Sermon Tone Analysis

Today the scripture I want to read found in the Book of Luke chapter number 6 beginning at verse 12 we're going to read verses 12 and 13.

Luke chapter 6 verse 12 says on one of those days Jesus went out to the Mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God when morning came he called his disciples whom he also designated as Apostles.

I want to expound in that area right there and I want to talk from this subject this morning Squad goals.

Squad goals

Allow me to LEAP into this lesson today with a statement that is silent but significant to this series and sermon I'm going to capture it in a phrase for a note takers.

The course and the quality of our life is not just determined by who we are it is equally impacted by who we are with.

I'll say it again for my Note takers the course and the quality of our life is not just determined by who we are it is equally impacted by who we are with.

In other words family, I'm simply suggesting that In life we do not go as far as I dream, we go as far as our team.

On Superbowl Sunday, we witnessed one of the most significant sporting events in American culture is called the Super Bowl only two teams will play for the coveted prize of the Lombardi trophy.

However at the beginning of the year several teams had a dream that they would be there.

But the fact that all of them except to did not get there is an indication of what I'm trying to articulate it's not that those teams that didn't make it didn't have a good dream, if they didn't have a good team.

Because You don't go as far as your dream you go as far as your team and I am not sure if we are aware of this but the Bible is clear that we have been created for collaboration.

We have been engineered for interdependent that one of the distinct is between us and God is God is self-sufficient and we are not.

God needs nothing from no one, everything that he needs is within himself, he is self-sufficient he is all sufficient but we ladies and gentlemen are not God and the Bible is clear when God created the first human Adam he evaluated what he created and came to the conclusion it is not good for man to be alone.

How could Adam be alone if God was there?

God is saying that Adam needs somebody that looks like him and I'm simply trying to suggest that as was the case for Adam so it is for you and me for me to be the best me I need somebody besides me.

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:17 - KJV

The Bible put it this way in Proverbs 27:17 it says as iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another to sharpen means to improve to enhance and so the scripture seem to be suggesting that How sharp I am is based on who I'm rubbing up against.

The question is are the people I'm rubbing shoulders with making me more dull or making me sharp?

Because the course and the quality of my life is not just about who I am, it is equally impacted about who I'm with.

The Bible also says in Proverbs 13:20 watch this it says walk with wise and walk with the wise and become wise.

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Proverbs 13:20 - KJV

This is interesting because the first part of that says you will become like who you walk with.

But it says a companion of fools suffers harm.

Look at what it says, It doesn't say fools suffers harm, it says a companion of fools suffers harm.

So I don't have to be a fool to be harmed I just have to hang with them.

Did you hear what I just said?

Because you don't go as far as your dream you go as far as your team.

Therefore our success is determined by our Squad.

So one of the most consequential and critical decisions and choices we will ever make is whether or not we're able to move from just having people around us we can be with, not just friends, but having people around us we can build with.

That's a squad!

We need more than people that can hang with me we need people that can help.

Because your presence on this planet is Not an Accident, it is not a coincidence.

Your parents may not have planned your arrival but God did.

He strategically, orchestrated Your Existence you were born when you were supposed to Born to be born where you were supposed to be born and even if you don't like the people that are responsible for your birth.

Make sure you got the right DNA and the right genetic code so that you can be all that is called you to be.

He's put a dream in your heart that's a picture of his purpose for your life and you can't build that dream by yourself.

You need some help, you need a squad, you need someone who's your helpmate.

You need some peanut butter to your jelly you need somebody that's a strong where you are weak.

You need somebody that's organized and strategic.

You need a team for your dream

Ladies and gentlemen I am saying this because when I examine the life of the most influential person in human history what do you believe in the religious impact he made a not whether you see him as I see him as a forgive of mice and the leader of my life or not whether he is just something historic figure some wise teacher to you we're resting me he's my personal Lord and Savior you may not be there yet I hope you get there but you may not get there I love you anyway you don't have to believe like I believe to belong but what I do want to say to you later than gentleman what I do want you to be clear on is the most influential figure in human history did what I'm talking about right now his name is Jesus.

Before he performed one Miracle, before he turned water to wine, before he raised Lazarus from the dead, before he open blind eyes, before he was betrayed, crucified, put in a tomb, stayed there three days,got up early Sunday morning.

Before he did any of that, before Zacchaeus climbed the tree to see him, before Nicodemus, before he stopped the funeral in Nain, before he healed the syrophoenician woman's daughter, before he opens blinded eyes, before he healed Peter's mother-in-law.

Jesus the bright and Morning Star, Jesus The Bridge Over Troubled Water, Jesus lawyer in the courtroom, before Jesus did any of that.

The first thing he did was built the team.

The first thing he did was selected a squad because he could not accomplish his dream without it.

Do you hear me?

This is interesting.

Everything in our texts and Luke 6 reveals to us how this takes place inside Jesus selected his Squad.

Look at verse 12 it says here that shows the first thing you did one of those days Jesus went out to a Mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God.

That's it right there, there it is, he went to a Mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God that the first step in selecting his Squad, Prayer

He prayed.

I want you to understand that Prayer is communication with God.

The purpose of prayer is not to notify God ever need he already knows what we need before we ask.

The purpose of prayer is to express our dependency.

When you pray to God, prayer becomes Praise.

Because when you go to God and ask him to do something nobody else can do you're praising him.

You're saying I'm asking you because I know you able.

I'm not asking them because they not you.

I'm asking you because I know if they can't fix it you can, if they can't open the door you can, if they can't make the way you can.

So is interesting because out of all the things we pray for I want to ask you something

Have you ever prayed for a squad?

I think it's important question to ask cuz the Bible says we have not because we ask not there are some things we don't have because we don't ask again because asking is an expression of our dependency, an act of humility

So here's my question we pray for number things

Have you ever prayed for help?

Prayer is important because one two things that prayer does adjust your eyes you got two sets of eyes you got the eyes in your head they give you sight but then you got the eyes in your heart that give you Vision the eyes in your heart help you see beyond what you see and I believe some people are here the only reason you survived some of the stuff you survived is because you see something that other people don't see

You can't pick right if you see wrong.

You can't have a good team if you draft bad

Prayer helps you see right

Because my perception affects my picking.

Prayer helps me see first of all what I need.

What if I told you some people just pick people in their Circle that they like

and they don't pick people that they need.

cuz some people that are assets to your life are going to have some things that are agitating about them

and some people lose the asset because they can't handle the agitation but if they are not like you you're going to bump heads sometimes but in order for you to build what God is calling you to build you need somebody that's not like you that does not think like you

that's some assets are agitated

but when we partner together

we're able to achieve but we could not achieve on our own

We are too grown to be obsessively controlled by the need for company

there's some people in this room that are trying to build something I'm just not looking for somebody to hang out with, I'm looking for some help.

Because there's something in my heart to build and I don't have years to waste.

I need more than just a circle, I need a squad

You don't have to go to the mall together can you help me build

Can you help me build something God is birthing in me?

Are you an asset in the area where I am a liability?

Prayer helps me see what I need

It helps me be okay with what I'm not.

Because to see what you need, you have to see what you don't have.

You have to acknowledge your deficits without feeling inadequate

It helps us see what we need but also helps us see what we don't have.

In second Kings chapter number 6 that's his Prophet named Elijah who was in this Kingdom call Israel and these enemy Kings will always try to attack the Kingdom of Israel but God will show it to Elijah first and why she would tell the king so the other kings wouldn't get an advantage over him so they got frustrated and all these things came together and said we need to take Elijah because he's the one that's telling the King was about to happen is interesting because none of these Kings like each other but they came together to fight Elijah

So these enemy armies come and they come up to Elijah's doorstep and Elijah had it has a servant and assistant who's with him and he walked outside and he's like ole my goddess it's over

He says oh my Lord what shall we do we about to die and the Bible says the Prophet Elijah answered him don't be afraid.

Those who are with us are more than those that are with them

The servant is like okay some wrong with the prophet because it's two of us and it's an army with them and the Bible says that the prophet didn't preach to him.

He prays for him.

He prays this prayer, "Lord open his eyes" and when his eyes were open it says that he look to the hills from whence came his help and Amber Hills he saw hills full of horses and chariots and fire all around Elijah did you hear what I just said she helped was around him he just couldn't see it when you pray prayer helps you see the help you've been looking over