OVERFLOW II // Pastor Chuck Colegrove // March 23, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
What's up?
Free Church, man.
How good does it feel in heretoday, man, I'll just keep
singing that song over and overagain.
All of them, All of them.
Do that.
Let's reset that and do itagain.
That was so much fun, what apowerful day, and I joined with

(00:30):
Pastor Ben and our team.
Just welcome you today.
If you're a guest first time,or first time in a long time, so
glad you're with us.
You made our day special bychoosing to join us.
We know you can be a hundredplaces today and you pick this
place.
We like to say around here thatthere is no place like this
place, so this must be the place.
I think you picked the rightplace to come to today, and

(00:50):
certainly we can tell thepresence of the Lord is here in
a powerful way.
Come on, let's welcome ouronline campus.
Watching today, in this regionand around the world, a lot of
our spring break families whoare getting an early start on
spring break, and then some ofy'all are getting a late start.
You're going to take next weekand then maybe the next week.
I don't know.
It seems like spring break thisyear.

(01:11):
Seems like it's extended likefour weeks.
I don't know.
But if you're traveling, besafe and we're just going to
keep having church, becausethat's what we do around here on
our way to our best year ever.
Amen, amen.
Church, because it's what we doaround here on our way to our
best year ever, amen.
Listen, I'm ready.
I do have to say our team, ourstaff, um, and uh, a few members

(01:35):
of our team, uh, we were inretreat this week staff, uh,
leadership retreat with our dearfriends, pastor Chris and
Audrey Carmona from peoplechurch, and we were with about
300 other leaders and man.
The presence of the Lord was sopowerful and so strong and
we've come back fired up andexcited and can't wait to just
be continuing to speak into whatGod is doing in this house and

(01:57):
through this house and throughyou and man.
It's just a great time to be apart of the capital C church.
Like, not just it's a greattime to be a part of the Capital
C Church, it's a great time tobe a part of Free Church, but
it's a great time to be a partof the Lord's Church because
revival is spreading throughoutthe region, throughout the
nation, around the world.
I've grown up in church.

(02:17):
You've heard me say I was bornon a Sunday in church the next
Sunday and I didn't miss aSunday growing up.
It doesn't make me any moreChristian than anybody else.
I still have to be a Christiantoday, doesn't matter what I did
yesterday, right and.
But I will tell you this I'vebeen in environments where we've
proclaimed revival, we'vedeclared revival, and we were

(02:39):
like we're in revival but I'mgoing to tell you this is
revival in revival.
But I'm going to tell you thisis revival.
Healing's taking place atmonastery.
Healing's taking place atWitness Youth.
Healing's taking place duringour worship time.
Healing's in our small groups,the way our small groups.
I wish everybody had the viewthat I have of small groups this

(03:00):
season, because Pastor Matthewand then Tony and Mel are
leading small groups so wellthat I get to see from a bigger
picture and I get to readeverybody's posts inside of
their small groups.
And, man, I'm telling you, godis moving in a powerful way in
our small groups and there'sstill a few more weeks of this

(03:21):
season to get involved.
If you haven't been, you don'thave to miss out entirely.
You can plug in today and ourteam will help you do that.
But listen, I'm ready to preachGod's word.
Are you ready to receive ittoday?
Gotta read my own notes herefor a second.
The year was 2007 and I got achance to travel with one of our

(03:46):
overseers actually PastorNathan Keller, from Sugar Land
Family Church in Sugar Land,texas, which is a southern
suburb of Houston.
And so we got to travel for aconference, and it was in Leeds,
england.
And so we went through Londonand got to spend a day in London
hanging out, hitting all thecool spots and taking pictures

(04:09):
with the queen and all the funstuff that you do when you go to
London, right?
And so we literally landedearly in the morning and we just
took the whole day.
But that's not what I want totell you about in this story In
2007,.
And that's not what I want totell you about in this story In
2007,.
On the way to London, we weregetting our tickets and Pastor

(04:30):
Nate was like listen, I've got abunch of miles and I'm going to
sit in first class.
Can you make that happen foryou?
And I was like well, let melook how many points I got.
I was like can you get in firstclass with 25 points?

(04:51):
Then I'm gonna have to dosomething about that.
So I started calling aroundasking everybody have you got
some points I could share?
You wanna send me some points?
And I felt like I was askingfor cookies or something.
I don't know.
I was just like you know.
So, anyway, I masked up enoughpoints to get myself first class
to London and then I did nothave enough points to come first

(05:12):
class back, but I'll neverforget this.
About three days before we left,pastor Nate called me.
He said listen, I just got offthe phone with my brother.
He's done this trip, you know,several times through the years,
preaching over overseas.
And so he called to let me knowwhat we can expect.
I was like all right, what canwe expect, he said, in first

(05:34):
class?
He said you're going to get onthe plane first and you're going
to sit down and they're goingto bring you a warm like a
washcloth, warm towel and so youcan wipe your face and your
hands and just kind of take aminute and refresh.
I was like all right, thatsounds bougie.
So I was like okay, he's like,and then they're going to hand

(06:01):
deliver a little bag of warmedcashews.
I was like whoa, this is notSouthwest Airlines.
He's like, and then, as theystart taking off, they're gonna
bring you a cup of fresh lobsterbisque.
I was like, okay, this is gonnabe good, he says.

(06:23):
And then, once we get up in theair, they're going to ask you
what kind of salad you want be awedge salad or a fresh Caesar
salad?
And I said, okay.
I was like, is this whole tripabout eating?
He's like, yeah, because afterthat then they're going to bring
a full course meal and you getto choose between like a steak
and chicken.
I was like course meal and youget to choose between like a

(06:46):
steak and chicken.
I was like, my God, what?
What are we doing?
Like I'm already full thinkingabout it.
So they do.
We get on the plane thateverything happens, all the way
down to a homemade ice cream andwarm baked cookies.
And I was like, how come Inever flow first?
Cat first class before.
Like nobody ever told me aboutthis.
He's like, yeah, this is prettyincredible.
Cat first class before.
Like nobody ever told me aboutthis.
He's like, yeah, this is prettyincredible.

(07:08):
First of all, I'm going to tellyou what.
When we landed in London, it'sonly a six and a half hour
flight, so it's not like thatlong to eat that much food.
I was so full.
I was like I don't think I cando anything else on this trip.
Good thing London doesn't havegood food.
Good thing London doesn't havegood food If you've been, you

(07:31):
know.
And fish and chips are inScotland.
All right, I'm sorry, I repent,but it was.
I was like how come nobody evertold me, made this possible for
me to do this before?
And then we finished our trip,finished the conference we were
at and we're coming home and Idid not sit in first class.
He did, by the way.

(07:51):
He was like, well, I'm sorryyou can't have first class on
this trip home.
I said well, you're not goingto just come back and sit with
me?
He's like, oh no.
And he said he said I'm gonnamake sure they close that
curtain too.
He said, because I know you'regonna be staring at me the whole
time wondering what I'm eating.

(08:12):
I said can you not pass likehalf back?
Like can you give me like I'llhave the bisque, just pass it
back to me.
He's like oh no, I can't dothat.
And so I went on the way home,just like sitting in coach class
, not even business class, justcoach watching, trying to see
through that little curtain whatwas going on.

(08:33):
It's the year that I learnedonce you experience belonging in
the right seat, it's hard foryou to go back and you also want
everybody else to experience it.
Once you lean over to yourneighbor and just say this, say
hey, no, not yet, not yet had toread my notes, watch, turn it

(08:58):
over and say hey, I must be inthe front row.
And back to to the other Thankyou, I was trying to give you a
hint and lean back to the otherone You've been ignoring all
service and just say, hey, we'removing on up.
See, you know, you know.

(09:23):
Here we are in week two of ouroverflow series and I really
want to start with the picturethat I gave you last week as we
closed the service, with Evanholding that massive container
of water over that little cup,and how quickly that cup filled
up to overflowing and just keptbeing filled up and filled up

(09:43):
and filled up, even all thewhile it was overflowing and
just kept being filled up andfilled up and filled up, even
all the while it was overflowing.
And we learned last week thatGod provides life in abundance
so that we can be overflowing inservice to others.
And you know, it reminded me,and I told you this, of our, our
key verse for free churchGalatians 5.13, that it's

(10:06):
obvious Christ set us free, buthe didn't set us free for our
own selfish gain.
He set us free so we couldserve others in love.
And I would go on to say thisweek that really how we started
free church was by serving.
We started with serving.
We started with free coffee andfree laundry and free parking

(10:27):
and we bought gas down a dollarand just everything we could do
to show people that God lovedthem, with no strings attached.
And that's really the heart ofour church is that we serve the
people around us.
And then remember, we spent timein the book of John, chapter 12
, and in verse 24 it says thatunless a grain of wheat would

(10:50):
fall into the ground and die,only then, only in that moment
that it falls into the groundand dies, will it produce a
harvest and we talked about inour lives.
Sometimes we tend to hold on tosomething like it's the only
thing we have, but when werealize it really is just a seed
and if we just keep it in ourhands it will never be anything

(11:12):
but a seed, but as soon as wesow it and we let it flow out of
our life, it will actuallyproduce a harvest that really is
immeasurable.
You can't even quantify whatone seed does in the harvest,
because the harvest quickly canbecome so great.
In fact, the promise of end dayrevival is that the harvest

(11:32):
will overtake the time ofplanting, that, literally, as
you're sowing seeds in one spot,god's providing a harvest
that's catching up beyond whatyou're planting.
In fact, the promise of God foryour life is that you're going
to reap a harvest that youdidn't even sow the seed for,
because generations have beendoing this for us in this moment

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, and we're going to produce andreceive a harvest in these days
.
Man, that's better than itsounded.
That's better than it sounded.
That's better than it responded.
So I will tell you this, thenthat whatever you pour out,

(12:19):
pouring out doesn't mean runningout doesn't mean running out,
and whatever you pour out, youwill never run out of as long as
you're connected to the source.
You'll continue, as you pourout, to be filled up, but don't
mistake being full for beingpoured out, because all that's

(12:43):
happening.
I was thinking about thispowerful time of worship we just
had and just my, my heartexpression was just in gratitude
for the presence of God.
But as great as it feels, comeon somebody.
You know it feels good and itfeels fine.
But the reality is we're notjust here because it feels good.

(13:04):
We're here because what's beingpoured into us is meant to be
poured out into the lives aroundus.
So that was last week.
That was week one of overflow,and this week we're going to

(13:27):
lean back into God's abundance.
And the whole idea of thisseries is that we sit under this
abundance not for the sake offeeling good and feeling full,
not because God's serving uswarm cashews and lobster bisque
and a beautiful fresh salad anda first class steak meal with
some potatoes and then awonderful afterwards they were

(13:49):
just bringing a basket of breadaround in first class.
Do you want some more bread?
I'm like, where am I at?
You sit in the other seats backthere and they bring you a bag
of pretzels and a lot of timesthey're terrible but you eat
them anyways because you're justlike.

(14:11):
I just want to look like firstclass.
But so God's not doing all ofthis for our own gain and for
our own things, and I'm going totell you God never.
He is a God of abundance.
God never intends I know itsounds Christian to say it that

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oh I just.
How are you doing today?
Well, I just have just enough.
That's not the arena God wantsyou to live in.
How does God get the glory ofyou just barely surviving?
God wants to pour out hisblessings in your life.
He wants to pour out in waysthat people step back and go.

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What is happening in their life?
I've got to get close to thatIs happening in their life.
I've got to get close to that.
So, so God doesn't just barely.
In fact, one of his names, oneof his namesakes, is El Shaddai,
the God of more than enough.

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You can't serve the God of morethan enough and just have a
crumb.
I'm so proper and so refinedand I'm so Christian that I just
have learned to live with acrumb.

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When I think of the goodness ofJesus and all that he's done
for me, my soul cries outhallelujah, because he's done it

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again and again and again.
More than enough, more than Ineed, more than I expected.
Isn't that what the scripturesays?
Beyond what we could ever askfor or imagine, I don't ever

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want to get in the trap of onlyimagining a little, a little of
God's mercy, a little of God'sgrace, a little of God's
forgiveness.
No, little of God's grace.
A little of God's forgiveness,no, god, pour it out in my life
so that it overflows and I canbe merciful and I can be

(16:55):
gracious and I can be generousand I can live my life to make a
difference in this world.
Think about this when Godblesses you, it's not that he

(17:18):
blesses you to just have it.
Stop with you.
The Bible says he blesses youto the thousandth generation.
That is a God of abundance.
That one single blessing onyour life can be generational.
It's why in scripture we readabout the God of Abraham and

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Isaac and Jacob.
And listen, I'm going to tellyou my dad was blessed and I've
been blessed.
But I want to see the blessingsin my boys' lives.
I want to see the blessings inmy grandchildren's life.
I want to live to see theblessings in my
great-grandchildren's life.
Why?
Because the blessing on my lifewill go for generations and it
will go in your generations aswell.

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It's not like God only blessesa few.
He wants to bless the entirety.
He says, and it's where we getour vision he I'll bring.
This is not in my notes.
I'll bring you out of egypt.
I'll get egypt out of you, I'llredeem your purpose with the

(18:35):
outstretched arms and mightyacts of judgment.
And then he says this and Iwill make you a great nation.
When you read through scripture,you find what started out as a
small number became aninsurmountable, uncountable
nation.
But you know why I tell youit's not countable Because they

(18:59):
really they counted the men.
They didn't count the women andthe kids.
You go downstairs, we count themen.
They didn't count the women andthe kids.
You go downstairs, we count uphere Like wow, good service,
good flow, good time Feels good,atmosphere's great.
Go downstairs, there's a lot ofkids down there.
In fact, we're adding, we'resplitting one class because

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there's so many kids in one agegroup, we've got to add another
group.
So if you're not serving yet,hey, we need you to serve on our
kids team because we're growingin that area and it's going to
help us extend the atmosphere inthis house until we go to two
services permanently.
But this is what I wanted.
This is what I wanted to say.
You know how, like one kid, onekid you can control.

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But how come more than one kid,they seem to multiply and it's
more like you put two kids, itfeels like 10.
You put 10 kids, it sounds like100.

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So imagine that's what happened.
They started small in number,but God blessed them to become a
great nation, because God is aGod of overflow.

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But here's the problem.
You had to know there would besome kind of tension in the
blessing, and this is first theone problem.
The one problem is so many ofus, while we're seeking the
blessing, we're right here inthe front.
Life is tough, can't pay mybills, car's breaking down, kids

(20:57):
are a problem, marriage is introuble.
I'm on the front row and theproblem is when the blessing
comes, you enjoy it and you'renot in the front row anymore.
You forgot to buy theround-trip ticket.
You bought the one-way ticketin first class and then you got

(21:23):
the blessings, but you forgot tocrew up the points to get back
in first class.
And subsequently the cup startsto dry out.

(21:43):
And I think there's a lot ofpeople living in an environment
of overflow with an empty cup,thirsty to belong, craving
connection beyond the curtain,beyond the curtain, hungry for

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just a little bit of what'shappening on the inside, but
feeling stuck on the wrong side,and that that is.
That is why today's thought isthis God overflows.

(22:34):
Well, let's just do pull it up,evan.
It's the next one.
I've been so off my notes youdon't even know where I'm at, so
the cue I see is last week's.
Pull up the next one.
Hello, it should be the thirdslide.

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That's the second slide, that'sthe one.
God provides belonging inabundance so we can be
overflowing with invitation forothers.
God provides belonging inabundance so we can be
overflowing with invitation forothers, because the blessing is

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not to stop with me.
And then I live with thatblessing.
Here's the trap Living with theblessing until it's gone,
consuming the blessing untilit's gone.
The difference is, when I pourit out, I continue to be filled,
but as soon as I just become aconsumer, it's gone.
If I plant the seed, itproduces a harvest.

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If I eat the seed, that's all Iget.
So I want to just paint thispicture for you, because it's
important for us to understandthe lie that's being told to the
people around us, and some ofyou are hearing this lie again

(24:07):
and again and again from peoplearound you and from the enemy
against our life is that youdon't belong in the room, that
you don't belong on the otherside of the curtain, that your
past is going to keep you fromgetting closer and that the
things that you've done, theystop you from measuring up To

(24:30):
the first class ticket.
And I'm going to tell youthat's not God's design at all.
In fact, as long as humanityStops allowing people in Jesus
and look at this as long ashumanity Stopped allowing people
in, what did God do?
God sent his son to inviteeverybody in.

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If I can't allow, if I can'tcount on the people to do it,
I'll just send my son, becausein the kingdom of God, there is
always room for one more, alwaysroom for one more, room for one

(25:13):
more, always room for one more.
So God provides belonging andabundance so we can overflow
with invitation to others.
You know what I noticed too?
That when God invites you in,you don't just get a ticket, you
get another guest list that youget to create.
You get another guest list thatyou get to create.
We moved here in 2012.

(25:33):
We really, my brother and hisfamily.
They lived in South Elgin, soI'll just be real, that seemed
like they lived in Wisconsin andwe would drive out there to
visit with them and I'd be likeI can't believe they drive in.
They're going to drive in everySunday to church Now they're

(25:57):
watching online, I hope.
But so we would drive out andhang out with them.
And then in Oak Park, we knewnobody else.
We didn't know one person.
We met Pastor Chris and Audrey,who were planting the church
inside the city a few months infront of us.
So we would hang out with themand we would celebrate together

(26:20):
that first year.
In fact, they spent ChristmasEve with us.
They came and stayed at ourhouse.
We had the greatest time andwe've become dear friends.
We sit as overseers in theirministry and we were with them
and preach to their team.
It was a powerful week together.
I told you about that, but I wasturning whatever year birthday
I was having that year.
I guess it was 2012.

(26:42):
So I was turning 42 and Urshanawas like, hey, we're gonna go
have dinner and you know I haveto be careful how I tell this
story, but you know how, likewhen you have if I could make my
list of who I wanna celebratemy birthday with and then when
the list gets added to that youdidn't know.

(27:03):
So Chris and I, we get todinner and there's other people
there that we didn't expect andwe weren't close enough as
friends to like really dive intoit very much, until we met the
next time for like coffee orwhatever, and he was like man.
What happened with thatbirthday party?
I was like I know Where'd allthose people come from.

(27:27):
But it's just the idea, liketypically, if you're having the
party, you're hosting the partyand you invite somebody, you
don't want them just to invitewhoever else they want, because
they might not bring the peopleyou want at the party.
Don't tell me I'm the onlyperson that ever experienced

(27:54):
that Every one of you need torepent at the end of the service
.
Lying and judging, you'rejudging me.
It's not your place.
But when God invites you in, hegives you the invitation list
and says who else, who else?

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And listen, if you had, you cantake this book and read just
about any book and you will findGod's heart, god's heart for
invitation.
Like I don't have time to gothrough them all, but Ruth was a

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Moabite, which means she wasnot an Israelite, and the
promise of God was that.
To David, god said I will makesure somebody from your family
sits on the throne forever.
Ruth is not anywhere nearIsraelite lineage until her

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husband passes away and shecomes back with her
mother-in-law, back in to thenation of Israel, and she meets
what the Bible calls the kinsmenredeemer, which is law for
bringing people who are outsideback in, and then she becomes in

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the lineage of Jesus Christ,but she's a Moabite.
But she's in the lineage ofJesus Christ.
Why?
Because God has a heart forinviting people into the story.

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The Samaritan woman.
Just the title of the storytells us.
Man, this might be a stretchfor a lot of people to think
about, because in fact, beforeJesus met the Samaritan woman,
he's like this is what he said.
If you read it in the KingJames and New King James, he

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says I must needs to go throughSamaria.
That's some crazy English tosay he had an assignment to go
to a place that Samaritans andJewish people did not get along.
And Jewish people did not getalong.
And remember I told you theywere God's people, but the cup

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was drying up Because they werenot allowing anybody else in and
that's why God sent his son Todie on a cross so that we could
all be grafted into the family.
And he goes and meets theSamaritan woman and what does he
tell her?
He said listen, if you'll drinkfrom this, well, you'll never
thirst again, you'll alwaysbelong as long as you drink from

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this.
Well, cornelius, there were twogroups of people.
It was the Jewish people, god'speople, and then everybody else
was lumped into one group ofGentiles, and that's really us
Gentiles, god's people and notGod's people.

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But Cornelius, even though hewasn't God's people, he prayed
and was generous in his prayerand his generosity went up
before the Lord as an offering,and God sent Simon Peter to go
preach a message to Corneliusand his entire household was
saved.
Why?

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Because God wants to inviteeven those that we don't think
belong inside, and he doesn'tjust invite them in for part of
it, he makes them part of thefamily.
The upper room 120 are baptizedin the Holy Spirit.
I get it, it's the disciplesand a crew of people 120.

(31:55):
But it poured out out of theupper room and 3,000 more were
baptized and added to the churchthat day.
Why?
Because when God starts pouringout, it's in overflow fashion
and it's not for one group, it'sfor all groups.
In fact, simon Peter said foryou, for your children and for
as many as will call on the nameof the Lord, they will be saved

(32:16):
.
First class ticket.
We used to sing a song, got myticket, got my ticket To heaven
is basically what we weresinging, but I got kicked out of
that choir so I don't rememberhow the rest of it went.
So but the thing is, belongingis not just about you.

(32:42):
We don't get to come in and getin our seat and close the
curtain and not let anybody elsein.
The belonging is not just aboutyou.
Belonging it's not just aboutyour blessing, it's not just
about the generations for yourfamily and nobody else.
No, it is.
The belonging is all aboutJesus.
So let's close, gina.

(33:08):
You better come.
We'll get out of here.
So look at what God does.
He makes a way for us throughJesus In Ephesians, chapter two.
We were once far away, but Jesusbrought us near Back to my
story in London.
When we were there that day wespent in London riding the
subway.

(33:28):
Everywhere.
There are signs everywhere, allaround the subway called, and
the sign is this Mind the Gapand they're telling you to be
careful between the step,between the platform and the
train.
So around our subways and ourtrain systems it says watch your
step, but in London it's mindthe gap.

(33:50):
Mind the gap.
And that's what I would say iswhat Jesus came to do.
Mind the gap, the gap betweenus being far away and us being
close.
He spread his arms wide tooverflowing blood out of his
body so we could be saved.
Mind the gap.

(34:10):
Romans 8, 15,.
We are adopted as children.
It's fun to be born into thefamily but I'm sorry, parents,
you didn't get to choose who wasborn into your family.
But if you adopt somebody, youget to choose, and God chose you
.
You didn't start out in thisfamily, but he got you as soon

(34:34):
as he could.
When we moved to Texas, welived in Dallas for seven years.
Then we moved to Houston andHouston was another whole
culture for us and our pastorsused to tell us like listen this
phrase we weren't born in Texas, but we got here as soon as we

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could, and so we would say that.
And then I thought it'd befunny to say that in this area I
was like well, I wasn't born inOak Park, but I got here just
as quick as I could.
And they were like for what?
Because I want to be proudwhere I live.
I want you to know.

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I like where I live.
They're like no World Park,birkenstock.
No, I'm just kidding, I'm justkidding.
Cut that, strike that.

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Look at this passage ofscripture in Revelation,
revelation 7, 9.
Revelation 7, 9.
After this, I looked and therebefore me was a great multitude,
overflow, overflow, greatmultitude Another word overflow

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that no one could count.
There we go, overflow, fromevery nation, every tribe, every
people and every language,standing before the throne and
before the lamb which is Jesus.

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And they were wearing whiterobes and they were holding palm
branches in their hands.
And you know what they wereworshiping?
They were worshiping With thechoir of angels.
They're singing holy, holy,holy is the Lord of hosts, the
one who is the one, who was theone who is to come, just

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worshiping, worshiping,worshiping, creating an
atmosphere of worship.
And as I read that passage ofscripture, it hit me that heaven
is going to be an overflow ofworship of people from every
tribe, in every nation, everycolor, every background, every

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lifestyle, every generation,every genre, from young to old,
in the same room, worshiping thesame way.
Stand before Jesus in awe, inhonor, and worshiping forever.
Forever, us in awe and honor,and worshiping forever, forever.

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No accusation, no rejection, nocurtain, no divide, nothing
stopping you tear, no pain, nodistraction worship.
And it got me thinking.
Number one everything we do onthis earth is in practice in

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preparation for what we'll do inthat throne room Everything.
And so we got to be comfortableworshiping with people that
don't look like us, holdinghands of people from different
backgrounds and life experiences, not judging them based on

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where they're at now, butbelieving in them, where God is
going to bring them.
To that everybody gets a chanceto come.
And when we approach the throneof God, when we approach the
cross of Jesus Christ, there islevel ground.
There is no tier system,there's no first class and coach
class.
It is we all.

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As many as call on the name ofthe Lord will be saved.
So listen, if he could put Ruthinto the family, he can bring
you into the family.
If he can take the Samaritanwoman and, by the way, when
Jesus gave her the drink ofwater, she immediately went into

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her village and the Bible saysthe entire village came to hear
the message and they were allsaved, they all believed.
If he can do it for Corneliusand his household, if he can do
it for everybody in the upperroom and the overflow of those
3,000 that day.
And we know by the math,through the course of the church

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growing, it grew exponentially,reaching over a hundred
thousand people in just a fewyears.
If he can do all that for them,he can do it for you and he can
do it for the people around you.
And listen, you once were faraway from God but Jesus brought

(40:05):
you near.
Now there are people around you, close to you, far from God,
that Jesus can pull in.
But it's our responsibility tooverflow with invitation bull in
.
But it's our responsibility tooverflow with invitation.
Jesus never wanted you to go toheaven by yourself or he would

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have got you saved, killed youand thrown everybody else into
the lake of fire.
So if Jesus doesn't want you togo to heaven by yourself, why
are you refusing to bring thepeople around you with you?
It's the very heart of God andyou know what you you can say.
Well, you know what I just Idon't want to be offensive to
people.
I don't want to get invadetheir space for their faith or

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their belief.
Guess what?
That's not what we're called.
We're not called to judge that.
We're called to invite.
We're called to extend thehands and feet of Jesus.
Like, listen, listen.
You, you might not like it if Iinvite you into an environment,
but listen, if I am invitingyou into the environment it's
because I believe theenvironment can change your life

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and I believe that because Ihave a witness to my own life
change that happened.
So overflow, overflow, overflow.
Listen, in the first wave ofEaster invite cards, I've
ordered 2,000.
I felt the devil like, kick me.
He's like man, don't order2,000 because no one's going to

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give those cards out.
I was like devil, you are sucha liar, you get behind me.
Satan, because this is adifferent day, we're going to
overflow an invitation.
You have a card by you.
We put a card in almost everyarmrest this morning.
But listen, one is not overflow, it's not One's a seed.

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But I want to really encourageyou to grab a stack of cards on
your way out today and then prayover those cards and start
inviting people now to Easter.
The Bible, not the Bible, it'slike the Bible.

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It's the research institutefrom George Barnard, but it says
that eight out of 10 peopleinvited to Easter Sunday will
say yes.
So if you only take one, yougot a good chance of going 0 for
1.
But by the numbers, if you'llget to 10, you got a good chance
for eight people saying yes.
So I wanna encourage you.

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We're doing two services EasterSunday, sunday, 9 am 10 am.
We're doing a good Fridayservice.
Oh yeah, 9 am and 11.
Do do not come at 10 o'clockbecause you'll you'll only hear
the last choir song and thenyou'll have an hour to the next
service and you'll be like Iguess I just I heard it Solve a

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final credit line no 9 and 11.
Sorry, thank you for correctingme 9 and 11.
But I want you, I want you toseriously invite as many people
as you can this year.
And let's just listen.
It's not because we want tohave a lot of people.
If you think the reason why wewant you to invite everybody in

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your world to come to freechurch on Easter Sunday is so we
can somehow put an Instagrampost up of our largest Easter
ever.
You're not close enough to hearour heart.
It's because people need Jesus.
It's because people need Jesus.
It's because we can't drivethrough the streets of our city

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without seeing people in pain.
It's because we can't walk outin our neighborhoods without
hearing our neighbors fightingone another and we can't drive
through spaces without peoplepointing their finger in
accusation at one another andbecause, seemingly, this world
can't get around and get alongwith anything.
But you know what?
Jesus is the answer for theworld today.
That's why we want to fill thishouse no-transcript.