2819 Church - KINGDOM CALLINGS | Called & Discouraged | Matthew 11:1-19 | Philip Anthony Mitchell

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

In week EIGHT of KINGDOM CALLINGS, Pastor Philip A. Mitchell delivers an impactful message on Matthew 11: 1-19. Welcome to the official Youtube channel for 2819 Church. This channel features powerful and life-impacting messages from Philip Anthony Mitchell and guest communicators. As you listen to these sound biblical messages you can expect to be challenged, stirred, matured and inspired in your faith and walk with God. For more information about us visit 2819Church.org.

To our digital disciples watching in cities across the country and places around the world, we welcome you. To all of the unbelievers in the room who are not followers of Jesus, we welcome you. We don't apologize for how long we've been in God's presence. No, we don't make no apology for that yo let me tell you about the power of the gospel yo kenny was up here last week and he before he got into this message he said he gave a shout out across the camera to digital disciples across the world and digital disciples across the world and digital disciples in Ireland and just chose that nation and after the

gathering we was in a meeting I was doing a training for the productions team and my wife came in there with a gang of ladies and two of them I never seen before and when the training was done my wife tapped in there with a gang of ladies, and two of them I ain't never seen before. And when the training was done, my wife tapped me. She said, honey, the Lord could not engineer this. I mean, you could not engineer this. This had to have been all God. Kenny was talking about shout-outs

to digital disciples in Ireland, and two ladies flew from Ireland and were sitting in the room last week. They still here. That's what your generosity is doing. Like streaming ain't free. And all this technology ain't free. Man, our prayers and our generosity is allowing the gospel to spread beyond Atlanta. That two women would fly all the way from Ireland to just be in the room.

Yo, y'all honor them. Yo, stand up. Stand up. Yo, help me honor them. They came from the other side of the planet to just sit in the room the room that y'all take for granted shout out to all of our digital disciples around the world across atlanta Shout out to all of our digital disciples around the world across Atlanta.

Somebody came today for the first time from Florida. Where she at? Where they at? Oh welcome from Florida. Yo y'all celebrate them from Florida. First time. Yeah. May the gospel spread and the number of disciples rapidly increase. Yo, also too.

I want to keep reminding y'all. That why this church exists. To spread the gospel and multiply disciples. We serious about that like. This ain't no logo I got on my chest. This is Matthew 28 19 this is this is the Great Commission of Jesus and so the clothing that we've designed here is not it's not just for fashion we want to be walking billboards of what Christ called us to do you heard what I said I said we want to be walking billboards of what

Christ called us to do that I'm praying a day is coming that because of our effort man Matthew 28 19 will be the second most recognized scripture in the whole world behind John 3 16 and so we got like new hoodies out there and new shirts and mission shirts and all that, man. Cop that merch and wear that and be billboards for the Great Commission. This ain't no money play. I ain't telling you to get that because I'm trying to get to a bag. Man, I'm hopping on a plane in a couple of days I'm walking through the airport with my sweater on the people always

stop and ask me what does that mean oh there's an open door to stick in the gospel in the grocery store in the airport in the gym man cop them clothes and rock those clothes and be a billboard for the Lord Jesus Christ somebody say amen where we at week eight of a series called Kingdom Callings.

Only two more weeks left of this series. And man, I'm all over the place in my mind. God, it's alright. Jesus. Jesus. over the place in my mind sometimes I get up on Sunday and I'll be in my prayer room for hours and I just want to stay there I don't even want to come out and like just this morning I don't know what it is about this morning I just feel the presence of Jesus so tangibly around me. Watch.

Man, I love him. I love him. I'm looking forward to the day where I will be with him. Like this world has nothing to offer greater than the Lord Jesus Christ. There's nothing down here greater than the Lord Jesus Christ. There's nothing more important than we vying for than an intimate relationship with Christ y'all really want me to do this all right let's go. Proclamation. Let's do Matthew 11 verses 1 through 19. Matthew 11 verses 1 through 19 for all the note takers. I'll do my best to cut it down.

I can't promise you that. No, no. They've been crucifying me for years for running off at the mouth. Matthew chapter 11 verses 1 through 19 and I want to tag a title to this text called and discouraged I feel like this message is going to help a lot of you today. Because I'm not sure if there's a person in this room or watching me right now that has never felt discouraged. And I'm not talking about pre-Christ. I'm talking about post-Christ. I thought when I got saved, I would never be discouraged again.

False Christ. False gospels. False teachers. That don't train you to live well and suffer well. I'm tired. Eternal God and ever wise father. I confess my weariness before my brothers and sisters and I ask for strength to preach the truth of your eternal word. They are tired.

I ask that you give them spiritual stamina to receive your eternal word. Holy Spirit, we didn't come for a show. We want to be taught. We want to be touched by the weight of these holy scriptures. Do whatever you want to do. And however long it's going to take take minister to your people. Asking the mighty, look up that word. And majestic, look up that word. In the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Man, I know we're tired, but somebody give me a good amen. Yo, how honest can I be? I can be straight, transparent, straightforward. Alright. Let me keep it 100 right here. It was January of 2012.

2012. And my wife and I and 10 other followers of Christ, we set out on a journey to plant what would become 2819 Church, formerly Victory Church. We had no money. We had no experience. We had no organizational backing. We really had nothing but a vision and hope, something we had written down on paper. We was convinced that God had told us the time had come to plant this ministry.

We would spend the next nine months traveling the country. You remember this, Kenny? We'd spend the next nine months traveling the country, visiting churches, large and small, predominantly white congregations, predominantly black congregations, churches with facilities, churches and schools. We would sit in the back and take notes and just try to pray that God would give us a

blueprint for the church he was calling us to plant. Man, we spent time in Bible study every single Wednesday night at my home. Man, that team of 12, it grew to like 25 people, if I'm not mistaken. And man, there was this sense of like, this deep sense of mission, this deep sense of purpose, this deep sense of joy we had knowing that we felt like God was about to use us to give birth to something that was going to be special. At the time, my wife and I, we lived down in Clayco. I don't know if any of y'all are familiar with Clayco. Oh, yeah, Clayco. You got to be thugged out.

We came out from the bottom, right? Like, we was in the trenches in Clayco. And I'm not just talking about, like, the front side of Clayco. I'm talking about, like, the back side of Clayco. Y'all don't know nothing about that. I mean, we was behind God's back, like, on the back side of Clayco. And we lived in this small house. It was about 800 square feet. It had three rooms. One room was my office. One room was

my bedroom. And the last room was for all of my children stayed in that one room. You would walk out of those three rooms to a house that was only 800 square feet. It was probably even no bigger than the stage. It was just one little tiny living room in a kitchen and we would meet there every Wednesday night opening the scriptures believe in God praying y'all laughing y'all remember that like we came out from the bottom like wick food stamps all of that like government like it was hard times and but there was this sense like there was this sense of joy for what God was calling us to do. Two doors down from my house, my mother and father lived in a house the same size. And my father was dying of cancer.

And it was hard for me because we spent nine months giving birth to one thing, while at the same time in my life, something else very important to me is dying. So one thing is about to be birthed, another thing looks like it's about to exit the world and I'm wrestling with the dichotomy between the life on one side that is coming and the life on the other side that is fleeing. I remember exercising all the faith that I had

for my father and that the one thing he wanted, he wanted me to make sure that our church would always be a house of prayer wanted he wanted me to make sure that our church would always be a house of prayer he asked me to promise him that and that he knew the life that i lived before the lord saved me he was looking forward to seeing what jesus would do with his son and his ministry i remember three months after this church was founded, my father, my mother called me, said, son, get down here.

I'll go down there. And we're in the room together as my father takes his last breath. And I'm staring there at an empty shell. Now the spirit leaves the body. And it's real to me. Like I'm reminded of how real eternity is, that we're just spirits living in a house. And once the Lord, once that last breath leaves the natural,

man, your fate is sealed in whatever direction you went. And that happened on a Saturday night. And it was the very next day on a Sunday morning because there is no Kenny, there is no Milton and Eric, there is no Tiana and Ron, there is no communicators. And my father slips into heaven on a Saturday night around midnight the next morning. I got to get up and preach God's word. I got to preach with the pain in my heart that my father just left. And here is what was doing me more damage. What was doing me more damage is that I'm praying for him to be healed.

And the Lord don't answer that prayer in this life. So let's just keep it down here. What I wanted from God down here, he did not do. And now a new reality I have to wrestle with. Not only for nine months, watch this, but for the next ten years. I got to learn now in my Christian walk to wrestle with a new reality. The reality of the frustration that God is not moving on my behalf the way I want him to move. See?

Nobody want to be honest. But nobody know what it is to be believing God for something and you feel like he's not coming through been praying about this for how long and it feel like he's not coming through he's not listening he's not moving on my behalf and now I learned the real wrestle watch of how can I call this a term i call the tension between expectation and experience all right and now as a young pastor the lord will continue to teach me when he does not answer all of my prayers watch how to manage what i call the tension in my heart between expectation of God and my human experience and I'm talking about the tension between what I'm believing for

and what I'm living what I'm praying for and what I'm living what I'm asking him for and what I'm living and the tension in between the fact that what I'm believing for What I'm asking him for and what I'm living. And the tension in between the fact that what I'm believing for is not congruent with what I'm living. Does nobody know what this feels like? It's only me? Let me bring you to the conversation. It's the tension between

praying for the healing of somebody who the Lord does not heal in this life. It's the marriage you was fighting for on your knees fasting in prayer and it still ends up in divorce. It's the job you've been believing for and it hasn't happened. The blessing you want over your for and it hasn't happened. The blessing you want over your company and it hasn't happened.

It's the doors you're asking God to open and they have not opened. It's the you saying, God, I'm doing all, watch, I know how to do. I'm coming to church. I'm being faithful. I'm giving my tithes and offerings. Lord, I'm sowing my seed. I'm serving on a team. I'm in squads. I'm doing all of this,

and yet I go home and cry over this area of my life that I've been believing for, for fill in the blank, and Lord, it seems like you're not moving, and I'm wrestling with the tension between my expectation of God and my human experience. Do I got any witnesses in the room? Yeah. It's the wrestle like, why am I still single when I'm faithful? If I'm your man, God, why is my father not here to see what his son became? If my heart is pure, God, why would you allow me to go through this hardship and kind of sort of like leave me here for like a year? Why you let something fall apart all around me

and then don't even seem to deliver me from it i'm just sitting in this mess fulfilling the blank praying and crying and the lord you're not moving am i the only person in this room know what it feels like to wrestle with the tension between expectation of god and your human experience do i got anybody that's ever felt that tension if you've ever felt that tension ho I got anybody that's ever felt that tension? If you've ever felt that tension, holler at me. Anybody's ever felt that tension? Just wave your hand at me if you've ever felt that tension. I'm expecting this of God, but I don't see that in my life. Now, can we go a little bit deeper now it's one thing to deal with that tension for a couple weeks or to deal with that tension for a couple months it's another thing to deal with that tension for a year two years can I put me can I put Philip Anthony Mitchell in this ten years huh yeah praying for stuff

for 10 years that has not happened yet what yeah there's things I've been believing in God for 10 years that has not happened yet can I go deeper 20 years Jesus too real that has not happened yet

and the temptation of watch be mad and walk away from God I'm the only one that's ever felt that too real for you the pastor was tempted to walk away from God yeah watch pain will do that to you let me go deeper unmitigated pain will do that to you because after you've been after you wrestle with the tension between expectation and experience for an extended period of time you know what that can create in the human heart? Discouragement. Disillusionment. Discontentment.

Watch. Despair. Hopelessness. Indifference. Distrust for God, bitter. Y'all felt this, throw it at me. Bitter, angry, resentment, confused. Envious of others.

How come you're doing it for them, but you're not doing that for me? Watch, I know I'm more righteous than them not done that you I know I'm more pious than them Lord they foul and ratchet but you're doing that for them and you won't do that for me she ratchet and you gave her husband but you won't give me one? Man, I've been fasting and praying and holding down the cookie jar and I'm still single? Too real. Too real. And in your heart,

you've never questioned God. Alright. You've never questioned God. You've never questioned God. You've never thought, watch. I won't accuse him, but I am asking, what is happening here? Some of us, we straight accuse him. We angry. Some of us, we fear God so much, we want to choose him but we'd be like I'm confused I'm

too afraid to put you on the stand but I'm confused Lord do I got a witness anywhere like I'm too nervous to talk to you the way I really want to but I'm I am confused I'm talking about real life I'm talking about real life not pixie dust and church I'm talking about real life I'm talking I'm sitting here and hell is going on in my life right now I'm talking about I'm sitting here and I got a laundry list of things I've been believing for that has not happened yet I'm talking about real life okay

this is the drama the real feelings at the center of this text because one of the things that angers me The real feelings. At the center of this text. Because one of the things that angers me in Christendom in America. Is we call people in the scriptures characters. And you think that this is fables. And bedtime stories.

So you do two things. You either see them as fictitious characters. Or you worship them like they're not human beings. The Lord was a historical person and Elijah was a man. Trying to help some of them. So we learn from them, but we don't worship them so the lord all right let me run through this the lord calls a group of men like he calls you changes the way they see like he tries to change the way that you see gives them instructions on how to carry out see like he tries to change the way that you see. Gives them instructions on how to carry out ministry like he tries to give you instructions on how to live.

Annoys them to go out and do work. He starts to prepare them to go out. Tells them you will experience persecution and people are going to not like you when you get out of here. Y'all remember all of that. Now, Matthew records the end of that conversation, and then he records a tension that we all are familiar with. Now, everybody watch this very carefully. Matthew chapter 11, verse 1.

Watch. When Jesus had finished instructing his 12 disciples, he went on from there to, keyword word to teach and preach in their cities now i want you to notice jesus spent all those last time instructing them he sends them out two by two to do ministry they go one way he goes the other way to continue spreading the gospel. You see that? So we see discipleship. Calls them, trains them, instructs them, sends them out. They go two by two to various cities. Jesus goes the opposite direction to continue the spread of the gospel. I want to draw your attention to the word two in the text. The word two in the text and what comes behind it to teach and preach is a sign to the reader

that the Lord Jesus lived a life of a deep sense of purpose and mission that here's a man who understands that okay my assignment is not done I have to continue to go on to the next few cities to spread this gospel as far as it will reach. So here is a man we see in the life of our Savior that lives with this deep sense of purpose, this deep sense of mission. I'm sure he wants us to live the same, even in the mundane. The Lord wants you to live with a sense of meaning and purpose and mission. Like it's the way I talk to my children. It's how you do marriage. It's how you walk into the gym. It's how how you do marriage. It's how you walk into the gym. It's how you walk on campus. It's how you walk into the job. It's how you handle business. You do that

like a kingdom representative that no matter what is happening in your life, you have this deep sense like I've been called and I'm living with a deep sense of meaning and purpose this is how the Lord lived everybody following that okay now I want you to watch the next verse very carefully this is insane to me verse two gosh this is heat now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, the anointed one, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, Jesus, watch. Are you the one who is to come? Or shall we look for another person? Stop. This is heat.

See, if you knew who John was, this would shake you right now. John. This is John the Baptist. This is the man who is the cousin of Jesus. the Baptist. This is the man who is the cousin of Jesus. This is the man whose parents was elderly

and was told by an angel, you're going to have a special son. He's going to be filled with the spirit from the womb. He will be a forerunner in ministry for Christ. He will prepare the way for the coming of Christ this is the man who grew up with Jesus and at some point I knew that

my cousin is the son of the Most High God this is the man who the prophets wrote about 700 years before he was born that he was going to come and be the forerunner the mouthpiece to prepare the way for the coming of christ can i go deeper watch this is the man whose ministry blew up this is the man who was wearing locusts eating locusts and wild honey out in the wilderness. And watch. And tens of thousands of people are coming out to him to hear him preach. It's going to make sense to you in a second.

This is the man whose following exploded. Ministry exploded. If John was alive right now, this is a man who has a national ministry. This is a man who has a national ministry. Can I go deeper? Can I go deeper? I want you to turn in your Bible real quick to John chapter three. You said I could teach, right? I don't know if they have it in the booth but you have a Bible right all right John chapter 3 are y'all there all right now watch watch John chapter 3 look what it says here verse 22 right it says after this Jesus and his disciples went into Judea countryside and he remained there with them and was baptizing John also was

baptized this is a synopsis of their ministry near Siloam because water was plentiful there and people were coming to be baptized for John had not yet been put in prison everybody watch now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and Jews over purification and it came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who is with you across the Jordan, talking about Jesus, to whom you bore witness. Watch how powerful this is. You were talking about him all the time.

Look, he is baptizing and talking about him all the time. Look, he is baptizing and all are going out to him. Now watch. John answered, a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given to him from heaven. Now here's a man who knows his identity and his purpose and his calling. Watch. Courtney, you see where I'm going with this. Verse 28.

You yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ. But I have been before. Before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom, the friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears and rejoices, rejoices, rejoices, it's going to make sense to you in a second. He rejoices, so John has joy in one season,

rejoices greatly at the bride's groom's voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. Watch John's words. I must, he must. Now go back to Matthew 11. Now it should make sense. Out his own mouth, he said,

I've only come to preach about this man whose ministry is blowing up. Watch. My ministry must decrease. God. His ministry must decrease. God. His ministry must increase. So John, if you know that, why are you asking,

why are you sending people now that you're in prison asking Jesus, are you the Messiah? You send your students to ask Christ if he is the person you were telling everybody he was. So either John is bipolar

or John is discouraged. And as soon as John feels pain the God he stood for in one season is the God he's now questioning in another season. You ain't never done that. Josephus, a Jewish historian, tells us that John was locked up in a palace that belonged to Herod and he had been there for about a year. And if you've been sitting in prison for a year, I've been in prison.

Man, you got plenty of time to think. Now look at John's question to him. Are you Christ? Watch. Or should we be looking for somebody else? I'm talking to my own family like this. What is John really asking? Why am I?

Why am I your forerunner? It's going to make sense in a second. Why am I the person who was called to preach before you? Watch. Why am I the person you an called to preach before you? Watch. Why am I the person you anointed to let everybody know you're coming? Why am I the person whose ministry was blowing up? Why am I now in here and you have not come to set me out? You have not come to set me free.

Why am I in here and you are out there? Why am I locked up and you have not come? Why have you not overthrown Rome? He's really asking Jesus, why are you not moving on my behalf? He's wrestling with his expectation of God and his human experience.

In his mind, there is a dissonance between the person I call my cousin and savior and my imprisonment. I call him savior, but I'm locked up. I call him savior, but I'm in this prison cell. I've been here for a year and you still haven't gotten me out. God, watch. I've been here for a year and you still haven't gotten me out God watch everybody watch who did he send the message to

Christ how does the Lord respond to John watch the next verse look how he responds to John God God look how he responds to John. Look how he responds to John. He says in verse 4, And Jesus answered and said,

Go and tell John what you hear and what you see. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear. And the dead are raised up. And the poor have the good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended.

By me. Watch. Jesus doesn't even address his complaint. Watch. Everybody watch this. It's going to make sense in a second. He says, go back and tell John, blind people see, deaf people hear, lepers get cleansed, people are walking, the dead are raised. Why did he choose that list? Because that list can be

found in the book of Isaiah, where 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah prophesied that whenever the Messiah comes, the son of God comes, he will give sight to the blind. He will give hearing to the deaf. Lay people will walk. Lepers will be cleansed. The dead will be raised to life. Jesus chose a list to remind John, I still am who you person you were preaching about. But what's the lesson in the text for you the lord the lord is not addressing what john perceives god is not doing

instead the lord is trying to show john what god is doing that even in the middle of pain we spend a lot of time focusing on what we think God is not doing and our pain blinds us from what God is doing so I don't have a husband yet But God has been transforming my faith and character While I've been waiting He has not opened his door yet But he's been perfecting my prayer life While I've been waiting. He has not answered this prayer yet, but he's been

strengthening my faith while I've been waiting. And so often while we think God is not working, we are completely blind to what he is doing. This could be translated like, John, I am not getting you out of prison, but if you heard what I just said to you, I'm working on you while you are in prison. My son, my daughter, I am not taking you out of this circumstance yet. I'm using this circumstance to work something in you. Now, can I go deeper? You're not going to like this part. The scripture tells us John never made it out of prison. But because John was a preacher of righteousness that caught up with him.

And a man named King Herod was mad because John confronted him about his immorality. Because King Herod took his brother's wife and took his brother's wife for himself. John confronted King Herod about his immorality. And for that, John was put in prison. John spent a year in prison. Jesus never comes to get him. Watch this. And then Herod's new wife, her daughter, dances in front of the king. The king is overwhelmed by her body and her dancing.

The mother says, go tell the king I want a gift. And what is your gift? I want the head of John. Because he makes a vow to the girl, he cuts off the head of John. John is executed in the first century AD. He never makes it out now you think Jesus is unfair but John knew that he must decrease

and the Lord's ministry must increase John should have known that his time his service unto the Lord had come to an end. And John should have known that the stage is too big for two superstars. That the only superstar in the story is the Lord Jesus Christ. And when my service to him is over, it's over. It's over. So John died jaded. I don't want you to die that way. I don't want you to put God on the witness stand because you think he's not fair. I'm going to tell you something else about John's death and his imprisonment.

It's the will of God for John. And what do you do when the will of God for you in any season is different than your prayer bless this Lord no I want you to struggle in this season I'm gonna teach you how to be a good steward through lack for a season I want a husband Lord but if I gave him to you right now you're making my idol and I'll lose you so I'm gonna I want you to myself for a season

like is your character strong enough to still love him and trust him even when you can't trace him especially when your prayer does not match his will for your life see and this kind of preaching will not make me famous because what you want to hear is anything you ask him for, he's going to do. I can make this whole room shout if I spend the next 15 minutes making blanket promises of what the Lord is finna do, about to do, is gonna do, and he won't do. and then create in your mind a God that does not exist because I lied to move your emotions instead of telling you some things he will not move the way you want him to move. Some prayer is going to be no.

Some is going to be wait. Wait. according to his will that part we don't get taught enough we we just get saved and then we try to build our own kingdom and try to force god to bless our kingdom. We forget about that he has a will. And what do you do when your will and his will collide and they don't match? Who submits at that point? The Lord ain't never lost that battle. So John is beheaded.

So you can either be jaded by a no. Or you can trust him in a no i'm trying to help some of y'all who be mad at god all the time you know it take a mature person to say lord you ain't do this ain't working the way that I thought it would, but I bless you. I praise you. I will serve you anyhow. I will serve you anyhow. Let me Everybody look at me this conversation is happening in public john's disciples are listening jesus disciple listen john's probably his reputation looks a little shaky right now like man this was the dude whose ministry blew up preaching jesus and now

he's asking his Christ as the Messiah. Let me show you the love of the Lord for his servants when they're talking bad about you behind your back. Look at verse 7. As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds and say, what did you come out here in the wilderness to see? He's talking about John. A reed shaken in the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing. Behold, those who wear soft clothing, they're in king's houses. What did you go out there to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, even more than a prophet. This is he whom it was written, behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare the way before you so you know what

jesus did a reed shaking in the wind is to say something is weak he was trying to say john ain't weak he's human dang this is powerful so the man is soft clothes not john ain't soft he's human y'all gonna play john no he's more than a prophet so the Lord made sure he vindicated John's discouragement oh my god Wow that the Lord can see me in my weak place and still hold me down so the Lord ensured that john's reputation was not destroyed he told everybody he's human yes he's discouraged but he ain't soft that man was more than a prophet the lord vindicated john in his weakness i'm so thankful that i serve a lord who vindicates us even in my weakness. When they are talking about me and putting me down behind my back and hoping for my downfall and questioning my loyalty to Jesus. I'm so glad that the Lord knows how to whisper in the ears of people and vindicate me and vindicate you.

Even in a moment of weakness, the Lord can still uphold your credibility and your character. Now, this next verse. Man, verse 11. Truly, I say to you you among those born of women there has not arisen no one greater than John the Baptist yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he everybody look right at me because this is important you need to understand this next verse this is critically important everybody look right at me listen to the words of christ listen i'm talking to everybody in here who like like me, battles with insecurities. I want you to listen very carefully.

The Lord said of all the human beings that have ever lived, there is no human being that has ever lived, been born of a woman that was greater than John the Baptist. John the Baptist. Why? Because he was the last prophet. Of a line of hundreds of thousands of years. Who was talking about the coming of Christ. He was the end of an era. Now pay attention.

Jesus said, of all the human beings ever born, no human being has ever been born watch who is greater than john the baptist watch but the person who is greater than John the Baptist John is the end of an era an era that did not have the indwelling of the spirit. An era that did not see the cross. God. Jesus comes.

Dies on a cross. And then now the spirit of God is poured out on those who are saved. So now any person who is in Christ. A piece of God lives on the inside of you and the person of the Holy Spirit we don't have to kill animals for our sin we are forgiven of everything we've ever done God lives on the inside of me and I am covered by the blood. So the single mother in the back of the room with no money who only can quote

one scripture is greater than John the Baptist if she's saved. This is insane to me. The dude in the room who saved and can only quote four scriptures is greater than John the Baptist

the woman in this room who keeps beating herself up as she stares in the mirror but is saved is greater than John the Baptist the kingdom of God is so powerful is greater than John the Baptist. The kingdom of God is so powerful that even the person who's at the bottom of the kingdom is greater than John the Baptist.

So when you're crucifying yourself for your mistakes and your failures and your hang-ups and your shortcomings get a glimpse of how great john was and just say man if you're in the kingdom everybody's saved lift your hands let me me see you. Hold them there. Wow. Don't move. If your hand is lifted and you're saved, you have deified John in the past. Keep your hand. I want you to hold your hand and watch. Here's a man whose life was prophesied about by Old Testament prophets. Yours wasn't.

Yet you're greater than him here's a man who was filled with the spirit from the womb to be a full wonderful Christ and yet with all your insecurities you're greater than him here's a man who was the biological cousin of the Lord of glory, and yet with your crazy, insecure, disobeying God every week self, if you're saved and filled with the Spirit, you are greater than him. Why?

Because you're in the kingdom of God. You don't even know who you are you can't even believe the Lord see you that way and all you do is persecute yourself but yet he says the person at the bottom the single mom just trying to learn a verse if she's saved and regenerated and filled with the spirit and in the new kingdom that jesus built that person is greater than john the bapt Baptist because we are in an era that thousands of years people were waiting to see let me say this to you you are living right now in an era that people for thousands of years was hoping to see see you just want church it's so whack you are living in an era a dispensation that people for thousands of years was hoping to see they were hoping to see a day when they will not have to kill animals

for making mistakes you are living in that they were hoping for a day when they will be filled with the holy spirit you are living in that they were hoping for a day when the Messiah would come and they would be on the other side of the cross. You are living in that. And you can even control whatever you would be born in. And we don't have nothing to celebrate. And give God praise for. And be thankful for.

That you sinned yesterday and don't have to kill a cat today. For the sin that you did yesterday. This is why when I even think about the kingdom, I could just weep that I'm in it. Huh, London? That the Lord thought I was worth saving to bring me into this thing that people have been believing to see

for thousands of years. Yeah, I got some issues. Philip Anthony Mitchell got some issues. I'm in the kingdom though. Cheyenne got some issues, but she in the kingdom though. Shakia got some issues, but she in the kingdom though.

Kenny, you got issues. But you in the kingdom though the Lord took you from the dark and put you in the kingdom though is anybody thankful that you're in the kingdom of God why you only want to shout for a house but you won't shout for the fact that you've been saved and placed in the kingdom of God.

Stay there, Frank. I'm done. Man. stay there Frank I'm done man I'm trying to help some of y'all that only you only wait for good things to happen to be thankful that's why your Christianity is so boring and whack man I walk out my house and think to myself oh snap I'm in the kingdom and I can just burst into tears, I'm in the kingdom.

And I can just burst into tears. See, when you change the way you think, you will keep finding things to be thankful for. Gratitude will overwhelm your heart. You keep listening to all this American preaching that make you feel you got to get the man, the house, the car car the bag before you can have joy or be thankful man listen to me if you knew what it was to not to be saved and now you are saved god has placed you in something that thousands and millions of people believed to see and never saw

you could not earn your way in you was not good enough to get in and with all of your issues and insecurities God took a piece of himself in the Holy Spirit and he's in you God lives in me in the person of the Spirit

like I'm in the dispensation when God Almighty took up residency in human beings i can feel him wooing me and guiding me and leading me and talking to me and helping are y'all crazy do you know how blessed you are you think you're blessed because of the house of god do you know how blessed you are to be in the kingdom of god man i'm about to cry you do you know what far you was from God? You really need the next best thing to be thankful? You can't get a flashback of where he took you from? You don't understand

that God is in you and around you and for you? Think about all the years you've been in church worshiping John the Baptist never knowing that the Lord in his eyes sees that you're greater than him and not because your work is greater than John he says you're greater than because you have tasted of

something John could not taste of the kingdom of heaven on the backside of the cross backside of the cross. Man, I I be walking around sometimes like yo, I'm saved. I talk to the Lord and he hears my voice. I feel the Holy Spirit leading me and guiding me and helping me to make

decisions when my heart is broken I carry it into God's presence watch when I got family who dishonored me I got brothers and sisters by blood who love me. I got a whole family sitting in the room. We in the kingdom. Look at all these sisters and brothers and mothers. Like, do you know what the Lord has done for you by putting you in the kingdom? I want to hop off the stage and shake the heck out of you I got people praying for me who are in the kingdom got people holding you down in a spirit that you can't see because you're in the kingdom the Lord is holding back all kind of things from you that would destroy you because you're in the kingdom the Lord is holding back all kind of things from you that would destroy you because you in the kingdom You know what?

Before I read these last verses, we got to... Okay. I'm going to do this for me. I want to take 60 seconds and just show God gratitude for the fact that he brought me into the kingdom. Just thankfulness, just gratitude.

I just want to give him honor for just a few seconds because he brought me into the kingdom. Is there anybody who's thankful that you're saved and that you're in the kingdom of God hold on hold on stop stop no stop stop the same no sermon listen man you go to another level of maturity when you could be thankful for that which is intangible. Anybody could thank God for a stupid phone or house or car. You could thank him for a bag of business. Man, come on, man. That's easy stuff.

The unbeliever could do that. You got unbelievers who give God glory. They stand up there and take their little statue. And I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and you're falling from God may unbelievers give God glory for stuff That's lower level that's bottom shelf alcohol Man we drunk on the spirit on the top shelf we give God thank That's top shelf alcohol We give God thanks and praise that we say,

we feel with the spirit, we're in the kingdom of God. I'm telling you right now, you know what happens in your heart when you can walk out this room, see the cloud, and be God. I'm thankful, God, God that I'm saved I'm in the kingdom you are my father you live with me through the person in a spirit my name is rain in heaven you in the kingdom you know what happens to a heart that lives that way

watch you can walk into anything and still have gratitude you can sit down in anything and still have gratitude you could be struggling with bills and still have gratitude you could be going through the most difficult season of your life and still have gratitude you could be going through the most difficult season of your life and still have gratitude you could be sitting in the middle of a prison and still have gratitude man the day after i got saved they took me out of my job at the tsa and i'm sitting in prison the very next day you obtain your government clearance and you got felonies on your record yeah I lied on that application I wasn't saved they had character like that the day after I give my life to Christ I'm sitting in a prison downtown no no this true story behind bars full of peace joy in my heart like I see these bars

but something has happened to me though I'm whatever happens next I'm going to be okay because I'm in the kingdom now whatever your bars are you're in the kingdom now you're saved the hardest work has already been done rescuing you from darkness

of all the people born of women there is none greater than John the Baptist and even the person who is least in the kingdom is greater than him just give me my last few verses so I can send everybody home just put them up there no no no no from the days of John the Baptist until now I don't need this the kingdom of heaven suffered violence and a violent taken by force stop the word violent soft the word force in the Greek two Greek words can mean something positive or negative so the issue with this text we don't know if to take it from the positive side or the negative side so you've been around church we did the kingdom of heaven suffer violent and the violent take them off and you shout and that makes for good preaching and that can work because

it can go either way but in this proper context this one because Jesus was talking about persecution this will better translate. People in the kingdom will suffer violence from people outside the kingdom. And violent people will attack those who are in the kingdom. Next verse. Keep going. Just keep going.

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John keep going and if you are willing to accept it he is Elijah who has come saying that John came in the spirit of Elijah the physical Elijah never died he was taken to heaven I believe the Lord will send him back during the tribulation as one of the two witnesses he who has ears to hear let him hear verse Verse 16, keep going. But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplace

calling to their playmates. Now everybody watch. Keep going. We played the flute for you when you did not dance. We sang a dirge and you did not come. Keep going. For John came neither eating or drinking. He was holy and you said he had a demon. Keep going. Jesus, the son of man, came eating and drinking, enjoying

fellowship. And you say, look at him, a glutton, a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners, yet wisdom is justified by her deeds. I don't't get it the Lord said nothing ain't good enough for y'all people it don't matter what I do you still don't accept me John came and was holy in your eyes you call him a devil I came having community you call me a drunk ain't nothing gonna satisfy your soul you so miserable. Lord, do I got to play tricks to receive your love? So I want to pray right now over everyone who has ever felt discouraged between what you've been believing God for and what you're actually experiencing I want to pray for everyone who's battling the tension right now between

your expectation of God and your current experience I want to pray for everybody right now to be released from seeing God as a pawn in your story. You're playing the flute, trying to make him dance. You're singing a dirge, trying to make him. No, no, no, no, no.

He is God Almighty. Softly. Father, in the name of Yahshua. Thank you, Lord. I pray over everyone who's battling discouragement in any area. Disillusionment in any area.

They've been believing you for something that has not happened. Their will may be colliding with yours. We don't know. It's been on their prayer list for a long time. You haven't moved. I want to pray for everyone who's in the middle of a difficult season of their life and it seems like you're not moving. I pray for everyone who's been believing you for something for a very long time I want to pray for everyone who's sitting in a prison cell like John and losing confidence in who you are Lord we are your sons and daughters you are good I pray God right now Lord that you would minister to the heart of every person who was discouraged every person who's going through a hardship every person who's in a difficult season,

every person who's been believing for something for a long time and it has not happened yet, would you continue to strengthen that heart and strengthen that faith? I pray right now for a release, God, Lord. A faith to withstand whatever they're dealing with. Hope that tomorrow they will have an expectation for a better future. Love in their heart for you. These three things, they must remain. I come against thoughts of suicide and the spirit of death that is in this room.

Father, I pray a release of joy over these, your sons and daughters, to just be thankful. That they're in the kingdom. Lord I pray you would snatch. Right now in this moment. Everything that is heavy. And weighing down our hearts. Whatever it is. Would you just snatch it from us in this moment. Change our perspective. If you won't change the circumstance.

And father would you save the unbeliever in the room right now who is far away from you? They are sinners separated from you. You died so that they can be your children. I pray right now for the unbeliever in the room right there in their seat that someone will

start mumbling, surrendering their lives to you, telling you they're sorry for their sin. They want to be in the kingdom. They don't want to live apart from you, not another day. I pray for the person that's been in church their whole life and not saved. I pray for the person far away who's not saved. I pray for the person headed for damnation. They don't even know, and they're not saved.

I pray for them. I pray for the witch and warlock that's been trying to curse me. I pray you would save them in the name of Jesus. I pray you would regenerate people right there in their seat in the name of Jesus. And Father, I pray over this entire body. I pray over our sisters who came from Ireland. The couple that came from Florida. Lord, here's what I'm asking. body. I pray all of our sisters who came from Ireland, the couple that came from Florida,

Lord, here's what I'm asking. When we leave this building and we walk outside, our hearts would explode with joy and thanksgiving just for being saved and in the kingdom. And may we celebrate that for the rest of the day. I pray 24 hours of joy. That no circumstance will steal from us the revelation that you've brought us into the kingdom. And that we are your children, your sons, and your daughters. I pray God you would assault us with joy. Assault us with gratitude. Assault us with gratitude. Assault us with thanksgiving. No heavy heart walks out of this room or walks out of this stream. What do I want to do?

What do I want to do? Faith. Man, if you receive that, give God a thunderous praise. Come on. Anybody thankful to be in the kingdom? Come on. Look at me. Don't let nothing rob you of what you feel right now in this moment. I declare, man, 24 hours of gratitude and joy when you

leave here go eat and drink and get food and love on your wife and your kids and if you're married have good sex tonight and all that good stuff no no come on I'm serious man I be enjoy go buy a meal. Go hang out with some girlfriends and some guy friends. Somebody shout joy. Joy. Nobody leaves discouraged. Nobody. They ready.

Hey, look at me. Hey, look at me. Hey, look at me. Look at me. Hey, look right here. I want to say to you what Jesus said to John. I know you got issues, but don't be offended because of me. Don't be offended at me. I'm good.

I'm always good. Even when you don't understand what you're going through i'm still good don't be offended at me change your american doctrine to biblical doctrine that part while you're lifing and adulting, do that with a biblical worldview that the Lord is good. We will not be offended at our Savior. And now I'm supposed to remind you to be faithful with your giving, with your tithes and with your offerings.

Now I'm supposed to manipulate you into being generous the Lord says he loves cheerful givers support the spread of the gospel give away a percentage of your income to support God's house and we are trying to raise five million dollars for our own facility if people would just be faithful we could do that we got a big giving sunday coming up in february we will challenge you to make a sacrifice not afraid about that we are believing for facilities to do more ministry we can't control anything happening in this place It's been 10 years in the wilderness. We believe it for a change.

Father, bless those who are partnered with you in the gospel. Bless these homes, businesses, entrepreneurial ventures. We pray for millionaires to emerge in this house. We pray for ideas that lead to wealth, creation,

and ideation, God, for new ideas. I pray for courses that lead to wealth creation and ideation god for new ideas i pray for courses and books to be written and to be born songs to be sung albums to be put out bless your children as they continue to be kingdom disciples and kingdom witnesses for you i pray for jobs and better jobs and new opportunities close every wrong wrong door. Open every right door. Bless those who are in partnership with you. I pray a blessing over them in the mighty and majestic and matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Somebody give God praise.