Direct Deposit -- Robert Madu
Transcript
00:00:00I got a feeling today's gonna be a good day.
00:00:05Anybody feel unshakable today? You feel unshakable? Those of you who are visiting with us for the
00:00:13first time, again, welcome. We're so glad that you're here, especially on this
00:00:15Father's Day. Remain standing. We're gonna read our scripture for the year. Every
00:00:20single year in our church, we kind of set a word for the year, and our word for
00:00:25this year is unshakable. We just believe that a shaky world needs an
00:00:29unshakable church, and that word comes straight out of scripture. It's in
00:00:33Hebrews chapter 12, verses 28-29, and we've been reading this every single
00:00:37Sunday of 2024. Some of us got it memorized. Hebrews chapter 12, verses 28
00:00:44and 29, and we're gonna read it together as one big family. Y'all ready? Are you
00:00:50ready? All right, here we go. Let's do it. Do you see what we've got? An unshakable
00:00:57kingdom, and do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming
00:01:03with worship. Deeply reverent before God, for God is not an indifferent bystander.
00:01:10He is actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit
00:01:17until it's all cleansed. God, himself, is mine.
00:01:22Sound good, sound good, sound good to me.
00:01:28Remain standing, remain standing. We're gonna look at our scripture for today. We
00:01:32are in a series called Hidden Figures. Let's pause for station identification.
00:01:37How many were here last Sunday? Can I see your hand? You were here last Sunday? Okay,
00:01:41come on. So you already know the flow of this series. We are talking about money,
00:01:47but it really is, brace yourself, a series about your heart. Because how many know
00:01:52the two are connected? You cannot disconnect your heart from your finances.
00:01:59As a matter of fact, the greatest theological document you could look at
00:02:03might be your bank statement, because that tells me what you love. I just got
00:02:09a look at your bank statement, and I know what you love and what you care about. All
00:02:13I got to do, you ain't got to tell me what you love, I can just look at it and
00:02:16go, oh yeah, you love Zara and Chipotle, yep. And so because God is after our
00:02:21heart, we have to talk about money, and Jesus talked about money. And so that's
00:02:26the series that we've been in, and so we're calling it Hidden Figures because
00:02:29it comes out of Matthew chapter 6, where Jesus says, do not store for yourself
00:02:33treasures on earth where people can steal. Get you some treasures in heaven.
00:02:38And I know your feet are tired, but remember, I define what a treasure is. If
00:02:45you can't take it with you past the grave, it ain't no treasure. Treasure, true
00:02:51treasure, is what lasts forever. And so that is the tenor of this series, and so
00:02:56we're gonna add another layer to it today. Are you ready? Even if you ain't,
00:03:00pretend like it, it's my birthday. Please. Okay, 2 Timothy chapter 1,
00:03:06we're gonna look at verses 1 through 7. This is a spiritual father writing to
00:03:10his spiritual son. It says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of
00:03:14God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus. To Timothy, a
00:03:20beloved son, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father in Christ Jesus our Lord.
00:03:27I thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience as my forefathers did, as
00:03:31without ceasing I remember you in my prayers, night and day, greatly desiring
00:03:37to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy when I
00:03:42call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in
00:03:51your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. And I am persuaded is in you
00:03:59also. Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you. It ain't
00:04:07on you, it's in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us
00:04:12a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Can you say
00:04:18amen? And then just to add one more scripture to this, Genesis chapter 2
00:04:24verse number 7. It declares, God formed man out of dirt from the ground and blew
00:04:34into his nostrils the breath of life. The man came alive a living soul. Oh, that's
00:04:43good. That's real good. I want to preach today, not long, I'm trying to get you to
00:04:47lunch, it's Father's Day. But I do want to preach using this as a title, direct
00:04:52deposit. Direct deposit. And as the video told you, you know I always do it. So look
00:04:59at your neighbor, whichever one you like the best. Come on, say neighbor. Oh neighbor.
00:05:04There's something powerful about a direct deposit. Look at your other
00:05:11neighbor, say other neighbor. I'll tell you deposit. Come on, tell them I'll check my
00:05:16account right now. Let me check it right now. Father speak to us today. Amen. You
00:05:22may be seated in the presence of the Lord. Direct deposit. Can I say thank you
00:05:35for all the birthday love? Come on, I appreciate y'all, for real. Making your
00:05:43pastor feel special. Four decades, that's a lot. I'm 40 and I appreciate some of
00:05:48y'all like, what are ways I can show my appreciation? I'm so glad you asked. Do
00:05:51y'all still have that graphic of my cash app? Can y'all put that up there? I'm
00:05:56playing, I'm playing. Can you imagine? Can we talk about this? Can we talk about it?
00:06:00Are we cool with grown adults posting their cash app on social media? Are we
00:06:05cool with this? Do you, but I'm just saying, if you are posting your cash app
00:06:09on your birthday, you realize that is the online adult equivalent of safety pinning
00:06:14money to your shirt. Like, oh, they gonna know I was born today. Contribute. Oh,
00:06:22it's funny. It's funny. This is today. My first sermon, I was thinking about this
00:06:26earlier. This is my first sermon in my forties, y'all. My very first sermon in my
00:06:32forties. It's kind of a milestone year for me turning 40, but there was another
00:06:38milestone that I just realized two weeks ago. That yes, I'm turning 40 this year,
00:06:43but also this is my 20th year of full-time ministry. 20 years, y'all. I've
00:06:52been preaching the gospel for 20 years. Some of y'all are like, I don't believe
00:06:58it. I don't believe it. I got receipts. Put that picture up. Put that picture up
00:07:01real quick. Yes, yes. That's your boy. 20 years old, I started getting bookings. I
00:07:09went straight to glamour shots in the mall. Said, I'm about to kill them. Hazel
00:07:14contacts and everything. Not too much has changed. Come on. Black don't crack.
00:07:24And even if it does, I exfoliate. So that's me. That's me at 20 years old. For
00:07:2920 years, I've had the honor and the privilege of preaching the gospel, the
00:07:34good news about Jesus. And can I tell y'all, I love my job. I feel like I have
00:07:39the greatest job on planet earth to be able to articulate, to convey, to
00:07:45illustrate the timeless truth of the infallible, incorruptible, everlasting,
00:07:51eternal word of God. I got just as much passion as that 20 year old dude on the
00:07:57screen. I love doing this right here. You ain't got to worry about me being
00:08:01frustrated on the job today, because what I'm doing before you, I truly
00:08:05believe I was created to do this. I was put on the earth to do this. I can't even
00:08:10really call this a job. It actually it's, it's, it's, it's a calling. It's a
00:08:16calling. You understand there's a difference between a career and a
00:08:19calling. A career is what you get paid to do. A calling is the thing you were made
00:08:24to do. It's the thing that when you do it, you say, Ooh, I was put on the earth
00:08:29to do this right here. It's the thing that Einstein said when he said, and I
00:08:34quote, everybody is a genius. Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish on
00:08:40its ability to climb up a tree, it will grow up its whole life, believing it's
00:08:43stupid. In other words, there is an environment that we were all created to
00:08:48flow. And this is mine right here. I found, I'm so glad I honor my father. Uh,
00:08:54you know, he was a fireman in the city of Dallas for 30 plus years, 30 years.
00:09:00That man fought fires for the city of Dallas, but yo, that was his calling. Not
00:09:05mine. I'm just, if your house is on fire, even today, don't call this Robert
00:09:11Madu. Call that Robert Madu. All right. He's actually going to go in the house
00:09:15and get you out. I'm going to stand outside the house and look at you from a
00:09:19distance and I'm going to encourage you. I'm going to encourage you. I'm not
00:09:22going to do nothing. I'm just going to encourage you. I'm going to say, I know
00:09:26you're in the fire right now, but you're coming out as pure gold. You ain't the
00:09:33only one that's been in a fire. Y'all remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?
00:09:38They were in a fire too. And if God got them out, then he, I said he, not me, but
00:09:51he, get you out too. I'm just saying. That is not my call. This is my call to
00:10:00preach the gospel. There's a difference between a career and a calling. Career is
00:10:06what you get paid to do. Calling is the thing you were made to do. But I guess
00:10:12the question I want to ponder today is what happens when you start getting paid
00:10:17to do what you were created to do? What happens when the lines get blurred
00:10:24between your purpose and your paycheck? And all of a sudden you're receiving
00:10:30money to do the thing that you were actually created and called to do. Matter
00:10:35of fact, what happens when there's something you know you're called to, but
00:10:40there is no compensation that is commiserate to the calling? That that is
00:10:46a tension that we must deal with, especially as we talk about money and
00:10:49finances. As a matter of fact, that is a tension that takes me back to the first
00:10:53time I actually preached at a church outside my home church. I'll never forget
00:10:57it. It was in Grapevine, Texas. I got invited to preach at this church. It was
00:11:00a youth group. I will never forget it. They called me up to preach. It was
00:11:04incredible. The room was packed. I'm talking about jam-packed. 22 kids, jam-
00:11:10packed in this room. And there I am preaching my first time outside of my
00:11:15home church. I still remember my message title. I still remember. It was, y'all
00:11:18ain't ready, check your mind space. Mind space. Remember mind space? Never mind.
00:11:25Some of y'all just, yeah. That was my message. And I preached it. It was awesome.
00:11:31And I'll never forget, after I finished preaching it, the pastor took me to
00:11:34dinner. We went to Cheddar's. And I finished, and he leans over the table and
00:11:39he hands me an envelope. And I took the envelope. I said, thank you. And I went to
00:11:44my car. I opened the envelope. I will never forget it. It was a check for $250
00:11:50and a gift card to Chili's and Old Navy. I was like, oh, it's about to be on Chili's.
00:11:56I said, y'all, I got everybody today. It's on me. It's on me. I will never forget it.
00:12:02But my first reaction was to call my father because I wasn't expecting it. I
00:12:07was just glad that he called me to come preach. And I called my dad and said, dad,
00:12:12they pay you to do this? They pay you to do this? I was just happy to preach. And can I tell you
00:12:21today, 20 years in this thing, oh, I'm a long way from a $250 check. I've gotten several checks
00:12:29since then, but there was a principle that I learned then. And I continue to keep on the
00:12:35forefront of my mind now. And that is every time I get a check, it is a check. It is a check to see
00:12:45whether I am going to master this or is going to master me. It is a check to see, do I own this
00:12:55or did this come from a gracious God who gave it to me? Every time you get a check,
00:13:02every time it goes into your account, there is a tension because it's in your account,
00:13:07but it's not yours. And this is the challenge of money. Every time you receive it, you have to ask
00:13:14yourself, am I going to master this or is this going to master me? Now, where does this come
00:13:20from? This comes from Matthew chapter six, where Jesus only gives us two options as it relates to
00:13:25money. He said, you cannot serve God and money. You cannot. God says the only competitor that I
00:13:32have is money. He doesn't say you can't serve God in sex. He doesn't say you can't serve God
00:13:38in the NBA. He said, you cannot serve God and money because money has a unique power.
00:13:45Money is completely different. God says that is my number one competitor. There is nothing that
00:13:51will grip your heart and make you think that it is the thing that you should trust in like money.
00:13:58Money isn't a category or by itself. In fact, money will say to you what your God says to you.
00:14:04Money will say, let me open doors for you. Money will say, let me make a way from you.
00:14:10Money will say, let me, let me prove to you that you have value and that you have significance
00:14:17and that you are somebody. This is the tension of money. If you don't realize that money is in a
00:14:22different category, you might've already fallen trapped to the power of money. Oh, it's quiet in
00:14:28this Presbyterian church today, but I'm going to keep on preaching because it's my birthday.
00:14:32Have you ever noticed like with other sins, there's a clear line that, you know, when you
00:14:37crossed it is sin. Like it's clear, like, you know, when you lie, you know, when you lie,
00:14:44even when it's an exaggeration, you just kind of made it up. You're like, even,
00:14:47you know, when you cross the line of lying, you know, when you murdered somebody,
00:14:53yeah, we got all kinds of people in our church. You know, you know, when you murder somebody,
00:14:59you know, when you gossiping, you know, I know you're trying to dress it up when you say it
00:15:03and say, well, I'm just telling you this so you can pray for them. But you know, when you spread
00:15:07and gossip, you know, when you tell us something you had no business telling, you don't even know
00:15:11the whole story. You just read it online. Oh, let me tell you what they did. Were you there? No,
00:15:16but let me tell you, you know, when you gossiping, but have you ever noticed?
00:15:22You don't really know when you're greedy.
00:15:26Greed is one of those things that has the ability to hide itself from you. And the reason it's hard
00:15:31to know when you're greedy is because you can always compare yourself to somebody that has
00:15:35more than you. There's always somebody that has more than you got. So it's easy to look at yourself
00:15:40and say, well, I ain't greedy. So the person that has a dope apartment that's furnished is like me
00:15:46greedy. I ain't even got a house. And then the person that has a house that's me, I ain't greedy.
00:15:50I ain't got two houses. And then the person that got two houses, it's like me greedy. No,
00:15:54I know somebody that got three houses in the Island. And it's easy to compare yourself to
00:16:00somebody else's level of income. So nobody actually thinks they ever wrestle with greed.
00:16:05This is the power of money. And your God says, be careful when you start finding your value,
00:16:11when you start finding your significance and how much money you acquire and what you have.
00:16:17It's interesting. Psychologists have analyzed this, that typically when we start moving up the
00:16:21economic ladder and you start making more money, we don't typically think, oh, I just make more
00:16:26money than people. We don't even think, oh, now I have more responsibility because I have more
00:16:33wealth. Do you know what? Most people start thinking when they start making more money than
00:16:36people, even if they don't say it out loud, you actually start thinking you are better than
00:16:41people. You will start turning up your nose and going, I make more than you. So I'm better than
00:16:47you. I mean, come on. You saw my ride. You see, I'm better than you. Money has a power to make
00:16:57you think you are better than another human being because of your economic status. That is the power
00:17:04of money. And how dare any of us ever, irrespective of how much money you make, think that you are
00:17:10better than anybody else. When your God was clear in Genesis chapter two, that he created man from
00:17:17the very dirt of the earth. Oh, I got a Bible verse for somebody who's been dealing with pride
00:17:24and arrogance. And you think you all that I want you to go to Genesis chapter two,
00:17:28verse number seven, because the Bible is clear that none of us came from some amazing celestial
00:17:34substance. Every single person in this room watching online on the Pando app, you came from
00:17:40nothing but dirt. Oh, don't you feel good about yourself today? I'm letting you know, we came from
00:17:47nothing but dirt. God wanted it clear in the book of Genesis that when I created you, I didn't use
00:17:53some special substance. I used nothing but good old dirt because I don't want you to ever turn up
00:17:58your nose at somebody else. You came from dirt. It really is no upper class, middle class, or lower
00:18:04class. It really just a dirt class because every single one of us came. Okay, y'all need a visual.
00:18:12This is dirt. This is you. This, ladies and gentlemen, is me. This is dirt. I love it because
00:18:26I didn't even go to the store to get this dirt for this illustration today. I went to PT's garden
00:18:31and just scooped some out, just scooped some dirt out. This is you. And it's funny to think all the
00:18:37things that we do for our dirt. Like you got up this morning and you washed your dirt. I hope you
00:18:44did. You put deodorant on your dirt. Ladies, the money you spend on your dirt. Come on, you get
00:18:53your dirt manicured. You get your dirt pedicured. Come on, put a lace front on some dirt. All the
00:19:00things we do all for our dirt. Fellas, I'm coming for you too. There you are in the gym doing push-ups
00:19:06just trying to get your dirt to be more firm. Just came from nothing but dirt. All the things
00:19:12that we do for our getting degrees for your dirt. Putting your dirt in a fancy car. And this is where
00:19:19we came from. I take issue with the fact that God used dirt when he created us because your God has
00:19:24never done anything ordinary. How many of you know he does everything extraordinary? This is a God
00:19:29that created the universe. This is a God that has never done a sunset the same way. This is a God
00:19:35that every single snowflake that has ever fallen from the sky has never been the exact same. He is
00:19:40the king of glory. He does everything with splendor. Oh, your God is awesome. That's why he's greatly
00:19:47to be praised. You do know he's the interior designer of heaven, right? He designed heaven,
00:19:54did the gate in pearl, did the streets in gold. But when it got ready to create you and I, his
00:20:01prized possession, the one he sent his only son to die on a cross for of all the things he could
00:20:07have used. He said, let's use dirt. Oh, I was mad at God for years over that verse. I said, really,
00:20:14God? Streets get gold, but we get dirt? That's messed up. Until I started realizing the brilliance
00:20:20of our God and what he was trying to show us all the way from the book of Genesis. God was trying
00:20:26to show us that he doesn't need clean, pristine things to get the glory out of it. Can I tell
00:20:33you why I thank God for who he is? It's because God is holy, but he can still work with things
00:20:39that are jacked up and dirty. And some of y'all acting like you always had your life together
00:20:44and you always been saved and you floated in the room today. But somebody ought to just take a
00:20:48praise break and thank God that he can work with dirt, that God doesn't need perfect people to get
00:20:54the glory out of their life. Matter of fact, he'll take somebody that's broken and somebody that's
00:20:58jacked up because when God uses them, can't nobody take the credit. Can't nobody get the glory but
00:21:04him. God can work with dirt. I don't know why you praise him. I'll tell you why I praise him.
00:21:14Cause he doesn't need Pinterest, perfect, clean, filtrated things to get the glory out of it.
00:21:21God showed you from Genesis, I can work with dirt. Matter of fact, you understand,
00:21:26you're the only thing that God put his hands on. Everything else in Genesis, he spoke into existence,
00:21:34but not humanity. He said, I got to put my hands on this stuff. The very fingerprint of God is on
00:21:40you. He had to shape and form that dirt. And before he formed it, excuse me, after he formed
00:21:51it, he gave a direct deposit. Matter of fact, everything he formed connected to the environment
00:22:02was a direct deposit. He formed the ocean, let there be water, and then made a direct deposit
00:22:14with fish. He formed the sky in all of its beauty, but then filled it and made a direct deposit
00:22:23with the sun, the moon, and the stars. He formed the land, the earth, and then made a direct deposit
00:22:31with vegetation. And then he formed from dirt, humanity, and made a direct deposit.
00:22:46Breathe into his nostrils, the breath of life. You want to know what your most valuable asset
00:22:54is? That little watch. It ain't your apartment. I know you excited about it.
00:22:59But your most valuable asset, watch this.
00:23:10The fact that there is still breath in your body, that is the most valuable asset that you have.
00:23:17The borrowed breath that God gave. It's not even yours. He just gave it. Look at the generosity
00:23:24of God. You thought this was about money. No, this is about a God who was so generous.
00:23:28He gave you borrowed breath. What is the most valuable asset you have right now?
00:23:42Dead people can't do nothing for God. But your most valuable asset
00:23:48is the breath in your body. Are y'all bored yet? Can I take my time?
00:23:58This borrowed breath that we all have, it reminds me of when Moses encountered God.
00:24:05And when Moses encountered God, he said, tell me to tell them what your name is. And God reveals
00:24:11himself as the great I am. He reveals himself as Yahweh. Yahweh, that is his name. Yahweh.
00:24:19That'd be a good time to put Yahweh on the screen. Yahweh, that is his name.
00:24:26And it's interesting. We've added over time, the A and the E, but in Hebrew,
00:24:34you understand that Yahweh would be spelled Y-H-W-H. Y-H-W-H. And hear me, there are some
00:24:44scholars and more specifically Jewish rabbis who believe that since Yahweh in Hebrew is spelled
00:24:52like that, that that is actually a representation of the sound of breathing. That to even say
00:25:03Yahweh is like taking a breath in and exhaling. So it'd be a little bit like this. It would be
00:25:14Yahweh. Yahweh. Yahweh. Yahweh. Yahweh.
00:25:30So the thought is, in these Jewish rabbis' thinking, is that whether you're an atheist
00:25:34or whether you're agnostic, that just the fact that you're Yahweh,
00:25:42you can deny him all you want, but your brother, very breath, is declaring the greatness of who
00:25:46is Yahweh. That every time a baby cries Yahweh, that every time you're stressed out,
00:25:54Yahweh, you are still declaring what his name is. That even on your deathbed,
00:26:04Yahweh. This is what they believe. Now just to be clear, there's nowhere you'll find that in
00:26:14the Bible. This is in Jewish rabbi teaching. But please believe it is a biblical principle
00:26:21that the very breath you were given was from a generous God who breathed into some
00:26:30dirt. Now I know why you use dirt. Dirt's the only environment you can put a seed in.
00:26:38You cannot put a seed in a diamond. You cannot put a seed in a pearl. You cannot put a seed in
00:26:44gold. I don't care how good of a gardener you are, but if you take a seed and you put it in
00:26:49some dirt and you fertilize that thing and you start watering that thing, watch the seed that
00:26:55you put in become something greater than it was when it went in. And I'm telling you, God is a
00:27:00good, good God, but he's a good, good gardener. And yes, you came from dirt, but there is a seed,
00:27:05there is a gift on the inside of you. Something different on me at 40, I feel like preaching.
00:27:12There's a gift on the inside of you and all throughout your Bible. Your Bible is replete
00:27:20with scripture and examples of understanding what he put in you. This is what the Bible says
00:27:24in second Corinthians chapter four, verse seven, for we have this treasure in earthen vessels.
00:27:30One version says in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power, here it is,
00:27:35is from God and not us. Translation, don't ever get it twisted. You just a dirt bag.
00:27:43Just make it real play. The gift is not you. It's what he put on the inside of you. Paul will say
00:27:49this again in Romans chapter 12. I love it. Romans chapter 12, look what he says. In his grace,
00:27:54God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability
00:27:59to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others,
00:28:05serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others,
00:28:10be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability,
00:28:17take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others,
00:28:22hello, we need that today. Do it gladly. Do it gladly. Oh, I just came to me. Y'all just have
00:28:29a challenge this week to see, watch this. Oh, this is dope. Y'all just do this this week.
00:28:34See how many nice comments you can write on somebody's page today.
00:28:39Imagine a revival of kindness where you actually didn't feel the need to give your opinion on
00:28:46everything else, but you actually had something nice to say online to somebody else. God says,
00:28:52I've given you a gift. So Paul throughout his writings is trying to let the church know
00:28:59you have been given a direct deposit, whether you see it or not, it's already in you a direct
00:29:08deposit, not just the borrowed breath, but of a gift, which brings me to my text. All that was
00:29:15intro Paul, a spiritual father who's writing to a spiritual son. Timothy is writing to him.
00:29:27This is the second letter. It's interesting because when Paul starts encouraging Timothy
00:29:33and says, I see the faith that was in you, you notice who was missing from the text,
00:29:38his daddy and his granddaddy. He said, I noticed the genuine faith that was in your mother and
00:29:46your grandmother. Some scholars say it's because his father was Greek. Some would even suggest that
00:29:52he had an absent father, but look at the goodness of God that even in the absence of a father or a
00:29:56godly heritage from a father, God fills in the blank and gives him the greatest apostle to have
00:30:02ever live. Some of you complain about what you don't have earthly. Have you ever opened up your
00:30:07eyes to see that maybe there's a mentor? There's somebody else around you that God has strategically
00:30:12used. And if God has given you a gift mentor father, are you concerned about anybody else
00:30:18to make a deposit into their life? Look at Paul writing a letter of encouragement to a spiritual
00:30:25son, Timothy, a pastor who's been thrown into a church that's exploding in Ephesus and he's
00:30:30nervous and he's intimidated and he doesn't know what to do. Paul's like, I got you. I'm going to
00:30:35tell you what to do. Preach the word in season out of season, stand for strong doctrine because
00:30:41there will come a day when people won't want to hear strong doctrine. He just starts writing to
00:30:46encourage him. I love first and second Timothy, but second Timothy is different. Second Timothy,
00:30:53you can't even really appreciate what Paul is saying until you know the context and the
00:30:58environment from which he's saying it. Paul is writing second Timothy from a jail cell y'all.
00:31:04He is about to be executed by Nero. These are the last moments of his life. When you go to the crib
00:31:10and you read second Timothy know that you are reading the writings of a man who knows he's
00:31:15about to die. His life is over. He knows it. Why is that important? There's something about a
00:31:21consciousness of death that will clarify what's really important to you. If I told you you got 24
00:31:28hours to live, you would not be trying to Netflix binge this afternoon. All of a sudden you would
00:31:34get clarity on what really mattered on what really was important. You wouldn't care what they said
00:31:39about you because you would realize you are running out of time. I find it intriguing of all the
00:31:44things Paul could have written about in the last moments of his life. He feels the need to tell a
00:31:50spiritual son, whatever you do, stir up the gift of God on the inside of you. Don't waste the direct
00:31:57deposit. You've got to stir it up. Paul is better than me because if I'm on death row and they're
00:32:06about to kill me, wait, they're about to kill me and I only get one letter, I ain't writing a letter
00:32:12to you to tell you to stir up the gift of God. If I'm on death row, I'm writing one letter. Don't
00:32:16kill me. Exclamation point. Not Paul. He said, if I do it with my last breath, I got to tell the next
00:32:23generation. I got to tell the church you owe it to God to do something with the direct deposit.
00:32:29You got to stir up the gift. Why would Paul do that? Because ladies and gentlemen, that is all
00:32:38that life is about. What did you do with what he put in you? When you get to heaven, God's not going
00:32:44to ask you how many times you jumped up and down to your favorite praise and worship song.
00:32:48He's not going to ask you what your denomination was. He's not going to ask you how many inspirational
00:32:53posts you put on your Instagram page where you carefully curated your coffee and your
00:32:56highlighted Bible to show everybody that you're really super safe. He is going to ask you, what
00:33:04did you do with the gift? What did you do with the direct deposit that I gave you? Have you noticed
00:33:11the words that we are living our life for? Here it is. Well done, my good and faithful servant.
00:33:19That is what we're living our entire life for, to hear those two words, well done. Not well
00:33:24dreamed, my good and faithful servant. Not well tweeted, my good and faithful servant. Not well
00:33:29posted, my good and faithful servant. Well done. That means you got to do something.
00:33:36Some of us, God ain't going to say, well done. He's just going to say, well.
00:33:42Because you never stirred up the gift. You never did anything with the direct deposit.
00:33:48I got one assignment on this Father's Day and on my birthday that I'm still turning up to,
00:33:52is to tell somebody, stir up the gift of God on the inside of you. You got a direct deposit.
00:33:58You got to stir it up. Somebody say, stir it up. Come on, say it like you got some faith. Say,
00:34:02stir it up. Come on, say it like you believe in this about to be the best half of your year
00:34:08that God is going to do something that your eyes haven't seen,
00:34:11your ears haven't heard, but it's not just on God. It's on you. Just stir it up.
00:34:18Stir it up. Stir it up. Oh, you got to stir it up. Oh, you got to stir it up. Oh,
00:34:24I started thinking about it when I stole PT's dirt today. In our backyard, she just planted
00:34:30a whole lot of things, but she planted a peach tree. She planted a peach tree. I'm telling the
00:34:34truth. She planted a peach tree and it took me back to when I was a kid. I had a peach tree and
00:34:40I planted this seed. I'll never forget it. I was a kid. I was so excited. I was going to have me a
00:34:43peach selling enterprise and I planted, I planted this seed with my father and I was so excited
00:34:49about this peach tree. So after I planted it, like four days later, I went out to see my tree
00:34:56and was genuinely shocked that there was no tree there. I'll say, you know what? I gave
00:34:59it four days. Maybe I'm a little premature. I'll give it a week. Week, no peach tree. Two weeks,
00:35:06no peach tree. A whole month goes by. I don't see nothing coming out of the ground. I'm mad. I got
00:35:12an attitude. I'm in the house with my arms folded. In fact, the anger went to just sadness. I was
00:35:17just crying, tears coming down my face. Enter my Nigerian father who sees me crying, looking out
00:35:22the window and goes, what is wrong with you? Why are you crying? I said, dad, I know you know,
00:35:29they told me if I planted this seed, I would have a peach tree. I said, there's nothing here. It's
00:35:34been a month. It's been a month. That's what I told him. And in classic Nigerian dad fashion,
00:35:39he said, oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. He said, son, come here. He said, let me ask you something.
00:35:46I'll never forget it. He said, have you done anything with this since we planted it?
00:35:53I said, no. He said, son, listen to me. Every day you come home from school,
00:35:59go and get the water hose and water what you planted. Stop crying like a little baby
00:36:05and go and get your water hose and water what we planted. I hope somebody sees where I'm going with
00:36:11this today. I am so sick and tired of believers who have their nose pressed against the window
00:36:17pane of their life and tears coming down your face. And you think God lied about the promise
00:36:23he gave you and God's going, no, I didn't lie. I was just waiting on you to stir it up.
00:36:28You got a responsibility. I already gave you the direct deposit. You ain't waiting on me.
00:36:34I'm waiting on you to stir it up. One day y'all got to give me an organ.
00:36:39Somebody shout, stir it up. Stir past your insecurity. Stir past fear. Stir past worry.
00:36:47Stir past doubt. Stir past what they said about you. Stir it up. And once, once you stir it up,
00:36:59ah, once you stir it up, you realize there's a gift. There's a hidden figure.
00:37:19Oh, you know what I love about that illustration? What I always love about this illustration
00:37:26is none of y'all knew that was in there except for me. You know why?
00:37:32Because I'm the one that put it in there before service started.
00:37:38This is why I actually start shouting when I hear haters and naysayers say, I don't see that
00:37:44happening in your life. I don't see that. Y'all don't even got a building. How can God do a
00:37:48revival? And I don't see it. Of course you don't see it. You didn't put anything in me,
00:37:52but there is a God that put a gift on the inside of me. And the moment I stopped complaining and
00:37:59start stirring, you're going to see things that eyes have not seen and ears have not heard.
00:38:07Somebody just shout, stir it up. Stir it up. You have a direct deposit.
00:38:17You ain't waiting on God. He's waiting on you. Stir it up. Stir it up. That's why God's been
00:38:26shaking some things. Not only so you can be unshakable, but so you can stir up what he put
00:38:31on the inside of you. Stir it up. Come on. Y'all sit down. Y'all know it's Father's Day. I'm trying
00:38:39to get y'all to lunch. Hear me. This right here, this right here is the greatest day of your life.
00:38:49The day, watch this, that you stir it up and you actually see the direct
00:38:54deposit from God. This is your real birthday.
00:39:01Some people find it at four. Some people don't find it to the 60,
00:39:05but I'm challenging you find what he put in you. That's why one writer says
00:39:12there are two important days in your life. Not the day you're born and the day you die,
00:39:17but the day you're born and the day you find out why you were born.
00:39:25The day that you stir it up to see the direct deposit. Can I just talk practically? The reason
00:39:33we have direct deposits today, it started in the 1970s or 1980s, I believe. Part of the reason they
00:39:39did is because the paper checks were having jams and people was tired of waiting in line.
00:39:45Instead of waiting in line, they say, hey, let's just direct deposit it and put it in your account
00:39:50so you don't have to wait. It can just be in there. I came to tell somebody,
00:39:54you are not waiting on God. He's waiting on you to stir it up. In one simple verse,
00:40:03Paul is giving us incredible truths that when God does a direct deposit of a gift on the inside of
00:40:09you, the responsibility is not just on God. It is on you to stir up what he put in you.
00:40:16Hear me. Just as sure as I'm holding this gift in my hand,
00:40:24every single person in this room has a gift. Everybody. Everybody. You have something
00:40:33God has given you. I wonder, have you realized what it is yet? Do you know what your gift is?
00:40:39Some of you, you don't know what your gift is because you're looking for some big,
00:40:44magnificent gift. I'm talking about the simplicity of the gift of like just your personality.
00:40:50You ever meet those people that come around, it's like, I don't know what it is about Fred,
00:40:53but I like Fred. That's a gift. Your personality. Come on. There's some people that when they walk
00:40:59in the room, they light it up. Other people, you walk out of a room, you light it up.
00:41:05Because you're so negative. But you got a gift. Come on. Look at the gifts. First of all,
00:41:11can I just pause and celebrate our incredible worship team, Pastor Kenan and Barrett and
00:41:17all of them. Talk about a gift. I'll just say it publicly because we record these services.
00:41:24Pastor Kenan has written songs and will continue to write songs and you will hear her songs
00:41:29around the world. God has given her that gift. Do you know what your gift is? So many gifts.
00:41:38I'm thankful for all the servant leaders here that show up, serve this church. Do you know what
00:41:44your gift is? Some of you, Oh, your gift, you can't sing, but you can lip sync for the Lord. Amen.
00:41:50No, for real. You got a gift. Some of your gift is you just look good. That's a gift.
00:41:58Some people have it. Some people don't. Can I be honest? The Bible is clear. Some of us
00:42:03wonderfully. Some of us were fearfully made. It's a different I'm playing. I'm playing.
00:42:09That is bad exegesis. That is not what that means. You're beautiful. You got a gift.
00:42:18You got a gift. Think about David's gift. Yes, he could sing, but that's not what got him in the
00:42:25palace. He could throw a good rock. That was his gift. Imagine feeling intimidated because you can't
00:42:33swing a sword, but you can throw a good rock. Everybody going, look at him. Can't even swing a
00:42:39sword. You're just throwing a rock until Goliath shows up. Got a gift. And hear me, all of us have
00:42:50something. And God wants to know today, are you going to use that for me? You thought this was
00:43:00about money. I'm asking you, what are you doing with the direct deposit he gave you?
00:43:07Hear me. I wish I could tell you that once you start the gift and you see the gift,
00:43:12everything will be fine. Your life's going to be perfect. And I could end the sermon right there,
00:43:15but I can't end the sermon there without warning you that the day you start up and the day you
00:43:21realize the direct deposit from heaven has been given to you, get ready for all hell to break
00:43:26loose in your life. Because if there's anybody the enemy hates, it's somebody that knows the
00:43:34value of the deposit of what they've been given. If there's anybody the enemy wants to destroy,
00:43:43it's somebody who knows their gift. God wants your gift because he gave it to you.
00:43:53He wants your gift and he gave it to you. Watch this. And gives you the option to choose to give
00:43:59it to him and bring glory to him. Talk about generosity. Every good and perfect gift came
00:44:06from him. And then he gives you the opportunity to choose whether you want to give him glory with it.
00:44:10Wouldn't been me. If I'm God and I'm giving out gifts, oh no. And you're going to sing and go on
00:44:14a tour and you ain't going to give glory to me. Oh no, I'm taking your voice away. You're going
00:44:18to hear bad notes. If I'm God and I give you the gift of height and you're going to slam dunk and
00:44:23make all that money and you're just going to live stingy and you ain't never going to give me glory
00:44:26for it. Oh, you can go from six, four to three, two. Immediately. Look at the generosity of this
00:44:34savior who just says, here's the gift. Watch this, but you won't really find peace until you bring
00:44:42it to me. God wants it. The enemy wants it. And all the enemy will tell you is use it for you.
00:44:52Oh, and other people want it. God wants your gift. The enemy wants your gift and other people want
00:45:01your gift. Cause come on, y'all gifts are attractive. We love gifted people. Gifts are
00:45:07great. The only challenge with meeting people on their gift or connecting to them and according to
00:45:14their gift, understand that whenever you get somebody's gift, you don't just get their gift.
00:45:20You also get
00:45:26their dirt. People can handle your gift. Not a whole lot of people can handle.
00:45:35Oh, I lost the whole church. Now you were so excited earlier. Weren't you?
00:45:39You were feeling real good. Oh, I got a gift. Don't get it twisted. You got some dirt too.
00:45:43Your dirt is your humanity. Your dirt is that part of your testimony. You don't tell your dirt
00:45:47is that thing that God is still trying to conform to the image of his dear son. Come on. I don't
00:45:53care how saved you are. You could have had communion for breakfast. Let's keep it 100.
00:45:57You got some dirt. Your dirt is your real you. Not your carefully curated posted you.
00:46:07It's your dirt and the tension of life.
00:46:13It's the gift and the dirt. Have you ever looked at a part of your life and said, God,
00:46:17I know you can use this, but how in the world can you use this? Y'all this tension is what
00:46:25makes marriage difficult. Cause come on. In the wedding ceremony, you see the gift.
00:46:32It's perfect. Oh, we got our hashtag. Yeah. Go to Cabo. It's going to be great.
00:46:39Then you were a year in the thing and all of a sudden you roll over and you see the dirt
00:46:43and you're like, what is this? Yo, you didn't say this on the first day. What?
00:46:48Your credit score is what? What in the world? You see their humanity. You see,
00:46:55you know what most of us go through life doing showing our gifts and hiding our dirt.
00:47:02This is how you meet most people.
00:47:07I don't want you to see this back here. Just look at this. Don't look at the things that
00:47:12I haven't worked on. Don't look at the things that I haven't given to God. I just want you to see
00:47:15the best of me. Let me hide the rest. And if you are not careful, you will start approaching God
00:47:23the same way you approach people, trying to give him the good parts and trying to hide the dirt.
00:47:29And God says, no, no, no, no. I want all of it. I want your gift and I want your dirt. And guess
00:47:35what? I'm the only one that can handle it. I gave you the gift. I know your dirt and I still love
00:47:40you anyway. And I still have a call on your life. And I still have a purpose for your life.
00:47:45Come on. Don't let the enemy disqualify you because of your dirt. God says, I can still
00:47:50get the glory out of your life. If you would give your life to me, if you would give me your gift
00:47:56and give me your dirt, I can use you, but you can't keep holding on to it.
00:48:04Do you know why most of us are struggling? It's because we're trying to hold it.
00:48:11The whole time I've been preaching, I've been trying to hold this mic. They said,
00:48:13you want a headset? I said, no, I want to show them the picture of so many of our lives. You
00:48:17trying to hold your gift and hold your dirt and you're struggling. You're feeling the weight of
00:48:22it and you were never meant to carry it. Can I show you what freedom looks like? Freedom is when
00:48:26you take your gift and you take your dirt and you get it out of your hands and you put it in the
00:48:32hands of the God that created you. You put it in the hands of the God that formed you. And you say,
00:48:36God, this is me, the real me, the one that you formed. Take my gift, take my dirt, use all of
00:48:42it for your purpose, use it for your glory, get it out of your hands. We struggle because we've
00:48:51been trying to hold it in our hands the whole time. Can I tell you what I've learned in my
00:48:5540 years of living? Life is predicated upon whose hands you put something in. Life is predicated
00:49:03upon whose hands something are in. That makes all the difference. Come on, a basketball in my hands
00:49:09is worth $20. That same basketball in LeBron James' hands is worth 1.2 million dollars
00:49:16because it all depends on whose hands you put something in. Come on, you put a tennis racket
00:49:21in my hand, I'm gonna swat a mosquito. You put that same tennis racket in the hand of Serena
00:49:26Williams, all of a sudden you got a championship and a shoe deal because it all depends on whose
00:49:32hands you put something in. If you take a paint and paint brush and put it in my hands, I will
00:49:37paint you stick figures, but the same paint, the same paint brush in the hands of Leonardo da Vinci
00:49:44will create a masterpiece that will take your breath away because it matters whose hands you
00:49:49put something in. Come on, you put instruments in my hands, you will run out of this room and cover
00:49:54your ears, but the same instruments in their hands are creating an atmosphere for the glory of God
00:50:01to invade this place because it matters whose hands you put it in. Come on, if you take a
00:50:08hammer and some nails and put it in my hands, it won't do anything, but the same hammer, the same
00:50:14nails in the hands of Jesus, we got salvation, we got healing, we got peace, we got life, we got joy,
00:50:23you got everything. You got everything you need. You got to put it in his hands.
00:50:36I came to tell somebody who's been trying to hold on to it and wondering why you're losing it. It's
00:50:42because you were never meant to hold on to it. God says, I want you to bring me your gift.
00:50:48Bring me all your dirt. Bring me the part of me that you think is too damaged for me to use.
00:50:55Bring me the part of me that you're so ashamed about that you don't want to tell anybody. Bring
00:50:59it to me and watch me use it for my glory. I came to tell you this Father's Day,
00:51:06your heavenly Father made a direct deposit first with the breath that he gave you,
00:51:16but he also gave you a gift. Your soul will not find rest until you give it to him.
00:51:24Look at what he did. He modeled it for us. He who was rich in heaven became poor and came to earth,
00:51:34lived the life we were supposed to live, died the death on the cross we were supposed to die
00:51:42and with his arms stretched out wide. The only one who can truly say, I did nothing wrong
00:51:48said, Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing and then gave up
00:51:57his life. Make no mistake. His life was not taken. He gave it.
00:52:04Look at the generosity of this Father. How can you not respond to that?
00:52:12You know why I preach like I got everything in me and like I had six espresso shots?
00:52:18Because I had six espresso shots.
00:52:24I still feel like that 20-year-old kid that's just so happy that he would use me.
00:52:30This isn't my gift. It's his. He gave it to me.
00:52:39I've learned over the years to not just bring him the gift,
00:52:44to live a life of transparency and bring the dirt too. I'm saying, God, here's my life.
00:52:52Use it in whatever way you see fit. I'm going to ask in this moment, every head be bowed,
00:52:58eyes be closed. If you could stand to your feet, I'm going to ask that nobody leave.
00:53:01Please respect this moment. We're about to dismiss, but
00:53:06a message like this demands a response. It demands a response. You have been given a great deposit.
00:53:19I know the enemy's loud in your ear, showing you all the evidence of
00:53:24why God is not with you or what you've lost, but God says, no, no, no.
00:53:29The fact that you're still breathing.
00:53:32Yahweh. Yahweh.
00:53:40Your breath is a testimony that he's not through with you yet. He wants to know,
00:53:48and he wants to know, can he get the gift that he gave you?
00:53:56You're so good at giving it to everybody else.
00:54:00So good at giving it to your job. You'll work overtime,
00:54:05but the one who actually made the deposit wants to know, could he, could he get it?
00:54:13He's the only one that when you surrender to him, you feel freer.
00:54:18Everybody else wants to use it for their gain. So with heads bowed and eyes closed today, I want to
00:54:24very clearly ask somebody today, have you surrendered your life to this savior
00:54:30who made a direct deposit? He's so generous. He made the deposit and then gave you the choice
00:54:39to respond. What a beautiful savior. How can you not respond to that type of love?
00:54:48He knows everything you've done, everything you will do. And he still
00:54:51loves you. That's you. And you say, today's my day on this father's day. You can mark this father's
00:54:57day. 2024. You came home to your father. Hear me a father who is waiting for you. I'm sorry.
00:55:05Who runs to the prodigal and throws a party. When you come home, he's not trying to beat you
00:55:11upside the head. He wants you to come home. That's you today. Would you just lift up your
00:55:17hand high enough and long enough to where I can see it to say, today's my day to give Jesus my
00:55:22life. You know, when he's been talking to you, can I see your hand? Maybe you were walking with God
00:55:25for a while and your heart's gotten cold. And today he is calling you back home. Thank you.
00:55:30I see those hands. I'm looking all the way in the back. Thank you. Thank you. Hands are going up all
00:55:35over this place. Thank you for responding to the love of your father. Anybody else? Thank you,
00:55:41Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, God. Anybody else? I want to do one more thing. Hear me. This
00:55:48is not to embarrass you. I just think it's something powerful about leaving where you are
00:55:52and taking a step forward. Come on. If you lifted up your hand saying, Hey, you know what? I need
00:55:56to surrender my life to him. I don't care how far in the back you are. I just want you when I count
00:56:02to three, just to get out of your seat and come right up here to the front. Why? Because I believe
00:56:06what you do in the natural is a picture of what happens in the supernatural. The old you is behind
00:56:12at your old seat and the new you is stepping into what God has for you. So come on. If you lifted
00:56:17up your hand or you should have, I want you to come. One, two, three. Come on. Come on. Come on.
00:56:23I promise it's worth the walk. Come on. And I wish I had a church of some people who know
00:56:29that this is the greatest day of your life. The day you surrender. Come on. Come on.
00:56:34Come on. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Come on. Anybody else? Anybody else? I promise it's
00:56:42worth the walk. I promise. This is your day. This is your moment. Yeah. Don't let anybody
00:56:50come by themselves. Come on. Come on. On this father's day, your heavenly father
00:56:59says my arms are open wide. I can still use you. It's not too late. I can still use you. I can take
00:57:05the dirt and I can take the broken pieces and I can use your life as a testimony of my goodness,
00:57:11of my grace. Come on. They're still coming. Church, don't stop clapping until people stop
00:57:15coming. Come on. Come on. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on.
00:57:28Thank you, God. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Come on. They're still coming. They're
00:57:36still coming. Come on. The day you hear his voice, don't harden your heart.
00:57:42Respond when your father speaks. Respond. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you, God.
00:57:56Anybody else just want to wait a few more moments? Thank you, God. Thank you, Lord.
00:58:10Thank you, Father. Thank you for being a consistent father. Thank you, Lord,
00:58:20for being a safe father. I don't know why I feel that so strongly for somebody who just
00:58:34because of how your earthly father was, you feel like God's not safe.
00:58:41And he interrupted me right here just to tell you that he is. He's safe. He's safe and he loves you.
00:58:51And he wasn't distant even in the hurtful moments. He was there and he's still here.
00:59:01He said, if you'll let him, he can take even those broken pieces and use it.
00:59:10We saw it today in Oscar's story, man.
00:59:12God can redeem everything, everything. Surrender your life to him. Anybody else? I want to give
00:59:22just one more opportunity for somebody says, I need to, I need to respond. I need to respond.
00:59:30Thank you, Lord. Thank you. Those of you who came to the front, would you just,
00:59:37would you just, if you feel comfortable, just with your hands lifted.
00:59:43I like doing this because it's a sign of God. I give up.
00:59:52God, I'm tired of trying to show the good parts and hide the mess. God, you know,
00:59:56my end from my beginning, God. So I just lift up my hands as a sign to say, I'm giving it to you.
01:00:01Father, thank you for freedom that you're releasing over your children today. These
01:00:06are your sons. These are your daughters. Oh, father, I pray.
01:00:14And even with their hands lifted right now,
01:00:16they would sense your presence and sense healing coming to their heart.
01:00:22Healing. Father, thank you. You can even go back to those moments of our childhood.
01:00:29Heal those moments. God
01:00:36replaced the words of a father or a mother that
01:00:39did not speak to who we really are. Replace them with your words.
01:00:44Say you are loved. You are my son. You are my daughter.
01:00:50Can we pray this prayer as one big family, but especially those of you who responded,
01:00:54would you say this today? Say Jesus, my hands are lifted because I need you, but I'm coming to you.
01:01:09I bring you my gift. I bring you my dirt. I give you all of me
01:01:17because I know you're the only one that truly knows me. You gave me
01:01:29the breath that is in my body. So, Lord, today I'm responding by giving you all of me.
01:01:39My heart, my mind, my soul, all that I am is yours. Forgive me of my sin and make me brand new.
01:01:55From this moment forward, I'm walking with you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen.