Be Vulnerable with Faith
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 7/26/2022philippians 3
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57:35
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez challenges believers to stop playing it safe and embrace vulnerability through faith, illustrating how letting go of the past and taking risks leads to God's greatest breakthroughs.
Key points
- •Human nature resists vulnerability and favors control, but growth requires stepping out of comfort zones and into the unknown.
- •Faith is not just belief; it is action that allows God to take center stage in the face of risks and uncertainties.
- •Attachment to your past or current situation acts as a weight that prevents you from moving toward the 'could be' that God has prepared.
- •God often uses unconventional, 'crazy,' or seemingly illogical instructions (like Naaman dipping in the Jordan) to birth miracles and breakthroughs.
- •Failure is often a preparation for greatness; a single setback does not mean God is finished with your purpose.
Scripture
Faith
Purpose
Obedience
Perseverance
Life application
Identify one area where you are 'playing it safe' out of fear, and commit to taking one specific step of faith this week, even if it feels vulnerable or lacks a guaranteed outcome.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life are you choosing the 'misery of comfort' over the 'risk of faith'?
- When God gives you an instruction that doesn't make logical sense, what is your typical response?
- What 'past versions' of yourself are you still holding onto that might be hindering your future identity in Christ?
- Is there a failure in your past that God is calling you to 'try again' with His guidance?
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Full transcript
0:00amen can we bless them one more time
0:04and god bless you may be seated in the
0:06presence of the lord i want to challenge
0:09you
0:10today
0:11to be vulnerable with faith
0:15be vulnerable
0:17with
0:18faith
0:21it is the human nature for us to tend to
0:24shy away from vulnerability
0:27we don't like to be put in a position
0:31where we can't
0:33take care of ourselves
0:35scary we don't want
0:37that to happen we don't
0:39like being exposed to danger or
0:41uncertainties
0:43and have to rely on someone else to help
0:46us figure things out
0:49like to do it on our own and the truth
0:52is
0:52we just don't like
0:54to not having control
0:57over our own lives
1:00we like to have control
1:03and if it's not over people and other
1:05things we want to have control over our
1:09own lives and in other words we don't
1:12like living with the unknown
1:17so
1:18what do we do
1:20we play it safe and we hesitate to act
1:24on the opportunities god sends our way
1:29we play it safe there's a lot of people
1:31in this room and people are streaming we
1:33keep playing it safe
1:36why because we can control the
1:38environment
1:40we want that safety net
1:43we want to do it our way we don't like
1:45to take risk
1:46because risk
1:48they're scary moves
1:51so we stay in our comfort zone
1:55and the problem is
1:57we cannot afford to do that
1:59we must begin to assess ourselves to see
2:02if we are standing in the way of what
2:05god wants us to do
2:09in our lives
2:11sometimes we are our greatest enemy
2:15sometimes we're the ones who are
2:17stopping what god wants to do in us and
2:21through us
2:23so we must begin to assess ourselves to
2:26see if we are standing in the way
2:31standing in the way of what god wants to
2:33do in our lives and why should that be
2:36so because as long as we continue to
2:39calculate the processes and outcome of
2:42our lives we leave no room for faith to
2:46take center stage in whatever we do
2:51faith has to take center stage in
2:53whatever we do
2:55because if you
2:57can handle everything and you have the
3:00ability to function and handle all the
3:04fears of your life then you have
3:06shortchanged yourself
3:09you see there there there are greatness
3:11that's locked upon the inside of you
3:13that god wants to birth through you
3:16and the only way that's going to come
3:18out of you it's it's going to take faith
3:22you're going to be standing before some
3:24things and propositions that god's going
3:27to give to you and it's going to scare
3:29the heck out of you
3:32god's going to bring you to some places
3:35he's going to bring you to a red sea
3:37he's going to bring you to a mountain
3:39and and he's going to tell you i want
3:41you to speak to that mountain i want you
3:43to remove that thing out of your life
3:45he's going to say i want you to cross
3:47over i want you to get to the promised
3:50land and if you're not careful you're
3:52going to say god i can't do this
3:55i don't have the ability to do this i
3:56don't have the ability to start the
3:58business i don't have the ability uh to
4:00take on that responsibility i don't have
4:02the ability to go back to school and to
4:04acquire that degree i don't have the
4:05ability to run
4:07for for some uh political office i don't
4:09have the ability to do and to do and to
4:11do why because you like to stay in your
4:13comfort zone
4:16but one of the things i've discovered is
4:18that god will always put you at the edge
4:24and show you the vastness of
4:27possibilities
4:29and it will scare you to death
4:32and it's going to take faith to step out
4:35and get it done
4:38the greatness that you're seeking for
4:41is not in your comfort zone
4:44it's not and perhaps this is why so many
4:47of us hate it when we are placed in
4:49situations that we have
4:53no
4:54control
4:55over it
4:57we hate it
4:58because we like the the predetermined
5:01outcome we like we like to do things
5:03that we are totally in control over and
5:07what it boils down to is from a
5:09spiritual standpoint we hate being
5:11vulnerable to the holy spirit's leading
5:14we hate it
5:16we hate being vulnerable to the holy
5:18spirit's leading
5:19every single day he's telling us to do
5:22things
5:23every single day he's prompting us to do
5:26crazy things
5:29things that will blow our minds
5:32things that will scare the heck out of
5:33us things that will make us think we are
5:36losing our mind
5:40but you've got to be vulnerable to faith
5:44you got to say i can do this
5:46if god put it in me to do it i'm just
5:50going to do it i'm just going to believe
5:52it's going to work out i don't know how
5:54but if it's a god thing it will prosper
6:01don't shortchange
6:03yourself with your future because you're
6:06scared in the present moment to make a
6:08move
6:10you would not be sitting in this room
6:12today
6:13had it not been for 31 years ago
6:16i took a crazy fade step
6:20my entire 31 years of ministry started
6:24with a bag of groceries
6:3031 years
6:32all the successes i've had
6:35all of the failures all of the life
6:37experiences as a spiritual leader that
6:39i've had over these 31 years i can
6:42contribute it to
6:44a bag of groceries
6:47why because i was i was thrust into
6:50something
6:52god prompted me to do something i i it
6:55sounded crazy but it was from that one
6:59act
7:00that birthed all of this
7:02[Music]
7:05and for those of you who don't know the
7:07story
7:09when my wife and i left brooklyn new
7:11york and came here in 1985 we came here
7:15only because god spoke a word
7:18go to florida
7:20go to florida
7:22he'll prompt you to do things that
7:24doesn't make sense go to florida who do
7:27you have in florida i don't know anybody
7:28in florida but go to florida do you have
7:30any money no
7:34because you see we like to calculate our
7:36lives
7:38right we've got to see all the pieces
7:39coming together we didn't have any money
7:41150 that's all we had we came left new
7:45york a week after we got married and
7:48came all the way down to south florida
7:52and let me tell you something for those
7:55of you
7:56who are saying you can't be in the will
7:59of god because of the hell you're
8:01catching let me tell you something when
8:03you're in the will of god you're going
8:04to catch hell
8:10i was in the will of god let me tell you
8:12something the devil turned it up he
8:15threw the kitchen the stove he threw the
8:18everything
8:19to us
8:21it was crazy
8:24and i'll never forget
8:27when we looked in the refrigerator there
8:28was absolutely nothing in that
8:30refrigerator that friday night
8:32but i'm in the will of god how could i
8:34be in the will of god and you're in a
8:36strange place or at a strange place you
8:39don't know anybody you can't borrow any
8:40money from anybody you can't go knock on
8:42anybody's door and ask them for stuff
8:44you know and so you're here and there's
8:46no food just just a bottle of water in
8:49the refrigerator what do you do let me
8:51tell you something god will leave you
8:53and drop you in the middle of a desert
8:56just for you to trust him
8:59i said god will drop you in the middle
9:01of a desert just for you to trust him
9:05he will take your support system away
9:08from you and leave you hanging all by
9:10yourself and leave you scared to think
9:13what am i going to do now
9:15and it was in that moment
9:18when i challenged god
9:20you got to be vulnerable with faith
9:24you can't be reading the bible and
9:26trying to do this christian stuff if
9:28you're not going to put god to the test
9:32it was at that moment i said wait a
9:34minute god i
9:36didn't want to be in florida i know how
9:39to hustle back in brooklyn new york and
9:42i'm at this place i don't know why i'm
9:45here you told me to be here so god i'm
9:48hungry there's no food in the
9:49refrigerator and i'm expecting you to
9:52feed me you forbid me to go rob a bank
9:55you forbid me to do anything illegal so
9:58therefore you've got to supply therefore
10:02you got to look after me if not i'm
10:04going back to brooklyn
10:08is anybody hearing what i'm saying today
10:10i'm going back to brooklyn
10:14you got to put god to the test
10:18and i went to bed and he said nothing
10:20sometimes you're going to pray to god
10:22and you want him to answer you instantly
10:24he said not a word to me
10:27it was frustrating but i went to bed and
10:29i woke up the saturday morning and make
10:31a long story short i got up the saturday
10:33morning
10:34and i heard the holy spirit said to me
10:36go get your groceries
10:39go get your groceries
10:41god don't you understand i don't have
10:43any money
10:44watch this i'm arguing with god i don't
10:46have any money how am i supposed to get
10:48groceries i'm forgetting who's talking
10:50to me
10:52i'm forgetting the one who's talking to
10:54me says the earth is his and the
10:56fullness thereof
10:59just said go get your groceries
11:02but i was crazy enough
11:05you see some of you you are not crazy
11:08enough
11:09you are playing it safe
11:12listen you're desperate but you're
11:13playing it safe i was crazy enough to
11:16believe that voice and i heard that
11:18voice and i said okay i'm going to the
11:20grocery store i went to the grocery
11:22store i was down the aisles picking up
11:25stuff off the shelf put it in the cart
11:27and so forth seriously i did it i was
11:31vulnerable to faith i was like this
11:33stuff got to work i know it sounds crazy
11:36and i know some of you are saying right
11:37now i ain't doing that listen until you
11:40try something just outrageously
11:44crazy you'll never know if god can ever
11:47work a miracle in your life i'm so glad
11:50i did it because when i got to the
11:52cashier
11:55this was real the real test
11:59this is the real test i got to the
12:00cashier i was dead serious you told me
12:03to go to the grocery store and i'm going
12:05to go to the grocery store no matter
12:07what now when i got to the cashier my
12:09wife was holding my hand all along the
12:11way and the moment i got to the cashier
12:13she said i'll see you outside
12:19a lot of people will leave you hanging
12:22in your most vulnerable moment some
12:25people will only go with you
12:27to a certain
12:29come on now come on
12:31some people will only go with you
12:33to a certain point after that they leave
12:36you hanging but i need a group of people
12:38this morning who will say i'm going all
12:41the way with god today if he said it
12:45he'll do it
12:49and i'm telling you this morning if god
12:51spoke a word to you trust that word and
12:54just do it somebody shout just do it
12:58[Applause]
13:01so as i stood there
13:03waiting my turn
13:06the doors of the grocery store opened
13:09a man walked through the door
13:11lock eyes with my eyes
13:13and he said is your name henry fernandez
13:15i said yes sir
13:17he said you know i was home sleeping in
13:19my bed
13:20and the holy spirit woke me up to go to
13:22winn-dixie
13:24because there's a young man there i need
13:25to give something to
13:27he stretch his hands towards me and i
13:30felt paper in the palm of my hand i
13:33opened up it was money
13:36it was money it was money it was money i
13:40paid for my groceries and while going
13:43back to the to the apartment because we
13:45didn't have a car we took a taxi that we
13:47had change left over y'all i mean we
13:49took a taxi
13:52and in the back of the taxi i said man
13:55if i knew god was gonna show up like
13:57that i would have bought some more stuff
14:00man i limited myself
14:04i limited myself some of you are
14:07limiting yourself right now because
14:09you're doubting god
14:16you have to be vulnerable to faith
14:18you see you can study the bible
14:20from genesis to revelation and you can
14:23pray and fast multiple times a day but
14:25if you don't apply faith that is backed
14:27up by your actions
14:30you will always live beneath your
14:33privileges
14:35and it's very sad
14:37it's very disappointing
14:39to see that some of you have concluded
14:42and have actually accepted that you have
14:45arrived at your best self
14:50that you've already reached your full
14:52potential
14:54and your highest achievements
14:57you've arrived
15:00it's disappointing because the truth is
15:02you haven't even tapped into your best
15:06self
15:08you have not
15:10come anywhere near seeing or experience
15:14in what god has planned and purpose for
15:18you
15:19you're not even close
15:22to the greatness that's in you
15:25and i know that because of what the
15:27bible says in uh uh
15:30first corinthians
15:322 verse 9
15:34it simply says eyes have not seen
15:39nor ears heard
15:41neither have it entered into the heart
15:44of man the things which god has prepared
15:48for them
15:49that love him
15:51haven't even entered into your hearts
15:53yet the things that god has already
15:56prepared for you and the reason many
15:58believers have concluded that they have
16:00arrived at their best self is because
16:03they are afraid of stepping into the
16:06unknown they feel
16:08it's much
16:09easier for them to settle for what was
16:14and what is
16:15[Music]
16:18they have settled for what was
16:21and what is
16:23so listen
16:24you will never get far in life
16:26if your life's journey is more about you
16:30holding on to the past and the present
16:34and less about taking the risk
16:36of exploring
16:38what the future holds for you
16:41i posted this yesterday
16:44you cannot become
16:46if you're still attached
16:49to who you have been
16:53you cannot become
16:54[Applause]
16:56if you're still attached
16:59to who
17:01you have
17:02been because you're not willing to let
17:05go
17:06of who you've been
17:09to become whom god wants you to be ceon
17:14would you come here for a moment elijah
17:16come here for a moment let me use both
17:17of you in this demonstration here today
17:21you have to let go
17:23of your past
17:26the apostle paul stated it in
17:28philippians 3 beginning at verse 12 to
17:3114
17:33he spoke loud and clear about it stay
17:36right here uh elijah you go right there
17:38theon you go right over there
17:40stay right here
17:42perfect perfect
17:44so
17:45most of you
17:46are holding on
17:48to
17:50what you've been
17:53broke
17:54struggling
17:57frustrated
17:59fed up with life
18:02just don't like where you are
18:04this is your norm
18:06this is your norm
18:08and as long as you hold on
18:12to your current
18:14situation
18:16watch this
18:17you may be moving
18:19but the problem is it's harder
18:22and most difficult and you have to move
18:25in the rhythm of what's holding you
18:31you can't develop your own pace
18:35because you're attached to a weight
18:43you attach to a weight and you attach to
18:45a spirit
18:48the spirit of your past
18:51and as long as you're attached to the
18:52spirit of your past
18:54you will never move forward
18:57to the unknown and i get it stay right
19:00there elijah the problem is
19:02the struggle is to get to over here you
19:05are trying to get to what
19:08could be
19:10could be
19:11this is what could be
19:13you're over here you have yet to
19:16experience the personality okay so
19:18here's what i want you to do kind of
19:20give a smile and try to keep that smile
19:22on your face all right you just keep
19:24smiling just keep you be serious you'll
19:26be serious okay you'll be serious
19:29you see
19:30your happy place is there
19:38your happy place is over there smile
19:43okay
19:44happy places over there
19:47but here
19:49you are so
19:50comfortable watch this
19:53in what makes you miserable
19:57[Applause]
20:02that's a tweetable one right there
20:05you are more comfortable in what makes
20:07you miserable
20:09and struggle to let go
20:14and watch this
20:16go it alone
20:18take the risk
20:20of not getting support from anything
20:24and move towards
20:26what god has for you
20:30trust in
20:31that when you get there it'll make you
20:33smile
20:34[Music]
20:37thank you give it up for my boys give it
20:38up thank you
20:39thank you
20:44here's what paul stated in philippians 3
20:47begin in verse 12 he says not that i
20:51have now attained this ideal or have
20:55already been made perfect but i press on
20:58to lay hold of grasp or make my own
21:02that for which christ jesus the messiah
21:06has laid old of me and made me his own
21:09verse 13 i do not consider brethren that
21:12i have captured and made it my own yet
21:15i'm not there yet that's what he's
21:17saying
21:18but one thing i do this is my one
21:22aspiration
21:24love it
21:25forgetting what is behind or forgetting
21:28what lies behind and straining forward
21:31to what lies ahead
21:34i press on toward the goal to win
21:37to win to win it's all about winning
21:41it's all about winning pressing forward
21:44and to win to get to get the best out of
21:48your faith life
21:49you must live
21:51through the journey not knowing how the
21:54process will turn out but being fully
21:59convinced
22:00of the good outcome god has declared it
22:03to be
22:05you're uncertain of what the outcome is
22:07going to be but you're convinced
22:10that in the end god is going to work it
22:13out for your good so people of god it is
22:16time you let go and let the future god
22:20has planned and purpose for you become
22:23your pursuit
22:26let go
22:27of whatever
22:28things that's been messing up your mind
22:30and your thought process let it go and
22:32push towards the greater that is yet to
22:36come because your best days are really
22:39ahead of you
22:40so let go of fear and begin to trust
22:43what the faith life has to offer you
22:45what the faith life has to offer you
22:48it's risky but you can do it
22:52you can get there
22:55well just stop being scared
22:58stop living the next five years of your
23:00life procrastinating
23:04the worst can happen
23:06is it doesn't work
23:09but the best that can happen
23:11it will work
23:14but you'll never know
23:15if you don't take the risk
23:18you'll never know if you don't step out
23:20in faith and do it so stop sabotaging
23:23your future
23:24which which is filled with restoration
23:28healing happiness peace and prosperity
23:31by playing it safe and living
23:34in your comfort zone not wanting to risk
23:37what you currently have because here's
23:39the crazy thing about it what you
23:42currently have and where you currently
23:45are
23:46is not a happy place
23:53doesn't that sounds crazy
23:55you don't want to risk it to go after
23:58what's possible
24:00because you're holding on
24:03to what's
24:04not making you happy
24:08to what's frustrating
24:10you know that's not you
24:13you know that's not your full potential
24:16you know
24:17there's
24:18greater to you than what you're
24:21experiencing so why are you holding on
24:23to that
24:24why are you holding on to that not
24:26trusting god
24:28what are you currently
24:30what do you currently have and where do
24:33you current where you currently are
24:35really honestly can't be your best and
24:38happiest place
24:41what you currently have and where you
24:43currently are can't be your best and
24:46happiest place
24:48because if that was your best and
24:51happiest place
24:52there wouldn't be any need for you to
24:55have this
24:56the stirring in your spirit this there's
24:59a prompting there's an unsettledness in
25:02your spirit to want in more
25:06and it's the holy spirit prompting you
25:08saying yes you can do this yes you can
25:11move forward yes you can go ahead of god
25:14so why keep forcing and accepting things
25:17in your life
25:19that you know
25:20can't be what god had planned for you
25:25why forcing things
25:27why are you so fearful and content to
25:30live with anxiety and
25:32keep on making irrational decisions and
25:36producing the ishmael type of
25:39fruits in your life
25:41why why would procrastination and fear
25:44are you
25:46giving birth
25:47to the ishmael spirit you know the story
25:50abraham and sarah was trusting god for
25:53children and god took a long time
25:56i don't know why he's like that
25:59i don't know why he doesn't give us
26:01things when we
26:02tell him to do so
26:05let's just be honest
26:07i don't know why he doesn't listen to us
26:10i don't i don't i don't know why he
26:12doesn't give us the desires of our heart
26:14when we want it
26:16so they were praying
26:17for children
26:19because
26:20sarah's clock was running out
26:24right
26:25and
26:26not just sarah abraham was losing his
26:28strength because after a certain age you
26:30know
26:32so the brother was worried that he
26:33couldn't perform by after a certain age
26:37and they were arguing with god
26:39and god did nothing what do you do when
26:42you're praying for something constantly
26:44and
26:44and god doesn't do it
26:47within the time in
26:49society and nature says it ought to be
26:51done
26:54so they came up with a plan like all of
26:56us
26:57when god's taking too long what do we do
27:02we come up with a plan
27:05and sarah is the one who started it she
27:07just went and said you know she kid what
27:09what a wonderful woman she just cared
27:11about our man so much she loved abra
27:14who
27:15she can't be a sister she couldn't be a
27:18sister man i mean sarah loved abraham
27:23so much
27:24loved him
27:26i'm gonna help him out i'm gonna help
27:28him out man i'm gonna help him out i
27:29can't give him no babies so you know
27:31what
27:32hey boo let me talk to you here
27:34i'll tell you what since i can't have no
27:36children right now here's what you do
27:39um
27:40man we got we got this made up in the
27:42house
27:45she she she you know now
27:47this is one time just one time
27:50[Applause]
27:54one time abraham
27:56you can go
27:58because i just want you to make the baby
28:00with her and then bring the baby
28:03and then we'll call the baby ours
28:06they
28:07created a plan
28:09abraham didn't say after he heard sarah
28:12you know let me go pray about it and
28:15he was like really okay let's do that
28:17let's do that
28:20well watch this you know the story when
28:22the child was born
28:26sarah
28:27had an issue with agar
28:31that was the maid she had a problem
28:34because no woman is going to be in the
28:36same house
28:38she was the maid that's your man
28:41you gave permission for him to sleep
28:44with her
28:46and she gonna act
28:48like
28:49she in charge
28:55[Applause]
28:58it's going down
29:00and you read the bible
29:02sarah kicked her out
29:05put the woman out
29:07get out
29:09get
29:10out of my house
29:13and what did god do
29:15god said put her back
29:21only three people laughed god does that
29:23mean
29:24they ain't putting nobody back here god
29:26said you made the mess
29:29you're gonna have to deal with it
29:32glory to god
29:35so let me close it by saying maybe the
29:37reason you are scared of doing life
29:40god's way
29:42is because it requires that you totally
29:45let go of all of your plans
29:49and completely trust
29:51god's
29:52unknown plan for your life
29:57so therefore you're not
29:59willing to be vulnerable
30:01with faith
30:04you're playing it safe by using your own
30:07calculated plans
30:10and that my friend will always deprive
30:13you of what god has
30:16for you so stop killing your future
30:18with the insecurities of your past and
30:21present experiences you are just one
30:24step away from being restored to god's
30:27original plan for your life but you must
30:30you must and you have to take that step
30:34you have to step out of your past and
30:37where you are right now and move forward
30:40to the unknown realm that god has
30:43planned for
30:45you
30:46you have to
30:48so listen
30:49we're all desperate to be healed
30:53we're all desperate to be healed from
30:55anxiety lack brokenness and poverty all
30:59the things that are threatening our
31:01lives all of us
31:03but to do that
31:05we must be willing to take the risk and
31:07plunge into the future god has for us
31:10even if
31:12on the surface
31:14it looks scary
31:17dirty
31:19or it adds more anxiety to our lives
31:23even when it looks scary
31:27even when it looks like
31:29why would i want to do that why would
31:32god put me in that situation
31:35that doesn't make sense the process he
31:37uses to bless me
31:39doesn't make sense
31:42i'm glad you asked the question
31:44because in second kings chapter 5
31:48verse 14
31:51we find a man by the name of naaman
31:54who needed healing from an illness
31:57that was eaten away his flesh leprosy
32:03the bible says he tried so many
32:06ways to get healed
32:09and he was hesitant to follow what the
32:11prophet elisha told him
32:15elisha finally said to him here's how
32:17you get healed watch this this is crazy
32:20this is crazy
32:22i don't know why
32:24the processes that god uses to bless us
32:27is some
32:30outrageous
32:32ways
32:35why couldn't he just
32:37send somebody to my door with the money
32:39to buy the groceries
32:43why he got to wake the guy up to send
32:45him to winn-dixie to totally
32:48drag me through all that anxiety
32:52why
32:54why do you have to let abraham and sarah
32:56wait why couldn't he just said okay
32:57because if he knows all things he knew
33:00they were going to mess up
33:03he knew that sarah was going to get
33:05anxiety you know anxious and cause
33:07anxiety to get into her and and to avoid
33:10that just god help a brother out man
33:13you have to do that
33:14but he didn't
33:16naaman was full of leprosy
33:19eating away his flesh
33:21he could have just
33:22watched he went to the prophet elijah he
33:25could have just said
33:26elisha lay your hands on him and heal
33:29him
33:29because isn't that what we want
33:31isn't that what we want
33:33it's just something about it when we go
33:35to church and the pastor lay his hands
33:37on us bam we'll hit the floor we just
33:40feel more anointed right i mean i was
33:42expecting
33:44elisha to do that to naaman
33:47you're the prophet
33:49you're the one who's hearing from god
33:52just lay your hands on naaman and and
33:55bam and and say be healed in jesus name
33:58and he'll be cleansed from his leprosy
34:01but no
34:04god placed naaman in a very vulnerable
34:07position
34:09through the prophet he said i tell you
34:10what
34:11go down to the river jordan
34:15and i need you to dip down
34:17in that river seven times oh wait a
34:20minute
34:21watch this watch this
34:23naaman
34:25leprosy's eating a ways at his flesh
34:28he's supposed to be isolated
34:31he has a window of opportunity to be
34:32healed but he wants it his way
34:38why should i go to jordan
34:41by the way that's a dirty water
34:46leprosy's eating away my flesh why would
34:50anybody in their right mind step into a
34:54dirty river knowing you got sores all
34:57over your skin
34:59it doesn't make sense
35:02why
35:03why would god tell me to do something
35:06that potentially will cause more harm to
35:08me
35:10why
35:12why would he challenge me to do
35:14something he knows that potentially can
35:17hurt me why is god telling you to do
35:20something that can actually
35:22cause you to have the biggest failure in
35:24your life
35:27why
35:31the bible says
35:33naaman finally
35:35decided to do it
35:39and he followed
35:41the test
35:43and his full potential
35:45came out
35:47i could just see him
35:49getting in
35:51the river
35:53cautiously
35:54[Music]
35:57he was scared yes he was
36:02sores all over his legs
36:05i don't know
36:07i don't know what's going to happen now
36:10but i heard from god
36:13i heard from god
36:16i'm in this
36:17dirty water
36:18[Music]
36:20and
36:22i have leprosy
36:24these only two things can happen
36:29the threatening
36:32um
36:33viruses or germs
36:36that's in the water
36:38can infect me so bad
36:42that i die
36:45or
36:48if god can touch this water like he did
36:52in john chapter 5 at the pool of
36:54bethesda
36:56if he can touch that water
37:00and what seems to be dirty to others
37:03is a place of healing
37:06and deliverance for others
37:12and naaman decided i'm going all the way
37:16i'm going all the way with god's word
37:20he said dip seven times
37:23he went down
37:25[Music]
37:38[Music]
37:47and i know what you're saying
37:50it's taking too long
37:56six times he went down
38:00no change
38:04many times have you tried
38:06[Applause]
38:08and you didn't see any change
38:11so therefore you quit
38:14therefore you said god didn't work could
38:16it be that you didn't follow the
38:18instructions
38:21six times he went down
38:24every time he came back up
38:26he's the same
38:29sometimes
38:30you're hustling i get it
38:32you're trying your best
38:35but it doesn't mean that if you try one
38:38to six times
38:40that god's going to show up
38:42his timetable is not yours
38:46the bible says
38:48on the seventh time
38:51the number of completion
38:54when you have done all that you can
38:58when you do what you're supposed to do
39:00when you complete the assignment
39:03when he got up
39:05the bible says
39:07he came up
39:08clean
39:09[Music]
39:11all because he took a risk
39:15with faith
39:17he decided i'm going all the way
39:19and i don't know about you
39:20[Music]
39:22there's some dangerous days ahead of us
39:26filled with uncertainty
39:29not sure what's going to happen
39:31but one thing i do know
39:34is that my faith
39:37is ready to launch out
39:40where he leads me i'll follow
39:43what he prompts me to do i'm going to do
39:45it as crazy as it sounds because i tell
39:48you what
39:49i don't know about you i'm running out
39:50of time
39:52what are you talking about pastor see if
39:54you're young you're in your 30s
39:57you're all right you kind of got some
39:58time
40:00got some time
40:01if you haven't hit 40 yet
40:03you got a little bit of time
40:05not a whole lot of time
40:07just a little bit of time
40:09so don't don't be running off oh the
40:10pastor said i got a lot of time no
40:13just just a little bit of time
40:15you're in your 40s
40:17this ain't no time to be playing
40:20because 20 years gonna go by real quick
40:23and what you don't want is for 20 years
40:25to go by and then you look back to your
40:28life and you could have taken risk
40:32and you didn't
40:33you didn't
40:36if if you're in your 50s
40:41[Laughter]
40:43watch it now
40:46oh god
40:48oh jesus
40:50i felt that one if you're in your 50s
40:52you don't have time to play
40:55i believe with all my heart there's a
40:58certain stage you get in life you ain't
40:59got time to be messing around
41:03your tolerance has gone to zero
41:08do i have a weakness out there
41:10[Applause]
41:14be
41:15vulnerable with faith
41:17you're short changing yourself
41:21there's a lot that's ahead of you
41:24that god wants you to reach forward to
41:27and receive it i know you're scared
41:30stop worrying about what people will
41:32think
41:35i have to teach that to myself
41:38you can't follow people
41:42you can't follow people
41:44and most of the people you're worried
41:45about
41:46honestly care nothing about you
41:49[Music]
41:51most of them just want to see you fail
41:55[Music]
41:57take the plunge
42:00and go after what god has for you by
42:02your heads father thank you
42:03[Music]
42:06that i was able to execute this sermon
42:08exactly the way you wanted it
42:12there are people streaming
42:16there are people in this building
42:19who needed this word
42:22they needed it
42:25they needed this word today to help them
42:29to see
42:31that their greatest victories
42:34hangs
42:36on their greatest
42:38risk
42:41they just need to trust you
42:45there's a woman and a man that's
42:48under the sound of my voice god that you
42:50were just nudging and you
42:52it's like this this is
42:55this is like
42:57manna for them
43:00help them to act upon what they have
43:02heard today
43:04not just hear it but act upon it and
43:06make the decision
43:08to just
43:10do it
43:12just do it
43:13take the risk
43:16take the plunge
43:20dive into the unknown
43:24because you have greater
43:26things in store
43:28for them
43:29i thank you
43:31that you'll minister to them today
43:34with every head bow
43:36eyes still
43:38closed those of you are streaming
43:42if you felt that this sermon was for you
43:45today
43:48and god spoke to you you know you you
43:50needed to hear this
43:53do me a favor
43:54make a comment right now and say that
43:56word was for me please pray for me
43:59i want to include you in this final
44:01prayer that word was for me
44:03please pray for me go ahead and do that
44:05right now if that's you come on that's
44:07it come on
44:09go ahead and do it
44:10if you know that this word was for you
44:13i wish you were in this building
44:16but you're not so talk to me through
44:19the internet
44:20talk to me through social media
44:23and let me know this word was for you
44:27while they're doing that
44:30it may not be a lot of people
44:32but there are a few people in this
44:33building today
44:36you're scared
44:37let's just be honest you're scared
44:41you know
44:42what you
44:43have and where you are
44:46is not fulfilling
44:48[Music]
44:50and lately you've been
44:53uneasy about it
44:56now you know god spoke to you today but
44:58the truth is
44:59there's still that little butterfly and
45:01you you're scared you're scared and you
45:02don't know what to do and you heard this
45:04word today and and
45:06you know it's prompting you and yes but
45:09but you're scared
45:12can can i just give you support this
45:14morning
45:16it's not easy just because you see me
45:18preach here and say all these things
45:21it's been scary
45:23all those things i did it was scary
45:26but i did it
45:28i did it
45:31and god proved himself over and over i
45:33just don't want to see you fail
45:37i don't want to see you live the next 20
45:40years of your life unfulfilled
45:43so do yourself a favor
45:46if you need someone to help support you
45:48man and stand with you someone who've
45:50been there done that
45:52overcome their fears
45:55if that's you before i let you go i want
45:57you to rise from your seat i want you to
45:59come down here let me pray with you it's
46:01for you
46:02it's for you sir
46:04it's for you ma'am
46:07whatever you're scared of let's cut
46:09through the chase don't do it for nobody
46:11don't worry about who's looking at you
46:14i know you scared
46:16trust me
46:17i've been scared
46:20most of my life man
46:23it's been rough
46:27if if people just know i know you're
46:29looking almighty good today you all
46:31dressed up but the truth is you're
46:33scared man
46:35you scared you scared
46:38you're fragile you're broken you just
46:40put in your best face forward
46:43but deep on the inside
46:46you're scared
46:47that's why god sent this word today
46:51to encourage you man
46:53let it go
46:55let go of what you thought
46:58is your support system
47:00don't shortchange yourself man there's
47:02greater yet to come man
47:04i'm telling you from personal experience
47:07the little you're holding on to just let
47:10it go
47:12sometimes you know what
47:13sometimes
47:15you have to lose in order to gain
47:20come on
47:22sometimes you got to lose in order to
47:24gain
47:26and you got to train this your mind this
47:28this thing is dangerous man
47:31if you let it loose
47:32[Music]
47:34he'll mess you up man
47:36like he said don't go down there
47:38don't go down there
47:40in front of all these people don't go
47:41down there and stand in front of these
47:43people you look stupid people gonna say
47:45this people gonna say what do you care
47:47about people look i told you about my
47:49age there's a lot of stuff i'm going to
47:51be saying after this now don't blame god
47:53it's my age
47:55that's my age my age 58 i'm telling you
47:58man
48:00i don't worry about people no more
48:07i don't
48:09i don't
48:10because the same amount that bless you
48:12is the same amount will curse you
48:15do i have a weakness out there
48:17i said it i think was two weeks ago i
48:20wasn't here last week i said it just do
48:23you
48:27live your life
48:29pleasing to god
48:31stop worried about people you know you
48:34need god in your life and i'm telling
48:36you
48:37this message come to save some of you
48:41to deliver some of you
48:43because you were too scared
48:46go out and do what god has told you to
48:48do
48:50if i did not have the grocery store
48:53experience
48:54i would never have started this church
48:57never
48:59because i saw god show up in a grocery
49:01store
49:02and did that when he told me to start a
49:04church that there are
49:06literally thousands of people he want me
49:08to minister to
49:09i didn't have the means to do it
49:12i didn't have the resources didn't know
49:14how i was going to do it
49:17can i be honest with you that in the the
49:19denomination that i came out of
49:21turned their back on me
49:26because i wouldn't do things their way
49:28i told them i'm not preaching your
49:30denominational doctrine
49:33i'm straight preaching bible who does
49:35that
49:36do you unders do you understand when
49:38you're in a denomination controlled by
49:40the nomination that when you decide
49:42you're not going to preach their
49:43doctrine live by their doctrine and
49:45you're not going to let them control you
49:47how you're an outcast they i mean i was
49:51i was listen i was
49:54talked about
49:56dogged out
49:59the word on the street
50:00don't you talk to that man
50:04it was if i was going to hell
50:08and and here's the hard thing about it
50:11don't you be fooled by this little
50:13fellow up here i wanted to custom choke
50:15us out
50:16no can i i won't listen but god kept
50:19telling me shut up
50:21that's hard
50:23it's hard when you want to respond back
50:25to criticism
50:26and god
50:29a soft answer
50:32turns away wrath
50:34and god kept my mouth shut
50:37but guess what i did i stepped out in
50:39faith i started this church you know the
50:41story nobody showed up the first service
50:45it was a risk
50:47i felt embarrassed i felt like a failure
50:50but i kept preaching
50:52i kept preaching i kept preaching
50:55i kept preaching
50:57i kept preaching
50:59i'm here today
51:00this building that you're in
51:02this building that you're in
51:05this building that you're in
51:09one time i rented the facility before we
51:11owned it we rented it to have a
51:13conference i spent 150 000
51:17and it
51:18failed
51:21we lost
51:22every penny
51:23we weren't owners
51:25i sat right in that front row i took a
51:27risk god told me do it i did it it
51:30didn't work
51:32it didn't work would god tell you to do
51:34something and it didn't work absolutely
51:37it didn't work
51:40because he'll test you
51:42i felt like a failure and i said i'll
51:44never do it again i'll never rent a
51:47facility like this because in my head my
51:49head my head voices people laughing at
51:51you your haters
51:54your haters are saying look at him he
51:56went to put on this conference bring
51:58these speakers in and it failed and i
52:00felt like a failure and the spirit of
52:03the lord said to me do it again and
52:04that's what god's trying to tell some of
52:06you the very stuff that you failed at
52:08try it again
52:10[Applause]
52:17he said do it again
52:19i put on the conference two years later
52:21place packed out we had to turn people
52:23away watch this
52:24watch i failed
52:26i sat there looked like a fool
52:29sometimes you're gonna look like a fool
52:32and now
52:33i stood on the stage we had to turn
52:36hundreds of people away this place is
52:38packed out i didn't own it
52:41i rented it
52:44and look at me today
52:46we're standing in a building
52:49that we own
52:52it's the same building
52:54where i failed at
53:00i am standing on the stage because faith
53:03took center stage
53:06in the womb of the room
53:08[Music]
53:10that someone told me that was barren
53:13you'll never succeed at this
53:15you'll never own this i wonder
53:18what big stuff god's got out there for
53:21you
53:22that because you're so scared
53:25you won't go after it
53:28sometimes you may have to go back to
53:29that place
53:31where the enemy says you can't do this
53:33and tell yourself yes i can
53:38just do it
53:42i said enough because if y'all don't let
53:43me go i will talk until six o'clock this
53:46evening
53:47because i feel it in my bone i'm feeling
53:50it for you
53:53you
53:54can be much further than you are right
53:57now
53:58if you just take a faith step
54:01and do it lift your hands now
54:03audience would you please stand
54:05those of you are streaming just believe
54:08god with us come on everybody lift your
54:10hands
54:11i don't know who this word was for
54:14but father today
54:16before i send your people home before i
54:18send them off from the internet
54:22i pray today
54:25that every word of this sermon
54:28would take root in them
54:30i pray father as we are fasting
54:34that we'll get back to kingdom living
54:38trust in you
54:39walking by faith each and every day
54:43that that man and that woman
54:46who lost their faith will find it back
54:49again
54:50and become vulnerable to it
54:53let faith push them
54:55into some scary things
54:58let faith prompt them to trust you even
55:02when they can't trace you
55:05let faith motivate them
55:08to believe that they can do all things
55:10through christ
55:12who gives them the strength
55:15let their faith come alive today
55:17in the mighty name of jesus
55:19i speak to their spirit
55:22that they'll begin to trust you
55:25and father even when they think they
55:27have failed have them to understand that
55:30god behind that failure it is
55:32preparation for greatness and success
55:37so i thank you today
55:39i thank you today
55:41that they're letting go of their fears
55:43right now
55:44they're letting go of their fears right
55:46now come on let it go let it go release
55:47it release it release it they're letting
55:49go of their fears right now and father
55:52faith is coming alive faith is coming
55:54alive faith is coming alive they'll
55:56never be the same ever again after today
55:59in the mighty name of jesus i give you
56:02praise i consider it done that they are
56:04blessed and father we're going to see
56:07their best authentic self being birthed
56:10from this day forward in jesus mighty
56:14name amen come on if you believe it make
56:16some noise man
56:18come on if you believe it
56:21i said if you believe it come on
56:23hallelujah
56:26hallelujah
56:28glory glory glory glory glory glory
56:31glory glory glory
56:33hallelujah
56:35[Applause]
56:35[Music]
56:37glory to god hallelujah
56:40i can't wait to see
56:43what god is getting ready to do in your
56:45life i really am i can't wait to see
56:48just keep on trusting him keep on
56:50believing in him and watch him work
56:53things out in your life i hope you'll
56:56join us for prayer tomorrow i hope
56:58you'll join us for service on wednesday
57:00and be back here on sunday the business
57:03information is on the outside if you'd
57:05like to be a part of it and register go
57:07and talk to them about it today but
57:09thank you all for coming down i love you
57:12i believe in every one of you if i can
57:15do it
57:16trust me
57:17you can even do greater god bless you
57:19faith in your god
57:21we'll move mountains
57:23out of your life everybody come on let's
57:25worship him as we go
57:27god bless you
57:28god bless you
57:30god bless you
57:32god bless you