September 1, 2019 - (Week 2 Connection Sunday Communion)

Thanks, Rick. Hey, man. MN it wasn't that a wonderful baby dedication. Amen. Amen, you know one of my friends has been to Africa several times and he told me that church services go on 4 5 6 7 hours. That's right a man a man. So if I talk a little bit longer this morning real good with that. Okay. I will try to go fast praise and worship team. You guys are amazing to feel the presence of God here this morning and everything is lining up know you don't realize that when you're putting a message together, but everything is lining up the songs greater one of them this morning and one other one. I love so much. I can't remember the title now, but they're not lining up to speak to all of you and to me. I just want to start bike rain Lord. We thank you so much for this day. We thank you for the worship time. We thank for the wonderful baby dedication Lord Lord. I thank you Father that our church is so diverse become more diverse toward father diversity in our church is going to speak to the city father. I just think for this time to bring the word father and I thank you for the opportunity. Bring the word and I just thank you for the word to yours Jesus name. Amen Public Service Announcement. And how many of you have bent over, yet? 1-2-3 Kid still playing Roxanne are going tomorrow. So please take time to see it as powerful. Pastor Sean think the opportunity to speak this morning Christmas the last time I spoke. I want the first off. Thank the Lord for what he's done in the healing my body. Man 5 months with two brand-new hips and you know what I would never have thought or imagined in my life that I would need to hips, but God has been so gracious. You know what? I'm better than I've been in here. So I just want to thank him and publicly again and over and over give God all the glory for the healing has gone out of my body.

Anybody here like college football and Stan Roxanne and I American college football C. I know it's understand Roxanne and I but Roxanne and I've got to know a lot of people in the South u.s. Cell with and you know, this is what they say down in football yesterday football.

And there was football and it was good. But yeah, that's my only job for this message. We had a baby dedication. It's interesting. I've been preparing a sermon for several weeks now little bit at a time and thank God it's almost to rehash it when I did previously several years many most of you were here then but rehash but then what's up program the other day that said Christians as they get older Christians in the church. Sometimes they get lost. Cuz they don't know what they're supposed to do anymore. And it must be from God cuz I'm crying. So I saw that program and today we had that dedication which I didn't know we're going to have so the other day. story about life going through life life today.

I want to talk about finishing well. Andino primarily Fisherman's going to Gear 2 people 40 and above but it's important for everybody. And I'm not going to ask for show hands how many of your 40 or above its not important, you know lot of the teenagers are going downstairs. encourage them to watch it on YouTube afterwards cuz this is for them to Number of years ago, I delivered a sermon called. How long is your Runway number years ago today? I change the title to finishing well. But I compare the life of a young person at that time to a B-52 bomber with two young children dedicated today. Their life span is long the B-52 bomber takes 2 miles to take off. Could you just imagine and then I talked about? Is a shorter lifespan of people as they get older and showed a video of a hawker Harrier that takes a plane that takes off vertically like this. And that's again a short Runway, right? a young person Caesar life with nothing, but potential opportunity that they can have

both planes are powerful and serve a dynamic purpose and runways and lifespan because it's important the length of our Runway is equated to the length of our life. And with each day we wake up.

We have responsibilities, but her right away is getting shorter. The question we must answer is what do we do with that Runway? What are we doing with that Runway doesn't matter how long the runway is. It's what are we doing with that Runway? That's the same for every believer ever born ever will to be born. We have a purpose to serve. Today I want to share the sauce again with you. And how many of you read Charisma magazine every month? Christian magazines are out there taking please don't charge great magazines. Okay couple of you. Will there's a great article this past month and you know what to talk about a man who retired from the pulpit in 1996. Hey, that's when he retired from the pulpit. He continues to this day to be active in the United States overseas. He goes overseas mission trips eating by himself by himself.

Everyone I guess. 89 Sharon He has some tips for people just quickly. You know, what his tips are this is a big one for me. Now that I've had my hips replaced. Keep yourself physically fit got to do that. No matter how old you are. You going to keep yourself busy with it. Let God's passion become yours. He quotes Isaiah 40:31, but those who wait for the Lord to expect look for and hope in him will gain strength and renew their power. They will lift up their wings and rise up close to God like eagles Rising 2 where the sun they will run and not be weary. They will walk and not grow tired. He also says this is one that I really have tried to do and I'm going to do a more and more hang around young people invest in them. Mentor young people will talk about that in a little bit here right now. I want to show you a video about 10 minutes. So again, I can have to fly to her the rest of my sermon but this is I saw this video on its part of a sermon so you got to listen intently right off the bat. So it's not just started. She's speaking with Lisa Harper for anybody's heard that she's a woman speaker of dynamite speaker loves the Lord with all her heart and just listen up to what she has to say about recent story that happened in her life to fly from Michigan through Chicago back to Nashville, when we got to the airport the gate agent announce that because of weather in Chicago. We very likely were not going to fly to Chicago but then she added with a real perky voice but we're going to go ahead and load you on the plane anyway, and I just thought that's just stupid, but I was trying to still be a Christian cuz I've been This conference and so I love it on the plane and it's not a big plane. It's one of those little tiny tiny planes within a two seats on one side one seat on the other and I don't know if you'll float too much recent play the FAA has reconfigured plane seats where they're the exact width of Summa supermodels Fannie's so they're just they're hard to squish into and so I noticed that I'm on the double side. So I go and I get my seat. I'm feeling all kinds of hateful and I get in my regular plane posture and my regular playing posture is I put my iPhone earbuds in so that I can listen to music if I'm in a good place that's carrying married at the time in a bad place its pink but I put my earbuds in and then I get out some really deep theological Journal out of my carry-on bag like the Pottery Barn magazine or people if I'm in a really bad place us. I'm just I'm sending you see me reading us anyway. I get my magazine out and I was kind of feeling better after a few minutes because they said they were about to close the boarding door. Nobody was sitting next to me and I was like score. I've got a little more room. If we ever do leave the term I can get to Chicago then right after that. They open it back up and here comes this lady and I can see from about 25 ft that she's a talker. She's looks like a talker and she is much older and she's got like five bags. I don't know how they let Iran and I'm watching her go down the plane and try to figure out where she's sitting. I'm in 12C and 12d is open and she smiles at me and goes is that 12? And I almost lied. I almost said no ma'am. No ma'am. It is it but I just couldn't lie. She looks so sweet looks to be in her eighties. So I said, yes ma'am. This is 12 day. I helped her get everything situated never had she sits down and she tries to make eye contact, but I just don't like making eye contact people. I sit next to learn the hard way not making eye contact. I'll be polite but I'm not going to make a contact. Is that going to have a conversation? I was into bad mood to have a conversation. So I just kind of smile and don't look at her butt out of the corner of my eye and tell this woman is doing everything she can to get my attention. And so I'm burying myself into this article about Jen and Brad just very very focused on the article and she text me because she doesn't know play Natick. She doesn't have somebody already has their earbud and you are not supposed to bother them and she tapped me on the shoulder and I take out my ear bud and I said, yes mam and she said, Are you from Detroit? sweet where you are, and I said No, man.

And I gave her nothing y'all nothing. I was just totally hateful. I leaned over my magazine a little more intently. But again, she's older she doesn't know playing at a kit. She Taps me a second time and I thought you were kidding me. It's going to be one of these flies. So I take out my earbud even slower and she said are you from Chicago? And I said, no ma'am. And then I turn and put my head on my tray table cuz I can't deal with it. I know she's somebody's Grandma but she's not my Grandmama and ignore her. I'm just going to sleep on my tray table will the flight took off and I fell asleep because let next thing. I know Grandma is not only poking me. She's messing with my hanging down parts. And so I woke up. I'm a little bit offended at first until I realize what she's doing. My phone had fallen off and she was trying to put my phone back under my Hayden part. And so when I realized what she was doing was very thoughtful. I took my earbud out and I took me and I'm so sorry. I know I've been pretty rude. I've just had a super super long week and I'm worn slap out. My name is Lisa. I'm actually just flying through Chicago to go to Nashville. That's where I'm from I said where you from are you from Detroit or Chicago? And she said I'm from Detroit and my name is M83 that's so great. I said we'll miss Miss Agnes. What are you going to Chicago for not going to Chicago? I'm going to Mumbai India or not. She'd really grabbed my attention cuz I thought you know, she's traveling by herself. She's older and she's going to India and I said Miss Angeles. What are you going to India for and may as well have asked the head elf to show me the toy closet because her face just split into this huge grin, and she said this with great exaggeration. I'm going to India to tell people about Jesus. And I was like I'm going to Jimmy's truck. I turn now my full attention toward her and I said Miss Agnes. Tell me your story. We tell me how you came to know Jesus and so sure enough. She starts telling me her story. She told me she fell in love with her husband when she was fifteen. He was 17. They got married two years later after she graduated from high school. She got pregnant right away have one son things were just going swimmingly and then she got pregnant with twins and right away in that first trimester her doctor told her that one of her twin boys was very very sick. And it was very likely that he actually would not make it to turn and she said at least I was so concerned about this baby in my belly that I had a neighbor who prayed and she said just because I didn't know what else to do. I asked her to lay hands on my stomach and I pray for my children. And she said that started a relationship with my neighbor ended up going to church with her and that's where I found Jesus. She said but when I told Bill her husband that I had come to know Jesus. He said don't bring any of that religious mess up into this house. He said I'm fine for you to go to her house. I'm fine for you to go to church with her but I don't want anything to do with religion. So she said I didn't talk about it anymore. She said what I did not know was there was a gentleman who my husband became friends with at work and he had shared with him his concerns about this son that that might not make it through that relationship at Bill's Work bill became a Christian. So she said right before our Twins were born both my husband and I found our faith in Jesus Christ, and she said not too many years later where our boys were still a little bill came home from work one day and he said baby. I've lived out to call me to the ministry and she says when he was 30, and I was 28 we started at And she said I don't know if you ever been by our church and then she names this church and y'all had been sitting next to her church that week There's a coffee shop right down the street from his church. They started I sat next door to your church yesterday and she said at least I wish we had the time to tell you the Miracles we saw in that little church the people who came to know Jesus as their Savior and the marriages that were restored and the people that were healed. She said we had a chloris mastering she said, but then we were in our forties one of our boys have got married and his wife is about to have our first grandchild and I told Bill I wanted to add on to our house because she said we grew up in this little bitty house and she should I thought I want to be just a little bit bigger cuz I want one a whole mess of grandkids and I want to know I'll be able to come over and stay at Nana and Pops house and she said to save money Bill in the boys and the boy that they didn't. Could make it to term actually made it to term. He had Ms. But really amazing young man, and she said the boys came over and they decided that they would do all the construction by themselves. And she said there was a tragic accident and during this construction project bill fell off the roof and he was killed and she said and then just a few months after that my boy, he was born sick and he died and she said you no no no parent should outlive their child. And she said Lisa I fell into a pit in my early forties. It was so deep and so dark. I didn't know if I would ever get out of that pit, and she said I was in there for about a year. Simeon may feel like you're there right now. It may have been all you could do to driving and parking lot this morning. You may have thought if one girl is perky to me. I'm going to punch her in the throat. Yeah, I can't do this. I can wear the t-shirt and I can pretend but I just feel like I'm barely put one foot in front of the other. She said I was in that pit for about a year and she said and then one day I'll never forget it. Should I felt like God himself came and stood at the edge of my pet and he said Agnes I know bill was the love of your life and I know you love your son with your whole life, but they were not your life. I am your life. I am your hope to get out of debt and she said I was 43 years old and now I'm 83. She said Lisa and last 40 years. I've been on 51 International mission trips to tell people about Jesus not kidding me shoes of second half of my life has been so much more exciting than the first half of my life. She said but Lisa, can I ask you to pray for me? That's what her I can ask me anything. I don't know where I'm staying when I get to Mumbai should you know, I'm going by myself, but I know God has called me there and I know some people in Mumbai, I'm just not sure how I'm going to get from the airport. I don't know what I'm saying. And she said so when you get onto it to Nashville back come to Nashville and you put your head on your pillow tonight. Will you pray for me? And I said what I guess I'll do that. But let me go you one step better. Let me pray for you now, please pray for you. Now when it be all right with you if I lay hands on you and pray for you and she said happy wonderful and this precious ain't you in this tiny playing she leans all over into my seat and I lay hands on her this woman that I had just been so obnoxious to just 15 minutes or so. True y'all we miss Miracle sometimes I lay hands on this precious 83 year old saying and then I realize right before I start to pray the entire plane is listen to us. I mean you could have heard a plane Drop. He was little playing probably 20 people in the plane. And so I was like, alright Jesus. I pray the whole gospel in my prayer for Miss Agnes real Pentecostal prayer. We get off the plane and Chicago and I said Miss Agnes all wait with you and I'll help you get your bags and get you to your next gate. And so we were the first people off the plane waiting in the way for her bags y'all 11. I counted them 11 people from that flight of commuters when I got off the same plane stopped and said Miss. I guess I just want you to know I'll be praying for you to decide decide to Revival at O'Hare at this is unbelievable. I got her to our gate. I realized I had like 12 minutes to make my flight back to Nashville. I had to run through O'Hare and at this age that's not great. So what wearing sports bras so people were injured but I barely made it to my flight back to Nashville, but I was thinking the whole way was Lord. I want a little more Agnes. I want a little more Agnes in me y'all if you if you identify as a Christian as a follower of Jesus Christ, all of us according to scripture are compelled to show some measure that kind of diversion some measure of that kind of passion and contrary to culture. It's not based on your personality type. I don't give a flying flip what your Enneagram number is and I don't give another flip as whether Kiki loves you or not. The whole point of being a Christ follower is where ambassador's of the New Covenant. We are ministers of the Gospel. We are salt and a flavorless world. We are cities on the hill. What cannot be hidden y'all? That's who we are. That's our identity. All of us should look like Agnes all of us should be so compelled by the gospel that people can't get close to us without experiencing Jesus if you brought your Bibles turn the Hebrews because

When I heard that first on TV one night and I've had to go find it again on YouTube or wherever thought it from cuz it's only happened earlier this month was just you know, the more I watched it. I watch too many many times and I cry a little bit more every time because you know what there's many of us and I'll thank God I'm not in the pit right now, but I have been in Pitts be there might be some of you sitting here right now today that are in a pit there. Maybe somebody watching on TV or computer that you're in a pit God Is Bigger Than That pit Hey, man, what to think of this 83 year old woman? The second half of her life is been more exciting than the first half of her life. She's finishing well. She's finishing well, and you know what, you know Lisa point-blank said, I feel terrible. I didn't act like a Christian. Imini time zone act like a Christian. I'm not asking you to put up your hands and say when you don't when you do I know a few weeks ago on a wonderful person in our church said did you tell your wife how beautiful she is today? And you know what? I did Ice Cal that person because I sent you know what inside I tell my wife everyday how beautiful she is. I don't need somebody asked me to tell me that but I have to apologize inwardly and outwardly that person perfect. We're going to make mistakes, but we have that New Covenant that Lisa talked about we share the love of God. You don't her desire. Agnes's desire was to make a different. She wanted to tell people about Jesus and he's 3 years old. Can you imagine? I sure hope when I'm 80 years old and if the Lord tarries Roxanne and I are still traveling the world for Christ. James 4:14 who got remember this you do not know the least thing about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life it really but a whisper Vapor puff of smoke a Mist that is visible for a little while then disappears Into Thin Air. Everyday, we got to live our life to the fullest. We don't know number one if we'll be here tomorrow the Lord comes back. We don't know if something happens. We don't know why things happen Psalms 91:16 though. I quote this verse almost everyday. With long life I will satisfy him and show him myself Asian. For those of you of enter the second half of Life which were talking about. You have so much wisdom. You can share with young people. So much. They need to hear what you can tell them. Some younger people and I'm not sending our church, but I am some younger people have never seen the power of Pentecost. Have not seen it. They go to church Sunday morning. They hear it and they believe they have no, but they've never seen the power. Some people, you know, I'm Pastor Stan can attest to this and the older ones in the room like me Sunday night services that went on for 3 or 4 hours 5 hours. And you know what you knew yet to work the next day or go to school, but you had more energy Monday morning when you woke up then if you'd gone to bed at a normal time and Sunday night. some young people have never ever attended the midweek service. They need to hear the stories you have they need to hear how you stood firm. And your trust in God when Temptation came.

They need to know how you stood for God when no one else did when all your friends were laughing at you. They need to know how you stood for God. They need to know that they don't have to be popular because you're already popular with Jesus.

They need an excuse me. They need to know that they can confidently take a stand and say that I'm different. Without any fear we can tell them all that stuff because it's all happened to you. I know it has. They need to know that their help comes from the Lord. They need to know that standing for Jesus. Holiness and righteousness is all they need.

You know when we were teenagers and you control hand for this one how many of you thought you could change the world when you were teenager? Kay Somers dead. Yeah. You know what happens to a lot of people and thankfully nobody here. There's a lot of people by the time they get in their thirties and forties of world has changed them. They haven't changed the world. We have a Believers or wheat. Sorry, we as Believers have a responsibility and commitment no matter what length of our Runway is. That's meant for younger Believers. So they're not changed by the world. You know what? I'm going to try cutting this down cuz it's 11:59 already Hoops. Do we as Believers make excuses for for why we can't do something. Do we make excuses on why we can't do something. Okay. Thank you Pastor Shawn for taking a course with you. You know why we do or why I know we do. I just have to open the Bible and see all the people in the Bible that made excuses Moses. God is Moses said to God in Exodus 3 and I should go to pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Exodus for behold they will listen to me. You don't pay my voice the Lord the Lord is not appear to you. These words are coming from his mouth. Somebody who? You know, it's a lot closer probably tonight. Then we are to God. even Jeremiah You know God reminded him before I formed you in the womb I knew and approved of you is my chosen instrument.

I don't want any of us making excuses a God or the X-ray that Moses and others did no one of you should ever say you're unworthy. No one here should ever say that you're not authorized cuz you are authorized you're authorized cuz your believer in Christ. You should never say I'm unable and you should never say I'm unwilling. No, I'm going to just add a little bit of humor here. I should know more jokes humor. How many of us how many of you ever have ever said do not feel led to do something? Thank you. Thank you for being honest some of you said okay now I can't take credit for this. But recently I saw Pastor talking. About about feeling lead so you know what he did to his congregation. It took a piece of lead out of his pocket. it said now you feel that. So I've got 10 extra pieces of lead this morning here with me at church. If any of you want one just come see me afterwards. I'd be happy to give you one. You know, they were fishing for fishermen standells how to use and but you know, it's true, right? We now feel bad or is this a good reminder carry piece of that around in your purse in your pocket? I thought that was amazing when I heard that makes so many excuses. We're not going to go over and by the one excuse we can never make Is it I'm too old. We can never make that excuse. Cuz we're never too old are runways Never Too Short. We don't always need a blessing. We need to be a blessing.

You know again can't as much as hard as I try to find the words of Jesus in the Bible. I can't find them take up your cross until you're 65 the lay it down and take up your fishing pole move to Vancouver Island. I've never seen that I've never seen that. And I nor will I ever you know, and I said this for many years. You don't retire you refire it read fire and finish. Well, you're never too young you're never too old. You're never too old. You never too tired and I just going to stress it again. You have something that people need to hear.

What's going on in your life and went on in your life? Might be for somebody else. Give me a minion going back to the hips. You'll be amazed how many people ask me now that I don't even know who they are after they hear. I had to hips done. Would you do to me if she gets in at the same time? She even something like that telling sharing with people sharing with people. The knowledge of Jesus you have in your heart. You can share that love. And again, it's a line. We've heard many times. You may be the only Jesus and some of your friends neighbors colleagues ever see. God wants us to finish. Well how many people like salt in a wreck does didn't put up his hand but he does. k Salt is good for nothing if you don't take it out of the box. Millard Fuller of Habitat for Humanity said many Christians don't get out of the box. So we have a bunch of salty Christians just salt in each other. Week after week and they don't go outside and do what they're supposed to do is a Buddy Christ and Kingdom work being soft and Society Agnes on the video is definitely so soft and light we are to be Salt and Light. You know, we're going to start giving you sharing your testimony with someone. They don't want to hear. That's okay. You going to the next person and the next person you don't stop when one person says no, we may fail at things, but it's better to fail then just sit there and do nothing. You know, we need to wake and every morning to say. I get to pray today. That I have to pray today I get to pray today I get to read the Bible today. I get to be kind to someone today I get to go to church today how many excited you came to church today? Play Man absolutely have to make a difference for God today. Always knowing that God is with you. He loves you. He's not going to fail you. If you want joy, Soulja Boy if you want Faith so face if you want love so love. It's time to let God attack your comfort level. It's time to go to the next level when God wants to take you to that next level. He's going to challenge you. Some of you know what the next question is. So Pastor Ricky don't even have put up your hand. How many of you like change? al pastor Rick one of his hand best Shawn Pastor Trevor

That's right. That's right change is hard change is not easy. But if God Is nudging You Do you think he's going to leave you behind absolutely not.

Moses had many doubts

even though God said to him I am. Translate all of you this morning. I am. God Is Bigger than any fear you have is bigger than any dope is bigger than any circumstance or any pic going on in your life.

He is bigger than that. He's preparing the way for you. Some of you probably said it's been sitting here thinking is getting shorter and shorter every day.

The length is not important what's important? It's what you do with it. That's important.

I challenge all of you today to make a difference. I don't speak in myself to don't worry about that charger all make a difference. for some of you

You may God may call you to go to China some of you. God may call you go to Africa. He may call you to go to knock on your next door neighbor's house. He make challenge you to do something, but when he does. Don't run scared. I just want to and what I read a verse from Psalms 91, I'm just going to end up with reading Psalms 91 is a powerful chapter in the Bible. I want to thank you for your time this morning. I want you to listen as I read this. King who dwells in the shelter of the most high will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the almighty whose power no enemy can withstand. Remember what I read this this entire chapters for all of you today. I will say of the Lord he is my refuge and my Fortress my God in whom I trust With great confidence and on whom I Rely for he will save you from the trap of the Fowler and from the deadly pestilence, he will cover you and completely protect you with his pinions and under his wings. You will find Refuge. His faithfulness is a shield in a wall. You will not be afraid of the terror of night nor the arrow that flies by day nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness nor the destruction sudden death that lays waste at noon a thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but danger will not come near you. You only be a spectator. If you look on with your eyes and witness the Divine repayment of the wicked if you watch safely from the shelter of the most high Because you have made the Lord who is my refuge even the most high your dwelling place. No evil will befall you nor will any play come near your tent or he will command his angels in regard to you to protect and defend and guard you in all of your ways of a medians and service. They will lift up their hands so that you do not even strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and Cobra the Young Lion and the serpent was Trampled Under Foot because he said his love on me. Therefore. I will save him. I will set him securely on high because he knows my name. He confidently trusts and relies on me knowing I will never abandon him. No never he will call upon me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and let him see my solvation. Please you don't use use your Runway use your time. to do what you can for the Lord because you know what our time is so short Could be today could be 10 years from now could be a hundred years from now, but our time here so short and that's just you know, it's meant to the young people want to see young people people under 40. So much wisdom in this room right now. God wants you to just use that wisdom and never ever. I don't want to ever hear anyone say in his congregation that you're never too old.

Yes, thank you. Lord a good encouraging word. I just lay out today just a few announcements. Remember. We have a potluck happening today and