August 3, 2025 • 25 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Pastor Jeff Ministries, the Bible teaching ministry of
doctor Jeff Swarzentrad, Senior Pastor of Brave Church in Denver, Colorado. Today,
Pastor Jeff continues his message living the Life of Faith
from the series The Greatest and shows you what it
looks like to trust God when the world tells you
(00:23):
to panic. Before we kick off today's teaching, we'd like
to invite you to check out Pastorjeff dot com for
more resources to help you grow in your walk. While
you're at it, sign up for Pastor Jeff's weekly email
devotion to receive encouragement right in your inbox. Now, let's
hear from Pastor Jeff as he opens God's Word to
share today's teaching.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
First Thessalonians, Chapter five, verses sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. It says,
rejoice always pray without ceasing in everything, give thanks for
this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus, give thanks,
Give thanks, Give thanks, give thanks.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Gif thanks.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
You don't have to thank God for bad things that happen. Hey,
this happened to me. This was awful. Thank you God
for making this awful thing happen. That's not what you're
thanking him for. God, I'm rejoicing that you're still on
your throne, and I'm rejoicing that you're gonna use this
for good.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
And I'm thanking you that.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Even though I can't see it with my eyes, I
know that because you have my best and because you're
always for me in some way, in some time, this
is gonna work out for my good too. I'm rejoicing,
I'm thanking, I'm praying. Have you taken time to do that?
Because here's what I find. So many Christians want to
move ahead in their faith, but they're unwilling to thank
God for where they are, and so they complain and
(01:38):
they complain and they complain about where they are. You
can't complain about where you are because every time you
complain about your circumstances, here's what you're saying. God, you
don't know what you're doing, and I don't appreciate anything
that you are.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
By the way, I want to be blessed. Thank him,
Thank him for everything.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
He's sovereignly working things out through his providence in your life.
I mean, think about Moses's parents. They had to trust
what was going to happen.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
To their son.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I mean they lived in a day and age where
the king's edict was that every male Hebrew that was
born would be thrown into the nyland killed.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
If it was a girl, she could live. Men die.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Isn't it interesting that that's Satan's strategy all the time
before God's ready to do something good, right before Jesus
was born.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
What a king herod want to do? Kill all the
boys under the age of two. Satan's desirous to kill life.
God's desirous to have.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
People live in a abundant life. Amen, what happened this
Friday in the historic overturning of roe versus Wade was
a very great thing that took place. The shedding of
(02:53):
innocent blood is not the heart of God.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I'm not going all political. I'm just being biblical here. I'm
being biblical here.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
It's wrong to take a life at any time, from
womb to the tomb.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
It's just wrong. It always has been wrong. And just
so you know, I mean, I.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Need to be your pastor here because I know, because
I pastor you, that there are a number of women
here who have had abortions because they wanted to or
have been forced to have them and have dealt with
that voice inside your heart where you hear the lie
of the enemy is saying.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Murderer, murderer, murderer, murderer, murderer. And here's what I want
to tell you.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Jesus Christ died on the cross, he shed his blood.
His compassion is new, his forgiveness is available.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
He loves you no matter what He's willing to forgive.
That's who our God is. Right.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
It's also important that we're aware of this because now
rights go back to the state, and we live in
a state that's going to be very liberal on this,
so this is gonna be a state that opens up
for more and more abortions. So here's all I'm saying.
It's one thing to stand up here and call truth truth.
It's another thing to say, what are we as a
people of God going to do to stand and help
women and those that are making decisions do the right thing?
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Amen?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
He said, Jeff, you're getting all political. I'm just being
biblical with you. We got too many Christians sitting on
the sideline, not being involved in anything that's actually going on.
And if Christians are silent, guess who's making all the decisions.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Non Christians, and when.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Non Christians make decisions, they make non Christian decisions.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
We need Christians to rise up and be who God
wants us to be. Amen. And I don't want to
spend a ton of time on.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
This, but I feel, as your pastor, I have to
address it because if I'm silent, I'm not doing you,
I'm not doing my job. God has always cared about life.
He formed us in the womb before one of us
even came to be, and He's always had a heart
for both men and women. In Exodus, chapter twenty one,
verse twenty two, it talks about how go which God
(05:00):
cares for pregnant women. It says, if men struggle with
each other and strike a woman with child so that
she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he
shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand
of him, and he shall pay.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
As the judges decide.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
But if there is any further injury, then they shall
appoint as a penalty.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burned,
wound for wound, bruce for bruce.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
What was he saying? Two men get in a fight.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
A woman who's pregnant gets hit, she gives birth, the
baby's okay, the husband can find the guy that hit
his wife. But if that baby dies, a life is
demanded for that life. That's how it was done in Israel.
The abortion issue is not a woman's issue. A woman
cannot get pregnant without a man, Despite popular opinion, right,
(05:52):
men are responsible for their actions as well. If a
man gets a woman pregnant, he's responsible financially until that
child's grown. And in the cases, this is my opinion,
in the cases of rape or incests, he should be
castrated as well. That we thank God for his providence.
(06:15):
We realize that everything is from God. It means this,
when you're in a situation, you have to stop complaining
and whining about where you are and why you're not
where you need to be, and how come so and
so is this, and why aren't I here? And why
are they there? And just start thanking God. God, You're
working it all out for my good. And if you're
for me, who can be against me? And thank you
God that, even though these aren't the circumstances I would want,
(06:36):
you're doing good in my life.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
And I praise you for that, Lord Jesus. That's what
it means.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
If you can't take that first step, it's hard to
take any others. Can he thank him today for everything
that's going on right now in your life, that he
loves you.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
He loves you, He loves.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
You, and He's using everything that's going on in your
life to build you. I mean, think about what you have,
your money, your influence, your schooling, your prestige, smarts, your skills.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Where did they all come from?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
I mean, God gave you the ability for those things,
or God bless you with those things. And no matter
where you are, no matter what you're doing, God is
the one that's working them all out.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
They're all from God. Amen.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Faith presently chooses to trust gods for his providence. Second
is this. If you can make that step and thank God,
then step two is this, prioritize God's agenda for his people.
Prioritize God's agenda for his people. Hear the word of
the Lord. It says, by faith Moses when he was born,
I'm sorry. By faith, Moses, when he had grown up,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing
(07:35):
rather to endure ill treatment with the people of God
than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the
reproach of Christ greater richer, greater riches than the treasures
of Egypt, for he.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Was looking to the reward.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
If you want to take the next step of faith,
once you're thanking God for all the reasons he made
you the way that you are, with who you are
and what you are and what you have, then prioritize
God and prioritizes people. You can sum up the Bible
by saying this. You should love the Lord your God
with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You should
love your neighbor as yourself, especially the people of God.
If you prioritize your life to say I want to
(08:11):
live my life to honor God to the full and
use every gift and every resource and every ability He's
given me to serve his people, you will be moving
in the right direction.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Here's the problem. Here's the problem. We don't like to
do that.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
We like to get our life in order. We like
to get our life situated. We like to get our
life put together. And then if I have a little
extra time, if I have a little extra money, if
I can afford to do it, then God, I'll give
you some stuff. And God doesn't work that way. We say,
let your kingdom come, Let your will be done on
(08:47):
earth as it is in heaven.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
It means God, let what's going on in heaven and
all your values invade earth.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Where's he going to invade earth through you?
Speaker 2 (08:56):
On that same chapter, Matthew six thirty three says, but
seek first the kingdom of God and is righteous, and
all these things will be added unto you. It's a
principle in God's word. You always put God first, and.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
You always put his people second, and you let God.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Take care of you last. Will you prioritize that way?
Young people, listen to me. You're not being taught that
by many of your parents, and you're not being taught
that by many of the schools.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
It means this.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
It doesn't mean you need to figure out what you
need to do with your life and how you need
to be successful, and where you need to go and
who you need to marry and figure all that stuff out,
and then if there's left over time in your life,
you can give your best to God. How about give
your best to God now and prioritize what he's doing
in this generation, in his people and give your best
to them. And if you do that God, all these
things will be added unto you. That's what the Bible
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looks like. It's night and day different than what we think.
Back when I was in college, my last year as
a football player, I got asked to go to a
campus Crusade for Christ conference between Christmas and New Year's
and that's when we were.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Always in a bowl game. So the guy said to me,
he goes, well, if you don't go to a bull game,
will you go? I said, sure, we'll go. So that
was the only year we didn't go to a bowl game.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
So he came knocking on my door said will you
go to this conference in Indianapolis.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
I said, yeah, I'll go.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
This is Pastor Jeff Ministries with doctor Jeff Swarzentraub, and
today Pastor Jeff continues his message living the Life of
Faith from the series The Greatest, showing you what it
looks like to trust God when the world tells you
to panic. We'll get back to Pastor Jeff in just
a moment, but first, generous listeners like you make programs
(10:32):
like this one possible. And when you give a gift
in support of Pastor Jeff Ministries. Today, we'll say thanks
with a copy of Pastor Jeff's brand new resource, twenty
one Days of Prayer, a team prayer journal to help
you grow with God and others. To get your copy,
visit us at Pastorjeff dot com to give again. That
website is Pastorjeff dot com. Now let's get back to
(10:55):
today's message. For the conclusion of this teaching from God's Word.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
That's what the Bible looks like. It's night and day,
different than what we think. Back when I was in college,
my last year as a football player, I got asked
to go to a campus Crusade for Christ conference between
Christmas and New Year's and that's when we were always
in a bowl game. So the guy said to me,
he goes, well if you don't go to a bowl game,
(11:23):
will you go? I said, sure, we'll go. That was
the only year we didn't go to a bowl game.
So he came knocking on my door and said, will
you go to this conference in Indianapolis. I said, yeah,
I'll go. So I went to this conference and I
was offended. I didn't know what conviction meant. I didn't
know how God worked through his word. I thought this
guy was reading my mail, and I thought they were
telling him about me when he was talking. And I
(11:44):
was just upset because he kept pushing this idea that
God was more important than anything in my life, and
serving God's people was more important than anything I wanted
to do. And all I cared about at the time
was getting a good job and making a lot of
money and having a family and doing good. And he
got pushing on it and pushing on it and pushing
on it.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
At the time.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
He said, hey, you remember in World War Two where
Nazi Germany signed up all these Hitler.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Youth and hundreds of thousands signed up for that gave
their life to that. And he said stupid.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
And he said, some of you are lining up for
IBM and AT and T and all these different jobs
so that you can be first in line to have
a great job, only to live your life for this world.
And he said stupid. And I was getting more and
more offended. And then he said this, he said, and
some of you here think you need to.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Be a doctor. He goes, here's what I'd like you
to do.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
He goes, find out This was his words, find out
what a campus crusade for christ person makes a year.
And if you're called to be a doctor, take that
for your salary, give everything.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Else away to missions. And if you do that, then
you know you're called to be a doctor. Then I
was super offended.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Because in my heart I was thinking, wait, wait, if
I earn it, and if I do it, that's my money.
I can do whatever I want. You are you to
tell me? And he wasn't. He was telling me to
prioritize God and his people because that's the greatest return
on investment you can ever have. Will you prioritize God
and your people? It doesn't mean everybody should go into ministry,
it really doesn't. But if you're called to do that,
(13:09):
then that's what you do. It just means in your
life you prioritize God first and other people first, no
matter what. And if you're in a place that says,
in my job, I can't do that, then find another job.
That's what it means. And that sounds strong and it
sounds harsh. Why Because God is worthy of all your
honor and praise, and so are God's expectations in this generation.
(13:31):
Here's a question for you. I don't know the answer
to this question, but it's rhetorical enough.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
I think you should ask it. What would happen?
Speaker 2 (13:36):
And if every person around the globe that called themselves
by the name of Christ prioritized Jesus Christ first and
his agenda for what he wanted them to do with
their life, and that's all that mattered. And if there
was time for extra things, that'd be fine. What would happen?
Speaker 3 (13:51):
The world would change, y'all.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
What would happen if it just happened to brave Church,
our city, and our nation would change.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
I believe God's calling.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
All of us to prioritize Him and prioritize his people.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
It's all throughout the scripture. So he got to ask the.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Question, what's God trying to accomplish right now in this generation?
Speaker 3 (14:12):
And what will you do for him? What are you
feeling prompted to do? Say? Well, how do I know
pay attention to these things? What is it that angers
you and saddens you?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
When you hear stories in the news, when you hear
stories from friends, it just that just makes me so
mad or that just saddens my heart.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I just can't believe that's going on.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
The reason you're sad and the reason you're angry is
because there's something inside of you that's agitated that God
already put there.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Or asked this question?
Speaker 2 (14:40):
What motivates you in ways you can't control? How do
you respond to things where you can't even control it?
I mean, you remember Moses's life. Moses was a deliverer
from the time he was conceived in the womb. He
didn't always do it God's way, did he? I mean
Moses saw an Egyptian fighting a Hebrew slave.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
What did Moses do? He killed the Egyptian? Why?
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Because he's motivated for his people, for God's people.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
He always had been. He just wasn't doing a God's way.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
What are those things in your life that have come
out over and over inside of you that you can't control?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Or how about this?
Speaker 2 (15:13):
What frustrates you that others cannot do as well as you?
You're in a group, and it frustrates you when you're
in a group and it's like I can do it
better than them. Like if you came over to my
house and I taught a workshop on fixing stuff, you
would be like, move aside, brother, I can do that.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Better than you.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I mean, if you have gifts you're gonna see them
and you're gonna feel them, and it's God bringing things.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
To the surface.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
What is it you see other people do and you
think to yourself, I can do that as good or
better than them.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I know I can do that. That's just who I am.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Those are things God's stirring in your heart that you
need to pay attention to. I mean, what would your
life look like right now if you put all of
your best and all that you are into God's agenda,
into his people.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
I remember when I was in college.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
I mean, I was thinking about all all these different
things that I wanted to do, but I couldn't justify
that when what I was doing I was giving glory
to God and serving other people.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
It was a job.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
I loved other people, I loved God. It just didn't
consume me. What consumed me was this. Somebody asked me
the question one time, if you only had three days
to live, what would you do? And I was in college.
I said, I go out to the streets and just preach,
because most of the people I hang out with are
going to hell. Nobody else had that answer in our
whole small group, and I found that strange.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
But here's what was going on in my heart? What
was going on in my heart is I had a
heart to share the Gospel with people in a way
that not everybody does. And that's okay, right.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I mean, what's God currently doing in your life that
prompts you to want to do what it is God
wants you to do. I remember, when I was about
twenty four years old, I got to a place where
I couldn't help it anymore. I didn't know what it
looked like to go into ministry. Ministry to me was
like a clerical robe, speaking for twenty minutes and hanging
out with old people.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
And it didn't sound fun.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
And I felt God was calling me to ministry, and
I was praying about it, and God called me to
be a youth director.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
In a church. And when I was in that church.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
I told my dad, Hey, I was twenty four years old.
I said, Dad, I'm thinking about doing a two year
commitment to be a youth pastor.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
But it's two years.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I mean, Dad, when I get out, i'll be like
twenty six. My whole life will almost be over. And
he said, hey, don't worry about it. He goes, you'll
still feel young when you're twenty six. Trust me, he goes.
Once you do what God's calling you to do, and
then see what happens. And I remember being there as
the youth pastor, watching kids, watching their parents, watching all
these people come to Christ, and my heart was filled
with faith. And I actually had to coach football, which
(17:33):
I wanted to do as well. And as I was
doing both, I was constantly praying to the Lord. Ministry
or coaching, what is it God, what would you have
for me? And ministry? Where were seeing people come to Christ?
We were seeing people share their faith so with their friends.
It was exciting and exhiliary. Coaching football. We went three
and six the first year, oh to nine the second year,
and I'm still praying, Okay, Lord, give me a sign
you know that would be That'll be enough. And one
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night I was praying and I asked the Lord just
to show me from his word, like I'm not getting
up into you show me. And we've all had some
of those moments where God really illuminates his word in
special ways. That was one of those nights, and he
took me to tewond Timothy four to two said, preach
the word, be prepared in season and out of season, correct,
rebuke and encourage, for the time will come when men
will no longer put up with sound doctrine.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
And it was as if he was speaking.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
That directly to me, saying, Jeff, I've always called you
to be a preacher.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
And you know what My answer was? Why me?
Speaker 2 (18:25):
And he took me to Matthew and said, blessed or
your eyes, Jeff, for they see, and your ears, for
they hear. If I tell you the truth, many men
of old and prophets long to see what you see
and hear what you hear.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
And did not see it and did not hear it.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
And God spent time with me that night on my
face as he ministered to me, and I knew by
the time I got up, I'm giving the rest of
my life to full time vocational ministry.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
It was over right.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
What's God telling you? How do you use everything you
have for the glory of God? And you can use
it as a businessman, you can use it as a teacher,
you can use it as an attorney, you can use it.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
As a coach.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
You can use it anyway, so long as God is
getting glory and you're serving people in a way that
brings him glory.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
That's what it looks like.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
And for me, I got to the place that God,
I believe You've given me all the gifts you've given
me to help people understand you through your words so
that they know how to walk with you. I mean,
you see these passages. Look what Moses gave up. Moses
gave up world prestige. He didn't want to be known
as Pharaoh's daughter. He could have been Pharaoh's daughter. It's
like I don't want to identify with her. I want
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to identify with God's people. He could have identified with
the pleasures of sin. He could have had whatever he wanted.
He was living in the king's palace. He could have
had a life of comfort and plenty. But notice what
it says, considering the reproach of Christ or the Messiah
greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
He was looking to the reward.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
What was he doing. He did three things. If you're
going to prioritize God's agenda, you do these three things.
You embrace your God given identity. You embrace your identity
in Christ. You embrace who God says you are and
why he put you here. I can you're willing to
endure ill treatment. Willing to endure ill treatment. Had he
stayed in the palace, nobody was going to mistreat him.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
He's in the palace.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
But because he's prioritizing God and his people, he endured
ill treatment.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
And he had all the riches in the world, the
richest nation in the world at the time. What was
he willing to do. He was willing to expect an
inheritance from God.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Friends, you may not have a lot of money in
this world, but the retirement package is out of this world,
I promise you. Right, I mean, what's coming is so good,
then no matter what.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
You do here, it's worth it. He said. We why
would I have to endure ill treatment?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Because when you prioritize God and his people, you always
endure ill treatment. If you study the life of Moses
like I have, I think to myself, that is.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
The life I would never want.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
I mean, you got two million people whining and complaining
all day long, every day for years, and Moses humbly
intercedes for them. Right, I mean, all it takes is
you say God, I want to pray oritize you, and
I want to serve other people, and you get involved
serving in the church, either in kids ministry, youth ministry,
young adult ministry. You lead a small group, you do whatever,
and you realize as you pour into as you let
(21:09):
God pour into you, and you go to pour out
to other people, you will recognize at some point in time,
not everybody's nearly as excited.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
About your ministry as you are.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Well, how come it is I prepared all week and
only half my small groups showed up because you're in ministry?
How come it is? I did my best to present
what God was showing me and they got mad at
me because you're in ministry. How come it is that
I prioritize God and everything's falling apart at work because
you're in ministry? How come it is that my neighbors
have gotten upset with me? They don't even know what
I do? Like, why is all this because you're in ministry?
(21:38):
Are you willing to endure that?
Speaker 3 (21:39):
That's what it looks like to live a life of faith?
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Like, if you're going to live a life of faith,
you thank God for his providence and everything that he
has in your life, and then you prioritize God's agenda
for his people. No matter what you say to the
Lord Lord, you've given me all of this ability and
all these resources, and you let me be introduced to
these people. And this is what I can do, and
this is what I'm good at. And Lord, I want
(22:02):
you to show me how I can best use that
for your glory by serving your people.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
And there's a variety of ways that the Lord calls
us to do that.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
And once you thank God for his providence, and once
you've set yourself on a course to say God, You're
first and your people are second, and I'm giving my
life to that, then you can do step number three.
Step number three is when faith presently chooses to reject
the fears of this world.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Reject the fears of this world.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
I heard people talk a lot that the more faith
you have, the less fear you have.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I find the opposite to be true.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
I figure I feel that the bigger steps of faith
I ever take, the more fear is right there accompanying
those things. Notice what he says in verse twenty seven.
By faith, this is talking about Moses. Still, he left
Egypt not.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
Fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Seeing him who is unseen what was happening. He was
being threatened by the king, but what were his eyes?
His eyes weren't on an earthly king. His eyes were
on the King. Can I just tell you from the
Word of God, there's only one viable king, and it's
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
He is the king of kings, and he is the
Lord of lords, and there is no other.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
And yes, we are called to honor those in authority
to the extent that we don't have to compromise the
word of God. But when the Word of God gets compromised,
then we have to serve King Jesus rather than what
some earthly person might tell us.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
Did you know that?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
And this is right where Moses was. This is right
where Moses lived. He wasn't afraid to turn his back
on Egypt. He was saying, I'm turning my back and
I'm walking this way.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Can I give you a.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Privilege and a step of faith if you're going to
take this step of faith and not fear the world.
When you start stepping, don't step backwards. You keep stepping forwards.
Right when you walk, you keep walking, you burn the
bridge behind you. Because you can't take a step of
faith knowing that I can go back if.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
It doesn't work out.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
No, I go forward, trusting that it is, and I
walk by faith and not by sight because God has
prompted my heart this is the best way to serve Him.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
It's the best way to serve other people.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
And if I go this way, even if it doesn't
work out the way that I want, God has a
way to redirect and build something different.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
I'm going to keep walking that way.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Thanks for listening to Pastor Jeff Ministries. That was Pastor
Jeff with his message living the Life of Faith from
the series The Greatest, showing you what it looks like
to trust God when the world tells you to pan it.
Before we say goodbye, we want to remind you that
when you give a gift to keep teachings like this
one going out to you and others, We'll send you
(24:35):
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journal to help you grow with God and others to
help you grow closer to God and bless others through prayer.
Visit Pastorjeff dot com to give That's Pastorjeff dot com.
While you're there, sign up for email updates from Pastor
Jeff Ministries to be among the first to hear about new.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Resources to equip you in your walk.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Thanks again for joining us today.
Welcome to Pastor Jeff Ministries, the Bible teaching ministry of
doctor Jeff Swarzentrad, Senior Pastor of Brave Church in Denver, Colorado. Today,
Pastor Jeff continues his message living the Life of Faith
from the series The Greatest and shows you what it
looks like to trust God when the world tells you
(00:23):
to panic. Before we kick off today's teaching, we'd like
to invite you to check out Pastorjeff dot com for
more resources to help you grow in your walk. While
you're at it, sign up for Pastor Jeff's weekly email
devotion to receive encouragement right in your inbox. Now, let's
hear from Pastor Jeff as he opens God's Word to
share today's teaching.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
First Thessalonians, Chapter five, verses sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. It says,
rejoice always pray without ceasing in everything, give thanks for
this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus, give thanks,
Give thanks, Give thanks, give thanks.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Gif thanks.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
You don't have to thank God for bad things that happen. Hey,
this happened to me. This was awful. Thank you God
for making this awful thing happen. That's not what you're
thanking him for. God, I'm rejoicing that you're still on
your throne, and I'm rejoicing that you're gonna use this
for good.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
And I'm thanking you that.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Even though I can't see it with my eyes, I
know that because you have my best and because you're
always for me in some way, in some time, this
is gonna work out for my good too. I'm rejoicing,
I'm thanking, I'm praying. Have you taken time to do that?
Because here's what I find. So many Christians want to
move ahead in their faith, but they're unwilling to thank
God for where they are, and so they complain and
(01:38):
they complain and they complain about where they are. You
can't complain about where you are because every time you
complain about your circumstances, here's what you're saying. God, you
don't know what you're doing, and I don't appreciate anything
that you are.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
By the way, I want to be blessed. Thank him,
Thank him for everything.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
He's sovereignly working things out through his providence in your life.
I mean, think about Moses's parents. They had to trust
what was going to happen.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
To their son.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I mean they lived in a day and age where
the king's edict was that every male Hebrew that was
born would be thrown into the nyland killed.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
If it was a girl, she could live. Men die.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Isn't it interesting that that's Satan's strategy all the time
before God's ready to do something good, right before Jesus
was born.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
What a king herod want to do? Kill all the
boys under the age of two. Satan's desirous to kill life.
God's desirous to have.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
People live in a abundant life. Amen, what happened this
Friday in the historic overturning of roe versus Wade was
a very great thing that took place. The shedding of
(02:53):
innocent blood is not the heart of God.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I'm not going all political. I'm just being biblical here. I'm
being biblical here.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
It's wrong to take a life at any time, from
womb to the tomb.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
It's just wrong. It always has been wrong. And just
so you know, I mean, I.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Need to be your pastor here because I know, because
I pastor you, that there are a number of women
here who have had abortions because they wanted to or
have been forced to have them and have dealt with
that voice inside your heart where you hear the lie
of the enemy is saying.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Murderer, murderer, murderer, murderer, murderer. And here's what I want
to tell you.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Jesus Christ died on the cross, he shed his blood.
His compassion is new, his forgiveness is available.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
He loves you no matter what He's willing to forgive.
That's who our God is. Right.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
It's also important that we're aware of this because now
rights go back to the state, and we live in
a state that's going to be very liberal on this,
so this is gonna be a state that opens up
for more and more abortions. So here's all I'm saying.
It's one thing to stand up here and call truth truth.
It's another thing to say, what are we as a
people of God going to do to stand and help
women and those that are making decisions do the right thing?
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Amen?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
He said, Jeff, you're getting all political. I'm just being
biblical with you. We got too many Christians sitting on
the sideline, not being involved in anything that's actually going on.
And if Christians are silent, guess who's making all the decisions.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Non Christians, and when.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Non Christians make decisions, they make non Christian decisions.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
We need Christians to rise up and be who God
wants us to be. Amen. And I don't want to
spend a ton of time on.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
This, but I feel, as your pastor, I have to
address it because if I'm silent, I'm not doing you,
I'm not doing my job. God has always cared about life.
He formed us in the womb before one of us
even came to be, and He's always had a heart
for both men and women. In Exodus, chapter twenty one,
verse twenty two, it talks about how go which God
(05:00):
cares for pregnant women. It says, if men struggle with
each other and strike a woman with child so that
she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he
shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand
of him, and he shall pay.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
As the judges decide.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
But if there is any further injury, then they shall
appoint as a penalty.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burned,
wound for wound, bruce for bruce.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
What was he saying? Two men get in a fight.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
A woman who's pregnant gets hit, she gives birth, the
baby's okay, the husband can find the guy that hit
his wife. But if that baby dies, a life is
demanded for that life. That's how it was done in Israel.
The abortion issue is not a woman's issue. A woman
cannot get pregnant without a man, Despite popular opinion, right,
(05:52):
men are responsible for their actions as well. If a
man gets a woman pregnant, he's responsible financially until that
child's grown. And in the cases, this is my opinion,
in the cases of rape or incests, he should be
castrated as well. That we thank God for his providence.
(06:15):
We realize that everything is from God. It means this,
when you're in a situation, you have to stop complaining
and whining about where you are and why you're not
where you need to be, and how come so and
so is this, and why aren't I here? And why
are they there? And just start thanking God. God, You're
working it all out for my good. And if you're
for me, who can be against me? And thank you
God that, even though these aren't the circumstances I would want,
(06:36):
you're doing good in my life.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
And I praise you for that, Lord Jesus. That's what
it means.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
If you can't take that first step, it's hard to
take any others. Can he thank him today for everything
that's going on right now in your life, that he
loves you.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
He loves you, He loves.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
You, and He's using everything that's going on in your
life to build you. I mean, think about what you have,
your money, your influence, your schooling, your prestige, smarts, your skills.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Where did they all come from?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
I mean, God gave you the ability for those things,
or God bless you with those things. And no matter
where you are, no matter what you're doing, God is
the one that's working them all out.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
They're all from God. Amen.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Faith presently chooses to trust gods for his providence. Second
is this. If you can make that step and thank God,
then step two is this, prioritize God's agenda for his people.
Prioritize God's agenda for his people. Hear the word of
the Lord. It says, by faith Moses when he was born,
I'm sorry. By faith, Moses, when he had grown up,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing
(07:35):
rather to endure ill treatment with the people of God
than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the
reproach of Christ greater richer, greater riches than the treasures
of Egypt, for he.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Was looking to the reward.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
If you want to take the next step of faith,
once you're thanking God for all the reasons he made
you the way that you are, with who you are
and what you are and what you have, then prioritize
God and prioritizes people. You can sum up the Bible
by saying this. You should love the Lord your God
with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You should
love your neighbor as yourself, especially the people of God.
If you prioritize your life to say I want to
(08:11):
live my life to honor God to the full and
use every gift and every resource and every ability He's
given me to serve his people, you will be moving
in the right direction.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Here's the problem. Here's the problem. We don't like to
do that.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
We like to get our life in order. We like
to get our life situated. We like to get our
life put together. And then if I have a little
extra time, if I have a little extra money, if
I can afford to do it, then God, I'll give
you some stuff. And God doesn't work that way. We say,
let your kingdom come, Let your will be done on
(08:47):
earth as it is in heaven.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
It means God, let what's going on in heaven and
all your values invade earth.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Where's he going to invade earth through you?
Speaker 2 (08:56):
On that same chapter, Matthew six thirty three says, but
seek first the kingdom of God and is righteous, and
all these things will be added unto you. It's a
principle in God's word. You always put God first, and.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
You always put his people second, and you let God.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Take care of you last. Will you prioritize that way?
Young people, listen to me. You're not being taught that
by many of your parents, and you're not being taught
that by many of the schools.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
It means this.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
It doesn't mean you need to figure out what you
need to do with your life and how you need
to be successful, and where you need to go and
who you need to marry and figure all that stuff out,
and then if there's left over time in your life,
you can give your best to God. How about give
your best to God now and prioritize what he's doing
in this generation, in his people and give your best
to them. And if you do that God, all these
things will be added unto you. That's what the Bible
(09:39):
looks like. It's night and day different than what we think.
Back when I was in college, my last year as
a football player, I got asked to go to a
campus Crusade for Christ conference between Christmas and New Year's
and that's when we were.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Always in a bowl game. So the guy said to me,
he goes, well, if you don't go to a bull game,
will you go? I said, sure, we'll go. So that
was the only year we didn't go to a bowl game.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
So he came knocking on my door said will you
go to this conference in Indianapolis.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
I said, yeah, I'll go.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
This is Pastor Jeff Ministries with doctor Jeff Swarzentraub, and
today Pastor Jeff continues his message living the Life of
Faith from the series The Greatest, showing you what it
looks like to trust God when the world tells you
to panic. We'll get back to Pastor Jeff in just
a moment, but first, generous listeners like you make programs
(10:32):
like this one possible. And when you give a gift
in support of Pastor Jeff Ministries. Today, we'll say thanks
with a copy of Pastor Jeff's brand new resource, twenty
one Days of Prayer, a team prayer journal to help
you grow with God and others. To get your copy,
visit us at Pastorjeff dot com to give again. That
website is Pastorjeff dot com. Now let's get back to
(10:55):
today's message. For the conclusion of this teaching from God's Word.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
That's what the Bible looks like. It's night and day,
different than what we think. Back when I was in college,
my last year as a football player, I got asked
to go to a campus Crusade for Christ conference between
Christmas and New Year's and that's when we were always
in a bowl game. So the guy said to me,
he goes, well if you don't go to a bowl game,
(11:23):
will you go? I said, sure, we'll go. That was
the only year we didn't go to a bowl game.
So he came knocking on my door and said, will
you go to this conference in Indianapolis. I said, yeah,
I'll go. So I went to this conference and I
was offended. I didn't know what conviction meant. I didn't
know how God worked through his word. I thought this
guy was reading my mail, and I thought they were
telling him about me when he was talking. And I
(11:44):
was just upset because he kept pushing this idea that
God was more important than anything in my life, and
serving God's people was more important than anything I wanted
to do. And all I cared about at the time
was getting a good job and making a lot of
money and having a family and doing good. And he
got pushing on it and pushing on it and pushing
on it.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
At the time.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
He said, hey, you remember in World War Two where
Nazi Germany signed up all these Hitler.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Youth and hundreds of thousands signed up for that gave
their life to that. And he said stupid.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
And he said, some of you are lining up for
IBM and AT and T and all these different jobs
so that you can be first in line to have
a great job, only to live your life for this world.
And he said stupid. And I was getting more and
more offended. And then he said this, he said, and
some of you here think you need to.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Be a doctor. He goes, here's what I'd like you
to do.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
He goes, find out This was his words, find out
what a campus crusade for christ person makes a year.
And if you're called to be a doctor, take that
for your salary, give everything.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Else away to missions. And if you do that, then
you know you're called to be a doctor. Then I
was super offended.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Because in my heart I was thinking, wait, wait, if
I earn it, and if I do it, that's my money.
I can do whatever I want. You are you to
tell me? And he wasn't. He was telling me to
prioritize God and his people because that's the greatest return
on investment you can ever have. Will you prioritize God
and your people? It doesn't mean everybody should go into ministry,
it really doesn't. But if you're called to do that,
(13:09):
then that's what you do. It just means in your
life you prioritize God first and other people first, no
matter what. And if you're in a place that says,
in my job, I can't do that, then find another job.
That's what it means. And that sounds strong and it
sounds harsh. Why Because God is worthy of all your
honor and praise, and so are God's expectations in this generation.
(13:31):
Here's a question for you. I don't know the answer
to this question, but it's rhetorical enough.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
I think you should ask it. What would happen?
Speaker 2 (13:36):
And if every person around the globe that called themselves
by the name of Christ prioritized Jesus Christ first and
his agenda for what he wanted them to do with
their life, and that's all that mattered. And if there
was time for extra things, that'd be fine. What would happen?
Speaker 3 (13:51):
The world would change, y'all.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
What would happen if it just happened to brave Church,
our city, and our nation would change.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
I believe God's calling.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
All of us to prioritize Him and prioritize his people.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
It's all throughout the scripture. So he got to ask the.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Question, what's God trying to accomplish right now in this generation?
Speaker 3 (14:12):
And what will you do for him? What are you
feeling prompted to do? Say? Well, how do I know
pay attention to these things? What is it that angers
you and saddens you?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
When you hear stories in the news, when you hear
stories from friends, it just that just makes me so
mad or that just saddens my heart.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I just can't believe that's going on.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
The reason you're sad and the reason you're angry is
because there's something inside of you that's agitated that God
already put there.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Or asked this question?
Speaker 2 (14:40):
What motivates you in ways you can't control? How do
you respond to things where you can't even control it?
I mean, you remember Moses's life. Moses was a deliverer
from the time he was conceived in the womb. He
didn't always do it God's way, did he? I mean
Moses saw an Egyptian fighting a Hebrew slave.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
What did Moses do? He killed the Egyptian? Why?
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Because he's motivated for his people, for God's people.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
He always had been. He just wasn't doing a God's way.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
What are those things in your life that have come
out over and over inside of you that you can't control?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Or how about this?
Speaker 2 (15:13):
What frustrates you that others cannot do as well as you?
You're in a group, and it frustrates you when you're
in a group and it's like I can do it
better than them. Like if you came over to my
house and I taught a workshop on fixing stuff, you
would be like, move aside, brother, I can do that.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Better than you.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I mean, if you have gifts you're gonna see them
and you're gonna feel them, and it's God bringing things.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
To the surface.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
What is it you see other people do and you
think to yourself, I can do that as good or
better than them.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I know I can do that. That's just who I am.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Those are things God's stirring in your heart that you
need to pay attention to. I mean, what would your
life look like right now if you put all of
your best and all that you are into God's agenda,
into his people.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
I remember when I was in college.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
I mean, I was thinking about all all these different
things that I wanted to do, but I couldn't justify
that when what I was doing I was giving glory
to God and serving other people.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
It was a job.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
I loved other people, I loved God. It just didn't
consume me. What consumed me was this. Somebody asked me
the question one time, if you only had three days
to live, what would you do? And I was in college.
I said, I go out to the streets and just preach,
because most of the people I hang out with are
going to hell. Nobody else had that answer in our
whole small group, and I found that strange.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
But here's what was going on in my heart? What
was going on in my heart is I had a
heart to share the Gospel with people in a way
that not everybody does. And that's okay, right.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I mean, what's God currently doing in your life that
prompts you to want to do what it is God
wants you to do. I remember, when I was about
twenty four years old, I got to a place where
I couldn't help it anymore. I didn't know what it
looked like to go into ministry. Ministry to me was
like a clerical robe, speaking for twenty minutes and hanging
out with old people.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
And it didn't sound fun.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
And I felt God was calling me to ministry, and
I was praying about it, and God called me to
be a youth director.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
In a church. And when I was in that church.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
I told my dad, Hey, I was twenty four years old.
I said, Dad, I'm thinking about doing a two year
commitment to be a youth pastor.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
But it's two years.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I mean, Dad, when I get out, i'll be like
twenty six. My whole life will almost be over. And
he said, hey, don't worry about it. He goes, you'll
still feel young when you're twenty six. Trust me, he goes.
Once you do what God's calling you to do, and
then see what happens. And I remember being there as
the youth pastor, watching kids, watching their parents, watching all
these people come to Christ, and my heart was filled
with faith. And I actually had to coach football, which
(17:33):
I wanted to do as well. And as I was
doing both, I was constantly praying to the Lord. Ministry
or coaching, what is it God, what would you have
for me? And ministry? Where were seeing people come to Christ?
We were seeing people share their faith so with their friends.
It was exciting and exhiliary. Coaching football. We went three
and six the first year, oh to nine the second year,
and I'm still praying, Okay, Lord, give me a sign
you know that would be That'll be enough. And one
(17:55):
night I was praying and I asked the Lord just
to show me from his word, like I'm not getting
up into you show me. And we've all had some
of those moments where God really illuminates his word in
special ways. That was one of those nights, and he
took me to tewond Timothy four to two said, preach
the word, be prepared in season and out of season, correct,
rebuke and encourage, for the time will come when men
will no longer put up with sound doctrine.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
And it was as if he was speaking.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
That directly to me, saying, Jeff, I've always called you
to be a preacher.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
And you know what My answer was? Why me?
Speaker 2 (18:25):
And he took me to Matthew and said, blessed or
your eyes, Jeff, for they see, and your ears, for
they hear. If I tell you the truth, many men
of old and prophets long to see what you see
and hear what you hear.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
And did not see it and did not hear it.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
And God spent time with me that night on my
face as he ministered to me, and I knew by
the time I got up, I'm giving the rest of
my life to full time vocational ministry.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
It was over right.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
What's God telling you? How do you use everything you
have for the glory of God? And you can use
it as a businessman, you can use it as a teacher,
you can use it as an attorney, you can use it.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
As a coach.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
You can use it anyway, so long as God is
getting glory and you're serving people in a way that
brings him glory.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
That's what it looks like.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
And for me, I got to the place that God,
I believe You've given me all the gifts you've given
me to help people understand you through your words so
that they know how to walk with you. I mean,
you see these passages. Look what Moses gave up. Moses
gave up world prestige. He didn't want to be known
as Pharaoh's daughter. He could have been Pharaoh's daughter. It's
like I don't want to identify with her. I want
(19:26):
to identify with God's people. He could have identified with
the pleasures of sin. He could have had whatever he wanted.
He was living in the king's palace. He could have
had a life of comfort and plenty. But notice what
it says, considering the reproach of Christ or the Messiah
greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
He was looking to the reward.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
What was he doing. He did three things. If you're
going to prioritize God's agenda, you do these three things.
You embrace your God given identity. You embrace your identity
in Christ. You embrace who God says you are and
why he put you here. I can you're willing to
endure ill treatment. Willing to endure ill treatment. Had he
stayed in the palace, nobody was going to mistreat him.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
He's in the palace.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
But because he's prioritizing God and his people, he endured
ill treatment.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
And he had all the riches in the world, the
richest nation in the world at the time. What was
he willing to do. He was willing to expect an
inheritance from God.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Friends, you may not have a lot of money in
this world, but the retirement package is out of this world,
I promise you. Right, I mean, what's coming is so good,
then no matter what.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
You do here, it's worth it. He said. We why
would I have to endure ill treatment?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Because when you prioritize God and his people, you always
endure ill treatment. If you study the life of Moses
like I have, I think to myself, that is.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
The life I would never want.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
I mean, you got two million people whining and complaining
all day long, every day for years, and Moses humbly
intercedes for them. Right, I mean, all it takes is
you say God, I want to pray oritize you, and
I want to serve other people, and you get involved
serving in the church, either in kids ministry, youth ministry,
young adult ministry. You lead a small group, you do whatever,
and you realize as you pour into as you let
(21:09):
God pour into you, and you go to pour out
to other people, you will recognize at some point in time,
not everybody's nearly as excited.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
About your ministry as you are.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Well, how come it is I prepared all week and
only half my small groups showed up because you're in ministry?
How come it is? I did my best to present
what God was showing me and they got mad at
me because you're in ministry. How come it is that
I prioritize God and everything's falling apart at work because
you're in ministry? How come it is that my neighbors
have gotten upset with me? They don't even know what
I do? Like, why is all this because you're in ministry?
(21:38):
Are you willing to endure that?
Speaker 3 (21:39):
That's what it looks like to live a life of faith?
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Like, if you're going to live a life of faith,
you thank God for his providence and everything that he
has in your life, and then you prioritize God's agenda
for his people. No matter what you say to the
Lord Lord, you've given me all of this ability and
all these resources, and you let me be introduced to
these people. And this is what I can do, and
this is what I'm good at. And Lord, I want
(22:02):
you to show me how I can best use that
for your glory by serving your people.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
And there's a variety of ways that the Lord calls
us to do that.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
And once you thank God for his providence, and once
you've set yourself on a course to say God, You're
first and your people are second, and I'm giving my
life to that, then you can do step number three.
Step number three is when faith presently chooses to reject
the fears of this world.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Reject the fears of this world.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
I heard people talk a lot that the more faith
you have, the less fear you have.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I find the opposite to be true.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
I figure I feel that the bigger steps of faith
I ever take, the more fear is right there accompanying
those things. Notice what he says in verse twenty seven.
By faith, this is talking about Moses. Still, he left
Egypt not.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
Fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Seeing him who is unseen what was happening. He was
being threatened by the king, but what were his eyes?
His eyes weren't on an earthly king. His eyes were
on the King. Can I just tell you from the
Word of God, there's only one viable king, and it's
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
He is the king of kings, and he is the
Lord of lords, and there is no other.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
And yes, we are called to honor those in authority
to the extent that we don't have to compromise the
word of God. But when the Word of God gets compromised,
then we have to serve King Jesus rather than what
some earthly person might tell us.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
Did you know that?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
And this is right where Moses was. This is right
where Moses lived. He wasn't afraid to turn his back
on Egypt. He was saying, I'm turning my back and
I'm walking this way.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Can I give you a.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Privilege and a step of faith if you're going to
take this step of faith and not fear the world.
When you start stepping, don't step backwards. You keep stepping forwards.
Right when you walk, you keep walking, you burn the
bridge behind you. Because you can't take a step of
faith knowing that I can go back if.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
It doesn't work out.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
No, I go forward, trusting that it is, and I
walk by faith and not by sight because God has
prompted my heart this is the best way to serve Him.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
It's the best way to serve other people.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
And if I go this way, even if it doesn't
work out the way that I want, God has a
way to redirect and build something different.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
I'm going to keep walking that way.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Thanks for listening to Pastor Jeff Ministries. That was Pastor
Jeff with his message living the Life of Faith from
the series The Greatest, showing you what it looks like
to trust God when the world tells you to pan it.
Before we say goodbye, we want to remind you that
when you give a gift to keep teachings like this
one going out to you and others, We'll send you
(24:35):
Pastor Jeff's twenty one Days of Prayer, a team prayer
journal to help you grow with God and others to
help you grow closer to God and bless others through prayer.
Visit Pastorjeff dot com to give That's Pastorjeff dot com.
While you're there, sign up for email updates from Pastor
Jeff Ministries to be among the first to hear about new.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Resources to equip you in your walk.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Thanks again for joining us today.
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