MorningStar Fellowship Church | Sunday Service 11:00am

his throne his face at his feet we throw our crowns and we wait upon [Music] Lord good morning everybody I'm Jeff Woods this is my wife Sandy how are you this morning good morning my favorite day of the week you guys already know that it's Sunday morning I get to have a couple cups of coffee come here 11:00 service who do we have preaching today we have Gary web and maybe a surprise 10minute speaker yeah that possibly um Bobby Connor I I asked him he wasn't sure I plugged it before at 11 o'clock at 9 o' rather I'm hoping he does get up there and say something yes he was interesting humorous as always and a really good word right bobb's a character I'm looking forward to what Gary's going to preach on I don't know what he's going to preach on so it'll be a surprise for all of us um we've got a few events coming up here at Morning Star we've got the MBA with Mar Yao that is August 23rd and 4th it'll be on your screen below Mar ya great guy um I said this at 9:00 caught him um on the television show with Chris and Shanny wow what a great job in the family Legacy and he's been in business three generations his knowledge was off the charts great guy great guy you need to come any of you guys that are in business business I'm in business you honestly need to come he was a Powerhouse and then coming in September is the school of the profits that first weekend is September 12th and 13th but they're still taking registrations highly recommended Morning Star is known for its prophetic gifting and the ability to train and equip people in the prophetic so if that's you please go online and register yeah I'm looking forward this morning it's actually a colonet web is leading worship and Carri web her husband is preaching how about that husband and wife Doo love that yeah that's pretty cool I think I know something about that you too you too that's right that's right shout out to Shanny and Bridget it's their 23rd anniversary yeah happy anniversary you too hope you're enjoying your day yeah we love you guys glad you tuned in the morning star um the service is going to be great thank you thank you thank you we'll see you after the service and bless you guys in Jesus name [Music] [Music] sh sing you we wait for your power Lord we need it upon the shall their streng [Music] as weit upon you wait [Music] your the of the there fullness of joy weit we wait [Music] you [Music] [Music] oh sh [Music] Glory sh we see your hor shine hor sh see your glory there's nothing like it Lord nothing like it AR and sh we wait to see your [Music] yeah we wait upon you and we wait upon you Lord we wait upon you we wait upon you we wait upon you we wait upon you Lord wait upon you Lord wait upon you Lord we wait we wait for you oh [Music] weit just the DRS w [Music] we wait upon you we wait upon you nkba conference is going to be more than just teaching you how to run your business or coaching you on how to do a better business no this is about bringing the prophetic into the business realm and not just surviving in this time of economic upheaval and turmoil but showing you how to thrive and this really is going to be a revolutionary year reorienting the vision and focus of Morning Star kba we really want you to be there we here at M kba believe that the father is in your business that the father cares about your business and that the business is the gos that he will set up in times of transition for you to help many people so come be about your father's business and please bring your kingdom into your business Jesus said occupy till I come I think we should preach the gospel and Advance the kingdom through missionary efforts in all different Avenues to proclaim the good news as if we are going to take the world for Christ whatever we don't finish he will when he comes but that's the reason why even though we can bring the kingdom of God we can do all the work Greater Works that Jesus said said that we can do there is another Harvest yet to come there's barley harvest in this room they're the Overcomers coming into maturity early can survive drought heat and cold there's wheat harvest in this room but listen to me the grape Harvest is out in the world waiting to hear your testimony waiting to hear your story waiting to hear you give them a word of knowledge or pray for them and demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit waiting for you to cast the demons off of them hey guys I got some good news for you you on Fire's back Sarah you just hit someone enough about that here's everything you need to know youth on fire is going to be having a zoom meeting on August 20th for both parents and youth to discuss upcoming events can I come to can I come to hand cut are you interested in becoming a greeter merch Specialist or intern good news applications are open for more information email Youth mm.org and for weekly updates check out our Instagram Morningstar youth I'll let Noah tell you the best part hey guys Youth and fire is going to be meeting at the Bob Jones Vision Center on August 27th at 600 p.m. make sure to invite your friends and have fun we hope to see you there have fun at you on fire kids welcome home welcome to morning [Music] storm the house that God is building [Music] [Music] e e hope will arve death is defeated the king is [Music] alive sing our raise I raise a Hallelujah with everything inside of me with everything inside of me I raise a Hallelujah I will was the darkness flee I raise a [Music] [Applause] Hallelujah in the mid of the [Music] mystery now raise a [Music] hallelu I fear you lost your Hold On Me [Music] I'm going to sing in the middle of a stor louder and louder you're going to hear my Praises Roar up from thees oh will arise death is defeated the king [Applause] alive hey come on the king is alive oh we worship a Risen [Music] [Applause] Savior King of Kings Lord of lords we glorify you Jesus Oh sing a little louder sing a little louder sing a little louder sing a little louder sing a little louder we sing a little louder sing a little louder yeah sing a little louder sing a little louder in the presence of my enemy sing a little louder louder than the unbelief sing it little louder my is a Mel see you a little louder Oh Heaven comes to fight for me sing a little louder in the Praises of my enemies sing a little louder louder than the unel singing a little louder my weapon is a Melody sing a little louder Heaven comes to fight for me sing a little louder and I'm going to sing in the middle of the storm louder and louder you're going to hear my Praises up from the ases home will arise to death is defeated the king is alive I'm going to s in the middle of the storm louder and louder going to hear my pra Roar From the Ashes hope will arise death is defeated K is alive how reason Hallelujah [Applause] lift it up I raise a [Music] Hallelujah I raise Hallelujah Weise it up I'll Raise A Hallelujah iise the Hallelujah I raise the [Applause] Hallelujah raise Hallelujah the victory is the Raise A [Music] Hallelujah raise a [Applause] hallelu we sing Halle [Applause] [Music] hallelujah oh H hallelujah oh we bless you [Music] God hallelujah come on open wide the gates Hal Hallelujah the gates of Praise we say Hal Hallelujah let the king of glory come in Hal [Music] Hallelujah H [Applause] Hallelujah H Hallelujah woo Great and Mighty God oh we bless you Lord we worship you Jesus glory to you King glory to you King of Kings Lord of lords we bless you in this place today God [Music] [Applause] [Music] you're the god of more than enough there are no limits in your love from my first to my last refrain I hunger and thirst for you you're the rain you're the rain from the desert sky drawing Wells from what once was dry like a song that can't contain I hunger and thirst for you yes I hunger and thirst for you I have tasted I have seen you are good and you will always be there's a longing in my heart I just want to be with you where you are oh Jesus you're the rain you're the r from the desert sky drawing Wells from what once was dry like a song that I can't C say oh I hunger and thirst for you I hunger and thirst for you oh I have tasted I have seen you are good and you will always be there's a longing in my heart I just want want to be with you where you are I have tasted I have seen you are good and you will always be there's a longing in my heart I just want to be with you where you are woo [Music] it's the Cry of my [Music] heart want to be with you where you [Music] are and how I long for you just to be close to you you are my one person Mery how I long for you yes how I long for you just to be close to you you are my one person how I long for you God how I long for you just to be close to you you are my one Pursuit how I long for you how I long for you just to be close just to be close to you you are my [Applause] one how I love for [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you deepest calling out to deep in the Roar of your waterfalls here we come here we come here we come oh how I long for you just to be close to you you are my one how I long for you God how I for you just to be close to you you are my world Mery how I long for you and how I long for you just to be close to you you are my Wonder how I love for you I have tasted I have seen you are good and you will always be there's a longing in my heart I just want to be with you where you are take tast I have seen you are good and you will always be there's a longing in my heart I just follow me with you where you Areo [Music] and how I long for you just to be close to you you are my one Pursuit how I long for you how I long for you close to you you are my [Music] one now I long for you as the deer pants for the water so my soul thirst after you oh God when can I come and meet with [Music] you I'm blessed if I hunger blessed if I thirst you will always satisfy the ones who choose to seek you first and I am bless if I hunger I am blessed if I thirst you will always satisfy the ones who choose to seek you first H I am blessed blessed if I hunger I am bless if I thirst you will always satisfy the ones who choose to seek you [Music] first just to be close to you you are my one person how I long for [Music] you oh we love you Lord we love you Lord we love you Lord oh we've tasted of your goodness tasted of Your Love tasted of your loving kindness we've tasted of your faithfulness you're good you good you good you good [Music] I Love You Lord oh your mercy never fails me in all my days I've been held in your hands yeah from the moment that I wake up until I Lay My my head I will sing of the goodness of God and all my life you have been faithful all my life you have been so so good with every breath that I Amar able and I will sing of the goodness of God I love your [Music] voice you have L me through the fire in darkest nights you are close like no other I've known you as a father I've known you as a friend and I have live in the goodness of [Music] God and all my life you have been faithful and all my life you have been so so good with every breath that I am a and I will sing the goodness of [Music] God you're goodness is pour after spr after me your goodness is running after it's running after me with my life La down I Surrender now give you [Music] everything no goodness is running after it's running after me your goodness is running after it's running after me your goodness is running after it's running after me my life laid down I surrendered out give you [Music] everything goodness is running after it's running after [Applause] [Music] me all my life you have been faithful [Applause] [Music] all my life you have been so so good with every breath that I am a I will sing of the goodness of God all my life you have been faithful [Music] and all my life you have been so so [Applause] good every breath that I am a I will seeing the goodness of God and I will sing the goodness of God woo [Music] on everybody let's sing that again all my life say all my life you have been faithful we testify this morning all my life you have been so so good with every breath that I have am able and I will sing the goodness of God [Music] hallelu can you just lift your voices with me we sing a song from our hearts this morning Jesus oh how good you been God of my past my present and my [Music] future you see what we are becoming and you're totally committed to our journey day by day day by day yes you are yes you are yes you are oh you watch over your word to perform it you watch over your word to see it through yes you do yes you do yes you do I remember I remember I remember oh I'm a living breathing testimony of your goodness God oh I'm living proof I'm living proof I'm living proof there's a God who saves there's a God who who redeems there's a God who restores who heals and delivers changes everything makes all things new oh I'm living proof I'm living proof I'm living proof look what you've done in my [Music] life Hallelujah with every breath that we have we will worship you we will worship you we will worship you it's all for your glory It's All For Your Glory All For Your Glory oh we lay our crowns at your feet we lay our crowns down at your feet you're worthy you're worthy totally worth it you're totally worth it Jesus yes [Music] God to the one who War a crown of thorns to the one who took the last and Scourge for the hands and feet that were pierced by nails for the sacrifice that has torn the veil we Crown you we fall face down and we worship we all cry out you are worthy God you are worthy God yes and we Crown you we fall face down we worship we all cry out you are worthy God you are worthy [Music] God the word only one is wor [Music] the one who [Music] gave his very Life Away who took upon himself all our guil and shame hanging on a cross [Music] for the world he loved and with his Precious Blood purchased men for God yes we Crown you we fall face down and we worship we all cry out you are worthy [Music] God you are worthy God and we Crown you we fall face down and we worship we all cry out you are worthy God you are worthy God [Music] to the one who endured all the shame of the Cross to the lamb who was slain as atonement for us and to the son who overcame all the power of death we praise yes for the stripes for the wounds for the beating you bore and for the tears the blood that was willingly poured for the merciful wonderful mesty of your love oh to the one who endured all the shame of the cross to the lamb who was slain as a for us to the sun who overcame all the power of death [Music] we and for the stries for the Ws for the for the tears for the blood that was willing for for the merciful wonderful mesty of your [Applause] [Music] and we around you we fall face down and we worship we all cry out you are worthy God you are [Applause] worthy God yes and we ground we fall face down and we wor worship we all cry out you are worthy God oh you are worthy s to the one oh to the one who end hold the shame of the Cross to the lamb who was slain has atonement for us to the son who overcame all the power of death we W for the stries for the Ws for the for the tears for the love that was willing for for the merciful wonderful mesty of your [Music] [Applause] [Music] they are crowns [Music] down in Majesty oh your mesty [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] sing all glory and honor and praise to the beautiful lamb who was slain all glory and honor and praise to the beautiful lamb who was slain Oh Glory and Honor and praise to the beautiful lamb who was slain all the glory and honor and praise to the beautiful lamb who was Oh Glory and Honor and praise to the beautiful lamb who was slain Oh Glory and Honor and praise [Music] when we Crown you we fall face down and we worship we all cry out you are worthy God you are worthy God one more time and we cry we fall face down and we worship we all cry out you are worthy God you are worthy [Music] God you are worthy of it all you are worthy of it [Music] all for from you are all things andto you are all things you deserve the glory you are worthy of it [Music] all you are worthy of it all for from you are all to you are all things you deserve the glory we sing all the saints oh and all the saints and Angels they bow before your throne and all the elders cast there crows before the lamb oh God and sing you are worthy of it [Music] all you are worthy of it all yes Jesus for from you are all things to you are all things you the glory you're worthy you are worthy of of It All Forever and Ever you are worthy of it [Applause] all for from you are all things and to you are all things you deserve the glory we sing day and night oh day and night night and day in for day and night night and day inise day and night night and day in arise day and night and night day and night day and night we say day and night night and day arise day and night and night and day let [Music] inise day and night and night and day inise and day and night night and day you are worthy of it all you are worthy of it all yes you are Jesus for from you are all things and to you are all things you deserve the glory for from you for from you you are all things and you are all things you deserve the glory for from you for from you are all things and to you are all things you deserve the glory yes you deserve the glory [Music] you deserve the glory you deserve the glory oh and you deserve the glory oh you deserve the glory you deserve the glory say you deserve the glory blessing and honor glory and [Applause] power you deserve the [Music] glory you deserve the glory there's only one there's only one found who worthy there's only one there's only one found worthy there's only one there's only one found there's only one there's only one deserve glor Jesus you deserve the glory Jesus say you deserve the glory Jesus you deserve the [Music] glory you deserve the glory you deserve the glory hey you deserve the glory deserve the glory Jesus Son of God the resurrection and the life hey you deserve the glory the shepherd and Bishop of my soul head of the church bright and Morning Star Living Water bread of life you deserve the glory King of Kings Lord of L Seated on the thr you hold the keys you hold the keys you deserve the glory [Music] [Music] yes yes you deserve it all that means don't leave nothing in the tank he deserve it all give it all to him you can't hold anything back you got to give it all to him I know sometime you want to hold a little bit for yourself you can't do it you got to give it all to him I tell you when you give all is something about as I refer to in athletics you've heard him say lay it all on the line that mean you lay it all on the line you give him everything and when we give him everything thing is something oh man I can't even explain it to you I can't even explain it to him he's so good he is so good every day I don't mean one day give it all to him and then the next day give him 50% no give it all to him every day praise the Lord come on give God a hand clap of praise for our worship team yes God is so good it's so good to be in the house of the Lord one more time and we want to welcome our firsttime visitors if you're visiting with us for the very first time if you will raise your hand we want to recognize you keep it up keep it up come on give them a hand clap of Praise also we're glad you're here with us we have a visitor's packet if you would uh fill it out and put it into the offering bucket I think we have a a gift for you uh afterwards some a snack coffee and a few other things we'll give to you we're just so glad that you're here with us of all the places that you could be today God LED you here and if he led you here I promise you he has a word for you today so we're glad that you're here with us also also we have our connect group if you want to join uh one of our Ministries uh get connected to my left here in the lobby we have a table for our connect groups and if you would go there you can find out how many of you all uh know where you're supposed to be at in terms of Ministry you know exactly what you're supposed to be doing how many of y'all raise your hand okay so what what that tells me is a lot of hands are not up so that means that we need to find our place you do we need to find our place because once you find your place when everybody is in place things work so smoothly it works so smoothly so we all have a little part to play so we want to help you find your place so if you would go and uh look at the connect groups that we have and and see where you're supposed to be at that would be great all right now what we like to get to now we want to continue Worship in offering so we want to uh give the Lord back a portion of what he blessed us with and we just want to say how much we love you and how much we thank you so if you will look on the back of your seats there there should be a envelope if you can fill that out there several ways to give you can give by cash you give check credit card or debit card you can also give by smartphone if you would text the words give give to the number on the screen or uh you can also scan the QR code so there so many ways to give was a whole lot different when I was 15 years old it was just one way to give and if it was re Ike he said he don't want to hear no jingling in that bucket but uh so I'm I'm G to take a a second here and have you pray and ask the Lord uh what does he want you to do what how what how are you supposed to give this morning so just take a time and pray and ask the Lord to speak to you Lord we just thank you for the opportunity to give back to you and Lord we just also we want to have an impact in the earth we know it it takes money to do a lot of things Lord and you've blessed us so as we give back to you this morning good measure press down shaking together and running over we just say thank you for allowing us the opportunity to give back to you in Jesus name amen amen as the ushers are coming around to take up the offering I just want to bring up a few announcement on August 18th in the Grand Cafe shine meeting Missy Reed will be uh sharing also they ask asking that you bring if a potluck which mean if you have your last name is a through L bring an Advertiser or entree if your last name is m through Z bring a dessert also coming up the Morning Star kba conference August the 23rd through the 24th being about the father's business connecting with like-minded business people get equipped to take the kingdom into the marketplace how many Marketplace ministers do we have in here how many of you all are ministering in the marketplace that's a great place to be it really is unbelievable opportunity so we just want to really encourage you also healing and freedom teams meeting today in the Grand Cafe at 1:30 if you're interested in joining one of these teams please come at 1:30 now for the good stuff Bobby Conor we have an amazing 10-minute speaker here want y'all welcome I don't have to give him an introduction come on up Bobby after Bobby speak the next voice that you hear will be our lead Pastor here at Morning Star Gary we up so we want to bless and welcome him as well God bless you thank you how's the air up there a't he tall oh boy aren't aren't you glad to be here the Bible said this is the day the Lord has made I'm going to what rejoice and be glad in it I tell you some people have just enough Jesus to be miserable they got him in the head but not the heart they got rules regulations stipulations manipulations God's not in that the joy of the Lord is what our strength Psalm 1611 says you will show me the pathway of life in your presence is fullness of joy at your right hand are Pleasures forever more we ought to be the happiest people on Earth we ought to be so happy people go what are the what are you own say we're on Jesus and I'm telling you what Jesus is wonderful he's absolutely wonderful can you believe this my wife was uh informing me on several things that I need to talk about here is one 31 years ago 1992 over in Berlin Germany in a in a hotel lobby is where I met Rick jorner didn't know Rick jorner from a wood rat you know what I was invited over there by Paul Kaine and uh Rick was uh part of the conference there and I didn't know any of the any of those guys and we're in a a a hotel lobby there in Berlin Germany and Rick had already pic figured out that I could see through people and find out about people so I'm there and uh somebody walks in the the door of the lobby of this big fancy hotel and uh that Rick knew and Rick called him over there and I'm sitting here uh the guy standing there and Rick is sitting here and Rick says hey Bobby I go yeah he said give me a readout on this guy and see what you see so I looked him over and I said oh well here's what I see I see a very unique briefcase I see a briefcase and I described this briefcase this guy Newman Payton he was a baron was some political Baron Baron new Newman Payton later I find out he falls in he falls in the lobby down on his face screaming it's God it's God it's God I go okay and so he said I just came came in there's one briefcase in the whole world like the briefcase he just described and I just came in from a trip giving it to Kurt Vault time and I said whatever piece of paper that is in that briefcase will stop World War I is that wild pretty wild and so I like that I like that God will just mix you up and then get you at 31 years ago Rick Jordan and I met in Germany oh boy we have had some times good gracious woo but anyway uh I'm glad you're here I'm glad for Morning Star Ministry and Chris Reed and all the folks and uh I'll tell you what what a time to be alive it's the most crucial time in human history and look who God's Let Live I go what are you thinking don't you you know and he said yes I finally found people weak enough to work in not weak in morals not weak in ethics not weak in character but weak in her own ability he said I found me a generation of people that's embraced John 15 five without me you can do nothing first time I ever read that I got mad without me you can do nothing I go what do you mean I can do nothing and then I finally chilled out a little bit and I thought well maybe I don't understand the word nothing so back then you had to get these big old Greek books about that thick thick is a Sears and Rob book catalog and I'm looking for nothing nothing the Greek word nothing I found it guess what it means absolutely nothing a big old fat zero with the vacuum sucked in it that's what our life accomplishes without the the tutoring and the guidance of the Holy Spirit but with the Holy Spirit Philippians 43 I can do what all things how through Christ who infuses me with Inner Strength I am self-sufficient in Christ deficiencies another thing my wife announced to me a while ago she said and I want you to talk about the shepherd Rod now for 29 years on the day of atonement I've had this visitation from Jesus Christ he'll come tell me some of the things that's going to happen in the future WR in a book called The Shepherd Rod this is a Shepherd rod for 2024 right here and there's one for 2023 out there on the table and here's what my wife has instructed me that we're be signing books and all the proceeds are going to go to Morning Star Ministries that's the part I didn't know about but I'm going I'll sign it and I'll put you a verse in there I like verses don't you oh boy there's a lot of strange verses in the Bible here's one as sure as a turning of the milk brings forth butter the ringing of the nose brings forth blood hey isn't that something now that you might never need to use that but there's a possibility that uh anyway uh the shepherd's Rod you say well tell me about the shepherd's Rod uh shepher Rod 24 2024 and it's talking about the year of the open door and here it is it's in the Book of Revelation Revelation say Revelation what Revelations 4:1 Revelations 4:1 listen what it says and after this I looked and behold a door was standing open in heaven and the first voice which I heard addressing me like the calling of a war trumpet said come up here and I will show you what must take place in the future at once I came under the holy spirit's power and behold a throne stood in heaven and with one SE Seated on the throne and so God is offering us an open invitation to come up after this I Heard a Voice that said said come up here and this is a season now you'll hear it this is the season of the open door aren't you glad listen to this one this is revelation chap uh 3:20 behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and heeds my voice and opens the door I will come in and have fellowships and I'm telling you God has opened his door now it's time for us to open our door remember he said behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door we have got to start taking time for Jesus we got to start spending time with him it it'll revolutionize your life just getting into his presence in his presence is what fullness of joy right-handed Pleasures forever more now listen I want us to spend time with the Lord Isaiah 263 God will keep us in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon Him trust in the Lord Jehovah and the Lord Jehovah is what Everlasting peace and strength and so we got to the Bible said I'm talking fast I talk real fast but I had a big cup of coffee you know oh man no I talk fast because I used to buy television time and I'm cheap so I figure if I talk real fast I'd get my money's worth but since morning Stars paying for this we could slow down and the Bible says oh boy uh it's amazing I I can you believe this we've been preaching 55 plus years and we've averaged speaking five times a week for 55 years What I'm Living Proof practice don't make perfect I've been yeah 55 years five times a week isn't that amazing and listen I can hear you some of you are going well you ought to be better at it by now no listen I I'm having a good time I'll tell you what I'm enjoying I'm 80 years old I get to speak the largest youth conferences in the world I go what do they want to see a fat guy sweat no they want to know two things is this book real and can I do it the answer is yes yes and I'm telling you what God wants to show himself strong and mighty and do some wonderful things for us so I want you to get the shepherd Rod book The Shepherd Rod uh 2024 and 2023 uh this is the first time well second time actually uh it happened with Bob Jones and I where we had seek one tells one book tells how to do the other book now uh the Bible says here here's what it says the Bible says Daniel 721 and 22 says I watched in the evil horn now that means Lucifer uh anything dark and deadly was making war against the Saints of God and prevailing until until the Ancient of Days stands drops a gavel and renders a verdict in behalf of the saints of God and the the time has arrived for the Saints to take back the Kingdom so that's what he says in 2023 2024 tells us how to do it it's a season of the open door a season of Builders and Battlers that's what we got to do we've got to become worshippers and warriors we got to get aggressive to take back everything the devil has stolen the Bible tells us that uh God wants us to really mobilize the body of Christ boy these angels on the day of atonement uh on the day of atonement in 2023 uh I I I got swallowed by a glory Cloud this is don't lie in church I'm telling you I I was on my back porch up there in Moravian Falls and it's the day of atonement and uh the sunet was beautiful absolutely beautiful and it was rays of of of looks like shafts of light being thrown at me and I thought boy that's really something I'm out on the back porch I'm cold and my wife had just covered me up with a blanket and brought me some kind of soup and all of a sudden here comes a golden Cloud whoosh and swallowed me I'm swallowed inside a glory Cloud I'm it's around me and it's swirling like this and inside of there with every Revolution the L the spirit of God would write strategy on the wall and it's going so fast I'm getting absolutely I said Lord I don't think I can maintain this he said Bobby I'm not putting it in your mind I'm putting it in your spirit and so that's where we get the Shepherds right from and teaching us how to build in battle and Nehemiah is a great example of that and so get both of the Shepherds R I'll sign them and we'll give Morning Star the money that'll be good won't it this means yes unless you're in India I'm not sure okay okay now I I want you to understand something God's word is real this is a weapon taking the sword of the spirit which is the word of God the Bible said my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge we got to study to show oursel approved unto God a Workman that does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of God you say ah well I'm too busy no get up get up a little earlier stay up a little later get into the word of God let the word of God get into you it remember when Jesus was being tempted by the devil what would Jesus say It is written say it out loud it is written we got to find out that the word of God is a weapon taking the sword of the spirit which is the word of God and I'm telling you the devil is afraid of the word of God I'll tell you he understands that the power that's in you is greater than the power he has that's what it says greater is he that's in you than he that's in the world and you know see the devil's more afraid of you than you are him because he knows he's under your feet and we got to start being bold and brave and very courageous Joshua 1:9 now you can't get that close to Joshua 1 18 and not quote Joshua josua 18 Joshua 18 says the words of this book shall not depart from your mouth you shall meditate upon them day and night and they will guarantee you overwhelming success that's Joshua 18 Joshua 1 19 says be bold be brave be very courageous go do what you're called to do because you're not going by yourself well who's going with me Jeremiah 2011 Jeremiah 2011 says the Lord I'm screaming again the Lord is with me as a mighty warrior therefore my persecutors will not Prevail see I'm telling you God's with us that's what he says he said remember Shadrach meshack the other kid right in the middle of the battle God was inting there I'm telling you God is with us he's not going to forsake us and I tell you what uh it's pretty amazing uh I love to watch what God does and I I like to stir things up sometimes I get to ride a plane all the time going somewhere all the time and uh this I might have just been super sensitive that day I'm I don't know but here's what happened the businessmen all of them would put their luggage over the over in the overhead and they would slam the luggage compartment and they curse G D or Jesus Christ over and over and over I said I've had a a I've had all this I'm going to put up with so I waited for the plane to get 33,000 ft feet up in there you know when the little button goes off you can undo your belt I UND did my belt I got up and I pretended I was rearranging my luggage like this no human being on Earth has ever slammed a a the lid any stronger than I did Wham and I go damn Buddha that's what I said and then I C I said to the whole Plane full of people I demand equal time they stood there cursing Jesus and cursing God so I just damned Buddha scared the whole whole plane man but see we don't have to sit there and and be silent be bold and brave listen we got to raise a guy from the dead on the plane uh listen we ought to make a difference wherever we go don't you think we're Salt and Light well you know I'm kind of more reserved n if you're probably back SLI and a coward because a righteous will be as bold as a lion don't you think yeah you say well the weapons for Warfare Mighty yeah I tell you but let let's be a little Bolder don't you think you where's the head not the tail we're above on and it says in Isaiah no weapon formed against us will prosper every tongue that rises up against us we can condemn it yeah well I don't need trouble get out of church see we're we're in a battle aren't we we're supposed to be be bold and brave and very courageous study the scriptures find out who you are we're Unstoppable isn't that yeah behold I give you power to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and it will in no wise hurt you it won't isn't that something see the devil if he could he would kill every one of us in this room and those watching by TV but he cannot harm a hair of our head I'm tell I know my wife is over that going we got it was 10 minutes not 30 okay okay now here I see I just interlop in on this meeting they but I'm glad to be here we love Morning Star we love what's going on here uh Chris Reed and the whole team I'll tell you what Tom and these guys wow isn't it amazing yes it is it's amazing God could have chosen anybody look who he chose isn't he wonderful he's absolutely wonderful I'm telling you listen I want us to fall Wily in love with Jesus by him we live and move and have our being but I want to pray for you just a moment here's what I'm going to pray Matthew 13:16 And1 17 blessed are your eyes for they see and blessed are your ears for they hear many long to see what you see and couldn't many deeply desire to hear what you hear and were not permitted you and I are a generation that God is communicating with my sheep hear my voice and they follow me John 10:3 John 10:27 says they run away from other voices why they don't know that voice we got to become more familiar with the voice of God I used to think if God had something really important grab me go B he said if I have to shout at you it's a sign of your immaturity he said you should be so close to me I can guide you with my eye well I want to pray for you for perception reception of the communication of god father we want to be hearers of the word and doers of the word we don't want to just hear it and not do it we want to activate the word of God in our life help us holy spirit to be absolutely led by the word of God and the wisdom of God and I thank you for the wisdom that you're giving the people of God and I thank you that there's uh wonderful Vistas open for us now that we can come up we can that we can enter into the courts of Heaven because you said there's a door standing open in heaven and a voice saying come up here so Lord we want to go higher we want to be see we want to see father and Lord help us during these days to redeem the time and make full use of every moment in jesus' name amen God bless you listen thank you so much good godess all right good morning everybody I want you all everyone here in Fort Mill good morning I want everyone to turn to these cameras and way we want to say good morning to all of our online Morning Star Family our online connect groups our regional connect groups everybody all over the world who is watching either this morning or later on on online family we love you we're glad you're a part of what's what what the Lord is doing in the earth through Morning Star Ministries so this morning I have a maintenance message everybody say maintenance message oh my gosh like oh no maintenance and why do we need this it's because I need a tuneup and say everyone say I need a tuneup we need to sometimes go back and look at foundational things to make sure that we're running on all cylinders because we need to make sure that we are prepped and ready for what is next I keep asking the Lord okay Lord what is what's next for Morning Star what's going on and the one sure thing the one clear thing I know is that I have no idea what's coming now and the Lord is like I I've I've he's put it on my heart he said you have no idea the next face of Morning Star you have no idea what this is going to look like next and so immediately in my mind I start looking back at all the renewals that I've studied or seen or the Revival well I guess he means it's like he's a Gary you have no idea well I wonder if it looks like this church no you have no idea the Lord is doing something kadash the Hebrew word for new he's doing something new and so when you're not exactly sure where you're going but you're trusting the guy who's driving the train who's the Lord you know um you do the next good thing that you see and what I really has been on my heart is to understand uh what who we are as a church and what does that mean so um let me go ahead and start my slideshow I got all excited and forgot the technology all right there we go so really the the title of my message this morning is how to church now I know that church is a noun and not a ver but but how do we be the church how do we do the church and um in these in the season that's coming I think we need to get some of the fundamentals about what it means to be a church or the church down we've got to make sure that Foundation is firm so the Lord very quickly and massively can begin to build on that and so a lot of times when I hear the word church it's not the most exciting word you know a lot of times I think of you know if you come from different parts of the world you're thinking oh architecture beautiful large churches or sometimes you think of Sunday morning obligation we got to we got to go to church or you think of kind of the messes or the sheet bites that you got or the complicated relationships from the last four churches that you've been at and and sometimes we dilute what church is supposed to be all about so uh we are believers we are Sons and Daughters of God we are part of a kingdom an incredible Kingdom that's here and coming something of Heaven that's invading Earth We're part of the bride of Christ guys I know we always kind of struggle figuring that out but we are and we are the church so we can be more than one thing at the same time but this morning I want to focus on what does it mean to be the church so we're asking this question what is the church or what is a church right here um there was a uh uh a a lay leader at a church that I was serving at and for when I first got to this it was a smaller Church in Florida and she uh she was the one who would welcome everyone in the morning and she'd come up and she'd say hey everybody Welcome to our little church and I was like something's not right about that you know there was this sense of well you know we're just doing what we can do we're going to get by and you know maybe no one will notice and we'll just get to heaven you know and and I was like there was something very inactive something kind of very very passive about the way she would do that and I'm I mean she was she had a very very good intentions you know but I I I um I really felt like when we're greeting the church we sometimes think of well our little church the little church our just little gathering what can we do I don't know but if we go back to scripture and to look at what is Jesus talking about when he talks about the church we get a very very different picture um the best thing to do when we're going back and learning what a what something is is we say all right where in scripture does this show up the first time and church only shows up the word church twice in the gospels and it's two times in Matthew and this is the first time we hear the word church it's from Matthew 1618 and I also say to you that that you are Peter and Upon This Rock I will build my my church and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it and so a lot of times we get kind of caught up with well is he talking about the a rock you know or he's talking about Peter it's not what I want to focus on today the first thing I want to focus on is this part where Jesus says I will build my church Jesus the very word himself the creative power of God says on this Earth I am going to construct something that doesn't sound like little church does it and then later on we hear and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it now Gates we can look at in one of two ways sometimes we look at the gates of hell or Hades as portals where uh the plans of hell are coming upon the Earth but also gates in scripture talk about Authority in this in a town or city the judges like we see in the Book of Ruth they would be sitting in the gates so whether its portals or its powers or authorities what have you Jesus is saying I am building something I myself am building something something and no plan of hell and no Authority from Hell itself will be able to overcome it that begins to turn our understanding when we begin to think of church the other part in the gospels Matthew 18:17 is talking about if someone is caught in a trespass what do we do we bring them to the church so these are the only two times in the gospels we read but then we get to the book of Acts and we begin to see the word church being used more and more and more and that's partly because uh most kind of theologians kind kind of pinpoint the day of Pentecost as the birthday of the church and the church was it was it born out of a committee meeting no it was born in fire it was born with the fire of the Holy Spirit coming down so we have this thing that Jesus himself is building and constructing something that the very Gates of Hell will not be able to overcome or Prevail over and it's something that is born by the fire of the holy spirit this is our foundation the actual Greek word for church is eklesia everyone say eklesia and uh eklesia if we look in a lexicon of the Greek New Testament we're going to get three different uh three different definitions one is an assembly regular convene for political purposes um or just a general meeting uh sometimes two or three times the book of Hebrews it's listed as the uh the Assembly of Israel like the congregation of Israel uh the 12 tribes but for most of the New Testament it's the Christian Church a congregation it's a a group of Believers in a certain location uh a certain House Church or it is the body of Christ as a whole is referred to the church now when Jesus said I will build my church he's not making up a new word this is actually a word that's coming not just from Roman culture but even before that from G Greek culture and in eklesia in Greek culture was a local group of citizens who were called out to be the governing and legislative body of an area let me say say that again these were folks that were part of an area and they were called out to be a legislative body in that area they were they they were there to dictate culture and change what was going on in a particular location later on when the Romans continu to use this idea of eklesia but the Romans are primarily focused on saying okay we want to use this local group of governing people to take the culture of Rome and import it to this other area here so what Jesus is saying is I'm calling out certain groups of you a group of individuals to come together to assemble not only to meet each other's needs but to be a force that changes the culture of a location that brings the culture and even I would say the atmosphere of my kingdom to this location on earth does that make sense so when he's building his church he's saying I'm going to be taking who I am how I work my rules my culture my way and I'm using you to establish that on the earth that is what eklesia is that is what we as the church are called to be so um as we're saying I'm trying to mix this with the Lord saying all right Gary you have no idea what the next face of Morning Star Fellowship Church is going to look like so what I did I said well let's go back to scripture and just see the basics if we want to know the foundations we go to our Bible right right everyone says yes that sounds good Gary all right so we're going to go back to the Bible as uh as a church we first we meet and We Gather that's pretty simple all right everyone look around you all get okay all right yep everyone gets points for this one because you're here well done everybody we can go home no uh Hebrews 10:23 through2 says let us hold fast to the confession of Our Hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful and let us consider how to stimulate or press one another on to love and Good Deeds not forsaking our own assembly together as in the habit as is the habit of some but encouraging one another all the more as you see the Day Dawning um there is a pull sometimes for us as Believers to you know getting up and engaging with other people it's kind of a hassle I mean I'm really good with me and Jesus and having to go encounter other people and oh it's just a that feels like a lot of work and strangely enough this pull away from Gathering and assembly happens on either side of the maturity scale sometimes when we first become a Christian we're a little nervous we don't know what to do where do I go to find a church I don't even know fully what I believe it's really overwhelming so so I just kind of just say well I guess I'll do this Jesus thing on my own we were created for one another in the beginning uh God says the first he says all this stuff is good the very first thing he says isn't good is that man is alone we were we were created for Need for one another God gives gifts to the church so that we can spur one another on that iron can sharpen iron there's a need to be with other people and sometimes at the beginning of our journey we feel this I'm not sure I don't know I don't know you know people are going to think I'm not this or that well that's exactly why you need to be in a congregation you need to be in a church family sometimes later on especially those of us who have found been part of a Revival a movement of some kind we have been deeply shaped by a particular historical movement of the Holy Spirit and we come back to church and we're like hm this isn't quite as exciting as what I was experiencing back in the '90s or in the 2000s or the tens but you know what you're exactly who the church needs to be the person to come and to inspire and to sew into and to and to pour out your heart in your life to be an example did you know that we have Elders in our church and just the fact that they are here just the fact that they are present with us we have elders and deacons who serve in this way most of our elders and deacons are serving they're leading all that but sometimes just their presence in our midst anchors us in a way that wouldn't we wouldn't be anchored without them does that make sense so whether you no matter where you are on the scale I know that there is a draw to kind of pull away from Community especially if there's been hurt especially if it's just feels tiresome find your place in the body if it's Morning Star great we'd love to have you here if not you need to find a place to gather somewhere else amen all right let's move on to the next thing so we as a church We Gather we meet together and then we also worship together you guys know that we we watched Jesus as he's doing Ministry he's going off by himself and then he's coming back with people he's going off by himself and he's coming back with people we as a church congregation it is important important for us to worship together here's just a few scriptures for Maxs 24243 this is a a major move this is part of the the what we see the Lord doing a little bit what we feel like he's going to be coming and doing more of it morning star and they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship and to the breaking of bread and to prayer and everyone kept feeling a sense of awe and Many Wonders and signs were taking place to the apostles so there is a regular meeting where we are engaging with the Lord engaging with other people we're also to told by the writer of the book of Hebrews in Hebrews 13:15 through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of lips that give thanks to his name then Colossians 3:16 let the word of Christ dwell richly in you with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with Psalms hymns and spiritual songs singing thankfulness in your hearts to God Psalms hymns spiritual songs Paul is saying we need to be we need to be with each other we need to be singing to one another have you ever had anyone sing over you how powerful that can be Psalms we're singing this we're singing the words of scripture we're singing hymns those songs of the church and we're even singing OD Numa we're singing those songs of the spirit which you heard the the the uh the worship team moving into some of that today just singing what the Holy Spirit was pouring out and we're being called to do that uh much like David did in the Old Testament but in the New Testament as well uh you guys know let me just share this my wife is a worship uh leader and so this is this is dear to my heart for that reason and others but you guys know the music part of When We Gather is not the optional appetizer before the main entree you guys know that right that it it's it's not just the warm-up band all right everyone just getting you in the mood this is our one opportunity as a church family as an as a body to give something to the Lord does that you know we have what if you were you got an invitation I get these uh Outlook invitations all the time you have an invitation to a meeting at 2:30 with Chris Reed at you know at this place or whatever um and uh I I okay and I can accept it what if you got an Outlook invitation you have an opportunity at 11:00 on Sunday morning to give Jesus a gift would you be like I don't know no of course he is pouring out to us and we should be worshiping throughout the week we'll talk about that in just a second but when we gather together we have a unique opportunity to offer him something some of us have somehow been conditioned to believe well I'll kind of Step into the worship River when I begin to feel something sometimes when we're worshiping we immediately feel the presence of the Lord we Jump Right In other times we're not and and we're sometimes just afraid about being in the flesh you know we're afraid of well I don't want to fake something I think that when we begin to Worship the Lord we can step out in faith knowing he is worthy he deserves worship so I'm going to worship him no matter how I feel that's not flesh that's Faith you know and maybe the feelings come maybe though they won't because his level of deserving his level of honor and glory and awesomeness doesn't change does that make sense some of us are waiting to put the sail up when we feel the wind but when we come to worship we need to put that sail up immediate and expect the wind to come and act as if it's coming whether we experience or feel anything whatsoever um Jesus is giving us an opportunity as a body as a family to offer him something we don't want to sit that out amen now I I here at Morning Star we have freedom so if you want to sit in worship stand run dance whatever we want to give you that the main thing is that you were engaged in some way fully fully engaged if you have a temptation to be Facebooking during the music maybe you just want to put that in your pocket you know what I mean you know we all know you're looking at scripture and you're journaling no I'm just kidding you know but but when it comes to worship this is an opportunity and we have to be intentional we have to be the ones that are stepping out in my own heart many years ago many of you probably heard the story I was at a Morning Star conference around 2000 in Jacksonville Florida and the the Lord all of a sudden delivered me I just saw my chest open up and all this stuff come out and I had been so concerned most of my life when I would worship oh someone's looking at me oh maybe they're thinking I'm oh they think I'm weird or they're thinking I'm trying to be too Spirit or they're thinking this they thinking that hey I I I'm sorry to tell you people are not thinking about you as much as you think they are they really aren't you know but after that moment at that where the Lord healed something in me there was something in me that just every time I had an opportunity to worship I jumped at it now that was a Grace thing that God did let's pray for that how does can we pray for that right now so Lord we want to be a people who worship Lord you deserve it all so no matter whether we're feeling something or not no matter no matter what it is Lord may we be people who jump who jump into your River who jump into that presence who jump with Faith Lord and are are people that are burn with worship Lord that we as soon as we hit that fire lord we erupt into incense and praise in Jesus name let that be amen I was uh working at a campus ministry many years ago and this Camp these these young people they were worshippers they were worshippers and because we had no money we cobbled together a sound system and when I mean cobbled together like we were literally splicing wires to make this thing happen and we had what they call in the industry a s a full catastrophic system failure with our sound system in the middle of a late night worship time like it sounded like a dying cow being electrocuted the whole thing went and you know what the people did they kept worshiping and I heard the Holy Spirit say now I have an army I can use we want to be a people when we gather together as soon as that first song hits you know how many of you went to to an older School Church you know where they did a Prelude where they did music beforehand you know there's no Prelude as soon as as soon as we have that opportunity we jump right in there um so we gather together we worship together and we also care for one another we care deeply for one another and uh in 1 Corinthians 12:26 if any member suffers the members suffer with it if any one member is honored all the members Rejoice with it as a church family I want everyone here to look around those of you watching online scroll through the chat take a look at different names um every no really do it everyone look around the room this is your church family you may not know each other but we are connected in the spirit we come to worship with one another and um uh Lord would you just give us a heart for one another would you give us compassion for people we don't even know Lord would you give us intercessory burdens for those around here Lord and would you give us a great love for the church that you love would you give us your love in Jesus name yeah and so what what we're being told in Corinthians Paul is saying is that when one part of the body suffers we we all suffer and when one is being honored we all Rejoice with that as well likewise we're told in Galatians 6:2 to Bear one another's burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ what does that look like when someone's having a hard time walking we come on either side of them and we walk with them we hold them we help carry what what they can't carry at that time and then Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep and you may be feeling disconnected from the body here you might have been coming from Morning Star for a long time and been like I just don't feel like I'm connected number one a practical thing get in a connect group that's and Pastor Ron says amen amen you know do that but also also ask the Lord for a heart for the people here ask the Lord in the spirit to connect you to give you compassion to give you his heart for the people here especially if it's been rough that Heart of Love will overcome a multitude of offenses so we as a church We Gather we meet together we worship together we care for one another and we pray together now here's here's part of this power thing that Jesus is talking about again I say to you that if two of you agree on Earth about anything they may ask it shall be done for them by my father who is in heaven for where two or three are gathered in my name there I am in the midst we have incredible power Jesus is saying if you're coming together and you're in my spirit you're asking the things that are on my heart if just two or three of you are together I'm I'm with you I am with you we have the majority when there's just two or three of us together and incredible things can begin to happen when we pray if you're not sure how do I how do I start praying with other people the Bob Jones vision center right next door they're going hours and hours every week check out the schedule just go in there find a time and and join some sort of prayer group get in a connect group where you're praying together and when you pray together there's a sense of intimacy and connection that grows unlike anything else I've seen this time and time again people who are kind of not too fond of one another get in a place where they begin to pray and they begin to encounter the Lord together and some of those rough edges begin to fall off you know uh actually we we instruct people in Prayer Ministry uh prayer is such an intimate force that we encourage if you're not married to someone of the opposite sex don't pray with them and that's a good good rule to follow you know because there's an intimate thing that happens there we want to be gathering um as groups as a church to begin to pray uh with power and that's part of that way that we as the eklesia begin to bring the atmosphere and the rule of Heaven here on Earth uh also 1 Timothy 2 1-2 says first of all then I urge you to enter uh that in treaties and prayers petitions and Thanksgiving be made on behalf of all men for kings and all who are in Authority in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity and um are we called to pray for just those people who agree with us no we are called to pray everybody needs the Lord you you know everyone needs we need to be praying for all those who are in Authority uh so we pray together and we also study together um there's something interesting that happens with Believers is that uh how many of you have ever had the thing you've just either you've just kind of gone through a period of renewal or you've just come to the Lord and you sit in every sermon is just so it's so meaty it's so good it's so great and you're taking all these notes and you're getting filled up every single sermon and then about a year or two later you're like this isn't is n quite the same I bet the pastor is just losing his anointing you know that's not what's happening how many of you have seen a baby bird in a nest and the mother baby bird brings the worms and all you got to do is open your mouth we as Believers get to a point to where God spoon feeds us for a little while the spirit is very gracious with us but he begins to draw us out and call us to a place to where we need to learn to to participate with him in the feeding process more intention it is called upon us so we may sit in a sermon and just kind of be just waiting for the food to come to us we need to begin to dig in and begin to ask the Lord all right Lord I hear what this teacher I hear what this preacher is saying what Jesus what do you want me to hear about this and to be listening with ears of the spirit and begin to engage with the Lord in that way it becomes far more active for us but we begin to discern the Lord what's what's the Lord what's not and just what's not for now when we do that and then eventually we might get to a point to where you know the Lord's having a conversation with us that the preacher is not saying I can't tell you how many sermons I preached someone came up to me and said when you said such and such and such and such it changed my life and I think yeah I know that I never said that one of our youth said Pastor Gary used the word Riz I don't even really know what that means I know I didn't say that but he heard it you know and so uh I did not say that I didn't say use that word you know um but but as we get older we're listening for the Lord you know there's an intentionality that goes along it so when we study together we just need to know that that begins to change a little bit and we also need to be not just relying on what happens on Sunday we need to be students of the word ourselves do you know that you you know if you ate just one meal a week you would not you would be very malnourished there's a need for us and I I'll tell you this in the we've been having conversations uh and looking for how we as Morning Star Fellowship Church can begin to bolster our Biblical literacy um for much of the American Church uh you know we've are a lot of our preaching has become topical and we've done away with Sunday school I was very happy with because Sunday school seem so old and worn out and it was in many many ways but uh I think the Lord is calling us back to a place to where we need the word deepen we've always needed it but we need the word deep inside of us and we need to learn how to be students of the word again so we study as individuals but we also study together but Paul is telling Timothy in both of those Epistles um the importance of the word in second Timothy 3:16 and 17 he's saying all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching for reprove and correction for training and righteousness that the man of God may be adequately equipped for every good work we need the word to equip us for every good work and then also in 1 Timothy 4:13 Paul's just telling him until I come give attention to the public reading of scripture into ex uh Exon ex exor into teaching so we are gathering together we're worshiping together we're caring for one another we're praying together we're studying together and we're discipling one another what does this look like this can look like a lot of different things what is a disciple anybody a learner someone who is following a teacher you know we We are following Jesus is our Rabbi he is our teacher the disciples when they were following Jesus they were living with him they were learning from him they were you know there's that old um Rabbi blessing may the dust of your Rabbi cover you you know there's may you be following so closely that you pick up on everything that's going on much of us in the church have gone to more of a corporate Greek style discipleship program to where we put you in a big class and we just hope that you learn stuff and that does help from time to time but my heart here at Morning Star is that we begin to develop a a more intentional discipleship culture not necessarily a new program but where saints that have been in the church who following Jesus for a long time begin to take younger younger Believers underneath their their arm and say hey come live with me not not I mean maybe come live with me but you know do life with me come come you know see see how we work see see how we follow Jesus and and and learn something from that and sit down to talk about the scriptures together um we are told the Great Commission is go therefore and Make Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I commanded you and lo I'm with you even to the ends of the age this is something we hear from this Pulpit especially from Rick alot is it go out and make converts no it's go out and make disciples we are called to make disciples um this is not a legalistic thing and so not every season of our life is just going to be real but a goal that I've heard from some folks who really have their calling is his discipleship is we should all have a Paul we should all have a Barnabas and we should all have a Timothy you know we should have someone Paul who is speaking into our lives maybe it's a pastor maybe it's it's somebody else an older Christian who is speaking life into there hopefully we've all got a few Barnabas people that are kind of on the same place in the journey as us and in addition to that we should have some younger people around us we should be able to find Opportunities to sew into younger people therefore creating that so here really what we're doing at morning Stars I would love to see us as a congregation uh continue with corporate opportunities for learning studying scripture learning the Bible but also an organic just movement of people being Disciple This Might happen in a connect group it might happen on a one-on-one relationship but to where we are connected enough to you know and and if you are a younger believer in here and the Lord highlights someone to you go up and ask him say hey can I just hang out with you and ask some questions we have Treasures in this house men and women who have been missionaries pastors been Apostolic been been prophetic I mean they've just they've done it and uh and sometimes it's just taken a minute some of us who are have been around the block a few times take a look around and see if the Lord is showing us anybody you know to say hey you want to come have have lunch with us you want to you want to learn a little bit you just want to we love just to get to know you you know so um that's something we need to be thinking about because we as a church we disciple one another in addition we fellowship with one another growing up uh I went to more of a traditional church and when I think of Fellowship the only thing I have is the fellowship hall that's my main my main thought so when I think of Fellowship I'm thinking of uh potlucks and I'm thinking of like retirement parties and so is is that's let's just have a time of Fellowship where basically we're just eating cake and punch that's kind of what I think Fellowship when I from my particular Church background really what Fellowship is coin Andia is deep intimate connection interchange with one another um in Acts 242 were coming back to the scripture again and they were continually developing themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship and to the breaking of bread and prayer but then we also see this word Fellowship Coria uh being connected with other things like in 1 John 1:7 but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all all sins so we're having fellowship with one another in other places in scripture it's saying we're having fellowship with the spirit where there's interaction there's deep abiding interaction so Fellowship could look like going out to dinner with somebody but it could also look like just sitting down and having a conversation Fellowship is not so much the activity but the interchange if that makes sense it's The Interchange between us in a deeper deeper way I just want to say this in some cultures uh there can sometimes be this thing to where well we talk about church things at church well we don't really talk it's we don't there's an unspoken rule talk about spiritual stuff outside of church you know it's just no we let's leave that on Sundays no we're not doing that at any moment we can engage in deep meaningful spiritual conversation with anyone we could be picking up someone from school we could see someone in public we we are Christians all the time we're not off the clock ever you know so we're looking for those deep moments of coining of fellowship at any moment so we gather together we worship we care for one another we pray together study together we disciple one another we fellowship with one another and we serve Together part of morning star's main calls is to help equip the greater Body of Christ you're part of a local church that's connected to a Ministry that focuses on equipping the Saints and that comes from Ephesians 4 11-12 and he gave some to be Apostles some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the Saints for the works of service to the building up of the body of Christ we as Believers are called to serve the Apostle Prophet pastor and teacher a lot of times we see them on a stage age and we get this idea okay they're the ones who are doing the work and we just kind of we give offerings and you know maybe you know buy their book or something no their job is to equip us to go and do the eklesia work of Jesus does that make sense we're works of service we are called to serve in some way and sometimes in American Christianity we get this idea that we um we kind of turn ourselves into consu Christian consumers you know where it's kind of about well I'm going to go to a church where I get my needs met and where where I feel the most comfortable and where this and this and this and this we need to be the time for that really is past you guys we need to find where we are called to go primarily not from what we can get out of a church but what we can give what we can serve as I come into a church I'm not looking to be in charge of anything immediately but I'm saying Lord show me where to serve and he might say lay low for a few months you know get to know the culture get to know the people but at some point sooner than later you're going to need to know you're going to have to try something out sometimes discernment when it comes to our places of service we may be praying and not really sure I've had a guy and he said Gary you know I I really feel called to Ministry what should I do and he was wanting me to tell him what school to go to I said have you done any like youth ministry what have you tried what what sticks what works with you you know and or what is the holy spirit saying oh I don't know I don't know and I said well do something step out and try something if it doesn't work try something else ask the Lord get sometimes we get discernment by trying certain things you know um and I I would see him every few years the next year I saw him he said you know I've really feel called to Ministry what should I do I said well what did you try said well I didn't really try anything I'm just kind of waiting and I said step out and try this happened like three years on a row and finally I said man you got to you got to do something step out give the Lord something to work with you know and so so here at morning start we're very Discerning our people are praying about who goes where and all that but take that first step over the next few months you're going to be noticing us here making getting connected in Opportunities of both connect groups and service easier for you sometimes if you've you might have said Gary I've really tried and didn't I got kind of lost in the system if that's the case I'm so sorry we are we are working in creating actually new avenues to get people quickly connected if you're like hey I I want to know where to serve give the church office a call come talk to the folks at the connect group table there's a blue card that you can fill out and we'll try to get you connected as quickly as possible possible um in the next few months we're going to be actually starting a program uh for anyone who is newish to Morning Star we're going to meet once every month or every six weeks and just share the vision of Morning Star and how you can get more deeply connected be on the lookout for that Pastor Jeff and a few folks are working on that but nonetheless we as Christians are called to serve we are called to serve um and so not only called to serve but we're called to give together we're called to give of our time but also called to give financially as well a lot of times when we begin to talk about giving in the church everyone gets a little anxious because we kind of oh yeah the church is want money again giving at its root is not a um a supply issue for the church It's A discipleship issue for believers does that make sense so we read in 2 uh Corinthians 9:6-7 now I say this he who SWS sparingly shall also reap sparingly and he who SWS bountifully shall also reap bountifully Let each one do just just as he has purposed in his heart not grudgingly under compulsion for God loves a cheerful Giver uh we want giving not just to be oh kind of a burden we want to be out of the Overflow of our heart to be giving and throughout the entire history of God's people tithing has been a key to that not just during the law of Moses during uh the days of Abraham tithing was how people responded to God to say Lord I trust you that you are my provider and so I'm going to give give you a tenth of what a whole tenth to say lord it's not just I it's not just a tip to the Lord but I'm saying I'm not trusting in my own abilities for increase and for pro provision I'm trusting in you and this is my sacrificial trust in you and I'm giving it to you and so tithing was around the time of you know when Abraham meets MDC all throughout the season of Moses all throughout Israel and even throughout the whole history of church this has been a way that the church has responded and let me encourage you the Lord may be speaking to you about you know if here here's the thing is well I'll try to do a little bit better on tithing I'll tell you you just got to do it you got to bite the bullet and do it because a little bit it just doesn't work it's kind of like well I'll do a I'll practice resting in the Lord I I'll you know I'll take a you know an hour off of you just gotta you got to fully commit to what the Lord is calling you to do in that moment I'm not saying that as a as a pastor who is trying to get your money I'm saying that as a pastor who wants you to be rightly aligned with the economy of God because when we are fully in that place where we're saying I'm giving God I'm tithing and on top of that whatever offerings he's putting on our heart that's why we wait we're saying Lord show us what is it that you want us to give we're engaging in that flow and then all of a sudden no matter what's in my bank account I have this incredible piece to know that God's going to take care of it I'm doing my part I'm I'm I'm trusting him fully and I'm fully it's kind of giving is kind of like a roller coaster uh you you either want to be in or out being halfway is not safe you know you you that's most things with the spirit um uh but on top of that I mean I I got kind you got you guys want to hear a weird story real quick uh when colani and I were were part of our premarital counseling we did a budget our our the folks doing premarital counseling you talk about money issues now before you get married and so we did and we both sat down and talked about priorities and both of us our number one priority was tithing was nonnegotiable we were going to do that from the first that's the first thing that we pay for is is that 10% at least is what we're going to be giving to the church that we're a part of and so we decided that that's been our pattern all throughout when we were married and I kind of I had this idea that I want I want to tithe my you know I tithe once a month and I want to do it at the beginning of the month and uh and I want to do it in worship I just there was something traditional about I wanted to I'm not I'm using my phone to use the app or whatever but I want to do it in worship well worship for you know someone who's working at a church gets kind of crazy and sometimes we're out of town and all this sort of stuff and I had the sneaking suspicion I think I missed a few tithe did I miss tithing and and I just but I this sneaking little it was the Lord going Gary Gary did you you may want to go back and check but I mean going back I didn't have to refine my password and all this work and this thing for several months kept happening and then um within one week we found out we had raccoons in our crawl space we found mice all in our garage and we had bats in our attic and I'm like this is so weird what is going on I don't know and we wanted to legally remove all of these things uh the mice and the raccoons were not that hard but did you know that to legally remove bats you have to there's a whole thing like you've got to seal up the whole attic you cannot remove them like a guy doesn't go up there with a glove he has to seal the attic and creates a little door in your attic for the bats to go out but they can't come back in which really means we were just sharing our bats with our neighbors you know but but so all of this came up and you know what I went back I was like this feels like this feels like a a flag from the Lord and I went back and checked our tithe and the cost to do all of that was the exact same amount that I had not tithed on now hear me that's not the Lord punish I don't think the Lord is saying Gary's going to we're going to punish him with a plague of bats no that I think it was the mercy of God saying I need to get your attention and if this is the only way that I can do it because this is something you have committed in Covenant with this is something that that you want to do so the Lord was doing that the Lord provided for both we I got caught up on the stuff that we had missed and because my wife is wise she said how about you just put it on automatic payment and I was like yes yes yes Lord so um so so we did that all that being said is some of us may be at a place where the Lord is wanting to talk to us about our giving um if giving should not be well that was a good Sermon Just Like a waiter I'm going to tip the Lord or you know oh this is this place isn't too bad we need to be seeking the Lord on our giving and asking him how to do that so we are to gather we are to worship we are to care for one another pray together study together disciple one another fellowship with one another serve together give together all for the sake so that we can share the gospel and Advance the kingdom together okay we do all of this stuff to create a foundation so this becomes a safe place it becomes a place to where people can grow quickly and immediately fully bringing Sons and Daughters to full maturity not stillborn not people who come to church and get either lost or forgotten or heard about we do all of these things so that we can grow up into the head which is Christ we do all of this so that we can we can become the eklesia declaring and establishing the atmosphere in the Kingdom of Heaven on the earth and and you know we're not talking about taking over anything necessarily but when Jesus comes in when that atmosphere comes in he takes over you know what I mean and so we're doing this and there's a purpose and a future for it and I do believe the Lord has some creative and unexpected ways that he can do it so I want to ask you this question this morning how can I grow as part that is not right how can I grow as part of your church it is right we're telling the Lord how can I grow as part of your church Lord we've listed a number of things here and what I'd like to do is ask our elders if they wouldn't mind to come up front and uh um you yeah if you're an elder in the church just come on up front line up here along the front and as we close today there might be something that the Lord is just waving a flag this isn't necessarily to come up and and confess any sort of sin or anything but I just want you to have and a matter of fact if we've got some of our deacons you guys come up forward as well any of our deacons in the room that you want to come up I I want you all just to have an opportunity as we close today we're going to take a little bit of time was there an area of being the church the Lord is saying hey I want you I want you to invest a little bit more in uh these guys are here just to be a um uh to be a sounding board you know sometimes we get an idea we sense from the Lord and then we're like oh and then we forget about it if we tell it if we speak it to someone and so we've got some of our elders our deacons our leaders of the church here I want to invite you just to come forward and share with them what it is you feel God is calling you to do as part of the church if you're a visitor here and you're part of another church you may you can come forward and say hey when I go back to my church this is what I feel the Lord is investing in me because I want to be prepared I want to have a firm foundation when he begins to move when he begins to to begin to glorify himself and everything changes or all heck breaks loose in the world I want to be standing on a firm foundation I want to invite you for it I'm going to pray and uh we're going to take just a little bit of time this morning and uh and let you come and just share with one of these leaders up here what it is they're going to you're going to share briefly they're going to pray a quick word of blessing on you and send you on their way a quick transaction action but one I believe that will bear fruit that lasts so Lord we thank you and we ask you father that you would just speak to us right now what are the areas that you're calling us as individuals in to strengthen your church Lord where Lord do you want the eky of God to be manifest in Us in Greater measure would you speak to us would you bless us and would you give us Grace Lord to grow in that area to have ears to hear and eyes to see and a heart fully to respond to all you're doing in Jesus name we pray and everybody say said amen we're going to take just a little time come and share with one of these Elders what it is that God is highlighting on your heart they're going to say a quick prayer for you and then they're going to pray for someone else uh once they've done that you are free to go we love you God bless you we're going to spend a little bit of time here but come on forward share with one of these Elders they're really nice they don't bite normally so just come and share with them we love you and we will see you in the week to come what a great service this morning 11 o'clock we started out with a bang with Bobby Connor wasn't that that was unbelievable right Bobby always brings humor to the service Bobby brings what I call Bobby isms so I hope you guys out there in TV Land love that I I certainly did I just wanted to encourage our online community that you are still a part of the church and Morning Star has some fantastic online connect groups that you'll probably want to get connected to so you can can be a part um right where you are yeah that's really good Gary preached about um taking a part your part in the church what is your part what are you called to do right yes and and becoming the church how to be the church um we do have some opportunities coming up right here at Morning Star do you want to talk about the MK kba yeah m kba um Mark Yao's in charge of it a great guy um it's going to be what August 23rd and 24th yes right for all you guys that are business and ladies that are business-minded whether you have a business or not go to that one it's going to be off the charts I I really think it's going to be special this year I truly do absolutely and then we have some events coming up in September one is the beginning of school of the profits if you are interested in becoming part of that MSS o. org is how you would um register for that and then the the annual Harvest Fest always a great conference to come to so many connections yes um September 26th 27th and 28th and I do believe there's a raffle on the 28th oh for the motorcycle yes all right all right there you go there you go so it's Rick's motorcycle rightor yeah so sewing into the kingdom but also one very uh fortunate person is going to get Rick's motorcycle how awesome a little bit of fun there a little bit of fun so let's close out in prayer why don't you pray for the guys out there in TV Land um everybody for you know the church and what Gary was preaching about so's do that let's do that so Lord I just bless our online community I thank you so much for them uh joining with us here I bless those of you who are teachers and students um as your beginning the the start of the school year college students going off to college I just uh speak a word of encouragement to you to bring the kingdom into your classroom and to bring your the kingdom with you wherever you go and then for parents out there be encouraged um pray over your children as they go over to out to school um ju I just bless you as you bless them yeah the word I kept getting was stay strong stay strong in the Lord as you step out that's what I've got yeah yeah and so um we just bless you this week and say that we will see you again next week yeah we love you guys thank you so much for tuning in bless you see you next week [Music]