here's here's what I find to be really uh liberating about the idea which is you can grant them this argument you can grant it to them even though it may not be true you can grant it to them because here's the difference between our God and their God this mountain he sits on top of is insurmountable there's no way to get to the top of it but our God comes down the mountain to get us and takes us up to the top that's the difference that's the difference between Jesus Christ and the rest of those religions real fake whatever you want you don't even need to get into the semantics of that to just say what we really believe is that God sent his son down the mountain so that he can take us to the top of the mountain because we can never do that on our own and um I just want to go into a couple of things because it is to the Heart Right the heart for his house 68% of Americans call themselves Christian that means seven out of 10 roughly with a church on every corner we outnumber the unbelievers in this country two and a half to one and a half yet 10 years ago that number was 72% of Americans called themselves Christian so it might surprise you to learn that they estimate the average they estimate the average church or the American church I should say spends about $50,000 a year per conversion $50,000 a year we spend per conversion if you make the Benchmark baptism we spend about $80,000 a year so you take the average Church budget and how many new Believers come into that church annually and the average is about 80 $1,000 a month or a year that's what we're spending to see people come to know the Lord there was a study short that wasn't done too long ago that actually said if you if you fine-tune the study to where you're talking about people who have never confessed if you removed recommitment from the equation the American church is spending about $350,000 per brand new believers in Jesus Christ it's crazy $350,000 if you believe in scripture when it says that God calls us to Steward what he has given us can I just share a couple of things and this is this is the way my bra brain works if your brain doesn't work like this I apologize that's why I ask Scott to come up get some people in here that don't as a church you guys since we've adopted that this year we're doing almost $200,000 in missions $200,000 in into the mission projects some of what you saw on the screen today some of what uh you've heard about last month now you guys might think that's a staggering number why do you bring it up why do you Hammer why is Mission Sunday such such a big deal can I tell you why because we cannot grasp when scripture says to whom much is given much is required we cannot grasp how much we've been given2 200,000 nearly $200,000 in Miss you guys that's with 20% participation in our church and I don't say that to say that about our church I say because it's not just about championing the heart of his house here it's about championing it out there with other believers because like Scott had mentioned there's a world beyond our borders that lives in unbelievable uh not only poverty but in darkness and Jesus died for them Jesus loved the world just might shock you but Jesus didn't say I came for the America Jesus loved the world when Jesus said what did you do to the least of these you've done to me he was talking about the world all of scripture was given for the world so when scripture says for the you clothe the naked feed the hungry give water to the Thirsty visit the prisoner take care of the Orphan take care of the Widow he's not telling you to do that down the street we live in a country that has a system that could do so much of that and I'm not saying we don't do because we do do it here we feed the Homeless and we we with the Refuge and all the other things that we do we don't negate what God's calling to us to do in our neighborhood but we're so stinking blessed we can do both we can do both so I want to mention quickly just a couple of the Ministries that you guys are supporting through faith promise and and I want you to think about that $350,000 number because through I surgeries International they'll do a thousand eye surgeries each one of those surgeries is 30 bucks 80% of those surgery surgeries result in salvations Buddhists or Hindus who come to believe in Jesus Christ why because of the love of Jesus Christ being expressed through people giving them their Vision back for free so they'll they'll be like well that's not it when you're talking about a Buddhist a Buddhist the belief in Buddhism is is I must suffer enough if I will suffer enough then I'll be saved so when you're talking to a Buddhist and you say no no no that's not what Jesus did Jesus suffered so we can live that changes like no that can't be true so why would a church that's never meant me why would people in Australia why would people in America send money to pay so that I can have sight so many of those people were working until they lost their vision and then they had to resort to begging and and when they got their Vision back they could go back to work and support their families in one of the most impoverished places in the entire world in the entire world you won't if you go to India you will see things you didn't think still existed right so for $30 you think about that Dr sain in the Congo which is the rape capital of the world has a hospital there that predominantly works on restoring gender mutilated women who have been D they've been beaten and abused through sexual torture he provides free surgery to restore them and when they say why are you doing this for free the secular Hospital on the other side of the city knows that this is such an explosive Ministry over the course of the last 15 years they send their patients that can't pay to Dr sain's hospital and he does these surgeries and and in the process why are you doing this why is this free the hospital on the other side of town which is a Muslim Hospital they won't pay for me I'm Muslim why would you pay for me you're a Christian don't you hate me no do you want really want to know cuz I'll tell you yes I really want to know why you would do this for me and now over the years he now runs a school for these women to come in and get educated and get job training so that they can be independent and live on their own just like the work that we're doing in Nigeria through kaladan and the homeless teenagers and the medical missions that you guys are supporting through Pinnacle house and Godwin in Indonesia through cheap radios and not so cheap radio stations but through cheap radios you're putting the gospel in hands of Muslims all over those Thousand Islands islands that don't have electricity yet they have these generated radios that they crank up and all day long they listen to American oldies and then at 7 o'clock at night dror or or Pastor paulos gets on the Airways and he preaches the gospel six or seven times a year he has what they call believer conferences where he invites all the people that are listening that are brand new Believers that have converted from Islam to Christianity to come to these Believers conferences six or seven times a year and he'll have anywhere between 3,000 and 10,000 people show up in what is the most heavily populated Muslim country in the world right and we're supporting that through through uh Faith promise open arm which we hear so much about in the in the the daycare and the school which is now turning into a Christian School down there and all the radical things that are taking place in Mexico that you guys have been supporting for over a decade it's absolutely crazy I want to I want to finish by saying this because this is really where it comes to right it and I might get in a little bit of trouble but I'll be as vague as I possibly can I sat down with somebody a couple of weeks ago who feels incredibly convicted and called to become a missionary in one of the unreached people groups in the world meaning I can't tell you who he is and I can't tell you where he went and I can't tell you who he's working with because everybody he meets with is in danger of Lo losing their lives if anybody finds out that they're meeting with the Christian and this man told me that while he was just there a while ago he began starting a Bible study with a man a brand new uh uh believer not brand new a couple of years but a believer in which they sat and broke bread together this man was in charge of troops in Afghanistan that fought against the other man who was in charge of troops in Afghanistan both of which took the lives of each other's men and now they're sitting there breaking bread and we reading the word together can I tell you guys something to do it to do to to answer a call like that he can't go there and be VI bivocational he can't go there and spend half of the time that he's there risking his life and his family's life trying to earn an income so that he can continue to when it would be nothing for us this is why the sending is so crucial now I can't make you ask yourself why and I can't make you ask yourself why not I can only tell you that God so loves loved the world for God so loved the world and when he says feed and give water and give clothing he's not just talking about van Beren he's talking about the world and so much of our spare change that is how stupid Rich we are so much of our spare change maybe I don't need itunes and Spotify maybe I don't need Netflix and and Prime and peacock and Disney and Apple tv maybe I don't maybe I can get up from time to try and drive over and pick up my delivery do you know how much money we spend on door Dash not on the food on the convenience of not having to go and get it do you know what two or three of those orders could do in India and and here's the thing it's not about making the world a better place it's about making Heaven crowded that's what it's about because that's what his heart is about his heart is to reach the lost and and you know what so much of our time in church we celebrate that we were once lost so much of our time in church we celebrate the fact that we were once lost and God did miracul miraculous things to ensure that we would be found and now he's asking us to do miraculous things so that others might find the same hope and the same joy and the same Wonder of his love amen would you guys close your eyes this morning do not doubt what you are capable of you know Scott said something which is so true he said we need to love we need to love we need to love but if we're being super honest one of the best expressions of our love is when we share something we love and there are two things the vast majority of us love our time and our money and you know it it's it's hard sometimes to admit it we don't want to but it's true and when we take no matter how small and significant it was Obi last month shared about kaladan in in Nigeria and she did such a phenomenal job and it it took I think three or four times for her to say 50 cents 50 50 cents 50 cents of American money will feed a family for an entire week in Nigeria they give out business business loans to widows and to single moms they do they do job training in kaladan they give out business loans so that they can get on their feet and support their family on their own that business loan is $12 $12 a month one time one time $112 one time and it starts them off on business $12 man I I pray I believe the American church is so I believe it's the most compassionate Church in the world I believe it's the most generous but it's not just a matter of going okay I'll do it sometimes it's a matter of saying I need to talk about it and we don't like doing that but the truth is no matter how much I can manage to give I can't take care of the need but man the more of us who wake up to the idea that there is a work that needs to be done in the world and God has equipped us to do that work so my question to those who are willing to ask it why not you be aart heavenly father I thank you Lord Jesus that there was a time God when we were on the other end of this conversation there was a time God when people somewhere in our hometown or or nearby were praying were gathering were believing God to reach the unsaved and we were that unsaved there was a time when people were chasing us down not because not just because they loved us but because they had a conviction that you loved us and now God we sleep in turmoil in tur tumultuous times but we sleep at peace and now God we get up every day with a sense of hope and now death does not Loom God why because of the hope that we have found in you Jesus yet there is a world in which you loved a world in which you died for whose ears have not yet heard about the love of our father whose ears have not yet heard the name of your son Jesus whose lips have not been given a chance to pray their faith and their lives into your hands and whatever the role you have called us to play in it father God let us not forsake that role no matter how small no matter how big but let us embrace the Great Commission until everyone has heard everywhere and everyone in Jesus name would you stand up this morning church and I'm going to ask the ushers to come forward we typically take our offering earlier but we're going to take it now and if you got your faith promise you can give your faith promise and the offering I'm ask uch to to lead us in one song as the as the ushers come around and and then uch will dismiss and and ask you to stick around we have a tremendous amount of food but I do want to say they set up an absolutely beautiful formal photography booth and if you didn't come planning for that still do it anyways they'll take your family's portrait take the couples whatever you'd like to do U it's in the children's Wing go down there grab a beautiful picture of your family before you go and slip out grab some food I saw some Nigerian rice I saw good stuff out there don't miss out on it let's Fellowship this is the family of God Amen and there is no family like the family of God if you don't know that yet I pray that someday you will no family like the family of God but I want to pray and then I'm going to let uch lead us take offering and then he'll dismiss father I thank you Lord I thank you God that you have blessed us I thank you Lord Jesus that you have blessed us in such a way that no matter who we are no matter where we are no matter what economic situation we're in Father God no matter where we come from we can be a part of the Great Commission I pray you would give give us the heart to do so not out of compulsion God but out of a heart that loves you and wants the house that you're preparing to be filled to be filled father God I thank you for that Lord Jesus bless this gift and this offering bless the hand that gives it and most importantly God bless the cause to which it is given wherever it is spent let it bear fruit in Jesus mighty name amen [Music] all the saints and Angels they bow before your [Music] throne and all the elders cast there crows before the land of God and sing sing that again all the saints and Angels they bow before your [Music] throne and all the ERS cast their crowds before the land of God and sing oh you are worthy of it all you worthy of it all for from you are all things to you are all things oh you deserve the glory sing all the Saint all the saints and [Music] Angels they bow before your throne and all the elders cast their crowds before the land of God and sing oh you are worthy of it all you are worthy of it all for from you for from you are all things to you are all things oh you deserve the glory you're worthy worthy yes you are worthy of it oh Jesus you are worthy of it all for from you are all things and to you are all things oh you deserve the glory let's sing that one more time he's worthy you are worthy of it all you are worthy of it all for from you are all things and to you are all things you deserve the glory father we thank you thank you for your son that came and died for us you love the world so much that you sent your son to be sin oh God may I may your word that gone forth this morning may it land on fertile soil Lord Holy Spirit may you draw us to what is important to you your last command may be our first priority not just on Sundays God but every day of our lives and every minute of Our Lives Lord thank you for all the babies that we dedicated this morning oh God may they pursue you oh God may they pursue you with all of their hearts may they serve you with everything inside of them Lord May there be lights in this world thank you Jesus for what you're doing we thank you for all the missionaries across the world God we pray for your protection we pray for your provision and God we pray that we as stewards continue to pray for them and lift them up in prayer Lord that you give them the words that you put them in the right situations Lord to give the Gospel of Jesus Christ the only thing that can save our souls Lord is you we love you Lord go with us let our hearts and our minds be drawn to you let not just hear what you want us to do but let us do it Lord let us be doers of your word we love you Lord Jesus in Jesus name we pray and all God's people say amen and bless that