10-06-19 PASTOR ANDREW

Keep on getting better.

We all have expectations in our lives of things. In fact when we wake up in the morning, typically we have an expectation of that day and often times when we have an expectation of that day, but some of us is based on what yesterday was if yesterday wasn't that great then I'm just hoping that I can come out of the hole today if yesterday was good. Then I'm hoping I can keep it going keep going whatever it was. I had yesterday but sometimes when we stopped and we really think about the Lord our savior. Every single day gets better every day gets better no matter what you can come up with God is able to do better.

He is doing better because he's working it out for our good every single thing that we are dealing with. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. My name is Andrew fryer. I am the pastor of horse-drawn church and on behalf of hearts drawing church and everyone that is connected. I want to welcome you this morning to church I get it. That's not a steeple outside. I get it. The seeds aren't what you would normally expected to church for the Bible says where two or three are gathered in my name there. I hear this morning a man and give him a raise.

A man a man a man. I am excited excited excited. I'm always excited when I get an opportunity to come before you because I don't want you to hear from me. I want you to hear from the Lord. That's why I'm always excited when he gives me a word to share with you all excited about that and we are in the middle of a series right now called I'm in If any of you are football fans, I happen to be a Gator fan and so I'm feeling real good right now. But but but if any of you happen to be football fans, okay, then right now is when you get a chance to the cheer on your team right now is when you get The way your jersey or hang your flag or whatever it is. You do in this particular season now is that time but most importantly what we're saying in the middle of his team that I'm rooting for this team. What did you know, when we accept Jesus is our Lord and savior was chosen a team we chosen assign it. So every morning when we get up we got to thank God that we are able to cheer on what he is doing in our lives the Small Things the big things and everything in between were able to share the goodness of our lord. It's over the past couple of weeks. We talked about the idea of a minute. So we talked about the first being I'm invited to God's family, but I'm invaluable the God's work and today I'm influential for the glory of God. MX we will be talking about how we can be invested in God's Church Father in Heaven God. We thank you Lord for yet another opportunity to come into your house. By the way. Thank you Lord it on this day. You saw fit to allow us to wake up close and then I'll write Minds guy by the we don't take it for granted God that you kept the enemy away last night Lord and that you allowed us God to wake this morning God. Desire to be in church today, but couldn't Lord, but father we thank you Lord. Bet that no accidents in your kingdom God the Father. We thank you Lord for each and every person that is here God now father. We pray God that you would still our minds God that you would settle our hearts Lord and that they will be good soil Lord to hear a word from you for the reason all things. We ask in the name of your son Jesus. We pray. Amen. Amen.

And they're all in that teen and in just a little while my oldest son to become 20 and so he's just leaving that phase of teams and and thing.

You're right in the middle of it. And so what that means is that there's a lot of social media going on at our house. That means it is Snapchat and and Facebook where they don't do Facebook. and all those other different things that are all coming into the house. And one of the things that seems to be Universal among children in that particular ages, is that interested in how many likes did I get? Who am I following who's following me and all of those great things. But but ultimately what they all hope for is to be some kind of an influencer. What we understand about influences is that that means you got a number of followers. That means that people are moving to do things based on what you say. But can I tell you that the world has taken that term influencer? And change it around to the way where it's not what it was really meant to be. Until today when I talk about I'm in I'm saying that we are influential. The god did his work it so my question is if if I asked you would you say that you are an influencer would you say how many will raise their hand and say I'm an influencer? Maybe you don't have the little blue thing next to your name on Instagram and you know what it says that the world has said you're okay and things like that or maybe you don't have some of that other stuff. But the fact that if you ask yourself the question is often don't think they were influential because we don't have the platform because there are thousands of people following us because on every word that we go through people are making decisions on that today. I want to challenge you with that the whole idea of are you an influencer? Are you an influencer?

Is an individual who has the power to affect purchase decisions of others because of their Authority knowledge or relationship with the audience. Describe an influencer. Nobody's buying anything because I bought it nobody's dress in a certain way because I dressed a certain way again. I would challenge you and that particular deal. I would challenge you in that particular idea. You have no idea how one conversation one word of encouragement one expression of love my change somebody's life. I've heard over and over again when I talk to people and I've seen and read about people that even committing suicide or committing suicide. They always seem to remember the last couple of words. Somebody said somebody said this thing to me and that took me over the edge you always here when you see it about what the last conversation was that somebody had.

Who killed because his father was part of a gang and and his gang had killed another person's games brother and he decided that they would execute this nine year old boy who had nothing to do with it. When he began to talk about what happened on his way to the time when he would meet that particular untimely death everyone who talked to him said he happen to call me at that day. And you happen to say I love you in and I'll be home soon then and I'm on my way to school. We always tend to remember that last couple of words that get said when I talk often times when we think about how we communicate with people how we engage with those people that are closest to us if you want to step back and think about what were your last words? Did the people that are most important to you if you have to take a snapshot right now and say Here's the last thing I said to a person that cares that I care about or that I believe cares about me.

That's why I say that an expression of Love might change someone's life. That's why we don't know what it's like when when someone comes into church and and the first person they encountered somebody who is smiling who is happy because you never know what somebody went through to even get here. Some people say but I won't go but if I show up I'm looking for a reason they don't treat me right at the door. If I don't hear the right music if something don't go right that minute I get a sense that something is not right then.

If you come across a good word a kind word a kind gesture that helps you make a decision and we never know when we come together for the glory of God what he wants to do in our lives. That's why it's so important that we have no idea about one conversation one word encouragement when expression of love, how can change somebody's life. What Jesus had a similar situation in his life where he had the opportunity to affect somebody's life and to change somebody who didn't think they were anyting into a mighty influencer for God and the reason was talking about that is because if you qualified yourself pass the past three or four weeks, they may see something that's not good. If you go back far enough to my timeline. You might see something. Play Demi loves to disqualify us that we love to get us thinking about this qualifying myself in that way, but I want to show you how Jesus operated in his day and how somebody who would have had a similar thought process Wanda being used as an influencer for God. Look at what it says in Matthew chapter 5 verses 13 13 through 16 Hazel with called to do it says that you are so of the Earth but if the salt loses its flavor how shall it be? It is been good for nothing, but to be thrown out and Trampled Under Foot by me. But you are light of the world. A city that is set on the hill that cannot be hidden. Who God says we are salt and if you know anything about salt, you know, you only need just a little bit. You only need just a little bit for it to make a difference. In fact, you know most of the time when with my grandmother will make biscuits and stuff like that. It will be in measured in pictures. If you if you had a teaspoon you got too much. I promise you but whatever it is, you're making it. So what we found out is that all it takes is a little Jesus, which means that no matter how small our contribution seems to be no matter how small or insignificant we seem to be. We are the salts. We are the ones that make a difference. That's why that one conversation is so important. What Jesus found himself Jesus found himself working and in verse 16? This is what he says let your light so shine before men. That they may see your good works and glorify your father in Heaven. Let your light shine that was interested in is this for somebody who who who likes lied and and and and

I want to figure out if the lights the right mood if it's the right color. I want to figure out if it's bright enough. I want to figure out if it if it looks right if I can see through it if it's

in terms of But the truth of the matter is it's no matter. How damn the light is the darkness is what really determines how close enough visibility is Does anybody know what the definition of a lumen?

500ss we say 61. What is anybody know what the definition of aluminum is? Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that talks back.

the question is Let me tell you how they measure light. Play measure light by how far away it is. And the Lumen is simply at the idea of one candle so far away and can I see it? That's what it is, but we get caught up in three and four and five lives and we need a whole bunch on us and we got to have all of these things happening, but in reality if you haven't realized it.

stop Stihl saw part of the reason is because they had adjusted themselves. Define the light in the darkest places. How many of us are looking for light? But we think it's too dark to see it because one allow myself to adjust to it because you won't settle in and say God. I know I'm where you want me to be. But some of us it may be in our Communications in our relationship you're saying we're in a dark place a dry place and I don't see any lights anywhere around when I look at it. I challenge you to settle into that and ask God to show you where the light is ask him to illuminate your path lamps don't create a whole bunch of like just for the record, but that's what he says that I'm a lamp. And so you got to consider it. That way you got to consider it that way to a lasting influence starts with people not a platform.

It starts with people not a platform that's good news for me because I look and see that. I got 75 followers except for that's okay. I don't need thousands and thousands of followers. I don't

What's my name and and all of that kind of great stuff? because I would challenge that those people that have those marks next to their name and hundreds of thousands of millions of people following them He probably can call the name. They probably can figure out how to reach them. If something was really happened in the guy that asked them to do something for somebody that's follow. How long would it take them to get today? So I found myself settling in as I described earlier and saying do I know the 50 people who decided to follow me? Can I reach them? What do I know about them other than they are following me? And when I began to think about that I said, you know what? I am an influencer. Because if I know just one person that I can have a good conversation with if I know just one person that's watching my life. I'm influencing to the glory of God. Damn. It will get us to think that we got to have tons of people around us. But how did you send out the disciples first in Jerusalem? Then out to the outermost parts. How many messy at work we need to do in our house. I can tell you I got some cousins and them okay, if you knew them you might say how did you come out of that in mind and wind up being a pastor? How did you do that? I may go to my family reunions still see somebody with a brown bag wrapped around a bottle and maybe I don't understand.

I've given you the people to influence you don't always have to have a platform. That's why I say that we are influential to the work of God. Put on your mind those two or three people that I know.

Do you because that's who God is asking you to influence influence. Influenza always is it always instant? But it is always is not always obvious either. Sometimes we can say a word to somebody and it seems like it didn't make a difference. I told him that was wrong, but they just kept on going they didn't listen. But the truth of the matter is we never know how the holy spirit is working in their lives. Even after we have departed from them. Even after we've gone in a different direction you find yourself understanding that all but later on when I checked the record I find out they did turned just a little to the left or the right based on that is most obvious. Cause me who I'm dealing with that first year of college and she's not home anymore. So I can't I can't know exactly when she comes in and when she leaves Ml weekends now where I don't see her over the weekend and so transparent moment sometimes I'm nervous I'm saying there's a lot of people at that college at that Cottage. I control the things I can control. She doesn't drive yet. She doesn't have a phone call yet. I need to see her operating some books first, and then we'll we'll talk about how that happens. But every now and then out of the blue shield, call me. Hey, Dad, what you up to? Nothing everything? All right, cuz if you call that.

It's a Saturday and hadn't heard from just calling and I'm thinking of myself. That's what I those. Those are the fees. They got planted a long time ago. Never discount the people that God has placed in your life to influence. Denver Samaritan a man never discount that

and decided to come through Samaria decided to come through as well.

It's always said I'm going to sit at this well for a little while and and and and and wait and see what happens if a woman comes up. She comes up to fill our water and go through a normal process Excedrin happens Upon Jesus Jesus.

Before she can answer the original request. She starts thinking about who's asking and why are they asking? Sometimes a package sometimes the influence doesn't come in the way we expected to come look at it in scripture. You are a Jew and I am a woman. How can you ask me for a drink for Jews? Do not associate with Samaritans Jews don't associate with the man Jesus and who it is that asked you for a drink you would have asked him and he would have given you living. My dog was sometimes bring people in our path that we didn't even expect to come until I pass Grandma used to say look, make sure you you're nice to people cuz you never know when you're Entertaining Angels. Best used to say the truth of the matter is that this woman was thinking in her carnal was thinking hey here. I am and he's a guy that's not supposed to say anything to me speaking to me. She already disqualified himself. I'm at the man today at 4. I'm not worthy of having this conversation with you. how to get that degree so I'm not worthy of applying for that particular job I got some things going on in my past. So I'm not worthy of sharing my testimony with somebody else because they might know something about me in exchange for the couch basically says to her that listen you obviously don't know who I am obviously don't know that that if you knew who I was you would not be just accepting the fact that I'm asking you for water, but you would be asking me it's confusing every now and then Jesus will say things that are confusing. Let's move on. Anyone who drinks this water will also become thirsty. Again. That's that kind of water. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty and become a fresh and bubbling spring within them giving them eternal life giving them eternal life.

And sometimes we find ourselves settling for the carnal thing.

Pizza Hut can pass me by then. I'm okay. I didn't put you that exist. I put you that the forward my kingdom the influence in My Kingdom. That's why people come to you and ask you all these questions and fly seems like everybody's got something to say to you. Because you so smart. Because God is orchestrated that thing he is putting those people in your path. And because he has put them in your path. That means that you don't have to worry about whether or not you got it all together. The Samaritan woman did not have it all together. In fact, Jesus begin to tell us some things about herself. They wouldn't of made her Instagram page with the made her her page that she would have something that may be other people didn't know to do that. Look at it scripture. Jesus told her I don't have a husband. The one that said you're right. You don't have a husband, but let me tell you about yourself or you have had five husbands. And you aren't even married to the man you're living with now you certainly spoke the truth. Jesus has to make us transparent has to say the look. I know what's going on with you because I know that I'm still. notice he tells her how she would be disqualified in Man's eyes, which is a anyway. How many times has God since you to do something to say something to have an influence and then when you think about it you said but wait, I got all this stuff. How how do we handle that? How do we handle that particular thing? God is and I didn't ask for you to give me excuses. I asked you to go. I asked you to be the influencer that I called you to be. she says Certainly. He said something that you have spoken the truth. The woman said, okay now she's getting former. Okay, you want me to reply you must be a prophet. You must know some things about it. How many of us at times when God is giving us an opportunity to influence people when that word is come across my mind that we feel like I should say this. I grew up with he said, you know your business is your business. My business is my business. We are business don't need the house. Maybe y'all heard some of those some of those things before I heard some things I need to say, but but I just can't figure out how to say it. Am I a hypocrite if I said we was at the club together a couple of weeks ago and now you're telling me to the share with somebody that maybe this isn't this isn't the way to go. Maybe you find yourself saying what I see that this marriage is in trouble, but I'm divorce. So I can't possibly maybe you find yourself thinking to yourself. You know what I don't have my finances together, but I see that's a bad decision. God is saying it was that we have to not disqualify ourselves. He has created us as influencers South influences the flavor of the meal that is a part of. And even when it gets it and you don't see it anymore, you can still taste. How many of us is God said listen giving you gifts I'll give you things that you can do better than somebody else not because your degree says it because your bank account says it all because everybody else in the world and said it but because I have brought you through some things. That's why you are uniquely qualified to influence people because they know you they know your story if they don't know your story your story is a path to it. That's why we have to be okay with said this is who I am. Because you never know when you say that is somebody else is going to go? I thought I was the only one I thought I was the only one that dealt with with the dad that had the issue. I thought I was the only one that grew up in a place. That was the only one who is concerned about how I'm going to make things turn that closet into something full of light. All those skeletons and things that we like to say that we put away. God said no. I'm just building you up. Because if he says that it all works together, that means all your mess. That means all the times you failed at least all the times. You didn't get it right all of it works together. If we all do our part, so this woman here understands that she's got some issues. That's why she wasn't probably look at what she said the woman left her water job beside the well and ran back to the Village telling everybody left the job there. Left the job that realize that you know what this thing that I'm after it ain't so important no more this thing that Drew me here is not so important anymore. What I'm interested in now is being an influencer and all I'm doing is telling everyone what if you read it slowly

Everyone was all the people in her Village who knew about the other husbands who knew that she was a woman of the night if they would have said in that time. They knew who she was but he said her right back to them. It's okay, if people knows your past, it's okay if they understand what God has done for you and what he's brought you out of it's okay because it's not us anyway, and that's what we got to understand people don't get converted people don't accept Christ because we look good because we speak good with good diction. They don't do that.

More than anything that they've got going on in the world. We don't do that. How do I know? They don't do that? Because if you look at any other social media, everybody's perfect. Everybody looks perfect. Everybody's got the perfect shape. Everybody seems to be on vacation. Nobody ever seem to have any issues and praise God y'all was really on vacation and man has got all this stuff going on. When's the last time you saw on social media where somebody said? Listen? I'm going through some stuff. And if you see that, it'll be one or two people. And what are they typically say? I need my prayer warriors. the pray with me And we find the quickest emoji and we stick it on the inside. There you go. I just did I just did it. I just added to your account. I just added to whatever it was that was going on what I did. God calling us to pick up the phone to call some people that say some things to some people. That's what he's calling us to do.

Family Guy before that's why I asked you if you would influence. What do you mean by that exception? But if you don't want least one person that will listen to you at least one person that will pick up the phone when you call the human influenza and God is calling us to use that influence for his glory to tell everybody about what took place. And what did she say come and see a man who told me everything I did. Could you possibly be the Messiah?

Tina's playlist that I've got a challenge for you from a from a Pharisees perspective. She did say that that I can read it and recite everything. She didn't say that I figured everything in life at all. She said was come and see. That's all she said come to church with me Sunday. Let's just see what God will do in your life if you sure. Come sit down and have a conversation with me in a Bible study.

I see what the Holy Spirit would do in your life come and see a man who told me everything. I did isn't it interesting that she's pointing at herself. She didn't save come see me cuz I know you need this. I know your life is jacked up. So I'm trying to get you to a place where your stuff can get fixed. That wasn't her position on her posture. And often times is Christian. That's how we come we come and we say listen I can see that you jacked up. So I need to save you I need to bring you into a place where this thing can happen when God is saying wait, wait, wait, there's a plank in your eye this some stuff going on in your life. But look at how she approached it everything that I ever did. In other words, I know that you see me on the street the other day. I know that you know about the other for me and I understand that you know how I make my living but I need you to come and see somebody who could tell me everything in my life. And I'm sure he can tell you everything in yours. That's what she did she came in. She did that. So again this woman who would have been nothing the reason she was out there 12 wasn't because that was the best time to get what she was out there 12 noon because nobody else went out there at 12 noon because it was so hot. She thought she was avoiding. She thought she was avoiding the ridicule that would take place because Everybody knew who she was. Isn't it interesting how God will push us to know just into a way and that way we think we hide and we think we we we got something going on guys, and I'm waiting on you there. Remember, he said that if you make your bed in hell, I'm there. I'm there. I'm going to meet you where you are. So when the enemy says to you, you're not qualified when your past is too bad for something to happen when he says look at your kids. When you got to ask God what have you called me to say? That's why we come before him and we start we always pray that he will prepare our hearts and our minds. Because that's what he requires. It's not us doing the talking is him doing.

Streaming from the village to see him they came they come because they like Jesus. No. Did they come because they would give us giving away something? No. They came because they said if he'll do it for her. He got to be able to do it for me. That's why we have all been jacked up. And truth of the matter is we are all being perfected. Let me be clear about this thing on this side of and that is life. stuff still happens But thank God that every day he gives us new Mercies in other words. He keeps getting better every single day. That's why I realized that there's some things that I didn't think you could do that. He was able to do. So now if I ask a question, are you an influencer? Are you able to influence how many would raise your head now and say I see that there's somebody in my life that I can speak to? I see that there's somebody in my life that would answer my question because we are influences. And now the only question is is when we be influences for him. And if we influences for him, then he only requires a couple things. First he has to come into relationship with his son Jesus. First he asked us to say yes to him. the woman didn't say but they're not going to he