Chris Durso, Here’s Why

Chris Durso | March 10, 2024

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Transcription

Embassy City. How are we feeling this morning? Man, that was weak. I got to be honest with you. I need all the redeemed of the Lord to say. So. If you are excited to be in the house of God this morning, you know shouldn't be here, but by the grace of God you are, come on, take about 20 seconds and let's give King Jesus our best ovation in this place. All the grateful people, all the thankful people, those that don't mind praising with everything you got. Come on, give King Jesus your best child.

Can I get you to stand? Go on ahead. Stay standing. Stay standing. I'll let you sit eventually. Anybody excited about Easter? Yeah,

What are we talking about? I was talking with Tim about it last night and he was sharing me the vision and the heart behind it. And to be honest with you, I consider myself privileged and honored to be connected to a house and visionaries that are willing to step out in faith like this. Because the fact of the matter is you have a beautiful building. It would be easy to say, we don't need to do that. We could just do two services here, three services. It's nothing for a church to do multiple services, especially a church of this stature that has the ability and the capabilities to open up its arms and greet and meet people. But the vision is so great that he said, let's go to where the people wouldn't expect us to be. Because there are some people, right, that are still scared to come to church. They think if they step in, they're going to burn up. Come on. Who here has ever thought that? Right? Some of you're like, I'm thinking that right now. But you go to a convention center,

What you're doing is you neutralize the space, you make it common ground. They've been there for other events and for other reasoning for them it's not a church. But here we know. We know it will be a church on that Easter Sunday because the Holy Spirit is going to fall in a mighty way and people will be saved. Come on. How many of you know somebody that needs to be saved in the name of Jesus? So here's what I want you to do with those hands lifted up, stretch out your hands towards the screen. Can you put that graphic of Easter back on the screen? Here's what we're going to do. We're going to declare, we're going to decree salvation. We're going to decree freedom from the onset because we know there is no greater message, there is no greater story than that of the gospel.

So what we are believing for are the people we've been praying for that have been fighting to come to church and not really wanting to hear about this. Jesus, we're praying that they would've mind showing up to a convention center. Amen. Come on, all the faithful people in the room stretch out your hands in the name of Jesus. We are asking your glory to fall on the Irving Convention Center right now in the name of Jesus that you would start preparing that atmosphere and preparing that place. And between now and then, regardless of the concerts, regardless of the people that meet there or gather there, they would not be able to impact the atmosphere. In fact, I am praying for your spirit to go ahead right now and for your spirit to saturate that place that anybody that would come against the gospel or preach of another message, they would feel convicted and not knowing why, oh, father God, and that you would lead them back on this Easter Sunday at 10:00 AM oh Father God on March 31st that they would encounter you and God, we are praying right now for everybody in our world that is yet to know you.

God, can they meet you on this Easter Sunday? I pray it would be an easy yes for them. Oh, father God, that they would want to show up and they would want to gather because I have this feeling, oh God, this is only a glimpse of what's to come. It's an urban convention center for Easter, but that's going to be the new normal for Embassy City. We're going to need spaces like this in the name of Jesus. We're going to have to figure out more opportunity for people to come so that they can encounter you and meet with you. Because when it is all said and done, it is all about you, Jesus, whom you deserve all the praise, all the glory and honor Embassy City. If you agree with that, can you put a shout on it? Come on,

Jesus.

Hey, since we're standing, can we thank God for your pastors? How many of you love him right now? We love you, we honor you.

I know you don't want me to do this, but just every time I think of you, I think God, for you both. You mean the world to Jairus and I, and that's not just smoke. I mean that with all my heart. We appreciate you. We love your commitment to even our friendship and our relationship, even the fact that you've already sowed into this small work that we're doing in Soho, you were one of the first people to sow into it. So I thank you so much. I honor you and thank you for allowing me to be here and preach on your stage and teach a part of what God is already doing here. Come on. Can you let him know how much you love him? One more time.

Love you.

Go on ahead and grab your seat. If you don't know who I am, you're new here. My name is Chris and I get to be a part of this and I love this church so much and a little bit about me. I'm born and raised in New York. You could probably hear it in my accent. Let's go New York. The last service, somebody screamed out the Bronx, I hear your yours made it to Dallas. Let's go.

Some of you are like, what's happening? Yeah, it's all right. In the last service, somebody screamed out the Bronx and I was like, oh, we got real New Yorkers in the house. That's security right there. I don't care what they look like, how they're built, if they're from the Bronx, they should serve on the security team because they are built for all the hardships of life. Amen. Too far. That's all right. I'm from Queens, but I'm based out of New York. I get to travel full-time as a teaching pastor, and in between those churches that I'm a teaching pastor for, I get to serve other churches and conferences and I do that full-time while I also get to serve as the chaplain to the Brooklyn Nets. And also just as of last year, we started something called Soho Bible Study, which is a gathering in Soho, which is the downtown part of Manhattan. And we are gathering in the second floor salon and we clear it out and we pack it in and we gather once a month and our next gathering is tomorrow night. So if you know somebody in New York, you could let them know that they could try to come and we're going to try to fit them in, but man, what God is doing there is special. So now that we got me out of the way, you ready for this word? Come on. I want you to pull out something to take notes with.

We're going to open up the book of Exodus chapter three verses one through 14, and I'm going to read to you from the message translation, and here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to read through it and then we'll just spend the rest of our time working through what I just read to you. But as we pick up this moment, this is one of the most famous moments in the Bible. This is the moment where a man named Moses encounters God for the first time, God speaks to him on a mountain that's in Egypt. Now, the reason why this is so important is because he was an Israelite. As an Israelite. He was actually looking, they were trying to kill him. A man named Pharaoh was trying to murder him. For whatever reason, God keeps Moses where he's not only not murdered, but he's able to grow up in the home of Pharaoh. That's a whole other story for all the time however he saved, but there is still Israelites enslaved in Egypt. So now this moment Moses receives an assignment straight from heaven in regards to seeing people set free.

It is also important to note that the reason why he left where he was in Egypt, to now be where he is now on the backside of a mountain taking care of his father-in-law's sheep, is because he actually murdered a man, an Egyptian that was hurting one of the Israelites. And after murdering that man, word gets out and then even the Israelites go on ahead and say, what are you going to do? Murder us? After he tries to break up another argument. So now he's struggling because he's not an Egyptian, but now he's not accepted by the Israelites, so he finds himself on the run. He's a fugitive.

We pick up here in this conversation, it says, Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro. His father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God. I love by the way that the mountain of God is in the wilderness. Some of you think that there's a great distinction in separation between God's presence and the wilderness, and I love it because straight off the bat, this is Old Testament. So from the beginning, he meets us in the wilderness. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God. Harb the angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out in the middle of a bush. He looked, the bush was blazing away, but it didn't burn up. Moses said, what is going on here?

I can't believe this. He says, amazing. Why doesn't this bush burn up? That's important to note because it was not a big deal that a bush would be on fire. It was the desert. There were bushes on fire all the time. It'd be the equivalent of me walking through queens or Brooklyn and seeing a trashcan on fire. It's normal, okay? It's what we see the difference here. It's not that it was on fire, it's that the bush wasn't burning up. And here's also important. It had so much of his attention that he didn't just stop and look, but he stopped to look. Look, he's focused and he can't figure out what it is, which is important to note because the Bible just said to us that there was the angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of the bush, but he does not recognize the angel of fire.

All he sees is a bush that's on fire that's not burning up, and I love it because he's staring at a miracle, but he's missing a miracle. You could be in the middle of staring at something directly and miss it completely if you're not attuned to it. But guess what? God is so good that that doesn't matter to him. He's not the kind of God that says, you better recognize me. That's not the God that we serve. That's not the God that we serve. It goes on to say the bush was blazing away, but it didn't burn up. Moses said, what's going on here? I can't believe this. Amazing. Why doesn't the bush burn up? Verse four, God saw that he stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush. Moses. Moses. God saw that he stopped to look. It was enough for God that this man would stop to look, that God said, all I need is a look.

Some of you make the prerequisite for God and meeting with God so high that God says, you're talking about a version of me that doesn't exist, and you've talked about my grace as if it wasn't a part of the Old Testament. But all throughout the Old Testament, you see that my grace was there, that a man, a fugitive that was on the run, dealing with all the insecurities of who he is, he stops to look, and that's enough for me enough to stop. He says, Moses, Moses, he calls him by name, Moses. Moses. He said, yes, I'm right here. God said, don't come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You are standing on holy ground. Then he said, I'm the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses hid his face afraid to look at God. God said, I've taken a good long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I've taken a good long look at the affliction of my people in Dallas. I've taken a good long look at the affliction of the people in Irving. I've taken a good long look at the people affliction that are in soho in New York. I've taken a good long look

And I've heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters. I know all about their pain, and now I have come down to help them, pry them loose from the grip of Egypt to get them out of the country and bring them to a good land with wide open spaces, a land lush with milk and honey and the land of the Canaanite, the hitite, the amorite, the parasite, the hitite and the jebusite. The Israelite cry for help has come to me and I've seen for myself how cruelly they're being treated by the Egyptians. It's time for you to go back. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the people of Israel out of Egypt, and after all that Moses responds with, but why me? It is obvious in this moment. He's completely overwhelmed with his own insecurity. The task that assigned to him only produced anxiety within him. God is big enough. Let me be clear. God is big enough for all your anxiety and insecurities. The issue is, is that you have made so much room for your anxiety and insecurity that your anxiety and insecurity is going to talk you out of assignment. So the Holy Spirit is saying, control yourself.

Stop allowing your anxious thoughts to get the best of you. Stop allowing what you're telling yourself to override what I'm saying to you. Why is it that you trust your words greater than my word? Why me? Why me? I want to take the next few moments and I want to answer that question titling the thought. Here's why. If you're taking notes, write that down. Here's why. If you're not taking notes, write that down. Here's why. Let's pray one more time. Holy Spirit speak. Amen. Come on, can I get allowed? Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen, amen. He says, but why me? Who here remembers the five Ws, the five Ws? Come on, I need you to put your student hats back on. Who, what, when, where, why, who, what?

We ask who to learn, the person speaking or spoken to, to the persons introduced in the narrative. Ask what to learn. The incidences or statements of the material we're reading. We ask when to learn the date of the actions taking place. We ask where to learn the place or locality. And then finally, finally, we ask why. We ask why to learn the applications and uses of the lessons teaching, in my opinion of the five Ws, why is the most intriguing? Because when I ask why the result of it is intent, I get your unknown reasoning as to why you would do what you would do. And we've all been asked several why questions in our lives, right? Why did you make that decision? Why did you go to that church? Why do you attend that school? Why do you continue to work there? Why do you continue to stay in that relationship even though it's toxic? Why do you continue to behave that way even though you know it's not good for you? Why is it that you keep purchasing things off of Amazon even though you keep saying you need some budget? Why do you do what you do? Why are you dating him? Why are you dating her? Why did you choose to wear that on your wedding day? Why did you make the bridesmaids wear these ugly dresses? Why? Why? Why did you marry him?

Why did you marry her? Why did you break up with me? To which we know the most famous response to that why question, don't we? It's not you.

It is me. Funny enough, the answer to that why question is actually the answer to our why. Question this morning, I hear the Holy Spirit telling me to tell you, you're over here saying, but why me and the Holy Spirit saying, son, daughter, it's not you, it's me. I've given you assignment. But here's the thing. It's not you, it's me. I did tell you to write that song. I did tell you to write that check. I did tell you to go to the convention center. I did tell you to step out and make the investment. I did tell you to become an entrepreneur. I did tell you to make the move. I did tell you to step back. I did tell you to step up. I did tell you to go on over there. But here's the difference. It's not about you. It's about me. I am using you because in actuality, it's not you, it's me. It's me. But I want you.

This is the tension of the text. This is the tension of the text because the truth is any assignment ever given to us actually has nothing to do with us, but it has everything to do with us because the actuality, all we are as a conduit to point people to who Jesus is. And yet it takes all of our lives and all of our decisions and all of our obedience to in order to be a part of this process that has nothing to do with us, but everything to do with us at the same time. Because it's not about me, it's only about him. But in order for it to be about him, I have to make myself available and say, Lord, you could use me. And there are so many people that do not like that part of the conversation. I don't want to be used. I don't want to be asked to help. I don't want to participate. Can I just come, be saved, sit in my seat and go on my way? No, because you don't get to be saved and not assigned.

You do not get the benefits of the cross without having to carry a cross. It is the byproduct of what Jesus accomplished on Doha that allows me to now live the rest of my days carrying the cross that God has given me. And let me break this down for you, because if you have this word picture in your mind that you are carrying across the same way that Jesus carried across, those are very two different pictures and two very different weights. Jesus carried the cross of sin past, present, future. It was a heavy cross and it had him dragging and it had him being overwhelmed by it, but yet he was still able to do it. Why? Because the grace is sufficient. However, as disciples, we are called to carry crosses, but the burden is what? Light. It's light. So you're not carrying it like this. You're actually carrying it like this. You have all the strength that God has given you to carry out the disciple that he has called you to be. So you are over here saying, but God, why me? And what he's saying is, son, daughter, you don't get it. This is who you are.

Disciples carry crosses disobedient. Disciples don't.

Right?

I'm good with you asking all the questions, but put something in your hand as we have the conversation. When I'm at the gym and I'm overwhelmed, I try to trick my trainer because I'm also his pastor. You know what I mean? I ask him a deep question in between reps to get him talking to me. So I just get a little bit more of a break and he'll catch me. He'll be like, bro, stop playing. Pick it up. And I'm like, oh God,

You are trying to procrastinate in conversation. He says, I want to talk to you, but I want to walk with you as I talk with you. So get on and pick up that cross and walk out the assignment that I've placed on your life because the assignment that I've placed on you, here it is, it's about me and it's connected to somebody else. There is somebody on the other side of you completing your assignment that is going to be set free from bondage. However, when they're set free, you're not to receive the praise. You're allow the praise to go through you and up to me because it's not about you, it's about me. But I want to use you to carry out the cross that are placed in front of you. But here it is. I want you. Why do you want me? Because I want you. I love you. I love I love you. I know that you know, but I know you better than you know. I want you. I know exactly who you are. I know exactly what you've gone through. I know exactly what you've been. But here it is. I want you, I want you, I want you. And here's the thing. He doesn't only want you. He wants every other you that you know and don't know.

This is the importance of the gospel because if I just hear that he wants me, it could allow me to develop a superiority complex. And that's where a savior complex steps in like I'm the man. No, no. I'm a man amongst many men to be used by God. You are a woman amongst many women to be used by God. This is why we got to understand our Bible. So when Peter write is called petro, he's called the rock. He's not the rock that is the foundation. It actually translates to pebble and multiple pebbles would make up a foundation. So in other words, imagine on this stage to make up this stage, there was trillions and trillions of pebbles that made up this stage. So when we say Peter is our rock, he is a pebble amongst many pebbles that becomes the foundation for the gospel to take place.

So when I'm trying to get you to understand is you are not the rock. You are a pebble, but you are a pebble in the hand of God. And I've seen God do some things with some pebbles. I've seen some giants fall when he gets hold of some pebbles. I've seen some things shift when he gets a hold of a pebble, and here's what he's saying. I don't want you to make it about you. I just want you to understand that you are small, but still significant, a pebble that I want to use for my glory. Why? Because I love you.

I love you. Oh, I love you. I love you so much that I'll settle for a glimpse. I'll just take a glimpse from you to talk to you. Some of you don't even know how long I've been waiting for you to look my way. I've been waiting for you to look my way, and then you stop and you look at me. Ooh, that's all I need. It's just one look. Just give me a look. Come on. Where are the married people at? Come on. When your spouse gives you that look, you know what I'm talking about. That's all I need. All I need, it's this. Look here it is inviting intimacy. So I look to you, you look at me. I never stopped looking away from you. I've been looking at you and some of you will talk about your wilderness season. Like where are you? God? He's like, I see you.

I don't only see you. I'm with you, but you keep looking in all the wrong places. That's why you're still in that wilderness season and what should have been 40 days turns into 40 years because you are mistreating the wilderness that you are walking all walking through. All I want you to do is look at me. If you look at me, you will see how much it is that I love you because when I look at you, ooh, my eyes burn with love and passion and fire. I love you. I love you, I love you. And look at the direct result of this man looking at God and God looking at him immediately. He receives assignment. However, don't miss it. He receives assignment while being in the middle of taking care of an assignment.

There are so many people waiting, God, when are you going to give me my purpose? He is like, when am I going to give you your purpose? When are you going to start operating a purpose?

Moses is 80 years old at this point in his life, 80 years old, taking care of another man's sheep, which would speak to his lack of success, his lack of accomplishment. And yet because he is handling it well in the middle of a wilderness, God speaks to him, which also points out God knows where to find you. So stop trying to fabricate and manipulate to make something happen every week talking about, I got a word. I got a word. I got a word. I'm sure you did. But keep being faithful where you are at. Everybody wants to expedite assignment. And the truth is, assignment will come to you on God's timing. He does what he wants, how he wants when he wants. Moses call is being called in that moment to a greater level of shepherding while he's taking care of sheep. We have too many people that want to have authority and responsibility among the sheep, but never been around any sheep. My man, Moses is a trusted shepherd to be able to go back to the very people that he's the same as and liberate and free. Although he's anxious. And I just want to point out at the same time, there are some people you like this conversation. You're like, yeah, finally talk about it. Why me? Me, it's about me. And God's saying, well, wait a minute. Wait a minute. It is you that I want, but that's not what I want for you

Yet because you're not good being on the backside taking care of sheep. You're only good with taking care of sheep if it looks like a stage and a microphone.

How about you help clean up one before you stand on one? How about you help participate in what it is that God is building here? I'm sure you are gifted, but are you humble enough to serve? I'm sure you could serve through your preaching and your singing, but we actually got that covered right now. We actually need some help on Easter, setting up some chairs and cleaning up some bathrooms. Are you good with that? And I love it because there are people that always want more, but they're not willing to do little. And if you're not willing to do little, do not expect more, God will not be mocked. I'll never forget when I was pastoring a church, this man came up to me and he told me how God had given him the gift of healing and that God already told him that we were going to have healing crusades in the church and that God was going to allow our church to be the place that God uses him to heal. So I said, okay. Reached out to him a week later and said, we got somebody sick in the hospital. Would you mind just go praying with him?

Said he can't. Okay, maybe he's busy. Ask another time. Different person acts a third time different person every time. He said, no, but you better believe if we had a crusade set up, he would've been front and center giving all glory to God. God's not going to give you sheep if you don't smell like him,

Right?

Good. You want responsibility, but you have not done anything in order to help be a part of the building. Now, assignment does not look like platform. Assignment says, wherever it is you give me is my platform.

It does not look like a church stage. It looks like a life stage. God, this is where you planted me. This is where you have me to be. This is my lot. I will not cry. I will not weep. Whatever it is you want me to do, I will do. And God says, that's exactly it. And at a time unexpected, I may ask you to do more or I might leave you right there because I need you where you're at. And as long as you are good with me getting all the attention and you're not making it about yourself, you're going to be good. You're going to be good exactly where you're at. But I'm looking for people that could serve me and be used by me without trying to take my credit. He says, I want you, but you have to understand, I want you as you are, write this down. You are God's way. What does that mean? You are God's way? God says Moses, Moses. And immediately he gets all insecure. He's so insecure that as he's standing in front of a bush that's on fire but not burning up and it's talking to him by name,

He's more caught up in his insecurities than the miracle standing before him.

And some of you are completely missing out on the assignment that God has given you because you have become your best preacher. You could preach yourself out of every assignment, out of every moment of obedience, out of every moment of surrender. And you keep telling yourself why you're not qualified and why you're not good enough and you're thinking, God must not know who I am because if he did, he would not be asking me to do what it is that he's asking me to do. Now, what I love about this moment is that God tells Moses to take off his sandals before having the conversation with him, which we're going to touch on in a second. But what I also love about this moment is that even in Moses' obedience to take off his sandals, what we get is his humanity. And there is nothing wrong with humanity.

There are too many people thinking that if you don't come correct that you can't come at all. And God says, I'm good with all your incorrectness. I want to work with you. I want to be with you. I know that's who you are, but I want to have a conversation with you because I want to work with you and talk with you through it. And Moses is completely overwhelmed and he's dealing with all the emotion of who he is. So you got to understand he was a fugitive on the run. He murdered a man and yet he finds himself taking care of another man's sheep who happens to be his father-in-law. He is also the man that did not become enslaved when everyone else did become enslaved. So he's also dealing with survivor's remorse because he made it out when nobody else made it out. And why would he be so lucky? So now here is a man who is not accomplished enough but has survivor's remorse, but at the same time seems to be dealing with a whole bunch of more complexities and anxieties. I believe that Moses is dealing with imposter syndrome.

Which one is it? Here It is all of it. Because if we do not stop to recognize the layers that make us up as humans and believers, and we just go with this old adage that once I'm saved, I'm brand new. You are brand new in Jesus, but you are still wrestling through the tension of your humanity and let's never dismiss that because bad preaching has told people to dismiss it, and yet in moments of weakness, it gets the best of them and now they feel completely disqualified and God says, I never said that they said that, but they said it using my name, but they misrepresented me. You have understand that you are my way. You are the way that I want to use. You are the vessel. You are the route I want to take. I'm aware of the fact that you're a fugitive.

I'm aware of the fact that you are dealing with survivor's remorse, which tells me you can't even praise me for saving. You feel guilty for being saved and wish that I didn't save you. So what was good? You internalized and made it bad and completely missed what it is that I've done for you. And as a result of it, as a result of it, you are not even sure that this person that I'm calling out of you is actually who you are. You're thinking the moment they find out who I really am, ain't nobody going to listen to me. But that's just it because if you were good enough, you wouldn't need me. It's the fact that you're not good enough, that I am, that I am, and I get to speak through you, and I get to show up through you because when someone sees you a stumbling, mumbling man who is on the run being used by God, they're going to say, oh, this had nothing to do with you, but everything to do with him. And he says, that's exactly it.

Some of you are struggling with your own imposter syndrome, and I want to point this out because I think this is important. This is important because what's coming for this church and the assignment that's on you, it's a great task. This is the beginning. I'm telling you there are thousands and thousands that are on their way to Embassy City. However, if you do not self correct, if you do not get control of your thoughts, if you do not allow the Holy Spirit to control all those anxieties and insecurities and doubts and frustrations, you will mismanage the assignment that God has given you. Side note, that is the perfect remedy and recipe, not remedy, recipe for church hurt. Because if you cannot receive the people that are coming, it means that you're going to mishandle them. And if you mishandle them, what's going to happen is you're going to steward poorly what God has given you when the fact of the matter is our salvation from Genesis to Revelation, from the book in the Bible as we read it, it is about harmony and stewardship, harmony and stewardship. You have to steward what it is that God has given you hear me, including the emotions.

So you have to recognize what it is that you're dealing with as opposed to just saying in the name of Jesus, be healed. Say in the name of Jesus, heal me from this imposter syndrome. The same way when you go to the doctor and if you may have cancer in your body, you don't just leave settling in the fact that I have cancer in my body. You say, where is the cancer and how do we deal with it? I have to identify where the problem is so that I can get the remedy to where the problem is. So the problem can be dealt with. I need you to be honest about what you're really dealing with and what's really going on in the layers of your mind so that the Holy Spirit could wrap his mind, his arms around it and help you where you're at.

Imposter syndrome is the psychological experience of feeling like a fake or phony despite any genuine success that you've achieved. Wow. So here's Moses. In the middle of the wilderness, God is speaking to him and he can't even accept it because he is like, you don't know who I am. And I was reading, it was just right before the service. The Holy Spirit told me to look this up, and I kid you not right before the last service, I looked this up and I found these five types of imposter syndrome. You might be one of them. This might be what you're dealing with. There's the imposter syndrome identified as the perfectionist. This type of imposter syndrome involves believing that unless you were absolutely perfect, you could have done better. You feel like an imposter because your perfectionist traits make you believe that you are not as good as others might think you are. Who did that hit? You don't want to talk about it. Okay, we want to talk about it.

The expert, the expert feels like an imposter because they don't know everything there is to know about a particular subject or topic or they haven't mastered every step in a process because there is more for them to learn. They don't feel as if they've reached the rank of expert. Who's that for? Yep. The natural genius. It is the imposter syndrome, which by the way, these are really nice labels for a syndrome, by the way. I'm like, oh, I'm the natural genius until you read it. The natural genius is the imposter syndrome type that you feel like a fraud simply because you don't believe that you are naturally intelligent or competent. If you don't get something right the first time around or it takes you longer to master a skill, you feel like an imposter. Who's that for? Yep. What about the soloist? This is the fourth one. It is also possible to feel like an imposter if you've had to ask help to reach a certain level or status since you couldn't get there on your own, you questioned your competence or abilities. Who's that for? You feel like you've received a handout or somehow you expedited something where you shouldn't have gotten that opportunity? Right? The last one, the super person, this type of imposter syndrome involves believing that you must be the hardest worker or reach the highest levels of achievement possible. And if you don't, you are a fraud.

Who here conversations with God? You have a side conversation with yourself, he's talking to you, but then you excuse yourself from that chat room and you go to this chat room and mentally you're like, God, do you know who I am? I don't think he knows. How do we tell him? How do we break the news to him? And that's just it. He knows. He knows exactly who you are. He knows exactly what you are qualified for. In fact, he knows that on your own you're not qualified at all. Right?

See, this idea of imposter syndrome says I have to be something in order to get something. But the issue with that frame of thinking, which is where I want you to get control over today, is to think like that is to remove the gospel. Because the gospel says, I am only here because of what it is that God has done for me. I have not achieved it on my own. I cannot become it on my own. I only am who God says I am. And because he said it, therefore I am. And because he said it, I receive it. So in other words, I do not have to accomplish it. I simply have to receive what it is that he said. And here's another note. If you knew your word well enough, and if you read your word more, and I'm not just talking reading like a Bible reading plan, so you could check it off that you read for the day.

I'm talking about taking time to read even if you only get through two or three verses, but that word hits your spirit and you allow that word to saturate in your mind and you start to pray over it and you start to ask God to help you and to heal you. God, I want you to renew my mind because I don't see myself the way that you see me, but yet your word says that I'm not disqualified, but I feel disqualified. I feel so separated from you. But your word says that there's nothing in all this world, neither height nor depth, angel nor demon past, no present that shall separate me from you. But God, I don't feel that way. He says It's okay, but because of what I've done on the cross, you are enough and you are good because Jesus is enough on your own. You'll mess it up. But in my hands, in my hands, you're everything you need to be.

This is why Paul writes in Philippians. Paul writes in Philippians chapter one, verse six. He's saying, being confident of this very thing, being confident of this very thing, woo, being confident, being confident, you need to get control over those insecurities. They are lying to you. They are cheating you out of spending time with your spouse. They are cheating you out of spending time with your children and your grandchildren. You might've messed up years ago. You might've been an absent parent years ago, but you're here right now being confident of this very thing. You have to allow the gospel to touch every aspect of your life. See, I like talking about the gospel in this blanket form, but I also like pinpointing the gospel to every area of my life because it helps me. In fact, it is more beneficial to me and to you as a believer to allow the gospel to touch you specifically as opposed to just generalizing it.

Because when you generalize it, you miss the nuances and all the places and parts of it that it wants to meet you at. It knows you are absent and yet be confident of this very thing. It knows that you didn't always get it right yet, but being confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good work in you, you have had bad moments while good work was working through you. What does that mean? It's the fact that you were able to repent was the good work in you. What'd you repent from your sin? Which sin? The darkest sin, the one you're humiliated by, the one you don't want anyone to know about. The good work was working in you through your darkest of moment. How beautiful is the power of the gospel? And Paul says, being confident of this very thing because you're not confident, you're insecure, you're doubtful, you're doubtful, you speculate, you're thinking there's a 50 50 chance that this could be true.

He says, Uhuh being confident of this very thing. I love it because Paul has no problem giving us all his titles, right? He says Paul the apostle, and then he also says, Paul, the chief of sinners, the worst of sinners. He's confident of this very thing. Although he was a sinner, he is now saved and because he is saved, he is not treated as his sins deserved. Being confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ that he who's begun a good work in you, not you stop putting that ownership on yourself. Why me? It's not about you. It's he who's begun a good work in you. It's not the good work that you could accomplish on your own because if it was, we wouldn't need a savior and we would've needed God and therefore our works wouldn't bring God praise.

It would only bring us praise. I thank God that we are not saved by our merits and efforts because if we were, can you imagine what eternity would look like? Eternity would look like everyone comparing what it is that they accomplished on earth. Well, I got to do this. Well, I got to do that. Oh my goodness. You ever been in conversations like that? Pastors are the worst. By the way, sizing of how many people you got your church? Well, I have this many people. Oh, I praise God. That's awesome. You got a book deal? I got two book deals. Ha ha. Just go. It's not about you. He who started the work is going to complete the work. And then look,

Just that it's right for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart in as much as both in my chains and in the defense, in the confirmation of the gospel, he's imprisoned by the way, writing this. Look what he says. You all are partakers with me of. What's that word, grace? Come on, say it loud and proud. Grace, it's important to note that this grace originally is written here. It is as the grace to do so. Grace is unmerited favor, right? I'm forgiven because of the grace of God. However, in the original language when Paul wrote this, he's saying, you have the grace to be forgiven and the grace to do this specifically is saying that be confident of the very work that God has started in you. He will complete it. And as a result of it, you all are partakers with me of grace to do for Paul in this moment.

It was to do, to come over or to work through being a prisoner. In that moment, I have the grace to accomplish being a prisoner and finishing my sense. I have the grace to do. Some of you need to receive this because God has given you an assignment and you're fighting the assignment telling God why you can't. And he says, I know you can't on your own, but I've equipped you with the grace to do. I'm trying to help you get your confidence back. I'm trying to help you to get that holy confidence that says, if God before me who could be against me, I'm trying to help somebody right now that hasn't praised in a long time, that hasn't shouted in a long time. You've been dealing with depression, you've been staying in bed, ain't nobody know about it. You've been overeating, you've been eating and quiet.

You've been doing things that you're ashamed to tell somebody, but I want you to feel the full confidence of the Lord today. He sees you, he's watching you. He's saying you don't got to live like that. And here's the thing, even as we work through all those issues, I love you just like you are. I'm staring at you in the middle of your wilderness and if you only knew how much I love you, I'll meet you and I'll help you. You would worship me and you would stop behaving sheepishly. You would stop behaving quietly. You would get loud and proud about the God that I am because I love you with all my, and I do not treat you as your sins deserve. Maybe there's somebody in the room you haven't praised in a long time or you don't mind praising God, take about 30 seconds and give King Jesus your best praise in this place. Come on C City, it's not on you, it's on me. I see you. I got you. I'm going to help you through. We're going to work through together.

I got you on the backside of a mountain where nobody was looking for you. I was looking for you. Woo. When they isolated you, when they unfollowed you, when they didn't text you back, I was there and I had my eye on you the entire, entire, you too worried about man and woman. You need to be worried about me because I'm worried about you and I care about you and I love you. And if you realize how much I love you, you would realize how sufficient my grace is. It was sufficient. It was enough. If there's anybody in the room that would say, the blood is enough for me, put a shout on it. I want you,

I are my way insecurities and all imposter syndrome and all. I'm going to work with you and I'm going to work through that and I'm going to help you. You don't have to figure it out before you come to me. Come to me and we'll walk through it together. We'll work through it together. But what you're going to learn as we're walking together, you could dump on me all you want. You could share with me all you want, but please know I'm going to challenge you and I'm going to encourage you to let go of things that you're holding onto because I'm trying to help you. I'm trying to help you. I didn't just die for you so that hopefully you would respond. You matter so much that I died and I want the return on my investment. Can you give me the next verse? Not Exodus. Keep going, keep going. I'll just read it to you. Just it is me. Thank you. Sorry that was on me. I put it out of order. One Corinthians six 20 says, for God bought you with a high price for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor your body, honor God with your body, for God bought you with a high price. What's important?

He purchased you and everyone else. He purchased everyone else including me. He purchased all of us, not only me. So when he says, I've heard the cries, I'm not good with it and you are over here talking about, but why me? And he is like, well, it has nothing to do with you. It has to do with them. And I'm trying to get to them because I need them to know who I am and if they learn who I am, they're going to realize that life wasn't meant to be in chains and enslaved, but I'm going to use you. So I want it. And here's the thing. The assignment is an a gesture. It's an expectation because on the other side of it, there's freedom for God bought you with a high price. Here's a better translation. God bought you with the highest price. God spent Jesus on you. God took Jesus when the tab came up and said, got it, put your hand back. I got it. I'm going to take care of this bill. But here's the thing. I expect a return on my investment. Right? A couple months ago I was on a plane

And this man was sitting in the very first row of the plane, so it's the bulkhead section, first class seat, and he had his emotional support dog with him. So the flight attendant comes up to him and says, sir, I'm sorry you can't sit in the bulkhead row with the dog. And he says, well, I purchased the seat.

He said, yeah, yeah, I'm sorry, but we're going to have to get you another seat and there's no other seats in first class unless somebody wants to switch with you, but you're going to have to move to the back. He goes, I don't want to move to the back. She said, I know sir, but we can't fly like this. And he said, well, you can because I bought it and you allowed me to buy it, therefore it's bought in my name. And she said, no, no, no, sir. Please, I need you to go to the back. In fact, don't worry about it. I'll give you a refund. And he says, I don't want a refund. I want what I paid for.

The Holy Spirit is saying, I want what I paid for. I am not good with people being in bondage. I am not good with people remaining enslaved. I want what I paid for. I spent Jesus on them. I gave up my only son, my only begotten son. He who knew no sin became sin so that they could be set free and you cannot be so comfortable walking around in your Christianity thinking, well, I went to church and I got to my seat and I'm good and I'm going to brunch. He said, forget all that. That's Christianity. That's a culture of Christianity that I'm not a part of. I'm about kingdom and if you are alive, you are on mission, you are on assignment. Who's the assignment? Everyone and anyone that doesn't know who I want, I'm not good with them going to waste. The same way when you bring your child to a fancy restaurant talking about I had two bikes.

I don't want to eat the rest, and you look at them and you push that plate right back in front of them and say, you're going to finish that meal because I didn't work all week so that you wouldn't eat it. In other words, I'm going to get my money's worth. I hear the Holy Spirit saying, I want what I paid for and I did not spend Jesus on that drug addict, on that prostitute, on that man with depression on that man dealing with anxiety just so that you could walk past them and get to your seat in church. Therefore, if we got to get more space, if we got to get a convention center, we're going to get convention centers, multiple centers. Why? Because we're making room for all the people that have already been bought at a price but don't realize it because they're still living in bondage. Says, I want what I pay for. I want what I pay for including you. By the way, I didn't pay for them shoes. Take off them shoes. When you talk to me, talk to me nice. Talk to me with some respect. Come in my presence and we're going to have the conversation, but stop bringing in anything else that I didn't put on you.

Stepping in all that confidence. I didn't give you that confidence. I gave you humility. I gave you reverence and respect. It's a different type of confidence. You're confident in who you are and your achievements. I don't need your accolades and resumes. You want to compare resumes. I am God. You only exist because I've allowed it. You are operating on borrowed breath. The land exists because I spoke it. Water exists because I spoke it. I'm so powerful that my thoughts come into being. Here you are calling yourself a dreamer. You are only borrowing the thoughts that I've inserted in your mind. Why are me and you even having this conversation if I said, you can, you can so stop fighting me with the free will that I've given you because I am looking for somebody that does not mind worshiping me in spirit and in truth. Somebody that would say, my life is not my own. I don't belong to me. I belong to you and wherever you want me to go, I'll go. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do because you are God and I am not. Therefore, whatever you say is the way I'm going to operate in. If you agree with it, put a shout on it.

Worships him. You could come on out. He says, he says, I want what I paid for. You can remain standing. He says, I want what I paid for. Moses caught up talking about why me and God's saying it's because of them. He's like, all right, but what do I tell them? What do I tell them when they ask me? Who sent me? He said, tell them I am what I am that I am. How gangster that line is. What it translates to. I always was. In other words, nobody sent me. I sent myself, we already know through Moses' lineage and his family tree where he comes from, any one of us, if we say, if we have to go somewhere and get permission, they say, well, what authority are you standing on? We're going to give that credit to somebody else, but God says, you tell them the one who receives all credit, all glory, all honor, because he always was and always is, and the only reason why this conversation is happening is because I've allowed it. I am. I am that I am. I am that I am and my people, they're in bondage. Here's the thing, the slaves, the slaves were to be set free, but the slaves were not the only ones that were slaves because they were in shackles. The Egyptians were equally enslaved as the Israelites were. Don't allow the sense of freedom to be depicted as freedom.

That's a whole word for the person that looks at somebody successful saying, well, why do they get to enjoy life and why do they get that? You don't have a clue what they're battling with. They may have money, but they don't have peace. They may have a Porsche, but they don't have the grace of God on their life because they have yet to submit it. It is not to say that people with money can't be saved. That's not what I'm saying, but do not ever look at somebody's success that is outside of the will of God and compare yourself to them as if some way they are better than you. It is for the one that is chains with chains or the one that's chained with mindset. I am that. I am. The only time we hear that term I am that I am is here an exodus. And then again in the gospels on the night that Jesus was betrayed, he's in the garden praying. Judas shows up with some people to arrest him. It was thousands of people. Thousands. They show up to arrest him. They say, where's Jesus? And Jesus says, I am he. The original translation is I am. And when he says I am, what happens? Everybody falls back. The original translation says, falls to the floor. So the disciples fall to the floor and those that came to arrest Jesus fall to the floor, which is a beautiful picture of what there's coming a day where every knee,

Every knee will bow the saved and the unsaved. The one that's with them and the one that's against them. There is coming a day when Jesus makes himself known and the truth will be plain right in front of Him as I am. That I am, I am that I am, I am that I am. And it is in the presence of God that they fall. Some of you reading the book of of Exodus talking about why Moses hit his face. Do you realize the radiance of the glory of God that is exposed in that moment? And yet, here's what I've learned. Here's what I've learned. Your insecurity could be so great that it will blind you from the radiance that is blinding you.

He had to hide his face from the radiance and yet couldn't see past his insecurity, which shows me you could be in the presence of God all broken and insecure and you're battling it. What does that sound like? Humanity? And I'm tired of this idea within church culture that you have to be perfect in order to go forward. He says, I don't want perfect. I'm perfect. You are not, but you in my hands will become everything it is that I've created you to be insecure, broken, and all. And here's the thing. I could have stood on earth, but I chose to leave after three years. It would've been better for you. Had I stayed because Jesus is a better preacher, teacher, theologian than any one of us. Some of us are praying prayers that he expects us to walk out. He commissioned us to go heal the sick. Praise the dead, cast out demons. God, would you meet them? Okay, I'm going to meet them through you. If you had enough time to mention their name to me, shoot them a text. Well, I don't want to be awkward. Why you making it awkward? The more you separate yourself, the more awkward you create. In fact, distance creates distortion. So the more you distance yourself, the more distorted it's going to become. Just be honest about it. I know we haven't spoken in a long time and if that's my fault, I'm sorry. Or that is my fault. I'm sorry, but I was thinking about you. Can we get up a coffee? Yeah.

Easy. Take ownership. And I want to talk to you. I got friends in my life that I haven't seen in years. I can't wait to see 'em again. And I don't even know why we haven't spoken. All I'm thinking is I just need to shoot them a text. They don't respond. That's on them. We got to stop reading the Bible as if it's us. Verse them. It's him and us.

And the difference is there are those that have that revelation and those that don't, but as opposed to me walking like I'm coming against you.

It's really that I'm walking and I'm going with you. Hey man, lemme tell you where we're going. Yeah, there's this Jesus, I know. I know you don't really want to be here right now, but I've been there before too. But let's just walk together. See if I walk with him as opposed to me walking against him. You see the difference? The difference is it's an attack I'm going to get you. And God goes, what? When you were dead in your sins, when you were dead in your transgressions, I showed up on the scene to meet you and walk with you. I need you to realize that you are who you are, but it's only through me that you could become who I said you could be. And there are others that you don't like, that you don't know that you've never met. And I love them just the same because I died for you. But I don't only died for you. I died for them too. Why? Because I spent Jesus on them. And the fact is, I love you, but I don't only want you. I want all of them.

If you're not standing stand, it's like what kind of message is this, pastor? Chris? Is this an evangelism message? Yep. Is this a message about insecurity? Yeah. Is the message about assignment? Yep. Because all three are interconnected. The assignment leads to people. The assignment also produces anxiety. But if you allow God to take control and he meets you where you're at, we'll see the byproduct is what bring glory and praise to him by people being saved. Here's a nice way of framing this altar call. If you know that you need to get out of your own way, come to this altar. Come on, come on. Thank you for being so bold. Come on. Come on. Can you come closer? Yeah. Bless you, man. Come on. We're going to make room. Some of you're clapping. You need to be up here. Stop playing. You need to get out of your own way. You keep telling God I'll do it when he's like, I don't want you to do it when I want you to do it now. Be obedient. Now, submit. Now let me in your life. Now take off your sandals. Now you know the idea of taking off your sandals. You know what it means? It means humility and respect.

Humility suggests I am not God. Therefore I respect him and submit to him I am less than God, than I'm less than God. Therefore, therefore, by showing you respect, I'm going to take off anything that I've come in with so that I could reverence you and honor you. And here's what he's saying For Moses, it was shoes for you. It's an attitude. It's a mindset.

It's some brokenness that you've deceived yourself that you can't tell anybody about. See if Satan will have you thinking it's the addiction, the pornography, the weed, the something. All of that is the byproduct of brokenness. We got to dig deeper than that. We got to get you to stop doing that, but we got to dig deeper than that because what is it about you that you think you need that? And it's in that place where you realize, I need God here. I'm going to surrender to God in this place. And that's where he'll meet you and that's where he'll help you.

But you got to allow him. You got to allow, you got to get yourself out of your way. Before we sing this, can you lift up your hands? And I just want you to worship over us in your own words before we sing a chorus. Just worship. Just speak the name of Jesus over us. And if you're up here and you need to get up here, put the instrument down or the microphone down and get up here. If you're in the back and you're still struggling, get out of your seat. Jesus loves you that much. He's saying, this is your wilderness moment. Step out. I see you looking at me. Get a little bit closer to me. Don't stop fighting it in your seat. And all of you that are up here, lift up your hands and just begin to say the name of Jesus. Just confess to him. Just say, I need your help in this area. Jesus.