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Hey, good people, this is Torre Roberts. Blessings to you and welcome to the ONE Podcast. I'm excited that you're here. ONE is a community of dynamic and vibrant thought leaders, preachers, teachers, and just a community of wonderful people all together. And we're excited to bring you this weekly podcast from our services from ONE in la. If you haven't been to one, I encourage you to check it out. You can go to ONE the Word one O N E online and find out all about the service times and all about the teachers and all the philanthropic things that we have going. I believe you're going to be blessed to be a part of it. And speaking of being blessed, we're getting ready to get into a teaching right now that I believe is going to bless you. So tune in, enjoy, and I'll be back with you at the end.
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We're going to be in the book of Luke, chapter 5, verses 1 through 11. I'm going to read it into your hearing. A very powerful moment that is taking place in scripture, and it reads so. It was as the multitude pressed, meaning pushed about him, him being Jesus, to hear the word of God, that he stood by the lake of Gennesaret and saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Then he got into one of the boats. So there was two boats, but there was one boat that he got into. Somebody just say the word chosen. Some of you, I'm going to pause here, are about to be chosen for something that you did not expect. Jesus is about to step into a situation and into a circumstance that you did not invite him into, but he didn't need an invitation for. And so your willingness to receive Jesus in this new space is going to be so critical for what's going to unfold in your life. Because what's powerful is when Jesus shows up uninvited. And I'm talking to some people today who have experienced this. It's not that you were necessarily at the church. You were in fact at the club. You might have been a little bit here. And then something on the inside of you spoke to you and said that I have more for you. There was a job or a career and a pathway that you were on. And God said, you know, you're doing this right now and you got your degree, you got your education, you got your background, all of this, but I'm gonna call you into something else. And Jesus steps into a moment that you didn't necessarily invite him into, and that's how our God moves. And I love it because he chose to step into this boat and he sat down and taught the multitudes from boat. When he stopped speaking, he said to Simon, launch. Say, launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. But Simon answered him to say, master, we have toiled all the night and have caught nothing. Some of you are in a space where you have been working and working and working and working and working and trying and trying and giving effort after effort, and you got nothing. And these are. This is not laziness. This is you genuinely giving your all, and you have nothing. You're discouraged. And so was Simon. But here's the thing that's so important. Nevertheless. That's just a word that you should pay attention to. Nevertheless, regardless of how I'm feeling, regardless of what I'm battling against, because you said it, God, there's a willingness, even though there is a brokenness, There's a willingness, even though there's something that I do not necessarily want to do or feel like I have the ability to do. At your word, I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they caught a great number of fish and their net break. Okay, somebody felt that. Okay, I got one person online and one person in the room who felt that. But if you could just pause for a minute and imagine what it would be like for you to suffer through some of the things that you've been enduring and for God to bless you in such a way that makes absolutely no sense, where your net begins to break, where the thing that was pulling you away is now the thing pulling you down because it's God lifting you up. And you're experiencing a miracle that you couldn't have imagined simply because of the fact that you said, nevertheless, That's a word for somebody in the season. I promise you, by about Tuesday, one of y' all is gonna have one of those kind of moments where something pulls you down into such a great thing. It's not God pulling you down. It's God lifting you up because of obedience. But here's the thing. In response to this moment, Peter asked for help. So knock on your neighbor, say, hey, you might need to help me with this blessing. You might need a mighty to help me with this thing. I can't speak for. Does anybody else want a blessing so big that you need help with that? There are other people that you're able to pull into the room, pull into the space. Pull into a space where God anoints and allows you to be Blessed beyond your wildest imagination. So much so that the overflow touches other people. That's the kind of blessing I want. Anything that I can receive is something that, frankly, I question if it's for me or if it's for everybody else. That's the kind of grace that we get to step into. But even with this blessing that happens, you know what's crazy is Simon, instead of singing, rejoicing, you know, playing party rock or something like that, he says to Jesus and falls to his knees and he repents. He says, depart from me for I'm a sinful man, O Lord. For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken. You know, it's a miracle when it's so overwhelming that your unbelief causes you to repent because you put a limitation on God. There's almost this sinful sense of God. I owe you an apology for doubting your power because of my disappointment. And some of you in this room are in a space where you have got to move past your own expectations because new wine is stepping in your boat. And what I love about Jesus is he is not mean in the response. Jesus is not petty. Jesus turns to him and says in so many words, do not be afraid. From now on, you will catch men. In other words, this little blessing over here that was your highest expectation is but the floor of what I can do in your life and what I really want to do in your life. Because while you were catching fish, I'm going to elevate you to catch something greater. And Peter, forsaking all, followed him. I want to speak to you from the thought. New one, New one today. New one. Father, we just thank you for this opportunity to be in your word. I pray Lord God, that they would see none of me and all of you in this moment, that the word of God would come forth clear and with power. And more specifically, God with the anointing that breaks the yoke. We consider the enemy a defeated foe. For those in the room and those watching online, every single piece of spiritual warfare that you have been encountering, the enemy was even fighting us in house with these microphones. And to me, that's encouraging because it tells me that we've hit a vein, that we've struck into something, that we're moving into a level of power and grace that is the enemy being intimidated by it. So, Father, we thank you for your faithfulness in Jesus name. And everybody said, amen. Take your seats. Take your seat. I'm so Thankful to be here with you all. First and foremost, I want to give always credit and love to our founding pastors, Pastor Terra Roberts and Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts. If we can give them love, I absolutely love them and thank God for them. Pastor Ture is not only my pastor, that is my spiritual father. That is my covering, that is my hero. So I'm so thankful for her. And Pastor Sarah is just remarkable and absolutely incredible. And also Dr. Anita. Can we thank God for Dr. Anita? Amen. Pastor Stephanie, my twin, Pastor Ebenezer. So grateful for everything that God is doing here. Those of you who are in the room for the dedication. You saw this beautiful baby. I just can't get over. I adore her. She ran over to me and it blessed my entire life. Cause I want a third child. I really do. I have two, but I want a little girl. Amen. We can pray and all the things, but the thing is, there are men like myself, incidentally, Shout out to the men in the room. Can we get brothers? Can y' all say something? Can y' all clap real quick? Yep. I love it. Here's. And the reason why. And I'm thankful for the women of God that we have in here, but women of God want men of God. So I'm thankful for y' all having somebody to choose from. Amen. Okay. Somebody who knows a little bit more than Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Somebody who's in depth. Somebody who has power, Somebody who has commitment. Somebody who's in authority. Somebody who has compassion. Somebody who can lead with strength. Bible talks about meekness. A man should be meek in that he is power under control. So I'm thankful for the men of God in here and for the men of God in here. How many of y' all want to be fathers one day? How many of you? All fathers. All to be fathers. Amen. Husbands, then fathers. Amen. In order. You know, just. But. But the point is, I've always wanted to be a dad. When I was about six years old, I remember standing in the kitchen with my mom and just this desire to be a father, you know, came into my heart. So, first of all, ladies, I share that because there are men, contrary to popular belief, who actually want to be dads. We love this thing. My twin. We love this thing, bro. We're really good at it. Okay? Amen. Amen. God bless you. But the point is, when we think about fatherhood and the joy that comes with being a parent, there's so many things that I love about it. See, 24 years after praying that prayer is when my prayer got answered, because my daughter, Liliana Grace was born. She is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my entire life. She is beauty personified. She is my heart. She has these beautiful honey brown eyes that just when I look at them, she gets. What do you want? Everything you want. Okay, Four years after that, my son was born, and he is Charles the Fourth. So I want to show you a quick picture of me. We were on the beach. We were all playing around for a little bit. But what was amazing is being a dad is such a gift because you're able to experience life in a different kind of way. There's a different kind of weight. There's a different kind of responsibility. There's a different kind of thing that you experience. What I will say, though, is as much as I've told you all about my daughter Liliana, I haven't told you as much about my son Charlie. And he is the sweetest little thing in the entire world. There's a picture of he and I together, and he's just looking up at his dad. And the thing is, I'm Charles Guilford iii, and he's Charles Guilford iv. And so what's interesting about being a parent is it forces this question and it begs this question. Like when I look at my son, particularly through the lens of identity, is he the way he is because of me, or is he the way he is because of things that God put inside of him? Because it speaks to identity? Some of you may have heard of this important notion and debate that is nature versus nurture. In other words, nature being the way that a person is made and nurture being the environment upon which a person is shaped. And what's powerful is there's many different factors that pertain to how a person is shaped. What I will say is that my son, he's got certain features that look like his dad when I was a baby. But one of the things I felt led to share with you is as much as he looks like his father, he is not his father. Because one of the things that's interesting to begin to unpack is this notion of imitation. Something that looks like a particular thing but is not a particular thing. And may I submit to you that imitation is a form and phase of identity. But if you're not careful, it becomes a container rather than a context. So when you think about who you are as a person, your parents, your auntie, your family members, whoever raised you gives you context for who you are, but they are not the definition of who you are. You see, sometimes parents make the mistake of because I went to this particular school, then you have to go to this particular school, not recognizing that the pathway that God has for this particular person may be different than your own. When we look at the prophet Samuel in chapter eight, what's powerful is this little baby who is dedicated back to the Lord, has a moment where the mother, for all intents and purposes, gives the baby back. But then as the baby begins to age, this baby starts. This young person, this eight year old, starts hearing a voice and is under the tutelage of a prophet and one night says, did you call me? And the prophet's like, boy, I didn't call you. Why are you coming up in here? I'm tired. You know how many parents that moment with the prophet, I empathize with him. Have you ever woken up to two eyes right here in your face? Okay? Now, the way I grew up, that's violence. You know, it's like, ha ha, you know, like, you know, ta da da, you know? Cause it wasn't always safe, you know, like it's, you know, fight or flight. And I know which one I'm doing. My son will look daddy right in the face. So I can imagine the prophet was pretty irritated, like, boy, I'm tired. It's hot. We ain't got no ac. They done cut it off, okay? But what's powerful is he goes back to his room and then he goes back after hearing the voice of the Lord again. And the prophet says to him, after so many times of this happening, say, speak, Lord, thy servant is listening. We don't see that paralleled in his mother's life because there was a distinction around what his purpose and what his thing was going to be in life that was not hers. Now, if his mother would have said, or a parent or a figure would have stepped in and said, stop acting like you hear this voice, we would have lost one of the most consequential prophets in the kingdom because of inconvenience. And what I love about God is that he moves us in such a place where our identity and the places that formed us do not become the places that are called to contain us. That's why some of you had to move from where you were to where you are. That's why you had to change the degree program, change the career, change the pathway. Because there was something on the inside of you that was calling you to greater. And what I love about identity is it pushes us into multiple spaces. There's Multiple theories around identity. There's body theory, which sounds crazy, but there's body theory. Body theory is because of the material body that I'm made of. This is my identity. And when people thought about this at a philosophical level, it's because I'm born with the same body, I will die in this body. And on one hand, it makes sense that your identity is tied up in the image and the likeness because people can discernibly tell who you are. But then we start to deal with some issues, which is, okay, baby Nalani, she looks like this now, but then five years from now, she'll be right here. So is her identity still the same? As you continue to age and change, is your identity the same? For those of you who are veterans, who may have endured some injuries and things that may have changed who you look like and how you form your body cannot be the identifier, because your body goes through many different things, because your body is a vessel. But what's powerful is another belief that came from John Locke, which was this notion of memory theory. In other words, that your identity is a reflection of what you think, what you experience, and what you remember. But here's the problem with memory theory, in my opinion, I'm no social scientist, but here's the thing. For people like myself who have adhd, see where I'm going if my identity is tapped into what I can remember. I'm not saying you have adhd, but perhaps if you did, have you experienced this moment? Okay, you go downstairs. You don't even want to go downstairs, but you go downstairs. I'm not going to do the thing. Okay, you're downstairs, you're like. And you go back upstairs because you forgot why you came downstairs. I know I am not the only one in the house of the Lord where God is watching with the honesty and integrity that this ever happened to. Okay? Because our memory can be shifty for any number of reasons. Because for some of you, you may have laughable. You know, some of those moments in adhd, for some of you, you've gone through a trauma experience as a child that when people ask you about it, you don't remember what it was. Because in protection, your conscious mind shut it down so deep into your subconscious mind that you can't remember. And yet you still operate from a place of brokenness, from the thing that broke you without being conscious of the thing that happened. And the challenge is, if you limit your consciousness to what you can remember, the enemy of your soul will use life experiences, tragedies, and Things that have hit your soul to prevent you from being able to receive the true healing. So all you can do is live, constantly triggered. And that's the problem with some people in this generation is we suffer through things not recognizing that there's healing and breakthrough that we can have access to. Because we think consciousness, not Christ, is what brings deliverance. And what's powerful about how Jesus works through identity is we have the privilege and the opportunity to live under what we call a magiodei, or the image and the likeness of God. The image being what we look like, how we're formed, how we're shaped. Because every single race, every single gender, every single culture, every person around the world is made in the image and the likeness of God. You don't get to culturally appropriate Christ or the image of God because we are all a reflection of Him. So that covers the image piece, but the likeness piece is what I struggle with personally. Because to see the nature of Christ, his character, who he was as a person, is something that is truly profound. And I think God brought me here to talk to you about your identity, who you are in this season. Because there's many people in this room. I promise you, if it hasn't happened, it will. You're questioning, who am I? Why am I here? You wouldn't be in this room if that was not the case. Because there's many moments in life where invariably we are asking, who are we? What I love about this passage of Scriptures is the fact that life in so many ways is depicted with what happens in the Scripture. In life, there are littles and there are launches. See, when Jesus first steps into Simon's boat, what happens in that space is he asks him to step out a little from the land, to launch out a little from the land. Can I ask somebody in this room, has Jesus stepped into your life recently and asked for you to do a little thing? Just a little thing? And for those of us who are further along in that trajectory, has that little thing turned into a big thing? It's inconvenient, is it not? Okay, let's be honest. Not that Christ is inconvenient. The calling on a life following Christ is inconvenient. Definitionally, inconvenience is something that moves me out of the place that I was already on, that I didn't want to be on myself. And what I love is when he steps into Simon's boat, he asks him to launch a little bit of land. I want to pause real quick. My mind goes a lot of different places Namely because I have adhd, but also because when you read scripture and Bishop taught us this, that you are supposed. The better questions you ask in Scripture, the better information you'll be able to get. The question that I simply had is, why Simon's boat? Because when you read the text, there were two boats in there. And for those of you who Jesus has stepped into the boat, and those of you more specifically, who Jesus may not have stepped into your boat yet, but you sense it's drawing nigh, may I submit to you something? We underestimate the power of one word, which is availability, just available to be used by God. See, what happens is there were two boats, but it didn't mean that there were two captains in the boat. So in a season that some of you are experiencing and that you're navigating through right now, the challenge that you have is you're looking for something big, not recognizing that God is going to start with something little, small in your life. And what's powerful is somebody in this room. God has been telling you to volunteer. God has been telling you to do any number of little things. But if you're honest, you're frustrated because you're coming out of a season of having given all that you have to give. And it feels like God is asking for yet one more thing. Okay, we're gonna pause right there. Have you ever been in a space where it's not that you're unkind or unwilling, you're exhausted? Mm. See, what happens is Jesus steps off into this boat, probably rested. Maybe, maybe not. Bible says that, you know, the fox have holes, and, you know, the Son of man doesn't have a place to rest at heaven. So maybe he had a good night's sleep. Maybe he didn't. What we do know is that Simon. Simon had been not in the streets, in the water. He had been in them river lanes, them river lanes, them sea of Genesterate spaces. We know that he had been in this place and he had been working all night. And when you are in a place where you have tried and tried and given and given and given, it is extremely frustrating when somebody asks you to do one more thing, not recognizing the who that's asking you to do it. But for somebody to ask you nonetheless. Have you ever had somebody come in at the end of your shift? We got a testimony right here. Anybody else? You online? I can feel it right now. You're listening probably while you work and you're irritated right now. Point is, I worked at Apple, okay? When, like, the iPhone first came out, you know, I earned this, you know, shiny bald head. But the point is, I was almost done. You know, when you're so done with your shift, like, you think about what you finna eat. Finna is a Southern term for those of you who are not from the South. Finna fixin. They are interchangeable. There's different parameters. And I had already dreamed of what I was gonna think. I was like. I was like macaroni and cheese, you know, with like the chicken, the breaded parmesan chicken. Just from Mac. Who Testify. Okay, very good. The Holy Spirit is moving in hunger today. And this person walked in at 5:58 when I'm getting off at 6. Jesus. Oh, sorry. Okay, sorry. That was a Michael Jackson praise. But the point is, I was irritated because it was inconvenient. But what I didn't recognize is the person that I was helping was a corporate executive that was gonna be moving many things along for a launch that was taking place. My inconvenience could have messed up a launch. And some of you are in a place right now where, in order to protect your peace, be careful with that statement. You are shunning things that God is sending. And you have to be careful when you put yourself in a place of unavailability with the pretense of being available for nothing, that God is sending. And there's a danger that you have in that space, because what's powerful is God moves in places of inconvenience. What I love about what happens next in the scripture is he walks on, sees two boats, sees Simon. My assumption, theologically and biblically, is that there was just not somebody else in that boat. And because he was present stewarding his disappointment. That's a word. Because he was present washing the nets that he caught nothing in. See, we don't understand this because we go, we get sushi. It's prepared. It's been more than prepared. Amen. We didn't have to catch it. We didn't have to clean it. We have to do nothing. But when you have fished, okay, have y' all seen the Alaska catch thing? It's very real in these. Okay, Picture a net that requires two or three people to throw it off because it's so heavy. And then there's a rope attached, and you have to pull it, and you have to pull it. And you're doing this in the middle of the night because the fish that you're looking for are in the shallow part of the water. So they're using shallow nets in shallow water. To try to get a deep catch. But the problem that happens is they take nothing. And they have to deal with the disappointment of the families they won't be able to feed, the revenue they won't be able to generate. And the question mark around why did we take nothing? I can deal with one or two fish and it's just not as much as usual. But have you ever been in a nothing season? I'm just asking for a friend. Have you ever been in a place where nothing is taking place and it's not for lack of effort, it most certainly is not for lack of prayer, and it's most certainly not because of a lack of teamwork, trying the right tools. You've gone to this conference, you did this thing, you got this degree, you studied this, you got this certification, and yet nothing takes place in your life. I want to speak to somebody quickly who's in the nothing? The nothing is ordained. That hurts, but it's holy, I promise you. Because where you're in is a place where God is going to get glory. And you've been trying to do the same old thing in your same old strength, because even though there's new wine coming, there's old wineskins that you're currently operating in. And so God has to shake the thing. God has to move everything. God has to tell the things that normally would flow into your nets to flow out because he has something that he wants to send. And the challenge that some of you are going to face right now, and I'm going to say this with all due respect, and I'm going to back up just in case Tyrion has to get me, is your attitude. Your attitude, and I'm preaching to myself, because if you can tell, I'm kind of emotional. Your attitude. Have you ever been so disappointed that you're despondent, that you don't want to hang out, you don't want to spend time. You are so angry and hurt and feel taken advantage of, if you're honest. Because you're the strong one in the family, you're the strong one in the friendships, you're the strong one in the circle. And because everybody constantly turns to you and looks for leadership, and now you're asked to manage your disappointment and one more person comes in. But the difference between the one person who steps in is it's Jesus. And I'm here to announce to somebody that the next person stepping into your boat, into your situation, into your circumstances, is Jesus. And I want you to be careful with how you handle an opportunity from Jesus. Because when it comes from Jesus, there's something else that's going to be on the other side of it. When it comes from Jesus, you'll do the same all thing, but with not same old results because it's Jesus. But beloved, I have to tell you that in life BIG is preceded by little. And we don't like little. We like tags, we like the posts, we like the resolution, we like the angle. We like the announcement, but not the crucifixion. We like the result but not the process. We like the dreams, but not the disasters. And what I love about God is if you are faithful with little, he can trust you with. And I want to encourage somebody who's been managing the little, managing the disappointment. God is saying to you right now because of your faithfulness, because you didn't grow weary and well doing there is something that I'm going to be sending to you. There's blessing that I'm going to be sending to you simply because of your faithfulness. Yeah, you may have had a little attitude, been frustrated, but the point is, because of your faithfulness, faithfulness is not demonstrated with how you do things with a smile. It's how you do things, period. So when you do what God tells you to do, whether you're upset, whether you're happy, whether you're joyful, just the fact that you did it is something that God puts cred on. Never underestimate the power of staying where you're supposed to to be. I hear the enemy is trying to tempt some of y' all off of your square. And I'm gonna tell you right now, you hop up off that thing if you want to, but what's gonna be waiting for you is more disappointment because you're gonna be stepping out of alignment. And so now you're dealing with the disappointment plus the misalignment, plus the darkness of knowing that eventually Jesus stepped into your boat and you'll look back and regret what happened. You see, we're so young in this space. I say this all just. I know that we have multiple ages and generations in this space because what's fascinating is people will think this is young people message. I have met 50 and 60 year olds who never stepped out in faith. I'm glad you got a career, I'm glad you got your degrees. I'm glad you got a mortgage in a house. Because most of us right now in this market cannot be doing none of that. But the point is, I'm so happy for you. Question. You think this is young People message. When God hopped in your boat, did you accept it? Because we limit age and calling to a place of span of time as opposed to over the course of a lifetime. Abram was considered faithful to God because he stepped into his life as an older man. And God saw it and counted as his righteousness that this man who had no business having children would believe a woman. Because the Word is timeless. Age and time is the construct through which God intervenes with us. Not we commune with him. But when we think about this, what's powerful is he asked him to thrust out a little. Just a little. Some of you are in a space where God is asking you to do little things. Go to small groups. That's little. You know, pray, period. And then pray. I'm not mad at you. I get it. Read one verse, you know, and we laugh. But it's not small because there's words and seasons that have kept me that were small. And God is saying, just a little bit. Go to the small group. Volunteer a little bit. Give a little bit more of your time. Maybe you're not willing to tithe. Donate something to somebody on earth. I'm kidding. We're more generous than that. But it's little. And what I found about God is he takes the little. The little step here. And just this small real alignment opens up things that you couldn't even conjure or imagine were possible just because you stepped out in little. And for somebody in this room, be careful with how you judge and treat your little. Because you have friends. Okay, let's go here. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Some of you have people who are surpassing you that it makes you upset. Okay. This is biblical. If you read Psalms, even David said, why do the wicked prosper? Why? All caps, no cap. All caps. Okay. Point is, when you think about. I'm at an age where I don't know how to use that properly. I don't. I'm gonna try it. P.T. gotcha. Love you. Love you, Pop. Point is, when you think about people prospering and going higher into positions that you know you're called to, this is not jealousy. It's righteous indignation. It becomes jealousy when you think that it's not coming back to you. And jealousy is as cruel as the grave because it gives death to hope. And if you're not careful, you step into a place where the thing you're hoping for becomes the thing that you resent. Because you're no longer in covenant, you're in coveting. I'm just going to pause right there. Covenant means I promised it. Covenant means I want it, but it's not for me. And the danger with that is you disqualify yourself from things that God has for you, not because God is taking it away, but because you position yourself in a heart posture where you can't steward the little. And what I love about this is Simon passes the test. Simon is able to let the Lord use his boat because Simon didn't allow disappointment to distract him from his duty. And he then is told to Jesus, this is the part that drives me insane. He was asked by Jesus, after this, you know, thank you for letting me use your boat. Now launch out into the deep for a draft, for a big catch. And it's the middle of the day. Okay, question. How many of you are in a field that's very, like, technical and specific? Okay, you know what I'm talking about. Have you ever had a person who knows nothing about what you do? Like my best friend? His name is Blake. Okay? My best friend's name is Blake Aaron Olson. I only share that with because there was a skit where his name is Balake a a Ron, and it blesses me so much. But my best friend, who I clown all the time, he is an architect, okay? So when I was in the business school studying marketing and spreadsheets, this guy's trying to make sure that structures don't collapse on people. I opened up his book one day, I was like, aqueduct, that's an important term. He's like, that's like ancient Rome. I'm like, you need to build one. The point is, when you don't have any expertise in what a person is talking about, it's ridiculous. And clearly Jesus had no knowledge of fishing, because if Jesus did, he would know that the type of fisherman that Simon was was the type of fisherman that fished at night because the fish moved from the deep into the shallow waters. See, the reason why I have to study the Bible for yourself is because it'll help you contextualize what you're going through. If you think it's as easy as throwing a fishing net and bringing something in, you'll miss it. But if you understand that based upon the time of the day, that this was ridiculous to happen because they had shallow nets with a deep call from God. And what do you do when you have shallow materials, but a deep calling, shallow preparation, but deep obedience that is needed? Shallow families, shallow experiences, shallow relationships, and you need to be in a certain kind of place that has depth? Some of you are experiencing that right now. God is asking you to do a big thing. And you. It's not that you think you know that you don't have what it takes, but there's something in obedience. And so despite having shallow nets, he is willing to go out into the deep and launch into the deep with shallow nets. It makes no sense because this lake is 7 miles wide and 13 miles long. It's 113ft deep. When I tell you these nets ain't doing nothing but catching maybe I don't even think they have seaweed. It's the Sea of Galilee. They're catching nothing. They're catching what they typically got last night. Point is, can you imagine with these little nets, a worn out crew, a little boat launching into a deep that you are not equipped for, and God saying, let down your nets and you are in a moment right here. So I feel the enemy fighting some of y' all in this. You're in a moment where God is calling you to the deep and he's been calling you. And the encouragement that I would have is for you to accept that call. Because what happens is you don't want to miss the moment where Jesus is in your boat for the command to be performed because he's in proximity. What some people. So what some people make the mistake of doing, thank you, Holy Spirit, is you follow an old command in a new season and call it obedience. And then you're wondering why you didn't get the result when you were supposed to get the result is because the Word came and you didn't move. And so you then try to atone for that by obeying something that God spoke in a previous season, not recognizing you're in a new season because you had an old wineskin when new wine was being poured out and you didn't allow the Holy Spirit to flow. So I share that with you as caution. Not because God is cruel, but because do you really want to encompass this mountain again? Do you really want to walk around this thing again and miss a moment with a finite amount of time that you do not know if you have to achieve the thing that God has called you to do in your life. But Simon, recognizing this moment, like we all recognize, agrees, agrees to launch. I want to pause it real quick. Some of you don't obey because you're frustrated and you're hurt. Can I tell you something? That's okay. That's okay. Because if you read the text, Simon says, we have toiled all the night, Jesus. We done been out all night, Jesus. We done thrown it again. Jesus Went and tried these nets again. Jesus. And we took nothing. Jesus. And we're tired, and we're frustrated and we're hurt. But what I love is the B part, which is nevertheless. And I just want to speak a nevertheless over somebody in this room. God can hold tension with your disappointment, so long as it's not at the expense of your obedience. And if you are in a place right now where you are disappointed, I am saying friend, I'm saying, bro. I'm saying sis. I'm saying, family member, beloved, that's okay. So long as it doesn't come at the expense of your obedience. Because the challenge that some of you are going to face in this moment is doing it anyway. Yeah. I don't have the resources. I don't have the opportunities. I don't have the relationships. I don't even have the proper equipment. And yet I'm gonna show up and I'm gonna show out because God said for me to be there. And that's a word for somebody in this season. But what I love is after all of this thing takes place. Mm. After all of this takes place, he receives an opportunity. Then there's the objection to the opportunity, which I know that I've walked in. But then there's the obedience. And so many in this place you're stepping into or in that place of obedience where it's like, God, I've obeyed and you've blessed me so much. Is there anybody who's blessed in the room? I'm just saying. I'm just. Whether it's a snap, a pop, you know, whatever y' all want to do, God has been moving, and God has been incredibly faithful in a very trying season. And for those of you who have not experienced that, keep watching the movie. Because God has a way of turning things around in a way that is so fast that you can't even imagine. But what's powerful and what's profound and what's important is when Jesus does what he does and he blesses you, number one, it can bless other people. Amen. But what I love about it is his response. Have you ever seen God do something in your life that was so big it humbled your unbelief? I'm trying. I gotta. I have to say that better. I feel my father coming on. Have you ever. Have you ever experienced something that is so profound that it is supernatural in a way that makes your natural body say, God, I'm sorry. God, you are able. God, you did this. There's literally no way that this could have happened. But for you, God, thank you so much. Because what I love and my prayer for you. This is gonna sound strange. My prayer for you is that God would do every single thing that you are praying for God to do in your life. That every single blessing, every single thing that you've dreamed of, every single thing that you prayed for, be it material or non material, and particularly material things, be it your career, you know, paralleling. Simon, I hope that God does it for you. Not so that. With no other reason. And I say this because I. I want you to receive all of it. Just so you can see that it pales in comparison to him. That's a little weighty. Let me. Let me share something with you, some of you who are praying for that dream vehicle. And I'm mad at you, okay? That dream home, that dream boo. A dream person, a hairline. For those of you who are. It's not funny. Y' all laugh too hard. Unsanctified. Unholy. Unrighteous. Okay. We're supposed to mourn with those who mourn. I love you, twin. We're twins for a reason. Okay? But when you get the dream car, when you get the dream home, when you get the boo, when you get whatever you have wanted, even the award. Okay. Can I tell you something? I've met enough people of influence to tell you that that moment is often their darkest. Mm. We're not ready for that. You're not ready for the thing that you thought would be the thing. To not be the thing. Because even though God blessed it, it's not something that reflects who God is. It was a byproduct, not the essence. And when you settle for the lesser thing at the expense of the greater thing, thinking that the lesser thing will fulfill the role of the greater thing, you have moved into a place where the line moves just that much further. So instead of 1 million, 2 instead of 1 boo, we won't get there. Point is. The point is, when you think about your life and the dreams that you have, beloved, I would caution you in leaning into and thinking that the greatest blessing and greatest miracle that God does in the natural replaces the supernatural relationship that you're supposed to have with him. Because I promise you, there is nothing more hollow than having but not holding. There is nothing more hollow than being able to receive the thing that you wanted to receive. Not recognizing that you were worthy of every single phase of life, that the journey is what mattered to God. Because what most of us do not understand and what I worry about in this day and age, is Christ. And God is not consciousness. He's not a Zen like state that you reach at the end of a lifetime. And then you start chronicling your reflections for others to attain a certain type of Zen. That is not how who he is. He is not energy. He is not something that you get to experience in any kind of way, because he is God. And after we receive the things that we want. Can I tell you something? There is no greater gift than to have still received it and recognized that it was lesser. Because now you are in a position to receive what the blessing was really supposed to be, which was God himself. I want to end here because this is the most important part. See, many of us, we got this word and I pray that it was encouraging about opportunity and objection and obedience, about the things that we get to experience as we walk with the Lord. But can I tell you something? What's really profound is the fact that when we look at the life of Jesus and more particularly the life of Simon, Simon is currently named Simon. Big theological leap there. He eventually becomes Peter upon this rock, Petros upon this rock, I will build my church. But most of us, the challenge that we face in terms of identity again is, was his identity changed when he started following Jesus? And I would submit to you that following Jesus, while critical, while important. Believing in Jesus because in him is life, believing in him is important. Following him is everything. But when you're not filled with the Holy Spirit, you are following on inspiration, not revelation. And there's a danger there for you in that the infilling of the Holy Spirit is so very critical, because without that, you acknowledge God, you're following Jesus and you're one third short of the fullness of your identity. You see, God says Romans 8:28. God will work all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. So for in this room, there is real pain that you have experienced in your life. Some of you have experienced loss within the past year beyond what you could have imagined. Some of us have had traumatic experiences as children. All of those experiences are part of what has shaped you, but not necessarily what is called to form you. And there's a distinction, because what I love about God is he doesn't just leave us with the hope of one day being with him in heaven, which is very important. We get to experience unity with the Spirit of God, with the presence of God, with Jesus here on earth. And for somebody who is in this room and in this place, you are stepping into a place of calling and destiny and purpose and alignment and power. And power in the sense of God being with you, power in the sense of you being able to be used righteously. But here's the thing, you being well positioned, but not well equipped with the Holy Spirit will lead you unable to carry on the mantle that God is calling you to. And I'm gonna be honest with you, I know for some people in here and watching online, the enemy has been fighting you tooth and nail about the Holy Spirit, about you getting to church, about the type of worship music, the type of music that you listen to, type of environment that you are in, and has been trying to pull you deeper and deeper into things that God had called you out of. And what I love about the Holy Spirit is when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you have a different level of access to fight against the things that are trying to pull you down. But here's what I love is we read Luke chapter five. Luke, chapter four is where Jesus was able to get the authority and the power to move in the miraculous. See, what most of us underestimate about the power of little is little is when we're prepared for much. And there's a little prayer that we need to do today for you to be filled, not touched by necessarily filled with the Holy Ghost, because there's nothing more dangerous. Beloved, be careful when you are so close to somebody else who's on fire that you think that their warmth is something that you can sustain off of. You have to be on fire for yourself. You have to have this for yourself. Because as you step into places of purpose and alignment, the further away you get from that fire, the hotter yours has to burn. I want to do an altar call today, and it's for three different types of people, and I want to welcome you down to the front for those of you who feel inclined. It is for the person who is in a little place. And if you're on, you're frustrated, you're managing little, but dreaming of much, you're experiencing little. But God is talking about much. We talked about Abraham. Abraham, literally in chapter 19, was so frustrated with God because God was like, you know, step outside of your tent, Abram, and look to the sky. Just as numerous as the stars are, that's as numerous as your child is. Abraham literally says to God, I don't have one kid. So you're talking to me about stars. I don't even have one. And I share that with you. Because if you treat the Bible that we read as something where everybody was always happy to be here as opposed to see the narrative and the experiences that people had and their journey to God. You will be spiritually gaslit and feeling like the things that you're experiencing are so far removed from what other people have experienced. For those of you who are feeling like you're in a place of small and you, you're frustrated, I want you to come forward because there's something that's going to break at this altar. God is saying, I've given you little. And you're. And you're not seeing what it's called. You're not seeing what it is. You're not seeing it for the fullness that I brought upon you, because there's something that I'm calling you to. Faithfulness is a compliment. Faithfulness is something that I've asked you to be a part of. Anybody who's in here managing small, small tasks, small emails, small deliveries, small coffee, small calendars, small projects, small films, small contracts, small relationships, small jobs. Hallelujah. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. God is saying that the small that you think you are managing is something that I'm about to step into. I'm about to step into your small. About to step into a place and a space just because of your obedience. Your obedience is what counts you as righteousness. I hear God saying that your obedience is what qualifies you for the miracles that I'm going to be doing in this season. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you, God. I want to call for those who have been asked by God to do a big thing. And I'm talking about like a big thing. Like you are being asked to move from a different state, you are being asked to move from different careers, you are being asked to leave relationship that you thought you were going to be in forever. Because God says there's something greater that you are called to and purpose for. And it can't happen under the confines in the context of being connected to this person, because there's something that's greater. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Somebody who's being called to launch, called to launch. Called to go out into the deeper places. Called to go into places and spaces that do not make sense. Thank you, Holy Spirit. The third group that I want to be here in the front. And I want all of us who haven't received the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you are in this place and you have not prayed for, asked for or received the Holy Spirit, and this is a serious moment, if you have not prayed for, received or asked for. The Holy Spirit, I want you to either stand where you are or to come. The entire altar is completely, completely filled. And for those of you who are, who are online, whether it's your little or your launch or the Holy Spirit, you need to get on this. I can feel you through the screen. I can feel you pulling and wanting more because God is saying that there is something accessible here today. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you, Holy Spirit. You need the Holy Spirit, beloved. You need the thing that gave Jesus power to break yokes. You need the Holy Spirit because you know what the Holy Spirit sounds like. The Holy Spirit will sound like go left, and you go left, and then you see two cars crash. Some of you, that's your testimony, is that the Holy Spirit told you not to go to that party and people got shot and killed at that party. The Holy Spirit told you not to date that person. And then you found out about other people that they were dating, how crazy they were. The Holy Spirit told you to break up with them before something else happened and you walked away. The Holy Spirit leads you and guides you into all righteousness. And you are going to need to be sensitive if you're going to be sensible in this season because God is going to be shifting you into places and spaces. And it's not enough to receive one word from God when you can be in continual conversation with him because he ever lives to make intercession for us that the Holy Spirit is a comforter. The Holy Spirit is that breath that breathes on the inside of us. The Holy Spirit is the one that says, leave the house now, because I know the thoughts that you have. Call the person right now. Pray right now. The Holy Spirit is the one who will save and change your life. But you can't treat the Holy Spirit as ornamental. And I don't say that with judgment. I say it for context because of who he wants to be on the inside of you. Thank you, Holy Spirit. We're going to pray into this moment. We're going to pray into this moment. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Father, in the name that is above every name, the name of Jesus. And before we pray, I want you to start worshiping where you are. I want you to worship online. I want you to worship in the place that you are in. Begin to have a conversation with the God who is calling you, the God who has drawn you. And for those of you who are not as comfortable praying, that's okay. You still can just submit yourself to the moment and be Present, because we are about to go before a holy God. We are about to go before a righteous God. We're about to go before a loving God, a God who looks upon you and says, how often would I have gathered you? In other words, I have always wanted to be with you. Always, always wanted to dwell with you. I was there when everything happened. I cared for you through every tragedy, every loss, everything that you have experienced. Holy Spirit. God, we thank you, Father, for this moment. God, I pray in the name of Jesus for the littles and the launches in this room. I pray, Father, God, that you would move in ways that they have never experienced. You move, I hear God saying, going to shift and align blessings in your favor. Mm. This year is gonna be marked by prophetic utterances that are gonna come to you and through you. And my faithfulness is gonna be declared through generations. You are being attacked the way that you are being attacked, because you are the shift that I have purposed. You are the shift in the line. You are the change in direction. You are the one that I have purposed. You are the one who is going to realize the generational blessings. We talk a lot of. Thank you, Holy Spirit. I hear God saying, we talk a lot about generational curses at the expense of generational blessings because there are generational blessings attached to you. You're so busy focusing on the enemy, you're not recognizing the blessing that is attached to you. The blessings that was for your grandmother, the blessings that was on your great grandfather that God said, I will bless through you. God, we pray for those who are in here managing the little and the launches. God, I'm praying for moments big and small. Pastor Trey calls them God Winks. I'm praying for little moments that you let us know that we are where we are supposed to be. And we will not allow our disappointments, our depression, our despondency to abandon our duty such that we can be used by God. And, Father, we come before you. Lord, I want you all to pray. If you haven't prayed this prayer, there's somebody in this room who hasn't given your life to Jesus. And I say that with love. I say that with no judgment. I say that with no kind of religious pretense. But you need to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He is more than a prophet. He is more than a rabbi. He's more than a nice, benevolent teacher. He's more than a humanitarian. He is the savior of the entire earth and world. That he is the one who was purposed to bear all sin, have it completely redeemed through the, through his sacrifice and then be resurrected unto life again. That we would have relationship and restoration with the Father. I want us to pray this prayer for those of you who are praying for the salvation. I just want you to raise your hands if you're praying, to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. I want you to pray this prayer. Thank you, Lord. Say, father, God, I come before you now. I love you. Thank you for sending Jesus your son, who knew no sin to become mine. Thank you for his life, his death, his resurrection, for him getting up with all power in his hands. Jesus is my Lord. Jesus is my Savior. Lord, take your rightful place in my life as Savior in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. If you pray that prayer, praise the Lord. There's one more moment. There's one more, one more moment. Real quick. I want us to pray to receive the impartation of the Holy Spirit. I'm going to share this story with you briefly. So when I was 12, some of you grew up with families with people have different theological beliefs. Okay. My dad grew up in church. My mom was more on the Unitarian Universalist side. Okay. So I grew up with a lot of different religions and different faiths. So for me, when I say that I believe in Jesus, it's because I tested it, not because I've experimented with other religions. I found my truth knowing what other religions present. And I mean that with no disrespect, but there was a lady, her name was Georgette. She was this older lady, French lady, very small, very frail. She was 70 something years old. And she's sitting with me inside the kitchen, my mom's house, and I'm 12 years old and she looks at me and she says, charles, as she typically with that sweet voice, have you received the gift of the Holy Spirit? And I said, no, ma', am, I've not. Because I was worried a second. I was like, what are we doing? Like, what is happening today? But there was a peace that I had in my spirit and somebody in this room. You feel that peace with the prayer that you're about to pray right now because you know you can trust it. Not everything, and frankly, most things should you let inside of you your soul inside of your spirit. Be careful the environment you put yourself in. Be careful the people that you connect with emotionally, physically and otherwise, because there's a transfer. But with the Holy Spirit, there's something supernatural that takes place. And she said, charles, will you Pray this prayer with me. And I prayed it, and the sweetest presence just fell over me at 12. It wasn't me speaking in tongues, although I do that, and I believe in that. It wasn't me running and jumping or shouting. There was just this presence, this thing, this very real palpable awareness that I was not alone. What she didn't know is four years later, I would be involved in a car accident that could have taken my life. But when I hit the back of this vehicle, I felt this hand literally hold me in place as I'm watching glass. So I'm. The seat is here. I'm not pressed against the seat. I'm held and suspended. And glass is flying by my eyes. Things are flying by my neck, and I'm held. When I tell you this is not a game, it's not a game. When I tell you I was in college riding, you know, I'm embarrassed to say, rollerblades, don't judge me. Different generation. I was going down a hill super fast, real fast, and I was just like, huh, okay. The Holy Spirit said, stop. And I obeyed in real time. A Mack truck went out of an alleyway and then would have smacked me into broad traffic as two other Mack trucks went by. This is not a game, beloved. This Holy Spirit thing is not a game. It literally can save your life and it can instruct your life. So as you pray for the receiving of this, I don't want you to put pray with the understanding of goose pimples and goosebumps. I want you to pray with the knowledge that you are receiving the third person of the Trinity, the breath of God, the ruach of God, the thing that makes you different from the animals. Because even though we love animals and all dogs go to heaven, they do not have the same framework that you have, because we are the only thing that he breathed into. So I want you to pray not with fear, but sobriety. I want you to pray with a sense of this being a gift. Nothing that you need to be intimidated by and with. And I also want you to pray with the understanding that that presence will fall upon you. And then the enemy of your soul is going to try to tell you right after this moment that nothing happened. And let me tell you that everything happened in this moment. Do not believe the lie. Do not believe the deceit. Do not believe what he said, because the enemy is both a liar and the accuser. So anything he says, the opposite is true. So let's pray together. Father, I receive now the gift of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, I welcome you into my heart. I welcome you into my life. Lead me, guide me, speak to me. I am here. Your servant listens. I receive this gift in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. God bless you all. God bless you. Family.
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B
Hey, family. Well, I pray that you were just as blessed by this teaching as I was. Was. I'm just so grateful again to be a part of a dynamic community full of love, full of revelation and wisdom. One has been a movement that's been blessing people for over two decades and I'm so glad that you got an opportunity to experience it. I also have a podcast called the called it's right here on wherever you're listening to this Spotify or Apple or wherever you're listening to this podcast. You can just look up the call T H E C A L L E D with myself, Terre Roberts. This is designed for entrepreneurs, leaders and business people. It's a weekly podcast and it will bless you. But hey, I enjoyed having you here. Meet us here next week. Check out the call. Much blessings to you. We'll catch you next time.