Conviction Drives Purpose
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 5/28/2024Romans 8
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Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez explores how deep spiritual conviction serves as the engine for fulfilling one's divine purpose, urging believers to refuse to let life's trials or distractions separate them from the love and plans of God.
Key points
- •Conviction is a firmly held belief that must be guarded against cultural pressures and life's distractions.
- •Purpose is inextricably linked to conviction; without being fully persuaded of who God is, you will waver in your decisions and miss your divine outcome.
- •Nothing should be allowed to come between a believer and God, including grief, spiritual warfare, unhealthy relationships, or family drama.
- •God uses life's greatest challenges and failures as opportunities to develop the wisdom and strength necessary to fulfill one's purpose.
Scripture
Purpose
Faith
Perseverance
Discipleship
Trials
Life application
Identify one specific distraction or 'separation' (like a habit, a worry, or an unhealthy relationship) that is currently blocking your spiritual vision, and consciously re-commit that area to God this week.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life are you currently wavering because you lack deep conviction?
- Is there a specific person or situation that you have allowed to stand between you and your commitment to God?
- How can you view your current trials as 'master plan' opportunities rather than just setbacks?
- Are you more convinced by social media and public opinion than you are by the Word of God?
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Full transcript
0:00[Music]
0:04[Applause]
0:09if you don't mind would you please
0:13stand for
0:19prayer
0:20um what a beautiful
0:24song and no matter what you're going
0:27through God knows
0:30your
0:35[Applause]
0:36name so I believe that God sent me here
0:39this
0:41morning
0:43to talk to you
0:47about two
0:49words two
0:52words the very first word many of you
0:55are struggling with it struggling with
0:58it and because you're struggling with
1:02it you're finding it very difficult to
1:06take care of the second
1:09word and there's a third
1:13word that
1:15becomes the conjunction between those
1:17two words so the first word is
1:22conviction
1:25conviction are you fully convinced
1:32that God loves
1:35you that you are his
1:38own that you're going to make
1:41it that you're
1:43blessed that no weapon formed against
1:45you shall
1:47prosper are you
1:50convinced that what God started in
1:54you he'll finish
1:57it so let's talk about conviction for a
2:01moment this morning and then the second
2:04word is
2:07purpose do you understand that you're
2:09here for a
2:11reason do you understand that you are
2:14with the person that you're with for a
2:16reason do you understand that you're on
2:18the job that you're on for a reason do
2:21you understand that you've birthed that
2:23business for a reason do you understand
2:25that you are in the profession that
2:27you're in for a reason do you not
2:30understand that you're in the ministry
2:32for a reason and the Faith Center for a
2:35reason so then what is your purpose do
2:38you really know your
2:41purpose and are you
2:44convinced about your
2:48purpose so let me talk to you this
2:50morning about conviction
2:54drives purpose
2:58[Applause]
3:01and many of you perhaps this is what the
3:03message is going to do to you this
3:04morning it is to drive you to fulfill in
3:09your purpose but let's take care of that
3:13big struggle that we all have and that
3:17is in the area of conviction so father
3:19we thank you that you brought us to this
3:22[Music]
3:24point to speak to
3:28us so that
3:30that we won't forfeit what is to
3:34come we won't give up on our dreams and
3:37we won't live our
3:41lives not knowing who we are and where
3:45we're
3:46going I really don't know who this
3:49sermon is
3:52for but I do know what Satan is going to
3:55try to do this very minute is to
3:57distract them
3:59he's going to do everything to cause
4:02them to close their hearing in their
4:06heart from this very important
4:09lifechanging
4:11word but I'm so grateful we have the
4:15Holy
4:17Spirit who will block every
4:21distraction and allow us to hear you
4:24clearly
4:25today speak to us we pray in Jesus name
4:29name and somebody shout amen come on
4:32let's give God a praise as you take your
4:35[Applause]
4:39seats a life lived without
4:43conviction is a life without
4:47purpose let me say that again a life
4:50lived without
4:52conviction is a life without
4:57purpose so if you like
5:00conviction about who you are and your
5:04Pursuits you will always waver in your
5:08decisions resulting in no clear
5:14outcome did you hear
5:18that you will always waver in your
5:21decisions resulting in no clear outcome
5:25if you lack convic conviction
5:29if you're not convinced about something
5:33you will not have a clear
5:36outcome so don't expect to reach your
5:39goals if you aren't
5:43convinced you can reach
5:47them so to be convinced about something
5:50means you are persuaded and have faith
5:53in that
5:56thing and if there's ever a time all of
5:59us
6:00need to be convinced about who our God
6:03is and what he's about in our lives it
6:06is
6:08now there's so many distractions out
6:11there that would try to convince you
6:14that God's not real or
6:17perhaps he's not the same as he was
6:21stated in his
6:23word there's so many things that are out
6:26there that are trying to convince you
6:28that this book is not
6:31genuine it's not
6:34real that you can't always depend on it
6:38that you can't can't always trust it the
6:42sources are out there trying to convince
6:45you that it's hard to understand the
6:49Bible it's hard to make it applicable to
6:53your life so therefore there are things
6:57that the enemy has orchestrated
7:00and crafted to allow you to be more
7:04hooked to it than the word of
7:07God why do you think social media is
7:10popular what do you think other books
7:13are popular are the things in society
7:15are popular than than than the Bible in
7:18a sense where people would would would
7:21trust it you know instead of trust in
7:23the word of God they trust more in the
7:26other things it's more easier for them
7:28watch this it's more easier for them to
7:32understand the algorithm of social
7:35media which baffles me I can't
7:37understand it it's so
7:40complicated but they will say I can't
7:42understand the
7:45Bible but you can figure out everything
7:47on social media how to get your post be
7:51liked by more
7:54people you're so great at figuring out
7:58how to make more money
8:01you're great at figuring out how to
8:04outsmart a
8:07woman how to outsmart a man come on
8:11now we're great at figuring out how to
8:14cheat the
8:17government but I can't understand
8:21this cuz it's
8:24complicated reason why we think that way
8:27is we're not convinced
8:31cuz when you're convinced about
8:33something you are fully
8:35persuaded and you have faith in that
8:39thing so I submit to you today that many
8:42of you are merely living in the moment
8:46unsure of who you are and what your
8:49goals are sadly you are more convinced
8:53about people's
8:55lives and what you think about
8:59their
9:01Pursuits what do you think about their
9:03Pursuits are you're more interested in
9:05that and this is why people are so
9:10confused when it comes to trying to
9:13discover who they are in Christ Jesus
9:15because they're more busy trying to
9:19figure out other people's
9:22business than their own they're
9:25convinced that this celebrity is going
9:29to this person or divorce from this
9:31person they're more convinced about the
9:34crazy stuff we're convinced
9:36about we're more convinced that you know
9:41the election is going to turn out this
9:42way and we believe in this you know one
9:45of the things that that bothers me is
9:47how people will more believe a human
9:50being's
9:56lie and this
9:59it's
10:01crazy it's crazy how as a human being as
10:05a male I can lie to you and lie is so
10:10good that you believe
10:12me but
10:15this struggle to believe
10:19it struggle to believe that God can love
10:22a jacked up messed up person that God
10:26can forgive that person that God can
10:28take you from low to bar from the bottom
10:32bring you to the top we struggle to
10:35believe
10:36that so my hope for you
10:39today and in this year's significant
10:41opportunities is that you will seize the
10:43moment to understand who you are and
10:46recognize the people that God has placed
10:49in your life to help you
10:51fulfill his will in your family your
10:56business and in your ministry
11:00that this is the moment for you to seee
11:02seize the
11:04moment that God is saying I want to
11:07convince you that your family can have a
11:11breakthrough I I I want to convince you
11:15that your children can turn out to be
11:18good I want to convince you that you can
11:20break the curse from your
11:23family you see the moment you start
11:26living with that conviction that I don't
11:28care what's happening with my family God
11:31is going to turn things around you see
11:33that will change everything in your life
11:37the outcome will be different when you
11:39can be convinced that my family can be
11:44blessed when you can uh be convinced
11:47that your business or your career can
11:50prosper it will change your life
11:53forever when you can be convinced that
11:56listen to me there's nothing watch this
11:59there's nothing wrong with the
12:01foundation of the
12:03church listen to me young people I get
12:07it I understand what you're trying to do
12:10you're trying to to use a different
12:13method in worshiping God absolutely
12:16nothing wrong with that I love it as a
12:1860-year-old guy I got to get used to
12:21smoke on stage when I was growing up we
12:24didn't have no smoke in praise and
12:26worship if there was Smoke in praise and
12:28worship we exit in the building there's
12:30a fire in the building that's how I grew
12:33up we didn't need back in my days we
12:37didn't need all this
12:39stuff we didn't need all the lights
12:42there's nothing wrong with it we we
12:44we're we're kind of using a different
12:45method in worshiping God I get that
12:49that's wonderful but back in my days
12:51some of us didn't even have
12:54instruments come on now we we came from
12:57Old Country Church where the Saints used
13:00their
13:03foot this was the
13:05beat this was the drum but now we get
13:09all these fancy stuff I get all of that
13:13but we must be convinced that the church
13:17is still solid why because Jesus said
13:21Upon This Rock I build my church and the
13:25gates of hell
13:29[Applause]
13:31I know hell is coming at the church I
13:33know hell is trying to let you the
13:35church understand or believe that God is
13:38still not God and he he's not real and
13:41and maybe he's abandoned the church and
13:44and the church is no longer relevant
13:46that's what the Gates of Hell want you
13:48to
13:50believe that it doesn't make sense going
13:53to church anymore it doesn't make sense
13:56making sacrifices to to put put on
13:59clothes and drive in your car to be in
14:02the temple let's let's do all these
14:05modernday convenience
14:09stuff but you got to be
14:11convinced that the god that you serve is
14:16real and he needs to be honored in a
14:20special way I wish somebody would give
14:23God a praise in this
14:25[Applause]
14:27building see when you're convinced
14:30then nobody can change your mind when it
14:33comes to
14:34church when you're convinced that you
14:37didn't come in a building to worship
14:40nobody but
14:42Jehovah when you're convinced nobody has
14:45a heaven or a hell to put you in you
14:48will walk through these doors and you
14:50will enter into his gates with thanks
14:54given glory to
14:57God when you're
15:00convinced about who you are and why you
15:02serve God you don't get into church
15:07politics don't let me lose you now when
15:11you're convinced about God and the
15:14purpose of ministry you don't allow
15:17people from the preacher all the way
15:19down to the Pew you don't let anybody
15:22detour you from God I don't care who
15:25backslide I don't care what preacher
15:27fell or fall s in immorality or what a
15:31member does you can walk away from God
15:34but Henry Bonito Antony Marshall
15:36Fernandes I will forever serve God you
15:40know why without him I am
15:47nothing tap your neighbor and tell your
15:49neighbor I'm not changing from God I am
15:53not switching from God I'm going to live
15:56until the day I die serving God ain't
16:01nobody to Me Like Jesus ain't nobody to
16:05me like the Lord you don't know what he
16:08has done for me he has brought me from a
16:12mighty long
16:20way there's still a few of us who will
16:23serve God until we
16:25die we don't care who leave the church
16:28we don't care who said there is no God I
16:31know there is a God let me tell you my
16:34story let us tell you our
16:39story so this is
16:42critical when it comes to our faith
16:44Journey as a Christian our conviction
16:47about what we believe and the purpose
16:50behind it as follows our followers of of
16:54Jesus Christ is vital to the success of
16:59our spiritual journey so what is
17:01conviction let me Begin by giving you
17:04that definition of that word conviction
17:08conviction watch this are you ready for
17:09this it is a firmly held belief or
17:15opinion something you stand firm
17:20on what are you standing
17:23on are you firmly holding to your
17:27conviction
17:30that God loves you
17:32and you return that love to
17:35him How firm is your
17:39faith How firm is your
17:43faith some of you struggle to serve God
17:47because you're not convinced so when
17:49there's a little storm that comes in
17:50your
17:52life you
17:54waver you kind of waver you know and you
17:58you allow things to separate you from
18:02God come on now no wonder in your love
18:05life it's the way it is you you love
18:09People based on your
18:14emotions come on
18:16now that's why you have no
18:19tolerance for people when they goof
18:23up cuz your your problem is you can't
18:27trust their
18:33inconsistency so in marriage somebody
18:35does something wrong and you get mad and
18:38upset you're ready to bail out now I'm
18:40not talking about people who just CU
18:42there's there's some people that that
18:44need to be
18:49[Applause]
18:56left let that settle down your
19:00Spirit there are some people you just
19:02need to
19:06run but but I'm
19:08talking about not allowing anything to
19:11get between you and your commitment to
19:15God
19:17Amen cuz the church is at a crucial
19:19point right now where we're struggling
19:22because we're allowing people to get
19:25between us and our God here's what the
19:27Apostle Paul says about this in Romans 8
19:31verse 38 let's read it it's let's read
19:34it because it will totally make you
19:37rethink this whole thing of conviction
19:40he says I am convinced I am he said I'm
19:45convinced that nothing can ever separate
19:47us from the love of God neither death
19:50nor life nor angels or demons he says
19:54neither our fears watch this neither our
19:58fears
19:59for what today nor our what worries
20:04about tomorrow not even the powers of
20:12hell not even the powers of
20:17hell that's what Paul is saying he's
20:20actually telling us that he's not going
20:23to allow anything in this
20:26life to separate him from the love of
20:30God his unwavering faith and conviction
20:33in Jesus Christ is telling us that the
20:35challenges of life will not allow him to
20:40separate himself from God and we too
20:44must reach that point where we are fully
20:47persuaded that nothing in this world can
20:50get between us and God cuz Satan is
20:53going to try everything everything in
20:56the book to get us
21:00to separate ourselves from God I need to
21:03do this CB would you come here please
21:06would you come
21:11here pleas you stand right
21:14here please stand right there thank
21:17you
21:19uh let's see here sir would you come
21:21here yes yes would you come
21:25in I want you to pretend
21:29that this is you yes stand over there
21:33this is
21:36you this is
21:38you and I wish I only used a human being
21:45to hold the Bible go ahead and hold this
21:47Bible because you know I wish I could
21:50just have the Bible just standing out
21:53there by
21:56itself because I don't want watch watch
21:58this I do not want to belittle
22:02God in human
22:06form so try to ignore him for a moment
22:10and this is it the word everything that
22:14you will ever need to know about God is
22:17wrapped up in
22:21this so what Paul was actually saying
22:25right here when he said I'm convinced
22:27that nothing can ever separate us from
22:30God's love he was talking collectively
22:33for all of us he didn't say I am
22:36convinced that nothing can separate
22:39me he says
22:42us cuz what Paul is saying I've walked
22:45this road I've proven it to be true and
22:49I'm saying it is true for all of us if
22:52you're
22:53convinced if you're convinced like
22:56him you can have the same outcome like
22:59him nothing will separate him from God
23:03so here's you this is you and as you're
23:07traveling on life's journey on your job
23:11running your business living your life
23:14raising your family as you're traveling
23:18there going to be all kinds of
23:21distractions because your purpose is
23:26locked into what God wants for you
23:30don't miss this your purpose is locked
23:33in fix your eyes on the prize what's the
23:38prize your healing your deliverance
23:41happy home happy family happy love life
23:44whatever it is financial breakthrough it
23:46is all in the word of God so as you are
23:50progressing in
23:52life head to your purpose Paul says you
23:56got to be convinced that nothing will
23:59separate you because separation simply
24:02means that something will come
24:06between come on now between you and your
24:11God something will come before you that
24:14will block your vision from seeing what
24:17God has in stored for you so let me
24:20demonstrate this for a moment here's
24:22what Paul is saying when he says neither
24:25death nor life neither angel nor demons
24:30neither our fears for today or the
24:33worries for
24:35tomorrow not even the powers of hell can
24:38separate us from the love of God but
24:40Paul is saying we're all going to go
24:42through things and you should never let
24:45the
24:47absence of your loved ones who have
24:51died to cause you to
24:55question does God exist
24:59and if he does why did he let my grandma
25:04die why did he let my grandpa my father
25:07my mother my sister why did he let that
25:11infant
25:12drowned Paul
25:14says neither
25:20death the who's what void is in your
25:24life this
25:25morning who have died in your family or
25:30in your life that has caused you now to
25:36question the
25:39word that in that void that invisible
25:43person that person you loved and
25:45worshiped and really really was looking
25:48to have a great life with they're
25:52absent and because they're absent it has
25:56created a separation between you and God
25:59because you struggle to serve God you
26:01struggle to understand why would God let
26:03that person
26:05die right because we're human we
26:08question him all the time I'll never
26:10forget when I had the news that my
26:13father died out to this day September
26:167th I'll never forget it I was sitting
26:18over there it was an evening service and
26:21I I had just he was just what 3 minutes
26:24away from the church I just visited him
26:26normally I would not do that on a Sunday
26:28evening on to going to church but
26:31something in me from that afternoon
26:34something go see your dad go see your
26:35dad go see your dad go see your dad and
26:38I push myself that's why whenever you
26:40feel God is pushing you to do something
26:43you just never know
26:46why and I went and I visited him and I
26:49just came to the evening service and I
26:50sat over there and all of a sudden my
26:52sister-in-law just came and put her arms
26:54around me and she said Daddy's Gone
26:59what I don't know how I left from the
27:01building because I didn't tell anybody I
27:03just jumped in my car I don't know how I
27:05got to the house and when I saw the
27:08paramedics and I walked into the room
27:10and I saw the Sheep over his
27:13head I lost it I'm a preacher of the
27:18Gospel don't tell me I love
27:21God but I had an issue with
27:25that he was absent
27:29so are you going to let the
27:31death of whomever
27:34died Paul says neither
27:37death what about principalities Paul is
27:40saying these are invisible forces some
27:43of you are struggling with some
27:45invisible forces stuff that you know
27:49it's not normal there's something wrong
27:52something is happening in my life
27:54something is happening with my children
27:56something is happening on my job
27:57something something is happening with my
27:59money it is not normal I'm fighting a
28:02spiritual battle who am I talking
28:08to Paul says even the invisible
28:13forces the satanic
28:16forces will not separate
28:20me from
28:23God you want me to get a little bit
28:25deeper watch this this is what Paul Paul
28:29says what shall separate me from the
28:32love of God he actually said nothing
28:35nothing to the point watch this now I
28:37know you're not going to like this I
28:38know you're not going to like this let
28:39me do this let me do this sir could you
28:41come here for a second please come here
28:43just give her your hat come here come
28:47here ah because this is what happens to
28:51us we allow human
28:55beings so ladies
28:59come here sir stand between them two
29:03just like that just like
29:07that which man have you
29:12allowed to get into your life
29:17ladies that has blocked your
29:23vision from
29:26seeing what God has for
29:33you cuz cuz you you no no no you
29:38know you know you no longer have
29:41confidence in the word of God
29:44anymore since that man entered your
29:48life you know
29:50it you know that that man has become a
29:55distraction come on you're streaming
29:57right now you are actually in his arms
29:59right now you
30:01know you
30:04know yes you
30:06know that
30:09man has become a
30:17distraction and Paul's love for God was
30:20so strong he said
30:26nothing so for women you need to get to
30:29the point where you're
30:32convinced I would love to have a man but
30:36if he's going to come between me and my
30:40God
30:49Hall thank you sir you may go down so so
30:53as not to let the men feel bad
30:59come here sweethe come here come here
31:01come
31:01[Applause]
31:04here
31:06Brothers what Paul is
31:10saying what will you allow to come
31:13between you and
31:15God and he is
31:18saying I won't even let a
31:21woman now I see I could understand with
31:24Paul because you have to remember Paul
31:27was was serving
31:29God and in the Scripture it didn't
31:33really show where Paul was focused on a
31:38woman he was so devoted to the gospel
31:42that a woman was not his
31:44issue he made a DEC it's not that his
31:47flesh didn't want it I don't know where
31:50we Christians get this from you know
31:51this is why maybe sometimes uh people
31:54can't relate to the church because we
31:56just act as if we don't have
32:03feelings talk to me here we got feelings
32:08hello there are men in this room
32:11struggling with your
32:13feelings
32:16hello you're struggling with it but you
32:19got to get to that place where you say
32:22well okay what I understand my feelings
32:24but when it comes to me and my God and
32:27my purpose
32:30I am not going to let any
32:33woman no woman come between me and my I
32:40will not allow a woman to separate me
32:44from God no woman is nice enough
32:47beautiful enough she can't give me
32:49enough sex that would make there's
32:52nothing you got to be so convinced and
32:56value yourself like a mighty man of
32:59Valor and say no woman is going to come
33:03between me and my
33:08[Applause]
33:11God stay right there sir would you come
33:14here young man yes come here quickly yes
33:16yes come here come here here's another
33:19thing what Paul is saying too he's
33:22saying not only you shouldn't let a man
33:26or a woman get between you well what
33:29about them
33:30[Applause]
33:34children let me talk to the parents here
33:37cuz I feel you I feel you I feel you cuz
33:40if you're come on now parents especially
33:43when they're in their teens talk to me
33:45here now it you struggle a lot and
33:49sometimes you're trying to raise your
33:50family whether you're a single parent or
33:53as a couple if you're not careful your
33:56children will stand between you and your
33:59God talk to me
34:02here your kids will even sometime test
34:06you to make you want to lose your
34:09salvation but what you need to
34:12understand parents is that God has given
34:14you a certain amount of years to raise
34:17them train up a child the way they
34:20should go so when they're old they will
34:22not depart your job is to train if they
34:26decide to go to a different part like
34:29the prodal go on baby go live your life
34:32let me show you that when when you go
34:35out there to have fun listen there going
34:38to come a time where you're going to
34:39come to yourself and you're going to
34:42realize that LE in my house is the worst
34:46thing you can ever
34:51do you can leave me and don't listen to
34:55me and listen to all these boys out out
34:58there to tell you nice things in your
35:00ears but let me tell you something Mommy
35:02been there done that we got a t-shirt to
35:05show for it don't you ever give up
35:08yourself to a man over God respect
35:12yourself and know that God has more in
35:15store for
35:23you you got to be so determined
35:28love your kids like the prodigal in the
35:31Bible when the boy came to his daddy a
35:35single parent the Bible spoke nothing
35:37about the
35:39mother when he came to his parent and
35:42said I want my
35:46inheritance notice what the father did
35:49not do father didn't try to say no
35:52you're not you shouldn't go anywhere and
35:55whatever some of you're trying to con
35:57convince your disrespectful
35:59[Applause]
36:02children sometimes what you need to do
36:04is cut them off let them go out
36:08there because the Pig spin is out there
36:11waiting for them and listen that will
36:14humble
36:15them I don't know whose parents I'm
36:18talking to your children will put
36:20stranger over you and listen to
36:23strangers more than they listen to you
36:25somebody tried it in the book of Luke
36:28The Prodigal tried it and he listened to
36:31everybody else and he didn't realize
36:34that his friends were happy with him as
36:36long as he had
36:38[Applause]
36:42money as long as if you as long as you
36:45have your beauty young lady as long as
36:47you have money young man you're always
36:50going to find
36:53company
36:55always listen to me young men
36:58there's a listen I know this going to
36:59get me in trouble there not everybody
37:02but there is a certain group of
37:07[Applause]
37:19women not everybody but there's a
37:21certain group of
37:24women can I use the term all they are
37:27are gold
37:29[Applause]
37:29[Music]
37:30[Applause]
37:34diggers and as long as the goal runs out
37:39they stop
37:41[Applause]
37:45digging boy I'm going to get myself in
37:48trouble this
37:53morning they're professional at it
38:00and young
38:02ladies you've got some smooth slick
38:08Brothers their mouth is sweeter than
38:11[Music]
38:11[Applause]
38:16honey but you got a makeup in your
38:20mind man or woman or
38:24kids none of you all
38:27not one of you all going to block
38:32me from going where I'm I am
38:37convinced you can give me your drama
38:40devil you can give me the principalities
38:42I am convinced that God is with me I'm
38:46convinced I'm going to reach my goal and
38:49you got to get so convinced that you
38:52clear all of the distraction everybody
38:55get off stage clear all the distraction
38:58high five three people and tell them
39:00clear all the distractions get rid of it
39:03out of your life clear it clear it clar
39:06it come on point to somebody and tell
39:08them you got to go you got to go you got
39:11you you you got you got to go you she
39:14got to go he got to go them they all of
39:17them got to all of them got to go you
39:21got to go
39:27[Applause]
39:29[Music]
39:35[Applause]
39:37so I think you and
39:40I should have that kind of
39:43conviction one that is firmly rooted in
39:46the promises of God so let me quickly
39:48talk to you about the importance of
39:50guiding or guarding I should say your
39:52conviction the importance of guarding
39:55your conviction so as followers of Jesus
39:57Christ we must be aware that
40:00Satan will try to derail us from our
40:03faith Journey that's his job this is why
40:06we must always be on our guard look at
40:09what Luke
40:1121 verse 34 to verse 36 it says I tell
40:16you come on now he says take care that
40:21your hearts are you seeing that take
40:24care that your hearts aren't dull d by
40:29drinking
40:30parties that word dled it's talking
40:33about lacking interest are becoming
40:38bored bored because of drinking parties
40:42I'm talking to the
40:44church drunkenness and anxieties of
40:48daytoday life don't let that day fall
40:51upon you unexpectedly like a trap it
40:55will come upon everyone who who lives on
40:58the face of the whole earth stay alert
41:01at all times pray that you are strong
41:04enough to escape
41:06everything that is about to happen and
41:09to stand before the human
41:11one so we find here the word of God is
41:15telling us don't get so out of touch
41:20bored with your drinking parties
41:27what our part is that we're we're so
41:31loose
41:33now and if you talk about it it's the
41:38culture you get
41:41cancelled you get
41:43canceled it's like you're not supposed
41:45to be preaching the pure word of God
41:48anymore cuz it is saying here take care
41:52that your hearts don't lack the interest
41:57right right due to by drinking
42:02parties the parties we're going the
42:04stuff that we're
42:06doing drunkenness and the anxiety of
42:10everyday
42:11life let me give you another example
42:14Daniel's example of conviction talk
42:16about conviction because I know what
42:18you're saying this is the culture and if
42:20you don't do it well you know you get
42:22cancelled and and you may suffer the
42:24consequences let's look at Daniel
42:26consider this example of Daniel he was
42:29committed to serving God and determined
42:32he would not compromise is another word
42:37compromise despite the pressures of
42:40society as a Believer as a Christian are
42:43you
42:45compromising here's what he said in
42:47Daniel chapter 1 ver8 and I love this
42:49please pay attention to this but Daniel
42:52resolved meaning he made a firm decision
42:57that he would not defile himself with
42:59the King's food nor with the wine he
43:04drank therefore he asked the chief of
43:08the unic to allow him not to defile
43:12himself did you get that here the Bible
43:16is telling us that Daniel resolved by
43:18that that he would not defile himself
43:22with the King's food the issue here was
43:25not
43:27about Daniel eating food and Daniel
43:30drinking
43:32wine because if you study your Bible
43:35everybody not just in Bible days but
43:37like today we have to eat food so you
43:41would question why why would Daniel not
43:43want to eat food come on it's a it's a
43:46party going on remember we read that in
43:48Luke it's a party going on it's a
43:51party there's nothing wrong with that
43:54let's have fun
43:57so there's nothing wrong with Daniel
43:58eating food watch this come on now
44:02there's nothing wrong with the
44:04wine how do I know that it do nothing
44:06wrong with drinking the wine because
44:09again if you remember our Lord and
44:10Savior Jesus Christ one day went to a
44:13wedding and they ran out of wine and he
44:16turned water into wine to the point
44:18where they said the couple that was
44:21getting married saved the best wine for
44:24the last in other words the kind of wine
44:27that Jesus gave them they ain't never
44:29drank wine like that ever before so the
44:33question was not should Daniel eat
44:36should he drink wine here's the problem
44:38here was the problem why Daniel said I
44:41cannot defile my
44:43body the food and the
44:46wine was in a setting that was
44:51worshiping
44:55Idols sometimes as not what
44:58we
45:00do but it's how we do
45:05it don't get quiet on me now I'm almost
45:08through I say I'm losing half of you
45:11right now you're like you better wrap
45:13this up before you come after me you
45:16know seriously he he was just saying no
45:19I'm not going to drink and eat when you
45:22took the food and the
45:25wine and your C crating a God that I
45:29don't believe
45:31in
45:33So Daniel said no I don't want to deal
45:36with it so a call for deep conviction
45:39simply means I believe that God is
45:41calling his church to have a deeper
45:44conviction one that is rooted in his
45:46word and one that is unshakable by the
45:49pressures of this
45:51world you see without strong conviction
45:54you will lose sight of your purpose you
45:56will have have to decide who God is to
46:00you and if you're going to believe his
46:02word concerning you and if you believe
46:06him watch this and make up in your mind
46:09to serve him regardless of whomever
46:15else may be uncertain about
46:18him because the days are coming in this
46:21country not a foreign
46:23country the days are coming and already
46:26here
46:28where so many people are going to
46:31question whether or
46:35not this
46:37book is still
46:42relevant so let me say purpose and
46:45conviction through the life of Jesus is
46:48what we need to model every one of you
46:52has has a purpose on the earth that is
46:55designed to fulfill a spiritual
46:57objective here's what Jesus prayed CU he
47:00understood this he prayed in Matthew
47:03610 your kingdom
47:07come your will be
47:10done on
47:12Earth as it is in heaven you see Jesus
47:15understood the principle here he was
47:18convinced that his Earthly
47:21responsibilities were divinely connected
47:24to his Heavenly purpose
47:27when you understand your heavenly
47:29purpose when you understand your
47:32heavenly purpose it becomes easier for
47:35you to
47:37live your Earthly assignment finally
47:42developing a conviction that motivates
47:45purpose because that's why we're
47:48here to develop a conviction that
47:50motivates you to fulfill your purpose
47:53you need to do three things if you're
47:54taking notes take your phone pH out make
47:58a picture of it number one you got to
48:01understand who you
48:04are as a part of God's master plan for
48:08the
48:10Earth you have to understand who you
48:15are as a part of God's master plan for
48:20the
48:22Earth who are you do you understand that
48:26you're a part of God's master plan
48:28number two recognize the challenges are
48:32opportunities to become wiser stronger
48:36in fulfilling your
48:38purpose all the challenges you're going
48:41through it's an
48:43opportunity for you to become wiser and
48:46stronger I am the pastor I am today
48:50because of some bad experiences I've
48:52been through
48:57my faith has grown stronger because of
49:00some challenges that I've had so many
49:03things try to come between me and God my
49:07purpose but I got convinced this is what
49:10I'm called to
49:11do as uncomfortable as it may feel I'm
49:15called to do this number three you got
49:18to trust that whatever God begins in
49:23you he will finish it
49:28amen so let me say it again understand
49:31that you are a part of God's master plan
49:33for the
49:34Earth recognize that challenges our
49:37opportunities to become wiser and
49:39stronger in fulfilling your purpose and
49:44Trust what God
49:46started in you trust that whatever God
49:51begins in you he'll finish it bow your
49:53heads please I'm about to pray and let
49:55you out of here
49:57[Music]
50:00you got to
50:01believe that what he started in you he's
50:05going to finish
50:08it he's going to finish
50:11it well
50:13Pastor I'm nowhere
50:16close to my
50:18dreams keep
50:21walking keep
50:24running keep believing
50:27keep
50:29confessing just keep what don't
50:32[Music]
50:33stop well Pastor I lost my joy I lost my
50:37peace well okay what God started in you
50:41he'll finish it I don't understand half
50:43the stuff that God's doing in my life
50:44Pastor I I get
50:48that like Paul said Paul Paul was
50:51speaking on the behalf of all of us even
50:52for the modern day church he says
50:57nothing will separate us from the love
50:59of God why because of the conviction we
51:03possess do we like half the stuff we're
51:05going through absolutely
51:08not but are you convinced that you're on
51:11the right path are you convinced that
51:14serving Jesus Christ is the best thing
51:19you can ever do for
51:21yourself if if you've lost that
51:23conviction that I'm telling you you've
51:25lost your purpose
51:26[Music]
51:29you've lost your purpose you better stay
51:31away from this generation that want
51:33quick
51:35fixes and because they want Quick Fix is
51:38what happens when they start something
51:40they never finish
51:41it because things don't happen as fast
51:45as they envisioned
51:47it so you have this younger generation
51:50living the next 5 10 years and you
51:54wonder what's your purpose what make up
51:57your mind because they're just all over
51:59the
52:01place so many people leave the church
52:04leave God and you're streaming and you
52:06know I'm talking to you you've left God
52:08you get cuz every your relationship with
52:12Jesus
52:13Christ hangs on what people have done to
52:16you said to
52:17you how you
52:19feel what other people have said some of
52:22you have already judged God based on
52:24what other people have said and not what
52:27he said cuz why you don't even read his
52:33word how could you judge a
52:36person by somebody else's opinion that's
52:39why many of you have cancelled other
52:41people out of your life stop talking to
52:43people and start treating people bad all
52:45because of what you heard you haven't
52:47proven it for
52:50yourself but we love
52:53Gossip how can you question God
52:58when you haven't put him to the
53:00test so I say to the church
53:03today let your
53:06conviction drive your
53:09purpose woman of God where are you
53:13supposed to be 5 years from
53:15now let that conviction drive you to get
53:18there it's not going to be an easy Road
53:21sir let that conviction drives you I
53:24don't care we heard Genji said at the
53:25opening of the service broke down got
53:29very
53:32emotional I went through a
53:35divorce I'm sure when he walked down the
53:38aisles to marry his bride it was never
53:40his
53:41intention but life
53:44happens life happens it may not be
53:47divorce for you it may be bankruptcy it
53:50may be lost of a friend it may be the
53:52absence of your loved ones through death
53:56but the
53:58scripture that he
54:00read was an encouragement to him cuz he
54:05could have gotten divorced he could have
54:06said you know what forget it this didn't
54:08work he some so many people get
54:10embarrassed they go into shelters he
54:13could have said I'm not coming back to
54:14church cuz people know my business and
54:16all the of course sometimes life is
54:18going to hit you with a
54:21blow that you're going to feel
54:24embarrassed cuz you know how people can
54:27be
54:28cruel even in the
54:31church but this young man braved
54:34enough I put him on stage to read that
54:37scripture this morning and as his Pastor
54:39I had no idea he got
54:42divorced I had no
54:44idea when I heard him say that I sat
54:48over there and I said no look at the
54:50grace of God hallelujah cuz that's what
54:52Grace
54:54does it gives you a second chance to do
54:57life over
54:59again because he's
55:01convinced that he's not going to let a
55:05divorce people lying on
55:07you you failing to separate you from God
55:12so Faith Center make up in your
55:16mind whether or not you're going to
55:18serve
55:19God and I believe there's just a few of
55:22us in this room few of us who are
55:25streaming we ain't never going to quit
55:27God
55:30never
55:34father thank you for this word
55:39today we're
55:42convinced that it's time for us to be
55:46fully committed to
55:48you thank
55:51you thank you that your people receive
55:53this
55:54word it will radically change
55:59them and that they're going to leave
56:01this place today
56:02knowing their future is already
56:06said and that they're going to have a
56:09bright future no matter what I give you
56:13praise I give you honor and glory for
56:16it if you don't know the Lord as your
56:18personal savior I just simply want you
56:20to pray this sinners prayer with me say
56:23Lord
56:24Jesus I'm The
56:26Sinner I Repent of my sins
56:30today I embrace the free gift of
56:35Salvation And I declare that I'm born
56:38again in Jesus
56:41name amen would you give God a praise