When God Says No | Acts 16

Acts chap 16:6. The name of today's sermon is "When God Says No."

Next, Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia. At that time, then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed to the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through Troas to the seaport of Tarsus.

Verse 9: That night, Paul had a vision. A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there pleading with him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the good news there.

Pray with me now, all over this place. Father, we thank you for your word and for the sweetness of your Spirit that is in this room right now. I ask that you would make ready the hearts of your people to receive the word of Truth, and that you'd be strong in my weakness today. May I decrease as you increase. Be glorified in this place. It's in Jesus' name we pray, and everybody said, amen.

So, I want to share a story with you that will hopefully connect Mother's Day to the sermon. So, this is a true story. Last night, I took my two little rascals, Pierce and Luca, to their Mimi's house. And we were hanging out at my mom's house, and we were doing this little exercise where I asked them, "Hey, what sound does an elephant make? What sound does a, uh, dinosaur make?" And they're like, you know, they're doing their whole thing. And then I got a little creative, and I was like, you know, Mother's Day weekend, what sound does your mama make?

Not sure who is prepared for the answer. The answer was, "No, no, no, no, no." True story. So, moms aren't the only one saying no. Sometimes God says no. All right. And so that's going to be the sermon today. What to do when God says no.

The context of Acts here is it was written by Luke, who walked through and alongside Paul during his missionary journeys. Um, the book of Acts, really, its overarching theme is the introduction to the role of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament Church, and it is an account of the life of Peter and the Apostle Paul. Shameless plug: Starting in June, I'm going to do a brand new sermon series all summer long called "Summer in Acts." We're going to go chapter by chapter through the book of Acts. It's going to be a really good time. So, thank you for your enthusiasm. It's going to be fun. And so today's sermon is just a little glimpse of the book of Acts. All right.

But before we go any further, we got to feel the context of what's happening here. So, the Apostle Paul, remember, he used to be a Pharisee, a persecutor of the early church. And one day, on the road to Damascus, he had a vision and encounter with the resurrected Jesus Christ that altered the trajectory of his life. He went from a Pharisee who persecuted the church to literally an apostle, literally overnight, with a new identity, born again. Now, he is one sent into the Gentile regions of the world to establish the New Testament Church. Paul knew his mission, the Great Commission, to go win souls and make disciples. But he wasn't totally sure where or how to get started.

One of the things I love about the Bible is its transparency because look at Acts 16 again. The Apostle Paul rallied his team and he's like, "All right, y'all, we're going to Asia." And so they marched towards Asia with boldness and confidence. "We're going to win the continent to Jesus." And no sooner do they get there, but the Lord says, "No." Some translations literally say that God forbid Paul to even enter Asia to preach the gospel here. He sets out to Asia, the Lord shuts the door, he's rejected, and now turns his attention towards Bithynia. Most historians think he was headed towards Asia because that's likely where the most people were, the most influential cities. The reason he chose Bithynia next is for the same reason, by the way. Asia that's mentioned in Acts 16 isn't China and India as we know it today; it's modern-day Turkey, all right, Asia Minor. So, anyway, sets out to Asia, the Lord closes the door, redirects to Bithynia, the Lord closes the door again. At this time, Paul's team is probably going, "Uh, bro, do you know where we're going? Like, we're following you and like, we're all over the place." And then finally, the Lord redirects him a third time to Macedonia, Philippi.

Now, listen, I don't know if this does for you what it does for me, but it is very encouraging to me that the Apostle Paul, who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament, had a vision of Jesus Christ, still didn't know how to start his calling or where to go. Anybody else mildly comforted by the fact he didn't know? Okay, like four of you. Okay. Another comfort, in fact, is not only did Paul not know exactly where to go or where to begin, but God also told him no, no, no. All right. Anybody else ever experienced some closed doors in your life? Some rejection? Some people say a no to you? All right. Well, then this sermon is going to be right in your driveway. All right.

So, over the next few minutes today, I want to talk to you about what do we do when God says no. First major point in the message today is, God orders the steps of the righteous. Tell your neighbor with some attitude, say, "He orders my steps." "He orders my steps." "He orders my steps."

Psalm 37:23 says, "The Lord directs the steps of the godly, and he delights in every detail of their lives." Some translations say, "The Lord orders the steps of the righteous." Okay, you're, your scripture might say righteous, it may say godly. There are many different angles on what that means. But let me help you and say this: there is no such thing as a godly or righteous person. No such thing. You're like, "Well, that's a real feel-good sermon." Well, welcome to Vision. All right. Look at Romans 3:10. This is not my opinion. As the scriptures say, "No one is righteous, not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away and become useless; no one does good, not a single one." A real feel-good, pick-me-up sermon, right? It's the scripture.

So then, who is Psalm 37 talking about? It is not a unilateral promise given to every person breathing air. It is a promise given to those who have repented of their sin and placed their faith in Jesus Christ, because that is how we are made righteous. Romans 5:1: "Therefore, since we've been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us." Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.

Listen, Romans 5 is absolutely magnificent because what it says is, the moment you repented of your sin, trusted in Jesus Christ and his finished work on Calvary, in that moment, your sins were forgiven. You were washed in the blood of Jesus, and now you've been justified by faith. And from that day forward, when heaven looks at you, it no longer sees you through the lens of who you used to be. Your former reputation is gone. Now, heaven sees you as holy, blameless, righteous, and forgiven. Come on, somebody, and give God praise if you're grateful for the power of the blood of Jesus.

The reason I take the time to make this point is I want to be very clear that again, the steps of the righteous being ordered by the Lord is not a promise to every person on Earth. It is a promise to those of us who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and have asked for forgiveness in our life. But to all of you who have been born again, this is a promise that God will order your steps, even if you set out in the wrong direction. Oh, somebody needs to hear me today. Even if you set out towards Asia, if you're seeking God, he will order your steps. We can't miss when we pursue him, even if we set out in the wrong direction. The Spirit is going to move us right on target. Come on now. It's, it's exciting. It's beautiful.

All right, so I want you to pay close attention again to Psalm 37. "The Lord orders our steps." Everybody say, "Steps." Steps. In other words, you got to give God something to work with. If you're not stepping, he won't lead. God doesn't order the steps of the lazy. He doesn't order the, the direction of the complacent or apathetic. No, he orders our steps. Steps represent faith in action. When you begin to live out your faith and walk out your faith, God then begins to direct and guide your path. God won't bless our complacency or inaction. We have to take steps. We got to start moving.

Famous passage, 2 Corinthians 5:7. We've all quoted it, but it says, "For we walk by faith and not by sight." Meaning that in our life, we've got to take steps even when it doesn't make sense. We've got to act even when it seems like God's not working. We can't wait on the PDF or the detailed plan of how God's going to work before we obey. No, we have to obey and trust the Lord for his provision and direction. The Apostle Paul didn't know where he was going, but he just started walking, and as he went, the Lord revealed his plan and guided his steps.

Some people in this place today, you are waiting on God, but God is waiting on you. There are some of you that are like, "Well, okay, like, I'm new to this whole Christianity thing, and like, I'm going to trust God, but before I break up with her, before I move over here, before I say yes to this role, before I start serving, before I take action, I just want to know like, God's plan." Let me tell you something: if you're waiting for clarity and all the direction and God to like, part the clouds, call your name, put it on a billboard, you're going to be waiting for the rest of your life. But while you're waiting on God, he is waiting on you.

I had a friend, I've had a couple friends over my life that were super gifted, super talented, soul winners, masters of relational evangelism, but they insisted on doing nothing because they were waiting on God. I've had friends that waited on God for years, and now they're no longer even in the ministry serving him. God's using them where they are. But I'm just trying to tell you, like, you can wait on God, that's great, but at some point, you got to start walking. You got to give him some steps to work with.

All right, now somebody sitting out here today and you're going, "Well, I haven't felt God's direction or I haven't heard from God since 1983." Well, maybe that's the last time you took a step of faith. Maybe that's the last time you left the realm of comfort and familiarity into the waters of risk to obey him. You see, he speaks to those who move, and to those who walk, and to those who act. If your life is mundane and you haven't heard from God, maybe you're not taking action.

Here are a few examples of some steps you can take, and maybe God is calling you to take one of these steps today. Number one, you might be out here today and God is calling you, inviting you to just show up to the Connect Group. Maybe your next step is just show up. Show up to the Men's Breakfast. Show up to Sisterhood. Show up to the Connect Group. You complain, "I don't have any friends. Nobody likes me." Well, how about instead of complaining, just take a step and show up, and let the Lord order your steps. You say, "Well, you know, I tried with this Connect Group, but it's full, it's closed." Well, I'm sorry about that. We're not proud of that, but we have about like 30 other groups you could choose from, okay? So don't give up.

Maybe for some of you, the next step is to begin to serve, to begin to use your God-given talent, passion, ability for the advancement of his gospel. You say, "Well, okay, if I start serving, where do I start?" I don't know. We'll start somewhere, 'cause as you go, he will order your steps. You might start out in the nursery, and a baby might puke on you, and you quickly realize that ain't for me. I'm going to the parking lot, right? I mean, and maybe out there it's raining on you, it's hot, you're like, "This, I didn't sign up for this." So maybe it's run a camera or something, who knows. But as you go, God will direct your steps. You want, you want the whole plan, and God's not going to show you the whole plan. He reveals it as you go.

For some of you, the next step might be to go to seminary or to go to Bible College or to get ordained. You know, God has a plan for your life, a call to the ministry. Maybe you're called to plant a church, pastor a church, start a business, whatever it is. This sermon is about resilience, courage, and responding in faith, taking action to take the step God has put in front of you. And by the way, I'm going to say this right now, we need more pastors. We need more church planters. If you have a call to the ministry, you're in the best church you could ever be in, 'cause we're not intimidated by your calling. We celebrate your calling. I don't care if you want to plant a church across the street. We're going to help you do that, because we can't win the city by ourselves. There's enough lost people to fill every church 10 times over. We need each other. Let's mobilize the body for the sake of the gospel.

Okay, but listen, hear me loud and clear. Everybody has a next step. I don't care how long you've been serving the Lord, 30 years or 30 minutes. God wants to move you from point A to point B. In order to get there, you got to take a step. Oh, look at you guys. You're on it.

And for those of you who are still a little cynical, critical of the message I brought, more of the Bible. Turn with me to Exodus 14:14-15. And I want to show you a hilarious verse about how God reveals this principle to Moses. And by the way, if you haven't figured this out yet, God has an epic sense of humor. He's funny. He created that. And so I'm going to show you that the Bible's funny. You should read it sometime.

Context here in Exodus 14. God has risen up Moses to be a deliverer, to set free 1.2 million people from 400 years of slavery and oppression under Pharaoh in Egypt. Through a series of plagues, God breaks the will of Egypt, and ultimately they relent and let God's people go. Now they're free, free at last, and as they make their way towards the promised land, they find themselves trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army behind them. Pharaoh changed his mind. He realized gas prices were going up and the economy was tanking, so he's like, "Let me go get them back." It's funny. And you know it was not a political sermon. Don't send me an email.

And here, Moses finds himself trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army, and he starts praying, "Oh God, help me." And I want you to watch God's response. This is epic. Exodus 14:15: "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to to get moving. Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea and divide the waters so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.'" Like, I can just see this right here. Like, God is literally interrupting Moses as he's praying. Moses is like, "Lord, if ever you're going to do something, do it now." And the Lord's like, "Hey, would you stop talking to me and just start walking?" Isn't this awesome about God? He's like, "Okay, I heard your prayer. You're good. Just start doing something about it."

See, we like to pray it up, but when it comes time to act, faith without action is... Oh, look at you. Could it be that you're waiting on God, and God's waiting on you? Moses is trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army, and he's like, "Okay, Lord, do it." And the Lord's like, "Just, just start walking." Moses is like, "But there's an ocean." The Lord said, "Move." Do you realize that it's often us who are called to make the first move in obedience? They were called to move when the sea had never parted. But it is our obedience that triggers the miraculous. The next step in your life, you may look at the surroundings, in your circumstances, and you're saying, "I don't know if God is in this. I don't know if God is actually working here." Take the step and watch God move.

I brought another passage just for those of you that still don't believe. Joshua 3:14. Fast forward 40 years. Now, the same Israelite people have wandered around nomadically on Sinai's Peninsula for 40 years until a generation died off, and now they've made it to the very threshold of the promise. All that stands in between Israel and the promised land is the Jordan River. But the Jordan River is at flood level. It's swelled up over its boundaries and banks. The water is moving treacherously and dangerously. And I want you to listen to the word of the Lord one more time. Joshua 3:14: "So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. Watch this: But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the ark touched the water at the river's edge, the water from that point began to back up a great distance, all the way to a town called Adam, near Zarethan. Then the water below that point flowed onto the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry, and then all of the people crossed over near the town of Jericho."

Friends, do you see how powerful that is? Like, and I know we read it and like, kind of mentally disengage, but I need you to feel this for a minute. 1.2 million people camped along the Jordan River. On the other side is their promise, the land that flows with milk and honey, the land promised to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And here, as they dare to go across that river, it is like the worst timing possible. The river is at flood level, and the Lord calls Joshua and the priests to step into the water at flood level. And as they step, God provided. As they took the step, God provided direction. The Bible literally says that as the priests, as their feet touched the water, God intervened on their behalf and held back the water all the way at a town called Adam, and the riverbed dried up, and they walked through on dry ground. But here's the point, church: somebody had to take the first step. You're going to have to step into situations that seem impossible, situations that seem illogical, situations where you question, "Is God really at work?" But remember, God orders the steps of the righteous. Take the step and watch him prove himself faithful. He has never failed anybody. Believe this today. You believe it.

I'm going to give you a little story about this. Zor, if I tell you a story, regardless of how you responded, I have the mic. So, I was going to do it. About two years ago, there was a group of Korean prayer intercessors that came to this church and they prayed for revival in the city of Charlotte, that an awakening would happen, that churches would unite, the gospel would be preached, and that many in the city would turn their hearts towards Christ. We, as a church, took action on that. And about nine months ago, our team took that faith and we took a step of faith into the water, and we wrote a check for $220,000 for Bojangles' Coliseum for September 20th this year. You guys remember I announced that like three weeks ago? Moly exciting, right? So, but I want you to feel this. At the time when our board authorized the check, all we had to go off of was the prayer of these precious people that came from halfway across the world. We had zero churches partnered with us. Nobody. But we wrote the check in faith, believing that if we stepped into the water, God would move. Today, 78 churches are uniting all across the city of our, the city of Charlotte, for the sake of the gospel. Some of the largest, most influential churches in your city are joining forces across denominational boundaries, small churches, medium churches, everything in between. God is galvanizing pastors, unifying leaders around the city for the sake of lifting up the name of Jesus. I'm not taking credit, or the church doesn't want the credit, but what I'm trying to tell you is, you had to take a risk, and you had to step into the water when you weren't sure how it was going to unfold. I might look stupid stepping into this river, but I know my God, and he's faithful. He's never failed me yet. And you watch, you watch on September 20th in the Bojangles' Coliseum, every seat will fill, people will be standing all around that auditorium, and hundreds of people will come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for the first time. God moves in supernatural ways when his people take steps of faith. If your life is boring, start obeying God and trusting him at his word, and he'll show up every time.

Next major point. That was all point one. Don't get nervous. I know you got to get out, got to beat the Baptists to the steakhouse. I know. Second major point: God rarely reveals his entire plan. God rarely reveals his entire plan. I know we want to know, especially the planners out there. Anybody like a planner? Your plan? Oh, oh, a lot of you. My wife is a planner. I'm like, "Hey, let's just do it. We'll figure it out." She's like, "Where are we going to eat? Where are the reservations?" I'm like, "Hey, just get in the car. Whatever. We'll be led by the Spirit, right?" But the planners, this drives you crazy 'cause you're like, "What do you mean? But like, how, how, how's this going to work?" God. And the Lord doesn't reveal his plan in advance. I'm going to tell you a few reasons. The first reason he doesn't reveal his plan in advance is because if he did, it would require zero faith to obey it. If you already knew the outcome from the beginning, it would nullify faith. Faith can't exist without risk, and without faith, it's impossible to please God. Number two, if he gave you the whole plan, you would be terrified. And number three, those of you who wouldn't be terrified, you would mess it up because you'd say, "I'm going to go ahead and hurry that along. I'm going to do it now." Remember Abraham and Ishmael? That'll catch you later, okay? When we try to do God's work our way, bad things happen. Proverbs 19:21 says, "You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail."

Dale, I'm going to tell you another story about how God reveals his plan incrementally, and you don't see the whole picture from the beginning. We opened this building three years ago. We opened on opening Sunday, there were 350 people that came to our first service here three years ago. One year later, the church doubled, and we were quickly running out of room. We knew even then, one year in, "Uh oh, we better do something." Our elders, our board met, prayed, and we decided it's time to take action, to take a step into the water. And so we got a contract on a cinema in South Park, and we had it all, the contract done, we started purchasing equipment, we started hiring staff, we raised $200,000. And then seven days before Easter 2022, we got an email saying, "Contract terminated." They couldn't even call me. Like, we hired somebody. I get an email. We had set out to Asia to do the work of God. South Park, Asia. Get it? Some of you are like, "Asia? I'm not..." No, it's a metaphor. And the Lord closed the door. We were rejected, terminated. God said no. And I'm out here for like 24 hours. I'm like, "Lord, now, hey, what is going on here? Because we're doing your work here, and now this." I didn't understand the plan. I thought I was following it, but the Lord said no.

But I got good news. Sometimes rejection is the best thing that could ever happen to you. Let me tell you something, I kid you not, three weeks later, we were under contract at 6070 East Independence Boulevard, not to rent a building and set it up, but to buy a building that, by the way, is about to open next month in Jesus' mighty name. We own it. 43,000 square feet, some of the most visible real estate in the city, to win souls and make disciples. I thought my plan was good, but I found out his plan is better. Sometimes a no from God is better than anything any yes anybody could ever give you. I'm just trying to tell you that I firmly believe in my soul, we don't own that building on Independence today if we didn't take the step of faith towards South Park back then. It was the step of obedience, the step of faith in action, that ultimately ordered our steps right where God was sending us. I'm telling you, what is that Jeopardy? What is at stake if you don't take action? Whose eternity hangs in the balance if you don't say, "Yes, Lord, here am I, send me"? Let me tell you something, God reveals his plan incrementally. He tells you this over and over again. He said, "My word is a lamp unto your path." It's not a floodlight that shows you 200 yards down the way. It's a lamp that illuminates just enough light for you to take the next step. Lord, I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds my future, and I can see just enough based on what you've already done that I'm going to trust you one more time. And guess what? Every time you take a step of faith, you see just a little more of the plan that you could have never seen if you stayed where it was safe. Every step, God begins to reveal his purpose incrementally. All right, so you don't know the whole story. You, God doesn't reveal the whole plan for your good and for his glory. Is this helping anybody today? Good. Not going to preach forever, but another thought.

Third major point: Don't stop. Change direction. Look at your neighbor that you've been ignoring, say, "Don't stop." Now go back to your friendly neighbor and say, "Change direction." Every introvert hates me right now. They're like, "I hate this church, man." Hey, we came to talk to some people, okay? Love you.

Look, God wasn't being cruel to Paul when he said no. God closing the door to Asia and Bithynia was not to demoralize and discourage Paul. It was to redirect him. But can I tell you, sadly, many of us, at the first inconvenience, the first closed door, the first ounce of rejection, we abandon an abort mission. I'm going to talk to some Millennials for a minute. Millennials, Gen Z, about to make fun of you because I can. Here's what would happen if Paul were a Millennial or Gen Z. He'd be like, "Lord, okay, Lord. Come on, team. We're going to Asia. We're going to just trust me. We're going to Asia." Closed door, rejected. "Okay, that's it. Okay, that's it. Tried. I tried it. It didn't work. I'm done. I'm going back to the third row. We're just going to sing the lyrics from here out." You're giving up too fast. You say, "Well, yeah, but I was trying to obey God." Yeah, guess what? When you take steps of faith, there's going to be opposition. There's going to be obstacles. There's going to be trouble. But the no, the closed door, the rejection, and the trouble is not meant to stop you. It's meant to redirect you.

I don't know about you, but I'm thankful Paul didn't give up and abort the mission just because he got a no in Asia and Bithynia. He kept on walking until a door finally opened. Tell your neighbor with some attitude, tell him, "Keep walking. Keep walking. Don't give up." And thank God he didn't stop at Bithynia because, you know what happened? Historians tell us that the church he planted in Macedonia, Philippi, was the first Christian Church established on the continent of Europe, and Christianity swept throughout Europe, and it can be traced back to that church plant that was redirected in Macedonia, Philippi. You never know the sovereignty of God's no. And sometimes closed doors are the best thing that could ever happen to you.

I got to tell one more story. Can I tell another story? I don't tell this one often because it's mildly embarrassing. When I was 21 years old, I moved to Charlotte out of Bible College. I knew everything. And I set my mind, "I'm going to plant Vision Church." I had a vision for Vision Church, right? And so we, we tried, and I got a contract on a school, and we opened our doors for four weeks. That's like, got to be the all-time record for the shortest survival of any church. Four weeks. Can I probably hold the guest book of world records? We had a total of five people come, and like, two of them were my parents. And that's counting like, all four weeks, okay? Back in those days, you counted everybody twice. You're like, "No, there was somebody in the janitor's closet. They count too." Yeah, they, somebody pulled in the parking lot, pulled out, they count, right? It was. And I never, I'll never forget feeling like a failure. I was humiliated, defeated, dejected. Thought that I had missed God, misheard him, maybe I wasn't called to Charlotte or this church. And a friend of mine came to me because, remember, I was sent out to Asia. That was my Asia. Charlotte was my Asia. This is it. We're going to do this, man. We're going to win the city to Jesus. Four weeks, we're dead.

I had a friend come to me and he said, "Tyson, you're 21 years old. Why don't you start a Bible study at UNCC Charlotte, and maybe that could turn into a ministry that could maybe turn into a church, and who knows, maybe that vision could still happen?" I said, "No." I was 21. I already told you. But two weeks later, I relented and I said yes. So we started the Bible study. I called two college students. First Bible study, 12 students showed up. Three years later, 300 college students gathered every Sunday night on the campus of UNCC Charlotte. It was a move of God that he alone deserves glory for. From that move of God, 100 of those precious people came to Uptown Charlotte 11 years ago, and we planted Vision Church. And today, you're sitting in a miracle. All because, all because a group of people said, "I'm not going to abort the mission just because I had a closed door. I'm going to redirect." I was in the right city, in the right place, with the right call, in just the wrong timing. God orders the steps of the righteous. And today, over the last three years, over 1,200 people have made a public decision for Jesus Christ in this place. Over 1,200. But listen, I don't say that to glory in myself. I say, "What would happen if I quit the first time I said, 'Make opposition'?" Don't quit. Don't abort the mission. Keep walking. Keep believing. God orders the steps of the righteous.

Almost on Macedonia, Philippi was Paul's third choice, not his first. God wanted to know, "Will you give your first-place effort to your third choice? Will you surrender your will for mine? Will you still serve the Macedonians with the same fervency and passion that you were sent to Asia with?"

The next thing I want to show you very quickly is, you got to go where the need is. Tell your neighbor, "Go where the need is." Acts 16:9: "That night, Paul had a vision. A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there pleading with him, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.'" You got to go where the need is. All right. If you're in a place in your life and you're asking, "What is my calling? What is my purpose? What is the next step God has for me?" One great indicator of your next step is look for the need. Because God always calls to meet a need. That's where the call is, where the need is. But I want to put one asterisk. There is need all over the place, but go to the people who realize they have a need. That'll make sense later. Go to people who know they're in need because they will receive you.

I got a picture I want to show you on the screen. Can you see that? That is a field of wheat. And I'm not much into agriculture. You might, I don't know if you can tell that or not, but I'm not really much into that. I'm not a farmer. I used to think that wheat, when it turned golden, it was ready for the harvest. But I was wrong. Experienced farmers know that when the wheat is actually ready for the harvest, it's not just golden in color, but it begins to lean on its side. See that picture? The stalks of grain are are leaning, no longer under their same power. And when the wheat leans, it's ready for the harvest.

I want you to hear me today. We're not just called to any need. We're called to people who are in need and know it. People who are leaning, who aren't standing under their same power and strength anymore. The harvest is great, and where people are ready to come to Christ when they're leaning. And I want you to hear me. Life has a way of making us all lean. Sometimes. Have you ever been praying for somebody that's an atheist, unbeliever, and like, they are firm in their own power and their own strength? They're not bending, they're not swaying. Let me tell you something, eventually life has a way of making us lean, whether it's a sickness, a disappointment, a frustration, discouraging. Whenever we're leaning in life, that's where the harvest is. Look, there have been people in my life I've been praying for for years, sending emails, sending books, praying for, and they're still standing strong. But eventually, life's going to make them lean, and when it does, I'm going to be right in their driveway saying, "Hi, I have a friend named Jesus who can change your life." You go to the need and look for people who are leaning, who know they're in need.

I'm closing with this thought. It's not just about where you go or what you accomplish. It's about who you bring with you. Tell your neighbors about who you bring with you.

[Music]

I'm thankful today for the no in Paul's path. I'm thankful for the no to Asia. I'm thankful for the no to Bithynia because, little did he know, as God redirected his steps to Macedonia, Philippi, he would meet a man named Luke, who would walk alongside him during this missionary journey. And if you haven't put two and two together yet, Luke authored one of the Gospels that bears his name. He wasn't an eyewitness to Jesus, but he was an eyewitness to the apostles and the missionary journey of Paul. Not only did he write Luke, but he wrote the book of Acts. I wonder, Paul, did you know when God said no to Asia and he said no to Bithynia, could you have dreamed in your wildest imagination that that redirection was going to bring you right alongside a man who God would use to change the world? Don't get so focused on where you're going, where you're stepping, that you step over people. Remember, it's not just what you do or where you go, it's who you bring with you. Because that just might be a person God uses to turn the world upside down. I wonder, Paul, did you know that that man who is with you would one day reach the nations of the world? That kid who maybe annoys you, who asks a lot of questions, that apprentice rookie at their job, don't brush them aside. That might just be a person God uses to do great and mighty things.

I want you to pray with me all over this room. If you're in this place today and you're not right with God, everything I just preached does not apply to you. The scripture says that if you are the god of your own life, you're living a selfish life with God as an afterthought, you've not given your life to Christ, you've not repented, trusted in Jesus. Let me tell you what the Bible says about your path. It says that your ways are like a turbulent sea, the wind and the waves that push, and the current of the world that disorients you, up one second, down the next. There is no peace, no sure footing, no purpose or direction. But today, all of that can change in one prayer. One prayer can change your life today. One act of faith. One step of faith. Take it with me now. Pray with me.

"Father, I repent of my sin. I acknowledge that I'm a sinner who's fallen short of your glory. My life has been consumed with lust, pride, greed, and selfish ambition. And today, I ask you for forgiveness. I believe that 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. He died on Calvary's cross to take away the sin of the world. The wrath of God was poured out on him and satisfied in full. He died and was buried, and on the third day, he rose from the grave. Jesus, you are the resurrection and life. I place my faith and my trust in you. Save me. Lead me. Guide me and direct the steps of my life. It's in Jesus' precious name we pray, and all God's people said, amen."

If you're in this room today and you prayed that with me for the first time, or you prayed that as a recommitment of your faith in Jesus, I'm going to invite you to do something bold. At the count of three, I want to invite you to stand publicly. If you're physically able, you're standing. I'm not going to embarrass you or call you out, but by standing in this place, that is your step of faith, your action to confess Jesus as the Lord of your life. And every person Jesus called to follow him, he called them to do so publicly. You cannot be ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God unto salvation. And every man or woman who would acknowledge Him publicly on Earth, He will acknowledge you in heaven. You cannot be ashamed of Christ. And if you wouldn't stand for Him in this room where we will love you and celebrate you, there's no way you'll live for Him outside of it. If that's you today, and you prayed that prayer, you want to confess Christ as the Lord of your life, I want you to stand now. One, two, three.

I see you, my brother, and I see you, my sister. I'm proud of you both. It takes, it takes faith, humility, and courage to stand. I'm going to ask you to stand just for one more second. A member of our prayer team is going to give you guys a decision card. Please, if you would just take a second real fast to fill that out and return it back to us. And congratulations on the greatest decision you could ever make in your life. I'm serious. Listen, your faith, your faith today, it's an inspiration to me and every person in this building. And the scripture says, "Blessed are the humble, the poor in spirit, for yours is the kingdom of heaven." This is where the Lord meets you. I want to pray, stretch hands for these precious people. I want to pray.

"Father, I thank you for their faith and their humility and their public profession of faith today. I ask that no weapon formed against them would ever prosper. You would be the Alpha and the Omega, the author and the finisher of their faith. And what has begun today, Lord, that it would bear much fruit all the days of their life. May they be a bold witness, a light in the darkness. In Jesus' mighty name, use them and direct their path. It's in Jesus' precious name, and all God's people said, amen."