In Christ: Growing Up in Christ - Pastor Jamie Brown

[00:00:00] Welcome to the World Changers Church Gold Coast Podcast. Join us as we listen to today's message. [00:00:10] Bless the Lord. O my soul. O my soul. [00:00:16] All right, so I'm gonna preach now [00:00:17] that I got my hands. I don't know. I'm from South Carolina. [00:00:21] We talk with our hands. [00:00:22] And I needed those jokers bad this morning. So this morning, I don't know if you even notice how much I just took off because I don't have to hold the microphone. [00:00:29] So. So if you guys this morning would give me the option or give me the availability to just speak to you, [00:00:35] what's on my heart, and this is what I ask. Ready? Don't get offended. [00:00:41] And if you do get offended, understand that I'm just giving you the word of God. And if your heart gets offended by the word of God, we know there's [00:00:49] work to be done. Everybody okay with that? [00:00:52] All right, so when you leave out of this place, I expect that you're gonna leave out of this place equipped. Ready? Why? [00:00:57] Because there are truths in this first [00:01:00] scripture that we're going to release into this room. Because I believe that this morning is [00:01:04] gonna be an impartation morning. [00:01:06] And this morning you're gonna see things break off of your mind that's gonna allow your heart to receive things in a different way from this point forward to allow you to understand that the work that God is doing in you is not complete and he wants to continue to grow you. [00:01:22] Everybody good with that? [00:01:24] All right, so let's start this morning in Ephesians 4, 11. Ephesians 4, 11. [00:01:38] Yeah, boy. So I've got the words right here, [00:01:41] so you guys just listen real good. Ephesians 4, verse 11 says this. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry. Now, listen for this. He gave these things for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we should no longer be children. That we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. By the by speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into him who is the head Christ from when the whole body joined and knit Together by what every joint supplieth according to the effective working by which every part does its share, by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Heavenly Father, we come to you this morning understanding that there is a shaking in this world. [00:03:06] Right now. [00:03:07] Australia as a whole needs every bit of you. We need a fiery revival that wipes through the whole entire continent of Australia. We need the people of God to realize who they are here so that they can stand up, unashamed, boldly go into their neighborhoods, into the whole entire nation and scream your name, acknowledging the fact that there is no one on this chunk of dirt out here in the southern hemisphere that doesn't need your name to change their life. So, Lord, we plead the blood on Australia, we plead the God of all creation on Australia that the very people of God in this nation will rise up, realize who they are and who their God is. And Lord, as we step, every step of ours will be a step acknowledging that wherever we we carry you and wherever you are, it is your kingdom. So we declare the kingdom of God on Australia. Lord, we declare the kingdom of God on Gold Coast. It's in Jesus name we pray. And the children of God said, praise God. [00:04:12] So this morning I want to just [00:04:14] rehash through that verse. And he gave some to be apostles, [00:04:20] prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Now here we go. You ready? All those things sound familiar, right? Those are the things that the Western church glorifies. Those are the positions, the titles that if you're not careful, you're going to look at and say, those are the people who are supposed to do everything. That's the Western church model, by the way. Those are the ones that are on staff, the ones that go out. They're the voice feasts. Can I have some water by chance? I'm too excited not to have some water up here. He gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and [00:05:02] teachers for the equipping of the saints [00:05:04] for the work of ministry. [00:05:06] So as I stand up here today, [00:05:09] I am one of the gifts from God to the kingdom. Now I am not the gift of God to eternity. [00:05:18] I am one of the gifts of [00:05:19] God to the body, for the perfecting [00:05:22] of the saints, to raising everyone up so they will go and do the work of the ministry. [00:05:28] Welcome to the Western church model where we hire a speaker so we can [00:05:32] sit down and listen, where we can hear a good word, we can hear [00:05:35] a good song and go home feeling better about ourselves. That is not the kingdom that in itself is an abomination of God. [00:05:47] You are sitting here right now not as a bystander or a consumer, but as an active intellectual part of the kingdom being. Having just so important a part in the kingdom that God died for you, that God gave you away when there seemed to be no way. So what does that mean? [00:06:09] That doesn't hear me on this? Please. [00:06:11] It means that thing you did yesterday, get over it. That thing that you have allowed the enemy in your head and in your heart to devour you over, that you did last month, or that you lived the first part of your life. [00:06:24] Go past it. [00:06:26] Why? Because tomorrow those things aren't gonna matter. Tomorrow what's gonna matter is that you have been marked, appointed, positioned, and in Christ. You have a job to do. What does that even look like? Well, some of us will never know [00:06:42] because we never take our hands off our life and allow God to have it. [00:06:48] So as we go through this outline [00:06:50] that I desperately hope I get to, I hope that you guys are willing to hear that thing which is the blessed word of God. Maturity begins when I understand who I am, where I'm positioned, and who I am becoming in Christ. Today we are preaching in Christ, growing up in Christ. This is a maturity sermon. Why do I feel like this is so important? All right, here's the offense part. Everybody holding onto your seat, see how you handle it. I believe that most of our elders in churches are no more than whiny little babies that like to drink from bottles. Nobody want to leave yet. [00:07:47] I believe that most churches are filled [00:07:49] with milk fed babies that couldn't chew on a piece of steak without choking. Spiritually, most of you are like steak. I've got no problem with steak. This guy has no idea what he's talking about. [00:08:02] Well, here's the thing. The truth of the matter is, is that we have been so overwhelmed with getting to swim in the milk of the word by so many pastors, teachers and preachers that stand up and their sole job is to inspire you to dump your bank accounts into their. [00:08:23] That we get to a place of complacency and believe that we shouldn't give anymore. That we get to a place of complacency and we believe that that person is no more than a hired speaker and a hired head, which most of them are. Because the truth is, is that it shouldn't matter who stands and speaks in front of you. The word of God says that the person bringing the Word, you shouldn't be [00:08:46] in love with them. [00:08:47] You should be in love with the spirit in them. [00:08:51] You should be able to tell within minutes of hearing a word from somebody if that person is actually coming on behalf of the Lord or if they're [00:08:59] representing their hashtag best benefits in their retirement. [00:09:04] Now here's the thing. Don't hear me say this wrong. [00:09:06] Don't hear me say something I'm not saying. Okay? I believe that a pastor is worth his wage. As a matter of fact, I stand [00:09:14] here today telling you that. [00:09:16] And I'm gonna confess something to you if I can. Okay? And I'm going to say this, and I don't want to make it sound like manipulation. So I just want to give you the God's honest truth on it. [00:09:27] A pastor will go without their wage [00:09:29] to make sure that people are taken care of. Your pastor does it all the time. I as a pastor do it all the time. But here's the thing, numbers wise, there [00:09:40] are enough people in this room to [00:09:42] flip the whole Gold coast on his head, 12, flip the entire middle East. [00:09:48] But we will think that we can't [00:09:50] pay the bills when in all reality we desire to do other things with our money. So we don't make sure that this house is taken care of. Now, I'm just saying this, and I know none of your business. I really don't. I don't know the business of the church. I don't know the paperwork of the church. But what I do know is the common Christian condition. And that is everything in our lives are to be taken care of. And then we'll come to church for a measly little hour or two a week and we'll do our Christian checkoff for the week. And our concern is usually not what's happening to the people who take care of our souls. Why is that important? Because part of the maturing of our life is realizing that God's touch on [00:10:35] your life as you are about the [00:10:37] business of the kingdom, everything else gets taken care of. This is a level of walking in faith that we don't really comprehend because none of us will give God the chance. How many of you have cried out to God and I don't need to see hands. You can just answer with your hearts. Cried out to God in a moment of need. And you absolutely know that God gave you that need. 25 years ago, I called out to God from a jail cell, cold concrete floor, said, lord, if you give me a second chance. From that moment, I have had a lot of opportunities to call out to God because I have decided that I'm going to live my Life recklessly for him. I don't know how many people are in here. You go. I know that God gave me a second chance. Don't waste it. Don't waste it by just sitting down thinking that you're supposed to be a bystander in the kingdom. There is someone, there is something. There are groups of people who you are the key to changing their life. Please wake up and realize immaturity. While we are walking forward in maturity, there are things for us to do today. We're going to address a couple of things that our culture has decided means that you're mature. But in the we're also going to walk through the scriptures and realize this, that God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. And what maturity looks like to him may to us seem as foolishness. Now, how much time do I have? Pastor Kyle? All right. So hoping he get you out of here by two. Everybody good with that revival today? All right, so here's the seriousness of what I want to say today. I may never see any of you in this room ever again. I contend with that. This may be the only time that I look at you in your faces. I may never be able to make it back over to Australia. Every time I come, it's by faith. I don't know how I'm going to get here. I'm not a high paid man. I work off of a pastor's salary and haven't been paid for the past three paychecks. [00:13:10] So it was all God that I [00:13:12] was going to be able to be here this time. [00:13:14] Well, Pastor, it doesn't sound to me [00:13:15] like you're walking in faith. And if you were walking in faith, [00:13:17] well, let me tell you what did [00:13:18] happen at my church over the last couple of weeks. Other people were blessed and guess who still came to the Gold Coast. [00:13:23] Guess who still hadn't missed a meal. [00:13:24] Guess who still has a house at home that's paid for. Guess who still has a family that's sitting in their home in heat or cool because God has provided everything that we need even without the last three paychecks. [00:13:38] Why? [00:13:38] Because my God is not contending with my bank for my blessings. And you need to write that down and you need to go ahead and have that be part of your whole [00:13:48] testimony that I don't need my bank [00:13:50] account's numbers to reflect my blessing because my standard of being blessed is not how much money is in my account. Although if somebody would like to bless me today. Just kidding. So Kyle has passed the past Couple of weeks has Pastor Kyle has presented to you in Christ. So we know that in Christ you have to know your identity, knowing him. If you're in here today, the only way you're really gonna know who you are is you're gonna need to know who your dad is. I don't know if you've ever sat down in the doctor. Some of you, I am now almost half a hundred years old. And at half a hundred years old, some of the things that the doctor asks you will be like. So any diabetes in your family, any blood pressure issues, any heart conditions, any cancer, they ask you all these questions because it's important to know your identity because of your bloodline. [00:14:50] Spiritually, same thing. [00:14:52] Do you know if you're in here [00:14:53] and you've been bought by the blood [00:14:54] of Christ, now hear me on this. [00:14:57] You can walk away from that dad's [00:15:00] identity that was bad to you. [00:15:04] That mother who abused you or that sister or brother who spoke lies over your identity. [00:15:12] That's no longer your identity. [00:15:13] You are no longer bound by the [00:15:16] blood of your blood family because you [00:15:20] are now bought by the blood of Christ. And therefore the benefits of Christ's blood are upon your life. Quit associating with the curse of your former family and now associate with the blessings of the family of choice. My father was an abusive man who abused my mother. [00:15:42] For the longest time, I thought, maybe if I love somebody, I'm gonna be abusive too. [00:15:46] But guess what? I wasn't. Why? Because the blood of God, blood of [00:15:51] Christ radically changed my heart. [00:15:53] I used to be horribly violent. I used to be a horrible guy. As far as anger, those things have completely left me to the point now where my wife sometimes looks at me [00:16:02] and says, are you not gonna get mad about that? And we'll be in a meeting, in a board meeting, and my wife will [00:16:08] just sit over there going, oh. I'm like, babe, it's okay. [00:16:11] And she's like, you need to be mad right now. [00:16:13] I'm like, no, I just. [00:16:14] I know who's really in control of this board meeting. Not the guy who keeps talking loud, but the God who brought us all together. [00:16:22] See, when you start resting your faith in the knowledge of the Father you have, suddenly you realize that your father. Now hear this, okay? I don't really need to worry about the traffic. [00:16:34] If I know the God who created the earth that the road is on [00:16:41] and that the traffic is driving upon. He's the same God who set the sun in the sky. He's the same God who holds the Ocean back. He's the same God of all creation, and he's also my father. And at that, I don't need to [00:16:56] know what happens tomorrow. [00:16:58] I know the God who's already standing in it, beckoning me to come and be with him. [00:17:04] Now, with that being said, I know my identity because I am in Christ. Bought by the blood, adopted by the Father, and sealed by the Spirit. If you don't fully have grasp on any of those three things, it is going to be really hard for you to fight the enemy when the enemy gets in your ear and tells you that you're nothing. Because anytime that the enemy wants to remind me of my past, I just happen to know what his future looks like. [00:17:38] I read the end of the book. [00:17:41] I did that first. I always ruined the story. [00:17:44] But here's the thing. [00:17:45] At the end, I don't. Guys, I don't know. [00:17:48] I don't know if in Australia it's different, but if you haven't read the book, I'm gonna give you spoiler alert. [00:17:54] Close your ears. You don't hear? [00:17:55] We win. We are already victorious in the. [00:18:03] Let me go over here. This side was a little bit better. [00:18:05] We are already victorious in Christ. [00:18:08] See, you guys are catching up, though. I see your faces, you're like, I agree, but I'm not gonna be loud. But see, in this prospect, and hear [00:18:19] me on this, in the prospect of [00:18:21] our lives, we have to understand that [00:18:24] if we would boldly stand up and go and do the things that God [00:18:28] would have us to do. Now hear me on this. You are already victorious in it. [00:18:35] You aren't being asked to walk upon [00:18:38] the water so that you can fall in it. [00:18:40] You're asking to be called upon the water so that you can walk with God. It may not seem stable and healthy [00:18:48] right now, but if one of your [00:18:50] pastors says, hey, we're not just walking forward and wanting to pay the bills here, we're walking forward and we want to see what the next building looks like. Well, that just doesn't seem like it's secure. Well, guess who I know is already in that next building. [00:19:05] I don't know if you know that or not, but I already know who's [00:19:08] in the next building. That next building is already yours, by the way. Just sometimes it doesn't make sense to us. See, when we know who we are [00:19:19] in Christ, when we know that we are bought, adopted, sealed, bought by the blood, we know that we can. We know that we can walk in victory. We cannot pay against something Christ has already bought. So Your faults paid for. I'm going to use a slang term that may or may not translate very well, but when you screw up, already prayed for. [00:19:52] When you do that thing that you [00:19:53] hope nobody else finds out about, already paid for. But if you're not careful, you'll be quiet about it and you'll allow the enemy to convince you that God can't use you because of something that he is holding over your head when Christ has already died for it. Now, that's the importance of understanding who [00:20:18] you are in Christ. [00:20:20] Know your identity. [00:20:21] Point two is understanding your position. [00:20:26] Where I am in Christ, I'm raised with Christ. I'm seated with Christ. I'm empowered by the Spirit. Ephesians 2, 5, 6 says, Even when [00:20:39] we were dead in trespasses, made us [00:20:41] alive together with Christ by grace you [00:20:44] have been saved and raised up together [00:20:47] and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Now, Ephesians 3, 16, 20, I want you to hear. [00:21:02] That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all what is the width, the length, the depth and the height to know the love of Christ which passes all knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. That you may be filled with all the fullness. I need some of y' all to [00:21:42] go and write that on your mirrors at home. [00:21:44] I can be filled with all the fullness. [00:21:48] How do you know that? [00:21:49] The Bible says so. Well, what is all the fullness? I don't know. Because I can't even allow myself to give God a little bit of room to get a couple drops of even what his fullness is. I let my mess stand over the measure of his might. I let my garbage in my life or my rubbish. [00:22:07] I guess that's how you guys say it. [00:22:09] I let the rubbish stand in the way of his love. [00:22:14] Now here's what I really need for you guys to hear on this. These promises that are in the Word are not fruitless, dry words that some man wrote down. This is who we are. [00:22:30] This is where we live. [00:22:32] This is where we walk in who we should be every single day. Now, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. [00:22:49] Now that verse 16 is a help [00:22:52] to me because I don't know how many times I thought that I would have to measure up because of what I was. [00:23:00] I need for you to understand that everything that you think is compiled together to make you. All the things compiled together to make Jamie the guy who stands before you today. I do not stand here under the power of Jamie. It is not the gifts that Jamie gave Jamie. It is not the voice that Jamie gave Jamie. I'm not standing here representative of Jamie. I am not standing here as a representative of the United States of America. I'm not standing up here as a representative of Gold Coast. I am a representative, an authoritative gift of God, of the citizenship of a land that all of us have already required and acquired. Our pr. [00:23:42] I mean, we have. [00:23:45] I don't know where you've been. I don't know. And here's the big problem with churches, right? We celebrate our heritage. [00:23:53] And I don't know how big it [00:23:54] is over here in Australia, but over in the States, we are a melting pot. [00:23:58] We have all these different. [00:23:59] I've got, I think, 12 different nations [00:24:02] represented on a Sunday morning inside of my church. At one time, it was almost 30. [00:24:07] The reason it's not still 30 is because there's a whole lot of people who want to harp on the heritage they once had instead of acknowledging that [00:24:13] we all have the same heritage going forward. [00:24:17] The God of all glory, the father that's my father, is your father. We are sons and daughters, and that is why we're family. And as family, we need to take [00:24:25] our eyes off of what's behind and set our eyes on what's ahead. And we need to get rid of all this mess while grabbing ahold of the power that's in front of us. [00:24:36] You have been authorized by the God of all creation to carry his word and be ambassadors of a land that [00:24:47] everyone out there is invited to. I don't know where you came from. Some of you are like, I came from right here. Can't you tell by my accent? And most of y' all are like, I can hear your accent. I can tell you're from the south of America. But because of who we've been bought by, because of the adoption through the Holy Spirit, you and I, if I don't see you again here, I fully expect that I'm gonna see you again in glory, because that's been purchased. Now, going back and forth from a screen that moves with my fingers and a screen that does not is confusing. I usually use paper. Paul moves from identity to position. I was dead, but God. Y' all remember that from last week. I was far away, but God, I [00:25:44] was Outside the household. [00:25:45] But God, he didn't simply pull me out of death. He raised me with Christ. Christianity isn't spiritual self improvement. This is resurrection attached to my identity. [00:25:57] We aren't functioning in a 12 step program. It was one step. [00:26:01] It was the blood of Christ and [00:26:03] you were changed forever. And that is what we cling to. [00:26:07] Some of you in here know this is the truth because you know good and well that that person you used to be even seems like it was a totally different individual. I look back at my testimony, which I give on a regular basis, and I go, hmm, Lord, I should stop giving that testimony. That doesn't even seem like me anymore. I can't even comprehend turning my back on you, God, because now I don't have any opportunity or I have no other choice within myself but to follow you. All right, point three, [00:26:38] and this is [00:26:39] going to be where we reside for today. If you guys let me. Point three is walk in maturity, the maturity that is before us. Who am I becoming in Christ? Listen, led as a son of God or a daughter of God, not simply gifted. Hear me on this. In the western church, we put so much emphasis on gifts that we are idolizing gifts. We are more in love with the gift than we are the giver. We want to be able to say, but I'm prophetic. I hear, I see, I speak prophetically. When I first started working in church, my pastor came up to me and said, hey, listen, there's this group of four year olds that I want you and your wife to take the class of. They were called Cubbies. We had a program called Awanas at our church and they had all these different age groups. And he put me with the little babies. And I looked at my pastor and I said, sure thing, pastor, because I love you and I will do whatever you want me to do. In my heart I was going, really, [00:28:05] kids, I am gifted. Put me in front of thousands. I will talk, I will teach, I will do four year olds, really. I got in there with those four [00:28:19] year olds and let me tell you something. I knew every secret in the church. [00:28:24] We would praise God. I'm telling you right now, it ain't nothing like doing prayer time with four [00:28:31] and five year olds. [00:28:36] Jamie, pray for my daddy. My mommy says that he likes looking at girls and he drinks too much. [00:28:44] Deacon John needs prayer. [00:28:49] Jamie, pray for my mama, my daddy says, pray for my daddy, my mama says. And every other one was pray for [00:28:56] my dog, pray for my cat. [00:28:59] I did this for a year and a half and you Know what I found out because I got moved up to fifth and sixth graders or year five and year six next. And I found out I wanted to go back to the four year olds. I believe that true demon possession happens around the age of 5th and 6th grade. Y' all may think your babies are pure and holy. They're not. They're full of demons, evil. But as I moved up, I was [00:29:29] just thinking, and my pastor was gifted in the acknowledgments that, you know, you have to. There are certain steps that you need to take when God has a certain role in your life. And before I knew it, I was preaching adults and realizing it was easier to get the kids to learn something. But I remember when I was working with the four and five year olds, there was this one kid, his name was Jacob, and he didn't want to be called Jacob. He wanted to be called Big Boy. I don't know if you guys have [00:30:04] that issue in Australia, but he didn't want to be called Jacob. I would be like, hey, Jacob. He'd go, I am a big boy. [00:30:12] And I was like, you are, but [00:30:14] you are also Jacob, so come. No, call me Big Boy. I was like, all right, Big Boy. [00:30:18] Come on. [00:30:20] I also taught him in youth group many years later. [00:30:22] And guess who still got called Big Boy? He was like, I remember around seventh grade, grade seven, he said, pastor Jamie, Brother Jamie, you can quit calling me Big boy now. [00:30:32] I was like, never. [00:30:35] I married him and his wife and [00:30:39] I said, I would now like to present to you Mr. And Mrs. Big Boy Jacob. [00:30:46] And both of them just turned around and looked at me and turned, walked off. Be careful. God will put you in positions to where you can walk in things and understand things in a different way, if you'll allow it. I believe that is exactly what's happening inside of the Western church. We hear a couple good sermons, we read a couple of good passages, we learn how to worship. And when we sit in a congregation like this inside of our minds when we're hearing sermons, we go, but I'm a big boy. [00:31:23] I'm a big kid now. [00:31:26] Until you're put into a position where you have to carry authority and suddenly you feel like a child again. The opportunity through his grace is that every single person in here can be grown up in the Lord. You just have to realize that it's an everyday task of you walking it out, understanding that he's with you and understanding that he loves you. You're going to mess up. That's part of it. You're going to get angry, you're going to get mad, you're going to become disillusioned. You may be even jaded. But if your source is the Holy Spirit, you're not going to burn out. Because the Holy Spirit does not burn out. Growing Beyond Childhood Ephesians 4, 14, 15. Praise God that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness and deceitful plotting. But speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into him who is the head Christ. Here's your warning. If there were people trying to deceive in this age, do you not think there are people trying to deceive in this one? Guys. You guys should thank God that you have leaders in your church who want to grow you up, that aren't sold out to the programs of the day, who aren't trying to get you to buy into their social programming, but they want you to buy into the kingdom of God. You should thank God that today you have pastors who pray for you, who struggle for you, who will be, by the way, Monday through Monday being attacked by the enemy because of what they're doing for you in your lives. They have given up their life to be stewards of yours. And I don't know how big that is to you, but in maturity you realize, here's the big thing, right? Does anyone in here remember the first set of bills you got when you moved out from your parents house? And all of a sudden you started realizing how much your mama and daddy actually did. And some of you are like, my [00:33:52] mom and dad were bums. [00:33:52] I'm not talking about y'. All. I'm talking about the good ones. When I moved out of my house the first time, I went and I lived in a townhouse in a little city out from my parents. And I remember walking to my refrigerator and opening it and I went, I miss my mom. And I made my first meal, which was a sandwich fried in a pan with an egg. Egg, bread. That was it. I had not bought condiments yet. There was no condiments. [00:34:22] I didn't even have butter to make the bread taste good. [00:34:25] It was sliced cheese, that stuff y' all hate in America, and just a cheese bread. Well, actually, it was an egg and cheese. I did have those two things because my mama gave them to me walking out of the house. Here's cheese, bread and eggs. You're gonna need them. I did that night. Here's the truth Inside of the house of God. You have no idea how much these people, how much these people, [00:34:52] the Praise [00:34:53] and worship team, how much they pray for you guys. [00:34:55] You don't even realize that that breakthrough [00:34:57] you have on Monday is because you have a pastor that's sitting there in angst, fighting against hell for you. Maturity is this. I understand that there are people on earth that God have appointed. I understand that there are people in my life that God has appointed. But here's the third thing that's most important. I also know there are people in my life that I have appointed that probably need to be dismissed. If you have constant toxicity pouring in your ear, it is causing your heart to be toxic. Some of you need to hear this today. You need to dismiss the toxicity from your life. You're like. And some of you are super spiritual. I know you are. You're like a fourth grader. I know they are. You're like. [00:35:41] But I keep those toxic people in my life because I'm so spiritual, a big boy. [00:35:48] While that toxicity is just killing you. Because it is much easier to pull somebody down from a high place than to pick someone up and lift them up to the high place. Some of y' all need to hear that this morning. Maturity is this. Maturity is understanding what intimacy really is. I don't know if any of you are in depth with that part of Christianity yet, where everything's about intimacy, everything's about love, everything's about intimacy. I don't know if that's a really good place to be. But if you're not careful, if everything's about love and intimacy, you forget the hands on things. But here's the truth. Most of us also have a perverted idea of what intimacy is, because we grab ahold of what the world says intimacy is instead of, and we try to intertwine that with what our spiritual intimacy is. What does intimacy look like? This week yesterday, I was sitting inside of our Airbnb, and God just brought this to me, and I learned something about intimacy, as in my marriage, as a married man. We've been together, my wife and I, for 30 years. We started dating when she was a sophomore in high school and I was a junior in high school. We've been together a long time. We've had every fight you can possibly have. I don't know if you guys have been in a relationship long enough where you fought over pots and pans, but some of our biggest fights were some of the smallest things. But I had something happen in my life not too long ago where I realized that I finally matured in an area that I thought that I had matured in, but I had not. When you're young, you can think intimacy is primarily physical. But after years together, you discover some of the most intimate moments aren't physical at all. I remember being in a hospital and the staff telling me that I was dying. And in that moment, I didn't want the room full of people. I just wanted Laura. I just wanted my wife. And I wanted Nora to be there. They came into my room. They said, within 20 hours, you'll be dead. My kidneys were swelling. My liver had swollen twice its size. I was in full diabetic ketoacitosis. I didn't even know I was a diabetic. I wasn't still. I beat it with my diet, so I'm good. But in that 12 hour gap became 10 hours. And they sent for my daughter during COVID which is a big deal. They brought her into the hospital and they broke COVID protocol. That was them conceding over to the fact, he's not going home. Let her say goodbye to him. I remember in that moment, I wasn't able to physically see them. The ketoacidosis had taken my vision. I could see the outside perimeters of everything. I had peripheral vision, but I did not have vision. It was as if somebody stuck cotton balls in my eyes. And I looked over. I could just barely see my daughter's blond hair beside me. I reached over and grabbed her hand, and my wife came over and she whispered in my ear, I love you. My heart was full. [00:39:13] Why? [00:39:13] Because at that moment, I realized that there was no one else on earth that I wanted more than my wife. I felt God in the room. My daughter was holding my hand. My wife was standing beside me. [00:39:27] They stayed. [00:39:28] They only let them stay for 20 minutes. And they walked out of the room and the nurse came in right behind them and said, so, do you want to die, Pastor Brown? I was like, I don't feel like I want to. And she said, then we fight for the next day. [00:39:44] Little old lady. [00:39:45] I didn't realize she was a little old lady because I couldn't see her. But she was mighty big in the spirit because she said, I believe God can do it. Do you believe God can do it? I said, yeah. She said, I'm gonna hook four bags of liquid up to you, and you're gonna get up every single time you have to go to the bathroom. You're not going to be lazy about it. You're going to get Right up every single time and go to the bathroom. Over 20 hours, I took in 48 bags of fluids. Just bag after bag after bag. And I'm. Here. Was a time when I thought intimacy with God was something that I had to feel, that I had to feel powerful, that I needed a moment, that I needed a feeling, that I need something to happen. But maturity has brought me to this moment where I understand that sometimes I don't need him to do anything. I just want to be near Him. Immaturity can make the mistake of intensity for intimacy. Intimacy can be intense. But you also have to understand that there's a sweetness in God that is in so far beyond our comprehension today. [00:41:02] If you would have came into church [00:41:03] and you walked through those doors and realized that it was completely silent, your praise and worship team laying on the floor. And then when you walked in the door, you just felt your knees buckle and you just laid down where you were, would you be content with just laying down for an hour and a half knowing that he was near? Or would you just look at everybody and go weird? Maturity learns to treasure presence. There's something deeper than continually needing an encounter to assure me that God is near. And it connects straight back to adoption. The orphan needs continual reassurance that they belong. A mature son knows where home is. I love when he moves. [00:42:00] I love when he speaks. I love when he heals. I love when his presence overwhelms the room. But if he doesn't shake the room [00:42:07] today, he's still my father. [00:42:09] If he doesn't get another. If I don't get another word, I'm still His son. If all I have is his presence, [00:42:17] I have discovered that his presence is enough. There are moments with Laura now when nothing needs to be said. And there are moments with God when nothing needs to happen. I just want to be with Him. That's intimacy in maturity. Today I ask that you let Christ be formed in you. Paul gives us measurements to measure of the stature of fullness of Christ. So the question isn't merely how gifted am I. It is, is Christ being formed in me? Maturity is not how spiritual I appear. Maturity is Christ being formed me. Guys, I'm going to tell you a secret that's a dirty secret in the kingdom. And I want you to not fall in this place. You can function in your gifts and be so far away from God that you haven't been near him at all. I know personally men of God and women of God who have fallen from grace and still functioned in their giftings. What do you mean they can still function in gifts even though they're. Yeah, it's a gift. And here's the sad thing. Most gifts can be faked through manipulation. So the same person that you feel is powerful because they've given you a powerful prophecy might be faking it. Be careful. That's why it's so important for you [00:43:50] to mature in Christ so that you've [00:43:52] actually got some discernment, so that you're [00:43:54] not looking at a witch giving you a prophecy. [00:43:59] What? I fully believe there are witches running churches right now. [00:44:04] I fully believe there are witches who are in pulpits being called pastor. [00:44:10] You don't believe it? [00:44:12] See how many people you walk into [00:44:14] and go, am I being manipulated? Let your discernment grow to the place to where you can smell manipulation. And you are now discerning witchcraft. I'm placed. God showed you where you were. He shows us in scripture where we are. I'm alive. God shows us what he's done for us. And today, as you're growing up, God is showing us what we're becoming. Identity, position and maturity need to be our functioning Christianity. Bought by the blood, adopted by the Father, sealed by the Spirit, raised in Christ, seated with Christ, empowered by the Spirit, led by the Spirit. Christ is being formed in me. I am positioned in him. If you please stand. So this is what I have this morning. If possible, just if you're willing to give me a few more minutes. A morning of surrender. I don't know how many of you are in here who have gone over in your mind to this whole church thing, being a collective, consumer based thought process. I show up, I receive, I leave a lot. Like going to G and G or Guzman or whatever it is. Go in, get your burrito, get whatever sauce you want to put on it, walk out. Some of you are like, I would never eat there. You're missing out. One of the best things in Gold Coast. Here's a question for you, and this is gonna fall in that this may offend somebody. But if today you were told you could never walk back into a church, if I were to look at you and say, you are no longer allowed in church, you're being kicked out, would it even bother you in a generation where people believe that they don't need church anymore? Well, according to the Bible, there's a certain relationship we should have with the gathering of our brothers and sisters. One so much so that if you were kicked out, it would bother you to the point of wanting to repent and come back to God. If in your mind, you're thinking, no, I could do without this. Then biblically, you need to mature. Well, I'm mature, and that's how I know that my church isn't where I get God. You know how silly that sounds when the Bible tells you the exact opposite? [00:47:33] Well, I'm mature, so I know I don't need to do this, this, and this. I'm mature. You ready? I know I can drink anytime I want to drink because Jesus drank. I know I can get an attitude and flip tables because Jesus. Well, that's two things. [00:47:45] You're like Jesus on. How else are you like Jesus? I mean, genuinely, are we striving at all? I don't need you to be the Messiah, but at least hearken in your heart to desire to follow him. So today, a gut check is what we would call it, a submission service where you simply just go to the Father and say, hey, listen, I'm ready to grow. You guys have an MIT process here, which is amazing. If you think you're too far beyond. I don't need to learn. You're silly. I'm gonna say a bad word in America. I can think you guys can ingest it. If you don't think you have to grow more, you're stupid. Get out of here. [00:48:36] Pastor. [00:48:36] That's a bad. See, but here's the thing. [00:48:38] That's what we are. [00:48:39] We get to the place where we feel like we've learned all we need to learn. [00:48:42] We know all we need to know. [00:48:43] I learned everything I needed to learn in the fifth level grade. It's a lie of the enemy. [00:48:50] And until you take your last breath, [00:48:53] God has a purpose for you, and you have been positioned in Him. So today, simply this will you be submitted. Submitted to this. Our Lord submitted to this. Our King submitted to this. Our Father, would you be willing to do this? And if you are, today is a great day to do it. I'm not going to make you sign a document, but I will acknowledge this in you. Your heart will forever know. Your heart is not going to forget. So in this morning, as Michelle continues to play, I don't know if we want to. You do whatever you do because you do it good. You're good at it. You guys have a great worship team. I don't know if you guys know this, but as we are submitted, the last little bit of time we have here, if you guys would like to float the room, which that's what we call it at home, but if you want to come and fill the altar space, get on your knees, get in a place in your mind and your heart where you're calling out to God. And here's the thing. It doesn't matter what age you are. I'm talking to everybody in here. You are not retired from the kingdom of God. And the moment that you do pass from glory to glory, you're gonna be at his feet and you're gonna continue working. So you might as well get used to it now. Well, we're gonna work. Yeah. Y' all really need to read up on heaven if you think you're gonna play harps. But here's the thing. I give it over to you. [00:50:19] I beseech ye. [00:50:20] Therefore, my brethren, give it all to God. As the praise and worship plays, the floor is open if you would like for us to pray with you. Come down. [00:50:35] 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.