2819 Church - KINGDOM CALLINGS | Called & Rested | Matthew 11:25-30 | Philip Anthony Mitchell

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

Pastor Philip A. Mitchell unpacks Matthew 11:25-30 in the important and timely series finale of KINGDOM CALLINGS. 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 all of our digital disciples watching across this camera in cities across the country and places all around the world, you too are our family. We get your testimonies, your emails, we get your posts on social media. We know that our family is much bigger than the gathering in this room. So to all of our digital disciples who are watching live right now, wherever you are in the nation, and I know that there are people who get up at different times on the other side of the world, we welcome you into this room and into our gathering. You are our family. And to those in the room who are not followers of Jesus, we're thankful that you are here. We acknowledge the fact that you are in the room.

Today is the final message in a series called Kingdom Callings, where together as a church we have been teaching through Matthew chapter 10 and 11. If you are not familiar with the word of God, Matthew was an outcast Jew who lived in the first century AD. He was saved or brought into the kingdom through an encounter with Christ in the first century AD. In the 60s AD, he writes his account of the life and ministry of Christ in a book that bears his name called Matthew. That book has been preserved for us in the New Testament of these holy scriptures. It is the most read document in the history of the world. It is the document that the early church used for 1700 years

to strengthen people in Christian discipleship. Today we close out chapter 11 and for all of our note takers, we're going to unpack Matthew 11 verses 25 through 30. I might have to dig around a little bit in the text that Elder Eric preached last week so I don't know if they have those scriptures but if they don't you have a bible and uh if you don't have a bible you hear my voice I may have to dig around in last week's text depending on how I feel the spirit is moving me and uh we're gonna call this last message there's so many people in this room you need this

there's people watching me right now live you need this these are not just titles this is a declaration coming to you two words the first one is being issued, the second one you need. This is a very difficult passage we're about to unpack. I was up late last night with Lena wrestling with this text. We're going to call this text called and rested.

You need rest. There's a lot of people living, but you don't have rest. You're moving, but you don't have rest you're moving but you don't have rest you're doing church but you don't have rest you're busy bees but you're not rested you know church but you don't know Christ Jesus it's a very tough text

no dancing around this text just got to face it head on spirit of the living God how difficult is this text that through the Savior you gave it to us Matthew recorded it there was no dancing around it father I'm asking that you would bring revelation in this room. You would bring insight in this room. Some way, somehow, you would truly increase the size of the kingdom before this moment is over. You would rescue someone dangling over the pit of damnation.

You would deliver us from seeking entertainment. We would lean in to be taught, to be agitated, to be agitated to be awakened Lord you know that I am a weak earthen vessel have no virtue to boast in would you help me communicate the weight of this eternal truth. To everyone under the sound of my voice, in Christ's name I pray.

If you agree with me, would you just say amen? Amen. Called and rested. Last week, I wasn't here because I was in New York preaching at a men's conference last weekend, Friday and Saturday and got back very late Saturday night. I took with me my two sons Malachi and Josiah and I took two men from our staff with me on this trip. I went there preaching this conference. It was in Brooklyn, New York.

I'm from Queens. I did spend a lot of time in Brooklyn growing up. But the last time I was in Brooklyn, New York, I was driving down Queens Borough. I was driving down Queensborough Parkway, headed out of Brooklyn back to Queens. A friend and I, we get pulled over that night in Brooklyn. There is a weapon under my seat.

We are arrested that night. We are taken to a local jail in Brooklyn that night. And in the morning, we are transferred to Rikers Island where we will remain on Rikers Island while we were awaiting trial. I would spend my 18th birthday at Rikers Island. This was the last time I was physically in Brooklyn. And it would be not that long after that, my mother would, in love, pack up all my clothes in a trash bag.

She put $50 in my pocket. I took my TV. She rented a van. And with my brother, she drove me to North Carolina and she left me in the south said you cannot come back to New York it's two times now in the last six months you have been arrested you cannot stay here and I would end up in the south far away from God for another 10 years until I met Jesus on the bathroom floor of an apartment in North Carolina. As I'm leaving from Brooklyn last week on a plane, I'm looking out over the city of New York

and I'm thinking to myself, the last time I was in Brooklyn, I leave in shame. The Lord sends me back now as a preacher of the gospel. Amen. That the God we serve does not waste experiences. But he knows how to bring all things full circle. He knows how to vindicate you in time. He knows how to put you at the table in time. He knows how to vindicate you in time he knows how to put you at the table in time he knows how to redeem your name in time he knows how to defend you in time i'ma go so far say god is a restorer that things the enemy means for evil the lord knows how to turn those things around for good and for his glory and sometimes it is the people the world would never choose

for an assignment the lord has a way of plucking from the earth people of the world would never choose and so they laugh at you while you're walking out in shame in one season and saying preach to us man of God in another season they speak negatively And saying preach to us man of God in another season. They speak negatively of you in one season.

And then sing your praises when they see how God's hand is upon you in another season. The devil will drag you out of Brooklyn in disgrace in one season. And bring you back there God will as a missionary in another season the devil will have you chained in Brooklyn in one season and then send you back to leave captives free in another season and so I need to just tell you where I was last week to remind everybody under the sound of my voice that God is a restorer. He can and he will for someone prepare a table before you. He will vindicate you in time I don't even know who this for but I'm

obeying the Holy Spirit and telling you the story God is a restorer and for someone else he does not waste experiences anything in your past if you're saved has been weaponized because it's under the blood and anything you're free from now

and it's under the blood it is now a weapon against the kingdom of darkness that i don't have to be ashamed about it anymore i can talk about it not as a victim but as a victor to give the god who brought me through that watch glory so we're not ashamed about that anymore now we talk about it to give God somebody shout glory you ain't gonna shame me about my past I said it's under the blood somebody shout glory that's what he gets out of your life shout glory Glory That's what he gets out of your life Shout glory Glory

Hallelujah I feel the spirit of God this morning It's a serious text When we land in ATL Airport It's like, what time was it? 12.30? It's like 12.30 at night There's no restaurants open.

And we know if we leave this airport, there's no place to go except Waffle House. But I don't want Waffle House. So I said, we got to find some place to eat before we leave the airport. And the only place open was a Burger King. One of the brothers said to me, it ain't the best place to eat but it's food though so my team and i we go to burger king to eat now it's like one o'clock in the morning we get our food we sit down to eat our burger king now watch as we're eating two homeless men because if you know anything about atl airport you know the martyr runs into the airport and homeless people travel on the martyr into the airport and they sleep there at night because

it's cold outside so as we're eating i'm eating my whopper i got french fries and onion rings and a pink lemonade and as i'm eating my whopper a homeless man sits down right across from me at the table and another one sits right next to me at the other table and I'm eating but I'm scheming on them at the same time I'm praying for them watch in my heart that God will ease their suffering that salvation would come to them but for me it's not enough to pray because I want to be an answer to prayer so I'm digging around in my wallet and I only got $20 left watch and I tapped the man on my left and I give him this $20 I said have you

ate today he said no I said take this $20 go get some food right there at Burger King. He thanks me. He's happy. He's full of joy. He's full of gratitude. The other man, I tap Kenny. I said, give me $20. True story. Kenny gives me $20, and I go in. Watch.

I tap the other man, and I say, here, we want to give this to you. And he shoves me off. And I shake him again. I say, here, we're trying to give this this to you and he shoves me off and I shake him again I said here we're trying to give this to you and he shoves me off get away from me don't touch me one man receives the grace of what I'm trying to give him it's gonna make sense by the time I get into the text. The other man rejects the same grace. It's going to make sense when I get into the text. I'm giving the same grace, the same $20, the same mercy to two men. One man receives that grace. And the other man rejects the grace. one man is thankful for the $20 the other man categorically rejects the $20 same money same person given the grace one person receives the grace the other person rejects it when I walk off my heart is

broken for the man who rejects my grace and now I have to leave him hungry it's gonna make sense in a second I have to walk away from I'm not gonna stay there and beg him to receive this grace I'm not going to stay in there because I have some place to go I got other people I need to see

I need to get home and see my wife so I'm not going to stay here and fight you that you don't want this money watch it so I'm not going to stay here waste my time trying to force you to receive this grace i'm going to turn my back and walk away now and as i walk away my heart is grieved because i left him hungry now everybody watch as i'm thinking about these two homeless men as i'm

walking away man it's like i get this revelation as these two men are in the physical realm so is every human being in the spiritual realm now you better not you better stay awake for this message the only person that's gonna make you tired is the devil and you're gonna see why when I get into the text you do anything to blind your mind from what I'm about to teach you these two men to me in the physical as I'm walking away I'm about to teach you. These two men to me in the physical, as I'm walking away, I'm thinking to myself, oh God, this is what life is for every human being in the spiritual. Now, all of you have heard before, there are two types of people in the world, people who are good and people who are bad and people who love and people who hate,

and you can make this long, exhaustive list of two camps. There is a category at the very top of that list. And I'm going to say there are only two types of people in the world. People who have received God's grace. And have been brought out of the kingdom of darkness. Into the kingdom of light. Watch. And they know that. Because they can feel from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they have passed from death to life.

They feel differently about sin. They feel differently about life. They know something has happened to them in their heart. That's one group of people. Everybody watch. And then everybody else is still living, breathing, marrying, being a kingdom influencer, doing life while still living in the kingdom of darkness. So in the world right now, in this room, on this Zoom, in this chat room, I'm not talking to you. There are only two people in the entire world.

People in the kingdom of light who are under the blood, who their names have been recorded in heaven and who are headed towards glory and everyone else is still in the kingdom of darkness. Some of them don't know they're in darkness. Some of them don't care they're in darkness. Living life, doing their thing. Watch.

And living every day under the danger of eternal damnation. Headed for eternal separation from God. Okay, now watch. I want to show you an image to help you remember this in your mind. All right, give me that graphic. Okay. On the left side is the kingdom of light.

On the right side is the kingdom of light. On the right side is the kingdom of darkness. As I'm talking to you right now, in this room, some of us are in the kingdom of light. Watch. You ain't gonna like this. And there are people sitting in this room that are still in the kingdom of darkness.

And Jesus uses these two words light and darkness to talk about truth and deception on the left side in the light are all those who have placed their faith in Christ watch they received the grace of Christ. They have surrendered their lives to Christ. They have been filled with the Holy Spirit. They know they have passed from darkness to light. Watch. On the other side is everyone who is doing life, thinking that they are okay with God.

Some of them don't even care about God. Still living in the case. So on the right side, watch. The atheist is on the right side, in darkness. The agnostic is in darkness. Every person who is a devotee of a false religion is in darkness. Every person in Islam is in darkness. Hinduism is in darkness. Buddhism is in darkness.

Mormons are in darkness. The five percenters are in darkness. Buddhism is in darkness. Mormons are in darkness. Five percenters are in darkness. Fill in the blank. Every person who believes something other than Christ is in the darkness. Every Jesus plus is in darkness. Every person that's in sage is still in darkness. Every person that's depending on crystals and rocks is in the darkness. Everybody who's bowed their knee to an altar other than the kingdom of God is in darkness can I go deeper watch there are people who go to church every Sunday

in darkness I'm gonna go deeper than that there are people singing on worship teams still in darkness I'm gonna go deeper than that there are people preaching every week you worship them for their platform the Lord calls them false prophets you can't tell the difference because you don't know enough Bible to be agitated by lies because the more truth you know the easier it is to discern a lie. But you don't have enough Bible to know that they're lying to you. So they have blanket statements and prophecies that you don't even know are inconsistent with the word of God. And you think you're listening to somebody on the left side.

You're listening to somebody who's still in the dark. You got people with big followings in the dark. Big Instagram in the dark. big Instagram in the dark, doing conferences in the dark, writing books in the dark, you paying for their ministries while they're in the dark. Tell me what colors you see on the screen. I can't hear you.

I can't hear you. I can't hear you. Now, watch what color is not on the screen. There's no gray. What do I mean by that? I'm going to tell you what I mean. A famous woman in our culture, multi-billionaire, black,

said in a speech to a college campus, there are multiple ways to God and because she's famous you got all those thousands of young students believe her that there are multiple ways to God you know that is that's great and because she is who she is they believe her her. So who's right? She or Jesus who says, I am the way, the truth and the, no man comes to the, except through me.

So watch. So if you're at the top, you can't cross that border. There's no doorway at the top that says, come to God through Islam. There's no doorway that says top that says Come to God through Islam There's no doorway that says Come to God through crystals There's no doorway that says There's multiple ways to God There's no doorway that says multiple ways

From darkness to light There's no door that says multiple ways There's no door that says Islam There's no door that says Mormonism There's no door that says Hinduism There is only one doorway. There is only one

doorway from darkness to light and Philip didn't say that. He said that of himself. So it don't matter where you are on the border. Matter of fact, you know what? Thank you always. Let me go deeper. Look at me. There's no door on that border that says morality leads you to life

there's no door that says good behavior leads you to life there's no door that says church attendance leads you to life. I'm about to offend some people. There's no door that says baptize me as a baby while I never place my faith in Christ that leads me to life. There's no door that says church attendance leads to life. There's no door that says serving in church leads to life. The only door, according to the word of God, that leads human beings from darkness, damnation, hell, separation into the kingdom of light. There's only one door and you have to, you have to, you have to, that door has to be revealed to you is why it's so faint in the middle.

You heard that word? That door has to be revealed. There's only one door. And if you don't walk through that door, you can live your whole life thinking you're in the kingdom of light. But you're really in the kingdom of darkness and jesus said if your darkness is light how great is your darkness that is if you think you're in the kingdom but you're not in the kingdom, you are more deceived than the atheist. Look at me.

This is serious because a lot of you don't live this way you you you you be moving through our society and don't think you don't think dang this is gosh i feel frustrated i feel frustrated i feel frustrated i gotta i gotta confess you got all these these Christians doing life and you don't think, you don't see like this. This is not the lens through which you see the world. So you be around people in darkness and don't care. See, this is not the lens you see the world. This is the lens God wants us to see the world through.

This is why he said to a group of men, you remember this? When he called a group of men, he tapped them. So fellas, look, look out there into the world through. This is why he said to a group of men, you remember this? When he called a group of men, he tapped them. So fellas, look, look out there into the harvest field. Look, fellas, it's ripe for harvest. Go out there and bring me everybody that belongs to me. Pray them in, love them in, serve and give to get them in. Preach them in, believe for them to come in.

Every place you go, this line is there. Watch. I see the world like this so much that even when I'm in a restaurant, the person who brings me my food and puts it down and I get ready to say my grace. I say the same grace every time, every time, never changes. Father, thank you for this food that you have given us. I pray you would bless this food, bless our fellowship and save everyone in this room who belongs to you in Jesus name I'll be working out in the gym now be like Lord I pray for everyone who's in here while I'm doing my set you will save everyone in this gym who belongs to you.

Walking to Walmart buying groceries for Thanksgiving and in aisle four looking for hot sauce for my mom. Lord, this place is packed with everybody getting their last bit of trimmings. I pray you will save everyone in this building who belongs

to you. See, when you're you are Kingdom agent you think that way and you say oh no that's just for you pastor Philip the Lord took the group of men who he called and he tapped them said fellas look you see the harvest out there look which is a foreshadowing of the church look at that harvest bring them to me so from the time he saved a group of men he tried to change their way that they see now what you see through the lens of the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness be an agent to increase the side and some of

you staring at me like no that's for you shame on you when you got family on the black side and you got sisters and brothers on the black side on that dark side you got parents on that dark side co-workers on that dark side you got people following your social media on that dark side we can't see nothing about Christ on your page. You got all that influence for what? You got athletes on the dark side, rappers on the dark side. You get people always hopping out of a car on camera on the dark side. Can we stop doing it?

Everybody's always hopping out a Maserati and showing everybody how you can walk on the dark side. Influencers on the dark side. Your favorite rapper on the dark side. Your favorite fill-in-the-bl walk on the dark side. Influencers on the dark side. Your favorite rapper on the dark side. Your favorite fill-in-the-blank on the dark side. Big-name preachers on the dark side. This is how God sees the world. Do you? do you this is look at me everybody look right at me

this is the tension at the center of the text that you and I need to start paying attention to so you recall in this series, Jesus called 12 men to himself. You remember that. You remember he began to teach them and empower them and disciple them. You remember that. You remember he showed them a harvest field ripe for harvest

and says, I want you to go out there and reap that harvest. You remember that. You remember he sends them out two by two to do ministry. You remember that? You remember Jesus's cousin John gets locked in prison for preaching righteousness and the Lord does not deliver him from prison. He is discouraged, but the Lord tells him, focus on the work that I'm doing, not what I'm not doing. You remember that. Huh? And then if you was here last week, you remember Elder Eric was preaching a text, watch, about Jesus rebuking the hell out of a group of cities. Saying, man, if the miracles and the message I did in y'all was done in Sodom and Gomorrah, they would have repented.

Woe to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida. And watch, he's rebuking these cities. I don't even know if we have the verses. I'm just going to tell you what he did. Should I read it to you? Before I get into my text, let's look at Matthew 11, 20. 20. 20.

Then he began to denounce these cities where most of his mighty works have been done because they did not repent. They did not repent. They did not repent. He said, woe to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida. If the mighty works done in you have been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Means, if these other people would have heard my message, seen my works, they would have turned.

Or like the two poor men, they would have received my grace. Watch. But I tell you, it would be more tolerable or bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you and woe to you Capernaum will you be exalted to heaven no you will be brought down to Hades which is hell for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom it would have remained until this day now everybody look at me carefully before I get into our text Jesus says for Sodom and Gomorrah when they show up at the judgment those people that were full of sexual perversion and promiscuity is going to be more tolerable for them in hell

than for y'all i don't understand it wasn't a crazy and ratchet watch but they had not seen jesus nor had they seen a cross because the lord is going to judge people based on the light that they received so a person living in the United States who rejects Jesus will be worse than the judgment than a man living in the bush who never even heard the gospel and the only light he has are the moon and the stars to tell him there must be a creator somewhere so every person will be judged based on the light you have received. That's why it's dangerous to hear the gospel. And I'm telling you the people in the worst trouble are people in America because we are saturated with gospel preaching and some of us don't care anyway.

And he said, man, if these cities would have even seen me or heard me, man, they would have repented. Y'all heard me and seen me and you reject me anyway. Now watch. So for those who rejected Christ, he pronounced damnation on them. Now watch our text. Everybody pay attention. Verse 25. There's a crowd of people Jesus just condemned all these cities in a crowd of people now this right here is heavy and I know some of y'all gonna feel uncomfortable but look

at verse 25 let me teach these verses to you 25 to 30 look this is This is heavy. At that time Jesus declared this is You see the parentheses? That means Matthew is quoting Jesus' prayer. Now look at what he prayed. I thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth

that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and reveal them to little children. God, yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. Now, I want to unpack for you a couple things in this prayer. The first thing I want you to notice in the prayer is the tag that Jesus uses for the Father. He calls the Father the Lord of heaven and earth. That is a tagline to say God the Father has all sovereignty of knowledge in heaven and on earth.

That there is nothing in between that God does not know. There is no motive of any heart that God does not know. There is no preacher on a stage that God does not know their motive and their heart. There is no church that God does not know the motive and the heart of that church. There is no circumstance that happens that's oopsie. There is no accident. There is nothing happening underneath the nose of god that he does not know there is nothing that's happened in your life that god does not know there's nothing you've been through that god does not know there is nothing happening right now that god does not know god is called the father of heaven and earth that is the father has all sovereign knowledge about all things, even those who will receive grace and reject grace. Okay?

Now, I want you to notice this too in the text. Okay? He says, the Lord, the Father has hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children. This is controversial to me. Because now if I'm a student of the text, I'm asking a question of the text. The question I'm asking the text is, what are these things? First question. Second question, why do you hide it from some people?

Third question, why do you reveal it to some people? It seems unfair this is probably too heavy for a Sunday morning all right I know you're like entertainment because we're Americans can I just talk to you can I teach if you're a student of the text and you're reading this prayer you should be asking yourself a question in the text. What are the things that God has hidden? Well, if it was hidden, that means it could only be something that Jesus revealed to people that they did not know prior. So now if I'm a student of the text, I'm flipping back to see

what was the last thing Jesus revealed that people did not know. So if I flip back, I see he was rebuking cities. Part of it, probably not it. He is defending the ministry of John. cities part of it probably not it he is defending the ministry of John part of it probably not it he is uh what else he's doing he's talking to the messengers of John probably probably not it he's talking about rewards part of it probably not it oh he gets back to a sword where he says I did not come to bring peace but a sword that is i came to divide the world in half black and white with the truth of the gospel and that because of that division some people will be

entered into the kingdom of god and some people will not some people would hear the gospel of christ and be saved and some people will not some people will be torn from a family into the kingdom others will not I came to bring the revelation that my kingdom did not come to bring everybody in but my kingdom is going to separate the world from sheep and goats from saved and unsaved from believers and non-believers, from those who will be safe and those who will be eternally damned. The things are the truth about the gospel. Now everybody watch.

The Lord prayed. He's thanking the Father that the Lord hid this from wise people and revealed it to children the next question in the text is who are the wise, who are the children the wise are people who think they don't need God the children are those who respond to his grace and humility the children are those who take the $20

and buy the Burger King the wise are those who say get off20 and buy the Burger King. The wise are those who says, get off of me, I don't want your grace. Jesus was just, this is powerful, was just talking about being rejected by a group of cities and on the heels of rejection, he's praying a prayer of gratitude.

God. It's so powerful to me that the Lord reminds me that even when I'm being rejected, even when people won't receive, I still have something to be thankful for. That the Lord in the face of rejection is praying a prayer of gratitude, thanking God that he hid this truth from those who were wise and revealed it to children. It's almost as if the Lord is saying, Lord, I thank you that you blinded the minds of those who would reject the pearls of what I'm giving. That the pearls of what I'm giving is so precious that instead of it being trampled under the foot of men,

I want to thank you that you blinded the eyes of those who are so prideful they can't even see they need grace. Dang. And that you open up the minds of people who have received grace. Now, you read that and you're looking at me like you're crazy, but I'm thinking to myself, I'm one of those people that received the grace. You missed that. And the only way that could have happened is that the lord would have had to reveal

himself to me god so that means anyone sitting in a room right now who's saved your good behavior could not do this your church attendance could not do this your church attendance could not do this if you're in the room and you're saved the Lord at some point in time chose to reveal himself to you when you cook It's Thanksgiving weekend, right? When you could not get that revelation on your own. This is why I keep trying to teach my children and my church. I'm so sick of your vision boards.

That if the Lord don't give me a darn thing, if I never get a husband, if I never get a wife, if the ministry never gets the sign, listen, all this stuff you keep begging God, that we're so entitled, we think God owes us your vision board, that you're so entitled, you can't even thank him for the fact

your name is written in heaven. That's crazy to me. How in God's name does American Christians keep bullying God for stuff and be mad at him when he don't come through and you think your salvation is not worthy of a perpetual Thanksgiving you hear in the head you think think I got to wait for one day of the year to be thankful? Every morning I rise in the

kingdom. I got to fight you for gratitude. Every every morning that I rise in the kingdom it don't matter what hell is breaking out in my life I'm not where I want to be I don't have everything I want to have there's things I've been praying for for 20 years God has not done

but my name is written in a book in heaven and at some point in time when I was in darkness the Lord revealed he revealed himself to me watch and I had no control over that.

Some of y'all think, because I'm a pastor, this means something to me. This meant something to me when the Lord saved me before I even knew I was called to pastor church. Listen, I told y'all a story twice in 10 years. I'm going to tell it again because you need to remember it. When I was young, my mother sent me to a camp. I was on the edge of a pool. I was the shortest one at the camp. So I was at the front of the line and the instructor was walking behind everybody. He said, today, you're going to learn your first lesson and how not to panic. When he gets behind me, I hear his voice voice I could feel him on the back of my neck he pushes me into the deep end of a 20-foot pool I go straight down to the bottom because I can't swim and I'm frolicking at the bottom of the pool I cannot get

out on my own I don't know how to swim the water starts rushing up my nose I feel my head starting to swell in my mind I'm about to die and I keep feeling this pole poking me in my head after so many pokes I had the common sense race to grab the pole they yanked me out of the pool and the news that day in a camp a little common sense grace to grab the pole. They yanked me out of the pool and the news that day in the camp, a little black boy from Queens, watch, was saved, E.D., that day. Because if you're saved, E.D.,

that's a finished work. I'm not trying to earn salvation. Now watch. i told you the story three times now in 10 years because according to the scriptures everybody look at me look i'm about to mess up your theology every human being was born at the bottom of that pool amen you don't believe me oh you want you want Bible. Romans 3.23. For all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. Oh, that's not enough for you. Romans 6.23.

For the wages of sin is death. And because of Adam, you were born at the bottom of the pool. Watch. No human being can get out. Watch. No one can swim to the top on their own you don't have enough righteousness to swim to the top you don't have enough morality to swim to the top you don't have enough church attendance good behavior grandmama's faith you don't have enough it to swim

to the top there is no way out the pool without a mediator. So if you were me in that pool, and you got pulled out from the bottom, you open your eyes and you see the person who saved you, what is your response to that person? You don't got no other response except gratitude.

Now here is biblical theology above American theology you ready you ready all my American brothers and sisters you ready you were born at the bottom of the pool you were born separated from God you were born already headed to damnation you were born on the dark side of the kingdom and the Lord does not owe you anything no see only five people clap I'm gonna tell you why because you hear anything you think house car things you The Lord don't even owe you salvation. The only thing the scripture teaches us he owes us is damnation. That's why when Paul raised to the church of Ephesus, he called you an object of God's wrath. I'm so sick of your vision boards. Why don't you put intangible things on there this year I want

more wisdom more intimacy more faith more Bible reading more prayer I want to be more surrendered more humble how about that stuff see and the problem with you and I is you think God owed you salvation. He owed you grace so you walk around with a sense of entitlement like he owed you anything. Wow. Jesus.

My God. I know you're entitled. You're entitled because you'll be mad when he says no. And you'll be mad when he makes you wait. And you're mad because you've been praying for something for 20 years and he still ain't moved you mad because you entitled you think he owes you anything he don't even owe you salvation watch so if you're in this room

listen to me not a churchgoer you know in your heart you have passed from death to life how is your response to Christ anything other than a life of gratitude and full surrender how is that possible see you're gonna patty cake because you don't like that I'm talking to you look at me if you have received the righteousness that comes from the blood of the cross, how is your response to Jesus not anything other than a life of gratitude and full surrender? How is that possible? How do you think you can twist his arm into giving you what you want? Like he's in debt to any human being.

See, and in America, this is boring to you because all you think about is stuff. So if it's not a key or a wheel or a name brand, you can't be thankful. It's not a week that goes by in my life, in my prayer room at some point in time in that week I have not shed a tear on my knees thanking the Father that Lord when I was far away from you On my knees. Thanking the Father.

That Lord when I was far away from you. When I was raised in a home with Christian parents. When I heard the gospel and rejected it. At some point in time. You revealed yourself to me. You brought me out of the kingdom of darkness. When I was headed for damnation. You brought me of the kingdom of darkness when I was headed for damnation you brought me into the kingdom of light and I could not accomplish that on my own and I shed tears of gratitude that I'm just in the kingdom I don't need a bigger platform I don't need a bigger platform. I don't need more followers on Instagram.

I don't need another house or car. I don't need to be famous. Lord, if all I have is all I will ever have, I will continue to shed these tears that you brought me out of the kingdom of darkness you rescued me from the bottom of the pool when i could not get out on my own i am headed to glory if i get clipped by a bullet i I see your face. If I die in a car crash, I wake up in glory. My labors would end with a crown.

I got the God of heaven and earth on my side. I have nothing in this life to fear. Not even death can rob me of the testimony that I'm headed to glory. No demon can curse me. No person can take away from me what God has given me. My name is written above me even in my insecurities, my failures, my mistakes, my hang-ups, and my shame.

Even in my sense of unworthiness, I still don't even understand why you would reveal yourself to me. you see and if you're always thankful for salvation anything above that it's just overflow of just dang lord a new job word dang lord I got a dope squad proof dang Lord I got people who love me dang Lord steak and cab dang Lord fish and champagne dang Lord a new open dang Lord like everything else my old man Lord oh thank you Lord Lord oh thank you I got a hot wife that loved me oh thank you I got kids thank you more I woke up

this morning thank you Lord I got a job thank you Lord Lord. I woke up this morning. Thank you, Lord. I got a job. Thank you, Lord. I can pay my bills. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I'm overwhelmed with gratitude. Is anybody thankful in this room? Thank you, Lord. You're talking about, well, is Pastor Philip a Calvinist or an Arminian? Is he predestination or going to all the world? Well, which one is he? I'm both. For those he predestined, he also foreknew. And it's the same God that said,

go into all the world and preach the gospel to all people. And since I don't know who belongs to him, my job is to keep telling everybody about him. Amen! Amen! I'm both. Amen! I'm a Calvinist and an Arminian.

I'm Reformed and an Evangelical. Jesus! Jesus! So how could that be? You remember everything you did on Thanksgiving Day? You remember everything you did on Thanksgiving Day? You remember where you was, what you ate, how much turkey you ate? You remember all of that, right?

That's two days behind you, right? Do you know everything that happened on that day? I'm talking to you. Do you know everything that happened on Thanksgiving Day? That's called your memory take your memory and swing it around in front of you that's called god's foreknowledge he already knows who's going to receive who's not he already knows who's going to open up their heart and who's not he already knows who's gonna open up their heart and who's not he already

knows who's gonna accept and who won't so based on his full knowledge of everybody i know was gonna love me because i already know she gonna open her heart to me so i'm a pre i predestined her to be my daughter before she was born when philip was in sh Sharon's room I already know when he was 24 he would open his heart to me when he was suicidal so I'm already gonna pre-destined him to be my son and to be a preacher and since you don't know whose hearts are gonna be open I would not miss the gold therefore I already know I'm gonna get heat for this section right here I

already know what's coming the hate the emails the DMs already how you Calvinist and I mean I already know what's coming they're gonna try to back me into a corner I don't care I'm. I'm predestination and go therefore. Since I don't know whose hearts are going to be open to him, my job is to keep preaching the gospel to everybody. His job is to win those who he already knows belong to him. I can't regenerate a human being anyway only the Spirit of God can do that dang Ken I feel heat coming

dang nah they already know it's coming. I don't care though. What verse am I on? Nah, y'all wrong. What verse am I on? Oh, you're right. I just got my Bible. That's all I got. All right.

Here's my question. Is Jesus credible to say these things? I'm asking you a question. I'm about to be done. Is he credible to say these things? Yes, sir. Verse 27 shows his credibility. Jesus. All right. Father. credible to say these things verse 27 shows his credibility shout elder shout it how many things how many things all things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows the son. Except the father.

Let's go deeper. And no one knows the father. Except the son. Let's go deeper. And anyone. How many? Anyone. How many?

And anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him the temperature just went up in the room so here we have trinitarian doctrine godhead doctrine the father is talking to the son the son is talking about the father here we have the trinitarian doctrine that we serve a god who is singular god elohim plural who is god the father god the son god the holy spirit three co-equal persons in one. I don't understand that, but that's the way he revealed himself. It's like the Father is water, the Spirit is steam, and the Son is like ice cubes, right? He's the one, the Trinity, the one who we've been able to touch and hold so watch we see this Trinitarian doctrine this God had language the father is known by the son and the son is known by the father and the word no doesn't mean I have mental knowledge of I have

intimate knowledge of because they've always been together they have never been outside of community in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Verse 14, and the word became flesh, walked among us. They've always been together. Genesis 1, 2, 8, 6, let us Father, Son, Holy Spirit, man in

our image and in our likeness. Now, before I finish the text, and I only got, I got 10 minutes. I want you to notice the last thing Jesus says. No one knows the father except the son reveals the father to them. Your multiple ways to who? This is why we should love Jesus. Jesus said, everybody watch, I'm about to land a plane.

No one knows God except I open your eyes to know him watch this but you have people be running around social media saying they they children of god but they're anti-christ come on malachi you got god see for this they're not gonna bring me to the conference you got people who'll be talking about they servants of god but they don't do jesus how you do god but you don't know jesus when jesus said i am the only person that can reveal god to people stay there don't start so y'all be watching

people that be talking about oh i serve god i want to thank my Lord like all this God talk but Christ is nowhere in the conversation you don't know God you know a false God he said but they got a big platform false God oh but they talk with wisdom false God wasn't the wise people that he blinded because they wasn't humble enough to know

that they need the Lord Jesus Christ so how you pro God and anti Jesus that's why you gotta watch people carefully that always talk about that they need the Lord Jesus Christ. So how you pro-God and anti-Jesus? That's why you got to watch people carefully that always talk about God but never mention Jesus. You got all this God talk but you don't talk about Jesus.

I'll be careful of our preachers that always talk about God but you don't talk about Jesus I be careful of our preachers that always talk about God but you don't talk about Jesus I'm telling these prophets all these people always say God said and God said and they got catered to you always talk about God you never exalt the son. They can fool them. They're going to fool me. All your little prophets that you be running around the nation chasing.

Sitting in big rooms always talking about God. You never hear them exalt the son. When Jesus said no one can know God except I reveal it to that person there is no God apart from Christ so what God is Islam servant and you tell me we serving the same God how when your prophet is Mohammed and mines is the Messiah you know we serving the same God Jehovah and Allah not the same being I don't care there's only one God stop telling me that you ain't gonna back me down in a corner talking about Jehovah and Allah is the same being. No, they're not. Jehovah is God and Allah is a demon.

Y'all better wake up. We're living in the last days. You got all this gray, all this mixing of truth. truth we're so afraid we don't know biblical doctrine you stand on all these opinions of men and you won't read the Bible Jesus said no one knows the father except I reveal him to you there is no knowledge of God apart from Christ

so in God they serve him softly and because softly and because there are people in this room still in the dark watch start praying and because

there are people watching me still in the dark and because Jesus knows there are people under the sound of my voice right now in the dark you know what's the next thing he says in the dark and because Jesus know that people under the sound of my voice right now in the dark you know what's the next thing he says in the text give me the next verse not to your sage not to your crystals not to your church attendance not to your baptism as a baby not to your favorite prophet come to me twice all of you who are labor and heavy

laden you are tired this is good preaching for those who are frustrated but this tiredness really means those who are carrying the weight of your own sin that you're not going to be able to pay for you say well I don't believe all of that just die and find out how heavy that sin is I don't believe all of that Philip

fine you die and find out how heavy that sin is you can't pay for it but your good behavior so since there is no other way to have a relation for God the Lord looks out over a crowd it, stop all your mess. Come to me. I'm talking to people in this room who's still in the dark, and you know it. You've been in church, you're in the dark. You do church, but you're not alive. You know why? You love sin.

So I know you're not in the light. You sin and sleep. You do church, but you're not really born again. because you don't even feel convicted about your wrongdoing. You got God in your profile, but your life don't testify of a changed person. I know you're in the room. I know you're watching me right now live across this camera. I know you hear my voice right now you're still in the kingdom of darkness you are deceived and Jesus said there is no other way

because I love you, come unto me. Everyone who labors and is heavy laden, you're tired. The weight of your sin is too heavy. Come to me. And here is the promise for your humility. That thing you've been looking for in men and can't find. That thing you've been looking for in women and can't find. That thing you've been looking for in money and can't find. That thing you've been looking for in women and can't find. That thing you've been looking for in money and can't find.

That thing you've been looking for in following and can't find. That thing you've been looking for in bottles, drugs, pornography, I can't find. You know what your soul needs? Rest. You know what rest is? Assurance that I'm in the kingdom of light,

that God is my father, that I'm walking with Jesus of light that God is my father that I'm walking with Jesus and when I die I will land in the arms of my savior you don't have that rest give me the next verse he continues the greatest invitation you ever had take my yoke upon you.

I don't even need this. And learn from me. That's discipleship. Watch. I am gentle and lowly in heart. He promises twice. And you will find rest for your soul. Now everybody watch.

He uses the word go back my yoke the key word in the text is my why because the presupposition of the text is that he's not the only one with a yoke then you should be asking me, what is a yoke? I got a picture of one. Give me the picture of my yoke. This is a yoke. A wooden object that straps two animals together. Watch.

That cannot be released without help. When one animal gets weak. The other animal bears it up. When one animal falls down. The other one has to bear it up. So if you're not yoked with Christ. There is somebody else in your yoke. It's not Jesus.

It's the adversary adversary it's the devil you've been strapped to since you've been born who keeps dragging you every direction but towards the kingdom so Jesus says break free from that yoke. Put the scripture back up there and take my yoke upon you. Learn from me. Be my disciple and I'll give you rest. You say, my man, if I put on God's yoke, a yoke is still heavy. Give me the last verse.

Give me the last verse. My yoke is easy. And my burden is light it is easier than the sin you're carrying it is easier than the lies of the devil you said but man if i take on god's yoke what about all the downshout knots and all the stuff he's going to ask me to do and all that other stuff let's go to our old elder first john give me Give me 1 John. By this we know that we love the children of God. When we love God and... Stop right there. When we do what? Stop right there. His commandments is his yoke, salvation, his teachings, his ways. Now watch what he says about his yoke. Give me the next verse.

For this is the that we and his commandments are God's words. How? Watch. His commandments are only burdensome for people who's trying to carry a fake yoke but you're not filled with the spirit so everything christianity feels heavy

because you don't have the spirit of god but once you have the spirit you have a desire you gotta do you wake up wanting to do what's right so you feel bad when you do what's wrong now let's get real you sitting in this room right now you're doing church but it feel heavy you're doing life but it feel heavy his commandments feel all the stuff feel heavy who's on the other side of your yoke is it really Jesus or is it the enemy that's been deceiving you since you first started going to church you've been in church your whole life still yoked to the devil what did Jesus say to you hear his voice your whole life. Still yoked to the devil.

What did Jesus say to you? Hear his voice. Come. Just come. You're tired. You're weary. You're working to earn something I paid for. My prayer team is praying.

I'm about to stop people from going to hell. The Lord says, just come. You don't need to fix the past. You don't need to figure it out. Just be a little child. Just come to me. Matter of fact, if I'm talking to you, get out your seat.

The Lord says, come. All of you who are weary and you're tired and you're heavy like come to me i will give you rest for your soul i want to pray for every tired person every person who's far away from god like you know what? Shut up. They think this is a sermon. You think it's a sermon. I want to pray for every tired person. Every person far from God. And you know it. Let's stop playing around.

Every person you just weary. Hear the spirit of God saying, come. Just come. I'm going to give you rest for your soul. Just come. You're tired. You're weary. For some of you, your tired tiredness is sin you're still in darkness you need to come for others your tiredness is you are in the kingdom but you're trying to perform and earn you're just tired listen altar don't move don't try to slip out the back door stop this american nonsense pray some people are about to come out of darkness into light

they're about to escape hell they're about to escape damnation. The Father is wooing them right now to himself. How do you move during this moment? How do you not pray? This is life or death. Time is running out. We're living in the last days. The harvest is ripe. But the laborers are few.

If you're in the aisle, get as close to me as you can. Get close. Keep coming. He's catching those tears. Come on. Somebody bring this sister close. Erica, bring her closer. Come close.

Come. Give me some water. There's no shadow. There's no shadow. You won't light up. There's water. Come close. Come close.

Come on, this is between you and God This is between you and God Throw yourself on the altar Tell him you're sorry for your sin Tell him you're tired Tell him you're weary Tell him you need him Yes, he's catching those tears right now Tell him you need him. Yes, he's catching those tears right now.

Come on. Yes, he's catching those tears right now. Overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, it chases me down, fights till I'm found. Leaves the 99. And I couldn't earn it. Couldn't earn it. Don't deserve it. Don't deserve it. Until you give yourself away.

He gives himself away. Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. He gives himself away. I couldn't earn it. And you don't deserve it. Go shadow. Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, endless love of God. No shadow. There's no shadow you won't light up. Mountain you won't climb up. Come and laugh to me.

Oh, there's no wall, no. There's no wall you won't kick down. Lie you won't tear down. Come and laugh to me me there's no mountain there's no sun you won't light up mountain you won't climb up coming after me to me. In all the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, He chases me down, fights till I'm found, leaves the 99. I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it still you give yourself away Oh well me never ending reckless love of God father Father, I pray over all of these men and women

who are weary and heavy laden. I pray right now, God, you give them rest in their soul. That you are sovereignly saving those who belong to you. And for the believer

who's been trying to earn what you have freely given. I pray you give them rest right now for their soul. For the one who has been carrying the heavy burden of sin. I pray you would save them right now. And give them rest God for their soul. For the one watching me across this camera. Listening to my voice. I pray you save them and give them rest right now for their soul.

For the son or daughter trying to earn love, trying to earn righteousness, who's already under the blood, give them rest right now in their soul. Deliver us from the treadmill of trying to earn what you have freely given. Catch all these tears that are falling at this altar. We feel your spirit now transferring people from the kingdom of darkness

to the kingdom of light. Now, Father, seal these with the spirit. Record their names in heaven. Minister to the brother and the sister. Let

every person leave this room today rested in the assurance of salvation, your love, and your goodness. And now we shall shame the devil. For you said when one sinner repents, all of heaven rejoices.

There's no shadow. Praise Him! Praise Him!