Ignite Transformation
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 9/8/2026Ephesians 5:15–17
Loading…
0:00
40:06
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez challenges believers to stop seeking external solutions and instead 'fan the flame' of the gifts God has already placed within them. Drawing from the church at Ephesus, he calls for a transformation that rejects cultural divisions and materialism in favor of intentional, Christ-centered living and active evangelism.
Key points
- •Every believer possesses latent God-given potential and spiritual gifts that must be actively 'fanned into flame' rather than searched for externally.
- •Transformation requires intentional living and a refusal to let external environments, cultural labels, or pagan societal values dictate one's identity.
- •True spiritual maturity involves moving beyond a 'materialistic' or 'entertainment-based' church experience to embrace the responsibility of evangelism and discipleship.
- •Believers must reclaim authority over their emotional and mental space, refusing to let the opinions or distractions of others extinguish their divine purpose.
Scripture
Spiritual Growth
Purpose
Evangelism
Discipleship
Authority
Life application
This week, identify one area of your life where the 'fire' has grown cold (such as your passion for work, marriage, or ministry) and take one intentional step to 'fan the flame' through prayer, service, or a renewed commitment to excellence.
Reflection questions
- What gifts or ideas has God placed inside you that you have been waiting for 'permission' or 'experience' to pursue?
- In what ways have you allowed the culture around you or the opinions of others to define your identity instead of the Word of God?
- Are you functioning out of habit and routine, or are you living with the fire of passion and purpose?
- Who in your life is waiting for your 'fire' to burn so that they might also be reached or encouraged?
Have a question about this sermon?
Ask our AI and get an answer with citations.
Full transcript
0:00These are the writings of the apostle
0:02Paul. He said, "Therefore, see that you
0:04walk carefully,
0:06living in life with honor, purpose, and
0:09courage, shine in those who tolerate and
0:13enable evil, not as the unwise, but as
0:17wise sensible
0:19intelligent,
0:21discerning people.
0:23Make the very most of your time on the
0:27earth recognizing
0:29and taking advantage of each opportunity
0:32and using it with wisdom and diligence
0:36because the days are filled with evil.
0:41Therefore, do not be foolish or
0:45thoughtless,
0:47but understand and firmly grasp
0:51what the will of the Lord is.
0:57Therefore, do not be foolish
1:01and thoughtless, but understand and
1:04firmly grasp what the will of the Lord
1:08is.
1:11I want to begin first of all by saying
1:15that there's something inside of every
1:20one of you.
1:23There's more.
1:27There is more inside of everybody in
1:30this room and everybody who's streaming.
1:32There's more on the inside of you. And
1:35today can be, I firmly believe, a
1:38lifechanging moment for many of you,
1:41whether you are worshiping on campus or
1:43you are online.
1:45And I say that because you have an
1:49opportunity today to ignite or reignite
1:54what God has already placed on the
1:57inside of you.
1:59Some of you are praying for God to bring
2:03things in your life when he's actually
2:06saying you already have it.
2:11>> You already possess it.
2:14You see, you already possessed your
2:16God-given potential to become the person
2:19God created you to be in spite of your
2:22past, your present circumstances, and
2:25whatever challenges
2:27may come in the future. You are not
2:30[clears throat] an afterthought.
2:34>> God didn't just create you and placed
2:36you on the planet and now he's got to
2:39figure out how to take care of you.
2:42He's got to figure out how to help you
2:45to navigate through life. Everything you
2:48need now and in the future, you already
2:52possess them.
2:54>> That's why Paul said in Timothy 2
2:57Timothy 1:6, he said, "Now, please don't
3:00miss this. Please pay attention to this.
3:04When I read this, and I've read this
3:06passage of scripture over and over, but
3:08something jumped out of the pages of the
3:11Bible and got into me, Paul was talking
3:15to this young Timothy
3:18entrepreneur,
3:20this young leader who, BY THE WAY, HAD
3:24NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE OF LEADERSHIP.
3:29Some of you are in this room, you're
3:30streaming and you're wondering if you
3:33are capable. Why? Because God has put
3:36something in you that there is no point
3:39of reference.
3:41THERE'S NOBODY IN YOUR FAMILY HAS EVER
3:43done what you're attempting to do. And
3:47it's scary. This young guy, Timothy, HAS
3:51NEVER LED TO ANYBODY in his life. HE'S
3:54EVEN YOUNG. HE HAS NO EXPERIENCE. And
3:57Paul said to him, "Fan into flame the
4:01gift of God which is in you."
4:07Paul was saying, "You got it in you. It
4:11may not look like fire right now, BUT AS
4:14LONG AS you have smoke,
4:21fan the smoke that will ultimately
4:25become fire. Now, some of you don't
4:28understand this. You don't understand
4:29this. I used to have a grandmother.
4:32She back in the in Jamaica in the
4:34country, she would put some rocks
4:36together and some sticks between it and
4:40just rub some sticks together and all of
4:43a sudden she'll put some paper in
4:45between it and you see little smoke and
4:48you would think ain't no fire going to
4:51come from that. But my grandmother would
4:54just keep doing like this
5:00and before you know it
5:02fire. Some of you just need to keep
5:05fanning the ideas, the creativity that
5:10God has put in you. And if you keep
5:13fanning it,
5:15fire will come.
5:17>> So notice Paul didn't tell Timothy to go
5:21looking for something he didn't have.
5:25He said essentially stir up what is
5:29already there.
5:33>> I understand you're not your best self
5:35yet. I understand you you don't have a
5:37testimony yet.
5:40But fan the flame and the passion of who
5:45you are.
5:48Who you are. Listen to me men. I don't
5:51care what you've been through. I don't
5:53care the setbacks you have had in your
5:55life. Fan the flame of becoming the best
5:59man that God has created you to be.
6:02Women, fan the flame. I don't care if
6:05it's been a divorce. I don't care if
6:08it's been uh you are now a single parent
6:11and you're left to raise your kids by
6:13yourself because the man is absent. It
6:16doesn't matter what life has thrown at
6:19you. You get up every day and you keep
6:22fanning the flame of success in every
6:26area of your life. And somebody ought to
6:29give God praise for that. [applause]
6:34Paul was saying that there are gifts
6:36already there. He was saying there are
6:39potentials you have. Excuse me. There is
6:42potential already there. There is
6:44purpose already there. There's another
6:47level of spiritual maturity already
6:50waiting to be developed in you.
6:54So the fire may be low, but the gift is
6:58still there.
7:01Some of you honestly, you're exhausted.
7:05You're tired. Come on now.
7:08You've been tired for a long time.
7:12Tired of dating. Tired of being in that
7:15marriage, tired of raising these crazy
7:19kids.
7:21Tired of going to this job that you
7:23hate?
7:29>> Come on now. Tired of going to the gym.
7:33[snorts]
7:35Now, some of you like the gym, but there
7:37are many people struggling every time
7:41to go to the gym.
7:43But what Paul is saying here, the fire
7:46may be low. In other words, the passion
7:48and the desire may be low
7:52>> but the gift is still there.
7:56>> The money may not be coming in at this
7:58time,
8:00>> but if the gift is there,
8:03>> God will always make room for your
8:07gifts.
8:10So now is not the time to allow
8:12discouragement
8:14and failure, disappointment, insecurity,
8:17or people's opinions to extinguish
8:22your determination to become everything
8:24that God designed you to be. Look at
8:28what Paul said in in Philippians 1 and6.
8:32And this is important for those of you
8:36who just constantly have this doubting
8:38spirit and this quitting spirit
8:41quitting every Friday. I ain't going
8:43back to that place. But show back up to
8:47that job Monday morning.
8:50He said who he who has begun a good a
8:54good work.
8:56>> A good work.
8:59>> The work that's in you is good.
9:03Don't let the enemy lie to you and tell
9:05you that you're not a good person. Cuz
9:08when God wired you, he wired you with
9:11goodness.
9:13>> Satan tempts you to do the opposite.
9:16But he who has began a good work in you
9:20will carry it unto completion until the
9:23day of Jesus Christ. So you have the
9:25ability to succeed until you die. Amen.
9:30>> You just need to fan the flame. God is
9:34not finished with you. And so don't
9:36allow one bad chapter to convince you
9:41that your story is over.
9:44Because transformation requires, watch
9:47this, intentional living.
9:51>> Intentional living. You got to make up
9:53in your mind that you're going to get up
9:55every day and that you're going to live
9:57for the glory of God. Amen.
9:59>> Look at what Paul said in in Ephesians
10:025.
10:04Those verses we read earlier, Paul is
10:08writing to give you a backdrop of why he
10:10made those statements. Paul is writing
10:13to the believers in Ephesus. In Ephesus,
10:17it was a city deeply influenced, deeply
10:21influenced by pagan worship.
10:27Some of you have no idea
10:30that scripture, what you're reading that
10:33took place thousands of years ago,
10:36scripture is still relevant today. Man,
10:40>> if you just take the book up and read
10:41it,
10:43>> you'll understand that God is still
10:44speaking to us today. Paul is writing to
10:47a church at Ephesus
10:50who was deeply influenced by pagan
10:54worship just like us today.
10:58Many of us are far from worshiping the
11:01true and living God.
11:04We're now forced to be entertained.
11:08>> We have now frame and shape our own
11:11gods.
11:12Now church has become a place where we
11:16have created idols like the children of
11:18Israel. Your pastor become your idol.
11:22Your best friend in the ministry has
11:23become your idol. Watch this. Your style
11:26of worship has become idol. I hear
11:29people say I go to this church because I
11:32like this. I like this. I like this.
11:34Very few people are saying I go to the
11:36church because God purposed me to go
11:40there.
11:44Because if you go to a church for things
11:46you like, you will never stay at a
11:50church.
11:56A deeply influenced church by pagan
12:00worship.
12:02Nothing was Christ centered.
12:05It was all about worshiping images and
12:09rituals. It wasn't really about God.
12:13They were also spiritually walking in
12:16darkness. Materialism
12:19consumed them and they were competing
12:22with cultural values.
12:25That's the church at Ephesus.
12:28Cultural values. We see it today that
12:33instead of looking at people as people,
12:37we see the cultural differences.
12:40We're now labeled as black, white,
12:44Caribbean,
12:46Asian African.
12:51If anybody in this room or those of you
12:53streaming can open the scripture
12:56and show me anywhere in the Bible where
13:00God or the life of Jesus described
13:04people by culture.
13:10Show me where anybody
13:13has been described by God or the son of
13:17God by culture.
13:22But you see what you need to understand
13:24going way back to scripture what man has
13:27done man knows the only way he can
13:31divide and conquer
13:33>> is to bring the cultural values I'm
13:37better than you
13:40>> we're better than you I'm white so
13:43because of the pigmentation of my skin
13:48I'm superior over you. And so slavery
13:52came in. Slavery. The Bible, I'm not
13:56ashamed to tell you, and you may not
13:58like what I'm telling you right now, the
14:00Bible was used to perpetuate slavery.
14:06>> Yes, it was.
14:08because they use language in the Bible
14:11>> to get slaves to submit to one group of
14:15people
14:17>> because the Bible says
14:20submit to your master.
14:23>> When God created Adam and Eve, two first
14:26two people on the planet, there's
14:29nowhere in scripture where God gave man
14:32or woman to have dominion over each
14:35other. have dominion over things, but
14:39never people.
14:41No one has the right to control anybody.
14:47>> Preach, boy.
14:50>> You may not like it. I'm preaching. I'm
14:52preaching to myself.
14:57So we live in a society just like the
14:59church at Ephesus
15:02where we're competing with culture. The
15:05younger generation, the millennials see
15:08things differently from us. So we're a
15:11divided church.
15:13One of the most divided place in this
15:15world is a church on a Sunday morning.
15:20Very divided. Divided with our culture.
15:23You are this, you are that,
15:26and we hold on to our different
15:28cultures. Yet Paul challenges the
15:30believer not to allow, watch this, your
15:34environment
15:35to determine your identity. We, as
15:38kingdom citizens, he's saying to the
15:40church at Ephesus, we know racism is
15:43here. We know spiritual darkness is
15:46around. We know pagan worship is around.
15:49We know there's competing cultures
15:51around. We know it. We we know in
15:54America the evangelicals have told you
15:57who God look like.
16:02>> PAUL IS SAYING WE KNOW ALL THESE THINGS
16:05but Paul is saying do not let the
16:08external environment
16:10change the inside of you.
16:14>> Know your God for yourself. He tells
16:17them, watch this, live carefully. It's
16:20right there in the verse. He says, "Live
16:24carefully. Watch how you live. Don't
16:26live like the world.
16:29Don't pattern yourself after the world.
16:31Live honorably.
16:33Be a man of honor, a woman of honor.
16:38>> Live purposefully." And then he says,
16:41"Live courageously. Don't tolerate evil.
16:46>> DON'T TOLERATE IT. DON'T BECOME A PART
16:48OF IT."
16:50Because the church at Ephesus, watch
16:52this, it wasn't the unsaved people. It
16:55was the church practicing evil. And oh,
16:58you may not like what Henry's going to
17:00tell you right now. Some of the most
17:03evilst
17:05people in the world
17:08lives in the church.
17:14[applause]
17:22Look down your row. They may be in your
17:24row. Anyway, let's go here.
17:31He says, "Don't tolerate evil.
17:35Don't
17:36don't participate in it. Don't live
17:39foolishly."
17:41Watch this. Become sensible. You know
17:43what Paul was saying? Just have common
17:48sense.
17:50Some of us have lost
17:52our common sense.
17:56We're tricked. We have no Some of you do
18:00not need an intercessor to pray. You
18:04don't even need to fast. Just use your
18:08common
18:10sense.
18:12You're too deep.
18:14You're too deep.
18:16>> Well, I got to pray about it. I need
18:18somebody. No, use your brain.
18:24He says, "Become intelligent. Become
18:27discerning. Understand God's will for
18:29your life." In other words, don't just
18:32exist, but live intentionally.
18:35>> So Paul understood something that we
18:38must understand today. You can live in a
18:42confused world without becoming a
18:46confused person.
18:51>> Yes, you can.
18:53So, what Paul was actually saying is
18:56that you must be transformed.
18:58Transformed. Uh Romans 12:2 says, "Do
19:01not conform to the pattern of this
19:04world, but be what? transform
19:06>> in your
19:07>> the renewing of your mind. That
19:10transformation means I don't allow
19:13everything happening around me to
19:15determine what happens within me.
19:18>> Come on now. Cuz you can't always
19:20control your environment. You cannot
19:23control people's opinions. You cannot
19:26control what people say about you. You
19:28cannot control every economic condition.
19:33You cannot control every disappointment,
19:35but through the power of God, you can
19:38determine what you become while you're
19:41going through the issues of life.
19:46>> Are you becoming a bitter person, a more
19:48grounded person, a confused person, a
19:52lost person? So, don't waste the moment
19:55that you're in. Please hear me. Don't
19:58waste the moment that you're in. There's
20:01a fire waiting to just burn through you.
20:07There are gifts and callings that are
20:10hidden in you that God is saying it's
20:13time. And please hear me, young people.
20:16I am talking to you. Stop wasting the
20:20moment you're in.
20:24>> Stop wasting the moment you're in. Paul
20:27in verse 16 now says, watch this. MAKE
20:31THE VERY MOST OF YOUR TIME.
20:35>> What he's saying is recognize the
20:37opportunity inside the moment.
20:40Every day what God gives to you carries
20:43possibilities.
20:45Every morning is another opportunity to
20:47grow, another opportunity to learn, to
20:50forgive, to change, to build, to serve,
20:54to become.
20:57every day. This moment on the sixth day
21:02of September 2026
21:04is a moment to become.
21:08This is the moment,
21:10young man. This is the moment that can
21:12change your life forever if you will
21:15ignite the passion to become young lady.
21:19THIS IS THE MOMENT. AND I DON'T CARE IF
21:21YOU ARE 90 YEARS OLD.
21:24This is the day to ignite the passion to
21:28become.
21:31It is
21:33so take responsibility for your
21:37transformation.
21:38This is what I want to leave you with.
21:40Take responsibility for your
21:43transformation.
21:45Nobody is going to change you
21:49>> but you.
21:54You can live the rest of your life
21:56blaming everybody.
21:59>> Your parents,
22:01>> some of who have passed on.
22:04>> You can blame your exes.
22:08You can blame the current partner you're
22:10with. You can blame your children. You
22:13can blame family members. You can blame
22:16co-workers. You can blame America.
22:21But you're not going to go further in
22:23life
22:25>> if you do not take ownership
22:29>> of your destiny.
22:34[applause]
22:35>> It is time to ignite transformation and
22:37become a reflection of who God says you
22:40are. Transformation begins when you stop
22:44spending all of your energy identifying,
22:48watch this, what is wrong with everybody
22:51else
22:52and allow God to work on you.
22:57>> It's not my spouse cuz I know you like
23:00to point fingers
23:02>> my children, my spouse,
23:04>> the this, the that.
23:06point the finger back at you and say,
23:09"Lord, fix me." Because you can
23:11function, watch this, watch this. And
23:13this is where a lot of you have missed
23:15it. Missed it. You can function, watch
23:18this, without fire or passion. Let me
23:23prove it to you. Here's the danger.
23:26You can wake up every morning and still
23:29go to work, still run your business,
23:32still take care of your spouse, raise
23:34your children, pay your bills, serve
23:37your community, attend church, serve in
23:41ministry, smile at everyone, and still
23:45have no fire
23:48>> to do what you're doing.
23:52>> Some of you are on jobs.
23:55You are just doing it to get paid.
24:02And I know, I know, I know. I could just
24:04hear it. Some of you said, "Well, what
24:06do you expect?
24:09I go to my job to get paid."
24:13That is why you will always be
24:15miserable.
24:18Because when you're just working to get
24:19paid and not enjoying your job,
24:24>> you live in misery,
24:26>> but oh, when you love what you do,
24:30>> and it so happens that you get paid to
24:32do it,
24:34>> it's a whole another feeling.
24:37>> Are you hearing me this morning?
24:39>> So, stop giving people control over your
24:43energy. Now,
24:45let me just try to get this out.
24:49[snorts]
24:49>> Stop
24:51giving people control over your energy.
24:54I want to tell you what I read recently.
24:56I saw this and it blessed me. Oh, it
24:58blessed me. It says, "Time is going to
25:02pass whether you use it intentionally
25:07>> or allow it to slip away."
25:11So when so when you keep walking around
25:13the planet
25:15>> and letting time quickly pass you by
25:19talking about what this uncle did to
25:21you, talking about what this person do
25:23to you, it's quickly sli slipping away.
25:26People will always have opinions about
25:28your choices,
25:31>> but you determine how much mental and
25:34emotional space those opinions occupy in
25:39your mind.
25:43>> The sad part about it is some of you
25:45like David, David found himself, this
25:48great man of God, this great called out
25:51person. Yes, he had issues, but he was
25:54called. But David found himself in a
25:56cave handling depression based on what
26:01people
26:03>> have said.
26:05>> And some of you are literally in bondage
26:08based on what people have said because
26:10people's thoughts have occupied your
26:13mind that you you you think you value so
26:16much of what they say. But it continues
26:19to say, "You must learn to distinguish
26:21between people, watch this, who
26:23genuinely care about you and voices that
26:26are simply distracting you from your
26:30assignments.
26:35>> Some of you have no idea the struggle
26:37you're currently going through is just a
26:40distraction.
26:43Some of you are flunking the test
26:45because there are some people who the
26:47enemy have sent in your life and you're
26:51wasting years trying to figure them out
26:53and reason why they're doing what
26:55they're doing when God is saying it's a
26:58distraction.
27:00Ignore them and pay attention to where
27:02he's taking you. Oh, somebody ought to
27:05give God a praise right there.
27:07[applause]
27:10And then it says, watch this. If
27:12someone's word or words can consistently
27:16destroy your peace,
27:18>> you have given them the authority they
27:20were never supposed to possess.
27:25[applause]
27:27>> So I want you to know that time matters.
27:31Don't let anybody,
27:33>> many of you like myself, we've been
27:35hurt.
27:37I'm
27:38>> quite sure we have hurt people
27:39ourselves.
27:41>> But don't you ever live from today
27:44forward. Ever live your life allowing
27:48people's opinions and thoughts of you to
27:52live rentfree
27:54>> in your head.
27:58[applause]
28:01You may not like what I'm about to say.
28:03You know, I always say this. Trust me.
28:04My wife tells me all the time not to say
28:06it.
28:09You can
28:21>> I'm going to say it. I'm going to say
28:23it.
28:25>> You can give me problems.
28:28But you got to pay me.
28:32>> I don't mind a person giving me problems
28:34if you're paying me.
28:38>> See, look at some of you like
28:42here's a thought behind that.
28:46If you don't pay my bills,
28:49you not sustaining me.
28:52The devil is a liar. You think that I'm
28:55going to let you control me?
29:01Oh, I'm all by myself. I'm all by
29:03myself.
29:09I'm trying to help somebody in the room.
29:12YOU'RE GIVING PEOPLE TOO MUCH CREDIT AND
29:14TOO MUCH CONTROL. IF GOD'S GOT YOUR
29:17BACK, IF HE IS FOR YOU, WHO CAN BE
29:21AGAINST YOU?
29:26SO,
29:28>> I'm trying to skip a whole lot of stuff
29:30here.
29:32>> So, seriously, this is what I leave you
29:33with.
29:35>> All of us,
29:38we're in this moment to ignite something
29:41that will not only transform us,
29:45but will transform the people around us.
29:51So many of you, your generation, your
29:54children
29:56are depending on your transformation.
30:00>> They're depending on the fire to be
30:03ignited in you.
30:05>> Your friends,
30:08>> your church member, somebody in the
30:10community is depending on you
30:14to burn for God so that the fire can
30:19>> Yes.
30:20burn in them.
30:21>> You saw the two ladies, one lady her own
30:25drama, own situation,
30:28but God put the passion in her
30:31>> and with the passion of generosity, she
30:34was able to be generous to give it. One
30:37person who was literally depressed and
30:40down by the help of a fire burning.
30:45See, this is what this is the church
30:47Paul is talking about. By the help of
30:50one fire, it touches the heart of
30:52another woman. Dead strangers. They
30:54didn't know each other. And now this
30:57woman have a reason to trust God and to
30:59believe God. I wonder who out there IS
31:03WAITING FOR YOUR FIRE to burn.
31:07[applause]
31:09>> Please don't sit in the church at
31:11Ephesus.
31:13Please don't sit in the church at at
31:15Ephesus
31:17>> and be caught up with material things.
31:19>> My God, my God,
31:21>> be caught up with cultural differences.
31:24>> Don't stay in the church at at Ephesus
31:28paying attention to the wrong things and
31:30missing what God has called us to be.
31:34He has called us to be the light
31:37to ignite for him. Listen, I hope you
31:40get it, man.
31:42>> [gasps]
31:42>> Oh, please God, help me with this. I
31:44want to say it right. I want to say it
31:46right. I want to say it right because
31:49I am so tired of church as usual.
31:56>> I'm tired of it.
31:58>> Something got to burn.
32:02>> He said, "Pastor, what are you talking
32:03about church as usual? Don't come here
32:06just to get your fix.
32:09>> That's it. That's it. That's it. Don't
32:12come here just to be entertained.
32:16>> Put your best clothes on, but please
32:19don't make that the object when you walk
32:21in the door.
32:28>> Get your fire to be transformed.
32:31Get your fire to be who God has called
32:33you to be. Because you know what? You're
32:36running out of time.
32:42running out of time.
32:43>> And if you don't start living the light,
32:47>> if you don't start living the light,
32:50then you're going to live on this planet
32:51for a duration of time not fulfilling
32:55your purpose. Here's what I want
32:56everybody to do. I close with this.
33:00We're starting this Ignite 300.
33:06There are 300 people I want to join me
33:08in a class. Join me in a class
33:11absolutely free. I'm not asking 300
33:13people to join me with $1,000 now. So
33:16don't get nervous.
33:18I'm not raising an offering. This is
33:20very unusual.
33:23I want 300 people want to be like that
33:25woman.
33:27And that woman
33:30who can say
33:32somebody
33:34light the fire of God in me.
33:37>> So I want to pass it on.
33:40>> 300 people are saying this is a season
33:43I'm not asking God for a car, not asking
33:45him for a house, not asking him to heal
33:48my body. I simply want him to help me
33:53transform a life
33:55to lead someone to Christ. I'm going to
33:58teach you practical steps on how to
34:01evangelize, how to start a conversation.
34:03And I know it's boring for some of you
34:05cuz maybe if I had a class how to make a
34:08million dollars in 30 days, I'd run out
34:11of space because our our our passion is
34:16rich, rich Ephesus, the church in
34:19Ephesus, materialism, material. Oh, God
34:21knows you have need of that because when
34:24you seek first the kingdom of God, oh,
34:26the million dollars will come. It will
34:28come.
34:30But our primary goal as a church is
34:33evangelism.
34:36>> And I want 300 people to join me online
34:39as we start our class that you're
34:42willing to train that you are going to
34:44disciple one person.
34:47>> See that woman? She discipled one.
34:51>> She is going to disciple one. Who are
34:54you discipling?
34:57Think about that. Oh, I know. I know it
35:00was in the sermon in the series. It's
35:02probably is not going to be something,
35:04you know, to promise you something. I
35:07get that.
35:09But can we just get beyond
35:12just give me some fish, God? Give me
35:16some bread. He said in Matthew, don't
35:19you know I have need that I know you
35:21have need of that.
35:23Can we start saying, "God, instead of
35:26giving me, use me."
35:32>> Oh, come on. Give God a praise for that
35:33today. [applause]
35:35So, here's what I'm going to do. I want
35:39you to bow your heads. Mickey, you can
35:40go ahead and play. Bow your heads,
35:41everybody. I'm going to let you go, but
35:43please just hang with me for about five
35:45minutes.
35:48I need
35:50people who in this room who would say,
35:53"Pastor,
35:56you know, you're talking about ignite,
36:00and I want God to ignite the fire in me,
36:03the fire for evangelism."
36:06You're online,
36:08you can join also.
36:11I want to make a difference in my
36:13community. I want to reach my family. If
36:16that's you today,
36:18I'm going to ask that you please sign up
36:20for the class.
36:23Please sign up for the class. I'm not
36:25sure if they have a QR code yet. I can't
36:28remember. Okay, they have it there. They
36:30have it. Uh, I tell you what, open your
36:33eyes for a moment before I pray.
36:36They they have the QR code. This is how
36:39you can register for the class. I want
36:42you to go ahead and take your phones
36:43out. Those of you are streaming,
36:46that's all we need. 300 people, Gideon's
36:48army.
36:51But you've got to be willing to commit
36:53to the classes. The classes will be once
36:54a week, 45 minutes. That's it. I'll
36:57personally teach the class.
37:00Practical steps,
37:03very simple. Give us your name
37:05information. We'll send you an email how
37:07you can participate in it.
37:11I hope today will be a day where out of
37:14this large crowd we can find 300 people
37:17who say
37:19God if you can use any one
37:23use me
37:25use me to restore this world for you.
37:29Things are not looking good in this
37:30country. Things are not looking good
37:32around the world. So God help me to
37:35change what I see in the world quickly.
37:39Now let's pray. Father, I thank you
37:41today,
37:43for touching the hearts of your people.
37:46Thank you for speaking to us,
37:49challenging us
37:51to live as children of light,
37:54to not let the circumstances of life
37:57affect us, to be the light, to ignite
38:01transformation in us, to be a
38:04transformed people, to be different, to
38:07live in such a way that it will draw
38:10others to you. Today I pray for this
38:14church whether they're here or they're
38:16streaming
38:18that together we will stand and we will
38:23uh fulfill the great commission of
38:27reaching this region for you that we'll
38:30go out of our way to invite someone to
38:34come to the house of God but most
38:36importantly
38:38to have a dialogue with them about
38:40scripture.
38:41about faith, about God.
38:45That Lord, we'll be more engaged in
38:49trying to change the direction of this
38:52world.
38:53That we will be different. We will come
38:55from among them and be separate. Would
38:58you bless all who have signed up for the
39:03Ignite 300? Gideon's army was ready to
39:07go to battle
39:09to wage war on the enemy for the souls
39:12of men and women. Thank you. Thank you
39:16for speaking to us today. Now, Father,
39:19as we leave this place, I pray that
39:21tomorrow all of us will have a wonderful
39:24and safe and enjoyable Labor Day. I pray
39:28that you will strengthen each and every
39:31one of us
39:33and so that when we return on Wednesday
39:35to enter into your word once again will
39:38be edified.
39:40Next Sunday we'll all see it as our own
39:44responsibility to share our faith.
39:47Invite someone to church
39:49so that they too can sit under the
39:52teaching. We give you praise for it. We
39:55declare today a success. We declare
39:58[music] this week a success. And we give
40:01you praise for it now in Jesus' name.
40:05Amen.