Lead Pastors Conference: Phil McNeill

[00:00:00] As long as you endure summer and winter, springtime and harvest, there are seasons, but in every season, you have to have faith. But it can move the mighty mountain and change things and turn them around. [00:00:25] Welcome to the well, an Elam Fellowship leadership podcast. [00:00:30] Join us today as we hear From Pastor Phil McNeill, President of Elam Fellowship, as he shares at the Lead Pastors conference. Enjoy. [00:00:39] I want to talk tonight, just in about 30 minutes, maybe 35, about the importance of not quitting. [00:00:49] And not any of you ever thought about quitting. [00:00:55] I can say to you, honestly, I've never seriously thought about quitting. I've had discouraging times, but there have been times where it's been difficult, and there were things that I could have quit. But I want to encourage you tonight not to quit. I'm going to open up with just three stories and then get into scripture. We can quit for all sorts of reasons. When I was a student at Elam, I came and I remember my first night through two or three nights wrestling with God as I lay in my bunk. You know, those bunk beds at Elam, you know, at least the mattress wasn't plastic. Can we say, man, but there was a piece of plywood. I can remember the slivers. Boy, they do like lights here. And I remember just looking at it, and I was thinking to myself, you know, what are you doing here? [00:01:46] You know, you grew up in a pastor's home. [00:01:49] You knew better. [00:01:51] Annette, when you went to college, wasn't a bad kid. But I walked away from the Lord and came back to the Lord. Mostly his love just drew me back and found myself at Elam feeling, you know, these other people, some of them, they had no excuse. They have an excuse, but you have none. [00:02:09] I remember sitting there thinking, those three nights, not sleeping. What am I doing here? [00:02:14] And I remember one morning as we're standing in the bathroom and there's about 30 guys in the bathroom. It was really made for five in those days. And, you know, I'm shaving, and all of a sudden I just felt the revelation of the Lord come to me that said, phil, it's not that I haven't forgiven you. It's that you can't forgive yourself. [00:02:35] And I remember turning around in the bathroom stall and rebuking the devil and saying, have you read the final chapter because you lost? [00:02:43] And let me tell you something, you were under my feet, and the past is forgiven. I'm sitting there yelling. Of course the guys in the dorm are going, that's Phil. You know, he's got Some issues. [00:02:51] And we're not surprised by that kind of behavior from Phil, you know, But I really got the victory over it and I was set free. Because always in life, no matter what, that was a beginning thing. You're going to go through things that you want to quit. That's basic. I hope many of you have made it through that one. [00:03:08] But then I remember my freshman year too, because I had a habit of teasing. I know you find that hard to believe, but. And there was a girl who invited most, I think, at the freshman class to a party and watched all my buddies getting dressed. And I realized after a while there's only a few of us left in the dorm from my class. And so my buddies came back and they said, where were you? [00:03:31] They said, oh, well, this girl had a party. I said, well, how come I was invited? Because she was scared. But you might say to the parents, her parents, the tease. And I'm going, whoa. [00:03:41] I remember going home that freshman year saying, well, you know, I just don't fit. You know, I don't fit in this place. And going back and I got my old part time job back, enrolled, finishing up my senior year university and going back into business and got my little apartment back that overlooked the city of London. London, Ontario, wasn't that fascinating? Sorry, but London, Ontario. And I didn't go to church that summer. Not because I was backsliding. I just was working, trying to get some cash up before going back to university and catch up on some bills and things like that. So I go to one service and there's a man there who spoke from down south, assembly of God actually. And he talked about not giving up the vision, not what was birthed in you, not to abort what God had called you to do. And I'm sitting there going, oh, dear Lord. [00:04:28] And so up to the altar I go. And that was like August. And I showed up in Elon like a couple weeks later because the grace of God, I didn't, I didn't, I didn't quit. [00:04:40] You know, these things are important. [00:04:42] Those might be beginning things, but we're always in seasons in the ministry where we have to face the issue of just not quitting. [00:04:49] And I remember when I was trying to start a traveling music ministry called Highest Call and you know, trying to get help from. I went to the Bible school. The Bible school said, literally the man in charge said, who are you? [00:05:04] Because I traveled in the summer with a traveling group called Praise Song. We went for eight months, music ministry, altar calls, and people were healed. The Prophetic, flowed like a river. God just really blessed it. And so I said, man, I want to do this full time. And so I went to the Bible school and the Bible, nothing against anybody. It's just the way it was. They said, who are you? This is literally what the guy said to me. Your name's not Spencer or Dodds White or. Or, you know, anything like that or Veatch or anything. Some of you don't even know who those names are, but. And I said, yeah, McNeil. No, that one doesn't fit in there. It just doesn't fit. And I remember walking down the hill and going down to see Brother Frank, and I give him a vision of a new bus. I was willing to buy a used bus, actually, I was willing to buy a used bus. And I showed him the used bus for this team to travel with. And. And he looked at. And he goes, don't buy the old bus. He goes, does the new bus have footrests? [00:05:56] I said. He goes, because those long chips, you're gonna need to get your feet up. [00:05:59] And brother Frank opened the door. I remember him because I was really discouraged then, trying to recruit the team. And we had to get a team of 13 and couldn't get a team of 13 together. And I remember going into the tabernacle and crying out to God. [00:06:14] And I remember one time when I was over there, I look over and there's a Brother Frank who at that time was probably 800 years old since gay, but he was an older man. And there he is laying on the floor in the tabernacle next to me on that concrete floor. [00:06:30] I look over and I see him. I'm thinking, how did you even get down here? I mean, we need a hoyer lift here. But I don't think those things, really. I'm just having fun. But, yeah, but I look at him and he goes, phil, if it's of God, it will go. [00:06:45] Wow. [00:06:47] You know, man, that went right through me. [00:06:50] And so the team's coming in. You know, we have a team of 12, traveling music ministry team, but I had no piano player. [00:07:00] And so, yeah, but we're going to do this. We were trying to figure out how we program everything back in the day, you know, everything was getting digital. Now they can do all sorts of stuff. But back in the day, we had this little thing in the Lisa's recorder or something, and we're trying to program worship sets. And especially we had special music, you know, 10 or 12 songs. And. And so it's like three days now before the camp begins and I get a call from a guy called Brent Yoder. [00:07:24] And Brent Yoder played piano. [00:07:27] And he says, hey, Phil, this is how he talks. Hey, Phil, I'm thinking of coming on the team with you. There is the room. I said, well, let me pray about it. Let me get before the Lord here and seek divine wisdom. I said, yeah, because I knew him. He traveled with me on the student team, so I knew he could play piano like great. [00:07:42] And I said, but Brian, you gotta raise about 4,500 in support, you know, to do this. Because it was 10 months over 50 states. We went to over 200 churches the first year, spent three weeks overseas in England and Scotland, and fresh out of Bible school, you know, it's just a God thing. It's totally a God thing. So I said, brent, you know, you need $4,500. Can you. [00:08:02] What are you gonna do about it? He goes, oh, I can write you a check. And he goes, but I'll have to write you about 6,500 because it's Canadian dollars. I said, we'll take that, Brent, no problem. We'll get that exchanged. And. [00:08:14] But God, I mean, I. I've had situations. I had at one time, you know, a whole core family of my church, seven years in, feel called to leave. [00:08:28] And they left so kindly. [00:08:31] No, really. I brought them up on a Sunday morning, prayed over them, prophesied over a couple of them. One of the guys was my elder and he sat in the back and cried like a baby. But they just felt called to move on. And, and that's a long story which I won't get into. But they said to me at one point, phil, we just can't go with your vision. I said, can you tell me my vision? And, you know, maybe we can get this together. [00:08:51] And they were good, great people. I didn't want them going. In fact, for years afterwards they called me when they had a pastoral need and things like that. So the church went way down. I took a part time job and, you know, work in construction, which that was fun, working construction, which by the way, was God's training for me because the first house I bought needed a lot of construction. And so I learned some electrical, some enough to be dangerous, drywall, electric, all sorts of things God really used that year. But by the end of the year, we grew it all back. In fact, five new families came into the church. Brand new, born again. [00:09:26] They became the core for the next 10 years of the church. At that time, we all go through times where we can Feel like quitting. [00:09:37] We've all had seasons of up and down. Another thing, about seven or eight years ago, you know, I had a challenge with one of a staff member and an elder, and they left and pulled a bunch of people out and the church went down again. And I remember bringing in Paul Johansson to speak, and he had been there before, and he goes, things are kind of down here, aren't they, Phil? A little bit like that. And you know how Brother Paul is. And he goes, but never mind, nevermind, Phil. He goes, a sign on the bus. Put a sign on the bus and go. And sign we put on the bus was, we're going to finish our building because we had built a gym that we were turned into a sanctuary. And it was more gym than sanctuary. And so we raised the money in a year or two, and the church grew back and away we went. [00:10:17] But I remember sitting thinking to myself, I'd been 20 years at that church at that time. And I remember thinking to myself, well, you've had a good run, Phil. [00:10:25] All my girls had grown up in the church, served in the church, church serving the Lord, praise God. [00:10:30] And they were starting to find their own way in college and life and different things like that. And I thought, well, you know, I could go back on the road. I loved being on the road at the time, you know, traveling and ministering. A little music, a little prophetic preach, and I enjoy that. I mean, in fact, pastoring for me was learning to fight with my other hand. Before I started pastoring, God gave me a word that God was going to tie my right hand behind my back and teach me to fight with my left, which was pastoring for me. And so I learned to fight my left. Took 30 years, but I figured it out after a while, you know, And I remember saying to the Lord, I've had a good run. And that's the same weekend that brother Paul comes in and says to me, phil, put a sign on the bus. [00:11:07] The next weekend I had Robbie Evans, and he's sitting in my living room, and he looks across the room at me. All of a sudden, Robbie, down to Mexico. Strong, prophetic. Oh, my Lord. He looks at me, goes, phil, are you thinking of giving up the church? And I go, deer in the headlights, you know, I'll go, I never said that. When you're talking about the church, he goes, don't give up the church. [00:11:28] And that was the beginning of turn. Brother Paul one Sunday and him the next. And I got the hint, you know what I mean? Because, you know, sometimes I'm not bright, but I can get a hint. And the Lord, within a year, grew the church back even larger than it ever had been. [00:11:42] So there's times in our lives where we might feel like quitting, but it's not what we do. There's a song. I couldn't believe it. [00:11:51] I was just singing it to Mrs. Hillowitz down there. And she got it, and she knew. And nobody knows this song. It's faith in God can move a mighty mountain. [00:12:00] Faith can calm the trouble. Trouble. See, faith can make the desert like a fountain. [00:12:08] Faith will bring us the victory as long as you enjoy summer and winter, springtime and harvest. There are seasons, but in every season you have to have faith. [00:12:23] But it can move the mighty mountain and change things and turn them around. [00:12:31] Matthew 15 is my text. If you have a device or a Bible. Anybody have a device or a Bible, one of them will do. 15:21. It's the faith of the Canaanite woman leaving that place. I'll give you Matthew 15:21. [00:12:47] I want to thank the Simmons and the Rulewitz and Joe Jansen and Doug and this church for this worship team. Thank you so much for opening your doors. I mean, they even had parking attendants, you know, and we're just so grateful. Thank you so much. [00:13:07] So, Matthew 15:21. Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Ty and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, lord, son of David, have mercy on me. My daughter is demon possessed and suffering terrible. So this woman comes. Her daughter, to say the least, is not well. Jesus did not answer a word. [00:13:28] So his disciples came to him and urged him, send her away, for she keeps crying out after us. [00:13:33] He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. The woman came and knelt before him. Lord, help me, she said. [00:13:40] So she's getting rejection here on all sides. Verse 26. [00:13:45] He replied, it's not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs. Yes, it is, Lord. She said, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. Then Jesus said to her, woman, you have great faith. Your request is granted. And her daughter was healed at that moment. I want you to see perseverance pays off. [00:14:06] I am not very smart. I'm just very determined and stubborn. But it's not my strength. It's God's strength. [00:14:13] I can't tell you I have the ability to hold steady. I can't tell you. I have the fortitude. I can tell you this Though in the times when I haven't, God carried me. And God can carry you in the midst of every opposition that you're facing. Here's the secret. Plot on, plot on, plot on and believe God for the victory. The secret is this, holding on to God as he holds onto you. I think of Jacob, who wrestled with both God and man, but overcame. You are going to wrestle with man, you're going to wrestle with people, and sometimes you don't even know you're wrestling with God, holding you in the purposes and the plans that he has for your life. Jacob wrestled with God and he didn't even know it. But at the end of the day, God held him. But he said, look, I will not let go of you, God. I know we're wrestling here. We're man and God, but I will not let go until you bless me. [00:15:05] There's a secret in that. [00:15:08] Of course his hip was touched. [00:15:10] He walked with a limp. You heard the saying, of course. Never trust any leader that doesn't walk with a limp. [00:15:17] Little bit of limp's a good thing. When it's their strength, you're all in trouble. When it's God's strength and God's faithfulness and they're seeking after the Lord, then there's hope. Amen. And so we're always dependent on God. Man's greatest desire is to be comfortable, but God's greatest desire is this. You will find me in your need. And if you seek me with all your heart, you will find me and I will help you. And we will grow together and know each other. You only get to know God in the wrestling and not quitting. [00:15:50] Everything was against this woman. In addition to her physical circumstances, she experienced a series of obstacles as she comes to Jesus that threatened to discourage her even more. Like an athlete running the 100 meter hurdle, she has to jump over several additional obstacles in order to reach the finish line and receive the blessing from Jesus. Jesus refuses to answer her when she comes. [00:16:15] We're all going to be in times where we feel like God is not answering. [00:16:20] She could have taken offense at God. [00:16:24] And sometimes we can if God doesn't seem to be speaking to us. [00:16:29] You know, I always say more people go down from offense and discouragement than any kind of immorality, any kind of stealing, any kind of anything else, any kind of marriage issues. More people in the ministry go down from being discouraged than from all those things. You just don't hear about them. They kind of drift off into the ba. Into the background. [00:16:51] But she refused to be Offended or take offense with God. The disciples falsely assume his silence was rejection. So they tried to make her go away. [00:17:02] People sometimes counsel you falsely. Job's comforters, you know, you're in the middle of it. But she refused even to let that. You could not exactly call the disciples here, the hospitality team, you know, it amazes me. I think it's great what we do to welcome people in. It's great. [00:17:20] You couldn't exactly call the disciples. They hadn't been to the latest church growth seminar. You know what I'm saying? You know, they. They're. They're right in the middle of it. Then Jesus told her that his blessings were intended for the Jews. [00:17:31] It was. This was not. If that was not discouraging enough, it's kind of an ethnic issue there. She was a Canaanite. You were born on the Rhine, wrong side of the tracks, the wrong tribe, the wrong way, the wrong everything. You weren't privileged. And so he's saying to her here, you know, am I going to give you what was intended for the Jews? It's really where she comes from ethnically and in every way. [00:17:57] But she would not be discouraged. [00:18:00] Years ago, we were having a meal with Cheryl's parents, Bernard and Sharon. And her kids were just little at that time. [00:18:07] And two of the girls were whining and by, why do you let her do that? Why does she get to do that? And I'm sitting on the other side of the table, and I said, because I love her more. [00:18:19] And Sharon Evans almost dropped the pitcher of water as only Sharon can, you know, when I said it. But sometimes we think that about God when it comes to the challenges that we're facing. [00:18:30] God says anyone that comes to him must believe that he exists, and he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. That's the only ascot. That's the only thing where it's different. But he also says that the scripture says that he is no respecter of persons. [00:18:47] So when you're going through something, it's not that God's against you, God is for you. But I'm telling you right now, there's a wrestling at times, and sometimes you're the problem. Sometimes I've wrestled with God, and the problem wasn't the problem. The problem was me. [00:19:03] If God had to deal with my heart, my attitude. I want you to know something. I was born in Ireland, and I'm stubborn. I know none of you are. [00:19:11] But there were times where I thought I knew what should be and what. See this? See the Way it goes like that. And what should happen, we were having an arm wrestle. But I thank God for the many times he did not let me go. [00:19:26] And the times were by his grace and revelation, I was able to let go of what I thought should be for my life. [00:19:33] I remember years ago, Chester Gretz. [00:19:37] Chester Gretz didn't know what to think of me because I was dating Cheryl Evans. And he thought no one was good enough for Cheryl Evans. Tim, he went through the same thing with Danuta, right? Nobody was good enough for Danuta because brother Jester Gretz brought Danuta all the way from Poland. And along comes this villain, Tim Case. You know what I'm saying? Now, he was right about Tim, not about me, but anyhow. [00:19:59] And so. But brother Gretz had this thing about me and I get this phone call that brother Gretz is not doing well and he wants to see me. I said, he wants to see me. Oh, boy, this is not going to be good. So I go down and literally he says to me, he goes, phil, you know, there are many times I would have chosen a way for my life. [00:20:16] He sung this old song, and I don't know him, but it's not what I would choose, but it's what he would choose. And I remember sitting there going, oh, my Lord. [00:20:25] The next day he passed away. That's so. Don't have me visit the sick, okay? The next day. The next day he literally passed away. But that was a word. [00:20:36] Not what I would choose, but what you would choose. And sometimes we wrestle with God. [00:20:42] The canine woman was probably a single woman. Sorry, single woman, single mom. [00:20:47] She was a foreigner, not Jewish. Jesus hits her hard here with every insecurity she could possibly face. [00:20:56] The enemy will use your insecurities to take you out. [00:21:03] You're not good enough. You're not smart enough. [00:21:06] You're not from the right tribe, not from the right background. [00:21:09] You're not intelligent. [00:21:12] You don't have the skill set. [00:21:14] So the problem with all that is the kingdom of God is not built on the stone of Egypt. [00:21:22] It's built on the principles of God. [00:21:26] Sometimes we get into human strength too much. I'm all for talent and gift, and God uses our gifts and talents. I'll study everything you got. I've done all that and I still do all that. All that's important. But at the end of the day, what we are and what the kingdom of God is more supernatural than natural. Come on. [00:21:45] So we can get into the fact. Well, I don't have the natural gifts. [00:21:51] Let me tell you something God will give you people who have the natural gifts. I'm so grateful for the team I have around me at the old fellowship. [00:22:00] There are gifts that I have, but there are gifts I do not have. And I thank God for those around me. God will help you. You all don't know Jonathan Bowden. [00:22:10] Jonathan Bowden is the new Global Missions Director at Elam Fellowship. 15 years in Niger. [00:22:17] How in the world did he find his way to Elam Fellowship with his family to become the Global Director of Elam Fellowship? It's because I'm so good looking. [00:22:30] Why is Eric Peoples laughing the loudest about that? That's what I want to know right now. [00:22:36] God is faithful. You be faithful. I'm not. It's not my faithfulness even. But you be faithful to the best of your ability and the grace of God will cover you in what you're doing. Amen. [00:22:48] Hallelujah. [00:22:50] And he calls her a dog. Some commentators actually point out that the word Jesus used was the term for a pet dog, not a mangy dog that lived at the garbage dump. But don't assume the term is compliant as a compliment. I just want, you know, you tell your wife your look like a dog, but I am in a golden retriever. Just see how well that goes over. No, he called her a dog. And not a nice comment. Her circumstances, the response of Jesus and the rebuke of the disciples contribute to the discouragement she is already experiencing as Satan attacks her and her daughter. Everyone against her. Not right to give bread to dogs. She is a dog. She is racially rejected because she is a canine. But in every way she refused to be offended. She pressed into God nothing, no one, no thing, no insecurity, no offenses would stop her from pressing into God to get the victory for her daughter. Let me tell you something. And it's just not about you. It's about your children and the generations to come. [00:23:56] You affect them by your decision to quit. Don't quit. Press in because the generations will rise up and call you blessed. [00:24:05] I got four daughters. [00:24:08] They're all serving God. They say it's the Evans blood, not the McNeil blood, but we won't go down there. [00:24:14] But they watch mom and dad. Not perfect, but mom and dad didn't quit. [00:24:19] And they don't quit. And your kids won't quit if you don't quit. You see, it's not about you. [00:24:25] It's about your children and the next generation. Not just your children, the children that will come across your children for the kingdom and the purpose of God. You don't understand why that you. That's why the enemy wants you out. [00:24:37] He wants to kill the generations. [00:24:40] And so you gotta understand your behavior. You're quitting. And if you've done it, God can redeem what the locusts have devoured. [00:24:47] So don't be condemned if you've done. I'm telling you, it's a new day for you. Step up in faith, be faithful, and see God bring you through. And let him open the right door for you. Don't shrink back. [00:24:57] We are not of those who shrink back. Press forward. And I'm going to tell you, it wasn't that I was strong or gifted or talented. I'm telling you, I am absolute. Ask my wife. I'm an absolute picture of the grace of God. And I'm not all that. I'm not trying to use myself as the example, but I'm just saying in my own life, I know God. Anything I am is by the absolute grace of God. [00:25:17] She did not get offended. She stayed humble. Pride will always cause you to stumble. Nobody treats me that way. Okay. [00:25:24] Yeah, you don't know who you are. [00:25:27] Once you know who you are in Christ, which is nothing except for him, then you can't be offended. [00:25:32] Go ahead, take your best shot. [00:25:34] I know who I am in God. And I'm not saying me. I'm telling you, know who you are in God. [00:25:39] Pride will rob you of your miracle. Life in God is not always understandable. A characteristic that contributes to her deliverance is her humility. My wife is coined the phrase. She's trying to get me to memorize it. Humility will save you. [00:25:57] Humility will save you. Why is Eric laughing so loud? Humility will save you. [00:26:04] It will. [00:26:06] We should never confuse humility with weakness. [00:26:09] This mother is a courageous warrior fighting for her child. But she humbly submits to the Lord of the Universe. She would not let pride take her right, pride take her out. Pride would have been offended by the dog comment. Pride would have returned, turned insult for insult. And pride would have gone away empty. The Bible says God rejects the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. Staying humble even when it seems that God has rejected you, even when you do not understand. Though you slay me, I will trust you. [00:26:43] You know, Jesus went through things. [00:26:46] There's a story in Matthew 14 of John the Baptist being beheaded. [00:26:51] Now, Herod had arrested. This is. You can look it up later. Matthew 14. [00:26:55] Now, Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison. Because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For John had been saying to him, it is not lawful for you to have her. Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people because they considered John a prophet. So John is telling him, you can't marry your brother's wife and he's thrown in jail for it. [00:27:14] On Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, give me here on a platter, the head of John the Baptist. The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl who carried it to her mother. John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus, the guy's standing for righteousness and he gets beheaded. [00:27:53] There are things that will happen to you in ministry at times that don't seem right, unfair, unjust, un understandable. [00:28:03] And those are the times too, where you still have to say, God, I don't understand, but I'm with you. I'm not going anywhere. Where else can I go? Lord, only you have the words of life here. This guy is standing for what's right and he's beheaded. [00:28:16] We read on when Jesus is feeding the 5,000. When Jesus heard what had happened to John, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sicks. Their sick. [00:28:38] Jesus finds out about this. [00:28:40] There's two ways of looking this through John in Jesus eyes. John speaking against the immorality of Herod, being with his brother's wife. John sitting in prison for what was right. [00:28:50] According to the Synoptic Gospels. Herod, who was a tetrarch or sub king of Galilee under the Roman Empire, had imprisoned John the Baptist because he reproved Herod for divorcing his wife and unlawfully taken Aurelius, the wife of his brother Philip. John also might have thought that Jesus would bail him out of prison. [00:29:10] His buddy, his friend, he was the baptizer of Jesus. [00:29:16] He leapt in. Was it Elizabeth's womb? There's a very strong chance that Jesus and John the Baptist knew each other growing up. They were friends and he could have been sitting in prison. Said, Jesus will bail me out. [00:29:34] May have watched the axe being sharpened. He was beheaded God, why did you not bail me out? There are times when we want God to bail us out of things, but when he doesn't, we must find grace and not take offense. [00:29:50] When Jesus heard, even he was challenged. It says he went to a solitary place. Jesus may have been mourning John, the baptized, baptized Jesus. You have to assume again, there was relationships, there was friends. The human side of Jesus could allow offense to enter in. The crowds followed him. Even in the news of John the Baptist, Jesus still had compassion. He did not get offended and bitter. [00:30:16] Even Jesus had to go to a solitary place and find God in the midst. He's something he did not understand. [00:30:26] But his compassion for the crowd, his love for people, drove him. [00:30:33] Now, that's not maybe the best word, drove. We don't want to be driven, but everything we do in the kingdom has to be based on love. [00:30:44] If you look at 1 Corinthians 12, you'll see it gives the gifts of the Spirit. Then it goes into the love chapter, and then it goes into prophecy and says, let me show you the most excellent way. [00:30:54] The most excellent way in anything we do in ministry is not position or pride or esteem. It's always based in love. And the word there is agape, which means to lay your life down. [00:31:06] So when it comes to ministry, our motivation isn't about prestige, power or respect. Our motivation is loving God and loving people and loving the nations. [00:31:16] Go into all the world and preach the gospel. And I know that seems a little hard, but all of us will face something in life that's so hard to understand. [00:31:25] And we have to find God in the midst of it and realize that he is with us even in the things we do not understand. [00:31:36] You get a doctor's report, But Jesus sets the example for us. [00:31:47] Humility will keep you from getting offended at God, keeps you from offense. [00:31:54] Sometimes when we serve God, we can feel like he owes us. This is what I get for serving you. [00:32:00] The Canaanite woman, though, refused to be offended at God. [00:32:04] It can be very easy to take offense to God. She realized, though, that her only hope for a daughter was to be in God. [00:32:10] She was called a dog, not a Jewish biased, because she was a Canaanite based not on who she was, but not on based on not who she was, but on who he was. [00:32:22] It did not matter her heritage or lineage or past or present. Whatever her hope was based on the source, God she knew. Crumbs from God have power. [00:32:32] You can go down to Walmart and buy a baseball for $3. But if it's been hit or thrown by Hank Aaron. It's worth thousands. Because it's not about the baseball. It's the source behind it. And God is our source. And she knew it. [00:32:47] She knew her source. She refused to let the unfairness of her gender, nationality, sick child, disciples rejection, seemingly even Jesus rejection, keep her from her miracle. She would not be denied. [00:33:01] She knew. She got offended with God and walked away. She would not get her daughter healed. Oh my gosh. [00:33:10] You gotta always see down the road. [00:33:16] What does it mean if you leave your ministry? [00:33:20] What people will be affected? [00:33:24] What generations will be affected? [00:33:27] What families will be affected? [00:33:30] What nations will be affected? What leaders won't be raised up? [00:33:38] What will be the effect? See, it's not exactly the best movie, but it's been just been Christmas. And what's that movie with a guy gets his wings? [00:33:49] Wonderful Life. I'll tell you, I'm sick of that wonderful movie every Christmas. [00:33:55] It's a ridiculous illustration, but it's true. You don't know the impact of your daily faithfulness and how many people are watching you in the midst of your trial, of your beheading, of the things that are going on around you. [00:34:11] But you will not stop. Because where else can you go? Because you have the words of life. [00:34:16] And I know you can say, Pastor Phil, thank you for this wonderful faith built word. [00:34:23] I'm dealing with leaders here. [00:34:25] I'm dealing with people who are leaders but are still human beings. [00:34:29] And I'm telling you it's not that you don't have the right at times to feel the way you feel, but do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. Amen. Can we stand together? [00:34:44] Thank you for joining us on another episode of the well An Elam Fellowship Leadership podcast. [00:34:50] If you like this episode, be sure to like and subscribe and share it with a friend. [00:34:55] We'll see you next week.