Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Welcome to the World Changers Church Gold Coast podcast. Join us as we listen to today's message.
[00:00:05] Father, we give you thanks this morning.
We give you thanks this morning just for who you are, what you're doing in and around our lives.
Lord, we trust you, we love you, we appreciate you, we're guided by you.
And Lord, this isn't a place to be entertained, but to encounter God.
This is a place where we seek the heavenly Father's face.
Lord, we forget about all things this morning. Holy Spirit, just minister to each and every heart as they encounter you. Jesus.
Father, we thank you for this time of worship that we've received this morning and given and we give you all praise to Jesus. In Jesus name we say, come on, give the Lord a hand clap of praise. Amen.
Come on, give the Lord a hand clap of praise. Amen.
[00:01:16] Amen.
[00:01:18] Hallelujah.
You know, I got to say, it's good to have Kass back this morning. Amen.
We've been keeping up with her journey through social media, but there's nothing like seeing somebody in person. So be sure to give her a hug this morning. Amen.
Amen.
You may be seated. I know after a worship set like that, you kind of go, well, I'm just ready to go home. Jesus is good.
It was good to have Leah on the worship team this morning as well.
I think that was her first time up. She looked like a pro and a natural.
[00:02:01] Amen.
Amen.
[00:02:04] Praise God for all things.
Turn to two or three people and say, welcome to church this morning.
[00:02:12] Amen.
[00:02:23] My wife, she took it upon herself to not just turn to two or three people, but to run two or three rows.
I love that everybody loves each other this morning.
[00:02:35] Amen.
[00:02:36] If it's your.
If it's your first time visiting World Changers this morning, can you just lift your hand? We won't make a big deal. All right. Welcome this morning.
Glad to have you here. Be sure to stop by the connect desk and say hello. And if nothing else, be sure to grab a coffee on your way out this morning.
[00:02:59] Amen.
[00:03:00] So excited.
I tell you what, there is.
I actually am sad that I'm closing out this series called Counter Culture.
I believe it's been a good series. What do you think? Have you enjoyed it in the past couple weeks?
I think in the first week we talked about embracing Kingdom Culture over secular culture, and we actually defined what Kingdom Culture, what it is. And we pretty much said that Kingdom Culture is Jesus centred.
[00:03:35] Amen.
[00:03:36] Any culture. I think Paul said anything that preaches anything opposite of Jesus is just not the doctrine we follow.
[00:03:43] Amen.
[00:03:44] And I think that Kingdom Culture also is grounded in biblical truths over worldly ideology. Now, there's plenty of self help books out there that are good.
There's plenty of diets that are good. There's plenty of things that are good, but there's nothing like the word of God to radically change your life.
[00:04:03] Amen.
[00:04:05] We also talked about Kingdom Culture is about living in holiness and love. I feel like holiness has been a bad word to say in church. Like, oh, you know, just, this is a place where you belong. Yes, it is. This is a place where you can be you. Yes, it is. But when we start talking about holiness, like, oh, I don't want you to. What did my wife call me the last night? A fuddy duddy. What does that even mean?
I'm like, what generation is that from?
She called me a fuddy duddy. Don't be a fuddy duddy. And then the whole house called me a fuddy duddy.
We don't want to be pookie. We don't want to be spooky pookie. We don't want to be holy rollers. But holiness has nothing to do with that. Holiness inside the kingdom is a life set apart for the master's use. Now, holiness is not a the way your life looks, okay? Because your life can be up and down, in and out, and like a roller coaster. But holiness is a mindset and a heart posture and a spiritual position.
That's kingdom.
[00:05:14] Amen.
[00:05:15] I'm just kind of going back through the notes, and then last week we talked about living counter-culturally, a call to align with those kingdom values. We talked about how we're going to reject secular culture and the way people dress at the beach. I think that's the most that anybody remembered from that message, is what I said in that moment. And individualism over kingdom. You know, we talked about how secular culture is about you, the individual. And there's two seats right here, boys, that there's like, that secular culture is about you, where Kingdom Culture is about us, right. And that this is not just about our moral laws or how we've been raised. This is about the absolute truth of the word of God. So there's a call to align ourselves with the word of God, but not to make desperate changes that cause disturbances in our lives. See, sometimes religion will cause you to make a desperate change, to try and be like the pressure that we find in church culture.
[00:06:29] Amen.
[00:06:31] I find it so sad that people can't even be welcomed in church because of people that are just constantly looking around, looking to say what's wrong with their life.
I can't stand that. And if you do that here, just go be a parking lot prophet.
[00:06:47] Amen.
[00:06:49] But let me catch you doing it. I'm going to give you a big, tight hug.
[00:06:54] Amen.
[00:06:57] What's wrong with me this morning? I'm having fun in Jesus.
It's strange to see me smile. Hey, you're like, what's coming? This is kind of like a joker smile.
But we talked about last week about a call to Kingdom Culture and to leave secular culture. This week we're gonna talk about redefining, listen to me, redefining church culture versus Kingdom Culture and establishing Kingdom Culture in this body of believers.
Because sometimes church culture can just look like a set of rules. Well, here at World Changers, and this is what we believe, this is who we are. And if that's just defining us, but it separates us from the body of Christ, we've left Kingdom Culture.
Does that make sense? Because it's not about me. I told someone the other day, a radical statement, because you're just such a kingdom pastor, you just don't mind sending people to other churches and stuff like that. And I'm like, well, because I don't own people.
[00:08:09] One.
[00:08:10] And I'm a part of a ministry that started the day that Jesus raised from the dead, ascended to heaven and sent down the Holy Spirit.
I'm a part of that ministry. World Changers have partnered with that ministry.
And if your ministry is partnered with that ministry, guess what? We're in the same ministry.
[00:08:29] Amen.
[00:08:32] Praise the Lord.
But so even within church, when we talk about being counterculture, cultural influences can sometimes lead us to practice traditions that drift away from kingdom values. And living counter-culturally means we've got to. We got to be discerning when church culture has become all about human rules instead of God's grace.
[00:09:00] Amen.
[00:09:02] Well, I mean, human rules are, at my house with, you know, a house full of boys and my wife, we have some human rules, and you can imagine what those are. Lift the toilet seat.
We have human rules that are just. They're just, they're meant to work together and unite us, but they're not meant to define us.
[00:09:24] Amen.
[00:09:25] And what I'm talking about inside these human rules, inside of church is we can sometimes fall into legalism versus kingdom freedom. Does that make sense?
And we become judges and jurors of other people's lives. When we're not even got it all together ourselves.
[00:09:45] Does that make sense?
[00:09:47] So when I look at redefining church culture, I wanna look at what lines up with God's grace and then what lines up with our human rules that we've created for control.
Does that make sense? Is it? Y'all already got quiet.
Now y'all know why I was so jokey in the beginning. So legalism versus kingdom freedom. At times, church culture can become bogged down with legalism, placing undue emphasis on rules and to-do’s that God never intended. You know what the greatest to-do that we have from Christ?
Only believe.
Some people struggle with their identity in Christ because they cannot accept that God has forgiven them. They cannot accept that God's not thinking about their past. They cannot accept that their offering is good enough, even though they didn't give the $200 and they gave the 50 cent piece. It's not about how much you do, it's about the posture that you do it from.
[00:10:49] Amen.
[00:10:50] Does that make sense? And if your heart is in the right place, and if God before you, who can be against you?
[00:10:58] Amen.
[00:11:00] So we sometimes put undue pressure on people that God never intended. The freedom offered in Christ isn't a license to sin. Listen to me. The freedom in Christ is not a license to sin, but it's an invitation to live by grace.
[00:11:22] Amen.
[00:11:24] Let me give you an example.
If a millionaire walked in the room and you knew it, some of us would respond. Some of us are like, I don't care about money, but just go with the analogy. If a millionaire walked in the room and you knew he had money, how different? Now you're in church and you're going to say, oh, no, I wouldn't treat him different because I treat everybody with God's grace. Now, most of us, let's be real, would try and get close to that person because I've got a business idea and that might be my new investor. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? We would act differently because of what they have, and we would respond differently because of what we can get from them, because we're giving them respect.
That's not manipulation, that's just respect.
And sometimes I find that when you understand the mercies of God that have been placed on your life, you will give that reasonable duty, that living sacrifice, that heart posture, because you understand what's been given to you and the abundant more God has for you. When you have respect and a holy fear for God, you don't do that because you're following some rules. You do that because of how great he is. Is. And how good he's been to you.
[00:12:46] Amen.
[00:12:47] When we lose the love, we've lost everything.
The Bible says that we can be as loud as tambourines and trumpets, but not have love, and it's all worth nothing.
[00:13:03] Amen.
[00:13:04] So I'm trying to tell you this morning that when you accept Galatians 5:1, is the first scripture I want to go to. When you accept this freedom. So Christ, look at this.
Has truly set us free.
I'm going to do something radical this morning. I know we probably programmed those in, but can I switch that to new King James Version? So Christ has set us free.
And that's something we need to have a revelation about, that freedom is not a license to sin. It's to live in grace. So look at what it says in the NIV. But new King James. Stand fast.
Stand fast. Therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free. Listen, somebody. Jeremy. Stand fast.
That was stand slow. All right.
Stand fast. That was stand fast. Amen.
You give me. Come on. Yeah, that was stand fast. Stand firm. Look, he need like a little flex in there.
Michelle, he been working out.
[00:14:17] Amen.
[00:14:18] Michelle. Probably over there right now. I can tell. Honey, we were. Stand firm.
Stand fast. Therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, confidently understand that you are saved.
And when you confidently understand and have that freedom, that is your focus that you give to others.
When you are still trying to figure it out, you're looking at all the other people failing. Say, see, I used to make that same mistake. And that's why I didn't have that freedom. Because you're judging and criticising everyone around you. Because you're focused on the failure instead of the freedom.
[00:15:00] Amen.
[00:15:01] Come on, somebody.
And do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Stand firm in the freedom that you're in. So this yoke that they're talking about, they put a yoke around an oxen. You ever seen, like, a buggy and carriage, like on a horse? And they put reins, but they put something else on there pulling that heavy weight. That's a yoke. And so that ox or that that horse is bound to the weight that it's pulling behind it.
When you take a yoke off an ox or a horse, when it's been under that heavy burden, what happens, Leo, is it has this freedom. Its posture changes. You understand what I'm saying? It stands a little straighter and it stands firm. In the fact that that weight is off. So when we look at Kingdom Culture, we should shake off when someone tries to put the yoke of bondage on us with their words.
[00:16:11] Amen.
Amen.
[00:16:14] You ever had somebody tell you something like, that? Ain't for me.
I just feel the Lord tell me.
Well, you better make sure it's the Lord.
I just feel. Listen, too many people throw around the Lord's name around like they do. I love you. If you love me, prove it. If it's coming from the Lord, show me a scripture.
Just line it up with some things. You understand what I'm saying?
[00:16:36] Amen.
[00:16:37] So the freedom offered in Christ is not a license to sin, but an invitation to live by grace in the kingdom. Our relationship with God is built on love and favour, undeserved favour and not rigid laws.
Now, I'm a Jewish man, and, oh, man, I'm a few other things at the same time, but I understand the law.
I studied rabbinical, I ran Shabbat, and I fell into that legalism, and I realised that I was falling under some bondage to think that God wasn't showing up every day in my life, that I had to have these divine appointments to meet God. God sits on the throne of my heart.
He is the expression of where I am because I have his favour.
And God has saved me because of Jesus, not because of me.
[00:17:41] Amen.
[00:17:41] Is this making sense? And those laws were fulfilled, not abolished. They were fulfilled through Jesus. And then he said, since man has struggled with fulfilling those laws, I'm gonna send the Holy Spirit to show you a new and better living way. And if you walk in the spirit, you won't have to worry about a thing.
[00:18:01] Amen.
[00:18:02] Now, I walked in this morning. I don't think I was in the spirit. I keep seeing these wonderful. Where is one? Let me see these.
These things, man. I'm gonna tell you what. My grandma had one, and I appreciate everybody that buys them.
It's a Kleenex box.
And every time I see one, I get in the flesh. I'm like, it just reminds me of my grandma's house.
[00:18:28] Amen.
[00:18:29] I'm making a point here. Tina's like, where you going with it?
Something that does not have a voice can get you in the flesh.
And if you ain't walking in the spirit, something with a voice will make you act out.
You have got to start practicing freedom.
You have got to start practicing that. These things that used to have a memory and a hold on me. And these things that people say to me and the opinions of others and the fear of man lives in legalism and approval, and I am free from that.
[00:19:13] Amen.
Amen.
[00:19:16] I mean, you know what I'm saying? It's like, I think we should work with one another. The Bible says, be neatly and jointly fit. This doesn't give us a license to be lone rangers either. Because, remember, kingdom is community.
All right? Is this good?
So legalism over a kingdom over kingdom, freedom over legalism is something that we need to shift in church culture. So if you're always telling people what they're doing wrong, maybe you should look inward first.
The Bible says, look at the beam in your own eye before you look at the splinter in someone else. The reason you can see problems in other people is because you identify them in you.
Ooh, ooh, ooh. Oh, I'm. Shut my mouth and not tell anybody nothing anymore in this church. I mean, there's good advice and there's judgment, there's counsel and there's criticism. Know the difference?
[00:20:10] Amen.
[00:20:12] And as a pastor, the reason I say my last sentence is because when I was in sin, before I met Christ, I was those things, and I identified with those things, and I can see those things. And I say, hey, there's freedom over here.
I've been where you are. Let's come over here. That's counsel, not criticism.
[00:20:32] Amen.
[00:20:33] Is this making sense?
Another thing about shifting church culture is cultural Christianity versus genuine discipleship.
Give me 5 seconds. I gotta just stay in the spirit, Kyle. Cultural Christianity is all about your connect groups and age ranges and your departments and your this and your that and your titles and how big your church is and whether you wrote a book. And that's Cultural Christianity. Genuine discipleship says, being a Christian is not about my cultural identity, but about truly following Jesus.
See, a lot of people go to church cause their friends go there.
I wanna go to church where they help me follow Jesus.
[00:21:29] Amen.
[00:21:30] Now, we all friends, but I wanna go somewhere where they're leading me to Jesus. They're talking about Jesus, and they're not just talking about, you know, I wanna learn business and I wanna learn all those things. I wanna learn how to change a tire. I want you to help me with all the basic living, but that's basic living. Lead me to Christ.
Center me in Christ.
Cultural Christianity is talking about. Well, here at world changers, we got one of the top and best children's ministries on the Gold coast. Bring your family. That's marketing. Cultural Christianity is. Well, we may be small now, but God's growing us to be the next remnant revival on the Gold coast. That's Cultural Christianity. That's a statement out of I need to see God do something, something to believe that I'm called here. Genuine discipleship doesn't look around. It looks to Christ.
[00:22:26] Amen.
[00:22:28] Church culture is so three services, ties, this is the missions we've done. Listen, if I've got to do a photo op and a food drop every time I do something to get you to come to church and give us money to help people, your heart's in the wrong position.
If I got to show you a picture. Listen, like today we got a phone call from a family we're helping in America. And I can just tell you this, and today, this lady with three kids, we can't get help fast enough because her brother this morning committed suicide.
We're helping those people whether we tell you about it or not.
[00:23:07] Amen.
[00:23:08] And so kingdom is about genuine helping, not promoting and marketing.
[00:23:15] Amen.
[00:23:16] Does that make sense? Come on, somebody. Are you glad to be a part of a church that's really serving Jesus?
[00:23:22] Amen.
[00:23:24] Well, pastor, this doesn't feel good. Well, sometimes what's necessary doesn't feel good. Like working out in the gym, but the results are amazing.
I don't like running, but the results are amazing. I don't like eating healthy, but the results are amazing.
[00:23:40] Amen.
[00:23:42] Men, you can understand this last one. Sometimes I don't feel like listening, but the results are amazing. Amen.
You better believe it. Amen. All the women understood. The men were like, what's he talking about?
That means you need to learn to listen more.
Amen.
Cultural Christianity, establishing kingdom, culture versus rules, traditions, and church culture.
At the end of this series, what I'm really focusing on is, who are we as a church?
What do we look like? How do we live outside these four walls? And how do we engage and talk to one another? Because that matters. I can preach, and Tina can preach, and Patty and Jeremy and everybody else can preach the paint off the walls. But if how you're talking to each other is ugly, people will keep coming in and out.
If how you're talking to each other is about, well, you shouldn't dress this way, and you shouldn't think this way, and you shouldn't feel that way. Honey, people got feelings. Let them feel.
People have thoughts. Let them think, but then lead them to Christ.
[00:24:53] Amen.
[00:24:54] And if every time you see somebody, you got a prophet-lie to them. Shut your mouth.
[00:25:01] Amen.
[00:25:02] Prophet-lie was not a freudian slip. It was the real thing, you prophesying, calling it Jesus, but you prophet-lying because it's just your thoughts trying to control somebody.
[00:25:11] Amen.
[00:25:12] We need to know the difference inside of our church culture.
[00:25:15] Amen.
[00:25:16] Is this good?
[00:25:18] Amen.
[00:25:19] Two people said, it's good. I don't feel safe, but I'm going to keep going.
So being a Christian is not about a cultural identity. It's about following Jesus.
In a world where Christianity can sometimes be reduced to traditions, Jesus calls us to radical discipleship.
Luke 9:23 says, whosoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up the cross daily. In the NLT, it says. Then he said to the crowd, if any of you want to be my followers, you must give up your own way.
Take up your cross daily and follow me. Proverbs 3:4-5, 3-6 (Proverbs 3:5-6) says the same thing. Lean not to your own understanding.
[00:26:01] Amen.
[00:26:02] So if we look at Luke properly, it's about saying, give up your way and follow his way.
[00:26:10] Amen.
[00:26:13] Well, see, in my church, and when the church I used to go to, man as a pastor, the amount of times I hear that, well, I left the church because the pastor wasn't the one preaching every Sunday. I left the church because, you know, the children's program and the giving program and this program and that program that. It's like people are putting out this criteria for church. You know what I mean? I want to put out a criteria and a marketing plan for good members. Show up with a good attitude.
[00:26:42] Amen.
[00:26:44] Love one another, give freely without saying where the money's going. Pastor, what you gonna do with it? Well, you can look at my car and my clothes. They ain't putting it on me. Amen. You understand what I'm saying? We have so much criteria today because we have cultural identity in church and its traditions. When we need to show up and be Christians, we need to show up and live for Christ.
[00:27:10] Amen.
[00:27:11] Is this good?
Ooh, Jesus. So that means we got to give up comfort and see kingdom sacrifice. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. Jesus is the one and only sacrifice. I'm not talking for sin. I'm talking about giving up your way.
[00:27:31] Amen.
[00:27:32] The way you think. What if the way you think, hear me now is not right?
What if for a second, we could just entertain that? We need to focus on what the Word said and what Jesus said and what the Holy Spirit said as the way of living.
If you can look at all the ways you think and all the ways you live, are you living them? That way because someone taught you that, or are you living that way because Christ revealed it to you in his word?
[00:28:02] Amen.
[00:28:02] I'm gonna say that again. Are you living it because someone taught you that? Your grandmama, your bible college, or this or that? And the third. Or are you living that way because of a personal revelation that Christ gave you? In the word? Because if it isn't attached to a personal relationship, if it isn't attached to a revelation, it is just a routine you're currently following.
[00:28:26] Amen.
[00:28:27] Does that make sense? All right. So comfort versus kingdom sacrifice. The kingdom of God is not about comfort, but it's about carrying our cross and following Christ wherever he leads. In Matthew, 16:24, Jesus makes it clear that true discipleship involves sacrifice. Can we look up Matthew 16:24? There it is, right there in front of me. Then Jesus said to his disciples, if any of you wants to be my followers, you must give up your own way and take it, which we've already looked at, and pick up your cross and follow me.
The reason I want to emphasise this, what I meant to say is in the New King James. Sorry.
The reason I want to emphasise this is because this is not about you dying.
That's something you do as a living sacrifice, giving up your own way. This is about. Jesus said to disciples, if any desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
The rich, young ruler came to Jesus in the Bible, if you remember that story. And he said, Lord, I've kept all your commandments. Can I enter into your kingdom? And Jesus replies to him and says, you've done everything but one. Go sell everything you own, and then come follow me. Jesus knew that there was pride attached to his possessions, and that would restrict him from following Christ. Does that mean you got to go sell off everything you know? No. That means you got to disconnect with what you worship and what you idolise and put all your focus on Jesus. Is this good.
So if you're trying to be the next big thing and the next big shot, guess what? You're idolising self.
There's too much focus on you. You're going to succeed because of the community of people you develop around you, not this lone warrior mentality.
[00:30:17] Amen.
[00:30:18] This good?
So Jesus makes it clear that true discipleship involves giving up your own way of thinking.
Listen, when somebody says something you don't like, how do you react?
What does it do on the inside? Is it like a nuclear bomb going off? Yeah. Anybody want to be truthful? No. You all are super saints. None of you get mad. You've got the super saint logo on your shoulder, the super saint socks, and when it's time to be holy, you're like (victory sound), right? No, none of you ever get mad.
Me and my wife have never argued. We've just always had healthy discussions.
Listen, just cause you found a better way to say it, y'all still argue.
I don't get mad. I just understand that I take hold of my frustrations and say them appropriately when the time comes. You still got mad. You internalised it, and you said it politely later. Amen.
You understand what I'm saying? Every single one of you have experienced the emotion of anger, but you've matured in how you respond versus how you react, because you've learned to sacrifice your own way to produce Christ's way.
Don't do what you would do. Do what Christ would do.
[00:31:45] Amen.
[00:31:46] Don't do what you think because his thoughts are above your thoughts and he knows better ways than us. So right now, I'm just gonna lean towards Jesus about my worries, anxieties, fears, and ambitions.
[00:31:59] Amen.
[00:32:00] Is this good?
So this isn't about some ritualistic I'm fine as wine, clicking like a chicken, flavoured like 52 flavours of Jesus.
[00:32:11] Amen.
[00:32:11] No, this isn't any of that stuff. This is a real deep kingdom thing. Ecclesiastes 3 (3:11) says, the kingdom of God is revealed to you in your own heart.
So if you're wanting to understand the kingdom more, withdraw to the word and go inward in Christ.
And just like David said, lord, put in me right heart and right spirit. Search me, o Lord, and search the ever parts of my being and my thinking.
[00:32:48] Amen.
[00:32:51] Hmm. So legalism is not something that lives in Kingdom Culture, freedom, that doesn't give us a license to sin, but gives us the ability to walk in grace by being led by the spirit of God, that we do not live by cultural identity. We live by genuine discipleship. And we're not trying to be comfortable. We're wanting to be kingdom.
[00:33:17] Amen.
[00:33:20] Hmm.
So let's look at, as I close here, what characteristics of the Kingdom Culture are.
Oh, Jesus.
Are you enjoying this?
[00:33:35] Yeah.
[00:33:38] Characteristics.
Sounds like I've been talking to people in Georgia. Characteristics. Characteristics of the kingdom. Living counter-culturally immediate ultimately means embracing the characteristics of Kingdom Culture, which is characteristics of the king, which reflect God's heart and purpose.
[00:33:59] Amen.
[00:34:00] So kingdom is a reflection of who's in lordship.
So when I have, in an analogy or a metaphoric sense, I have a kingdom.
Let's call it my home.
I have a place in which I think I rule and reign.
But we have a queen.
[00:34:25] Amen.
[00:34:27] And I have this kingdom. And the characteristics of that kingdom can ultimately be depicted by the mood I'm in.
[00:34:35] Amen.
[00:34:36] And just like how the moon reflects the sun.
[00:34:40] Amen.
[00:34:42] Sometimes the way you act is a reflection by the people around you.
So if you're sitting here talking in service and acting like a kid, probably the person next to you is doing the same thing.
If you're paying attention, the person next to you is doing the same thing. How you act in your home most likely is going to dictate. So our homes and our lifestyle is a reflection of who's the Lord in our life.
[00:35:11] Amen.
[00:35:13] Yeah.
Is that right? So if money is our Lord, guess what we're going to act like.
Like money, sharks. We're gonna be chasing it all the time.
If lust is our lord, guess what? We're gonna be a part of all those things we shouldn't be a part of.
If approval is our Lord, then making everybody happy is our king.
But what I'm talking about is whoever your king is, it will be who you reflect. And I would like to think that in some ways, as much as possible, I reflect Jesus.
[00:35:52] Amen.
[00:35:54] Because I live in love and humility.
At the core of kingdom is love and the love for God and the love for others. Listen. At the core of kingdom is love. Love for God and love for others. That is grounded in first loving yourself the way God loves you. Now, loving yourself is not self-centeredness. It's just not calling yourself a worm and a failure and beating yourself up all the time. You cannot love from a place where you don't love yourself.
And if you haven't received your identity and a revelation of the mercies of God in your life, you cannot give anything to anyone else.
And so everything is grounded on love and love for others. And Jesus called us to the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37-39. Jesus said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself.
Love and humility. See, humility sometimes sounds like meekness, right? Like, we think that that means, oh, after you.
Oh, you first.
That's not humility. That's just polite. Okay? Humility is not a cowardice or a withdrawal. Humility is a knowing one's purpose and staying in your lane. That's what it means in the rabbinical. I know that. I'm called to pastor, and Patty's called to evangelise and missions, and Jeremy's called to this. I'm not going to go jump in their lane.
I'm called to be her husband, not everybody else's.
He knew what I meant.
[00:37:49] Amen.
[00:37:51] Does that make sense?
Stay in your lane. So with love and humility, when I'm in my lane, I'm saying my call in the kingdom is to receive the love that God's given me, love my neighbour as I love myself. So that means I'm not going to treat anyone the way I don't want to be treated.
[00:38:10] Amen.
[00:38:12] Sometimes in church, we rebuke people so harshly. What if somebody embarrassed you like that?
What if somebody called out your sins from the pulpit?
What if somebody was skinning your cat on a Sunday morning? I mean, it's an old hillbilly phrase. Sorry, that probably wasn't well accepted. But what if somebody was doing that to you?
Would you really want your dirty laundry aired out in front of everybody, like sometimes we do to people? And we call it prophecy and words of knowledge, because we want to look like God's talking to us, and we want to be the great refiner and reformer of the body of Christ. No, we're not here to point out what's wrong with everybody. We're here to show everybody love so they can see the goodness of God and turns all men under repentance.
[00:38:52] Amen.
[00:38:53] Does that make sense?
So Jesus life modelled humility and servant leadership, reminding us that the greatest in the kingdom is found in serving others.
Honey, if you're coming in here and sitting down and waiting on somebody to bring you something, or you haven't had your hand shake today, or you didn't feel like anybody connected with you, I got to ask you a question. Are you talking to other people, or are you just standing there waiting on somebody to talk to you?
To have friends, you got to be friendly. The Bible says, to be welcomed, you got to be welcoming some people. They're like, nobody talk to me. I'm like, well. Cause you look like a bulldog. Praise God. Bite somebody's hand off if they talk to you. Sorry if I run you off this morning, but none of you look like bulldogs.
[00:39:37] Amen.
[00:39:41] So when we serve others, it's not about us. It's about serving God by serving others.
So when we put others before ourselves, we extend radical love and we become living witnesses to God's grace kingdom. Culture is not just about love and humility. It's about righteousness and justice, remember, not righteousness and judgment. Righteousness and justice. The foundation of God's kingdom is righteousness and justice. Psalms 89:14. I just want to read that real quick. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Mercy and truth go before your faith.
Love it.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. They are what you're seated upon. Lord, mercy and truth go before you. So that means he is in right standing and just.
If he wanted to judge us for our sins, but what comes from his mouth is mercy and truth.
[00:40:45] Amen.
[00:40:47] So all the times that we go, God, I can't believe you did this to me. God didn't do it to you, because what he's speaking over your life is mercy and truth. God's not causing your sicknesses. God's not causing your trials. God's not testing you. God is speaking mercy and truth for your current trial, so you can come out on the other side of it, testifying of the goodness of God.
[00:41:07] Amen.
[00:41:08] Is this good?
[00:41:09] Amen.
[00:41:12] Oh, my Jesus. As believers, we are called to stand against injustice in all forms, advocating for the marginalised and those living without integrity. So what does that look like? If God speaks mercy and truth, how do I stand up for injustice?
Am I an advocate?
No. The way I stand up for the way God does is I speak mercy and truth. I do not have to call someone a false prophet or a false teacher. I don't have to call someone out of the will of God. I don't have to be tearing down the idols of politics. I've just got to speak with mercy and truth.
I don't have to be a social media warrior. I don't have to be a keyboard pastor. I don't have to be on there correcting everybody and their doctrine. No, I just got to speak mercy and truth. If I get caught up in all the controversy, then I really haven't found what Christ has for me.
[00:42:21] Amen.
[00:42:24] Righteousness and justice.
Our faith isn't just personal.
It's a call to bring God's truth to the world.
[00:42:36] Amen.
[00:42:40] The reality of Kingdom Culture that really needs to be shifted in church. I mean, I love our food, I love our coffee. I love our food trailer. So I'm not speaking against any of these things, but it's not about the amenities of church.
It shouldn't be the reason we come to church. And, well, I'm just. I'm just not feeling church yet. I'm just really waiting on God. Honey, if you ain't mission focused living.
You're “you-focused” living.
You're still trying to recover from your trauma, and that's okay.
You're still trying to heal from your pain, and that's okay. But don't let your pain and your trauma define your purpose. Keep diligently, one foot at a time, walking in your purpose.
[00:43:27] Amen.
[00:43:29] Because Kingdom Culture is mission focused living, Jesus commissioned his followers to make disciples of all nations. Matthew 28:19-20. So those that followed and follow Christ and are not just fans of Christ, will go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Those, back up just a second.
Those that are pastors, go therefore. Those that are apostles, go therefore. I don't actually see a title.
So is discipleship, mentoring Timmy? Showing people a way to live, giving them mercy and truth. So if I give someone some mercy and truth founded in Jesus, and I bring them to church to be discipled even further, then I was a part of what comes next, their baptism, their salvation.
How beautiful is that.
[00:44:31] Amen.
[00:44:32] Let's go to the next verse, verse 20, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. So let me put some foundation around here, this Kingdom Culture.
Are you a follower of Jesus or a fan of Jesus? A fan looks at how do you entertain me and what are you giving me? A follower says, what can I do for you? That make sense? Yeah.
So we've got to shift into a mission focused lifestyle. God, I want to be on mission for you, not just on Sunday. And we got to get an eternal perspective. When we live with our eyes fixed on eternity, our priorities shift. Did you hear me? When we get our eyes off of them and us, and we begin to shift to just Jesus, we get an eternal perspective found in Colossians 3:2. Set your mind on things above, not on things of this earth. Well, you just don't understand how they're treating me. Set your mind on things above, not things on earth. You just don't understand if I made more money. Set your things, your mind above.
Diligently walk out the life you're living now and make your focus, Jesus, and let him keep leading you through every step of the way.
[00:45:52] Amen.
[00:45:53] Kingdom living is marked by eternal perspective, knowing that our true citizenship is in heaven. Philippians 3:20.
Knowing that who we really are is for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, that is a beautiful thing.
[00:46:14] Amen.
[00:46:16] Who's that?
That's your kid.
Amen.
Hallelujah. That girl got some lungs.
[00:46:25] Amen.
[00:46:27] Kingdom living is about peacemaking and forgiveness in a world filled with conflict and division, kingdom people are called to be peacemakers. Jesus said, blessed are the peacemakers. Matthew 5:9. Living countercultural and living with a kingdom mindset means breaking the cycle of revenge, choosing forgiveness and seeking reconciliation.
We dismiss so many people because they don't line up with us, man, come on.
We got to stop dismissing people and start discipling people and show them that no matter how much of a sandpaper person you are to me, you're going to help me smooth my rough edges and I'm going to lead you to Christ.
[00:47:17] Amen.
[00:47:19] So I think that as we transition from what Kingdom Culture is to a call to live in it, to an understanding the characteristics of the kingdom, we can choose practical ways to live out that culture, which I'm going to put on social media and in some notes and give you that part so that you can have those to read over. Because I think that not only do we have to realise that there is a king and a kingdom and there's a call away from and a call to, there's some practical ways to live, which is be bold in your faith, embrace countercultural values. Dare to not make everybody happy and to not always fill in, you know, and fit in. Focus on the eternal and love radically.
[00:48:13] Amen.
[00:48:14] So by living counter-culturally, you can become a beacon of hope. Come on, somebody. You can become a beacon of hope. You know. You know what I love about messages like this is they're not like what you're getting.
This is not a message about what you're getting from God. This is a message of what you're giving to God. Oh, my Jesus. Hallelujah.
You got excited. Two people got excited.
See, we come to church about what we're getting from God and how he's going to help us out and how he's the.
He's the. I look up into the hill to where my help comes from (Psalm 121) and, you know, I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). He's going to supply all my needs according to his riches and glory (4:19). When are we going to start giving back to God? When are we going to start serving God with what he's given us?
[00:49:01] Amen.
[00:49:03] And we can do that by serving each other.
[00:49:06] Amen.
[00:49:08] We can do that by serving in church.
I had two ushers this morning because we've decided that our worship team will not serve in two places because I want them to focus on worship so that they can enter us in to worship because they're ministers like me and they shouldn't be serving in two places, even though I serve in fifteen.
[00:49:29] Amen.
[00:49:30] So we have some slots that you can feel if you want to go see Patty or Claire afterwards. You can become an usher today. Welcome to the team.
Amen. You're hired. Hallelujah. Your benefits are heavenly. Your promotion is on high. Hallelujah. You're gradually moving forward to the kingdom of God step by step.
[00:49:50] Amen.
[00:49:51] And your insurance is fireproof. Hey, Lord.
Counter-Culture.
Counter-Culture. And ushering in Kingdom Culture into church is stop looking at what the church has given you and start looking at how you can serve God here.
[00:50:10] Amen.
[00:50:11] Is this good, man? World Changers.
I believe that we're going to be a part of the body movement of the Gold Coast. We're going to work with other churches.
[00:50:23] Amen.
[00:50:24] We're going to work with other people. And even if they might be Baptist or they might be Methodists or they might be this or they might be that, that doesn't mean they got some ick or sickness on them. That just means they're a different type of Jesus and they serve Jesus in a different way. But they still my brother and sister.
Amen.
Some people are like, oh… Mission focused guys.
Be willing to go into homes and serve God. Be willing to go on the street and serve God. Be willing to serve God where you work. I'm gonna wrap this up right here. By simply saying by living counterculture, you become that beacon of hope, pointing others towards the beauty and the truth of God's kingdom. Man. People should leave you feeling refreshed. You should be like a cup of cold water for people's lives. Amen. I. You should be like a cup of cold water on a hot day with a fan. Hallelujah. You should be like air conditioning from a hot day with a car immediately getting cold. Hallelujah. You should be something good for people's life. You shouldn't be a debbie-downer.
[00:51:28] Amen.
[00:51:30] Hallelujah. You should be pointing others towards beauty and to trust in God's kingdom.
Well, you know, I didn't like what pastor's wearing today. You know, t-shirts are just not my thing.
Folks. This is all I got to wear after losing 14 kilos. How many? Amen. If you would like to sow a seed today into the wardrobe of Kyle David Self. Hallelujah.
Don't do it because then somebody will get mad and da da da da da da. I'll go buy my own clothes.
[00:52:00] Amen.
[00:52:01] The journey's not easy, guys, but it is filled and profoundly rewarding to focus on God's promises. And as you align your life eternal with kingdom purposes, you can stay encouraged, you can stay bold, and you can live for the glory of God.
My hope for you today is, even if I've made you laugh and I've said some radical things, I hope you leave refreshed.
[00:52:34] Amen.
[00:52:35] I hope you leave not thinking. What did he think about me?
[00:52:39] Amen.
[00:52:41] I think about our friend here. Oh, I can't remember your name. I'm so sorry. What's your name again? Vivi.
I think about the way she walked up this morning to get a coffee. She was just so-I’m not gonna pick on you, this is a good thing. She had such a joy about her.
It was infectious. I was like, get this girl a coffee. Let's see what this does on ten. Hallelujah.
You add coffee to that, we gonna have a joy bomb up in this place.
[00:53:11] Amen.
[00:53:14] Goodness is infectious.
Goodness draws people.
Goodness. And happiness makes people say, hey, hey, what do you do on the weekend, well I go to a church! Hallelujah.
And we got some worship.
Hallelujah. And we got this tall, spiky headed pastor that says some radical things. But, man, when you leave, you're going to be refreshed by him or his wife when they preach or their team.
[00:53:44] Amen.
[00:53:45] I hope that you leave today. That Kingdom Culture is refreshing. It's not depressing.
[00:53:51] Amen. Amen.
Amen.
[00:53:57] Father, I ask today that each and every person be refreshed in you, that the peace of God will settle on their circumstances, dwell in their hearts, and that they will learn to garrison their hearts, not against people, but they will guard their hearts from things that are not of you.
They will guard their hearts and say, Lord, I receive your peace.
[00:54:30] Amen.
[00:54:32] I receive your peace.
I receive your peace.
Hallelujah.
And today, Lord, I look and say, lord, give me a mouth that prospers others. Give me hands that help and give me thinking that it's not about what I'm getting from God, but what I'm giving to God because he's given me so much. And when you, Lord, when they have the revelation of being a seed sower and not a bread eater, they're not worried about their next meal because they've sowed some seeds.
[00:55:09] Amen.
[00:55:11] So, Father, we thank you. It's in Jesus name. We pray and we all say amen, amen and amen.
If you need salvation and you want to know the Lord personally in your life, that is simple as just saying, Lord Jesus, I accept you into my heart. I receive you as my lord and saviour. I want to have a turnaround in my life and I want to have forgiveness for my sins. In Jesus name, amen.
If you feel like you want to say that prayer, you can meet with us down here at the altar. You can meet with us at the connect desk. But let's just go ahead and do that right now for our friends online and for maybe somebody in here. Would that be all right?
Every head bowed and every eye closed. Father, we thank you that now, as we confess with our mouths that we are saved and that we receive Jesus into our lives as the ultimate sacrifice to pay the price for our eternity. We receive you, Lord Jesus, and we all say amen.
[00:56:25] Amen.
[00:56:26] God bless you is my prayer. Come on, Jeremy. Praise the Lord.
[00:56:31] Amen.
[00:56:32] Thank you for tuning in to today's message. To connect or find out more, you can reach us online at worldchangers.life. Remember to subscribe for more uplifting messages from our pastoral team and may you continue to walk in faith and transformation until we meet again.
