Full Transcript for A.P.B.

you know where they are? 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:39.360 Yeah, Pastor Norton, no problem. 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:40.399 They were out of town today. 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:42.720 They said they'd be back today, or whatever the case may be. 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:44.959 Some of y'all are gonna you will remember this. 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:46.959 A lot of y'all will not remember this. 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:49.680 Do you remember Rolodexus? 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:53.519 Look at you old people in here. 00:04:53.759 --> 00:04:57.680 Now, it's interesting that not one hand in this section went up. 00:04:58.319 --> 00:04:59.040 Or over here. 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:00.240 Rolodexes. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:02.639 Well, let me educate you people here, okay? 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:04.240 Rolodexes. 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:12.480 Used to be a thing, it's called a Rolodex, and it had like a handle on the side, and it had little cards in it, like this. 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:14.240 And they were connected at the middle. 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:21.600 And you would have people's name and their address and their phone number if they were married or they had kids, whatever. 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:25.439 All that would build a little bitty card on your Rolodex. 00:05:25.920 --> 00:05:31.120 And you could roll that card and uh go to the next one, go to the next one, go to the next one. 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:31.759 Remember, States? 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:33.600 You're you're old enough to remember that. 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:39.600 But anyway, internette Rolodex, and you could go through your Rolodex and find people. 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:44.160 I remember we used to do back in the day, man, this is back like 1984. 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:46.720 Some of y'all weren't even born in 1984. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:54.319 1984, and I was in charge of enlisting people for the church that I was pastoring in or working in in Panama City. 00:05:54.480 --> 00:06:02.000 We used to have people that would come to the office, I'd get four or five leaders, and we'd sit down in my office and we would talk about people. 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:08.319 What I mean by that is I'd go through the Rolodex and I'd say, Mr. 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:08.959 and Mrs. 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:11.279 Johnson, they live on such a. 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:12.639 Does anybody know them? 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:14.800 Does anybody know if they're serving anywhere? 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:17.279 Oh, yeah, Pastor, they work in children's ministry. 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:17.759 Awesome, good. 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:18.639 Let's go to the next one. 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:20.319 And we'd go through that Rolodex. 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:29.360 And what we were trying to do, we're trying to identify people if they were coming faithfully, if they were here, if they were serving, and we would use that Rolodex. 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:37.360 Well, now, of course, you got you got computers, you got databases, you got all

that, so we can keep we can keep up with people like that. 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:56.000 Our goal as a church, our goal as a church to make sure that we are helping people to find their place in the church so that you are connected to God, that you're connected to one another, and that you are connected to a lost world. 00:06:56.079 --> 00:06:57.199 That's what we do here. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:06:59.360 That's what those three waves mean. 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:07.040 On Wednesday night, we're doing a we're doing a uh some lessons on our church values. 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:10.480 If you've been missing Wednesday night, man, it's been really good. 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:12.399 I'm talking about really good. 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:17.439 Lance Green, who is our Molino pastor, he preached the first Wednesday night. 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:21.600 And he preached on the value of loving God, how important that is. 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:25.839 And then last Wednesday night, Jason Daly preached. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:28.800 He is the campus pastor at Beulah. 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:30.319 And uh he preached last Wednesday night. 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:31.839 Man, did a fantastic job. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:35.120 This coming Wednesday night, right here, Jeremy Daly. 00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:35.920 Remember him? 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:37.279 Y'all remember Jeremy? 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:42.240 Jeremy is now the campus pastor out at uh at North Pace. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:45.360 And so he's gonna be preaching this coming Wednesday night. 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:47.839 He's gonna be talking about excellence in ministry. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:53.040 One of our values here is doing things to the best that we can for Jesus. 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:55.920 You know, whatever we do for Jesus, he deserves our best, right? 00:07:56.079 --> 00:08:01.839 So we're gonna talk about excellence in ministry and reaching people with excellence and connecting people with excellence and so forth. 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:02.959 So he's gonna be talking about that. 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:03.759 You ought to come. 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:04.959 It's open to everybody. 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:06.079 We want everybody here. 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:17.439 And then the next Wednesday night after that, I'm gonna be speaking on joy and uh serving the Lord with joy and what makes what makes it joyful to be a part of uh of serving God. 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:18.560 And I'm gonna talk about that. 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:44.559 So every Wednesday night, and what we're trying to do is we're trying to get our values established so that as we connect people to God, to one another, to a lost world, we're making sure that we are connecting people and keeping up with people so that we can know how people are attending, how they are serving, how they are uh giving, how they are growing. 00:08:44.720 --> 00:09:07.200 You know, one of the things that we're really focusing on now is getting people to serve in ministry, not just do stuff, not just work, serve, but we're trying to get people to get involved in serving so that they are growing in their spiritual life while they are learning how to serve. 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:37.919 In other words, we're gonna have, if you sign up to serve in our church, we're gonna have people that will work with you, help you to know what to do, how to serve, but also while we do what we do, and to help you grow in your spiritual life so that serving in the church is not just a job, but it's a ministry for God where you can grow and develop in your life, be more connected and serving and helping people and giving and so forth. 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:39.279 So we're doing that right now. 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:42.080 And we're putting a process in place. 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:44.960 And over the next six months, you'll hear a lot about this. 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:48.879 Now, when I came here in 1991, I put a process in place. 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:53.679 It was just me and one other one other staff member, but I we put a process in place. 00:09:53.840 --> 00:10:02.960 We had 63 people, we taught those 63 what needed to be done to grow this congregation and to reach people and to see people serve and to grow in their spiritual life. 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:03.679 And we did that. 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:05.120 But you think about this. 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:14.320 As the church grows and expands, you have to expand your process of helping people. 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:18.240 So now we have church family everywhere. 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:23.679 You know, we got y'all, but you know, that was a bunch of people here that were in the first service. 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:25.840 You don't have any idea who they are. 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:29.039 They're the first service people, but you know, y'all are my favorite. 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:29.919 Y'all know that, right? 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:30.639 Y'all know that. 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:31.279 Everybody knows that. 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:31.919 Everybody knows that. 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:34.080 Second service people, you're my favorite people. 00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:56.879 You know, I told the first service they were my favorite people, so anyway, but anyway, there's first service people, there's second service people, there's people that are over there in the children's wing right now, there's people that are in small groups, there's people that are at Molino, there's people that are Beulah, there's people that are North Pace, there's people that are watching online, there's people that we have helped start churches all over the world. 00:10:57.440 --> 00:10:58.240 Think about it. 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:04.559 Our family, our Marcus Point family has expanded dramatically. 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:20.559 Therefore, we need to continue to keep expanding our process to make sure that we're helping people be connected and grow in their spiritual life so that we can

continue to reach out and reach more people. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:25.519 No, our deacon body right now is expanding. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:28.960 We're adding deacons at all of our campuses. 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:33.200 They're gonna be a part of this connecting people at the campuses. 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:36.399 We're adding uh five or six or seven deacons here. 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:39.200 You'll be hearing those names here pretty soon. 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:49.840 And that's gonna be happening here because those deacons are helping hold people accountable and working with me and working with our staff to in this process of helping people. 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:59.039 So when I talk about all points bulletin, I'm saying there are people that are missing. 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:05.600 And they may be missing because they're on vacation, they may be missing for other reasons. 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:18.080 So we want to find out what's going on with those people, and we want to help them come back or be back where they should be or could be or need to be so they can be growing in their spiritual life. 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:19.840 Now let me give you some scripture on this. 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:25.039 It's right there in the Bible, James chapter 5, verse 19 and 20. 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:27.600 James 5, 19 and 20. 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:43.360 And James, who was the one of the first pastors, early pastors in the church, in the beginning of the church, God spoke to him and through him and had him write these words down to the church. 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:44.559 Look what it says. 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:51.039 James wrote, brethren, this is James 5, verse 19, brethren, make a note of that word. 00:12:51.279 --> 00:13:16.639 If any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him, or help him be where he needs to be, or bring him back, and let him know that that which converteth that person that is drifted in their life from the error of their way, you are saving that soul could be from spiritual death, and it also shall hide a multitude of sins. 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:20.799 In other words, their life can be put back in order. 00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:28.799 James says in these two verses that what we're talking about this morning is real in the church. 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:29.919 Write this down. 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:42.399 James was addressing the church when he said in verse number 19 to the church, go and find those that have erred from the truth. 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:45.039 He was talking to church people. 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:47.120 He was talking to the family of God. 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:48.879 He wasn't talking to unsaved people. 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:50.879 He used the word brethren. 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:53.360 The very first word there says brethren. 00:13:53.519 --> 00:14:02.559 That word brethren means people that were saved, people that had been baptized, people that had joined the church, people that were involved, people that were connected. 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:18.320 He says to those of you that are where you should be, I want you to know you need to be alert, you need to be on notice that there are people that have drifted, that have gotten away, they've gotten off track, they're not where they should be. 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:22.879 Some of them may not be saved, some of them may be spiritually lost. 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:27.200 Some of them may be saved, but they've just drifted from where they used to be. 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:28.240 You know anybody like that? 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:29.759 Have you ever seen anybody like that? 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:36.559 For some reason or another, they just kind of drifted away and they're not where they once were. 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:40.720 They may be saved, but they may have lost their connection. 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:42.320 Maybe they're not serving. 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:45.440 Maybe they're not being all that they could be. 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:58.240 So he says, James says, they have strayed from the truth, they have wandered off, and we as a church family, it is our role to go and help find these people. 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:05.120 Now there are a lot of people in a church like ours that are loosely connected. 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:07.519 They're loosely connected. 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:14.000 Meaning, come to church, and uh, you know, two out of four Sundays show up. 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:16.000 Just loosely connected. 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:30.240 Not really involved, don't really uh know a lot of people in the church, uh, have not gotten in a small group, uh, certainly not really serving anywhere in the church, just kind of loosely connected. 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:40.399 Our goal, our desire is for people that are loosely connected, we want to see you become connected. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:44.159 We want to see you get in a small group. 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:46.960 We had a hundred and something small groups. 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:50.080 You say, preacher, I just can't find a small group. 00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:52.240 Are you looking? 00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:59.679 If you try, because we got a hundred, we're our goal is by the end of the year to have 150 small groups. 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:05.759 150 small groups, Beulah, Molino, North Pace, right here, Pensacola, 150 adult small groups. 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:10.080 So we want to, if you're loosely connected, we'd love to see you get into a small group. 00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:15.279 Another thing that we're doing is we're trying to try to find places where you can serve. 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:16.879 Here's what I've learned. 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:20.960 I've learned that serving people are growing people. 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:29.360 If you get involved and you serve and you start trying to help other people, you know what? 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:30.639 It helps you. 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:32.240 It helps you.

00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:43.440 I had a lot of people sign up to teach in children's ministry, and they said, Pastor, I didn't realize how much I was going to grow by being a teacher in the children's ministry. 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:44.080 Why? 00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:52.559 Because you got to study, you got to read the word, you got to think about how you can how you can uh communicate those truths to children. 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:55.039 Same thing happens in adult ministry. 00:16:55.120 --> 00:17:07.359 When we get people that become assistant teachers and they start listening and watching, and and they're they're assistant leaders in a group, and then they start being more involved in connecting other people, they get more connected. 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:20.319 So serving is a great way for you to make sure that you're being as connected and growing as you can be. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:28.559 I don't want you to be someone that strays or wanders off and loses your connection. 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:31.519 Now, why do people stray? 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:32.640 Well, thanks for asking. 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:36.000 Let me give you let me give you a few reasons why people stray. 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:36.799 Write these down. 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:40.400 Number one, some people stray because they get wounded. 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:43.440 Have you ever been wounded in the church? 00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:45.680 People get wounded. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:54.799 Some people get shot with the jealousy error, some people get shot with a bitterness error, some people get shot with, you know, whatever error, and they get wounded. 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:56.480 And they get hurt. 00:17:56.799 --> 00:18:01.759 They didn't like something was said, they didn't like the way something was presented, they get wounded. 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:05.920 And that wound begins to get really, really infected. 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:18.640 And if you're not careful, that wound can cause you to become astray, become a wanderer, and get off the right track of where you should be in your connection. 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:20.559 Have you ever been wounded? 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:22.799 Some people are wounded. 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:30.880 And we find out a lot of times we don't even, you know, I don't even know, and then somebody will call me and tell me, I someone stalked me in the hallway two weeks ago. 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:33.359 Tell me why this person got wounded. 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:36.079 I had no idea that they were wounded. 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:37.359 Think about this. 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:40.319 You know, there's a lot of reasons why people get wounded. 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:44.799 Sometimes they're big reasons, sometimes they're small, sometimes they're real, sometimes they're not real. 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:46.079 But it's true. 00:18:46.400 --> 00:18:47.839 People get wounded. 00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:53.519 If you're wounded, we want you to get

back connected, get you back on track. 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:54.880 Let me give you another reason. 00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:56.720 Some people get distracted. 00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:03.599 You know, people get distracted with good things that take them away from the best things. 00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:06.079 You ever known anybody like that? 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:15.519 I'm telling you, I've known people, man, faithful into God and faithful in church, and man, they're really, they're really involved, and then something happens and they get distracted. 00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:21.680 You buy a piece of property up in Alabama, and they lose, they got to go every weekend now. 00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:23.440 They got to go up there and plant them food plots. 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:25.279 Come on now, don't get mad at me. 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:29.839 I've seen it happen, and you can't find them, they're gone. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:31.119 They got what happened? 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:33.359 Is it wrong to have property in Alabama? 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:34.000 No. 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:37.519 I like it, it's good. 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:41.839 But you can get distracted by that. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:45.279 I could name a hundred thousand things, but you get the point. 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:51.920 A hundred thousand, that's maybe a little bit of an exaggeration, maybe not a hundred thousand, but I could name ten right now, I guarantee you that. 00:19:52.079 --> 00:20:02.640 But I promise you this some people get distracted, they get something in their life, and it's a good thing, not a bad thing, but that thing takes them away. 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:10.960 And where they used to be really, really involved, now they're not nearly as involved as they once were. 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:15.039 It can happen with kids, you know, kids get involved in stuff. 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:18.079 It can happen with, you know, with business, and you get to. 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:24.799 I'm just saying, some people they're they're not wounded, and they're not bad people, they just got distracted. 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:27.279 And so we need to send out an APB. 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:30.079 We need to find these people and we need to bring them back. 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:31.279 And then write this down. 00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:33.279 Some people are ashamed. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:35.759 Some people get ashamed. 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:41.279 I've had people tell me, Pastor, I just can't come back to church. 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:42.160 Why? 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:44.720 Well, there's too many people know the way I've been living. 00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:47.920 They've seen me and I just can't come back. 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:50.559 I I just don't want to I just don't want to come up there. 00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:55.920 People know that they saw me do this or they read this or whatever, and they just saw it on Facebook or whatever. 00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:57.039 I I

just can't come back. 00:20:57.119 --> 00:20:58.160 And they're ashamed. 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:00.079 Let me tell you something. 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:06.799 The worst thing to do is leave the place where you can find help. 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:15.119 If you've done something you ought not to do, don't leave the place where you can find help. 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:18.160 The best place to find help is right here. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:24.400 It's church, it's ministry, it's small group, it's it's here. 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:27.680 The best place is here. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:34.240 So don't leave the place where you can find help to get through what you've done. 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:41.680 Don't let that uh shame, don't let that shame separate you from your connection. 00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:43.759 But you know some people. 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:49.440 I know some people have done stuff that's not right, and they've drifted away. 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:54.400 And we need to we need to say, hey, look, we want you to come back. 00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:58.000 You belong here, we want you here. 00:21:58.240 --> 00:21:59.440 You're not an outcast. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:02.720 You gotta, you're, you're, you're, you're here, you're one of us. 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:04.000 Come on back. 00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:05.119 That's what James said. 00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:09.119 He said, Brethren, I'm telling you, you need to go after these people. 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:14.400 Then some people not only are ashamed, but they're just plain, mmm, write it down. 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:16.240 Backslidd. 00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:18.799 Now that's an old-timey word, isn't it? 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:22.400 We don't hear that word much in the church anymore, but you know what? 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:23.359 It's a good word. 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:24.559 What does it mean? 00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:36.000 Well, we don't believe that people, when they, when they when they start, when they get in the wrong kind of life, we don't believe that they're saved, that they, that they lose their salvation. 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:41.599 We don't believe they lose their salvation just because they've gotten involved in something. 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:42.160 No. 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:46.000 What happens is they get backslidden. 00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:50.720 They slide back from where they once were. 00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:53.119 They didn't lose God. 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:57.039 They just lost their connection with growth. 00:22:57.200 --> 00:22:59.279 They lost their connection with the church. 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:01.759 They lost their connection with living the right way. 00:23:01.839 --> 00:23:02.880 So, what do they need to do? 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:05.200 They need to slide back right. 00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:11.440 They backslid and now they're not living right, so they need to be helped to come back. 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:19.839 So, what we're trying to do is we're trying to find people that have backslidden and say, look, come on back. 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:25.279 Look, we know that maybe things have been tough in your life, you're not been living like you should. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:32.319 You need to come back, you need to get reconnected, you need to start living right, doing right again. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:39.440 Find that place where you'll be connected and growing and giving a part of the church. 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:46.640 So James said to the church, you need to go. 00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:48.880 Verse number 20, write this down. 00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:52.480 He not only addressed the church, but he admonished the church. 00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:55.279 He said, This is what you have to do. 00:23:55.519 --> 00:23:57.440 This is what you need to do. 00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:00.960 Now, I'm talking to us today. 00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:06.480 And James said, when we convert a sinner that is strayed, we do a good thing. 00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:11.759 So you need to think about who was on your pew that's not on your pew? 00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:16.319 Who is sitting next to you in church that's not sitting next to you anymore? 00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:21.039 Who do you know that used to be faithful? 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:23.920 Used to be involved, but they're not anymore. 00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:25.279 Listen to me. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:33.599 One pastor cannot keep up with all the church family that we have now scattered everywhere. 00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:34.720 You just can't do it. 00:24:35.039 --> 00:24:36.960 It's too, it's too many people. 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:40.400 27 pastors that we have, uh staff. 00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:44.640 We can't keep up with all the people that we have everywhere. 00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:45.519 Can't do it. 00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:49.920 You know, you think about the pastors that we have now, the associate pastors out at our campuses. 00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:52.880 They can't keep up with all their people, so what are we doing? 00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:56.400 We're trying to get a lot of people involved. 00:24:57.039 --> 00:24:58.000 Helping. 00:24:58.319 --> 00:25:06.960 Stay connected, getting people connected, getting people reconnected, getting people to come back, helping people find their way back. 00:25:07.119 --> 00:25:09.359 It takes all of us. 00:25:10.079 --> 00:25:10.880 All of us. 00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:14.640 Last Wednesday night we trained what we're calling coaches. 00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:18.799 And we have coaches now that are involved in helping in this connection process. 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:22.799 The week before that, we trained coordinators, and you're gonna hear these terms. 00:25:23.039 --> 00:25:34.160 Coordinators and coaches and group leaders, and you're gonna hear all these terms now for the next six months, because what we're doing is we're trying to get our whole church family involved. 00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:38.000 Right now we

have 742 volunteers in our church. 00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:44.720 And we, my goal is for us to find to have a thousand volunteers in our church. 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:47.519 That's here in all of our campuses. 00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:49.440 A thousand volunteers. 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:52.720 So we're looking at enlisting a lot of new people. 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:58.160 And you should seek out the opportunity to be involved. 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:04.240 You can be a helper, you can be a coach, you can be a leader, you can be a director, you can be a coordinator. 00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:06.880 There's a lot of things that you can do. 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:18.319 Find your place in being enlisted, in helping us find and keep up with people that get saved and join the church or whatever the case may be. 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:20.559 I have I have pastors call me all the time. 00:26:20.880 --> 00:26:25.680 And in pastor lingo, they ask this question Hey, what you running? 00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:27.599 Hey, what you running? 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:28.559 You know what that means? 00:26:28.799 --> 00:26:30.559 It means, hey, what's your attendance? 00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:31.920 That's what they're that's what they mean by it. 00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:33.039 Hey, what you running? 00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:38.480 Well, I usually say, well, I'm running about 8,000, but I'm only catching about 2,800 of them. 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:40.400 You know what? 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:47.839 We got a lot of people that we have on our roller decks. 00:26:48.319 --> 00:26:49.519 A lot of people. 00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:57.599 But a lot of them are not connected, they're not serving, they're not giving, they're not a part. 00:26:57.839 --> 00:27:10.960 So we want to help with those, we want you to be a part of that, getting connected yourself, and then we want you to be a part of helping us find those people and connect those people. 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:14.799 Now, let me give you this last scripture, and I'm not gonna preach it all, I'm just gonna give it to you. 00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:18.480 Luke chapter 15, verses 1 through 24. 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:20.880 Some of you will remember these verses right off. 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:26.720 In these verses, the Bible talks about three lost things. 00:27:27.599 --> 00:27:30.079 Three lost things. 00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:33.440 The first was a lost sheep. 00:27:33.599 --> 00:27:34.319 You remember? 00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:40.240 The Bible says that there were a hundred sheep, and one of them was lost. 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:46.880 So you got a hundred sheep, one of them got lost, wandered off, lost its way. 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:54.480 And the Bible says that the shepherd of the flock left the 90 and 9 and went after the one. 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:57.599 That shows to me the importance. 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:03.039 God shows the importance of us putting out that all points bulletin. 00:28:03.359 --> 00:28:10.480 We're man, we're looking for people that have wandered away from the flock, people that have gotten away, that are not as connected as they once were. 00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:15.200 And God says, you know, there's somebody out there that you need to find. 00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:18.000 There was a lost sheep for whatever reason. 00:28:18.160 --> 00:28:21.279 Now, he was a lost sheep, but he was a part of the flock. 00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:25.519 So in our way of thinking, he was a part of the church. 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:28.400 He's a part of the flock, but wandered off. 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:30.240 He was astray. 00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:38.960 And of course, the shepherd didn't want that sheep to get eaten by a wolf, hurt by a wolf, so he went after it. 00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:40.799 That's what God wants us to do. 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:47.920 He don't want these people that wander, he don't want them to be casualties and be lost, you know, and never come back. 00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:50.799 No, we got to go and find them. 00:28:51.359 --> 00:28:53.440 Just like the shepherd went and found that one. 00:28:53.519 --> 00:28:56.079 And the Bible says he put her on his shoulders and brought it back. 00:28:56.240 --> 00:29:01.119 And then the second thing that was lost, there was a lady that had a lost piece of silver. 00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:02.960 A lost piece of silver. 00:29:03.119 --> 00:29:04.400 And this is so interesting. 00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:12.640 If you read the story, it talks about how much that that lady, how important that piece of silver was to that lady. 00:29:12.720 --> 00:29:15.759 And it says that she swept that house out. 00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:19.359 I mean, she went into the corners and swept the dirt out of the corners. 00:29:19.519 --> 00:29:27.759 Can't you see her turning over the pillows on the sofa, trying to see if that piece of silver had fallen down in the what was she doing? 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:33.839 She was looking throughout that house to find that one lost piece of silver. 00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:34.160 Why? 00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:35.680 Because it's so valuable. 00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:37.759 Well, it's valuable to her. 00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:45.359 The Bible says that we as the church, we should go after those that are lost. 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:46.880 They are valuable. 00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:51.839 If they are lost, separated from God, they're valuable to God. 00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:54.319 God gave his one and only son for them. 00:29:54.480 --> 00:29:55.839 And we need to go find them. 00:29:56.000 --> 00:30:01.519 If they are saved but have drifted off and they're disconnected, we need to find them. 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:04.640 They're valuable to God, they're valuable to us. 00:30:05.119 --> 00:30:06.559 And we need to go and find them. 00:30:06.880 --> 00:30:08.960 The Bible says that lady, boy, she went everywhere. 00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:13.440 And when she found that piece of silver, she went and told all

the neighbors. 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:18.000 She was so excited that she had found that which was so valuable to her. 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:21.039 That says to you and me, man, it matters. 00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:22.160 It's important. 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:28.319 So when a sheep wanders off, we need to do what we can to find that sheep and bring them back. 00:30:28.559 --> 00:30:34.240 And when there's a valuable person, a soul that is lost, we need to do what we can. 00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:37.039 That's why we do Sportsman's Night Out. 00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:39.920 We don't do Sportsman's Night Out and just have a big night where we give up. 00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:45.279 You know, Sandy Sansing is giving away a car at the Sportsman's Night Out. 00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:46.160 Did y'all know that? 00:30:46.480 --> 00:30:48.799 A car, a brand new Chevrolet. 00:30:49.759 --> 00:30:54.559 A Paris Tractor is giving away a brand new tractor or a side-by-side. 00:30:54.640 --> 00:30:56.160 If you win, you get your choice. 00:30:56.400 --> 00:31:00.720 Pitton's Auto Triumph, they're giving away two leather packages or cash. 00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:03.039 Lots of cash. 00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:05.200 I mean, it's just incredible. 00:31:05.359 --> 00:31:07.440 We've got to hunt to Ohio. 00:31:07.519 --> 00:31:08.799 Why do we do this? 00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:12.880 Because we're trying to get people that maybe have been disconnected. 00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:22.880 We're trying to get them to come to an event where they can get back connected either to God or to a church, either our church or another church. 00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:30.640 It's all a part of the process of we're trying to get people that have either been, they're either lost or they've wandered off. 00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:31.519 We're trying to get them back. 00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:34.880 That's why we encourage you, you know, buy five tickets. 00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:37.200 Keep one for yourself and give four away. 00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:39.519 Or buy ten tickets and give them away. 00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:46.720 The whole goal is to try to find people that have wandered, they've gone astray, and to get them back. 00:31:46.880 --> 00:31:51.839 Well, the third, there was a piece, there was the sheep, there was the silver, and then there was the lost son. 00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:52.799 Remember that? 00:31:53.039 --> 00:31:53.599 Remember that? 00:31:53.759 --> 00:31:54.480 The lost son. 00:31:54.960 --> 00:31:59.200 The Bible says that that lost son went away into a far country. 00:31:59.519 --> 00:32:00.319 He left. 00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:01.839 He was lost. 00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:05.279 He was separated from the father. 00:32:05.680 --> 00:32:06.480 He was lost. 00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:08.799 And here's something interesting about this. 00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:10.400 Think with me about this. 00:32:11.119 --> 00:32:15.119 The first lost sheep, the shepherd went after it. 00:32:16.240 --> 00:32:19.200 The second thing that was lost, the piece of silver. 00:32:19.440 --> 00:32:23.440 Boy, that woman went all throughout the house, sweeping the house and trying to find. 00:32:23.680 --> 00:32:24.720 She looked everywhere. 00:32:24.880 --> 00:32:35.279 But you know, if you read the story of the lost son, the dad waited for the son to come back. 00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:37.279 Really? 00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:38.640 What does that mean? 00:32:39.359 --> 00:32:43.119 Why did he not go down there to the far country? 00:32:43.359 --> 00:32:45.039 Why did he not go after? 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:46.799 Well, let me tell you what I believe on that. 00:32:46.880 --> 00:32:48.400 I believe with that example is this. 00:32:48.559 --> 00:32:50.079 The first example is saying go. 00:32:50.319 --> 00:32:51.599 Second example is saying go. 00:32:51.759 --> 00:33:05.920 The third example says, make sure that you have a place that when someone that is lost wants to find their way back, they want to find help. 00:33:06.079 --> 00:33:10.640 Make sure that you have a place that they can come to. 00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:12.640 And know they'll be welcome. 00:33:13.519 --> 00:33:18.480 You read the story and you'll discover that that dad, he was sitting there watching. 00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:21.920 And he looked out and he saw coming down his driveway. 00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:23.839 At first he couldn't even tell who it was. 00:33:24.079 --> 00:33:25.039 It was so far away. 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:27.759 That guy looks bad. 00:33:28.480 --> 00:33:32.480 And then as he got closer, he realized it was his son. 00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:36.079 And his son's clothes were all tattered torn. 00:33:36.559 --> 00:33:38.319 He had his shoes on his feet. 00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:40.160 He lost all of his money. 00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:42.720 His life was a mess. 00:33:43.279 --> 00:33:47.200 And the Bible says that the dad watched as that son got closer. 00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:48.400 And then he did this. 00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:54.960 When he got close enough that he could help him, he jumped off that front porch, jumped out of that rocking chair. 00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:56.559 I guess he had a rocking chair. 00:33:56.640 --> 00:34:06.160 But he jumped off that rocking chair, he jumped off that porch, and he ran to meet that disconnected, lost son. 00:34:06.799 --> 00:34:16.159 You see, that son knew where he could go to find his connection back to the Father. 00:34:16.480 --> 00:34:31.280 We always want to be a church that is the kind of church where people can come and know they can find a connection to God and to one another as well. 00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:44.480 We want to make sure that our place is a place that is open and looking for people and helping people find their way back to a connection. 00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:48.719 So today, all points bulletin. 00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:51.679 I don't know everybody that's missing. 00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:53.199 It's impossible for me to keep up. 00:34:53.360 --> 00:34:56.000 But you know somebody that's drifted. 00:34:56.239 --> 00:34:58.800 You know somebody that's gotten off the beaten. 00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:00.400 You know somebody that's lost. 00:35:00.639 --> 00:35:01.599 They don't know Jesus. 00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:03.039 You know somebody like that. 00:35:03.280 --> 00:35:04.320 What can we do? 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:26.239 All of us can do what we can do to help find those people and bring them back and hopefully get their life back either saved, connected to God and into personal salvation, or maybe get back on the right track, or maybe come back from their backslidden condition. 00:35:26.320 --> 00:35:35.840 But all of us as the church are admonished by the word of God to go and find those that have drifted and bring them back. 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:37.360 So who you know? 00:35:38.800 --> 00:35:39.599 Who you know? 00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:41.199 You know somebody. 00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:44.880 Let's all of us determine. 00:35:46.400 --> 00:35:47.360 We'll do our part. 00:35:47.519 --> 00:35:49.119 First of all, we'll get involved. 00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:50.880 We'll get connected. 00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:52.639 We'll start growing. 00:35:52.800 --> 00:36:02.000 And then as we serve and as we grow and we're connected in a small group, then we can affect these others that need to find the same thing that we have found. 00:36:02.079 --> 00:36:04.800 So I'm encouraging you, you get connected first. 00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:14.960 Thanks for tuning into To the Point with Pastor Godfrey. 00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:20.320 We hope today's message encouraged you and gave you something to think about as you go through your week. 00:36:20.559 --> 00:36:26.559 If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to hit that subscribe button and share it with someone who might need to hear it. 00:36:26.719 --> 00:36:36.239 You can stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and find out more about what's happening at Marcus Point by visiting PensacolaChurch.org. 00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:37.840 We'd love to hear from you. 00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:41.599 Share your thoughts, questions, or prayer requests. 00:36:41.760 --> 00:36:43.840 Let's keep the conversation going. 00:36:44.239 --> 00:36:49.199 Have a great week, and remember, God's got something amazing in store for you. 00:36:49.440 --> 00:36:50.880 See you next time.