It’s Bigger Than You
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 9/14/2025Matthew 28:19-20
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34:51
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez explores the 'Seasons of Becoming,' challenging believers to move past a self-centered faith and embrace a larger purpose. By looking at how Jesus commissioned his imperfect, doubting disciples, we learn that our assignment is bigger than our feelings, trials, or disappointments.
Key points
- •Our faith journey was never intended for selfish ambition or personal comfort, but for the glory of God.
- •Seasons are dynamic and changing; whether in a season of laughter or a season of trial, we must apply faith consistently because neither state is permanent.
- •Jesus serves as the ultimate example of choosing the 'bigger picture' over personal offense; even after His disciples abandoned and doubted Him, He focused on their commission rather than their failures.
- •God calls and uses imperfect people who are still 'becoming' to fulfill His Great Commission.
Scripture
Faith
Purpose
Discipleship
Trials
Scripture
Life application
This week, when you encounter a disappointment or a person who lets you down, consciously choose to pivot your focus from your wounded feelings to your God-given purpose of representing Christ to others.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life have you been using your faith primarily to please yourself rather than God?
- How does the realization that seasons are temporary change the way you view your current struggles or current blessings?
- If Jesus could entrust the Great Commission to disciples who were currently doubting Him, what does that say about His ability to use you despite your imperfections?
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Full transcript
0:00I began a series last week
0:05and the title
0:07is seasons of becoming.
0:12Seasons of becoming.
0:18I talked about how every season
0:22is preparing us
0:25to become
0:27a better person, to become the better
0:30version of ourselves, and that every
0:34season should produce the will of God in
0:39our lives.
0:42And so
0:44today I'd like to continue that series
0:48with a subtitle.
0:50It is bigger than you.
0:55What is bigger than you? Your faith
0:58journey.
1:00Your journey as a Christian is bigger
1:05than selfish ambitions.
1:09All of us in this room, no matter what
1:12age, no matter what background, no
1:15matter what race, we all have our own
1:19pursuits in life, we all want to become
1:23whatever we're dreaming of.
1:26But I hope everything that we do on this
1:30planet that at the end of the day we
1:34recognize
1:35that it's all for the glory of God.
1:41>> Because there's a danger in self focused
1:46faith.
1:48When your faith is just focusing on you,
1:53it's very dangerous
1:56because whenever you make your faith
1:59journey about all about everything about
2:02you, what you think, what you deserve,
2:06the comfort you expect,
2:08you know, when you make it uh uh just
2:12just about your trials, when you make it
2:15about, you know, the disappointments
2:17that you've had, bad. When you make it
2:19about the attacks that's coming against
2:21you, when your faith journey is all
2:24about that, I'm telling you, you're
2:26going to end up disappointed.
2:29Not only disappointed, but you're going
2:31to end up being angry at God, frustrated
2:34at God. You're going to end up argued
2:37with God, being bitter as a Christian
2:40walking around this planet. Because I
2:42got to tell you, there's nowhere in the
2:45Bible it tells you as a child of God
2:49that you are not going to be tested.
2:53>> Nowhere in the Bible it tells you
2:55because you're a believer, you're not
2:57going to be tried and you're not going
2:59to go through trials.
3:02>> Doesn't say that faith was never
3:05designed for you to be selfish.
3:11According to Hebrews 11:6, it tells us
3:14that without faith, it is impossible to
3:16please God. Notice, it doesn't say
3:20without faith, it's impossible to please
3:23yourself.
3:27>> Don't ever take your faith journey as
3:30something about pleasing yourself.
3:33C.
3:34>> Can I just be honest with you? In your
3:36faith journey, you're not always going
3:38to get what you want.
3:42So when you don't get what you want on
3:43your faith journey, are you going to be
3:46angry at God? Are you going to be angry
3:48at people? Are you going to take it so
3:50personal? Are you going to say, "Well,
3:52you know, God, you know, whatever I'm
3:54going through, there has to be a greater
3:57cause.
3:58>> There has to be because you cannot only
4:02apply faith when God is blessing you."
4:06And this is where most of us are missing
4:08it. We're only applying faith or our
4:12trust in God when everything is right.
4:16When our families are right, when your
4:19love life is okay, when when your
4:21marriage is right, when your children
4:23are doing well, when you've got money
4:25and your business is prospering, and
4:27when your your career is blossoming and
4:30so forth, you know, you you're saying to
4:32yourself, "Well, okay, I trust you,
4:34Lord. I have faith in you, Lord. I just
4:36love you. I'll read the Bible. I'll
4:38pray. I'll go to church, you know, and
4:40because everything is right in my life.
4:43What happens when the devil throws the
4:46sink, the kitchen, the stove, the
4:49refrigerator
4:52>> at you?
4:55What happens when you wake up one day
4:57and for for whatever reason you get a
5:00phone call that's devastating?
5:04What are you going to do when all of a
5:07sudden the person you married change on
5:11you?
5:13What are you going to do when all that
5:17money and that time and that energy you
5:19placed into that relationship,
5:23all of it now is gone.
5:26That spouse has betrayed you. What
5:28happened when you've invested your time
5:30in that person that you say you've loved
5:33and you were hoping that it would end up
5:35in the marriage and you've given them
5:38seven years of your life
5:42only to witness them getting connected
5:45with somebody else
5:48and doing for that person in three
5:50months
5:52what they didn't do for you in seven
5:54years.
5:58What are you going to do?
6:02What are you going to do when you wake
6:03up one day and your money has been
6:06depleted?
6:08You have more bills than you have
6:11income?
6:12What are you going to do then? What are
6:14you going to do when you get to your
6:15workplace
6:17only to find out you don't have a job
6:19anymore?
6:20What are you going to do when the
6:21promotion you thought you would have
6:23gotten, it's no longer there?
6:26What are you going to do? The business
6:28that you have taken out a loan or a home
6:32equity loan on or you've borrowed money
6:34to start that business and now it is
6:37struggling. What are you going to do in
6:40those moments? Are you cursing God? Are
6:43you arguing with God? Are you walking
6:46away from your faith? What are you going
6:48to do when you're wrongfully accused and
6:50the enemy has attacked you and slander
6:53your name? What are you going to do? Are
6:56you going to quit God? Are you going to
6:57quit church? You're going to say, "This
6:59is no longer worth it. Who are you going
7:02to run to? Please tell me. Please tell
7:06Henry Fernandez today." When stuff ain't
7:09working in your life other than God,
7:13who else can you turn to?
7:19>> Who else can you turn to?
7:24Are you going to turn to the system? Are
7:26you going to turn to depression like
7:27David when he hid himself in a cave
7:30under depression?
7:32>> Are you going to with boldness stand
7:35firm and said, "I would look to the
7:37hills from winds cometh my help."
7:41Some trust in chariots and horses, but I
7:44will trust in the name of my God.
7:48Listen, there just something about the
7:50name of Jesus.
7:52Our grandparents over the years have
7:55taught us how to handle battles. When
7:58they were in a dilemma, when they were
8:00in a crisis, they just call on the name
8:03of Jesus. Some of them whispered the
8:05name Jesus. It has the same power that
8:10if you shout it out loud, Jesus. There's
8:13something about when you're in the
8:15darkest moment of your life when you
8:17call on Jesus and say, "Jesus, I don't
8:20know how I'm going to get out of this. I
8:22don't know when I'm going to get out of
8:24this. I don't know what you're going to
8:25do to vindicate me or save me, but
8:29somehow I trust in you that at the end
8:32of the day, you're going to make your
8:35word good in every area of my life.
8:41[Applause]
8:43Are you hearing me?
8:45>> Cuz you see, every season of your life
8:50carries with it a certain amount of
8:53blessings,
8:54>> good or bad.
8:56Last week I talked to you about the
8:58season of power. Every season has a
9:02power or has power in it, if you will.
9:06It has an opportunity to experience
9:10new opportunities in God. Could it be
9:13that in this season of your life? Though
9:16you think it's bad,
9:18though you think that maybe the devil is
9:22just, you know, having his way in your
9:24life. Could it be that it's a season
9:27that reflects Ecclesiastes 3:1?
9:31For every for every for every. It didn't
9:34say just the good ones.
9:37For every season
9:40or for everything, it it says there is a
9:43season for there's a season to laugh.
9:48And you had those seasons of laughter. I
9:51don't think anybody in this room can
9:53honestly say, and those of you streaming
9:55that from the day you were born,
9:58all of your seasons were season of
10:00tears.
10:02No.
10:05Everything has its season.
10:07>> Who lied to you and told you every day
10:09you going to wake up, bless the Lord, oh
10:11my soul, and all that is within me. Oh,
10:13bless his holy name. Praise the Lord.
10:15Hallelujah.
10:17That's not life.
10:19That is not life.
10:22who lied to you and told you that when
10:25you find that love of your life,
10:30you going to live happily ever after?
10:34That's a lie.
10:40Who told you that every day you're going
10:41to get up with money in your pocket
10:45and lots of money in your bank account
10:48and you're going to be rich forever?
10:51That's a lie. And I know you're looking
10:53at me, Bill. You know, I got more broke
10:56season than I have rich seasons.
10:59But everything has a season. This is why
11:05if you're in a season of laughter,
11:08if you're in a season of plenty and
11:11everything is wonderful, your marriage
11:13is wonderful, your kids are acting
11:16great, you got money, your business is
11:18doing well, and everything is well,
11:20listen honey, enjoy it.
11:25>> Live it out loud.
11:28>> Be happy. Smile
11:31because seasons change.
11:35>> Don't miss the moment. Don't miss the
11:37moment of happiness. And for those of
11:39you maybe you're in a season that's
11:41opposite to what I just said.
11:44Come on now. This is the joy that you
11:46should embrace cuz seasons
11:49>> change.
11:51>> Who who lied to you and told you that
11:53the season that you're in will be that
11:55season forever? Not according to
11:59Ecclesiastes 3. It says, "For everything
12:02there's a season and a time for every
12:04what? Activity under heaven."
12:09If you can muscle up the strength and
12:10realize that, wait a minute, what if I'm
12:12going through? This is just for a
12:14season. This activity that's happening
12:16in my life is for a season. It won't be
12:19here forever. Because if you learn to
12:21apply faith in what God is doing, even
12:24when it's uncomfortable, you won't take
12:28trials personally.
12:32>> The moment you take your trials and your
12:34test personally, that's the moment your
12:38faith walk will become like a yo-yo up
12:41and down. You won't grow in faith each
12:44and every season that you're in. You're
12:47going to doubt God when you're in
12:49difficult season. And when you're in,
12:51you know, season of plenty, you're going
12:53to like, "Oh, praise Jesus. I'm happy.
12:54Thank you, Jesus. I'm great." No. You
12:57got to learn to understand that this
13:00journey that you're on as a believer.
13:02It's not about you. Cuz I'm telling you,
13:06you are going to get hit.
13:11The Bible says the devil is a prowler.
13:13You know what a prowler does? He stands
13:16by and he's waiting for when you are
13:18most vulnerable.
13:21>> And he's going to attack you. It's not
13:23if. It is when.
13:26>> It is when. There's no one in this room,
13:29no one watching can honestly say. The
13:32day you started following Jesus Christ,
13:35you've never been hit by trials.
13:39And if you're in this room, please leave
13:41quickly
13:44cuz we we may mess you up or something
13:47like that. That nobody can testify that.
13:50We've all been through the trials. But
13:52here's the here's here's the real
13:54question. How do we handle
13:57the seasons that are uncomfortable?
14:03That's the real question.
14:05How do we handle the attacks? How do we
14:08handle the pain? How do we handle lack,
14:11insufficiency? How do we handle the
14:16private things that are tearing us from
14:20the inside out?
14:23Do we go off?
14:25Do we get mad?
14:27Do we quit God?
14:30Do we start talking,
14:33you know, words that are not faithfilled
14:35words? How do we do that? Well, let me
14:38answer that question because Jesus is
14:40the prime example of what it is to live
14:44for the bigger picture. In Matthew 28,
14:49we know that scripture first at the
14:51beginning of it about the resurrection
14:53of Christ and how Jesus told his
14:55disciples to meet in Galilee and so
14:58forth and and and and he actually
15:00presented himself as the Messiah, the
15:02risen savior. We understand that. Then
15:04we focus on verse 19 and 20, the great
15:08commission, right? The great commission.
15:10He said, "Go ye therefore and preach all
15:13the the the the the gospel to all
15:14nations." We know that.
15:18But here is something we miss in that
15:21chapter.
15:22Matthew 28 verse 16 to 18.
15:27Something struck me. And I want to I
15:30want you to think about this for a
15:32moment. I want to take you back into
15:36time
15:37when
15:39Jesus now was risen from the dead.
15:45He has almost completed
15:49man's redemption. Don't forget, he
15:51didn't come here to prove to anybody
15:53that he's a son of God.
15:57Jesus was not bragging.
16:00If there's anybody who needed to brag
16:03about his power, his ability, and where
16:06he came from was Jesus,
16:09but never one time
16:12in his three and a half years of
16:14ministry
16:17it's recorded where Jesus bragged about
16:19what he did,
16:22his accomplishments,
16:24and how he has all powers. In fact, he
16:28was tempted by the devil one time
16:32and the devil came to him and said, "If
16:34if you are the son of God, why don't you
16:37make all these things happen?"
16:40Cuz you see, you and I need to realize
16:41this. The enemy knows your power. And if
16:45you don't know how to manage your power
16:47and put it under control, he'll come to
16:50you and he'll test you. And just because
16:52you're all about yourself, you'll get in
16:55your feelings trying to prove to the
16:57devil who you are.
16:59>> That's good.
17:02>> Jesus could have got up and said, "Oh
17:04yeah. Oh yeah, devil.
17:06You you you trying to tell I can do
17:08that."
17:10But then if he had responded to the
17:13devil, all Jesus would have done is
17:16given his power over to the devil.
17:22Some of us our problem is our ego is
17:25what's killing us.
17:27>> We're actually giving our ego over to
17:30the temptations
17:32that comes from the devil.
17:37So here's Jesus.
17:40He's in a situation
17:42he called for for his disciples.
17:4611 of them gathered.
17:49Here comes Peter at Galilee.
17:56After Peter, here comes James.
18:01Here comes Andrew, Philillip, Thomas,
18:10Bartholomew,
18:13Matthew,
18:15James,
18:18Simon,
18:21and Thaddius.
18:23Judas, which is not the Judas who
18:28betrayed
18:29Jesus.
18:33Pause for a moment.
18:37After everything that Jesus went
18:39through, remember he was crucified,
18:45buried,
18:47but yeah,
18:49he's now resurrected.
18:52He called for the 11th disciples
18:56to meet with him.
19:00But did he call them to
19:03to settle scores?
19:07Think about that.
19:11In Matthew 6 28:16-18,
19:16you got to live in the moment.
19:19Jesus entered the place in Galilee where
19:22the 11 disciples were.
19:27But he went through a lot.
19:30History shows that even during the
19:33crucifixion,
19:35these disciples were silent.
19:39They were silent.
19:42He handpicked every one of them.
19:48He did.
19:50By the way, all of them came from the
19:53streets. Not one of these boys came from
19:56the temple. Not one of them came from
19:58the church.
20:01He selected 12 of them
20:06and he appointed them as apostles.
20:10And in his most vulnerable moment when
20:12he was on the cross,
20:16the moment when they took his body to
20:18the tomb, in fact on resurrection day,
20:21not one of these boys
20:25went to see him.
20:29>> It was women.
20:33So for those of you who have done
20:35everything for people
20:38>> and the people you expect to be there
20:41for you in your vulnerable moments when
20:44they're not there, you don't read your
20:46Bible.
20:48You're not reading your Bible
20:52because your faith journey is never
20:54about you. Jesus never walked in
20:57himself.
20:59>> Said, "I'm going to settle this."
21:01He didn't call them
21:04in a meeting.
21:07Where were you
21:09when I needed you? Where is Peter?
21:13Where were you?
21:15You were the one when they saw you in
21:17the crowd and they said, "You are one of
21:19my disciples. What did you do?" Instead
21:23of saying, "Yes, I am." You got angry in
21:26your flesh and you took out a knife and
21:29you were violent. Was
21:32that to defend me or defend your name?
21:40>> And Thomas,
21:42how many miracles have you seen me
21:44performed?
21:48And you still doubted me. I know what
21:50you're thinking. No, there's no way they
21:53doubted him. Well, let's read the verse.
21:56Let's read it. When the 11 came, the
21:58Bible says, going them to the mountain
22:00where Jesus had told them to go. When
22:03they saw him, they worshiped him. You
22:06would think, you would think, you would
22:09think
22:12all 11 cuz remember Judas was gone.
22:19Some of you there's a void in your
22:22there. There are people
22:25who once served a purpose
22:30>> and based on the sovereign will of God,
22:34their space is vacant.
22:38>> Judas had to do what he was called to
22:43do.
22:46You have to see without Judas betraying
22:50Jesus, our salvation would not have
22:53taken place.
22:55[Music]
22:58>> Please get this in your head.
23:02Now, one time Jesus mentioned in the
23:05room, "Where's Judas?"
23:09He knew
23:11Judas serves a purpose.
23:14But the Bible says they worship they.
23:17You would think all 11 worship him. No.
23:21Let's read the rest of the text. They
23:24worship him. But some of them, who is he
23:28talking about? These people.
23:31Some of them doubted him.
23:35These are his disciples.
23:39They walked with him. They talked with
23:41him. They saw the miracles, yet
23:46there were few of them who still doubted
23:49him.
23:52I wonder who's in this room who's
23:54streaming.
23:57You have a history with God.
24:00How many times have he delivered you and
24:05showed up when you needed him the most?
24:09How many times have you fought battles
24:12for you and brought you out yet?
24:18You're going to become a part of those
24:20who
24:22doubt his ability.
24:27For me, that had to be a horrible moment
24:31for Jesus.
24:34Out of all 11, some of you believed in
24:37me.
24:39Yet some of you are doubting me.
24:45Doubting that I am sent
24:48from God to be the savior of the world.
24:52And you're going to doubt me now in this
24:56season of your life.
24:59Why?
25:01After all the miracles, wait a minute.
25:04Don't you see the nail prints in my
25:06hands?
25:08Don't you see the Christ that was
25:11crucified, buried, is standing before
25:14you today? How could you still be
25:16doubting me
25:20when the evidence
25:22of who I am is before you?
25:27How
25:30he never once uttered those words?
25:36Because ministry
25:38was not about his feelings.
25:44The day you let your faith journey
25:47becomes about your feelings,
25:50>> that is when you're going to speak out
25:52of the will of God.
25:55>> That's when you're going to snap at
25:57people.
25:59>> That's when you're going to try to get
26:00even with people.
26:02>> That's when you're going to walk in the
26:04flesh. Jesus stood there and I love what
26:07he did because this is where we miss it
26:09as a church. I love it. He stood with
26:13the boys or sat with the boys
26:16and instead of going off on them
26:21cuz he had every right to do it.
26:24Do we have the right to go off? Yes,
26:29you can go off on your boss.
26:33Cuz
26:38some of you have declared that your boss
26:40was sent from the devil himself.
26:45You can go off on your spouse.
26:50You can go off on people.
26:54You can take matters in your hands
26:57to try to re take revenge
27:02because it was never about him.
27:05Or you can do like what Jesus did in
27:08Matthew 28.
27:10He kept his eye
27:12on the cause.
27:15What was the cause? Check this out. Now
27:18in verse 19, now you're going to see how
27:21from the beginning of the chapter,
27:23everything he went through. Verse 16,
27:27some believed, some doubted.
27:31Now he didn't pay attention to what
27:34happened.
27:35He said,
27:38"All power
27:40is given to me."
27:44He said, "Go
27:46and make
27:48disciples."
27:50Do you understand
27:53the crushing that took place
27:56when maybe these boys were looking for a
27:58moment
28:00for them to defend themselves?
28:04Even with the ones, woo, even with the
28:07ones who were doubting him.
28:11He gave them the commission.
28:15He gave them the commission cuz he knew
28:19everyone of them had issues. He chose
28:22them.
28:25Yet, he gave them the real reason of
28:29following him. It's not for the fish and
28:32the bread. It's not to have a
28:34comfortable life. It's not for everybody
28:36to like you. It's not for you to be
28:39popular. He says, "Your assignment, go
28:44>> and make disciples
28:47of all nations.
28:50You go and make them become a follower
28:52just like you. And don't you ever
28:54discriminate.
28:57Cuz when I chose you, you weren't
28:59perfect.
29:02When I chose you, you had issues.
29:06Go and make of all nations, not the
29:09people you like,
29:11not just people in America, Asia,
29:14Africa. Go and people are people
29:18and they need a savior. Go and make
29:21disciples. That means you have to get
29:25down into the trenches
29:29and let people see the Christ in you.
29:32You are not better than anybody.
29:35>> It's only because of the grace that I've
29:37given to you while you are still in this
29:41room talking to the Messiah.
29:43[Music]
29:46Go make disciples of all nations,
29:49baptizing them in the name of the
29:50Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
29:52And then verse 20, he then says, "Teach
29:56them
29:59the new these new disciples how to obey
30:03my commands." Isn't it interesting
30:08that he's asking these boys
30:12to teach the nations of the world
30:17how to obey his commands
30:21when half these boys are not obeying.
30:27So don't you tell me that God won't call
30:30imperfect people
30:33>> who still haven't gotten it right
30:35[Music]
30:37to be his messengers.
30:40[Applause]
30:42Cuz if any one of us in this room
30:45are watching ever dare think
30:51that you are perfect
30:56and
30:58you are the righteous one or you're the
30:59one the only one that God is speaking to
31:02and through. You've missed the mark.
31:07>> The moment you get up and you start
31:09complaining, "Well, she hurt me. He hurt
31:12me. They hurt me.
31:15>> Well, I ain't going to church because of
31:16this. I'm offended. Well, I didn't get
31:19that from God. And this faith stuff
31:20ain't working."
31:22Can you imagine? You've been running
31:24away from God for 20 years.
31:27You haven't lived up to the word of God
31:29for 20 years and you just came to the
31:32Lord in six months and you prayed for
31:34one thing and didn't give it to you. Now
31:35you're ready to quit.
31:40>> No wonder our relationships are jacked
31:42up.
31:44>> Cuz if we don't get what we want when we
31:46want it, we're out.
31:53We have no grace. Even when people
31:55offend us,
31:58>> somebody say something bad about you or
32:00whatever, you're ready to write them off
32:02and speak evil of them. Jesus had every
32:05right. I'm telling you, I want you to
32:07look at these 11 men up here and try to
32:10picture the issues Jesus had with them.
32:16And that's a lesson to me.
32:19when he entered the room,
32:22he could have made he could have made
32:25his mission about getting even.
32:32He could have. But no,
32:36what he did, he didn't even talk about
32:39their flaws.
32:42He pointed them back to the mission.
32:45Go
32:48Peter
32:50go.
32:53Nowhere in the Bible he focused on Peter
32:57and say do you still have the knife?
33:03You ever ask him if he's still cuz you
33:07see as we're walking and following God,
33:10we still carry some stuff.
33:16But keep on going even with the stuff.
33:19Keep on moving. Keep on walk. Cuz you
33:22see, the more you get in the word, the
33:24more God is in your life is the more
33:26those things will gradually fade away.
33:30He never stopped to argue with Thomas
33:32and James and all of them.
33:36He just gave them a commission. Here's
33:38my point to you and I pray with you.
33:43The moment you start
33:46looking at the greater picture, it's the
33:48life that you're called to live.
33:52The moment you start focusing on the
33:55number one reason why you are born
33:57again,
34:00all of a sudden your emotions, your
34:03feelings, your anger, whatever you're
34:06struggling with won't matter anymore
34:10because you will seize the moment in
34:12this season of your life understanding
34:16that there will be a void.
34:19People missing, people coming, people
34:22going.
34:24Understanding
34:25some people are going to believe, some
34:28people are not going to believe.
34:31But at the end of the day, when you die
34:35and you stand before God,
34:38what you're going to hear from him
34:41is, "Well done,
34:44good,
34:46faithful
34:49servant.