New Wells

Well, good morning, Salt Church. I am so glad to be back. Amen and amen. I’m so glad to be back here with you guys. Yes, you keep the house lights up just a hair.

I like looking out and seeing people, even though they may not like seeing me. But that’s. That’s cool. So today is gonna be a little bit different. And by different, I mean.

So I had a message that was all prepared and ready to go and emailed out to the crew. And it was a message I was gonna preach prior to me getting sick. And then I said, well, I’ll preach it this Sunday coming in. And about 5 o’ clock yesterday, God had a completely different plan. And we got back from dinner and God says, I’ve got something else.

I want you to preach. Preach. And I was like, okay. So as I sat down and I really intended to study, and it was a good sermon. And I was like, all right.

And God just began to pour into me and he says, I have a different sermon. And I’m like, okay. And God began to download into me. And about midway through it, I get an email and I’m like, God, I just. I don’t know, Lord God, I just.

Are. Are you sure you want me to go this direction? And I get a text from Mikayla. And Mikayla says, hey, I know you sent an email out to everybody, you know, with your notes and everything, but I can’t find the email. And I’m like, don’t worry about it.

I said, well, we’ll figure this out. I think I got it. So when I came in, and then normally I’m like, right before I go to bed, I’m like constantly thinking about it and like, okay, God, I get a little anxious, you know? Know? And I just had such a peace when I went to sleep last night.

God’s like, I got this. I got up this morning. It was just such a peace. And when I come in this morning and Alex and I usually get here early, and I came in and I was talking to him and I said, yeah, man. I said, God kind of changed things up.

And he said, he goes, I know. What do you mean, you know? He says, I was on the pier with the guys yesterday and I was fishing. And he said, I don’t know why I was thinking about it. He said, but, you know, started thinking about tomorrow and then the sermon, everything.

And he said, and I felt the Holy Spirit whisper to me, that’s not his message. He’s changing it. I’ve changed the message. So Alex told Me this morning, he goes, I already knew yesterday that you changed the message. He knew well before I did.

So my hope this morning is that. Whatever God gave you, gave me ministers to you as much as it did to me. Because I began to see a parallel. In the parallel was salt church and. Me and my family.

But also I think it’s. It’s kind of where we are as a church and as a people. So I give matt kudos. He’s going to try to throw some. Some scriptures up.

We’ve got a bunch of scriptures. How many know? I love scriptures. I love giving you guys scriptures because I think, you know, I heard this. One of my professors said, told me one time, he says, if you have less than seven scriptures in your sermon, don’t even bother getting up and preach.

He said, because if all you’re preaching is a thought, he goes, nobody needs to hear what you’re thinking because if. You can’t back what you’re saying up. With the word, don’t preach it. He also told me, if you need more than 30 minutes to preach, nobody wants to hear what you got to say. That was an old school.

And I was like, okay, got it. But so if you follow along with me, I’m going to ask you. We’re going to be a little bit interactive. If you got your iPhones, I want you to pull them out, go to your notes section. If you got pen and paper, I.

Know on that, the little handout. If you didn’t get a handout, let’s do this. If you didn’t get a handout, how many didn’t get a handout? All right, Alex, Cody, go get the handouts. Okay, so here’s what I want you to do.

And if you’re online, and if we’re live online, I know there’s people that do watch us. Please do us a favor, okay? Like share, hit, subscribe on YouTube, hit, hit the Facebook, hit every social media,. Send this out to your friends, okay? We’re not a perfect church.

We just serve a perfect God. Amen. So if you’re looking for a perfect pastor, I ain’t it. But I serve a perfect God. He speaks with me and speaks to.

Me, and that’s my job, is to kind of get you to show you how you can hear from God, just like I can. We’re all ministers. We’re all considered ministers. But so as we go through this, I’m going to give you scriptures and you’re going to have these scriptures. I want you to look them up on your own.

I want you to write them down,. Look them up on your own, because you’re going to see a parallel in this. And I believe. I truly believe. And I’m like, I don’t know how.

This is going to go, so you’ll have to bear with me. God has his own plans. I’m cool with that. You know, if you don’t like it. Or if you have a problem with.

It, you know what? Take it up with God. Okay, so the title, if I was to give the title of the sermon today, the title of the sermon is called New Wells. New Wells. So our main text, our main text of Scripture comes from Genesis 26:15 through 22.

And I’m reading it out of the. New King James Version, okay? And it says, now, the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servant had dug in the days of Abraham, his father, and they had filled them with earth. And Abimelech said to Isaac, go away from us, for you are much mightier than we. Then Isaac departed there and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar and dwelt there.

And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug up in the days of Abraham his father. For the Philistines had stopped them up. After the death of Abraham. And he called them by the names which his father had called them also. Now, this is kind of where we’re going to draw.

We’re going to draw today’s message at. Also, Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of running water there. But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, the water is ours. So he called the name of the. Well Isaac, because they quarreled with him.

Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. And so he called the name Sitnah, and he moved from there and dug another well. However, they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because. He said, for now the Lord has.

Made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the lamb. So I want to kind of peg on and just kind of keep these three wells in your mind. Esek or Isaac, argument or contention, the. Second well, with Sitna meaning hostile or opposite, and Rehoboth the third well, meaning wide spaces or room. No one has argued.

Now, what I mean by parallel is, and you’re going to see this more. And more as I go along in this message. All of us in our life face choices, and we have when we make decisions in our Life that we think, well, that’s the good place that I’m supposed to be. And then we find out that by some circumstance or outside control that, no,. That’s not really what we’re supposed to.

Be doing, or that’s not where we’re at. We think we’re traveling in the right direction. And I started thinking about and reading this scripture, and I’m like, God, that. Kind of parallels my life. And the Holy Spirit began to speak to me.

And he said, not only your life, but the life of Salt Church. He said, every time Salt Church thought. They got planted, a disruption, disappointment, disillusion, something took place. They had to go dig another well somewhere else. They had to go plant somewhere else.

And I began to look at this. And going, God, but this is exhausting. All we want to do is serve you. All I want to do is serve you. God says, but it’s not your way.

It’s my way. So you need to pay attention to what I’m doing. You need to follow me and what I’m doing. It’s not the other way around. And I said, well, okay, God.

So you reach a point in your life, and I know I have, and I know those that have gone before me. You get to the point where you’re just like, I’m done. I don’t want to do this anymore. I’d rather. It’s like I tell my wife sometimes.

It’s like, sometimes I’d rather just take a bat and just hit myself in the head because it would just. At least I know the pain is going to go away. Because if it’s not one thing, it’s the other. You think you’re in the place where. This is where God wants me.

And then all of a sudden, you get something that. That sideswipes you or something you didn’t expect, or you get disagreements or somebody says garbage about you or this or that. And all of a sudden, what happens? Our eyes stop looking at God, and we start looking at our situation. And what happens is that our strength becomes sapped mentally and emotionally.

We become undone. And I’m like, God, what am I. To learn out of this? And so I’m going to go over five things that God showed me. And like I said, I went to bed last night in complete peace.

So I’m just giving you fair warning. What happens, happens. But I hope this message really speaks to you. Number one, God says, keep digging. Keep digging.

Every believer is going to face obstacles, resistance, and discouragement. The enemy’s will is attempt to stop the flow of what God is doing in our lives, our faith, our ministry, our prayer life, our relationship and our purpose. But you got to keep going. You don’t turn your back to the wind. You face the wind and you posture yourself to move forward.

You keep going. Galatians 6, 9 says this. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap. If we do not lose heart half the time as believers, what wind up happening is we stop before our breakthrough. I want you to say this.

Say this out loud. Fruitfulness. Okay, let’s try it again. Fruitfulness follows faithfulness. In verse 22, it said in the Scriptures, it says, the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

See, before fruitfulness, there’s faithfulness. You show yourself faithful before the harvest. You had to dig before enlargement. There’s endurance. Today’s culture, we want fruit.

Without enduring the process, God develops character before he will ever release. Increase. See, when we look through scriptures, Joshua endured prison before the palace. David endured the caves before the crown. Peter endured failure before leadership.

Jesus endured the cross before the resurrection, glory. God often works through perseverance to prepare us for promotion. Write this down. Listen, I’m going to say it again. God often works through perseverance to prepare us for promotion.

If God gave you the promise, don’t let the opposition convince you to abandon the process. Because in the process, it hurts. In the process, it stinks. You get weary, you get weighed down. Why?

Because most of the time in the process, what we’re looking at is. We’re looking at the circumstances. Think about what Gideon did. When Gideon was having problems and he was being surrounded, where was he? He was in the winepress.

Where nobody could see him. And the angel of the Lord came to him and said, mighty man of God. I could imagine Gideon looking up at me, going, you talking to me, really. But what it was is what happened is in order for Gideon to realize who was coming, what happened, he had to look up. And when you’re looking up, you’re not looking around you.

You’ve got to keep digging. It doesn’t make it. It doesn’t make a bit of difference what person is closing up your well. It doesn’t make a bit of difference if somebody’s kicking dirt on you. Let me explain to you.

My grandmother used to always tell me, carl, sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you. And I used to look at my grandmother. I was like, that’s absolutely stupid. But most of us will sit and contend and pay counselors and therapists, thousands of dollars. Why?

Because of words. My father. Growing up. My father. I mean, growing up, we had.

We had a tumultuous. Grew up in a tumultuous household. Okay? I had a choice to make. I could sit there and wallow in the fact of what’s going on in my family and become a product of my family.

Or I could say, kick, rocks, because I’m gonna do what God wants me to do. Look, me and Alex. Alex and I, we got this thing. TJ’s coming along with us. And I know I can be a little rough around the edges.

And I know somebody told me one time, a couple weeks, you know, know, you really just need to. You need to act in forgiveness. I’m like, kick rocks. I’m done playing church. Look, I can’t change your past.

You can through the help of God. And some people, I look at them and go. I remember I was growing up and. Everything going in into my life, and I was. I don’t know, maybe eight, ten, I don’t know.

My grandfather was from the Depression era,. The old World War II era. And I remember vividly just running down. The backyard, and I had this little teddy bear, and I would just run it around with me. And I remember my grandfather, and I was a kid, and my grandfather looked at me, and he just looked me dead in the eye and he said, boy, grow up.

And I just sat there and I was like, what? And he’s like, the world does not revolve around you and your problems. He said, you can. You can choose to bend with them. Or break with them or push forward with them.

We have to keep digging. We have to keep digging. Because let me tell you something. Those people that are talking garbage about you, guess what? I can guarantee you this.

They don’t have the hand of God on them like you do. You let them say whatever they want. Let them do whatever they want, because. God’s got a greater plan. But you have a choice to make.

Number two. Say this with me. Reclaim spiritual wells. See, Isaac went to reclaim the wells his father had dug. Many of us need to reopen the spiritual wells that have become neglected in our own life.

Many of us in this room can. Go back and think of the day. That we sat and made that decision to give our heart to the Lord. How joyous it was, how we felt light, how we felt just. Man, this is great.

And then what happens? Life happens. Life happens. So we wind up neglecting our prayer,. Our Worship our Bible study, even evangelism, talking to other people about Christ or family devotions.

See, sometimes revival is not finding something new, but returning to what God has already established but has been neglected. Let me say that again. Sometimes revival is not finding something new, but returning to what God has already established but has been neglected. See, in Jeremiah 6:16, it says this and this is coming from the new living translation. It says, this is what the Lord says.

Stop at the crossroads, look around. Ask for the old godly way and walk in it. Travel its path and you will find. Rest for your soul. What we see here, it’s a divine call for a wandering people to pause,.

Evaluate their direction and return to God’s foundational truths. Too many times we think that forwards, moving forward, whether we’re right or wrong, is progress. It’s not. It’s just frustration. See, the context here within this scripture is that the kingdom of Judah had abandoned God’s laws to pursue idolatry, moral corruption and unjust gain.

Boy, that almost sounds like today. But false prophets and priests were giving them a false sense of security by crying peace, peace. When there was no peace. Look, I may be a little biased. And I talked to a couple people.

About this, but I’ve been in church. And involved in church since I was knee high. My mother was the pastor secretary. I cut my teeth on a pew. I watched God move.

I know God can move. But I will tell you this. There are false prophets and priests, or you would call them pastors in today that are giving a message that is not even close to being what the. Word of God is. They want to make you feel comfortable.

Come into our church, grab a latte. We’ll give you a solid 15 minutes of worship. We’ll give you the announcements to make you feel good. We’ll give you a message that makes you feel good about yourself. You know what?

I was part of that until 10 years ago. God got ahold of me and he said, that’s not my church. I didn’t call my people to be comfortable. I called them to be convicted. I called them into truth.

I called them into my Holy Spirit. I’m not here to bash any other. Denomination or independent churches. I’m not. But as far as I’m concerned, my definition of church is really simple.

If you’re not Holy Spirit led Bible believing all you’re doing is entertainment. I’m sorry, that’s just me. I have found out that over time that most independent churches, the reason why they like being independent is because they get to call the shots. When I look at my Bible and I read through the Bible, there’s a process, there’s an order, there’s somebody over somebody. God says, the reason why I’ve said this.

Look, we all have doctrinal differences. I get that. But at some point in time, this is the only thing that matters. This. I remember talking to Pastor Hans one time, and I told him, and I said, you know, I said, I knew of the iphc.

I knew of them. And I said, I used to look at them as. Like they were the snake handlers. They were the ones that. They were a little weird.

But as I got and I went into the church and I began to see what the church is all about, I began to think. I was like, wait a minute. I was part of this denomination, and they didn’t do that. I was part of this denomination, and they didn’t do that. And I was part of this denomination, and they didn’t do that.

And I got to think about that. Most of the people that are complaining. About denominations,. It’s because they don’t want anybody over them anyway. They think they’ve got it made.

I’m gonna call the shots. You know what? I love the fact that I can be held accountable. You should love the fact that I can be held accountable. But I love the fact that I’ve got godly men like my bishop and Pastor Hans Hess, like my assistant, Bishop Leon Dunning, who.

They don’t just look at me as a number, but. But I’m a person. We’ve got to understand. Getting back to the Scripture, and I’m. Sorry, like I said, I get off on a tangent, but understand this.

There’s a practical application here. Number one, it’s. The scripture tells us to stand and look, stop standing. You have to stop forward progress, and. You have to look.

You stop and pause and take inventory. Of everything that’s around you. Why are you in the situation that you’re in? What is the reasoning behind it? Look and ask God and say, look, I’m gonna stop.

And then what you do is you. Ask for the ancient path. That’s the scripture portion of it. But what it is, is you’re returning. To the unchanged foundation of God.

You’re coming back home. The prodigal. What did the prodigal do? The prodigal went and did what he wanted to do, but eventually what happened? He came back home.

Not all are called to embrace tradition just for the sake of it, but return to the core truths, the covenant. And the faithful establishment established by God. In the past. What has God done in the past? Because you’re God that you gave your life to.

And if you haven’t, we’ll get there. But if the God that you gave your life to in the past, he hasn’t changed or what’s changed you? Me, I’ve changed. He’s the same. Scripture says he’s the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.

I don’t change. What is written in my scripture. In my scripture, over 2,000 years ago. Is the same yesterday. You can take that to the bank.

I came to the staff this past week and I said, here’s what I could tell you. What God’s laying on my. On my heart. Salt Church will be known as a house of signs, miracles and wonders because God is going to take control. It’s not about me.

It’s not about the staff. It’s about him. Because if God heals in scripture, he’ll heal now. And if you, and if you call my bluff, bet me, because I should be 6 foot under right now, I’m not. So I’ll take that bet.

Number three is ask where the good way is. Returning to the truth is intentional searching coupled with a willingness to be guided by God rather than the 10 that tends the surrounding culture. In other words, we’re intentional about saying, God, I’m gonna. God, I’m gonna follow you. I’m intentional about it.

I’ve got to be intentional about it. You’re intentional about having breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some of you maybe need to lay. Off a little bit, but you’re intentional about have breakfast, lunch and dinner. Let me ask you this.

If all you could eat, if you sat up and you went to Thanksgiving and you said, this is my meal. For the day, this is my meal for the day. And that’s gonna last me the rest of the year. I wouldn’t be talking to a crowd. Today because you need to eat every day.

Then why is it, do we treat the Holy Spirit and the word of God the same way? I come on Sunday and I’ll be good. I’ll get my fill. I’m good. But you expect that spirit, what you feel, what gets filled in you on Sunday to last you for the week.

No, you have to be intentional about it. You have to be intentional of getting into the Word every single day. Where’s the good way? You find it every single day, getting into his word, praying. And then what do you do?

You walk in it. Knowing what is correct is not enough. It requires active obedience and taking action to implement the principles that you have studied that day. And it’s on a daily basis, hour by hour. Next is rest for your soul.

Profound peace and stability is a promise. It’s a promise. Say that with me. It’s up. It’s a promise.

When we align ourselves with his will, when we are in his will, we’re doing exactly what he wants us to do. We are promised stability and peace. So number three in this whole thing. Is that not every battle is worth fighting. It’s okay to lose a battle because your goal is to win the war.

See, when Isaac’s servants disputed over the two wells, Isaac himself chose not to remain in the conflict. See, wisdom is knowing when to stand,. And I’m gonna move on. It’s okay to look at people in your life when they’re saying garbage and posting Facebook stuff because they’ve got the keyboard courage. Don’t play into it.

Go. You know what? You’re not worth it. It’s okay to look at somebody in. Their face and go, no, no, no, no, no.

You’re really not worth it. Because when it comes. When it comes down to it, they’re not going to add one little thing to your life. I’ve said this before in past sermons. Evaluate who you keep company with.

Do they add or do they detract from you? You. Do they lift you up and edify you? Or are they called life suckers? You’ve got to evaluate that.

See, sometimes we spend too much energy defending ourselves or fighting over every criticism. And what happens is we become blind to the. To the path that God wants us to because we’re too busy back here fighting ghosts. In Romans 12:18, it says this. If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

New living translation says it this way. Do all you can do to live in peace. Understand this. You’re not going to live in peace with all men. The Bible just says, make that attempt.

Do it. And if you can’t, move on, because it’s not a battle you’re going to win. Number four is God’s provision. Cannot be stopped by man. See, the Philistines couldn’t stop the wells, but they could not stop God’s blessing.

Understand that those around you may oppose you, may misunderstand you, or even try. To hinder what God is trying to accomplish in your life, but they cannot cancel out God’s purpose for your life. God has a plan. Just because you failed here doesn’t mean that your destiny is done. Maybe because here you failed and God says this Is a learning.

It’s learning. We learn. We learn from our failures. And then it’s to give us the calluses to move on. When I began swinging a hammer in.

Construction, I built calluses up. My hands used to bleed, but the more I swung the hammer, the less my hands bled and the less that hands hurt. Why? Because I kept moving forward. I kept going.

See, Isaiah in 54 says this. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. No weapon. No weapon shall form to prosper. Zechariah 4, 6.

And I love this one, for it says, it is not by might nor by power, but it is by my spirit. Says the Lord of hosts. You have strength. God will get you where you need to go. And number five, Rehoboth comes after persistence.

See Isaiah. Isaac experienced contention before he experienced enlargement. See, many of us want Rehoboth without. Ever experiencing Isaac and Sitna. Yet often God uses seasons in our.

In to of opposition to prepare us for seasons of expansion. You can’t have the baby without a little bit of pain. I know a lot of pain. Quitting is not an option in difficult seasons. Let me repeat that.

Or let’s just do this together. Everybody say this. Quitting. Okay, wait a minute, wait a minute now. Come on, let’s do this together.

Quitting is not an option in difficult seasons. God’s blessing often lay just on the. Other side of perseverance. The life lessons here is God’s promise. Was never dependent on the absence of opposition.

Okay, you can have a beautiful rose, but with roses comes thorns. Just the opposite. Isaac’s promise was fulfilled in the midst of his opposition. Do not allow your disappointment to become discouragement, or your discouragement will eventually become defeat. The enemy often will attack you.

What sustains you? See, in Isaac’s time, the significance of the well was kind of like when we look at a bank or something like that. But a well meant sustainability. A well. If they had a well within the community, they could stay in their livestock.

They can. They can do their daily living. They needed a well. They could not live without a well. See, in Matthew 13:25 it says, but while everyone was sleeping, his enemies came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.

See, likewise, the enemy is going to. Target the very thing that sustains your and mine spiritual health. He’s going to tell you that you really don’t have time for prayer. He’s going to let you know and go, man, that really wasn’t the kind of worship I was expecting. That’s really not my style of worship.

Well, or he’s going to challenge your faith. Well, you really don’t have faith for that. It’s just, they’re just words. He’ll even go as far as challenging your biblical truth. That pastor really doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Your friend is just, they don’t know anything. And then what he’s going to do. Is he’s going to challenge your fellowship. And here’s where I think he’s done the most with most churches. He’s made the daily grindflame.

He’s put things like sports or work or different things and says, you know what? You don’t need Fellowship of the Saints. Iron sharpens iron. Yeah, that’s just the saying. You don’t need that.

You don’t need that. And then it comes down to ministry. You don’t need to serve in the church. Let them do it. You don’t need to show up early and help set up.

They got it. They don’t need help in kids town or, or, or guest services. Really. You’re going to stand out and wave somebody. How dumb is that?

That. That’s the enemy. See if he can stop the flow. He can weaken your future when opposition threatens your sustenance. Scripture encouraged believers to stand firm and rely on scriptural resources rather than be moved by the attack itself.

Ephesians, and we learned this in Ephesians 6:13. And if you haven’t read this, this should be a staple in Ephesians 6. You should read through it. But Ephesians 6:13 says, Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand the evil day. And having done all to stand every stopped well that Isaac had to go through represented a choice.

He could become bitter, he could fight everyone, or he could quit altogether. But instead he chose faith over frustration. He dug new wells, he persevered and moved forward. He picked his battle. See, most of us will never reach.

Our Rehoboth because we choose to stop at the Isaac. See, we allow disappointment in one way or another, whether it be church hurt, unanswered prayer, one failure, a betrayal. Well, that person said something that was nasty to me or they hurt my feelings. And what you’re really doing is you’re missing out on God’s blessing to convince them. The enemy has convinced us and a lot of us that God’s promises are no longer for me.

Yeah, I got a call a long time ago to be in the ministry. But you know what? I’ve had so much going on, see, in my life God told me to leave the church. I didn’t want to. He told me to.

But eventually what I found out was that I got rejected by the very church I loved. And that hurt. But in the words of my grandfather, grow up. Because church people ain’t perfect. And they don’t have the call on your life that I placed on you.

So you can stand and wallow or you can stand and win. What’s it gonna be? And I said, okay, God. And lo and behold, 10 years later, I’m standing in front of you because I kept digging wells. Were there disappointments within the last 10 years?

Absolutely. See, we need. We need to hold on to this saying. And I want you to burn it into your memory. Write it down.

Do whatever you got to do. A setback is a setup for an even greater comeback. What the enemy meant for evil, God would take for good. Just because it may not have worked the way that you wanted it to or the way that you thought it should. Trust me, God’s got something way better.

See, Rehoboth is God’s place of enlargement. It means a broader place or room or expansion. Isaac didn’t reason within himself and say, I finally witted my enemies, or I overcame by winning the argument, or I. Used force to take my over my. Enemies and find my way through.

No, he realized that God was. Was the one creating the opportunity. He just wanted to see what you were going to do. There are times when we feel our. Path is narrowing, but in reality, God.

Is positioning us for a greater place. Of influence, fruitfulness and blessing. So what you think is a failure is not a failure at all. Because what it’s doing is. It’s a pedestal to get you in.

Into a higher place of influence. Because God says, you’re looking here, you’re not looking here. Okay, I’ve called you to greater things. I’ve got a greater plan. I love this scripture in Isaiah 43, 18:19.

And this is out of the new King James, as it says in 18. It says, do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, behold, I will do a new thing now. It shall spring forth, shall you not know. Will even make a road in the wilderness.

New living Translation says it this way. But forget all of that. Forget the hurt, forget what they say, forget everything. It’s nothing compared to what I’m getting ready to do to you. But for I’m about to do something new.

I’m about to do something new. See, when God wants to make you successful, he doesn’t start with the blessing. Such as Rehoboth, he starts with you. He takes you out of your comfort. He tests your patience, stretches your faith.

Because before he can give you the life you dreamed of, he builds the version of you that can carry it. Sometimes this requires you to release the. Very thing that you want the most. And if you’ve been in ministry long enough, there are things in your life as a pastor. We have expectations of where we want to go and what we want.

And along those lines, there’s disappointment. Whether, like me, I had, God told me to walk away or when God promotes you, the ultimate is is that God is stretching you because he’s got a plan. See, sometimes God’s saying, I need you to release it. Stop holding on to the past. Stop looking backwards.

I need you to look forwards. I need you to release the pain. Okay, you’re heaping coals on you and they’re burning you because you roll over day in and day out, day in and day out. And God says, stop, Stop. It’s time to get off this train.

Because this isn’t cruelty. It’s a test of trust. If you let it go, he’ll either. Give it back in his time or bring you to something better. Understand this.

You’re not being punished. You’re being prepared. God isn’t just watching you in the fire. He’s right there with you. So I don’t know where you are in your life or what’s going on or what you feel that God has called you to do.

Your past is just that. It’s the past. God’s telling you today, stop looking backwards. Start looking forward. Keep digging.

Dig a new well. You may not be at your Rehoboth just yet. God showed me that as far as Salt Church is concerned, we dug a well, it got filled. We dug a well, it got filled. We dug a well, we got filled.

I’ve been at this now for six months, and I’m going, God, you know my heart. I want this. And this is what he told me last night, and I almost fell, and he said, keep digging. Salt Church, your Rehoboth is right around the corner. I’ve not contended for you to be small.

I’m preparing you for the purpose that I’ve set you before. Before you. You will be the ones that lead. Again. As I said before, we’re not a perfect church, but we serve a perfect God.

God’s done things and he’s allowed things. But you know what? I’m not looking back. I’m looking Forward. I made a bold statement, and I’m willing to put it on live stream because I mean it.

Because I believe God, and I believe what he wants. He gave me a vision for Virginia Beach. And I said this to my senior pastor, and I looked at him and I said, this is what I want. I said, three and three. Pastor Hans kind of looked at me.

He goes, what do you mean, three and three? I said, I want 3,000 in three years. And I think it’s a thing. Whether I get your help doesn’t matter. All I know is that we’re going to be obedient.

We’re doing what we need to do. Brother Alex, come here. This is one way that we’re going to reach that goal. Who’s been out with you on the street? Faith, come here.

Come over here. Brian, you’ve been out with him. Come up here. T.j.

come here. Understand this. This is one way that God says that I’m going to grow my church. In Acts, he talks about, he sent the apostles out, and they went to and fro. They went beyond the city.

If you’re standing out, if you’re out in the audience, I’m not singling you out. Please, I. I understand that this is. This is not meant to make anybody feel bad. This is our outreach team.

I’ve sat in meetings with this guy. Let me. I’m going to tell you a little bit of story. And I know we’re kind of probably running over, but I’m just going to. I’m going to be.

We’re going to be real honest here. Yeah. About a couple months ago, I think it was two or three months ago, we had a meeting. And I remember sitting in there and we were having a meeting or whatever, and I said something, and I said, well, I think we can do this or do this or do that. And Pastor Alex was up on the bar stool, and he sat there and he looked at me and he goes,.

I can’t do it all. And I went, okay. So I just let that simmer. Remember, stop. I don’t, you know, look the old me.

Yeah. That had been a totally different story. So I stopped and I let the spirit talk to me. And God began to download into me. And I looked at him and I said, brother, I said, stop looking at the circumstances, because God has a greater plan.

He’s meant for you, for greater things. And I began to say things to him, and he began to cry, and he said, God’s been speaking that to me. And I said, this is what you’re going to do. You’re going to head up our outreach. This is how we’re going to grow.

Because they’re making. They’re being intentional about going out. They’re intentional about going out and, and ministering and touching people’s lives. These guys have done it. They hear from the Lord.

They go out. They don’t sit there and they don’t, they don’t do that. They put up a sign or whatever. They just walk. They walk.

And if God puts something on their heart, they’ll go up and they’ll pray for them. Can I pray for you? And it’s just very, just, just very innocent. It’s just very just. And sometimes they get ahold of other Christians.

That’s fine. If God has laid something on your. Heart, if outreach and evangelism is your. Thing and you want to see people. Saved, you need to be on this team because this is how we’re going to grow.

And this is how the early church grew. So you got to understand, see in. The upper room, when the Holy Spirit. Came In, it was 120. But soon after that, it grew to 3,000.

And people will go. And they. I know people have a headache about,. Well, you know, large churches, mega churches, and, you know, God really doesn’t like big churches and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Read a little bit further down in Acts and what does it say?

And they all met together. If you don’t believe me, go read it yourself. So if you think that God has a problem with megachurches, do yourself a favor. He doesn’t. He doesn’t.

Because as far as I’m concerned, if God has his way, and as long as I’m here, God can use me however it fits. I want Salt Church to be a name all up and down the East Coast. I want us to be the largest church. I don’t. Look, I don’t.

You think I care about numbers? I really don’t. I really. Number. Numbers are numbers.

Whatever. What I care about is impact because that’s what’s been born to me. That’s how this church was founded. Salt Church was never founded about numbers. It was always founded about impact.

Impact into the community, reaching people, touching people’s lives. It was about giving the Holy Spirit the opportunity. It’s about we as a church create, cultivate, and a culture that the Holy Spirit can do what he wants. Look, if you like everything timed and you like, you know, your, your coffee. On press and a Keurig, and you know, you don’t like the drip method that’s fine.

Okay. If you want to know that everything’s timed. You know, I told people, somebody one time we were talking about a church and I said they go, well, you. Know, we, our churches are only an. Hour and 15 minutes long.

Knock your socks off. Because that’s not how God operates. Jim Cymbal of Brooklyn tab, his hours are consistently two hours long. And he says, I’m not rushing the Holy Spirit. That is the DNA that is in this church.

That’s the DNA that’s been founded here by its founders, that’s been passed down from Fountain of Life. We will cultivate an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit for signs, miracles and wonders. Because you know what? The church just doesn’t reside behind four walls. It’s out there.

If you aren’t doing what God is teaching you in here, out there, then all we’re doing is entertaining. And I’m not here to entertain. God loves you. He’s got a plan for you. You don’t have to be.

Look, you are already ministers, stand up with me and we’re going to end. Just because you’re not up here. These people up here have made a conscious decision and they’ve said, this is what we feel like God has called us to do. Your calling that you may be running from or ignoring may be to help out in Kidstown. It may be to stand out on the street, on the street corner and just wave, give hugs, okay?

Greet people, serve coffee, whatever. Guest services, quite frankly is a lost art. Ms. Tammy has. Well, Ms.

Tammy and my daughter have well versed me on that. They’ve forgotten more than I know about guest services. You want to talk about a smile and how they are, that’s Ms. Tammy right there. In a nutshell.

You come in, you, she’s going to be there with a smile on her face. How you doing? Love you. If that’s you get involved. If you’re online and you’re watching and this is for everybody, guys like share tell people about the church.

You got a problem. There’s the worship pastor, there’s the outreach pastor, my assistant and there’s me and there’s Sean Vermillion right there. If you need somebody to talk to and you got a complaint, you can go right to him. There’s my assistant bishop right there. You got a complaint, you could talk to him because you know what?

I’m held accountable. We are held accountable. Why? Because we’re kingdom minded. I’m not here to get rich.

Trust me, I’m not here to get rich. I’m here to see people saved. I’m here to see people healed. Healed. Guys.

God heals. God heals. This man stood in a hospital room with me. And the doctor came up, am I lying? And he said, you should be dead.

And I stand before you as proof positive that my God is alive. He’s alive. So with every head bowed and every eye closed, if you’re here today and you’ve never made the active decision to give your heart to the Lord, today’s your day. Today is the day of salvation. Don’t let another minute go by.

Don’t let another hour go by. Don’t let another day go by where you don’t enjoy the fulfillment. Fulfillment of what God has planned for you. And this even goes for those that are online, we’re gonna say this prayer together. And as we say this prayer, if.

You mean it and you’re making a. Commitment, then I either want you to, if you’re online, send a commitment. If you’re making a commitment, you’re here. Go ahead and write it on that blue. That blue card that’s right there, and hand it to Ms.

Tammy. And somebody from our office will call you, and they will pray for you. So right now, Heavenly Father,. We ask. Right now, we commit ourselves to you.

Father, forgive me for my sins. I repent. To you right now. Father, I ask you, forgive me for my rebellion. And I accept you and acknowledge you as my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ,.

Who was died on the cross, buried. In a tomb, and three days later, rose from the dead. Father, from this day forward, I will. Follow you all the days of my life. Help me, Father.

Help me to walk in your presence. Amen. And amen. If you said that, either send in an email or fill that card out. Go see Pastor Alex.

He’ll be there. Guys, I love these guys. She’s getting ready to go to Asia. Okay. She’s looking for.

I’m gonna be honest with you. She’s looking for some additional financial assistance. She’s making a really big leap of faith, and she could use the help. You want to pray for her? Pray for her.

If you can help her financially and see fit, she would love it. These two guys right here, they’re warriors, man. They will go out and they will minister. This guy right here, I’ve only known him for about six months, and there’s nobody that I could tell you that walks closely with the Lord than he does, especially for his age. And I will tell you this because I have done it.

He will challenge you. He will. If you think that he doesn’t know his word, you’re going to be sadly mistaken. Everybody take this message. Go back and listen to it.

Listen to the scriptures. Your homework this week is keep digging. Like I said, God loves you. He cares about you. He wants the best for you.

His plan is the better plan. Heavenly Father, I just pray right now. Father, I pray for these people and those that are listening online and I just ask right now, Father, that you would just touch them and minister to them. I pray, Father, that you would go before them, make their path straight. I pray that you would wrap your loving arms around them, love them, keep them, minister to them, touch them.

Father, I pray that you would bless them, give them influence, bless them financially. Father, I pray that you would guard them against all attacks from the enemy. Father, I thank you and I praise you for them. Bless the rest of our week and bring us all back together, Father. Give them opportunities this week that they will be able to minister to those that are around them, Father.

Let them get into the word and let the word get into them. Open their mind, open their hearts. In your name we pray. Amen and amen. Guys, I love you.

Thank you for letting me torment you for a little while. But I love you guys and have a great, great, great week. God bless.