Takers, Part 2

And so I did the very best job that I could do. Now, the other custodians wouldn't mop and clean and keep the place. I kept it spick and span. I used to work for ServiceMaster Corporation, and so I did the floors and had them shining, and guys would come in and walk their muddy boots over. And generally, you know, I was done with the work. I would go back and make sure that everything was cleaned up after them, and I would shake the mud off of their boots and all that kind of stuff. And, and

they would look and they'd say, what? Who is this guy? What is he all about? And then, of course, I would exalt Christ. Well, I didn't know it, but the boss Bill had been watching me and I got promoted early And started working on one of the trucks, you know. And so I started cleaning the truck, and I would clean everything and straighten it up because I was a low man. And then they decided I worked so well,

they were going to make me a truck driver. Now, each of these, my motivation was just to do the best for Christ. And but each time I got a promotion and a raise.

to Paul. There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, come over into Macedonia and help us listen to this. And after he had seen the after who? He. Who's he? Paul had seen the vision. Immediately we. Who's we? The rest of them all. Nim. Mama nim. Daddy nim. Now get this. They didn't see the vision, but they embraced it. They talk about, I don't know.

I'm not going to take time. But here, here's his story. Here's his story. He started off in Egypt as a weary slave. Then he became a warrior soldier. Then he became a. He's fighting the Amalekites. He's. He's one of the leads fighting the Amalekites. Then he became a worker servant. He became Moses's right hand man. Then he became a witness to the scriptures. He went in, and only him and Caleb came back with a good report. Then he

became a worshiping saint. Where was he stationed? This is a good place to be stationed as a soldier, because you're a warrior. But you need to know how to worship. You know where he was stationed. According to the scripture I give you in a moment outside the tent of Moses where Moses went to have his personal devotional time, his Bible study and prayer. And so he's standing guard.

He's going to be the next in line. And he's hearing how Moses prayed, and he's seeing how Moses is writing the Torah, and he hears what Moses is asking God to do when it comes to his people. Now, in the book of Joshua, he's a wise sage. He's a developed leader. He's ready to do the will of God. Let me give it to you. This way. Here it is. We first see his humiliation. He's a weary slave. And then we see his dedication. Then we see his education.

Then we see his maturation. Then we see his validation. Now we see his administration. You see the. You see what happened. You see. You see the order that it went in. And so in Exodus 1714, turn there with me. What's going on here? Exodus chapter 17. Listen to this. Listen to it. This blew me away. Hey, elder. Dixon. Hey. Hey, brother Richie. Brother Betts. All y'all elders in here. Are you preaching teachers? This is a sermon by itself. Listen

to this. And the Lord said unto Moses, write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of the congregation. Is that what it says? I was. Look right. There had been no writing, nothing was written. Everything was oral tradition. So he says, listen, I want to start writing stuff down so people can read it. So write it in a book and rehearse it in Joshua's ear. Do you know what just happened? God, that's the first time Joshua's name is mentioned in Exodus.

He's saying, here's your successor. Write it down for everybody else. Rehearse it to him. Man, he's chosen. Now what do it does? Rehearse. Write the book. And when you rehearse, tell him I'm going to wipe out the Amalekites. Oh, wait a minute. What was he, a slave and a soldier. And what's a soldier need to know? I can win the victory. So you let him know. I don't want him to be timid. I don't want him to be afraid. I want him to know he can possess his possession,

its inheritance, his inheritance. And I want him to understand that the wealth of the wicked is reserved for the righteous. I want him to understand that you go out there and fight this battle. They got swords, they got shields, you got farming tools. But they don't have me. You got me. What are you afraid of? I'm bigger than anything. And everybody that's bigger than you. Man, this. This guy goes out and he does a number because he got

a promise and he's a taker. Now get this. If he couldn't take the malachites, how can he take the Jebusites and the Hivites and the girgashites and the lights and the mosquito bites and the termites. How are you going to take all the ites if you can't take the Amalekites? Huh? I'm what I'm talking about. In a minute. Here it is. Here's the principle. We should make every occasion. To make every occasion a great occasion. For you can never tell when someone may be measuring you for a

larger place. Let me say it again. We should make every occasion, to make every occasion a great occasion, for you never can tell when someone may be measuring you for a larger place. Okay, now let me just go on record as saying I do not agree with everything Mr. Barack Obama does. Now, I'll say that readily. And in another sermon, I'll tell you what I don't agree with, but for right now, I will respect him, I give him. Now, let me tell you something. Let me tell you something.

Here's what happened. In 2004, he was elected to the US Senate for the state of Illinois. Uh, one of only two US senators. You know, every state gets two, right? Okay. And so he won. He was so excited. And it was a profound victory. It was overwhelming. Now remember where he started on 71st Street in one of our members building? I remember when he came and visited me and told me who he was and what he was trying to do.

In 2004, a few months after he was elected in July, the Democratic National Convention went on and he was the keynote speaker, and he made a big splash. They went wild. Now, if you listen to what he said, he said, I wanted them to know that the, the, the newest senator and almost the youngest senator in the Senate wasn't no pushover that I was ready. And so I made this a great occasion. But he didn't know it. He thought

he was making a great occasion as a senator. Those people at that National Democratic convention said, uh, that man could be the president. He could be the first African-American president of the United States of America. And that's what he became. You want to know why? Because he took every occasion to make every occasion a great occasion, just in case somebody was looking to give him a larger place. I'll never forget it. Editor Gordon was interviewing Denzel, aren't you?

Aren't you glad? When? When you can know people by just one name? Denzel. Nobody says Denzel. Who? Beyonce. Beyonce who? Man. Usher. You know pink. You know, it's like. Like one name. Jesus. Nobody ever says Jesus. Who? And so here it is. Here it is now. And Ed Gordon said, uh, Denzel, tell us which was your greatest movie. And Denzel was getting ready to say. And anybody ever watch Ed Gordon? I watch him all the time. He always interrupts them before they get a chance to answer. He like some

of y'all. Um, can you answer this question for me? Well, I and I think now. Well, why are you asking me when you already know? Anyway, so he says, I bet you it was a glory because that's where you won your Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He said, oh, wait a minute. No, no, I bet you it's training day because that's where you won the Oscar for Best Actor. No, no, I bet you I know what it is. It's Malcolm X. He said, okay, what is it? I've taken my guesses.

What is it? And Denzel said, none of them. He said, wait a minute. None of them. Is there one we don't know about that. You look as something that maybe catapulted you into stardom. No. Will, tell us what's your best movie? And it wrecked me when I heard it. Denzel Washington looked in the camera and said, my best movie is my next one, and gave that grin. You know that grin? Gave that grin. My next one. Hey, you don't get it. You don't get it, do you? You don't see what I'm trying to do? Why did

you talk about the Amalekites? Because that boy had to be tested. And you gotta be tested if you're going to be a soldier. And if God's going to give you a larger place, you gotta be faithful in a smaller place before he gives you a larger place. And so what happens if you can't beat the Amalekites? What are you going to do with the other ice? Now get this. Here's what the scriptures say in the book of Luke. He that is faithful in little is faithful

and much. Now here's how I would have wrote this. This let me tell you how I wrote it. I would have wrote it this way. He that is faithful and little shall be. But here's what God is saying if I can't trust you with a dollar, I know I can't trust you with ten. If I can't trust you with a girlfriend, I know I can't trust you with a wife. If I can't trust you to clean the apartment, why should I give you a house? You want a business? You ain't even faithful on the job.

That's how this whole thing works. So if you are benefiting, we'd love to hear about that. But also, I'd ask you to give a financial gift so we can continue to pay for production costs and airtime and everything else that it takes to make this ministry run. You can give a gift online by coming to Treasure Truth Radio org and clicking on the donate button. Again, that's at Treasure Truth radio.org. Well, we are in Joshua chapter one.

As we get back to our message entitled takers. Here is Pastor Ford.

for watching God's sheep. Now listen, here's what it says. Exodus 1710. So Joshua did as Moses said. Caveat follow him as he followed Christ. That's what he was doing. Here's the principle if you don't know how to lead, finish it. You heard me say it a lot. You're not fit to follow. That's right. Joshua learned how to lead under Moses, and he was ready. I showed you his process that he went through. I'm not going to go over it again. But here's the kicker. Here's the

flip side. Elders, deacons, listen to me. Don't get mad. Listen to me. The flip side is this. Let me put it in the words of a counseling session I had here. It is there in the counseling session. And they're they're angry. I remember when they got married, I put two chairs out. They they practically sat in one, pulled them together. Now, after three years, I put two chairs down and they pull them apart. And so, uh, I say, what's the issue? She won't follow. I said, well,

you know, the Bible says that you're the leader. You're the head you ought to follow. You ought to follow, sister. Why don't you follow it? She looked at him, not me, and said, I'm not following because he's not going anywhere. You can't follow a parked car. Now, let me just say something. Let me just say something, even if that is true. She did the right thing in the wrong way. And let me just tell some of you ladies who

want to try to get your husband to counseling. The reason why a lot of men don't want to come to counseling is because of what just happened. That is, they feel that you are going to castrate them in front of another man that you think has what you want them to have, that you think they don't. Did you hear me? That's why you can't get them. Because you came home.

I almost called her name and called her name. I ain't even looking at her right now. She said, take your elders to the elders store and get a refund. That's what she said. That's what she said. Why did she feel that way? Because you can't follow a parked car. Amen. Amen. And so when you look at what's going on here, I want to tell you something. I need every elder I send on an email. I need every elder not

just to read The Turnaround Church by Doctor Perry. I need them to read the top ten Mistakes Leaders make by hand. stencil. Don't worry about it. I'll send it to you. I just want to give them to you right now. Here they are. Now, I read this book as a student at Moody. I read it again as a graduate student at Trinity, but I'm reading it now again as pastor of Christ Bible Church here. Here's the ten in a nutshell. Here's the ten top mistakes leaders make.

Here it is number one top down attitude. You're large and in charge. Big baller shot caller, number one stunner player player from the Himalaya. And nobody can tell you anything. Number two, putting paperwork before people work that this is all about fellowship. We are organism before we're organization. Number three, the absence of affirmation. Paul in Romans 16 told those people and get those names. Why? Because he wanted everybody

to know I'm not in this by myself. Some of you who are ministering, they're not looking for money, but they are waiting to hear somebody say thank you. I appreciate you. You're doing a job well done. Here's our tendency. And let me speak for myself. Here's my tendency. The folk who are peripheral. That's where you give your time to. And attention to. But the folk who are there, you know, are going to stay there. You ignore them. When the Bible says the periphery of folk, you shouldn't put any

time or treasure on them. That's what it says, teach. It says. It says, fine. Faithful. Available. Teacher. Second Timothy 222 and the things which thou hast both heard and seen in me do and the same commit thou to faithful people, who shall be able to teach others also. There it is. There it is. That's called discipleship. For those of you who may not know, here it is. Here it is. Let me just drop them real quick. Number four. Uh, mistake. Leaders make no room for mavericks.

I said it on Wednesday. Sometimes we see new people as an intrusion when God sent them as an infusion. Now. Not all because some people come from other places where they got all kind of mess and they bring that mess in here. And when I hear that mess, I deal with that mess because it's mess. And we don't want to be about mess. Amen. Amen. Number five. Dictatorship and decision making. That is you. It's always got to

be your way or the highway. And when we were here with Doctor Perry, I'm going to let you in on on the elder business, even though I ain't supposed to. I said to them, okay, you know, somebody say, okay, he's a dictator. Okay, then. And I and I asked them corporately and individually, somebody tell me some something that I did that violated your authority as an elder or a pastor or a bishop in this church and didn't

repent of it. Whenever, whenever I did it. And so I picked on campus, pastor, I said, Pastor Avery, in front of all the elders and deacons. I said, what do they call me over at CBC three? Senior pastor, I said, what did they call you at CBC three? Campus pastor, I said, has there been anything where we have disagreed since we've been there, or a little over a year at CBC three? He said. Yeah, I said about eight things now. Of those eight things that weren't biblical,

no book, chapter verse. How many times did I overrule you? He said none. I said, I never said I like my way better with doing it. Not one time. And there ain't no elder in here that can say I ever did it. Because we have elder role. And that's what I abide by, because that's our system. We're not like the other churches where the pastor is responsible for everything. We have elder rule, and I, for one, respect the God given policy.

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And again, click on the Stay Connected bar. Well, thanks for listening today. Hope you'll make it a point to tune in next time. Thanks also to our producer, Amy Rios for Pastor Ford. I'm Steve Hiller. Treasure truth is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.