The Change Is Up To You
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 11/17/2022Hebrews 13
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51:06
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez challenges believers to embrace personal transformation, moving from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness by focusing on the 'spirit man' rather than just external success.
Key points
- •Self-improvement and sanctification are necessary for every believer to please God and fulfill their purpose.
- •While God's character and Word never change, the methods and operations of ministry must evolve to remain effective and relevant.
- •Sanctification is the process of being 'set apart' from the world to become the salt and light in society.
- •Focusing solely on external improvements (physical fitness, finances, fashion) while ignoring the spirit man leads to pride and a lack of character.
- •Ignoring the Holy Spirit's guidance (God's GPS) leads to wasted time, lost opportunities, and painful consequences.
Scripture
Spiritual Growth
Discipleship
Holiness
Purpose
Obedience
Life application
This week, take a 'life inventory' of your inner circle and your daily speech. Identify one negative influence to distance yourself from and one specific way to use more life-giving words in your workplace or home.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life have you remained the same for too long, and why are you resisting change?
- Are you spending more time cultivating your 'external man' (looks, money, status) or your 'spirit man'?
- When was the last time you ignored 'God's GPS' and ended up in a 'Montgomery, Alabama' situation in your own life?
- How can you better embrace the biblical process of being 'set apart' in your specific career or social circle?
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Full transcript
0:00okay
0:00[Music]
0:01the presence of the Lord
0:06want to bring your attention
0:09this morning to the subject the change
0:13is up to you
0:16the change
0:18is up to you
0:21most of us are personally looking for
0:24positive changes to take place in our
0:27lives
0:28it's a desire
0:31it's a human desire to want
0:34to see positive changes take place in
0:38your life in fact we're hoping to
0:41transition into
0:43positive change that will make our lives
0:47better
0:49this is a year that the Lord has
0:52declared it to be the year of transition
0:57mean getting from the old to the new
1:01they come in more productive
1:04becoming more of a reflection of who God
1:08is
1:09versus who we think we are
1:12versus the negatives that life tends
1:18to put upon us
1:21I believe that you cannot improve your
1:24life if you don't experience change
1:27in the process of living your life
1:32you will never improve your life
1:35if you do not experience change
1:40you have to change
1:42it's a part of Who We Are
1:45you cannot remain the same every single
1:48day for the rest of your life
1:51even as an infant we go through the
1:54development stages of life
1:57you know if you are 16 and you still
1:59look like you're five there's something
2:01wrong
2:03if you're 50 and you're still acting
2:06like you're 16
2:09there's something wrong
2:11we need to change and change for the
2:15better
2:16self-improvement is necessary if we want
2:19to please God by the way we live our
2:23lives
2:26self-improvement it should be the desire
2:28for all of us
2:30it should be all of our desires to want
2:33to improve ourselves
2:36because when we improve ourselves we we
2:38improve if you will the gifts that God
2:42has placed in us the ability to become
2:45our best self
2:47to be the best man to be the best woman
2:51to be the best brother or sister
2:54to be the best relative to be the best
2:57husband to be the best wife if you're
3:00not changing you will never strengthen
3:03your marriage
3:05if you're not changing
3:08to be the best parent
3:10if you don't evolve and change each and
3:13every day you'll never become the best
3:17parent if you will
3:19we need to change in the way we handle
3:22our finances change our perspective in
3:25of life and and so forth that we need to
3:28self-improve
3:31and that's a weak area in the body of
3:34Christ where we're not improving
3:36ourselves
3:38we're improving in other areas
3:40but we're not improving
3:43when it comes to ourselves
3:46there's no such thing as staying the
3:49same as a Believer and never changing
3:53there's no such thing
3:56well you know I'm always going to be
3:58this way I'm always going to stay this
4:01way even with the church the church is
4:04going through a change right now
4:06and some people don't understand it some
4:08people have even interpreted as the
4:11church is changing its morals
4:14we're smart people
4:17we're smart people we know what the word
4:19of God says we don't have a right to
4:21change biblical principles however we
4:24must understand
4:25that some of the uh ways and operations
4:30of ministry you know it's not biblical
4:35certain things we do it's not that it's
4:38just wrong
4:39but it's not biblical that is subjected
4:42to change for example the way you
4:44worship
4:46the order of a service
4:48right there's nowhere in the word of God
4:51it tells you that all church services
4:53should start out with prayer
4:57nowhere in the Bible it tells you all
5:00church services should start out with
5:02worship
5:04we happen to say we understand the power
5:07of worship that worship opens up us to
5:11God and it it ushers in the presence of
5:14God but the order of service that we
5:17practice is not scriptural
5:21there's no way in the Bible it says it's
5:23got to be praise and worship it's got to
5:25be the welcome where in the Bible it
5:26says you ought to welcome the visitors
5:35even in the Bible the practice back then
5:38in in in the Bible days you know when it
5:42comes to offering they didn't interrupt
5:44the service to receive the offering
5:46that's not how it was done
5:49you want to know how an offering was
5:50received back in those days Paul even
5:52addressed that
5:54he said before I come to you Corinthians
5:58you collected
6:00it's kind of like the tax man
6:03when you work the government don't they
6:05don't trust you that they're going to
6:07give you your money first
6:10talk to me here now
6:11and then you're going to return their
6:13taxes no no that season doesn't say that
6:17he's going to say okay you work so much
6:20based on the ruling of that government
6:23or that country they're going to take
6:25the taxes out and give you the rest the
6:28way they used to do it in the Bible days
6:30is that you your Givens should be done
6:34before you come to the house of God
6:40so the point that I'm making is all of
6:43the stuff that we were doing and we're
6:45currently doing these things are
6:47subjected to change
6:50one of the things that I've made sure as
6:52a pastor for 31 years of this church I
6:55make sure that this church goes through
6:58the changes and we embrace it I do not
7:01want us to remain the same group of
7:03people forever
7:05we have to change
7:07we have to change our operation again
7:10you don't dilute the word of God but you
7:13change our worship songs got to change
7:18right we you see we can't be now there's
7:20nothing wrong with singing songs of the
7:2260s
7:24I mean we can sing songs of the 60s and
7:27and seniors those of you who love those
7:29hymns God Bless you that's wonderful I
7:32even share with the worship team I says
7:34be careful that you you don't forget the
7:37seniors always make sure that you
7:39integrate songs that that everybody can
7:42connect to but we cannot every Sunday
7:46come here every Sunday and just sing
7:49songs of the 60s
7:53it's
7:542022 For Heaven's Sake
7:58even our style of dressing changes
8:03everything is subjected to change
8:06the way we I remember back in younger
8:10days years ago as a pastor I used to
8:13wear suits that could fit two of me in
8:15them
8:19because that was a style then
8:22but for me to hold on to that
8:25and say this is what I'm going to wear
8:26forever because this is what Jesus wants
8:28me to wear
8:32our job is to go through
8:34changes
8:36because if we're not changing if we're
8:39not changing
8:41then something is wrong
8:43God is the only one who has no need to
8:48change
8:49[Music]
8:51he said so himself in Malachi chapter 3
8:54verse 6. he says for I am the Lord
8:59I am the Lord or for I the Lord do not
9:04change
9:06let me say it right
9:08for I the Lord do not
9:11there's no need the Bible says for him
9:14to change he is God therefore
9:17he is not subjected to the process of
9:21sanctification like us
9:24let me talk about sanctification for a
9:26moment because the Apostle Paul said uh
9:29about Jesus in Hebrews 13 verse 8 he
9:32says Jesus the same yesterday today and
9:36forever so in other words God will never
9:38change
9:40Jesus Christ the son of God came to
9:42Earth and lived a sinless life so that
9:45you and I could have an example of what
9:48sanctification looks like
9:51God doesn't change we need to change we
9:54need to evolve things need to progress
9:57with us we need to go through that
10:00transition of becoming a a sinful person
10:04to a sinless person
10:07you see as long as we are on the earth
10:11as Believers our number one priority
10:13should be to change wherever necessary
10:19wherever necessary
10:21our job is to change
10:23to change to become a better person
10:26better how we think better at how we
10:28speak better at how we function on the
10:31earth better at how you become a worker
10:34on the job
10:36better at how you become a manager or
10:39owner of a company better at how you
10:41become a politician
10:43better at how you come a volunteer
10:46better at how you run your house as a
10:49mother a father a husband you know a
10:53wife a single parent our job is to
10:55become better
10:56it is to improve
10:59that's what we're called to do
11:02never to remain the same
11:05that's what God has called us to do
11:07so you see every day we should be uh
11:11striving to uh change from our
11:15self-centeredness and ungodly desires to
11:20become in more and more christ-centered
11:22and having Godly desires every day our
11:26job is to become more christ-centered
11:29not
11:30self-centered
11:33christ-centered every day our job is to
11:36live our lives every day to be become
11:39more like him not to become more about
11:42our desires
11:44and that is why our world is so messed
11:46up today is because of self-centeredness
11:50because we always crave after what the
11:53flesh wants the flesh wants this the
11:56flesh wants that
11:58and that's why we missed the mark so
12:00many times we miss it because we're not
12:03in the will of God let me deal with
12:04sanctification here for a moment because
12:06sanctification is what is is it's the
12:09process of becoming better to please God
12:14the dictionary defines centrification as
12:17the act of making or declaring one holy
12:21please remember that the act of making
12:25or declaring one holy another another
12:28definition says to purify or free from
12:32sin
12:35but the literal biblical definition of
12:39sanctification is to set apart for a
12:42special use or purpose to make one holy
12:46or sacred
12:48I love that to set apart that's what the
12:51Bible is saying to set apart one for a
12:54special purpose
12:56when you go through a transition when
12:58you go through the changes that the word
13:01of God requires you and me to go through
13:03it is allowing us to be set apart to
13:07become the salt and the light in the
13:10Darkness
13:12when we change our language when we
13:15change our attitude when we change our
13:18thought process when we change the way
13:20we live then we now uh paint a different
13:25picture from what the world is
13:27portraying
13:29we become the light
13:32so when you step into that workplace
13:34they don't see you as one of them
13:38they see you as different
13:40when you get with the family there's
13:42Thanksgiving they don't see you as the
13:46family even though you are they see you
13:49as different
13:53they'll make comments like you see that
13:55one don't say that around her
14:00see that one no they don't play that
14:04yeah they believe in Jesus
14:06they believe in God
14:08see that one they're not going to be a
14:10part of that
14:12see because you've been changed
14:16there's a difference about you so your
14:19conversation you know and and just your
14:21presence demand a certain respect
14:30I don't know if you're getting this this
14:32morning
14:33so this is why I strongly believe that
14:37we who are followers of Jesus Christ
14:40must embrace the purpose of the church
14:46we have to embrace the purpose of the
14:48church
14:49it's why I believe we must engage
14:51ourselves with the tools offered to help
14:54us to be set apart from the world
14:59we've been called for such a time as
15:01this
15:02we've been called into the kingdom of
15:05God for those of us who are believers
15:07to be different
15:09and the only way we can be set apart
15:12from the world is that we change
15:16we've got to change
15:18develop and continue to grow and mature
15:21spiritually along our faith Journey
15:24there has to be something different
15:25about you
15:29there has to be
15:31and I'm not talking about just going
15:33through the rituals here just because
15:35you go to church every Sunday doesn't
15:37create change in your life
15:41because there's a lot of people going to
15:43church every Sunday and they're not
15:45changing
15:48still being mean still being evil still
15:50saying the wrong stuff
15:53still not generous
15:55and then for those of you who are
15:57streaming saying preach rev tell them
16:00they're sitting up in there they're a
16:02bunch of Hypocrites that's why I don't
16:03go to church that's an excuse
16:07so don't you dare bash these people are
16:10in church and you're saying a bunch of
16:13Hypocrites and that's why I just stay
16:15home because church is my my home is my
16:17church and God understands and you know
16:19why listen to me why would God Institute
16:22the church and require us to assemble
16:25ourselves together and give you a pass
16:27just because you got issues with the
16:29church
16:29[Applause]
16:34can't do that
16:37can't do that
16:39but our job is to change
16:43it is my hope that we will never just
16:47if you will get sidetracked in by
16:51putting our focus on things like our
16:53health
16:55and how it's you know getting better and
16:57better because we're eating healthier
17:01right
17:03my health is good so you focus on you're
17:05bragging about it
17:07I'm eating so I'm doing well and I'm
17:10grades and I'm wonderful and so forth
17:13I I hope that we just don't put our
17:16focus on that or that our bodies are
17:19looking more and more attractive and
17:21glamorous now
17:23that you've gained muscles or
17:27looking more attractive
17:30we spend so much time
17:33on the external Improvement of the flesh
17:40I know a whole lot of people
17:42just be true man they dress
17:46nice
17:48that's a man man great muscles
17:54good physique
17:56but no character
17:59No Love
18:03there's some women who are sexy
18:10[Applause]
18:18you finish it
18:21I'm not going to say another word
18:25I hope that you're not just
18:28placing more emphasis on your finances
18:32to increase it
18:34so that you can move closer and closer
18:37to living the life you've always desired
18:43and not
18:45pay attention
18:47to the spirit man
18:51you don't pay attention to the spirit
18:53man to ensure that he too is changing
18:56for the better
18:58that he is changing to bring glory and
19:01honor to God because I submit to you
19:03today ladies and gentlemen you may not
19:05want to hear this this morning I have to
19:07I have to tell you that that I
19:11understand you fix yourself up man
19:14by all the great clothes you can afford
19:16don't let anybody tell you that you
19:18shouldn't buy nice clothes and you
19:20shouldn't look good I I hate to tell you
19:22go go ahead and get the cars go and get
19:24the house go ahead and travel the world
19:27live your best life you ought to you
19:30should
19:32but be careful of how you take care of
19:35the external man
19:38and you're ignoring the spirit man
19:45because it is the spirit man
19:48that's going to empower you to handle
19:52the struggles of life and to live the
19:55Faith Life successful somebody ought to
19:57give God a praise for that
20:02so you ought to be careful
20:04you ought to be careful that you're not
20:06ignoring the spirit man
20:09but you're making sure that he's
20:10bringing honor and glory to God
20:14with the way you're living your life
20:17when your spirit man changes
20:20and it glorifies God it causes you to
20:23live a more meaningful life
20:26more meaningful life
20:28a changed life a transformed life
20:33when you pay attention to the spirit man
20:36so all these things we are harboring in
20:39life
20:40and all of our focus and our emphasis
20:42that so much on what the world has to
20:45offer
20:47it's not going to get us anywhere listen
20:49to me
20:50when stuff hit the fan
20:57had someone said to me the other day
21:00and they were bold about it
21:04I'm tired of church now
21:07I said why I'm just disgusted at church
21:11and people
21:12everybody I I just I I'm still a
21:15Christian but I'm not interested in
21:17church anymore
21:19and I said but you cannot live the Faith
21:22Life without the church no no that
21:24that's that's that's not true I I am
21:27comfortable where I'm at I don't need to
21:30go to church anymore
21:32and and they bragged about covid that
21:36covet has exposed the church
21:39and this is what really got me
21:42they said the church is no longer
21:44relevant today
21:52really sad
21:55when I heard that the church is no
21:58longer relevant
22:00then I have to ask the question
22:04then why are we doing this
22:07why do we open our Bibles every day
22:10if we're opening up the Bible
22:13why do we pray to God every day
22:16why do we
22:18if you will push forward every day
22:21making the effort
22:23to please him and to become more like
22:26him why if the church is not relevant
22:30today then what is
22:36what is relevant
22:37who's relevant
22:39we're listening listen a person like
22:42that I can guarantee you the reason why
22:45she's talking that way is a couple of
22:47things she's been hurt
22:50and you've got to be careful when you
22:52get hurt if you ever let that hurt
22:56drives your emotions
23:02if you ever let what hurts you drives
23:04your emotions your feelings
23:07in every Walk of Life
23:10your family will hurt you
23:13and if you ever let what they did to you
23:15get into your skin
23:19you'll be shocked at what you say and do
23:21to family
23:24if your spouse
23:26hurts you or do something and say
23:28something about you if you're not
23:30careful and if you don't put that under
23:32control and subjection to the word of
23:35God you'll be shocked at what you will
23:38say and do to somebody you used to sleep
23:40with
23:46this
23:51don't trust it
23:54self will make you full of pride
23:58becoming arrogant
24:02like a child
24:06it's all biblical
24:08this arrogant child came to his father
24:13Daddy
24:14I think I'm grown now
24:17and I think he ought to give me
24:21my inheritance
24:23I think I'm grown now to live my own
24:25life and I don't need to live under the
24:28covering of this house anymore
24:31I think I can make it on my own so give
24:34me my inheritance and the Bible says the
24:36next verse that Daddy gave it to him he
24:39was not a Jamaican Daddy
24:43he could not be a Caribbean father
24:47because you know what Caribbean fathers
24:49would have said boy did you put any
24:51money down
24:55but the next verse
24:57he gave it to him
24:59why because read your Bible
25:01the story really didn't happen
25:05it's not a true story
25:07it's a fictitious story Jesus was given
25:10it's called a parable
25:13but why was he given the story
25:16see all of our grandparents took
25:18principles out of the Bible our
25:19grandparents will be talking to us all
25:21of a sudden to give us an answer they
25:23start telling us a story
25:27talk to me here now always well let me
25:30let me just tell you what and you're
25:32like what that got to do with the
25:34question I'm asking it's like Jesus
25:38he was telling them what the kingdom is
25:40like
25:42he said let me tell you what the kingdom
25:43is like catch this real quick what the
25:46kingdom is like here's this young boy
25:48who thinks he knows it all who thinks
25:51he's arrived because he's really
25:52arrogant
25:56and he's been tricked
25:59so I'm going to show you what the
26:01kingdom is like you can become arrogant
26:03to God
26:07after he has given you life
26:10the oxygen you breathe every day
26:14after he has healed you and protected
26:16you from accidents and dangers and
26:18provided a provision for you brought you
26:21through covid and you're still here
26:24after God has provided a job for you and
26:26and just blessed you all of a sudden we
26:30become arrogant
26:35we don't need certain things anymore we
26:38don't need to depend on God anymore
26:40because we've got our degrees and we got
26:43our jobs and we've got six months worth
26:46of uh emergency funds saved up and and
26:49everything is fine and we're looking
26:51fine
26:54and the father watched his boy walked
26:57out of the house and one of the things I
26:59love about the story because again it is
27:01exactly
27:03like how the kingdom operates the father
27:06never left the house go looking for the
27:10boy
27:12because he knew
27:15he knew
27:17like I tell my boys all the time you
27:20don't have to pay for what
27:22I have to go through
27:25I can just tell you and you can learn it
27:27for free
27:30the father knew that hard life will hit
27:33him the father knew that what he had
27:36would run out here's the point you see
27:39you can become arrogant and think you
27:41don't need God you don't need Church you
27:43don't need the fellowship you don't need
27:45this
27:46don't forget the father God he's not
27:49leaving heaven to come search Fort
27:51Lauderdale for you
27:55he let you run around
27:58he let you go all over town
28:01he let you go vacation in Africa and
28:03pose on Facebook oh he let you do all
28:06kinds of stuff
28:09he let you live your best life now
28:12ignoring him because one day
28:15you gonna come to yourself
28:18ah
28:19one day
28:21you're gonna come to your senses
28:24that you need God
28:26you can't live without him
28:29can somebody give God praise
28:32glory to God
28:36I'm almost through
28:39I'm almost through
28:40as we get closer to the end of another
28:42year I urge you to check yourself to see
28:45what changes you have made
28:49for the good sins
28:52this year began
28:56what's changed about you that clearly
29:00gives glory to God
29:04think about that
29:07here are a few things you should
29:09consider have you changed for the good
29:13or are you the same person today you
29:15were at the beginning of the year
29:19are you more in love with God today than
29:21you have ever been
29:24is your love for him being demonstrated
29:27by your actions or just your words that
29:32are coming out of your mouth
29:35think about that
29:38has your love walked improved to the
29:41degree that you see yourself becoming
29:43more and more like Christ every day
29:47do you have better control over your
29:51tongue
29:53your words and your emotions
29:58have you improved in how you handle your
30:02finances
30:04did the recent pandemic cause you to
30:07respond negatively towards church
30:09preachers
30:12given and servanthood
30:14or did it resulted in you becoming more
30:17positive towards the church and more
30:19committed in your relationship with God
30:24here's what haggai chapter 1 5 tells us
30:30it says give give careful thought
30:36to your ways
30:39did you see that
30:41the word of God says give careful
30:43thoughts in other words begin to think
30:46about your ways
30:48how are you functioning
30:50are you out there
30:52living your life in a way as the Bible
30:56describes it with the prodigal story
30:59riotous living wasting your life away
31:03not changing for the better
31:06think about that
31:09are you living to glorify God are you
31:12living just for self-satisfaction
31:16because like
31:18the principle the parable
31:22you will one day find out
31:25that no one can come against the word
31:29and win
31:33no one
31:38no one
31:39and I want to say this to everybody who
31:42is streaming and in this house I don't
31:44care what you've done
31:45I don't care what sins you have
31:47committed I don't care how unworthy you
31:49think you are I don't care how messed up
31:51you are I don't care how life is just
31:56handed you horrible things I don't care
32:00how jacked up you are
32:04stay in the Kingdom
32:09don't let nobody put you out of the
32:12Kingdom
32:13don't let church people in their
32:15craziness
32:17cause you to walk away from God
32:22cause you watch this to change for the
32:24worse because there is a way that seems
32:28right
32:30always seems right
32:33because your physique is looking great
32:36and people are commending you you're
32:38looking wonderful
32:40because you can buy a few pieces of
32:42garments
32:45because you still got your faculties
32:47together you you have a nice job
32:52wonderful
32:55the car that's in the parking lot
32:57congratulations
33:01the apartment and the house that you're
33:03going to go back home to or you're
33:05streaming from
33:14bragging and you're proud but you've got
33:16a little bit of money in the bank
33:20it's so wonderful
33:22but one event in your life
33:27and change all of that
33:30who you're going to run to
33:35when you can't function on the job
33:37anymore let's see if the job will have
33:39mercy on you and keep you
33:42when that man that you have left God to
33:46go to
33:50when he walks out on you because some
33:53people are just temporary
33:57when he walks out on you what are you
33:59going to do
34:02when you forget you have forgotten your
34:04purpose
34:06and walk away from God to attach
34:08yourself to
34:10a woman
34:10[Music]
34:13let's see what happened when you lay
34:16your head in her lap
34:18because you trusted her
34:21only to find out she can betray you like
34:24Samson's wife
34:30who gave Samson away to the Philistine
34:32was not a stranger
34:36that's his woman
34:37[Music]
34:38his head was not laid in the wrong
34:40woman's lap
34:44[Music]
34:51[Music]
34:55it's the woman
34:57called his wife
34:58[Music]
35:02God is sacred
35:05that's why men you better be careful
35:07who's rubbing your head
35:10[Music]
35:11[Applause]
35:23I hope
35:26you're beginning to get the picture that
35:28you
35:30must go through a transformation and
35:35change your life
35:37a change that will make you become more
35:39and more like Christ and if you know you
35:42are not where you need to be in your
35:45relationship with God
35:47if you acknowledge that there are things
35:50in your life that you need to change you
35:53need to pray and ask God to help you
35:56help you make the change let me leave
35:59you with this
36:00[Applause]
36:01there are six things
36:03you can do
36:06to change and make your life better
36:08I hope you'll write them down or take
36:11your phone and take pictures if they put
36:13them up on the screen
36:14number one I want you to change your
36:17perspective
36:19change your perspective that's the first
36:22thing I want you to do
36:24change your perspective of how you see
36:28your life how you see your future how
36:32you see things
36:35they don't have them on the screen I'll
36:36just read them out
36:38[Music]
36:41conversations
36:43[Music]
36:45change the way you talk who you're
36:47talking to
36:49because if you don't do that
36:51you could be destroying your future
36:55change your speech
36:58it's not just the conversation because
37:00you could be in a conversation with
37:03someone and you're listening more
37:05and they're speaking that's one thing
37:07but what about when you open your mouth
37:12what are the words coming out of your
37:15mouth
37:16number four
37:18change your attitude
37:21change your attitude
37:23an attitude that brings honor and glory
37:27to God number five change your inner
37:31circle
37:32[Music]
37:35you have to begin to take inventory of
37:38the people in your inner circle
37:40because it is in your inner circle that
37:43you can be betrayed the most
37:48it was Jesus's Inner Circle
37:52[Music]
37:53that birth a kiss
37:55that ultimately identify him in the
37:58crowd
38:00it was in his inner circle
38:03someone who said I will never deny you
38:07but to preserve his life he ended up
38:11denying Jesus
38:13it was in his inner circle somebody
38:15walked with him all these
38:18months
38:21and the three and a half years he'd
38:23handled Ministry
38:25yet they doubted him
38:27change your inner circle
38:29[Music]
38:30change some of you are not making
38:32progresses because of the people you
38:34hang out with
38:36[Music]
38:40your life
38:42is not
38:43making progress because you're hanging
38:45around negative people and the wrong
38:46people and people who really don't want
38:48to make progress in their lives and
38:50people who don't really want to hear
38:52anything about God
38:55they criticize God criticize Church they
38:57don't believe
38:59in in making their lives better so
39:01therefore they're dragging you into this
39:04dark hold
39:07number six
39:09change your direction
39:14I close with this as you're going
39:16I want to demonstrate this
39:19you're on a path all of us we're on this
39:22journey
39:23this journey called life
39:28we all encounter different situations
39:32but as you walk every single day
39:36you have to be careful of who you put in
39:38your inner circle you have to be careful
39:39of how you speak and the conversations
39:42that you have you have to be careful of
39:45your attitude you have to be careful of
39:48your perspective and so forth
39:51but at some point in time you have to
39:54begin to ask yourself the question the
39:56journey that you are on
40:01is it the right one
40:05where am I going
40:06[Music]
40:08where am I going
40:10you can't say you want to be in the will
40:14of God you can't say you want to glorify
40:17and honor God
40:19but take in a different route from the
40:21Bible
40:22foreign
40:29you can't you're going to waste years
40:31you're going to waste time and you're
40:34going to end up at places you have no
40:36business ending up at
40:39and it's going to cost you
40:42[Music]
40:43the Bible is your compass not the
40:46conversations you have not social media
40:49not your mind not your feelings it's the
40:52word of God
40:57your word is a lamp and the light
41:02gives me clear Direction
41:06don't waste your time anymore man change
41:09[Music]
41:11I had to change
41:13my attitude with how I used to do things
41:17I am a
41:18kind of a stubborn guy
41:21[Music]
41:24and when I'm in my zone I'm in my zone
41:28and this mistake cost me
41:32I'm coming from Atlanta
41:34to Fort Lauderdale
41:37I have a GPS in my car
41:42I put the address in Fort Lauderdale
41:45where I want to go
41:47and I turned that navigation system on
41:51and I turned my music up
41:55just me alone in the car
41:58and I'm coming from North Georgia
42:01I'm driving
42:03I'm getting phone calls I'm talking
42:06I'm looking at the sceneries and
42:09everything and we just and my thoughts
42:11on my head I'm thinking of what I'm
42:13planning to do and Ministry and personal
42:15life I'm having a wonderful time
42:20but the GPS
42:21keeps talking to me
42:26in two miles
42:28turn left
42:30[Music]
42:31one mile
42:34turn this because if you've ever taken
42:36the Journey from
42:38say North Georgia all the way down to
42:40Florida
42:41there's a section in Atlanta
42:44where 75 South split from 85 South
42:52but I'm driving
42:54and because I have done that route so
42:58many times I totally ignore the
43:00navigation system
43:03and the lady her voice when I got to the
43:07split I missed it
43:09and she said turn to the left but no I'm
43:12driving
43:14I went 85 South
43:18because I'm thinking
43:20you go 85 South
43:22is south
43:24Florida is south
43:26talk to me here now Florida is south
43:31long story short
43:34hours later true story
43:36hours later I'm driving and all of a
43:41sudden I see a big sign welcome
43:45to Montgomery Alabama
43:48[Applause]
43:54how did I get here
43:59I quickly pick up the phone true story
44:01and I call a minister Kennard Camp
44:03lenses you know I'm lost
44:07how do I get back long story short
44:10I had two choices
44:13to drive back to Atlanta
44:15to take 75 South
44:19or I had to get on I-10 I think it was
44:23and go east
44:27let me tell you something it was the
44:30most aggravating painful
44:34frustrated
44:36four hours
44:38that I lost what are you saying pastor
44:42be careful
44:44that you're not on the wrong Journey
44:47ignoring God's GPS
44:54every time you hear a voice whispering
44:57to you
44:59nope
45:00you're going the wrong way
45:03every time you hear a song
45:05nope you're going the wrong way
45:08every sermon you hearin
45:10nope
45:12hey you're going the wrong way
45:15make a right turn don't go there
45:19if you keep ignoring
45:21what the holy spirit is telling you
45:24you're going to end up at places
45:27but you're going to ask yourself the
45:29question how did you get there of course
45:30you got there based on your own actions
45:33the spirit of disobedience
45:36and here's the thing
45:38some opportunities
45:41and blessings that you forfeit I know
45:45you don't want to hear this
45:47you will never receive them once they're
45:49gone
45:51here's the thing I lost four hours
45:55burn more gas
45:57took up more time here's the point
46:00when you make certain mistakes in your
46:03life
46:04like dating the wrong person
46:08marrying the wrong person
46:10spending money as you don't have
46:13when you make certain decisions those
46:15things ain't coming back
46:17you can't go to your ex and say give me
46:19back my happiness
46:22you lost it there so why go back there
46:27come on now
46:28you can't go back and go out there and
46:31you know in the parking lot and just
46:33hold up your hands and say everywhere my
46:36money was stolen from me bring it back
46:39in Jesus name that ain't gonna happen
46:41it's gone
46:43[Music]
46:45here's what God told me to tell you
46:46today
46:48you don't have to make mistakes like
46:50Henry
46:52you don't have to make mistakes like The
46:55Prodigal Son
46:57save the headache
47:00make the change
47:02I guess he's calling you right now to
47:04make the change
47:08about your heads everybody
47:12by your heads
47:13[Music]
47:15I don't know who this message was for
47:18I don't know
47:20and it may be
47:22something hard to swallow today but I
47:25preach it in love and I preach it with
47:27all sincerities not to dog you out it's
47:29not to beat upon you
47:31is to get you to change
47:33that's all
47:35and if you feel that God spoke to you
47:37today I know I won't have room this
47:39morning and for the sake of time
47:42you feel that God spoke to you loud and
47:44clear today
47:46and you're saying the change is going to
47:48happen with me Pastor I I I I I really
47:51want to see my life become better five
47:54years from now if that's you would you
47:56stand where you are I want to pray with
47:58you you say this message really touched
48:00me and those of you are streaming
48:04if this word was for you wherever you
48:06are
48:07just identify yourself just say this
48:09word was for me there are many people in
48:11the building standing we don't want to
48:13leave you out just stand or just put in
48:16the common field just say that's for me
48:19that word was for me right I needed that
48:25because all of us are required to change
48:29I want to be a different Man by the end
48:31of this year come 2023 I want to be a
48:34different guy
48:36because the more I get into the word is
48:39the more the word will change me
48:41those of you are standing those of you
48:43at home in the office Wherever You Are
48:46I want you to lift both hands now just
48:48as a sign of surrender I'm going to pray
48:49with you now
48:51father I thank you for the word that
48:53you've released in this house today
48:55it's pure sin
48:58thought provoking
48:59[Music]
49:01but it is transforming
49:03as people are streaming in this house
49:06Lord we all want to change for the
49:08better
49:10changes God creating us
49:13this heart that's after you
49:17bless that man bless that woman who
49:20sincerely want to become more and more
49:22like you
49:24Holy Spirit I ask you now
49:27that as we walk away from this place
49:30as we log off today that God we will
49:33seek you more and more in our lives each
49:36and every day and we will take
49:38responsibility of the change that needs
49:41to take place in our lives
49:43we will change and read your word more
49:46we will change and pray more we will
49:49change and speak more positive words and
49:52and father we would just change to be in
49:54your will and become more loving and
49:56kind and faithful I pray God that this
50:00church the Faith Center who's a part of
50:02the entire church that you've created I
50:07pray each and every one of us Lord we
50:09know we are not perfect but God we want
50:12to please you so father help us to do
50:15exactly what you've called us to do be
50:18in church stream help us to love one
50:22another help us to give and financially
50:24support this ministry and help us to
50:27volunteer even as dare to care food
50:30drivers coming up God help us to change
50:33from just being this simple ordinary
50:39relaxed believer
50:42and get about our father's business
50:45and do what pleases you
50:47[Music]
50:48thank you
50:49for the change
50:51that is coming in our lives and we give
50:53you praise in Jesus name amen come on
50:58give God a praise with you
51:01I want