I Didn't Know All That // Identity Part. 4 // The Blueprint with Dr. Dharius Daniels

Well, welcome to the blueprint Bible study. Come on, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Come on, let's give him a real praise in this place. Drop fire in the chat. This This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice. Whether I feel like rejoicing or not, we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Because here's what I know, if he made it, he can fix it. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, it's the day he made. If he made it, he can fix it. So, there's nothing I'm facing that he can't fix. So, I will rejoice and be glad in it. There's a part of a song they used to sing at the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church.

You don't know anything about that, Dr. Dudley, cuz you was AME Zion. But, I was Missionary Baptist. And they would say this part of a song, they would say, "He has made me glad." He has made me glad. I will rejoice. Some of you too young on this side, you know.

You're too young. He has made me glad. We are We are We are committed to experiencing the joy of the Lord. We're glad to have you here with us today. We call this the blueprint as a third-way Bible study cuz we believe there are three ways you can live your life.

Culture's way, church's way, and the king's way. Culture's way the way of the world. Culture's way Culture's way the way of the world. Church's way the way of religion. The king's way is the way of the rabbis, the way of Jesus. And it's not just right, it's better, and the Bible is the blueprint to that way of life.

Jesus didn't just come to teach you how to die. He came to show you how to live. There's another way. And uh we want to share it with you today as we get into God's word. So, we are in a study of the book of Ephesians and uh we are stuck in chapter 1. >> [laughter] >> We are stuck in chapter 1 because Ephesians is helping us address what I believe to be the core and the root of the way in which we live our life, and that is our identity.

You will never out-behave your identity. That's right. Never out-behave your identity. >> [clears throat] >> And uh so we we're we're using the book of Ephesians to address what we believe to be a tactic and a tool, what Paul says in Ephesians 6, a scheme, a wile of the devil, a method of the devil, and that is uh identity theft.

Um he can't He can't change who you are, but he can steal your revelation of who you are. And so now instead of living out of God's truth, you live out of a lie. And um and so we're we're using the book of Ephesians to address that, and I got ((music playing)) the Reverend Dr.

Marcus Derail Dudley. The co-pilot. They remind me of the derail every Sunday. Every Sunday, doc. Marcus Derail Dudley. My God, from the metropolitan city of Coffeeville that makes no coffee. Makes no coffee. Barely a ville, but it's Coffeeville. Coffeeville, Mississippi. Amen. They need to name a street after you.

It's coming. They Y'all don't have many now. >> key now. >> [laughter] >> I got a key. The street is coming. But, we're in We're in Ephesians. We're going to be exploring uh trying to finish up uh what we started what last week, and I want to ti- title this one.

Ephesians, we're going to be exploring verses 3 through 14. I'm going to title this one, "I Didn't Know All That." I I didn't I didn't know all that. I didn't know all that. Well, I I want to start today's teaching with this thought. We can't change This is This is the thesis really of this teaching.

We can't change how we behave without changing how we believe. You can't out-behave your belief. Our beliefs actually drive behavior, and behavior exposes belief. I'mma say that again. Belief is actually what drives behavior. This is why behavior modification doesn't work long-term because your belief is actually driving the behavior, and the behavior is exposing the belief.

Uh James co- uh uh James, the half-brother of Jesus, corroborates this in James 2:18 when he says, "I'm going to show you my faith by my works." He's saying my works are actually going to reveal what I believe, and that's that's that's incredibly important because in spiritual spaces, what we try to fix first is behavior.

We don't like behavior. We see behavior as unhealthy, unholy, unhelpful, so we try to fix behavior. And what we have is temporary behavior modification when what the scriptures promise is a new creation. It's two different things. So, even if we were to successfully accomplish behavior modification, it would only be temporary because we would we because long-term behavior change only happens when we change our belief.

I want to say this, and I want to hear your thoughts on this cuz some people might find this problematic, but I think it's I think it's biblically supported. I think the adversary is aware of this reality, which is why I don't think he's thrown off when we're attempting to change behavior because he knows the more we fail at changing behavior, the more cracks he puts in the credibility of God's promise of transformation.

So, at some point, your failures start becoming more truth to you than truth. That's right. And so no matter how much God says you can, [clears throat] your fail- failures are telling you you can't, and you end up now believing your failures more than God's word. And and pastor, that's that's right.

I was thinking about this today, and what the enemy does is he tries to keep us operating in identity ignorance. And this is what identity ignorance does. Identity ignorance makes us think where we are is who we are. Yes. Yes. Yes. And so we begin to shift our identity based on what we're going through Yes. >> rather than who we're in in Christ. >> That's right.

That's right. And so your current condition becomes your conclusion of who you are in God. >> That's right. That's right. >> you make a mistake, Yes. >> rather than saying you made a mistake, you think you are a mistake. Yes. Just because it didn't work, you think you're broken rather than it not just simply not working. >> Yes.

And so what the enemy does, he tries to keep us stuck by having us operating in identity ignorance. That's a word right there. And that's is I think that is an expression of what Jesus describes in John 10 when he says, "The thief comes to steal." Now, he doesn't say everything he steals because that stealing is comprehensive.

He probably wants to steal a lot. He'll steal whatever you let him. But, one of the things he wants to rob us of is a revelation of who we actually are. Now, here's what Jesus says though at the end of that. The thief comes to inflict identity ignorance.

Steal, kill, destroy. One of the things he wants to do is rob us of a revelation of who we are. But, Jesus said, "I've come that you may have life." Now, here's one implication of that statement, right? It's not the sum total of what the statement means, but here's an implication.

Jesus didn't just come to save lost lives. Jesus came to save the life that was lost. Did you hear what I just said? Jesus didn't just come to save lost lives. He came to save the life that was lost. Salvation is the restoration of life as God intended.

There is a life that he intended to be lived by us as humans, revealed in the garden with Adam, that was lost. That And Jesus salvation becomes an act of divine restitution and recovery where God in Christ restores, reclaims the life that was lost. Somebody put in the chat and somebody say, "I didn't know all that."

Yeah, I knew I was saved. I knew he saved lost lives, but I didn't know he saved the life that was lost. And pastor, simple what you are simply saying is when we operate in identity ignorance, what happens is there's a life that God has designed, preferred, that we forfeit because we don't know who we are.

Yes. 100%. 100%. Watch this now. You got me You got me stirred up. Watch this. Watch this cuz I I need you to expound on something. You got me stirred up. You say God designed? What was the other word? Uh preferred. And prefers. Did y'all catch that? Did you You caught it?

He designed it, and he what? >> Preferred. Th- That is what he prefers, but God's preference is not always my experience. >> ((applause)) >> Right? He can He can prefer it and I not experience it. Did he not prefer uh Canaan for Israel? Only two experienced it. Out of that group that came out of Egypt, only two.

What God preferred. Joshua and Caleb. He preferred Canaan for everybody, but only two experienced it. Th- No, this this that interesting. You got me stirred up now. We can we can we can we can we can take a whole another route and start talking about his preferred will versus our experience.

That's right. Does that make sense? Yeah, cuz within the will of God let's just at least talk about this part. Within the there are two components within the will of God that must be understood to minimize Christian frustration. And one that is the part of the will of God that has no conditions.

These are things God has predetermined to do regardless of human participation. It is Jesus is going to return, period. >> That's right. Period. Does that make sense? Like so so there are aspects of God's will that he's going to execute that we will call his perfect will that do not require human participation.

But then there are aspects of of his will that have conditions attached to them. It's still an expression of his sovereignty because the fact that he even is willing to do something with me based on my behavior is grace. You don't need me. That's right. Right? >> [laughter] >> That's right. >> Yeah.

So so the fact that you even give me some if then promises. If my people >> If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray seek my face turn from their wicked ways then if you're willing Isaiah 1:19 if you're willing and obedient >> That's right. you shall eat the good of the land.

So the fact that he's even willing to willing to do that. So the point that we're making is that there there are things that God prefers that we might not experience and we're saying watch this we're saying that what do you call it identity what now? Ignorance. Identity ignorance.

Now so identity ignorance is actually the symptom That's right. >> not the sickness. >> That's right. That's right. It is it's the the fruit not the root. The root is I've been robbed of a revelation of who I am. >> I am. Now watch this cuz ignorance doesn't mean doesn't just mean the absence of information.

Sometimes it means that. But nowadays what ignorance means more than more than absence of information is the absence of accurate information. People are not uninformed they're misinformed. So this is why there's a proliferation particularly in Christian spaces of what I call ignorant arrogance. That's right. That's good. Ignorant arrogance. >> I mean people standing strong and they loud on stuff and I'm like I don't care how loud you get you still wrong.

And I don't care how many people follow that it's still like it's not wrong. I mean it's it's not it's not right because it's not that they don't have information they've been misinformed and this is the danger. This is the danger particularly with Christians and teachers who are not discerning doctrine in community.

So they're going to their own little prayer closet coming back out saying God gave me a revelation and you're standing on it but you have not vetted the revelation through Christian community so that some of the holes that might be in your argument can be exposed and it might not be that the argument's wrong it may need to be refined. in context of community >> there's an epidemic of biblical illiteracy nowadays people will amen what's wrong cuz they don't know what's right.

Did you did you hear what I said? YEAH. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT. So if somebody if somebody believes what they say and if they're loud and they sound good they accept that as truth. That's right. Yeah so it is what do you say identity ignorance? >> Identity ignorance yeah.

And it will it robs us of God's preferred life. Right. Here's here's a quote. When you're confused about your identity you will live beneath your inheritance. It is possible to live like a spiritual pauper even though you're sitting on a kingdom inheritance. And pastor you in the Bible.

I'm in the Bible. >> the Bible. You in the Bible. Because I thought about Mephibosheth. Yes sir. Who was the grandson of a king. Yes. But he was living in Lodebar. Right. He was living in Lodebar. >> That's right. >> David when David became king he properly repositioned him where he should have been.

But this is what the enemy does. Yes. If the enemy can't make you sick he try to make you settle. So here it is Mephibosheth the grandson of a king who was an heir who had an inheritance was settled and satisfied with living in Lodebar. >> Wait a minute doc.

Wait a minute. We in the text. This is We I'm telling you we hovering. We we just cuz we haven't mentioned Ephesians. You'll see we're hovering. There's a theme in Ephesians that we're hovering over. I want you to see this. I want you to see this. Because what did David say?

Mhm. He said is there anybody from from that I can show kindness. Is there anybody >> Is there anybody left in Saul's household that I can show kindness to. That's right. >> That's a kingly reign. Got me? That's a royal lineage that needs to be positioned properly in a way that aligns with their identity cuz he is living in a place Mephibosheth is living in a place that's not aligned with his lineage. >> ((applause)) >> And and Did did y'all did you hear WHAT I JUST SAID?

YES. He's living in a way. So we all when when we are the victims of what do you call it identity ignorance? When we're the victims of identity ignorance we're like Mephibosheth. >> That's right. We're living in a place and living in a way [clears throat] that's not aligned with who we are.

And so what David did is actually what Paul is trying to do >> when he's writing to believers in Ephesians is actually a strategy that God uses all throughout scripture and that is to rewrite the narrative in your mind about your identity >> That's right. so that your behavior can align with who you really are.

So I want you to see the spirit the act of spiritual warfare that's going on. in terms of God addressing and trying to rewrite the stories you telling yourself about you. Like I want you to see like that as an as an act of like as an act of warfare and you'll see the pattern when he's telling a man he's going to be the father of many nations when he's childless.

Abraham. When he's telling Gideon you mighty warrior when he is literally engaging in an act where he is threshing wheat in a wine press. Like there's nothing mighty or valiant about what he is doing. And you see and which which is what we got to hear in week one of this series in Ephesians is what is what Paul is is trying to do.

Now here's something interesting. There's this you know I live in this kind of emotional intelligence space right? And so one of the things that I came across recently was something called schema restructuring. And and it's it's like a tactic in in cognitive therapy that kind of helps people rewrite the narratives in their mind in terms of the stories that they are actually telling themselves.

And it's kind of rooted in something called neurogenesis. Have you guys heard of that? And it kind of speaks to how it's it's really really interesting. It's really fascinating. But it kind of speaks to how watch this. We know the brain affects the mind. So like if I hit my head I have brain damage it can affect like my memory.

The brain affects the mind right? But here's what's also true. The mind affects the brain. I love it. Meaning like the stories that I'm telling myself my thinking patterns become hardwired That's right. >> into my brain it becomes like my default pattern of thinking. Now that makes me look at a scripture like Romans 12 I look at it in a completely different way when it says be transformed >> by the renewing by the renewing of our mind.

And part of that mind renewal is rewriting the narrative of who we actually are. And that that is that is that is exactly what Paul's trying to do here in Ephesus which is why in week one I spent the entire lesson talking about the greeting. Because when Paul when Paul greets the saints in this letter it is not just a polite greeting.

It's identity formation. He calls sinful messy hedonistic confused individuals at Ephesus saints. That's right. He calls them saints. >> them saints. It's it's identity formation. He's trying to rewrite the narrative because he knows that realigns their behavior. Now I'm not going to bother this yet cuz we're going to get to chapter four.

But in chapter is only till chapter four that he tells them walk worthy. of the vocation in which you're called. He spends chapters he spends the previous chapters letting them know who they are. Who they are in Christ. And then when he gets to chapter four he's saying now walk like it. >> ((applause)) >> Now walk.

Now what happens in a number of our religious spaces is this. Here's what happens. We tell people chapter four before chapter one. We say walk like it then you're a saint. >> Then you that's right. >> What Paul says you're a saint now walk like it. Somebody say walk like it. >> Walk like it.

Walk like it till you feel better. Walk like it until things get better. Walk like it until you're thinking better. Walk like it until you live better. Do it >> Walk like it. Walk like it. Walk like Yeah it's identity formation. >> It's identity formation. And pastor you said reforming this narrative you not only write a narrative you speak a narrative.

That's it. Because you can never live right if you keep speaking to yourself wrong. That's right. That's right. And so we got to learn how to speak to ourself. Mhm. Speak to ourself rightly. Speak life and positivity over ourself. Because most of our identity doesn't just come from it comes from what we experience but it comes from the what we speak over ourself. >> That's right.

Based on what we experience. That's right. It's almost like repeating rehearsing what God says about us. That's what shifts it to like biblical confession and not toxic positivity. Does that make sense? Cuz toxic positivity that's first way. Yeah. And a lot of times when you don't make that distinction people will confuse the things. >> That's right.

I say my affirmations like you. No, no, no. I say confessions. Well, I say what he said. >> What he said. What God said. I come into agreement >> God said. >> with what he says about who I am and my behavior. >> That's right. Even does that make sense?

So when I'm confessing sin I'm like now I feel like they deserved everything I gave them but you said it. Love my enemies. So I'mma come into agreement with what you say about my behavior. Right? And I might feel weak and discouraged and strong but you not strong but you say Mhm.

You will >> Be strong in the Lord. So I'mma come into agreement with what you said. Yeah. Yeah. And this is what Paul is trying to do here in the book of Ephesians. He's trying to establish their primary identity is saint as saints. Now come on we're going somewhere here but I have to do some exegetical excavation here.

We got to dig I can't just run past this because Paul is establishing their primary identity as saints. Paul is establishing their primary identity as saints. Now this is about to ruffle some second way feathers. That's I'm born for this. That's my calling. I'm okay. He is establishing their primary identity as saints.

This is about to upset some second way people. See I don't fight with first way. My side cuz Jesus did. >> That's right. Second way. Most of his fights were second way. Okay. Here it is. He's establishing their primary identity as saints. Okay? Not sinners. If you look at if you JUST LOOK AT PAUL'S language now.

I'm not talking about your your favorite whoever. Paul's language. He refers to when he when he speaks to sinner as identity he speaks of it as past tense. He would say like things like who you once were. >> That's right. >> Come on pastor. That's so good. Yes.

Who you once were. Who you once were right? Come on now. So there is so much emphasis that is placed on Christ's work and the redemptive nature of that work. And I can't we about to get into this subject of redemption in a second. And the redemptive nature of that work it is like in adoption.

We get ready to talk about all these things. PAUL'S LIKE YOU ARE NOT THAT anymore even if you struggle with that some. >> ((applause)) >> It is it's it's it it's it's way different than what we hear. You know, you you ain't NOTHING BUT A SINNER SAVED BY GRACE IN PART. >> In part.

In part. >> That's not all I am. >> That's right. Come on. That's not all I am. >> That's right. No, no. Cuz here's what Paul says I am. >> Uh-huh. Blessed. >> Uh-huh. Is that what he said? >> That's what he said. Uh God has already spoken favor over my life and deposited every spiritual blessing in Christ in my heavenly account.

Paul says I'm chosen. >> Chosen. That before the foundation of the world God deliberately chose me out of a group in which he had options. Say that again. He had options. >> ((applause)) >> What else does he say in the text? He says I'm predestined. That that God has determined beforehand the redemptive nature of the redemptive destiny of those who in Christ.

We talked about this last week in terms of he's drawing a circle. But that's not all he says cuz that's all we got to last week. He says number four we're adopted. Look look at verse four. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Christ Jesus. He predestined us for adoption. Somebody say I didn't know all that. >> I didn't know all that. Okay. Now here's what's important guys. Here's what's important. And here's where a lot of people get in trouble with with Bible interpretation which is why I think everybody does not need to anyway I'll leave that alone.

Cuz everybody just be teaching the Bible nowadays and I'm just like okay there's some things it's one thing to read something in the Bible it's another thing to know stuff about the Bible. Because knowing about the Bible helps you understand and interpret what you're reading in the Bible.

Because when we when we think like so right now we're in America. So um and for those who are not in America I don't know how it works in your context but in America adoption is almost an act of sentimentality. It's sentimental. In this context that Paul's writing is not sentimental.

It's strategic. So in this like it literally means the Greek word he uses is the placing of a son. So in this context Q it doesn't mean I pick someone because I have pity on them. That's not the way it worked in the Roman Empire. It is I I pick someone because I see potential in them.

There is something they have that I want to be added to my family. So I pick them because there is something that I see in them. So it is not just an act of pity. It is the recognition of potential That's right. that can only be unleashed and actualized if they in the right house. >> right house.

That they can't I see something in them >> ((applause)) >> that can't be actualized or realized as long as they not in my house. That's right. But once I get them in my house watch this their legal status change. Uh-huh. Their debts become clear. >> Come on. Their issues become addressed.

And everything that that that they didn't have access to now they got access to. So when they get in my house they got the protection that comes from being a part of my house. They get the provision that comes from being a part of my house and they get the privilege that comes with being a part of my house that carries my name.

So it's not just so when Paul says we're adopted it's not just God felt sorry for me. Uh-huh. It is there's something in me that God realized could not be actualized until he placed me as a son. And so I'm no longer everybody you know there's a saying in first way we all God's children and I get it.

And I get it. But technically that's not true. >> That's not true. Technically we all God's creation. You got it? We all God's creation. But those of us who have received the Holy Spirit which which the Bible Paul calls the spirit of adoption. Now we've moved from a creature creator relationship.

Now to a father son relationship. Now I'm a child of God. Now I call him Abba. And I get his protection. I get his provision and I get his privilege. Somebody say I didn't know all that. I didn't know all that. I didn't know all that. We've been adopted. >> We've been adopted.

And there are certain benefits that come from being in the right house. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. >> right house. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. >> You know when I think about this adoption I think we can't we see this through the life of the prodigal son. Yes. >> Who chose to leave the house.

But he also had to choose to return to the house. >> [laughter] >> He chose to leave. >> He chose to leave. Yes, sir. He chose to leave what was already he chose to leave the protection. Yes. He chose to leave the provision and the privilege. That's it. But life made him choose to go back to >> ((applause)) >> But but this is what happens this is what happens all too often is the enemy will make us think that we're no longer worthy.

Right? Because this is what he said when he decided to go back. He said listen you can hire me as one of your servants. Identity. Not knowing he was still a son. And even though he was in the pig pen his time in the pig pen did not change his status as a son.

Watch this. But it changed the story he was telling himself. And when he gets back to the father the father has to rewrite the narrative. That's right. Cuz what does he say? He says I'mma go back and say make me one of your hired servants cuz I feel like my behavior has disqualified me from being a son.

And he goes back to the father and the father has to rewrite the narrative. Pastor they didn't respond good enough to me. >> [laughter] >> He said he thought they had disqualified his actions. That's it. That's it. And many time we think what we done disqualify us who we are in God's eyes. >> That's it.

That's it. That's it. That's it. So he says we're adopted. Then watch what he says here in verses 7 and 8. He says we're redeemed. In him we have verse 7 he says in him we have redemption. Listen to the text through his blood. Now this is important.

When Paul is saying we have redemption they would have understood that in a completely different way than we would understand. Like the closest thing we would have to understanding it is like a pawn shop. That's the closest cultural metaphor we would have in our current cultural context. But for them, they understood the richness of this word redemption.

You know, so like we make close scripture, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. But I think a revelation of what that word redeem means would produce a completely different response. Like that scripture makes will make much make much much sense because um this word was this concept of redi- redemption, not exclusively, but it was primarily applied in the slave market.

You remember Joseph in the Old Testament? He was sold in the slavery, wasn't he? So he's at a slave market and uh the captain of Pharaoh's guard, Potiphar, purchased him as a slave. Y'all got me? Okay, so there was and and some of this took place in what they would call uh the marketplace.

And if you would pass through uh the marketplace on any any given day, you might see somebody standing on the platform who is bound waiting to be purchased. So their freedom is not in their own hands. The future, their future, belong to whoever had enough to buy them.

Got me? Okay. And so and so there's a word that everyone in that culture would have understood to describe that transaction and that word would be redemption. And that is liberation through the payment of a ransom. Now now do you understand why Paul would call himself a slave or a prisoner to Jesus? >> ((cheering)) ((applause)) >> He's saying, you bought me. >> You bought me.

You purchased me. Come on here. I I was I was bound. But you bought me. You bought me. So so redemption described the moment someone walked into that marketplace, not just the shop, but to buy someone out. To pay the price that would transfer ownership. And so Paul writes to believers in Ephesus.

People who would understand exactly what he meant and said to them, that's what Jesus did to you. Bought you back. He's saying >> [laughter] [gasps] >> he's saying, we were owned by sin. Slaves to it, not just participants in it, slaves to it, under its authority, subject to its impulses and demands.

And no amount of willpower or religion or self-improvement could buy you out. The price is too high. But you knows what Paul says, redemption came through his blood. Come on. That's right. That's right. That's right. That the cross was not just a demonstration, it was a transaction. The wage or the cost of sin is death.

But the gift of God is eternal life. So so Christ was the currency that was exchanged to free you and me and to transfer ownership from whatever had me hostage to God. So now, whenever something is dominating me, owning me, when I whenever I'm in bondage to something, it is actually trespassing illegally because I've been bought with a price.

I don't belong to it. I belong to God. >> right. My God. >> ((applause)) >> Let the redeemed >> [laughter] >> of the Lord say so. >> Somebody praise him because YOU'VE BEEN REDEEMED. >> ((applause)) >> OF THE LORD SAY SO. OH YA YA. My God. I've been redeemed. >> I've been redeemed.

I've I I've I've I've been redeemed. Mhm. But he not only says that, doc. He says this. I've been forgiven. Verse seven, in him we have redemption through his blood. Then he says, the forgiveness of sins. In accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us.

Don't mess with me tonight. We In him we have redemption. >> That's right. Through his blood. >> Uh-huh. The forgiveness of sins. In accordance with the So my forgiveness is in accordance with the riches of his grace. That he lavished on us. Somebody say, I didn't know all that. >> [laughter] >> I didn't know all that.

The word forgiveness, you know, means to pardon, to release, or to dismiss. This is important now because it was often used in legal or financial context to describe the cancellation of a debt or the release of a prisoner. Now, watch what Paul does here though. He puts redemption and forgiveness of sin like in the same phraseology, doesn't he?

Now, they are two different things, but the fact that he puts them in the same phrase I think has some implications we shouldn't ignore. He puts redemption and forgiveness in the same phrase and this this isn't accidental because redemption addresses my bondage. Got me? Forgiveness addresses my liability.

One's my bondage, one's my baggage. One's my freedom, the other's my fines. >> ((applause)) [laughter] >> He says Now, I know some of y'all none of you all know anything about this, but sometimes when people get in trouble with the law they have fines. Am I right about it? Just I know y'all don't know, but just say amen like you know.

You say you don't KNOW ABOUT IT? >> [laughter] >> BUT NO, IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE released from and still have fines that you have to pay. Redemption is being released from prison. Forgiveness is taking care of the fine. >> ((applause)) >> And God says, I'm not only getting you out of prison.

I have taken care of the fine. That the gospel ser- gospel solves both of those problems simultaneously. Redeems me through his blood and the same blood that redeems me. The same blood that is the key that unlocks the prison is the same blood that's the currency that pays the fine.

My debt is paid. I've been set free. Did y'all hear? And doc, I want you to talk about this a little bit. You you remember I feel like in certain settings cuz neither neither Dr. Dudley or I grew up Pentecostal. So we I was Baptist, he was Methodist, and then one day at school I can't I'mma say exactly what you said. >> [laughter] >> One day at school he came to me and he was like, man, I ran into this weird dude at the cafeteria.

He was talking to me about the Holy Ghost. I want you to talk to him. You remember that? >> [laughter] >> No, no. You said weird looking dude. >> [laughter] >> The Lord has sanctified his tongue over the years. Cuz I probably cussed when I told you. No, you didn't cuss.

You didn't cuss. You didn't cuss. You didn't cuss that time. >> [laughter] >> You didn't cuss that time, doc. In that season that season was only when YOU GOT MAD. >> [laughter] >> AND NOW >> [laughter] >> HE REDEEMED MY MOUTH, I'm telling you. My God. [laughter] You know, I He redeemed your tongue, reverend.

And the same guy, uh he gave me a cuss jar. So every time I cussed I had to give him a dollar. [laughter] After the after the first week I said, man, let's try something else. You said I gave YOU TOO MUCH MONEY. >> [laughter] >> I NEED TO KEEP my money.

I need SOME GAS MONEY. I NEED SOME GAS MONEY. >> [laughter] >> AND SO we were we kind of um got introdu- I mean he like he took us to the gospels, really. He literally took us to the gospels. It was genius. He said, now okay. Cuz I'm like, no, it's Jesus, the gospel, you know, I'm Baptist, so one Friday he died, you know, like it's uh like I'm it's it's Jesus, you know, it's like he got up.

And so he's like, okay, he did get up. But after he got up what else happened? You got me? So, there was a movement and he wasn't a part of this movement. There was a movement early on. I don't know when it started, but it's it's attributed to him.

He wasn't the only continuationist, but it was attributed to him. He popularized it. Bishop Paul Sylvester Morton called full gospel. And here's here's what here's what Second Way does a lot and it's very aggravating to me. It's a unique agitation. They You know, I I literally sitting in a service one time and a guy he said This was a funeral.

The guy was preaching the funeral of a pastor. So, I'm sitting in the service. The guy is preaching a funeral of a pastor. I don't know why people take opportunities to take shots at people that's not even there and this not even the occasion. So, to me that lets me know they haven't trained right.

Cuz uh Pastor Hankins and Jackson would have took the mic from me. Like it wouldn't that Yeah, you like Anyway, that's a whole different subject, but um he's supposed to be preaching another man's funeral. He's saying something and he was like and there's this movement out here called full gospel.

The gospel is already full. And like everybody started screaming and whatever and I was like I'm sitting here saying I'm a seminary student. Like this is messy. I don't care who's screaming. I don't care we in church. This is messy. This man's grieving widow is on the front of his his her husband is in a casket.

Uh the church is grieving the loss of their pastor. Right? I'm a I'm a seminarian and I'm like okay, what am I going to do? Like we all disoriented and you taking this man's taking shots at a movement. So, anyway, but what aggravates me is here's what I believe.

I believe the book of James speaks very clearly that Christians have a responsibility to engage in active listening. Slow to speak. Quick to hear. So, that even when you levy a criticism you're criticizing what you accurately comprehended. And so, if you're going to critique it at least be right on the facts.

Because he wasn't saying that Jesus' resurrection the the the crux of that movement wasn't saying that Jesus' resurrection wasn't enough. What it was saying is it wasn't saying it's incomplete. It it's saying hey the good news is not just that there was resurrection. This there was ascension. And the ascension was necessary to fulfill a promise that he made when he was alive.

When he was alive, he kept talking about somebody else. >> ((applause)) >> As a matter of fact, when the disciples were upset that he was leaving. Right? He he even said I mean we read it as scripture. We read this scripture at funerals, but it's not about a funeral.

Let not your heart be troubled. Like they were dealing with the idea of grief because of his departure. And he goes on to tell them later in John hey, I'm not going to leave you as orphans. Come on. That's right. Something coming. There's somebody coming. There's another one coming.

Another helper coming. He says it's better for you if I go. And so, all that full gospel movement was trying to articulate is hey, part of the good news is he kept that word, too. He didn't just say he was getting up. He said something else was coming down.

And if you talk about him getting up and you're not talking about what came down you're robbing us of the fullness of the gospel. The good news is he got up and with the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit came down, now I can get up, too. >> ((applause)) >> So, he walks us through this.

This is my point. We'll wrap up in a second, but he walks us through he kind of walks us through hey So, Jesus Jesus mentions third person of the Trinity here. Jesus mentions here. Jesus mentions this here. So, that that's what kind of got us into what we would call spirit filled or spirit empowered consciousness.

And uh so, that put us in a different environment in terms of churches. And so, I won't get into all of that and a lot of it was helpful. But a lot of it was works righteousness. It's your your activity determine your identity. Do this so you're holy, not you're holy, do this.

So, it's almost like when you messed up you almost felt like there was restitution you had to pay. I messed up I I I I messed up, so now I got to be I got to be punished. Um I I got to >> [clears throat] >> This got to be some sort of penance.

And that's an inaccurate understanding of forgiveness. Because here's what happens. The transaction on the cross took care of past present and future sins. So, my confession when I confess my sin, I am accessing the forgiveness that has already been deposited into my account. So, my confession gives me Am I making sense?

And I'm not going to bother this cuz this is way too much for for like a a Bible like Bible especially broad Bible study like this. So, I can't really but because it would really shake tree and I would need to explain to be able to ask some questions about this.

But but but but accessing of forgiveness cannot always We cannot say that it is always simply predicated on you confessing every sinful act because there are some sinful acts you don't even know they're sinful acts at the moment. So, let's just say somebody at night let me confess all my sins at night.

What if they're in an accident on the way home? And they didn't get a chance to confess their sin. Cuz my salvation y'all okay you My when when when I when I accepted Christ atoning work, I accepted forgiveness full and complete. Past, present, and future. And honestly honestly your forgiveness like your your confession is way more about your formation than your actual forgiveness.

Did y'all hear what I just said? I said I said actually your confessing of sin is way more about your own personal formation. Like God putting before you something that needs to change. >> ((applause)) >> Does that make sense? Even when James talks about confessing to one another, that doesn't mean to anybody.

It means somebody. That's right. It don't mean to everybody. It means somebody, right? But he says so that you may be what? Healed. That they can't forgive you. But the purging of that from your soul contributes to your healing. That's right. >> ((applause)) >> Taz, is this good to you?

But it it's almost like we got to we we felt this pressure. And I like to I'm not picking on Pentecostals. I'm not picking on the reformed community, but I'm only I can only I only have ed educated or exper I only have experienced kind of So, going to the seminary I went to you had like these two associated with Presbyterian churches.

You got these two reformed camps. You got these staunch Calvinists. Then you got people who are a little bit more liberal who are like Bart. Who are like more universalist. So, you got like So, I don't seen like the the the wild staunch reform and I'm like it just smell like Pharisee over here to me.

And then I've seen like also on the like the the legalistic uh Pentecostal tribe, right? And it's like and so people who hear me they'll probably hear influences of both of those traditions, but it is like so when I'm when I'm on this Pharisee stuff it's like num one, I'm a recovering one.

That's one, right? Because we were what we were we were fasting to Not we we fasted two days a week. But is isn't it weird how you do spiritual stuff and then doing spiritual stuff uh you get into sinful stuff doing spiritual stuff. How you got pride that you fasting two days a week? >> [laughter] >> We used to fast on Tuesday, Thursdays, right?

In college we walking around y'all ain't fasting. Just got serious about God. Now judging everybody else cuz they're not fasting two days a week. Y'all still going to them parties. Hopping around. Still clubbing. >> [laughter] >> Need to get it right. WE'VE BEEN RIGHT TWO WEEKS. YOU KNOW PEOPLE DO not know they go live and start Bible studies now.

They've been two weeks. You've been saved two weeks and now now you calling out false teachers. You don't know the difference between Corinthians and Chronicles yet. >> [laughter] >> But you know what a false teacher is. That's why we need more bishops. We need more old school bishops. May the Lord raise up old school bishops that will come on people's live and say sit down.

Sit down. Sit down. Be quiet. And Pastor what I had to learn you know what people I tell people if you know, we we in this call culture. If the first call ain't to salvation, hang up. Because we think the first call from God is always to start preaching.

But the first call is often to salvation. Yeah. Salvation and then here's what my dad said. My dad told me when I was discerning my call. He said okay. Now the So, you called to salvation. Then the second one is preparation. It's preparation. We just got >> Now okay, God's calling you.

Now get prepared. >> That's right. Now get prepared. People It's It's It's It's a different day. I'm I'm bringing some of this Bring it back. We call it the ancient uh Jeremiah 6 the ancient way. We want We want some ancient Oh, we got to insert Bring it back.

We got to insert some stuff. People don't My dad looked over my first sermon. He didn't let me just get up there and preach. I'm called. He looked over my first sermon. So like I use a lot of scripture in my messages. Do you guys like I like to support my points with scriptures, right?

Make scripture references. That is all from an experience I had when I preached in 1999 19 not 1999? No, you had 99. Yeah. 99 My God today. Bring it 99. Q? Uh they had a little oil on it, doc. Were you born in 99? OMG. OMG. She wasn't even born. >> born in 99.

Girl. I had on a whole suit preaching and you weren't even born. >> to tell you, but Preach. I had on a whole suit. Billy was there. >> Out there. He was there. Tried to go back in uh fix my sermon, man. >> [laughter] >> That boy preached so bad I went back up here to preach next week.

I was preaching my dad was looking over my message. He was like What's this? He's like what's this? How do you know that's true? I was like he says if you can't attach it to scripture or show scripture to support it this is philosophy. That's what my dad told me in 1999.

And it sticks with me to this day. It shapes the way I approach sermons. Literally said he said What's this? He said He said if you can't attach scripture to it, here's what this is. Philosophy. It's your opinions. It's your ideas. It might be profound but it's still philosophy.

We done test number seven num verse seven number seven, I'm sorry. Um We're forgiven. We're sealed. Verse 13 it says and you were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth the gospel of your salvation. When you believe you were marked in him with a seal the promised Holy Spirit who is a guarantee or a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the play to the praise of his glory.

Now, we use the word seal a lot in scripture and when I think of seal, I think of like a top you put on a jar. That's not what this word meant here. Okay? I want you to think of a stamp. Not like a stamp that you mail but like a wax stamp.

So in the ancient world um let's say if someone was sending a letter or something and it came from the king, the king would take his signet ring and he would dip it in wax and then he would seal that letter. It It announced ownership it established authenticity and it warned everyone in reach that what was marked belonged to a particular authority.

And you cannot break that seal without authorization. And so what Paul says is what kings do do with a letter with wax with a stamp he said the Holy Spirit did that with ((music playing)) you. God made a claim on your life. >> [clears throat] >> This belongs to me. And Paul also says this King James says the earnest of our inheritance deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. >> ((music playing)) >> And this word here is literally a down payment that the Holy Spirit is a down payment on a future transaction.

It's the first installment that legally obligates the payer to complete the full transaction. He's saying the Holy Spirit is just a down payment. It's not the totality of what God has for you. But he is God's legally binding deposit. He is his commitment that what he started he will finished finish and what he promised ((music playing)) he will deliver.

So the life that we have access [clears throat] to in the Holy Spirit now is just a down payment of what life can actually be like. So that little bit of peace that we get is just a down payment. That little bit of joy that we get is just a down payment.

When the Bible says in his presence there's fullness of joy at his right hand uh it's just a down payment of what's actually coming. The freedom that the Holy Spirit brings is just a down payment of what's actually coming. I've been I've been sealed. So this letter wasn't written to us, it was written for us because we all are in warfare when it comes to narratives that we're fighting regarding who we are.

And what Paul did for believers in Ephesians what God what Yahweh did for Abram and Gideon and Jacob and so many others God wants to do with us. And that is rewrite the narrative and address and attack the identity ignorance >> [snorts] >> that is driving our behavior and robbing us of a spiritual inheritance that God wants his people to experience and to enjoy.

I knew I was forgiven but I didn't know all that. I I knew I was adopted but I didn't know it meant all that. I knew I was redeemed. I didn't know it meant all that. I knew I was sealed. I didn't know it meant all of that.

And now that I know that it means all of that I want all that. >> ((music playing)) ((applause)) >> And I can and I will pursue all of that. So I want to pray for us today. ((music playing)) Um My prayer is simply this. The Holy Spirit wants to do his work. My prayer is for your openness.

That that you would be open for God to revisit a conversation with you about who you actually are. That that you would be open to revisiting even the conclusions you've come to about you that you got from religion that you got from church. Sinner. You probably got that from church.

So my prayer is for your openness. So Holy Spirit you work in us the appetite the will to do your good pleasure. You want to rewrite some stories. You want to revisit a conversation regarding who we are. And so I just pray that the hearts of your people would be open.

May you break up the fallow ground. May you confront conclusions that we've come to that are unaligned with the truth of who we actually are in you. May you address and arrest identity ((music playing)) ignorance that is robbing us from the spiritual inheritance that was purchased for us by Christ.

May we live in the freedom of the revelation of who we are in you. I ask this all in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for being with us this week. For those of you that understand the importance >> ((music playing)) >> and the purpose of sowing back into the field that you're harvesting from, ways to give are coming on the screen.

Thank you in advance for your generosity to this teaching ministry and we look forward to being back with you um next week and we're really going there. Um Uh I think we're talking about what ((music playing)) God were you given? It's going to be a great time. All right, take care.

We'll see you next week. >> [clears throat] ((music playing))