Speaker 1: 0:00

Okay, so now let's welcome our guest speaker, john Alexis. What a cool name man, pastor John. Come on up, brother. Good morning, lvc. Yeah, man. So let me give you a little rundown. Pastor John and his whole crew, his whole family, they are planting a church in Dinwiddie County. Come on on September 14th this year. Yes, and I got to say I know a little bit about church planting, just a little.

Speaker 2: 0:35

Just a little, just a little bit.

Speaker 1: 0:37

And you know, and here you go. It is a scary, exciting and wonderful adventure, and so I am so excited for what God's going to do with you guys down in Dinwiddie and I'm so excited for what you're going to do today in the message. This is what I want to do LVC, Pastor John. He's going to preach the house down, so you got to give him some amen, some that's good, all that good stuff. Sit up in your chair a little bit, and all that good stuff. And then after we want to bless him and envision church down in Dinwiddie, because I believe God wants to do amazing things down there and I'm so excited for it. Okay, so, without further ado, pastor John, take it away, brother.

Speaker 2: 1:20

Man, I appreciate that, welcome, but can I tell you, one of the things that makes church planting a lot easier is when you get to stand on the shoulders of great church planters and great pastors, like the pastors that you have in this house. Can we give it up for your lead pastors, pastor Jacob Aaron? They are the best, and when I was grabbing Starbucks with him, he bought my coffee, so he's just extra anointed. Hey, today I'm going to tell you a little bit about our church. As you get started. If you have a Bible, turn to James, chapter 4. Our church is called Vision Church. Our heart is to see people gain a vision for life in Christ. The reason that it's called that is because, as we're in our community, we saw people that, out of a lack of vision, the Bible says people perish or cast off restraint. We saw people just like where we even talk about today that didn't have a financial peace in their future. We saw people that didn't have relational peace in their future. We saw people that were struggling with substance abuse, with marital health, and really the reason why it boiled down to is there was not a presence of Jesus and a vision of Jesus in their life and we had a conviction that if people in our community could see Jesus, then everything in their life could change, and so we're excited about that.

Speaker 2: 2:31

I want to introduce you to my family. This is my wife, kia. I'm going to talk about the kids a little bit. I'm just going to honestly like, just admire what the Lord has done for your boy. Just man, like if I ever doubted there was a God. I'm like God, you somehow got me hurt and so I know you must be real. We've been married now in nine years, this coming September. She is my best friend, my lifelong partner, my movie buddy. We have a great time. Those are our two kids, roman and Karina. That is the only picture we could give them to stand still for. Uh, so that is the picture we got. Uh, and there are a joy. Uh, so y'all pray for us. Our daughter is potty training. So there is there's much prayer and petition going on in our house.

Speaker 2: 3:13

Uh, if you have James, chapter four, we're going to jump straight into God's word. That's kind of my style, uh, if you didn't know it, you know, you know it. Uh, james. James, if you are new to scripture is the actual half-brother, biologically, of the Lord Jesus. He is Mary's other son, one of Mary's other sons, and James eventually later in life comes to believe that his brother is God, begins to be a Jesus follower, becomes a leader in the Jerusalem church and he writes one of the most practical books in the Bible that we're going to go to today.

Speaker 2: 3:44

And so James starts giving clear instruction, and one of the things that James is experiencing as he's teaching the church of Jerusalem, which is where he was positioned, was man, people be trifling, sometimes Like even church people, and so he's noticing that people are fighting over stuff that in his head is like guys, jesus died and rose again from the grave. Why are we even fighting about this, having discussions? So James is coming with a corrective tone and he begins. He says this what is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires, that war within you. You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have. Man, they got a pool at their house. I want that guy, no, but you can't get it. So you fight and wage war to take it away from him. Yet you don't have what you want. Hear me, because you don't ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong. You want only what will give you pleasure. Somebody say pleasure. You, adulterers. See, here's what I think is funny about that, because he's writing this thing down. These are people that are in his life that he's going to see. So he's writing this. I'm like this is a little intense, bro, like just a little bit. You, adulterers, Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

Speaker 2: 5:03

Do you think the scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate, that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. Somebody say faithful and he gives grace generously. As the scripture says, god opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. In the next three hours and 45 minutes that Pastor Jacob said I could preach. Just kidding, some of y'all are new. You're like oh, it's one of them churches. Now, for the next few minutes that we have together, I want to teach you from a subject called this I'm not all that. I'm not all that. Let's pray together.

Speaker 2: 5:41

King Jesus, we love you and God, I'm grateful. I'm thankful that even before I even got up here, your presence was already here and God, your presence is here through your word. So, father, I'm thankful to be in your house with your people, under your word and in your presence. God, I'm thankful and encouraged for the kids that were here. God, to be in a church where kids are lifting their voices and their hands to you is a miracle, father. I thank you that you are doing that kind of work here in this house. Father, I do pray our Father who is in heaven, holy is your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth. God, in the Richmond area, in Chesterfield, midlothian, in Dinwiddie County, as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us, god, not into temptation, but would you deliver us from the evil one, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Speaker 2: 6:36

One of the things that you have to do when you are church planting is you travel and you connect to other church planters. That's how I met your pastor, and one of the things you do is you also go to conferences and you go to places to assess you and make sure that you're not some crazy guy that's going to go in the middle of the woods and make up your own thing. Like they make sure that you are gospel competent, that your marriage is healthy, that you're not just doing this to fleece money from people. They do background checks, credit checks, the whole thing, and so you're having to travel quite a bit as a church planter, and about a year and a half ago my wife and I had to go travel to get assessed. And when we were getting assessed here's what you need to know about a church planter when you kind of give up your job to pursue this, you are what I like to refer to as brookity, broke broke. Like not even Financial Peace University could have helped me, like it was just um and so when you are brokety, broke, broke and you have to go into a new place, you get like I I would have done spirit airlines, but I actually wanted to make it to the place, so I didn't do spirit airlines we.

Speaker 2: 7:36

But we had to rent a car because we were going to be there for three or four days so they could ask us all the questions, we could get assessed, all that stuff. So I rented y'all the cheapest car, like the hoopiest hoopty that anybody has ever hooped, like that's the kind of car I got. And so we come out of the plane, we walk over and I walk up to this lady and y'all, like the favor of God was on my life, because the lady that was on the counter I could tell she was a church mother too. Like she looked at me and she said, sir, would you like a free upgrade? I was like, praise the Lord, yes, I will like a free upgrade. She said don't worry about the little car that you were taking a look at. How about that brand new 2025 SUV Cadillac that is in the corner? Y'all that car had buttons. I didn't even know what it did Like it doesn't even have a stick shift. There's like a button that you turn. It's got that thing where, if you open the door, the logo of the car shines on the ground. Like it's just their sound system made it sound like I could hear the Holy Spirit through the sound system. Y'all it was just gorgeous.

Speaker 2: 8:41

And every place you go when you have a car, that's that nice people, let's be honest, they treat you a little different. You show up at the restaurant and everyone's like sir, can I valet your car? Can I take it over? I'm like no, because I'm still brokity, broke, broke. I'm not paying you to valet my car, but people treat you a little nicer. They think you got it going on. I'm like man, this is real nice. Like I enjoy driving this car. Like when I hit the brakes, it actually works right away. When I hit the gas, it works right away. Like everything is just working really, really nice.

Speaker 2: 9:11

And we enjoyed the car for a couple of days and then we got back on the plane, went back home and I remember when I walked up to my own car, I have never been sadder in my entire life. I have never been sadder in my entire life. I was like Jesus man, our 2014 SUV, where the door kind of barely like the door. Literally six months ago I pulled it and it fell off. The radio doesn't work right. There's a scratch on the right side. The air conditioning you have to be moving the car for the air conditioning to work, which I'm pretty sure means it's just windows. Like that's what that is, and here's what I know when we experience something that is amazing.

Speaker 2: 9:51

We sometimes get tricked into. It makes us sometimes unhappy with what we already have. Sometimes, like y'all ever, watch HGTV and you see the nice houses and the brand new pool and the area to entertain and you go home after vacation you're like my house is terrible. It doesn't matter that it was your dream house before you left. Now you're just in regret. And here's what I know.

Speaker 2: 10:11

When there's so many areas in our life where we are looking for the strength of God there are areas in our parenting, areas in our relationship, areas in our finances, areas in our faith and one of the tricks that the enemy can get us into is getting us to a place where we are unhappy with what we have because we're consistently looking at what other people have. Man, I wish I prayed like they prayed. Man, I wish I had the money that they had. Man, I wish I was driving the car that they have. Man, I wish I had the marriage that they have. I wish I had the six pack that they have Like I wish I wish all those things and we get discontent about the things that are in our hands and there is so much energy and effort spent in our culture to create discontent in our souls, and the advertising agency in America is one of the craziest and most expensive agencies Worldwide.

Speaker 2: 10:56

In the year 2024, we spent, as a globe, $792 billion on advertising. Now, that's not money to make the stuff, give you the stuff, send you the stuff, repair the stuff. $792 billion on advertising Now, that's not money to make the stuff. Give you the stuff, send you the stuff, repair the stuff. That is just money making you jealous of other people that have the stuff. And we are on pace globally to spend $1.16 trillion by the end of 2025. About half of that will be spent in America alone. Now, I'm all for Super Bowl commercials, so those can stay, but that seems like a lot of that will be spent in America alone. Now, I'm all for Superbowl commercials, so those can stay, but that seems like a lot of money to be spent.

Speaker 2: 11:29

And I want you to understand that, that whenever you open up your phone and you watch TV, there's the spirit of discontent that is so alive in our culture that is making us want things that and here's the thing I believe in ambition. I believe in wanting more. The issue is when we become discontent with what God has placed in our hands, and it's not just when we become discontent with what God's placed in our hands. It's when we start becoming discontent with the person that we're seeing in the mirror or we start looking in the things that God speaks over us. We don't believe about ourselves. Because here's the truth of it comparison kills contentment. James is teaching here to the church in Jerusalem that we need to step away from discontentment. We need to step away from this comparison. We need to step away from this pride. We need to step away from this insecurity. We need to step away from these things because the truth is, you are the person that God has made you and we need to step away from this place where we are consistently becoming discontent with the things that are in our hands.

Speaker 2: 12:29

The car that I have is a miracle car. Somebody blessed us with that car before we step into our community. I don't know how we could have church planted without a car and without that car with a car payment. So it is a miracle story, but I can walk around all day. Instead of looking at the miracle that God gave me, I can talk about the car door that keeps falling off. Sometimes we have our spouses and they are amazing and they're God's gift to us, until we're fighting. And then we're like, lord Jesus, I know Steve's wife doesn't treat her. Don't treat him that way. Sometimes we have our kids and they're a blessing and we prayed for them and we asked God, god, would you send them to us? And then they get here and you got to change one more diaper and you're going. Lord Jesus, can I, is there a place I can return this child? Like, can I get my money back from the hospital? Like, whatever it it takes.

Speaker 2: 13:17

Comparison kills contentment. I experienced this in church planting. I remember one time I was going to an event and there were some other church planters there and I walked into this room, y'all, and I was excited at the time God had really started to put some wind behind our sails. And I walk in this room and there are like there's about 150 church planting couples in this room and I remember looking and going. Everybody in the room looks like they're way cooler than I am. Like way cooler jackets, way cooler shoes, way cooler cars. Like they're telling me what churches they came from. They're like, yeah, I was the church planter and church campus pastor at like this 10,000 person church and they're telling me who they were hanging out with. And oh yeah, you know, we just had this celebrity at our church. They're close friends of mine and I'm like I live in Dinwiddie County. We got more cows than people. Hey, like everybody had a cool haircut. I don't even have hair, it's just I was walking around with discontent in this and discontent in this was stealing my joy, because here's, here's, here's the truth.

Speaker 2: 14:21

I want you to know comparison looks to others for identity, but humility looks to God for identity, and I was tempted in the moment to start looking at other pastors, what God was doing in their house, what God was doing in their ministry, and to define my identity and what God was calling me based on what they were. Can I tell you, as a believer in Jesus, we do not get our identity from what other people are doing. We get our identity from what God is calling us to do. We get our identity from what God is asking us to obey. We get our identity from the steps of faith that God is pushing us into. We don't look to the left or to the right to get our identity. We look up to Jesus to get our identity, and I want you to encourage you in that today.

Speaker 2: 15:00

Comparison looks to others for purpose, comparison looks to others for standards, comparison looks to others for hope, but humility looks to God for all of those and we can know this too that culture invites us always. That's the reason they spend all that money. Culture invites us into a sense of false confidence, which is also known biblically as pride. Yeah, wow, the reason why culture is telling you the iPhone you got in your pocket isn't as good as the iPhone that just came out, even though they're the exact same, except for like one number somewhere, and so you can walk around going I got the new iPhone. Sometimes even our homes like my wife and I have a beautiful home that we really, really enjoy and it is a renovation. So if you come to my house, like there is, there's a couple of holes in the wall and again our mind is sometimes we can forget the miracle and we can start looking at man. They renovated their house and it looks like. It looks like Joanna Gaines moved into their backyard. It's just like what is happening and so it's. I want to encourage us today to keep ourselves away from that.

Speaker 2: 16:15

James 4.13 says this Look here. You will say today or tomorrow, we are going to a certain town and we'll stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit. How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog it's here a little while and then it's gone. James 4 and 15 continues and says this what you ought to say is if the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that. God calls us to leave comparison. God calls us to leave pride. God calls us to leave insecurity. God calls us to leave all those things and to come into a place where we are measured solely by the word of God, where we are anointed solely by the spirit of God, where we are measured only by our obedience to God. And all those things can be so, so, so, so hard. Because sometimes when we talk about things like pride and insecurity and we invite people and that's what James is doing but James ends his passage by saying God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble Sometimes when we talk about humility, even in church context, people get resistant to the talk about humility, because when we hear humility we think, oh, pastor's telling me I need to be a doormat to everybody around me.

Speaker 2: 17:32

Humility means I don't get to have an opinion about this decision. Humility means I don't get to share what I'm thinking. Humility means they, whatever they decide, I'm supposed to like. Humility means I'm supposed to and like. None of that is biblical humility. Biblical humility is not that. So here's what I don't want you to do. I don't want you to mistake humility for insecurity. Here's what insecurity does.

Speaker 2: 17:55

Insecurity defines my life by what I cannot do. Insecurity is I'm not tall enough to do this, I'm not strong enough to do this, I'm not good enough to do this, I'm not rich enough to do this. Insecurity is the person that walks into the room with their head down and says man, I'm not even good enough to be in this room. I'm not even good enough to be with these people. I'm not good enough to serve at this church. I'm not good enough to give at this church. I'm not good enough to show up to the class after this service and belong. If pastor knew where I'd been, what I'd done, he wouldn't even be inviting me into this place.

Speaker 2: 18:25

Insecurity looks at your life like a cup half empty. But can I tell you we serve a God who is a cup filler God. We serve a God who sees the gap. See, here's what I love about the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is not offended by your weakness. The God of the Bible sees your weakness as an opportunity to display his strength. And so if you're always having your eyes on what you can't do, what you don't have, where you're not from the kind of family that your background is, can I tell you you will always be asking yourself God. You'll always be one step away from the opportunity that God wants to give you.

Speaker 2: 18:56

My wife and I were at a church staff for about 10 years, and I remember to this day having a conversation with another guy that is currently transitioning a church. I remember looking him dead in the eye and saying these words hey, man, I know I'm not supposed to be a church planter, because church planters are supposed to be entrepreneurial and that's just not who I am. Now I've been church planting for a year and a half, so I'm guessing something's changed since then. And it's not me, it's not my growth, and it's not. I came in and saw man, you know what turns out, john, you are pretty awesome. No, it's. You know what's changed. I've learned to get on my knees before God. I've learned to get on my knees before God. I've learned to say God. I don't have what it takes to do this, but I know the God that will fuel me into it.

Speaker 2: 19:41

Some of us are looking at our lives and there are places where you say, john, I can't do relationship right, I can't do finances right, I can't do community right, I can barely do faith right, John. They tell me I should be praying and I can barely get the two minutes in. I don't even. God wants to meet you in the place of your weakness, not the place of your strength, can I tell you, god has designed you and purposed you, and that's what he did for me and my wife. There was nothing that changed about our resume, other than that we became more dependent upon the one who builds us. He gave us a vision for what it looks like to live in and through and for him, and security always points us to what we do and says it's not enough, that what you have is not enough, that who you are is not enough, that your car is not enough, your house is not enough, your job is not enough, your family is not enough. Your faith is not enough. And here's what I want you to know Whether or not you think you are amazing.

Speaker 2: 20:33

If you walked into this room today and you're like, john, this sermon don't apply to me because I'm the best thing ever. Or you walked in today and you said, john, I don't even feel worthy to walk into this room. Here's the truth of the matter. Is, you're not all that. If you walked in today and you said, man, john, don't. You know, I'm the smartest guy in this room, I'm the richest guy in this room I have, like, pastor Jacob should just move over and let me preach every Sunday, because I I'm just. The Lord speaks to me in a way that, like, can I tell you, you ain't all that.

Speaker 2: 21:05

But similarly, if you walked into this room and all you're thinking about is your regrets, your past, your issues, your difficulties, the thing that you messed up with, not even last night, but even this morning, before you walk into the church, can I tell you, by the grace of God, you don't have to be all that. The power of the blood is we are no longer our past, we are no longer our mistakes, we are no longer our issues, we are no longer our backgrounds, whether they're amazing or they're not so amazing. Under the blood we get to walk into a new destiny and new identity in the person of Jesus. So a new destiny and new identity in the person of Jesus. So if you were prideful before you walked into this room, guess what? You're not all that. If you are insecure before you walked into this room, you're not all that. We get to step into a fresh identity with Jesus. And here's something I want you to know You'll never experience the fullness of God until you walk humbly with God.

Speaker 2: 21:54

Micah 6 and 8 says it like this he has told you, o man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you? But to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. James 4 and 5 continues and says this Do you think the scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate, but the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him, and he gives grace generously. As the scriptures say, god opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. What I love about that portion of scripture is this part they say that God is passionate, that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. God thinks so much of you that he would put his spirit inside of you and if he would think that much of you, that he would give his son and his spirit for you and your life and your purpose. Why do you think so little of yourself sometimes? I want to encourage us all to step into a place where we follow Jesus in this, because, ultimately, here's what humility is. Humility says I have weaknesses and I need to bring them to God. Humility also says I have strengths and I need to bring them to God, because, ultimately, humility is simply this Humility is agreeing with God about me.

Speaker 2: 23:14

Can we pretend if Jesus walked into the room today and, for the record, in case you're wondering where my theology is, I believe Jesus is in the room today and if, when he was here today, if you're having a conversation with Jesus about yourself, about who you are, and you started talking to Jesus and you said Jesus, don't you know, like, how amazing I am. Jesus, don't you know? I got it all figured out. Jesus, don't you know? I'm smarter than everybody else here, like, I just want you to know. There's a couple of Bible verses where Jesus pulls out a whip and whips. Some people Just gonna throw that out there. But just the same, if you walk to Jesus and you said, Jesus, don't you know what my last name is? Jesus, don't you remember what neighborhood we came out of? Jesus, don't you know what kind of mistakes I made in high school? Jesus, don't you know what kind of mistakes I made yesterday? Jesus, I'm not like.

Speaker 2: 24:10

Every time they talk about scripture I feel like I'm not smart enough to understand or read it. Jesus, people are talking like man this Financial Peace University class that they're talking about. Jesus. Everybody in my family's always been broke. Everybody in my family's always been in debt, everybody in my family's. We never leave an inheritance. All we leave is debt. You could be here today. And if Jesus walked in the room and you walked up to him and said Jesus, everybody in my family has been divorced. Everybody in my family's had dysfunction. Everybody in my family yells every time there's conflict. Everybody in my family has been drunk before. Everybody in my family has been addicted.

Speaker 2: 24:43

Can I tell you, believer in Jesus, that doesn't matter what your past is. When your past collides with the blood of Jesus, god gives you a fresh and amazing new future. I want you today to walk out with a vision for life in him. It's not about a vision by your effort, it's not by your strength. The Bible tells us very clearly it's not by your might, it's not by your power, but it's by his spirit that he wants to do something new and amazing in your life. So, instead of telling Jesus all the things you think you are and all the things you're not, I want to encourage you to begin asking Jesus about who he says you are, because I want you to get to the place where you do this.

Speaker 2: 25:24

I need to get to a place where I agree with God about who I am. I don't need to think too much of myself. I don't need to think too little of myself. I need to know exactly what God says about me. Well, john, need to know exactly what God says about me. Well, john, how can I know what God says about me? Whether you're new to church, I want you to do this.

Speaker 2: 25:41

One of the best things that God gives us is his word. His word is a revelation of who he is. His word is a revelation for other people, but his word is also a revelation for you and I. Here's some things that the Bible tells us about us. I am alive in Christ.

Speaker 2: 25:57

Ephesians 2 and 5. I am free from the law of sin and death Romans 8-2. I am born of God and the evil one does not touch me. 1 John 5-18. I have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 10-16. I have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.

Speaker 2: 26:15

Philippians 4 and 7. Philippians 4 and 7. Philippians 4 and 19. I am God's masterpiece. I am God's masterpiece. I don't know who told you you weren't good enough, smart enough, strong enough. God tells you that you are his masterpiece. I am chosen by God out of darkness and into light. First Peter, 2 and 9. Anybody glad that God calls you a new name, gives you a fresh identity, calls you to purpose in it. Don't just agree with God about who you are. You also got to agree with God about who they are. You know, what would be really really nice is if, like we could all just be in church together all the time, like everybody anybody else ever run into anybody that's like not saved and you're like they're being extra not saved today and some of us it's. You don't even have to wait to go to work tomorrow, like it'll hit you in the parking lot on the way out of church. Man, I want to encourage us to look at what other people to agree with God about, who other people are. James 2 and 9. James is dealing with a lot of issues here. He says this but if you show partiality, you're committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Speaker 2: 27:39

One of the fun things that was happening in their church at the time was they would have ushers stand by the door and as people were coming in, they would see people that looked like they had it going on. They would say, man, they got like those are some new Nikes or on clouds or whatever. Like, look at her Gucci purse or whatever. I don't know what the ladies are doing nowadays. Like like. They would look at those outfits and be like, oh, they look good. Like, let's bring them to the front, let's make sure they meet the patch, let's make sure like, and they would bring them to the the, the good seats, and then people would walk in that didn't have their stuff. Kind of you could tell like oh, man, half old, so you know, just like your boy would be in that category. In case you're wondering, they would see people that didn't look like they were means oh, you just sit in the back, we'll get to you when we get to you.

Speaker 2: 28:26

And what James is telling us today is the CEO of the Fortune 500 and the waitress that's going to be serving you lunch this afternoon have equal value in the highs of God and are to be treated with equal dignity, equal love, equal honor, equal respect. Man, we got to get out of the place because it's not just because we believe that is because they're image bearers of God. So we got to get to a place where we agree with God about who they are. I love being here this morning because I love that our kids were in the room, that we didn't look at the church and go. Well, their kids, they don't belong in the house of the Lord. And let's be real, sometimes, like them, kids like to run around, so let's give them their special space. But to hear their voices, to see their hands lifted high, you know where that comes from. It comes from a church that says we're going to agree with God about who those kids are. They don't have to wait till they're 15, 16, 17. Man, our students just came back from camp and we're glad they survived and there's, as far as I know, no injuries. We praise God for that every year, man, but we're not. There's no such thing as the junior Holy Spirit. We got to agree with God about who they are.

Speaker 2: 29:41

Romans 12 and 10 says this love one another with brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honor, because humility and action looks like honor. And last but not least, I want to leave you with this thought you need to agree with God, not just about who you are, not just about who people around you are, but you need to agree with God about what I can do. Some of us feel disqualified from the ministry that God's called us to. But 1 Corinthians 1 and 26 says this for consider your calling brothers. Not many of you are wise according to worldly standards. Not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth, but God chose what is foolish. Pause right there. That is a heavenly distract. If I've ever heard him, all he's doing is saying just so y'all know I remember y'all before you were with Jesus and you're right, you didn't have it going on Like you smelled kind of funny, you sounded funny, like I could tell that you you probably wore a couple of light bulbs short, like just that's what he's saying Like we. But God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not to bring to nothing, things that are so that no human being might boast in the presence of God and because of him. You are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.

Speaker 2: 31:15

I'm originally from Haiti. Then I lived in South Florida for about eight years, lived in South Carolina for about three, been in Virginia now for the past 11. And when my when God called us to transition, I was like okay, god, like I'll go to probably a primarily Haitian community or I'll go to someplace that's closer to my, the urban context I've been in. And the Lord was like no, I want you to start this church in Dinwiddie County, virginia. I was like, lord, I think you're looking for somebody else. Like I was mentioning to some of my close friends this morning that Dinwiddie has more cows than people. Jesus Like you probably need somebody with like a cowboy hat and cowboy boots to come reach these people. And one of the things that was super interesting about community is our community has a deep history of segregation, but it is actually a very diverse community. It's 60% white, 35% black, 5% Latino and Asian.

Speaker 2: 32:09

And when we jumped into the community, one of the things I did not expect I was like Lord, I'm going to do my very best, but I don't know if our church is going to be diverse, like I know that's your heart, because I believe the church should look like practice for heaven. Uh, and so I was like man, god, that's, that was our context. I was like I don't know if that's going to happen, god, like I don't know if what's. And we started meeting people and having people show up and we had all sorts of people from all sorts of different backgrounds, people from blended families that had never been to church before, people that were young grandparents, people that had been single moms, people that were trying to figure out life and faith. And I remember looking at our team a little while back and really trying to discover. I was like God, I need you to call one of them, cool church planters, to come reach this community. I'll work for them. God, like, just tell me who you're going to send. And my wife and I stepped in fully and we started believing God for what he could do through us. We're looking at our team recently and here's what's crazy about our team Our team is 60% white, 35% black, 5% Latino and Asian. The Lord did something in us and through us, not because of who we are, but because of who he is.

Speaker 2: 33:16

Some of you have been holding back about the thing that God's called you to. Because you're, you feel like you're not good enough. I have good news for you You're not good enough, see. That's why it goes back to the gospel, to who Jesus is. The gospel isn't about how good we are. It's about how good he is. The gospel isn't about how faithful we've been. It's about how faithful he is. The gospel isn't about our power to salvation. It's his saving grace.

Speaker 2: 33:39

So, before we transition and Pastor Jacob comes in and closes, I want to. I want to pray this for you today, because here's what I know as a body and as you as an individual God has a calling on your life, not just for where you are. When we say calling, sometimes we think, oh, church, no, can I tell you, tomorrow morning, when you step at work, god has a calling for you. Father, I pray over every single individual under the sound of my voice. May they know today, god, that you are not just calling them, god, they are parents, but they're also pastors to those kids. God, they're not just employees, they're evangelists to that workplace. God, they're not just going through the motions, you've called them to raise up and to disciple and to contribute Wherever they are. Their ministry is. You have anointed them in this house for such a time as this.

Speaker 2: 34:31

So, god, I pray that insecurity, fear, worry would not rob them of the purpose that you have placed inside of their souls. May they know it's never been about how strong they are. It's always been about how strong you can be through them. And God, may, today, may we strip off pride and all the things we pretend to be. May we strip off insecurity and all the issues that are inside us. May we step boldly into your power. And, god, may we and our communities and our church never be the same. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.

Speaker 1: 35:09

Amen, everyone, give it up for Pastor John. Man, I would also here, stand with me right up here. I gotta say, first of all, I needed to hear that one. I needed to hear that one for myself. I like that because you're not all that, but he is all that and that is good news.

Speaker 1: 35:30

What I want to do right now, if you will just take, if you can stand with me, if you're able to, I want to do two things. Okay, because I want to open up the floor for ministry time, because I believe God spoke to some people today. I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to some people today and the word I felt was gift activation, that God is ready to activate a gift in you. I also felt like the word of comparing yourself to others. The Holy Spirit wants you to hand that over to him today. He wants you to hand that over to him and be content in who he has made you to be. But before we get to ministry time, because we're going to open up the floor, I want to pray for Pastor John and his team.

Speaker 1: 36:14

And I felt this at the beginning of the week and I was kind of like okay, god, is that you? I'm just thinking something, and I think it was the Lord. Lvc and even people who are watching online may watch this this week, who weren't here with us today. If you feel an impression on your heart to move to Dinwiddie and help implant this church, I encourage you to do it. I encourage you to do it Even if you're like, well, I can't commute an hour. Jesus went to the cross. For you, An hour commute is not that big of a deal.

Speaker 1: 36:46

And so I just really felt that just at the beginning of this week I told Aaron, I said I don't know, I feel like the Lord told me to tell people from my church to go to his church, and I was like that ain't how we grow the church, but it is how we create a spirit of multiplying, and I don't believe that God just wants to grow our church by addition. I believe God wants to grow our church by multiplication, and I believe the way that we multiply is I believe there's some people in here that God has called you to be a church planter, and if LVC sends you out and then you have a church of two, three, four, 500 people, the kingdom of God just grew by multiplication. And so, anyways, I felt that word. Okay, so talk to Pastor John, figure it out if that was you, if it wasn't, you don't do it.

Speaker 1: 37:35

But if it was you do it, do it, you won't regret it, I'll tell you that much. Can we pray for Pastor John? If you feel comfortable, you can extend a hand out, kind of in agreement of prayer, and I just want to bless him and Vision Church and Dinwiddie County. So, holy Spirit, we pray that you do exceedingly and abundantly more than Pastor John Astreams are imagined. God, we pray that you open up the finances for the church, lord. God, we pray that you open up the people. You bring in worship leaders, kids, pastors, youth leaders.

Speaker 1: 38:10

Lord, bring in the set up people in Jesus' name, god. We pray, lord, that you do more. Lord, that's like the Lord says yeah, Vision Church will be a bridge to the segregation, will be a place of healing where there has been racial segregation and hurt. Justice, do justice, love, kindness, walk with humility. So, lord, I pray that you give Pastor John vision that he can't he's like I can't do that. I don't know what you're talking about and when he gets to that place, throw more vision on him. Just do even more. Lord, god, we love you and we say bring people home to you. We love you in this place, in Jesus' name, amen, amen. Let's give God some praise again.