When things aren’t what they seem.

1.  People aren’t always what they seem.

o      I’m living for God. - Things aren’t what they seem.

o      Our marriage is great and things are only getting better. - Things aren’t what they seem.

o      I’m doing great things for God. – Things aren’t what they seem.

o      I’m full of love. - Things aren’t what they seem.

o      Who me? No I’m not struggling at all. - Things aren’t what they seem.

o      I’m full of the power and Spirit of God. - Things aren’t what they seem.

o      I’m victorious. I’m full of potential. I’m powerful.

o      I’m deep in understanding.

o      My relationship with my kids is great. We are so tight. My kids ask me for guidance. They ask me for advice about everything. They trust me fully. - Things aren’t what they seem.

o      I walk in the blessings of God. - Things aren’t what they seem.

o      My job is awesome. Everyone loves me there. I’ll definitely get the promotion. - Things aren’t what they seem.

o      I am strong in mind. I am Christ like. I am whole.

Fake, phony, counterfeit, bogus, imitation, false, bankrupt, lie, sham, not genuine, con, make off, deception, rip off, fraud, trick, hoax or a mirage.

2. God wants us to walk in freedom and be occupied of truth.

3 John “1:9 I sent a brief letter to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the wicked things he is saying about us. He not only refuses to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church. 11 Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.”

Diotrephes was corrected by men of God with truth in their lives who were ever-growing the Kingdom of God. We must confront sin in the church; if we try to avoid it, it will continue to grow.

o      Many, many times we find ourselves magnifying other’s faults while excusing our own.

o      Then there are other times we in the church use flattery instead of correction. We tell people what they want to hear instead of the truth.

Proverbs 28:23 “In the end people appreciate honesty more than flattery.” 

Proverbs 26:28 “A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattery causes ruin.”            

o      Flattery- insincere or excessive praise.

o      Are you the kind of person who uses flattery to let people hear what they want to hear or to get what you want or do you display honesty and truthfulness like Jesus?

 Luke 20:20 “Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent secret agents pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. 21They said, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You sincerely teach the ways of God. 22Now tell us--is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not?" 23He saw through their trickery and said, 24"Show me a Roman coin. Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” Caesar’s," they replied. 25"Well then," he said, "give to Caesar what belongs to him. But everything that belongs to God must be given to God." 26So they failed to trap him in the presence of the people. Instead, they were amazed by his answer, and they were silenced.”

Proverbs 12:19 “Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed.”

3. God made you for greatness.

James 4:10 “When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor.”

God works best through humble people. When we admit we are helpless and hopeless without him, God can use us to do great things for his kingdom.

We should know by now that Jesus’ deep craving is to love people who offer him nothing.

o      The disciples watched Jesus spend time with despised women, lepers, the blind, the lame, the oppressed, and the demon-possessed, and they still didn’t get it.

o      They didn’t understand that those who matter to Jesus are completely different from those who matter to the rest of the world. Jesus never elevated people or Himself to get where He wanted to go.

o      “He was made for greatness, as are we.”

Altar Response: Illustrate apple and a knife

Is this an apple?  Does it look like an apple?

Does it smell like an apple?

Does it feel like an apple?

Does it sound like an apple sounds?

Does it taste like an apple?

o      You can’t answer this question.

o      You can’t respond to this statement because you have to taste it. I could tell you and you can choose to believe it but if you want real solid proof you have to taste it for yourself.

o      Psalms 34:8 “Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!”

Is your relationship with God a mirage?

Is it not what is seems?

Or can you say:

Psalms 119:45 “I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.”

I want my life to be solid – structured – concrete – unyielding to 

                                this world!

Your relationship with God can be real, solid, structured,  concrete, disciplined, and unyielding to this world!

Zero Impact

Everything we do around here should exalt Christ lift up Christ make a difference to Christ.
If not then everything we do when we meet God face to face will burn up and have had zero affect, zero impact.
God gave us His Mission for the church many many years ago and if we try to change that mission or disregard that mission then our efforts will burn up and we’ll only see ashes of our hard work.


1 Corinthians 3:11 “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value.14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward.15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.”


Exalting Christ is our mission.
Exalt-to raise in rank, power, or character; to elevate by praise; glorify or to raise high.
Lifting Him up in worship.
Lifting Him up in my job, my school work, or around my friends.
Relying on Christ is our mission I can be organized, have purposes defined and displayed but without the power of God and His Spirit present then all we have is a show.
I’m not an entertainer.
Elevating God is in my every day life.
Living life to elevate God.
Living life not pleasing me but Him.
Bringing others to Christ is our mission.
There is no one like God.
He is gracious. He is compassionate. He is everlasting.
He is Holy. He is mighty. He is full of strength. He is full of love.
He is my friend.
He is my help. He is my strength. He is my redeemer.
He is my guide. He is my comfort. He is my peace.
He is awesome. He is unfailing. He is faithful.
He is my place of safety. He is my King.
He is unbelievable. Incredible. Inconceivable. Unimaginable.
He’s perfect. He’s ideal. He rescues. He forgives.
He cares.


Psalm 139:17 “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!”


He is just. He is worthy. He is forever. He never changes.
He is generous. He is able. He is kind. He is victorious. He is good.
He is a servant. He is humble. He is encouraging.
He is all you need now. He is all you’ll ever need.
Equipping believers for their God mission is our mission.


What equipment do you need to fulfill your God mission?
Do you even know your God Mission?
Are you living it out?
Are you encouraging others, training others, putting confidence into others or are you holding them down, belittling them or holding them back from their God Mission?
Another concert, another service, another sleeprock is great but does it exalt Christ?
Does it bring others to Christ?
Does it equip believers for their God Mission?
Humility and service is our mission.

In the Chinese church every person is called and referred to as a mu’sher which means servant.
No body running around saying well I’m an apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher or an evangelist they just refer to themselves and to each other as a mu’sher. Servant.

Philippians 2:6 “Though he was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.”


I know I’m a broken record on this deal but it’s the true model of Christianity. Servant. Humility.
Ministry is not my agenda it’s my lifestyle.
iserve is not my campaign it’s my lifestyle. Loving people, caring about people, showing mercy, grace, and compassion to people is how I now live.
God changed that about me.
If we live our Christian life any other way it’s a waste of our time, talent, and treasure.
All of your work all of your efforts will burn up if you have any other motive but than for your work to elevate, promote, and glorify, God.

Next level in God

I believe that the "next level" is always a testing time, that God is constantly calling us to it, and the Devil constantly trying to keep us from it.

Test 1. Am I willing to do what God wants?


Genesis 22:1-14 Abraham's Faith Tested “1 Some time later, God tested Abraham's faith. "Abraham!" God called. "Yes," he replied. "Here I am."


We have to be close enough to hear Him.


Illustrate here: things in between God and I. Use chairs, boards, cardboard, anything to show more and more distance between you and God. Add more during the sermon to create effect.


Genesis 22: 2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” 3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about.”

• It’s not always what we want.
• Am I willing to follow at any cost?
• God’s plan is His plan I just have to know it and clearly follow it.
• Abraham showed this by saddling up and loading.

Test 2. Am I being Obedient to God?

• God looks for a willing heart.
• God looks for someone that will respect His assignment.

Test 3. Leave the donkey behind (v-4-5)

4 “On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 "Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the servants. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back."

• See the vision in front of you the purpose of God.
• Abraham left the outside influence behind to get alone to worship with his assignment and with his God
• Leave your habits (good or bad) and people that hold you, hinder you, or might stop you from being Gods vessel.

Test 4. Be ready and willing to sacrifice something you love.

“6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "We have the fire and the wood," the boy said, "but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?" 8 "God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son," Abraham answered. And they both walked on together."

• The fire of God will not fall if there is no sacrifice on the altar.
• You must be willing to give up something to honor God.
• If your sacrifice does not move you it will not move God.

Test 5. Set your own wood (v-9)

“When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.”

• Don’t look for someone else to set your stage. 
• God called you for the job.
• His assignment for your life. You are irreplaceable.
• You’re the best man/woman for the job.

Test 6. Have the ability to change passions in the middle of the road. (V-10-13)

• Again it is imperative that we are close enough to hear His voice to receive clear, concise, and crisp instruction.
• What if Abraham was haphazard about his relationship with God?
• What if he was too busy to hear the VOICE OF GOD?!

“10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.11 At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Yes," Abraham replied. "Here I am!" 12 "Don't lay a hand on the boy!" the angel said. "Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son." 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son.”

• God may take you so far one way; then to see if you will go the other way. ( follow the leader)
• God told Abraham to kill him then, God said stop I see your heart.
• To do things Gods way we must be transparent and transitional.

Isaiah 55:9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Test 7. God has a Substitute for everything your willing to give up.

• For every temptation, He has a satisfaction.
• For every trial, He is the solution.
• For every hurt, He has healing.
• For every stormy, raging problem, He has peace.
• For every friend, He is the friend that sticks closer than any brother.
• For every habit, He is your fix.
• For every Isaac, there is a ram.

You and I should pay for our sins , the price is Death, God sent a substitute: JESUS

Pay the price go to the Next Level.

In pursuit to find the person God created YOU to be.

1. The first step to pursuing the person God created you to be is to recover our lost sense of worth by saying, “God, I admit that I need your help and your power to find what I’ve been searching for all my life.”
•This is a huge step, and most of us just skip over it.
•We don’t stop and admit that without God we’re lost on the journey toward our destined self-esteem.
•The reason many of us have skipped over this crucial step is that we still want to be the boss.
•Our sinful nature still battles within us.
•We want to forge our own futures, carve our own paths.
•We want to be autonomous, independent.
•Because of our pride and because we still think we know what’s best for us, we want to kick God out of the control center of our lives. In other words, we want to play God.
•That’s pretty radical rebellion, isn’t it?
•Yet that’s exactly what we do.


2. We struggle with the issue of control, trying to be the boss. When we blow the test, the first thing we do is try some image control.
•We figuratively cover ourselves with fig leaves so God and other people won’t notice that we’ve lost control; that we’ve messed up.
•We try so hard to camouflage our pain, but God uses pain as an alarm to wake us up to a problem. Sometimes He lets a crisis or catastrophe occur to stimulate us to a change.
•The sad thing is, it often takes a crisis before we’re willing to deal with our baggage.
•People do the same with their pain.
•They try to cover and camouflage the hurt.
•They drink to numb it, eat to avoid it, smoke to cloud it, and snort to deaden it.
•They get angry and criticize others.
•If I’m going to be miserable, they think subconsciously, I’m going to make sure everyone else is miserable.
•But none of that works. Nothing can completely cover the nagging hurt inside.
•Only when we admit that we’ve lost control and ask for help can we resolve the core issues that cause our pain.
•We think, I’ll put off asking for help until tomorrow, or until next week, possibly before next year.
•I can control it. I can make it. I’m strong enough.
•Here’s the deal though. If we had the power to control it ourselves, fix it ourselves, or continue living in it by ourselves we would have already reached our goal, right?
•How long are we going to wait before we admit that we can’t do it on our own?
•It’s time just to ask.
•When God looks at our lives, He sees all the baggage weighing us down.
•We think we’re ready to board God’s flight, but He wants us to slow down, stop and help by taking our bags.
•He wants us to ask for help.
•We can’t deal with all that stuff.
•Isn’t it about time we admit that?


3. Realize…He cares.
•Jesus not only knows about our problems and our pain, He legitimately cares.
•The bible calls Jesus the Good Shepherd because He is demonstrative and sympathetic to the needs of His flock.
•Yet He also knows when to employ tough love through discipline.
•He strikes the perfect balance between correction and compassion.



Consider Jesus’ own words:
John 10:11-13 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock.13 The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep.”




•I think this is one of the greatest passages in all of scripture because it spells out Christ’s relationship with us.
•Why does He care so much for us?
•Because we’re His. We belong to Him.
•When Christ purchased our pardon by laying down His life, He pulled us back from the jaws of the enemy.
•No matter what we’re going through, no matter how far we lose our way or wander off from the sheep pen, Christ will not abandon us.
•Jesus is not some hired hand being paid by the hour.
•He is the shepherd, the owner of the sheep, and He always there loving us, forgiving us, and helping us.


Philippians 2:13 “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”


•So we really have no excuses.
•God gives us the desire to change, and He gives us the power to change. God gives YOU the desire, the power and the authority to change.
•That in itself is an incredible thought.


4. Finally, we don’t need to concern ourselves with what we cannot do.
•We just need to focus on what God has given us the ability to do and then do it with all our hearts.


Colossians 3:23-24 “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.”


•What we do for a career is not near as important as the level of excellence and commitment with which we do it.
•Satan would like nothing better than to keep us in a vocational funk so we end up working halfheartedly.
•The end result would be wasted potential, missed opportunities, and profound regret.
•That’s not what God wants.
•He is beckoning us to the edge of the diving board and prompting us to dive into the fulfilling work He has set before us.
•We work for the Lord wherever we are.
•God calls each of us to serve Him based on our gifts and abilities.
•The fact that I work for a church, and someone else works for a law firm, a bank, or a plumber is not the issue.
•The issue is, in whatever vocation God has placed us, are we working for Him with all our hearts?
•Completion is in Him, not jobs, money, fame, relationships, marriage, or any other thing.
•Completion resides in HIM!


“Spiritual freedom is not just being released from something; it is also being released to something.”


YOU are free from sin and YOU are freed to pursue the person God created YOU to be!