Hang Up By Hang Ups // The Blueprint with Dr. Dharius Daniels

It's the the go the word gospel means good news. So this is the good news about Jesus's life according to Matthew. This is Matthew's perspective on Jesus's life. This is Matthew's telling of Jesus's story. That's why this book is called this. ((music playing)) And in the 27th chapter, Matthew says this in verse one.

He says, "Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans on how to have Jesus executed." So they bound him, that's Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, who was the governor. Now, when Judas, who was the one who actually betrayed Jesus, saw that Jesus was condemned, listen to this, he was seized.

Everybody say seized. He was seized with remorse. Remorse seized him. >> And he returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. I have sinned, he said. For I have betrayed innocent blood. >> What is that to us? They replied. That's your responsibility. So Judas threw the money into the temple and left.

And when he went away, he hanged himself. I want to talk from this subject. Hung up by hang-ups. family. This this particular passage that we just read allows us to enter into a storyline that exposes us in my estimation to [snorts] one of the single greatest inhibitors to people becoming the person they have the potential to be and accomplishing all they have the potential to accomplish.

I'm suggesting in no uncertain terms that what we see transpiring in this story with Judas reveals unto us the great one of the single greatest inhibitors to people reaching their redemptive potential and accomplishing their assignment. This story with Judas teaches us the catastrophic consequences of living a life where we don't intentionally, consistently, assertively, and yes, even aggressively tend to the weeds in the garden of our soul.

Judas's narrative teaches us the danger of living with a sick soul. When I use the term soul, what do I mean? It's a term that we see frequently placed in the page, frequently found in the pages of scripture. It is a word that is often described, never defined.

The meaning of it is often assumed sometimes accurately, sometimes erroneously. But when I use the word soul, I want to put the soul in the context of how the scriptures seem to communicate you and I have been created as tripartite beings. That we are a compilation of three areas that are distinct and different yet not exclusive and separate.

We, ladies and gentlemen, have a spiritual aspect to who we are. That's our spirit. We have a physical aspect of who we are. That's our body. But we also have an emotional aspect of who we are. That's our soul. You are not just spiritual. You are not just physical.

Come here. Somebody don't say amen. >> You are emotional. And the aspect of our existence that refers to, speaks to, points to the emotional realm is the soul. It has been described as your mind, your will, your emotions, your imaginations, and your affections. And it is one of the most catalytic, one of the most consequential parts and aspects of who you are.

Yet very often in Christian and religious circles, it is the most overlooked and underemphasized not realizing that every aspect of you has needs. God made you that way. >> He Amen. >> He made you and me that way because the fact that we have needs is is one of the uh distinctives, one of the lines of demarcation.

It's one of the things that separates us from God. God doesn't have any, so he needs no one. We do, so we need him and each other. >> We have physical needs. We have spiritual needs. We have relational needs. And God has wired us in a way that when those needs are not being met, each aspect of our existence sends a warning sign to let us know we need to give attention to this area.

Amen. >> So if your body needs food and you aren't getting it, your body starts sending you signals to let you know we need to eat. >> Somebody's body is sending them signals right now. >> Am I making sense? Amen. >> Spiritually, when there's a deficit in your life and you are not properly connecting with your creator, then your spirit begins to send signs and signals to you that there is a need for deeper, closer, more intentional, more intimate connection with your creator.

Uh, one of the words the Bible uses to describe this is spiritual thirst. is what Jesus talks about in John 4 when he tells the woman, "I'mma quench a thirst you have that nothing else can quench." But our soul, our emotions, all we also have emotional needs and when those needs aren't being met, our soul sends us signals >> to let us know we need to give attention to it.

And the signals that our soul sends us is the s is are signals called feelings. That's right. >> Our feelings are trying to tell us something. >> Trying to tell us that something may be out of alignment. Trying to tell us that we may be being used. TRYING TO TELL US THAT there may be inequity in a relationship where you're making deposits but NOT RECEIVING WITHDRAWALS.

OUR FEELINGS are our soul's way OF TURNING ON THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IN THE CAR OF OUR LIFE. AND YOU CAN KEEP DRIVING WHEN THAT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, BUT IF YOU KEEP IGNORING THE LIGHT, AT SOME POINT YOU'RE GOING TO END up stuck. ((cheering)) >> There are people who end up stuck in in life because they ignored the light cuz the light is never the problem.

I feel like preaching here at the 12:00 service. I said, "The light is never the problem." I'm going to say it one more time. When the light comes on, the light is not the problem. The light comes on as an indicator to direct us to what the problem REALLY IS.

THE PROBLEM ISN'T WITH THE LIGHT. THE PROBLEM MAY BE WITH THE ENGINE, BUT THE LIGHT COMES ON TO LET YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO CHECK THE ENGINE. AND WHEN THE LIGHT says check the engine, you need to check the engine. BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T CHECK THE ENGINE, YOU MAY end up stuck, >> broke down >> out in the cold.

And what happens in religious circles, we often hear the importance and the significance of tending to the spirit, >> prayer, fasting, the study of scripture, enga the the the um corporate gathering of worship, engaging in all the other spiritual disciplines. And sometimes in church, but also in culture, we hear the importance of stewarding our physical body.

We know we need to eat. We know we need to care for ourselves. But what is often overlooked and underemphasized is tending to my mind, my will, my imaginations, and my affections. It is an incomplete understanding of Christianity. It is compartmentalized Christianity. a Christianity that ignores the soul, not realizing that when I don't tend to my feelings, my feelings will start tending to me. >> That if that whatever I don't keep in control will get out of control. >> Did you hear what I said? >> I said whatever you don't groom will grow. >> And it's incredibly important.

And it's it's extremely in essential. It is absolutely [snorts] imperative that we understand that Jesus wants to do more, watch this, than just uh occupy my spirit, Jesus also wants to save my soul. Because when I don't tend to my emotions and when I don't bring my emotions under the influence of the Holy Spirit, then what will happen is my feelings will bring my life under the influence of my emotions. >> I'm going to say it again.

When I don't bring my feelings under the influence of the Holy Spirit, then my feelings will bring my life under the influence of my emotions. Amen. >> And it's okay to have emotions. God made us that way. It's okay to have feelings, right? That's that's our soul's way of communicating with us.

God made us that way. But what ends up happening is this is that when I don't tend to them, when I don't groom them, when I don't allow Jesus to save my soul, then what ends up happening is this. I end up being led by what I should just be living with.

Cuz it's one thing to have anger. It's another thing for anger to have me. ((cheering)) Did you hear what I said? I said it's one thing to have anger. It's another thing for anger to have me. It's one thing to live with feelings. It's another thing to be led by them.

That they become the primary contributor to the decisions that I make. They become p the primary contributor to the way I handle and manage relationships. They become the primary contributor to the way that I manage resources. They become the primary contributor to the way that I live my life.

Feelings. Feelings. Feelings. Feelings. When I don't tend to them, they will tend to me. If I don't get bring them under the influence of the Holy Spirit, they're going to bring my life under the influence of my emotions. >> And when I'm led by my feelings and not just living with them, it's the equivalent of being in my feelings.

I say when I'm led by my feelings instead of just living with my feelings, it is the equivalent of being in my feelings. And when I'm in my feelings, wherever I go, the box goes with me. >> I can move, but I can't move at the pace I would move.

If I wasn't carrying this, >> I can make progress, but I cannot progress in a way that is consistent with my potential because I'm carrying this. Are you hearing what I'm saying? >> I'm moving, but my movement is more cumbersome than it has to be because I'm carrying weight I did not necessarily have to carry because I am in my feelings.

And the challenge is this. This box is visible. This box is tangible so you can see it. Our feelings are invisible. Our feelings are intangible. And many of us are bumping around in a box and don't know it. [applause and cheering] >> Woo. Are you hearing what I'm saying? In James chapter number one verse 21.

I want you to see this uh as the new king as the translators of the new king James version of the scriptures articulated this. James remember now is writing to believers. This is not a letter written to unbelievers. He's writing to believers and he tells them to lay aside all filthiness and the overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness.

There's so much in that. He says, "Don't just hear the word, receive it. But don't just receive it. Receive it with a posture of meekness." Right? Receive it as a student, not as a teacher. Receive it humbly, not argumentatively. Watch what he says. WHICH IS ABLE TO SAVE YOUR SOULS. >> SAYS, "This word is able to save your mind, will, emotions, imaginations, and and affections."

Because the truth of the matter is many of us in this room know that our mind, will emotions, imaginations, and affections are not all under the influence of the Holy Spirit. If our mind was projected on a screen, we put that one little Baptist finger up in the air and make that exit out of the sanctuary because there are some things that go through our mind.

There are some affections that we have that are not consistent with God's best for our life. And so part of sanctification is God sanctifying my soul and sanctifying my affections and my want to start changing and I start wanting to what he wants me to do. You aren't hearing what I'm saying.

I start desiring for myself what HE DESIRES FOR ME. HE DOESN'T JUST GIVE ME DESIRES OF MY HEART. HE GIVES my heart's desire. And my heart starts desiring what he desires for me. Jesus wants to save my soul so I can get out the box because I can live life and I can move some degree in the box. >> But then all of a sudden I hit a season in my life where God opens a door. >> ((cheering)) ((applause)) ((cheering)) >> He opens a door that I can't go through >> cuz my feelings are in the way.

((cheering)) ((applause)) Are you praying for doors to open that you can't get through? >> Are you hoping for opportunities that you won't be able to take advantage of? >> Because regret won't let you walk through some doors. Did you hear what I'm saying? And there's a door in all of our lives that we'll want to walk through at some point.

It's a door called destiny. It's where we accomplish God's original intention for our life. It is the summation and the consummation of our spiritual gifts, our natural ability, our acquired skill, and our character. It is when who we have become and the skills that God has fashioned and developed in us all collide with spiritual synchronicity and allows us to make our ultimate contribution in the earth.

The very thing that we were born for. But if I'm in my box, I cannot step through the door. Because I want you to catch this because there are some things you can't walk into until you step out of some things you were in previously. But if you're willing to step out OF SOME THINGS, YOU'RE ABLE TO STEP INTO GOD'S ORIGINAL INTENTION FOR YOUR LIFE.

I WANT TO KNOW, IS THERE ANYBODY HERE THAT'S READY TO STEP OUT OF REGRET, STEP OUT OF GUILT, STEP OUT OF SHAME, AND STEP INTO YOUR DESTINY? ((cheering)) I I I want you to see this. I want you to see this because it works. IT WORKS TWO WAYS. FAMILY, come here.

Uh who knows how to rank and come here. Please see, not only does my box stop me from getting to what's outside the door, >> but it also stops what and who is outside the door from getting to me. ((cheering)) >> ((applause)) >> So there could be PEOPLE THAT GOD SENDING me to help me get out of what I'm in, but they can't help ME GET OUT OF what I'm in because what I'm in won't let them get to me.

CUZ IF I HAVE TRUST ISSUES, I WON'T LET THEM GET TO ME. If I have cynicism in my heart, I WON'T LET THEM GET TO ME. IF I'M BITTER, I WON'T LET THEM GET TO ME. AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS GOD'S TRYING TO GET YOU TO AND SOME PEOPLE GOD'S TRYING TO GET TO YOU THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE IF YOU DON'T STEP OUT of Thank you, sir.

((cheering)) >> the box. ((applause)) So, we have intercessors >> who can pray heaven down. They can pray heaven down, >> but they can't get through the door. ((cheering)) >> And we have pastors and preachers >> who can preach to you >> about a door >> they can't get through. ((cheering)) >> You're not hearing what I'm [laughter] saying.

Yeah. I I could go through our scripture and I could show you people like Moses who could raise his hand and red seas would part. >> Yet when it came time for him to walk through the door of his destiny and step into the Canaan land that he had been preaching to Israel about because he was in a box called anger, he couldn't even get through the door.

Now he prayed and met with GOD FIRST FACE TO FACE BUT HE COULDN'T GET THROUGH THE door because the spiritual aspect of him strengthened the spiritual aspect of him BUT BECAUSE HE DID NOT TEND TO THE weeds of anger THAT GROWING IN THE GARDEN OF HIS SOUL WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR HIM TO STEP INTO CANAAN LAND HIMSELF HE COULD NOT do it >> cuz he was in this.

So the question is not whether or not you can sing until heaven comes down. It's >> can you get through the door? >> Because the box, watch this. I want you to see this. The box didn't stop Moses from seeing the land. >> God took him to the mountain >> and said, "Look at it."

He says, "You'll see it, but you won't go in." >> In other words, Moses, you're going to be a travel agent. >> You can send Israel, >> but you're not going to be a tour guide. >> You can't show them around. Because a travel agent can send people to places they heard about that they hadn't gone >> because we aren't being taught that I need to tend to my soul >> and doors that should be open get closed.

Not because I'm not gifted enough, talented enough, or pray enough, but because I won't allow, watch this, Jesus to tend to my soul. What's dangerous is depending on this box, different boxes impact your life in different ways. Am I making sense? >> And some boxes don't just stop you from getting doors.

Some boxes can actually destroy your life. >> An example of this is what we see in our text today with Judas. >> Because many of us are aware that Judas is the one that actually betrayed Jesus. What what did this what did this mean? It means that some relig some Jewish religious officials had had uh really uh very mixed emotions about the way they felt about Jesus.

They couldn't deny the authenticity of some of his miracles yet and still they were still unnerved and perturbed by him and they were uncomfortable with some of the language that he used. So what they did was they tried to use Jesus's language against him and accuse him of committing treason with the Roman Empire.

You Jesus talking about starting this other kingdom. That's not what Jesus meant. But they took his words and they twisted them. And so they found an entryway into uh getting Jesus into custody through one of Jesus's 12 disciples, one who was an apprentice who walked with him, a guy named Judas.

So they gave Judas 30 pieces of silver. And in exchange for 30 pieces of silver, Judas's job was to identify Jesus, to get them at the place where Jesus was and to identify Jesus. I want you to see this. All right. So the Bible says Jesus was in this garden praying.

He comes outside the garden. Judas comes with these officials and he tells the officials, "The one that I kiss >> is the one." Now this is my question. This is my question. If Jesus was Jesus, why did Judas have to kiss him to identify him? >> Cuz you would think Jesus would stand out among all the other disciples.

But Judas had to kiss him to identify him. Why? Because Jesus looked like everybody else. Are y'all following me here? >> So he betrays Jesus. THE QUESTION IS THIS, HOW can Judas, who walked with Jesus, he was one of the 12, so he had intimacy. Who learned from Jesus, he received the teaching, and who worked with Jesus, he was in ministry, still betray Jesus. >> Y'all missed it.

He's walking close with him. He's learning FROM HIM AND WORKING FOR HIM. Yet he still betrays him cuz he was in some of his boxes. And boxes will make you betray people you love. >> See, listen to me because I'm about to teach you truth. >> Right doctrine gives right living.

See, when you have wrong doctrine, you have expectations in something that's not true. And when your expectations are not fulfilled, you have frustration. >> Cuz frustration is a result of finding something you didn't expect >> or not finding something you did. >> What truth does is gives you a realistic prophetic picture of what you can and cannot expect. >> So we have heard it said in culture, if people love you, they won't wrong you.

Experientially, that's not true. >> Biblically, that's not true. >> Some people who love you the best can hurt you the worst >> if they're in their box. Because their box, y'all not hearing me? Their box makes people capable of betraying you. >> Because love for you is in them, >> but brokenness is in them, too. >> And the question is not whether or not they have love. is whether or not love is leading them on that day.

You're not here. Because when you in your feelings, love don't lead you. Your feelings do. And you'll treat people you love inconsistently based on how YOU FEEL. Y'ALL AREN'T TALKING TO ME. [applause and cheering] And so, YES, HE LOVED JESUS, BUT HE COULD NOT EXPRESS THAT LOVE BIBLICALLY, CORRECTLY, or consistently because his love was NOT LEADING HIM.

AND PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU WILL HURT YOU IF THEY'RE IN THEIR BOX. AND this is why I know this is relevant because I'm at the 12:00 service. So I KNOW THIS IS RELEVANT. THIS IS WHY ONE OF THE QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO TRY TO ANSWER WHEN YOU ARE SERIOUSLY DATING ANYBODY is what's on the OUTSIDE OF YOUR BOX? >> Cuz you got something and I need to KNOW WHAT IT IS BEFORE I SIGN up for it.

BECAUSE TOO MANY TIMES WE FIND OUT WHAT WE SIGNED UP FOR WHEN IT'S TOO LATE TO GET OUT THE CONTRACT. WELL, LET ME FIND SOMEBODY OVER HERE THAT'S HONEST ENOUGH to ((cheering)) you. Like, Lord, I knew that was on that box. This is what's >> this is what's dangerous. >> This box is visible. >> It's tangible.

Yes, sir. >> You can see it. >> Your emotions are invisible, >> intangible, >> not seen. >> So, this was Judas's problem. He's in a box, but he blind. >> [laughter] >> He has no clue what he's in >> until what he's in drives him to make a decision that causes him to be seized with remorse.

It's only when he faces the catastrophic consequences of what he was actually in that his eyes become open >> and he sees how bad off he really was. >> But he's thinking, I can't be bad off cuz I'm close to Jesus. >> I'm learning for G from Jesus >> and I'm working for Jesus.

Because being close to Jesus, learning from Jesus, and working from Jesus does not prevent you from being hung up by your hang-ups. ((applause)) >> DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID? >> What's your box? What's your box? Judas. Judas. Judas didn't know what was in his box. But if YOU LOOK AT HIS LIFE, you can begin, you can SEE THREE THINGS.

YOU CAN SEE THREE THINGS that just when YOU LOOK AT THE TEXT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE, WHAT THE BIBLE SHOWS US ABOUT HIM, YOU CAN SEE THREE things that just THEY'RE JUST GLARING BACK AT US REGARDING JUDAS'S LIFE. JUDAS WAS ARROGANT. and his arrogance was expressed in his consistent articulation of his undisiplined opinions. >> Humility doesn't mean you don't have opinions. >> Humility means you have discipline with them. >> And when you are overly opinionated, >> it is an expression of arrogance. >> The problem is with most of our boxes, we're blind.

Because I've never heard an arrogant person say, "I'm arrogant." >> Cuz nobody thinks they're in a box. >> And they just think you're not getting hired because people hating on you. And they just think nobody wants to stay with them because they on another level. And they Oh, teach Daniels.

And And they just think that nobody wants to submit to them because people can't handle their anointing. and they have absolutely NO IDEA THAT EVERYBODY CAN SEE THIS BOX THAT YOU are in. ((cheering)) WE SEE YOUR GIFT, BUT WE STILL SEE YOUR BOX. YOU'RE SINGING, BUT WE SEE THE BOX.

YOU'RE BUILDING THE COMPANY, BUT WE SEE THE BOX. YOU'RE PREACHING, BUT WE STILL SEE THE BOX. [applause and cheering] >> We could have take this, man. We could have taken this money. We could have sold it. We could have given that to the poor. That's John 12. That's what Je Judas said.

That was Judas who said that >> overly opinionated. >> Do you have undisiplined opinions? >> Is social media are you using social media as a mirror to see your box? >> Do you have something to say about everything? Do do you have to say everything you know? ((cheering)) >> Yeah.

Do you do you have to do you have to share everything that you think is worth saying so that people who see you say it can think highly of you who don't even know you? Are are you getting a false sense of self? >> Uh are you trying to be impressive with people in a digital space?

((cheering)) But >> but you can pray though. >> You can pray. ((cheering)) >> You can you can prophesy though. ((cheering)) >> Judas, arrogance, greed. >> 30 pieces of silver. You gave, you betrayed the best thing that ever happened to you >> for 30 pieces OF SILVER. YOU SAW WHAT HE DID IN JOHN 11 with Lazarus. >> Now remember, y'all aren't talking TO ME. >> Y'ALL AREN'T REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID WITH THE WOMAN WITH THE ALABASTER box was in John 12. >> That's right. >> The res the resurrection of Lazarus was IN JOHN 11. >> YOU JUST SAW THE RESURRECTION AND YOU STILL GOT something to say.

AND YOU GAVE THAT MAN OVER, >> THE one who can raise the dead for 30 pieces of silver. >> You betray the best thing that ever happened to you >> for 30 minutes. ((cheering)) >> ((cheering)) ((cheering)) ((applause)) ((cheering)) ((applause)) ((cheering)) >> It doesn't MAKE SENSE. WE SMARTER THAN THAT. BUT THE BOX makes you dumb.

((cheering)) >> That's why Jesus is saying, "Let me keep your feelings UNDER UNDER MY SUBJECTION. LET ME BRING YOUR FEELINGS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT." BECAUSE IF I DON'T KEEP THESE THINGS IN CONTROL, THEY'RE GOING TO GO OUT OF CONTROL. AND YOU GET DUMB WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR BOX.

YOU TALK DUMB WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR BOX. YOU MAKE DUMB DECISIONS WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR BOX. ((applause)) HE He greedy. >> Jesus. >> You saw Jesus tell Peter to go fishing and and and coins were in the mouth of THE FISH. YOU SAW how he could get coins. >> But Judas, what happened in your past that made you feel like you had to manipulate your way into what you need?

((cheering)) >> What is it in your past that made you hesitant to just ask Jesus for what you wanted? Cuz what you got Oh, y'all not ready. What you got from the chief scribes and the chief priests, >> you could have got from Jesus. >> But what is it about you that made you feel like Jesus wouldn't want to give it to you cuz you can't put it on Jesus because you all you seen in Jesus is generosity.

So the fact that you won't ask Jesus for that is not an indication of who Jesus has been to you. It's an indication of how your feelings are a filter >> that won't let you see right. >> Cuz there is nothing about Jesus's history with you, Judas, that should make you feel like he wouldn't be there when you called him. >> Teach it, Holy Spirit. >> But your feelings are a filter and they serve as a set of glasses that won't let you see right.

They won't let you hear right. >> You wouldn't let Jesus in. greedy. >> Judas was also entitled. Yeah. In John 12, when he complained about this woman breaking a box of ointment and um putting it on Jesus's feet, Judas says these words uh excuse me, no, that's uh uh that of opinion.

Jesus said, um, Judas says, uh, G, I'm saying Jesus and Judas. Everybody say Judas. >> Judas. >> They both [laughter] the same thing. I'm talking about Joseph later. I'm talking about Jesus last. I'm talking about Judas today. [laughter] Enit. So in John 12 when they had um broke that alabaster box and >> or Judah said what he said, but when you keep reading, this is my point.

When you keep reading, the text says he didn't say that because he was concerned about the poor. >> Right? So when people critique you and critique church, critique whatever about what they're about what you aren't doing, >> the authenticity of their critique is revealed in whether or not they're doing what they're critiquing you about. >> What y'all doing for the community?

What you doing for the community? ((cheering)) You're not being serious. You being petty. You just you want to complain. You don't want an answer. You want an argument. And the Bible tells the servant of God not to argue. Not to strive. A servant must not strive. >> The Bible says he said that not because he's concerned about the poor, because he was the treasurer and he was taking money from the treasury. >> He held Jesus's money and he was taking money from the treasury. >> And he wasn't bothered by it >> because he felt like he was entitled to it.

I left everything to follow you. >> I didn't take all of it. I'm just taking some of it. >> They owe me this after all I've done. >> Now, when he first got chosen, I'm sure he was grateful just to be chosen. >> But this is how entitlement sneaks in.

At the at the beginning of your relationship with Jesus, you're glad just to be chosen. In the middle of it, you feel old. in the beginning. I'm just glad you saved me. >> That you saved a wretch like me. Hearts are filled with gratitude just for the fact that he spared your life and saved you and your l your name is eternally etched in the lamb's BOOK OF LIFE.

BUT THEN YOU CAN HIT A SEASON IN YOUR walk with him. Now you feel old. >> You feel old. >> Why? This door hadn't opened for me yet. I'm I'm old. In the beginning, you have a clear picture of what you didn't deserve. That you have received what you didn't deserve.

When entitlement steps in, you have a clear picture or you think we think we do that we haven't received what we think we do deserve. So, at the beginning of relationship, you filled with gratitude for what you have. In the middle of it, we're filled with anger and disappointment about what we don't.

Even though we know we don't deserve why this door hadn't opened for me yet. I deserve this. Really? Want to talk about what we deserve? Why am I not married yet, pastor? Doing all this stuff you teaching, right? Cuz I'm entitled to that. >> Even though, pastor, I heard you say that marriage is not a right and singleness is not a curse.

That they are both gifts from God. Now I'm old. And then when you feel old and you don't get it, you just get all in your feelings. >> And it's a slope that will drive you down to a place where you make decisions that produce consequences that have you seized by remorse.

So the arrogance, the greed, the entitlement were all jabs that the enemy ((music playing)) was using because the knockout blow was the biggest box. Regret. That's what Judas felt when he betrayed Jesus. So much so that he hung himself over what Jesus was hung up for. He killed something that could have lived. >> See, cuz look at me.

Look at me, please. Sometimes you Jesus and you're the one that got hurt. >> Yeah, but let's be real. Sometimes you Judas >> and you're the one that did the hurting. >> And some of you are hanging yourself over hurt that Jesus was hung to heal. You can't fix it, >> but he can. >> You can't undo it, >> but what you broke, he can fix. >> And the enemy used remorse to make Judas think he was outside the bounds of God's forgiveness. >> And all he had to do was go to the same Jesus >> that he saw touch the casket at name.

The same Jesus that touched lepers. The same Jesus that raised Peter's mother-in-law. The same Jesus that had forgiven people over and over. All he had to do is go to that same Jesus and receive for himself. >> What he had watched Jesus give to others. >> But this is this is what happened to him.

And this is what I don't believe the Lord wants to happen to us. that you live a life where you walk with him, learn from him, and work for ((music playing)) him, but you aren't healed by him. >> It's a shame to work with a doctor and stay sick. ((applause)) >> What do I believe God wants to do in this series?

Open our eyes. What hurt Judas was not his issues. It was his blindness to them. Cuz you can't fix what you won't face. >> And we need Jesus to open our eyes. Cuz when I get out of my box, I can get into destiny. ((music playing)) >> Woo boy. if I had time.

You You don't have to stay here. >> You don't have to stay here. And you don't have to stay here. And you don't have to stay here. You can get out of the box cuz there's more room outside the box >> than there is in it. >> There's more freedom in God's will ((music playing)) than outside of God's will. >> ((applause)) >> And I'm so sorry.

This is this is not a critique. It's just an observation. God is sanctifying his church. So this is not a church bashing church. We we love the church. We believe the local church is the hope of the world. My wife and I are giving our life to serve God's church.

We ((music playing)) we love the church. But this is an area the church has failed you in because when you came to churches with your ((music playing)) badness, they told you to get closer to Jesus, to learn from Jesus, and to work for Jesus. But nobody told you that some of your badness was connected to brokenness ((music playing)) >> and that until God deals with this, >> you won't be able to deal with that.

And some of you were promiscuous and people called you names ((music playing)) and you called yourself names not realizing that you were you weren't that way because you're a bad person. Sometimes you were that way cuz you felt this way. ((music playing)) And some of you some of you made bad choices and you made bad mistakes.

And some of you, whether it's relationship decisions, others of you, whether it's parenting decisions, ((music playing)) job decisions, some of you, you wish you would have went to school and you didn't. Some of you feel like you ((music playing)) blew it for you. And some of you, it's hard. You see your children and you think they could have a better life if you had made better decisions and they make bad decisions and you think that they wouldn't have made those bad decisions if you made better decisions.

And you're being seized by this. being seized by this and you feel stuck, not realizing that all this does is keeps you stuck. This keeps you stuck in your past instead of focusing on your future. ((music playing)) He was hung up for your hang-ups. And I pray today that God simply begins the process ((music playing)) of opening our eyes to see what I'm in because it's time to get out of the box. >> Can I just share one more thing with y'all? >> Okay, >> I'm gonna do this and pray.

No, it's it's really one thing because a lot of times people, you know, there are questions you have. I I leave it off here and people think, well, okay, pastor, how can I find how can I find what I'm in? Three questions I'm going to give you here.

How can I find what I'm in? How do how do I how do I identify what box I'm in? Three questions. One, where's the hurt? When you reflect on your life, where has there been hurt? Hurt. Where where has there been hurt? And this the question, what have you done about it?

I didn't ask, does it hurt anymore? >> Because just because it doesn't hurt anymore doesn't mean it's healed. >> Where were you hurt now? What did you do about it? Because if you didn't do anything about it, you're in a box somewhere. >> Nobody can break your heart and then time just passed and you don't hurt anymore and you think you're you're over it.

Amen. ((music playing)) >> Or you think it didn't have any implications on you. You can't go through that and that not injure your soul. ((music playing)) >> So where were you hurt? And what did you do about Oh, I'm healed over that. No, no, no. I didn't ask did it hurt anymore.

What did you do about it? >> My father's pinky finger to this day looks like this. It doesn't hurt anymore. That was because years ago we were playing basketball and I came down for a rebound and I heard the bone break >> on his pinky finger. My dad never went to the hospital to get it fixed.

So, it grew back and it grew back like this. It doesn't hurt anymore, >> but he still doesn't have the mobility that he used to have because it healed and it didn't heal, right? And some parts of your life look like this. I'm healed kind of. You don't have much mobility in that area.

Where's the hurt? Number two, where's the hole? The hurt refers to some something was done to you that shouldn't have been done. The hole refers to a deficit, meaning something wasn't done to you that should have been. Where did you not get what you should have got? Where was the hole?

For most of the men in this room, if you're my age, for most of you, for seven out of 10 of you, if you're my age, the whole one of the hoes is your dad. >> Cuz if you're my age, seven out of 10 of you didn't grow up with him.

So, you didn't get identity. >> You didn't get pride. >> You didn't get affirmation. >> You didn't get someone who look you in your eye and tell you who you are. >> So, hurt is when somebody did something they shouldn't have done. A hole is where there was somebody who didn't do something they should have.

((music playing)) Where's your hole? >> And then last but not least, where's the hazard? Where is the hazard? Where do you find yourself regularly tripping up and falling? Because if spirituality was all that was required to address the hazards, they would have been stopped by now. But if you keep making promises in the area and breaking promises, if you keep being seized with remorse after you do something like Jesus did, Judas did to Jesus.

If you keep being seized with remorse, yet in another season you find yourself doing the same thing over and over and over again, YOU'RE NOT THAT BAD. That's what the devil wants you to to feel. You're broken >> because the hazard is an indication that you're in a box somewhere in that area.

Where's the hurt? Where's the hole? Where's the hazard? And when you step out of that box, when you do the work, it didn't happen by coming to church. When you do the work, you step out of the box and you step into destiny. Father, I believe you're doing something in our life.

For those that are watching me online and for those that are in this room, I pray that you would do for us what Paul prayed ((music playing)) that you would do for the church at Ephesus. I pray that you would open the eyes of our understanding. Help us to see, Father, where's the hurt.

Help us to see ((music playing)) where the hole is. And help us to see our hazards. And I pray that you'd open our eyes to see the box that we're in. ((music playing)) And over the course of these next few weeks that you begin the process of lifting us up out of the box.

We declare this is our season to step out of the box and into destiny and into your best for our life. That our past no longer can hold us hostage. We thank you that our steps are being ordered by you. A new thing is being done in our life. and that you have already been hung up for our hang-ups.

May we rest in that truth in Jesus name. Amen.