Grace Haven Church

0:00 So tonight I'm going to continue with a series I started and it's called What's Your Advantage?

0:07 What's Your Advantage?

0:09 And I just think we've got to remind ourselves when God gets involved in our lives, we might feel we're disadvantaged.

0:19 Maybe you've come from another nation living in Germany, you've called it home and you want to move your life forward here but you feel like you're disadvantaged because you can't speak the language.

0:32 Who said that's true?

0:37 I completely understand.

0:42 Often we feel disadvantaged and we can let it get on top of us and we can let it cause us to pull back in life and yet when God gets involved and if you ever read the Bible, if you ever get chance to open it up and to start to read through it, you'll find that time and time again God is the God who takes disadvantaged people and he turns the disadvantaged into absolute advantage.

1:07 Just one story that is about disadvantage becoming advantage is the story of David and Goliath.

1:14 David was a young skinny little boy and he was fighting in a battle against a huge giant.

1:22 The giant had armor and spears and military trained and fierce and mighty and so David looked disadvantaged.

1:31 He had no armor, he had a little stone and a sling, a little stone and a sling against the might and the fierceness of one of the mightiest warriors the Philistines had.

1:44 His name was Goliath and so when they stood face to face it looked like David was disadvantaged and it looked like Goliath was advantaged.

1:55 It looked like he had the upper hand and it kind of I guess if you want to turn it into a more up-to -date one you could look at the World Cup and say Croatia and France.

2:05 No one responding okay.

2:07 I was hoping for Croatia because they've never done it but never mind they'll have to go back and figure it all out again like the Germans,

2:18 like the English, like the Swiss, like all of the teams,

2:26 like the Colombians but I want you to think about this disadvantage.

2:36 Everything that was considered David's disadvantage,

2:41 God turned it around and used it as his advantage.

2:48 David had no armor, Goliath had lots of armor and so what happened in this situation is David because he had no armor he was quick to move.

2:59 Goliath had lots of armor, he was slow to move.

3:03 All David had was a sling and a stone and maybe you're here tonight and you don't have much in life all you got is a sling and a stone but you got to remember we're talking about God who takes disadvantaged people, little things, small things, don't have much going for me, not really cool enough, good looking enough, smart enough, intelligent enough but God gets a hold of people that feel like they're disadvantaged and

3:27 he turns it around and he does only what he can do and I want to talk to you tonight about the power of understanding your advantage.

3:37 You have an advantage and advantage is simply this.

3:41 What are you willing to do that no one else is willing to do?

3:46 Already you will be an advantage and

3:53 so these are the things that I want to share with you tonight just simply understanding and there's a great verse in Matthew chapter seven it's in the gospel of Matthew chapter seven it says here is a simple rule of thumb, a guide of behavior.

4:06 Jesus is speaking and he says ask yourself what do you want people to do for you then take the advantage and do it for them add all of God's law and profits and this is what you get in other words what do you want people to do for you then take the advantage and do it for them we seem to I don't know live in a way that we kind of want everyone

4:31 to do it for us first we want them to initiate want someone else to do it and God's trying to help us understand listen you may not feel like you got a lot you might not you all you probably a stone and a sling but with me watch where I can put that stone with me watch how I can help you turn your disadvantage into an advantage and I'm just saying tonight for all of us in the room there's probably something that

4:56 we would consider a disadvantage and I'm encouraging you tonight to see it the way God sees it and what you're talking down God wants to talk up what you're pulling down God wants to lift up what you're saying is too small God is saying perfect I love small beginnings

5:14 is there any faith in the room tonight is there any believers in the room tonight well think about what is it that you keep pulling down that God wants to keep lifting up I'm not smart enough I'm not big enough I'm not tall enough everyone else to be a better designer I'm not really that good everyone else seems to be better at drawing I'm not that good and everyone else seems to sing and

5:39 I can't sing and I guess there's no hope for me and I don't know I can't even dance but

5:51 I want you to know that

5:56 God takes these things that we pull down and he says I'm going to lift that up he can take someone who lacks confidence and help them to navigate and get to a place where oh my goodness it had to be God maybe you feel like you're too shy and at school you're the last person to step up you're the last person to step up and do things and you always want to hide and you always want to pull back and I don't know what it

6:21 is about your story that causes you to do that but God can take a shy person and turn him into someone that is absolutely confident to the glory of God and you've got to let his spirit work in you you've got to understand God is a God of the advantage he takes disadvantaged people and he helps them to see it differently it's about a new mentality it's about thinking differently seeing things differently and

6:46 so these are the things he says take the advantage and do it and our faith is a doing faith if you're a believer in this room tonight and you put your faith and your trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior you're not called to sit and do nothing you're called to do you're called to rise up you're called to move forward you're called to absolutely be proactive with your faith there's nothing passive about Christianity

7:12 there is nothing passive about a believer a follower of Jesus you're moving forward maybe it's slow but you're moving forward you're getting water baptized you're getting filled with the Holy Spirit you're running to the house of God you're getting a new Bible you're writing in there you're highlighting everything because you're just like wow wow wow wow anybody like that in this place

7:37 man I found out I got a Bible I got a highlighter and I read some Bible verses and I'm like oh my goodness and I highlighted the whole chapter

7:45 and then I had to start again and get a different highlighter to highlight the words within the highlight

7:53 but you're moving forward I can't sing but I joined the choir they let me in

8:00 it's ridiculous you're not called to be a passive believer you're called to be active proactive moving forward stepping out trusting God why do you need God if you're not going to step out listen you don't need God to sit on a sea you don't need God to do nothing to do something you need God and to do something that is

8:26 extraordinary I pray tonight that there's inside of people in this room a kind of dream that you need God to see that dream fulfilled a God honoring dream a culture defying dream a heaven grabbing attention dream

8:44 Joyce and I got a dream in our heart for building a church in this city and if I told you the number you could possibly laugh at me sometimes I laugh at me but I'm not going to lay down the dream and I tell you now if I told you it would honestly it's like I need God for that to become a reality right now just to believe God to start a service in Kreuzberg and Neukirn and in Charlottenberg I tell you what you need God

9:07 to do that kind of stuff because we've been trying and it's just not working but we're not going to give up we're going to believe God and we're going to keep moving forward

9:17 all we got is a stone and a little sling right now but you know what God did with that stone he slapped it right in the head in the forehead of Goliath and I want you to know that's the kind of story of faith that we're talking about tonight so what I want to do is I want to give you some perspective tonight verses that can frame your life Bible verses that define us as a church Bible

9:42 verses that can define your life and your future and there's seven verses that I want to share with you tonight that will help you to understand your advantage and it's a simple one but it's the first one I'm going to read out to you tonight and that is Psalm 100 verse one to three it says make a joyful noise unto the Lord all the earth serve the Lord with gladness come before his presence with singing know that

10:07 the Lord he is God it is he who made us and not we ourselves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture this is the first thing I want you to know if you want

10:21 to really have an advantage in life then serve the Lord with gladness serve the Lord with gladness it's such a simple verse here in Psalm 100 verse two but I love what it says and I believe it can define your life and it's defined in my life it's defining our church and that is we are going to serve the Lord with gladness why is that an advantage why because there's a lot

10:46 of people who are not serving the Lord at all or if they are serving the Lord they're not doing it with gladness serve the Lord with gladness I don't have to do it I want to do it no one's making me I just believe that I can because of the help of the Holy Spirit because of the love of God I'm absolutely motivated his love for me is all the motivation I need to

11:11 get going and do something with the life that he's given me amen don't let your culture slow you down listen to me I don't care what nation you're from in this room you're a believer before that nation well I'm German you're a Christian

11:28 well I'm a Christian then and I'm a Varian then I'm a German stop it don't play games you're just a Christian and thank God if you don't be don't be embarrassed about the nation of your birth I told my wife my kids I was born in Northern Ireland and I'm loyal to the soil I said when I die I want my bones in the soil take my bones back to Ireland

11:55 that's the kind of response I got with my family

11:59 nothing absolutely nothing but don't be ashamed about what you come from you're born in Albania to God be the glory you're born in Greece to God be the glory if you're born in Turkey to God be the glory if you're born in the USA God be the glory don't be like that now come on you're born in Canada to God be the glory if you're born in Germany to God be the if you're born in Saxony

12:24 to God be the glory you're born in Stuttgart don't be ashamed it's awesome

12:35 but you have to understand if you want to live a life of advantage I guarantee if you choose to live this kind of life serving the Lord with gladness in other words I don't have to do it I want to do it you will already be at an advantage and I want you understand that it's about making a decision I'm going to serve the Lord with gladness these are one of the values of our house this is one of the things that defines

12:58 us and I'm encouraging you tonight to think about it are you willing to serve the Lord with gladness maybe you've never even started well we've all got to start somewhere maybe tonight's the starting point for you but you're going to serve the Lord with gladness and I guarantee if you will choose to serve the Lord with gladness you will find that yourself in an advantage it will position you it's kind of like no one if

13:22 no one wants to do this I'm going to do this if no one wants to serve the Lord I'm going to serve the Lord maybe you're the only kid at school who wants to serve the Lord well again turn it into an advantage don't cry about it don't be a cry baby about it turn it into well God I'm I'm the only one but do something with me in Jesus name and I'm telling you God takes sometimes the most significant insignificant things and

13:45 sometimes people that feel the weakest and the most timid and the most afraid and he puts his spirit inside them and he just whispers into their heart that they can do it to the glory of God and I want you to know tonight are you going to serve the Lord with gladness and it will put you in advantage another thing that I believe that will put us in an advantage is serve the Lord with enthusiasm serve the Lord with enthusiasm

14:09 be enthusiastic in your walk with God I mean sometimes you walk around some people like you know I love the Lord but it's really hard to tell I love my wife it's really hard to tell I mean it should be obvious that I love my wife Joyce it's not obvious is it obvious but

14:38 this is what it says in Romans chapter 12 it says as brothers and sisters in Christ let us have a genuine affection for one another a willingness to let the other person have the credit let us not allow slackness to spoil our serving and let us keep the fires of the spirit burning as we do our work enthusiastically for God base

15:04 your happiness on your hope in Christ when trials come endure them patiently steadfastly and maintain a habit of prayer I love that enthusiastically are you sitting next to person who's enthusiastic

15:23 could you be enthusiastic about serving the Lord

15:30 Elliot was enthusiastic about asking Debbie to marry her I was enthusiastic when I asked Joyce to marry me

15:41 but I want to ask you are you serving the Lord with enthusiasm are you serving the Lord with enthusiasm I think it's a great question to ask because I'll tell you straight up if you want to live a life of advantage then start serving the Lord with enthusiasm because I tell you what there's not that many people are doing it and I'm telling you all you got to do is just start serving the Lord with enthusiasm I'm telling

16:04 you it doesn't matter what anyone else is doing are you going to do it and if you're going to do it guess what you'll start leading in life and it won't be a matter of time before someone else is following your example and they'll come along and they'll start serving the Lord and that's why we have a church here in Berlin called Hillsong Berlin because there's a whole group of people now serving the Lord

16:25 enthusiastically serving the Lord enthusiastically serving the Lord enthusiastically

16:46 well they're not responding to that so I try to give a few hints and a few mild suggestions but no response so we'll move on but I trust that you'll understand the simplicity of this is there any enthusiasm in your life is there anything that's inside of you that's causing you to be enthusiastic I'm always curious about people and I don't know a lot about a lot of things but when I meet someone I always want to know what

17:11 is it that gets them going I always want to know what flicks their switch and and and so you know if you meet someone who loves golf I don't particularly like golf I think it's the most boring thing ever in the world but hey you know but but my dad's a golfer so I know a little bit about golf and so if I meet someone who loves golf I'll start talking about golf now obviously I don't know much but you watch what that person

17:34 does when they've got someone else a captive audience now talking about the things they love really all you got to do it is just talk about a movie that someone loves oh I love that movie too oh don't you like it when they did oh oh I don't know about you but it's not hard it's not hard to show enthusiasm when it comes to people tell me a dream on on Thursday this week we had this

17:59 wonderful presentation called the the leadership summer school and people were showing enthusiastically their ideas and their dreams and there was a whole lot of enthusiasm in the room and I'm telling you it's contagious what would our schools look like if there was a spirit of enthusiasm

18:17 enthusiastic about football where we just saw that in the world cup we just saw that and I just want you to know if you want to live a life of advantage serve the Lord with enthusiasm why because there's a lot of people that don't serve the Lord with enthusiasm they serve with drudgery they serve with misery they serve with depression I want you to know you're not called to be depressed and you're not called to be negative

18:39 about the things of God it's a joy to serve the Lord serve him with gladness serve with enthusiasm here's another one for you serve the Lord with your gifts and with your talents Corinthians chapter 12 says this there are different kinds of spiritual gifts

18:58 but they all come from the same spirit there are different ways to serve the same Lord and we can each do different things let the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do each person is given their gift by the spirit that they may make the most of it that they may make the most of it

19:24 that they will make the most of it how many people in this room have been gifted by God well my question is are you making the most of that God-given gift

19:43 you're gifted come on say it with me I'm gifted

19:51 you're incredibly gifted but what's your advantage what is your advantage I'm going to use the God-given gift and I'm going to use it to his glory by serving others if he gave you a voice

20:10 and you can sing why would you not want to use your gift for the glory of God

20:18 now I'm going to use it for Sony and for capital records I'm going to use it for all the industry and all okay great they'll just make money of you and squeeze you and squeeze you till there's nothing left how do you think Michael Jackson died

20:32 well he'll kill himself yeah but how do you think Amy Whitehouse died

20:41 Avicii a young dj unbelievable gift dead gone finished over life hadn't even begun but they squeezed him and they made more money and they made another million and they made another million and they made another million and they sold another record and they made another million and now he's dead

21:06 don't sit here and well past has not hit me tonight I don't care if I'm hitting you you've got bigger issues if that's your attitude if you want a good advantage in life get rid of your stupid attitude that pulls you down and pulls God's potential on your life fix that bad attitude and you'll be surprised

21:28 and now you've got a bad attitude because I've said

21:33 fix your attitude and that's your problem turn to someone and say

21:42 fix that attitude fix that attitude

21:49 are you willing to serve the Lord with your gifts are you willing to serve the Lord with your gifts are you willing to serve the Lord with your gifts are you good with numbers are you good with logistics are you good at finding solutions to difficult problems?

22:07 Are you good at setting up?

22:08 Are you good at pulling down?

22:10 Are you good with the lights?

22:11 Are you good with creativity?

22:12 Are you good with people?

22:13 Are you good with remembering names?

22:20 Everyone in this room has got beautiful God-given gifts.

22:26 Can you cook?

22:29 You can change the world with a cooking gift.

22:32 We all need you.

22:36 Maybe you've just belittled your gift.

22:39 Imagine if David just said, ah, it's just a stone.

22:43 It's just a stone.

22:44 It's just a stone.

22:46 It's just a sling.

22:48 He's bigger.

22:49 I'm smaller.

22:51 He's mighty.

22:52 I'm nothing.

22:54 He's huge.

22:55 I'm small.

22:57 Listen to the way you're speaking.

22:59 You've got to stop that.

23:00 You've got to stop that nonsense.

23:02 You're not getting that from God.

23:03 You're not getting that from the Word.

23:05 You're not getting that from the house of faith.

23:07 You're not getting that from the promise of God.

23:09 You're getting that from culture.

23:11 You're getting that from the way you were brought up.

23:13 You're getting that from negative voices.

23:15 You've got to shut that door.

23:17 You've got to shut that voices.

23:19 You've got to speak God's potential over your life.

23:22 I'm serving the Lord with that small gift.

23:27 But that small gift is going to change the world.

23:30 That small gift is going to put dinner on families who've just had That small gift is going to help people struggling with sicknesses at hospitals.

23:39 That small gift of remembering names is going to make people feel at home.

23:45 That small gift of a glorious voice that God has given you has to start somewhere and you can do it to the glory of God.

23:52 Whitney Houston started in the house of God and when she left the house of God, they took everything from her and tragically her life went downhill too.

24:02 Listen, if God's called you to be an entertainer, honestly do it, but do it to the glory of God.

24:06 But don't think you can survive out there without the family of faith.

24:11 You want to be a filmmaker, an actress or an actor or some big movie person, knock yourself out, but you will not survive because no one does.

24:23 The temptations are too much.

24:27 I want you to know you're going to serve the Lord with your gifts.

24:32 It will be your advantage.

24:37 You're going to serve the Lord with all of my heart.

24:42 Galatians chapter three says this, who are your employee?

24:46 You who are employees, obey your employer.

24:49 Work hard for them all the time.

24:53 I'd love to see a few of you highlight that bit.

24:57 I'd love you to circle that one.

24:59 Work hard for them all the time.

25:01 Come on, say it with me.

25:03 All the time.

25:04 I know it's painful, but come on, God will heal you all the time.

25:08 Not just when they are watching you.

25:12 Work for them.

25:13 This is in the Bible, trust me.

25:16 Colossians chapter three verses 22 to 23.

25:19 Hopefully it's on the screen.

25:22 Work for them as you would for the Lord because you honor God.

25:28 Whatever work you do, do it with all your heart.

25:31 Do it for the Lord and not for man.

25:35 When I do this, I do it with all my heart.

25:38 When I play football, I play with all my heart.

25:41 When I kiss my wife, no reservation.

25:47 She complains it's not long enough.

25:52 She wants me to kiss longer.

26:02 Awkward.

26:07 If you're going to drive a

26:22 serve the Lord, serve with all your heart.

26:26 Not half-hearted.

26:27 Nothing worse.

26:29 Nothing worse than a believer half-hearted.

26:36 You want to be in a relationship with a half-hearted person?

26:45 Sorry, the visuals aren't that good tonight, but I'll improve next week.

26:51 Imagine if the team sung half-hearted.

27:05 I'm not a dancer, but when I went to go to the clubs, I danced with all my heart.

27:12 Techno clubs, electronic, house.

27:29 Hey, it was the 90s.

27:35 Didn't need drugs.

27:41 I just want you to know if you're serving Jesus, could you serve Jesus with all your heart?

27:46 Don't be half-hearted in serving him.

27:48 What's my advantage?

27:49 To serve Jesus with all my heart.

27:54 Serving the Lord is better than serving yourself.

27:56 Psalm 84 verse 10.

27:57 A single day in your house is better than a thousand anywhere else.

28:02 I would rather serve as a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.

28:11 Better to serve God than serve yourself.

28:17 You know, if you want to live your advantage, start serving God and not yourself.

28:21 You know, so many people are serving themselves, but would we kind of be the people that would serve God?

28:28 Serve God through medicine, serve God through tech, serve God through entrepreneur, serve God through innovation, serve God through design, serve God through creativity, serve God through music, serve God through all sorts of amazing things.

28:45 But don't serve yourself.

28:50 Number six, serve the Lord prepares you for life.

28:53 Serving in God's house prepares you Psalm 27 verse 4.

28:57 One thing that I ask of the Lord, the thing that I seek the most is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life being strengthened by his presence and guided by his wisdom, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in his temple.

29:15 If you want to have an advantage in life, then realize serving the Lord in God's house will prepare you for life.

29:24 Where did you learn that?

29:26 In God's house.

29:27 Where did you learn to be a great dad?

29:29 In the house of God.

29:30 Where did you learn to be a great husband?

29:32 In the house of God.

29:34 Where did you learn to be a leader in life?

29:36 In the house of God.

29:37 Where did you learn to get that mentality?

29:39 In the house of God.

29:41 Where did you get that spirit of faith?

29:43 In the house of God.

29:45 Where did you get that attitude?

29:46 In the house of God.

29:48 Where did you get that enthusiasm in the house of God.

29:53 Where did you get that motivation?

29:56 Oh, I love your energy in the house of God.

30:04 And the final one, number seven, serving the Lord takes a different spirit.

30:11 Numbers 14, 13, Caleb had a different spirit.

30:16 Caleb had a different spirit.

30:18 Caleb had a different spirit.

30:21 Let your advantage be, I got a different spirit.

30:27 You go back to work tomorrow, what spirit have you got?

30:31 Same old, same old, hate this job, hate the boss, hate what I do, don't like this life.

30:40 Looking out the window, dreaming about someone else's green grass.

30:44 Well, I want you to know that the grass you water will be green.

30:51 Have you got a different spirit?

30:54 God did not give you a lazy spirit.

30:56 He didn't give you a spirit of fear.

30:58 He gave you a spirit of love, of strength, a love and an overcoming spirit.

31:05 He gave you a strong spirit.

31:07 He gave you a spirit that can overcome, a spirit that can face adversity and still come through.

31:14 A spirit that is a spirit that can glorify God.

31:18 Caleb had a different spirit.

31:19 If you wanna live an advantage in life, you've gotta have a different spirit.

31:22 When everyone else is negative, you can actually be the one that has a different spirit.

31:28 Are you willing to have a different spirit?

31:30 Are you willing to live your life serving God with a different spirit?

31:33 I wanna have a generous spirit.

31:35 I wanna be a person that has a different spirit.

31:37 When everyone is jealous, I wanna be the first one to say thank you.

31:42 I wanna be the first one to say, you sang amazing tonight.

31:45 I wanna say that I wanna be the first one to congratulate you.

31:49 Man, imagine that.

31:53 You know, when you got a different spirit and maybe you're a single girl and you got your eye on a certain young man

32:05 and one of your friends beat you.

32:11 Well, when you got a different spirit, you don't wanna kill her.

32:16 I'm just trying to help people practically, you know.

32:19 I just thought that might come a bit closer to home today.

32:25 But a different spirit is the first one to go up and I'm happy for you both.

32:33 I haven't really quite got a different spirit like Pastor Mark said, but I'm getting there.

32:37 I'm happy for you both.

32:40 Oh, but someone gets the job and you wanted the job.

32:43 A different spirit says, you know what, congratulations.

32:49 Congratulations.

32:53 But have you got a different spirit?

32:54 Do you want a different spirit?

32:56 Do you wanna be negative?

32:58 Or do you wanna be positive?

32:59 Do you wanna be like Christ?

33:01 Do you wanna have a different spirit?

33:03 Do you wanna come into a room and have a different attitude?

33:06 Because you can.

33:07 That's what the spirit of God is all about.

33:09 He comes into our lives and He changes us.

33:11 He takes fearful, timid, insecure people and He puts His spirit inside of us.

33:16 He takes shy people and He says, hey, that's not who you are.

33:20 I've called you to shine.

33:22 I've called you to do something that maybe no one else believes you can do it.

33:26 But let God be God in your life.

33:28 Let Him be God and let Him take you to places you never thought you can go.

2018-07-22 - Whats Your Advantage (Pt. 3) - Mark Wilkinson.

Find your way.

Start with the teachings.