All right, let's dive in. If you've got a copy of scripture, we're going to be in Joshua chapter one this week. And man, I want you to imagine with me that it's, I want you to imagine with me this ride that we're going to be on as a church for the next five years.
Okay, we're going to talk about courage today and what we're going to need if we're going to see a thousand chosen kids. And here's what I want you to do: I want you to get in your mind's eye for a minute, all right? I want to get in your heart for a minute. I want you to just kind of think about this with me. It's five, okay, dream with me.
It's five years from now. All right, it's twenty thirty. And I stand up on a normal Sunday just like this. And just like our campuses, I'm saying, hey, welcome to our campuses and all that stuff. It's five years from now.
Now, I look the exact same as I do right now, okay?
So church planning is like dog years. One year is like seven when you age.
So I'm trying to really project this right now, my reality.
So I look exactly the same. All right? And uh and it's five years later, and I stand up. And I show a picture right there on that screen. And the picture is of a family from Mercy Hill, mom and dad.
And they just took in three foster kids.
Now, the family is pro though the mom and dad are young because you know what? They're probably college students at Mercy Hill right now. They're probably at Clifton right now. They're probably at High Point campus right now because they're in college. They're not even married yet.
They may not even know each other yet. All right. But I show you that picture, and then you see the three pictures of three kids in that picture. And I said, hey, guys. That's number 999, number 1000, and number 1001.
Can y'all see that with me? Yeah, can we praise God? Can we just kind of think, hey, that's what's gonna happen? All right. Hey, if that was to happen, it's going to happen for one reason because this church.
Develops by the Spirit of the Lord and by His Word, a backbone of steel. That's only going to happen if there is courage here. Because it takes courage to kick the hornet's nest like that. It takes courage for every one of our families to step in. To serious ministry like that, foster care and adoption and families count.
So, here's our big idea: y'all, God's presence crushes fear and creates courage, and that is something that we are gonna need. We're gonna need to be more courageous than the culture around us sort of naturally gives to us. We're gonna need a God-given courage. You know, I know you guys have felt this. I think we have now canceled school at least 27 times this year, okay?
And every single time I get a phone call, what's the first sentence on the phone call? Out of an abundance of caution. Right? And I don't even know. I never even remember that phrase.
I feel like that phrase started in 2020 during COVID or something. And it's like, hey, man, for about six years, you hear this phrase, out of an abundance of caution. I'm like, man, we need an abundance of courage. That's what we need in our culture. All right, we tell our kids be careful, be careful, be careful.
We need to tell them, be courageous, be courageous, be courageous. Because there are a lot of things in life that are going to come that are going to be hard, and we are going to need to be fortified against them.
Well, that doesn't happen by just kind of mustering something up from inside. All right? If we want that kind of courage, we want it for our kids, if we want our families to be the type of families that enter into the front lines of ministry in adoption, foster care, and we're going to hold the rope for those who do. We're going to need courage that comes not from what's in here already, you know, just kind of mustering it up, but from something that is given from the outside, from something that happens when we know that the presence of the Lord is with us. And that's what Joshua 1 is all about.
All right. So here's what it says: No man, let's just go ahead and start. Joshua 1, no man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. God is talking to Joshua here. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
I will not leave you or forsake you. Verse 6, be strong and courageous. For you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give to them.
Now, I told you what this sermon's about in the intro. And the very beginning, where we start reading here in Joshua 1 doesn't bury the lead, does it? This passage is about strength and courage to face what we're going to need to face when it comes to the mission of God that's out in front of us, right? Another way to say strong and courageous, most commentators point out, another way you could almost get at this idea is to say be resolute. Don't be moved.
From the task at hand, just because it is scary. Instead, be courageous.
Now, I could stand up here and just beat the be courageous, be courageous, be courageous. We all sort of know that. We want that. We want it in our life. I can't tell you how many times I've needed more courage and wisdom than I currently had.
I mean, we all can understand that. The key here is how do we get it? And it's right here in this passage. If you want the key to sort of unlock the cupboard of courage. to get in there and get as much as you want.
This is where it comes from. Look at verse five. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I am not going to leave you or forsake you. Guys, the children of Israel are facing an incredibly scary situation.
When you have gone through everything that they have gone through, and then the guy that was at the helm carrying you through all that is gone, that's very scary. Moses is gone now. All right? But here's the thing: this is what the Lord is reminding them of. You don't have Moses, but you have the God of Moses.
Moses was, what does the scripture say? God's servant.
So you don't have the guy, but you still have the God. And now he is going to put someone else in place to continue to carry you. See, this is where the Bible is really helpful for us because many times our culture just kind of halfway understands what we need but doesn't know how to get there, okay?
So we understand we need courage. What comes out is sort of Disney movies that tell you to look within. Right follow your heart kid. You'll never go wrong. That kind of stuff, you know?
And what we see from the Bible is, and what we know is like, man, man, what happens when I look inside and there's not enough there? for what I'm having to face. See, that's when I need something from the outside. And that something is God's presence. You can say it like this: courage is created by who is beside you, not what is inside you.
You know, courage is created by understanding. The Lord is with me and has called me into this ministry. He has called me for this purpose. I mean, you know, exactly what we're talking about today as we finish up this chosen series that's going to set the course for the next five years in our church's life. It's like, hey.
Man, many of us, even today, are going to make a courageous decision. To say, hey, we've been talking about it. We've been acting like we're going to do it. We're going to make the decision: adoption or foster care. We're doing that.
I don't know when, it's out there for us, but we're putting our yes on the table. That takes courage. Where do you get that? It doesn't come from just looking up from within and mustering it up. Look for who is with you in the mission.
You know, a good example of this: when one of my kids was young, they were terrified of the Chick-fil-A cow, okay? It's pretty creepy, all right? I mean the cow is pretty creepy, okay? And but it's like it's like, hey man, I know you're scared, but it ain't like I'm not going to get my Christian chicken, okay?
So you're gonna have to work through this.
So we keep taking them and exposure therapy and all this stuff. And so one day I was finally just kind of getting fed up with it. I get right on eye level with the child. you know, very young, four or five years old, something like that. And I said, listen, man.
If it comes right down to it. Who do you think wins in a bare knuckle fist fight? Between me and the Chick-fil-A cow. And he hesitated.
Okay, so that wasn't my finest moment, all right? But eventually, we got to the point where dad can take the cow. All right, now. I'm telling you, I know this is a funny illustration, but the reality is that moment sort of changed something.
Okay, because it was like, hey, if I'm with him and he is stronger than him. Right? Like his situation didn't really change in terms of the creepiness of the cow, but who was with him sort of changed. And now, all of a sudden, it's like that is giving me courage. And that courage is going to propel me.
Into obedience and flourishing.
Now, this is so important to kind of follow the logic of where the scripture is going. Why is fear so scary for the believers in terms of our Christian walk? Why is it something that the Lord tells us not to engage in? Hey, don't, you know, fear not, most repeated command in the scriptures. Why is that?
Well, because fear is linked To all of these things that end up getting at rebellion in our life. And rebellion ends up getting us to a place that is. is very dark and it's the opposite of flourishing. Look what the scripture says in verse 6 again: Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
Now, what does that mean? He's saying there is something about your strength, courage. Remember, resolute. There is something about that posture fueled by God's presence that ends up in our flourishing, that you may inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. You guys know, if you remember from last week, remember I told you the Bible is really one story: creation, fall.
Uh you know, Israel, Jesus. Church and redemption, restoration, final restoration.
Okay? If you think about the story in that, where they are right now is they have gone through creation and fall. Eden is no more. They've been kicked out. But the Lord has promised his people Israel that they would have an opportunity back into almost another Eden.
Okay? That's what the promised land is.
Now, they failed in this, they failed to possess it. We end up getting to Jesus and the church. And y'all, that's the mission that we're on now. We're on a mission to gather as many people as we can for the new Eden or the new promised land, heaven, that's out there for us now. It's all kind of one story.
But where they are is: hey, if you will obey me. you will end up flourishing in the land. But if you are too afraid, you won't obey.
Okay, so that's the idea. You can say it like this: flourishing is linked to obedience. And obedience is linked to courage. How many times in all that's why the Bible tells us fear not? How many times in our life is it actually a fear thing?
Man, I am so afraid of an outcome. That is out there, an outcome of loneliness, or an outcome of something with my job, or an outcome of a friend group, you know, something that's going on there. I'm so worried about that outcome, what happens? I end up lying or cheating now. It's actually the fear of what's coming that fuels the disobedience now.
You know, some people might say, hey, I'm so afraid of a life of singleness, I really want to be married, that I'm willing to lower standards and marry an unbeliever and become unequally yoked. See how the sin is related to the fear? You know, that we're kind of afraid of what's out there.
Some people might say, Man, I hear about the Chosen Adoption Fund. I hear you guys talk about giving every week. Man, we talk about it for two reasons. Yes, generosity funds the mission, but guys, generosity forms the heart. There is no idol that we compete with that competes with God and what He can do in this life like money.
Augustine said it like this: the three big ones that kind of always come back around are money, sex, and power. That's true. But even of those three, there is one that ain't like the others. And so we push the church. Hey, make sure that you are opening your hands.
Why? Because it forms your heart.
Some of you hear that, you believe that, and yet the fear. of a security that's lost. The fear of not having the power to buy or do what you want, it keeps you from a generous posture. See, many times it is fear that leads us to rebellion. And so the scripture is telling us: fear not.
You will not go forward with the mission that God has called you to-adoption, foster care, or whatever else we're talking about, if we're having hearts that are filled with fear.
Now, Here's what he says in verse 7. And this is so good. We get into the word of God. The word of God, courage, all these things kind of go together. Only be strong and very courageous.
Be careful to do according to all that the law of Moses, my servant, commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it. Day and night.
so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Now we're talking about strong, courageous. Man, fear ends up being linked to disobedience, courage linked to obedience.
Okay, another piece of the puzzle. It is to remember God's presence that fuels courage. But how do we remember that? We remember that by: look, don't let the word depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night.
So that you will be careful to do what is written in it. Man, there is a part of our courage. That is really linked. You could say it like this: courage and commitment to obedience. They rise and fall together.
Courage and our commitment, I would say, to the word. to knowing what God has for us and to remembering who He is. Yeah, you could say it like this. When I lose heart, I lose commitment to obeying his word. And when I lose commitment to the word, I forget about his presence, and therefore my courage sort of dwindles.
You know, my point is this: when my courage is failing, my commitment to the word is failing. But when my commitment to the word is recaptured to saying, This is how I'm gonna live my life, this is the book I'm gonna read, this is what I'm gonna try to do in my terms of my obedience and what God calls me to, what happens? I remember more of who He is. I have that moment with dad in the Chick-fil-A cow again where I'm like, okay, I'm remembering who he is and what he can do. And so, therefore, it's fueling my courage.
You can say it like this. Reading God's word fortifies us against being carried away by fear.
Now, I want to make a very important distinction here. And I wrote this very specifically for this reason. There is a difference in being afraid versus being carried away in fear. When I'm talking about being carried away in fear, I am talking about a settled decision that we are making. It's a spirit of fear, the scriptures call it.
It's really a manifestation of unbelief. That's different than my heart rate is up because something scary happened.
Okay, July 23rd. 2023, July 25th, 2023. In Soulsby, Texas, a woman named Peggy Jones is minding her own business. It's a hot day, Texas day, flat, no trees. She's out there minding her own business.
Husband's in the front yard. She's in the backyard on the lawnmower, and they're just having a great time doing the yard work together. And out of nowhere, a snake falls on her from the sky. Legit, just boom, lands on her. Wraps her up in one second, okay?
And now the snake If striking at her face, thank God she had sunglasses on. All right? Immediate do you think her heart rate was up in this moment? What do you think? You right?
Now, if that's not bad enough, here comes swooping in the hawk that, and I'm not a detective, okay? But it seems like the hog lost his dinner. Right? And now it's coming back. And she has become the battlefield of these two going at it.
She ends up having to go to the hospital after this whole situation was over because she's all torn up and all of this. Y'all, I think that her heart rate was probably sky high. Let me ask you something. Do you think the next time Peggy Jones got on that lawn tractor, she might have done this? What do you think, right?
Okay. That is a scary situation that produces some of the emotion and even the reactions that we have of fear. I'm not saying that's wrong.
Some of that is God-given. If you're walking through the forest and a tiger comes after you, God gives you some mechanisms in your body to be able to run fast.
Okay? There's fear. I'm not talking about that. What we're talking about in this passage is a settled position of unbelief. Let me give you an example.
The same people, their parents' generation, okay, in Numbers chapter 14, if you go back and read it, made a settled fear-based decision. They looked over in the promised land. 12 of them went out to spy it. 10 came back, said, We're not going. Why?
Because there's giants. We will be devoured. We look like grasshoppers compared to them. And this is what they say: they say, Our wives and our little ones will be devoured in the land, and we're not going to go. God gave them a promise.
He gave them a mission. And they settled in the heart of unbelief to say, man, we're not going. That's the spirit of fear. And I think what we need to understand today. And I think this is what the scripture is telling us right here.
Look. Don't let the word depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night.
You know, this idea of if we want to produce the courage in our hearts. That ends up pushing us through. Not the snakes falling on me fear, okay? But the settled unbelief fear. If we want that type of courage, then we are gonna need the word of God coming into our life and settling in our heart.
And that happens through meditation. You know what meditation is? Meditation is the in-between time. Meditation is it What you're doing in the meeting. It's what you're doing on the drive to the meeting.
Meditation isn't when you're asleep. Meditation is where your mind and your heart is while you're falling asleep. These are meditation moments. They're the in-between times. And here's what Christians do: this is crazy, okay?
So ironic. But Christians are like the worst Christian podcast junkies you can imagine. Right? Many times, man, that's us. We always want to be consuming some new thing.
I want a new podcast, a new celebrity teacher that's coming in. It's just content, content, content, content. And I'm just devouring and devouring and devouring, wasting all of my in-between time. Not having a lot of time, and I'm talking to the choir here with myself, okay?
So I understand this. I'm wasting all of my kind of meditative time, in between time. I don't have time to digest what I'm consuming because it's just what's new, what's new, what's new. Here's what I would tell us today: the remedy for new fears is old truth. There is old truth that you're not going to find on a new podcast.
And those are the things, simple old truths that we might need to let settle into our heart. Old truth, you ready for one? God is on his throne even in this moment. Right. Jesus is alive right now.
No matter what happens today, my future is totally secure in Christ. God will use all of this. See, those are simple, old... Scriptural truths, right? It's not some new podcast.
I'm not getting on podcast. I'm just saying we need time to let this stuff sort of settle into our hearts. And then he says this: this is how he finishes. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Now, this is very important for us, and this is where it begins to turn toward our mission. I have commanded you, be strong, courageous, do not be frightened or be dismayed. Y'all, Joshua is going to need the presence of God to crush fear in his life. You want to know why? Because he's walking into a pretty serious fight.
He's heading in to a pretty serious situation. Years of war are in front of him as they begin to march into the promised land. As they continue in the mission that God has given them, he's going to need this courage. Guys, think about it. You don't tell somebody to be strong and courageous if they're not going to need it.
You know, you think about your own kids. I'm just imagining a scenario where we're sitting around at night, and all of a sudden it's like nine o'clock at night, and one of them gets up to go get ice cream out of the kitchen, and I'm like, child? As you journey forth, okay? Only be strong and courageous. You know, do not be fearful, do not be dismayed.
Like, we would say, no, you reserve that type of speech. for the time when the kid faces live pitching for the first time. When they're heading to a new school, right? What something that's actually sort of fearful, that's when you, and that's. This is what's important for us to understand.
Joshua is gonna need this type of truth and presence for what he is facing. And listen to me. You and I are going to need this type of truth about God's presence if we are going to frame correctly what it is that we are facing. You know, I mean, even just in this chosen series. But there's a lot more than that, but even just in that.
Y'all, Joshua has a mission that's in front of him. He is called to kick out the child-sacrificing, demonically influenced nations that are in this land. displace them. God's people moves in, be ruled by God, and be a light to the nations.
Now, they didn't do it perfectly, okay? And that's kind of what the whole, you know, when you go through the story, like I said, Israel, you get to Jesus. But Jesus has given us sort of a similar mission. He was like the new Joshua, same idea. Jesus came to create a new people.
destined for a new promised land. And you and I, if we have admitted our sin, believed in what he has done, and confessed to him as the Lord of our life, you and I are part of that new people destined for a new promised land. But now we actually get a chance, like the people of Israel, to sort of be on mission with Jesus in order that we can see other people, actually people from every tribe, tongue, nation, come in with us to this new promised land. You know, there's a lot of parallel between what Jesus told his followers and what the Lord told Joshua. Look what it says in Matthew 28.
You don't have to turn there. And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
Now, here's the money sentence. You ready? This is going to sound very familiar if you've been listening to the sermon of the scripture today. And behold, behold. I am with you always.
Even to the ends of the age. Commentators have pointed this out. This is not idle words from Jesus. He understands that there is a connection between what Joshua was sent to do and what we are sent to do. Joshua needed the courage of having the Lord's presence with him.
You and I need the courage of having the Lord's presence with us if we are going to fulfill the mission that is in front of us.
Okay, every every day we're gonna face things that are hard in the mission. And sometimes we're gonna be surprised by them. We shouldn't be surprised by them. You know why? Because, just like I said about the little silly illustration about going into the kitchen with the ice cream, just the fact that the Lord tells Joshua.
Hey. Be strong and courageous should tell you something's coming. Right? When Jesus says to us, his followers, hey, remember this. I am with you.
It tells us we're going to be walking into things that are very hard. We shouldn't be surprised by it. Humans have a proclivity to be shocked by things they absolutely shouldn't be. You want me to give you an example? All right, here's a good example.
Every 10 years or so, there is a financial meltdown in this country. And every time it happens. We're all absolutely shocked by it. It's crazy. In my lifetime, I was born in 1983.
Just think about it, okay? Every 10 years, or roughly or so. 1987, Black Monday. 2000.com, 2008, 2009, Great Recession, housing crisis, 2020, COVID. We're, I don't know, 24, 36 months, maybe it's happening right now.
I have no idea. But when it comes, it'll have a name and we'll remember it forever. Just like these other ones. And as soon as it happens, we will all freak out and say, I can't believe this is happening. Really?
It's the most predictable thing in the whole world. It's coming, right? And my point is this: you can either live the type of life, and get away from the illustration, but well, use the illustration. You can live the type of life that says, Man, I'm always predicting. Is there something coming?
Is it going to try to hurt me? You know, what's happening in this market, this financial market? What's happening over here? And I'm going to try to predict, predict, predict so that I can get away from the pain, or you can build a life in preparation that's resilient when something like that comes. Right?
It's the same thing here. It's like we can take the Lord's words and say, okay, He's telling us He's with us. Be strong and courageous and understand something is going to come. There are going to be hard things that come with accepting the mission. I can try to predict what those things are and try to slip around and move and get away from them, or I can trust the Lord.
In his presence in my life, to build and prepare the type of life that can withstand when the war machine of the enemy is dropped on my doorstep. And that's what I want to call us to think more about.
So here's the big application point. Be strong and courageous, for God is with you. Be strong and courageous. For God is with you. You don't have to predict the next fight, the next storm.
If you're thinking about adoption and foster care, you don't have to think to yourself, well, man, is that going to be hard? Is there going to be something that comes that's hard from that? I can go ahead and solve that for you. Yes. You ain't got to worry about that, okay?
It's going to happen.
Okay. The point is not to try to get away from it. The point is. Can we buy the Lord Presence in our life, can we be strong and courageous? For He is with us, a life on mission.
Are gonna have moments of great difficulty. Many of us today, some of us today, are going to stand in a few minutes and be prayed over. Maybe you're not even sure you're going to do this yet. I hope that we have some families like that. I know we did Thursday that said, Ben, this is our commitment.
You're talking about it. You're not totally sure. You feel like the Lord's calling you to it, but you're just afraid. What you need is this: be strong and courageous and understand that the Lord is with you. And understand that we are in a new, you know, sort of a new covenant mission.
It's similar to what happened with Joshua, be strong and courageous, go into the land. Be all Jesus Christ laid down his life for us to bring us into the people who inherit the promised land, and now we have a chance to be on mission for others. If we are too afraid to step into that mission, this is the deal. I started the sermon like this. If we're going to see a thousand chosen kids, if we're going to see a hundred of those adopted right here out of Mercy Hill, it's going to be because we were courageous.
That's only going to happen when the fear of what's out there is replaced by the fear of God. Awe, respect, Reverence. Man, those things are scary that are out there for us, and it's going to be hard. But at the same time, I understand that God is with me. You know, think about a child, like I said earlier, think about a different illustration.
Think about a child. You know, you guys have had this example when a kid wakes up in the night and they're scared. And it's dark, and they don't know, and they start crying, or they start calling out. What's the first thing that parents say? What is the first thing we say?
We say, I'm right here, I'm right here, I'm right here. Before you can turn a light on, before anything, you say their name, you tell them you're there. Nothing changed about the kid's circumstance. Right? The boogeyman is still in that closet.
They're looking at him. But they know you're with them. and it changes everything about their demeanor and their posture. And we have to understand, adopted into the family of God through Christ. Man, we should have a different posture than the world.
So let me apply this in two ways, and I'm done. The first way is this: hey, We've been talking about this. For eight weeks, chosen people choose people, but are you one of the chosen? Right? Have you accepted God's invitation in your life?
And it's before you today. It's right here. I have a very hard truth for you that I'm, you know, one thing about coming to Mercy Hill, you may not like it. I will shoot you as straight as I possibly can, according to this scripture.
Okay, that's one commitment we always have. You know, we live in a culture that's like, God is with us, God is with us, God is with us. If you have not placed faith in Christ, God is not with you. He's not. The Bible actually says you're an enemy.
That and we are orphaned. We are out of the family, but Man, the great news today is that that can change like today. If you would admit your sin and believe in what He's done and confess Him as the Lord of your life. Man, today he not only goes from not with you to being with you, but he also goes to being in your heart. Oh my, I hope you take us up on this today.
Hey, we have people after every service. I'll be in the lobby. Your campus pastors are gonna be in the lobbies. Guys, if you need to pray to receive Christ. Today is the day to nail this down.
And for others of us, all right, for others of us. This is decision time. This is the moment. The moment is going to be, hey, how are we going to engage in this mission? All right.
We've talked about giving to the chosen fun. I pray we're 100% on that. I pray everybody does something with that.
Okay. But we've also talked about holding the rope, and that's where many people are. I know that.
Some people are like, man, I'm not called to this. I get it.
Okay. It's not a guilt thing, it's not a pressure thing. But in a church of thousands and thousands of people. All right. More Then R probably should think, hey, God, are you calling me to the front lines of this?
to adopt a child. or to get license to foster. Right. And hey, you're going to need. The courage of the Lord with you to step into that, and you have it.
You need to be one who is built up. Encourage.
So here's what we're going to do. All right. Here's how we're gonna end. I'm about to do a prayer over our entire church, and everybody in our church is going to extend their hand to somebody they see around them. All right.
And we're going to have a bit of a, it's not a commissioning, it's just, and we're going to pray over you. But it's got that feel to it, all right? And here's the people that are going to be involved. All right, so let's be very clear with the instructions. Because it's going to be a powerful moment I pray.
First, if you are an adoptive family at Mercy Hill at any of our campuses, your parents, you're a sibling of an adopted child, any of that, you're going to be in the first category and you're going to, in just a minute, you're going to stand, okay? I don't care if that kid is three weeks old or 30 years old. If you're an adoptive family, you're always an adoptive family, and so we want to pray over you. Second group. Those of us at Mercy Hill that are foster parents already or licensed to foster, okay?
It's like, hey man, you know, we have a placement, we don't have a placement, whatever. You guys understand what I mean. You're active in that world. You may not have anybody right now. You may not even have anybody for the next year, but you're like, this is something we do, and we're going to do it, and we're licensed to do it, and all that.
Or you may have kids in your home right now, that's fine.
Okay, so adoption, foster.
Now this is the third category. This is where we need to pray the courage that only comes from God's presence down on this place today. I pray the fire would fall. And here's what we're going to do. There are some of you.
that understand we have been in this conversation for months, maybe years. The conversation of are we going to adopt a child? Are we going to foster, step into the foster world?
Okay? And some of you have decided the answer is yes, and you're in that third category, and you're gonna stand when I ask everybody, okay? It's like, man, you're like, hey, we're not, we haven't done it yet, we haven't fostered yet, but we know we're gonna do it, we've made that decision. That's great, you're gonna stand.
Some of you though came in here wrestling. And even in this moment. I believe the Lord can tell you one way or the other: man, is this for us or not? And if He does, then I think this will be an opportunity for you to stand. Right.
You might say, man, I don't know when, I don't know how that, you know, we haven't even started the paperwork, not interested in all that. What we're saying is, If you're saying yes, we want you to stand. It may look like just kind of a look between each other. It might look like, man, well, you know, mom's on board, dad's kind of, and maybe he gives a nod, I don't know. But that's what we're going to do, all right?
So, those are the three categories: the ones adoption, foster care, or those of us who have or right now are saying yes. And we're going to pray over you. All right, so here's what we're going to do across the entire church. If you're in one of those three categories, I want you to stand up right now.
Alright, just go ahead and stand up. There you go. Stand up all over the room. Just be courageous. Stand up.
Man, there's some of us in here right now that are making that decision of whether this is going to be us or not. Church, can we look around and just praise God for what we're seeing right now? Stay standing. Stay standing. Praise God.
I wish I could see all of the campuses right now but this is just an amazing thing amazing thing to see been frontline warriors. I know there's a lot that that means. We talked about it a couple weeks ago, right?
Some of us are on the front lines, some of us are on the supply lines. And we are always either on the front line or the supply line, but when it comes to chosen ministries, you guys are on the front lines.
Now, here's what I'm gonna do: ask everybody in the church: just point your hand at the one that's closest to you, wherever you're at, all right? Just stretch out your hand at whoever's closest to you. Man, let's pray a blessing of courage on these families. Father, we thank you right now, Lord, for what you're doing. And God, we know right now there have been families that have been.
On this journey, they've said yes, they're thinking about it. There's families, even right now, in this moment, you have used this moment to confirm in their life: this is a road they're going to walk down. And Lord, we know as we have read today, they are going to need immense courage from you to face what is coming from the enemy. when they step into a moment like this. And so, Father, I pray that you would give them that incredible courage that they're going to need.
And Father, we pray that they would be but a foretaste of all of the families that you are going to bring into our church over the next five years who commit to bring children into Christian homes. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Praise God. Praise God.
