Episode 27
Mend. Blend. Send. — Abiding in Christ & Living Your Kingdom Purpose
In this powerful teaching from Awake Nations Ministries, Glenn Bleakney unpacks Jesus’ words in John 8 and John 15, revealing the difference between merely believing in Him and truly abiding in Him. Discover why bearing fruit is not a burden, but a promise—and how abiding is the process that transforms your life from the inside out.
From “mending” your brokenness, to “blending” into the Body of Christ, and finally being “sent” into your God-given mission, this message will challenge and inspire you to step fully into your Kingdom purpose.
It’s time to stop hanging your net on the wall. It’s time to mend it, blend it, and cast it where God calls.
📖 Scripture References: John 8, John 15, Ephesians 4:12, Matthew 4:21, Luke 6:40, 1 Corinthians 1:10
🌐 Learn more at: https://AwakeAus.com
Transcript
Welcome to Awake Nations Ministries, based in the beautiful sunshine coast of Australia.
Speaker A:Here the fire of revival ignites hearts and fuels a supernatural move of God throughout the nations of the earth.
Speaker A:Join us each week for prophetic insights, apostolic teaching, and powerful conversations that will equip you to live fully awakened in your kingdom purpose.
Speaker A:This is more than a podcast, it's a movement.
Speaker A:Learn more about us by visiting awakenations.org now let's dive into today's episode.
Speaker A:All right, let's look here at John chapter 8.
Speaker A:I'm going to start reading in verse 30.
Speaker A:Now, this is one.
Speaker A:This is Jesus preaching to.
Speaker A:It says the Jews in his day.
Speaker A:And, and these are a lot of religious people, people that attended the synagogue.
Speaker A:There were leaders who attended the synagogue and led in the synagogue.
Speaker A:A lot of stuff going on here, but he actually says something to them because he's preaching really strong.
Speaker A:If you read the first 29 verses of John 8, it's full on.
Speaker A:Like he's telling them, your father's a devil, things like that.
Speaker A:And real seeker sensitive, you know, it's like we'd all be offended if Jesus were here.
Speaker A:We would be, because he'd challenge us, right?
Speaker A:He would.
Speaker A:And he would convict us in a good way to bring us to a place of greater yieldedness.
Speaker A:But anyway, verse 30, it says this.
Speaker A:Listen to this.
Speaker A:John 8, 30, 32 says this.
Speaker A:As he spoke these words, many believed in him.
Speaker A:Okay, so they believed.
Speaker A:That's awesome.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:They put up their hand, they said, yes, Jesus, I'll respond to your invitation.
Speaker A:Amen, preacher.
Speaker A:They said all the right things.
Speaker A:Then here's what Jesus says.
Speaker A:Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed him, if, if, if you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed.
Speaker A:And you will know the truth.
Speaker A:The truth will make you free.
Speaker A:All right, catch this.
Speaker A:These are not sinners.
Speaker A:These are not his enemies.
Speaker A:These are people who have professed to believe in him.
Speaker A:They've responded to the altar call.
Speaker A:They've said the sinner's prayer, if you want to put it in our vernacular.
Speaker A:And it's all about a people that seemingly are open and favorable to the ministry of Jesus Christ himself.
Speaker A:Well, the Lord, who knows who is the discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart, looks at him.
Speaker A:He goes, all right, guys, this is the beginning.
Speaker A:This is the entry.
Speaker A:But there's more.
Speaker A:There's more.
Speaker A:And I want you to understand this morning, please, that often what we think is the finish line is really just the beginning.
Speaker A:See, this is a call into a Life where we say yes to Jesus.
Speaker A:I want to follow you.
Speaker A:I believe in you, Jesus and what you did at the cross.
Speaker A:But the journey literally constitutes many times where we're going to have to say yes.
Speaker A:It's not just one yes, I've crossed the finish line, I'm good.
Speaker A:I've got my life insurance policy here.
Speaker A:I'm ready for eternity.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Jesus challenged us.
Speaker A:In fact, when you study the scripture, you will see that there is no such thing as Jesus being your Savior without him being your Lord.
Speaker A:There are many people that teach that dispensationalism.
Speaker A:They've created this false dichotomy.
Speaker A:Jesus is my Savior, but the devil's my Lord.
Speaker A:Well Jesus isn't your Lord.
Speaker A:Who is your Lord?
Speaker A:If you are lord of your own life, then that means you're serving the wicked one, the evil one.
Speaker A:So there's a place here to go on a journey and to follow Jesus if you continue.
Speaker A:Or the word is abide.
Speaker A:Meno.
Speaker A:In Greek meno means to remain connected, to stay steadfast.
Speaker A:In fact the noun is used in John 14, building a house and it means a place of dwelling.
Speaker A:So if you abide in me, he said, and my words abide in you.
Speaker A:So it's a place of staying, connected, abiding in the vine.
Speaker A:John 15.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:The vine is, and the branch is connected to the vine.
Speaker A:What happens?
Speaker A:The life that is in the vine flows into the branch and it automatically bears fruit.
Speaker A:I mean you think about that.
Speaker A:Jesus knows that he's about to leave.
Speaker A:Nico spoke about John 13, the washing of the disciples feet, which was literally the last week of Jesus Life.
Speaker A:In chapter 12 he comes into Jerusalem and then what do we see?
Speaker A:On the night that he was betrayed, Jesus washes his disciples feet.
Speaker A:Jesus is serving and what happens is he begins to speak to them about when he departs.
Speaker A:I'm going to send Holy Spirit.
Speaker A:And Holy Spirit will be the one that you'll continue to have relationship with in order to have relationship with me.
Speaker A:So you have to abide in him, you have to abide in my words.
Speaker A:And when you do that, the life that is in the actual vine will flow in into the branch and the branches will bear fruit effortlessly.
Speaker A:When you study that passage, there's so much I could say about that.
Speaker A:But when you study that passage, one of the things that we realize is that fruit is what we can say oh, what is the fruit that he said?
Speaker A:Oh it's the fruit of the spirit.
Speaker A:It's the fruit of our lips giving thanks.
Speaker A:It's the fruit of righteousness.
Speaker A:James 3:18.
Speaker A:There's all these verses, even giving our money to the Lord is considered fruit that abounds to our account.
Speaker A:All of this is a facet of what fruit is, but fruit is something else.
Speaker A:Fruit in the natural is the external manifestation of the invisible life that is in a tree or in a plant.
Speaker A:I want to say that again.
Speaker A:Fruit is the external manifestation.
Speaker A:It's the visible reality of something that is invisible.
Speaker A:When we stay connected to Jesus, what happens is his life flows into us and it begins to bear fruit effortlessly.
Speaker A:So what Jesus is teaching is not, you need to work harder, you need to exert yourself.
Speaker A:You need to be more diligent.
Speaker A:The Bible just talks about diligence, but it's in the context of doing it in Christ.
Speaker A:And let me just say this, that a lot of times when we read John 15, we see it and we think that bearing fruit is what we're called to do.
Speaker A:But bearing fruit is actually a promise.
Speaker A:It's a promise.
Speaker A:He says that if you abide in me, guess what will happen?
Speaker A:He said, my word will abide in you, and you will bear much fruit, and you will prove yourselves to be my disciples.
Speaker A:So what he's actually saying is that bearing fruit is the promise every good tree bears.
Speaker A:What?
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Every bad tree bears.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:So Martin Luther said many years ago, he said, make the tree good and the fruit will be good.
Speaker A:So it's not the fruit that determines the nature of the tree.
Speaker A:Fruit is a manifestation.
Speaker A:It's proof.
Speaker A:But ultimately, our call is not to exert ourselves or try to bear fruit, because bearing fruit is a promise.
Speaker A:Every branch that abides will bear much fruit.
Speaker A:That's a given.
Speaker A:That's a promise.
Speaker A:So bearing fruit is the promise, but abiding is the process.
Speaker A:It's really simple if you want to change.
Speaker A:Spend time with Jesus, get into his word, get into his presence, allow his life to flow into you, and he'll change you from the inside out.
Speaker A:Your affections will change.
Speaker A:I love Psalm 37:4, right?
Speaker A:Delight yourself in the Lord, and he'll give you your bucket list.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Just make sure you keep him happy, Right?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Hi, Jesus, I love you.
Speaker A:Here's some money if you go to church.
Speaker A:Just keeping him happy, right?
Speaker A:He's like, oh, you've been good this week, so I'll give you what you want.
Speaker A:He actually says, delight yourself in the Lord.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And what does that word, delight mean?
Speaker A:It's a very interesting word.
Speaker A:Do you know what it means to be effeminate?
Speaker A:Sorry, guys.
Speaker A:I'm not advocating that we're not masculine and for men.
Speaker A:I'm not saying that.
Speaker A:I'm saying the idea is this, okay?
Speaker A:In the context the Hebrew word speaks of this being someone who, who loves Jesus as a woman would love her groom, delight with that infatuation, be that person.
Speaker A:And it's just like, you know, and there's another meaning of the word.
Speaker A:It literally means to be pliable.
Speaker A:I use this illustration.
Speaker A:So when Lynn and I first met a long time ago, many years ago, we were both teenagers.
Speaker A:One of the things that we would do is we just catch up, right?
Speaker A:We'd get together and I would decide, what do you want to do?
Speaker A:Or she would say to me, what do you want to do?
Speaker A:Typically she'd say to me, what do you want to do?
Speaker A:So I'm doing it.
Speaker A:And what's that?
Speaker A:I'm with you.
Speaker A:I don't care what we do as long as I'm with you.
Speaker A:And I meant that.
Speaker A:Now, I didn't always express that the best way, but I meant that.
Speaker A:So it was like, as long as I'm with you, I'm happy because I'm delighting in you.
Speaker A:Not what you give me, not what you say to me, right?
Speaker A:But I'm just in your presence.
Speaker A:I'm with you.
Speaker A:That's what it means to delight ourselves in the Lord, in Jesus, not in what he can do for us, but when we delight ourselves in Him.
Speaker A:Which, what does it look like now for me, many years later, having been in ministry for next year, 40 years, 39 years being in ministry, traveled to 60 plus nations of the world, been involved in heaps of stuff.
Speaker A:What does it look like?
Speaker A:It looks like this.
Speaker A:You ready?
Speaker A:I actually don't really care about ministry.
Speaker A:There was a time where literally every weekend I was almost in a new city, sometimes a different nation, almost every weekend, preaching, traveling, right, Boom, boom, gonna do it.
Speaker A:And I'm not talking about preaching Sunday morning, I mean full weekends, three, four times ministering.
Speaker A:That was it.
Speaker A:And I was.
Speaker A:This is what I'm called to do.
Speaker A:Boom.
Speaker A:And for a season, God blessed it, obviously.
Speaker A:But I've come to a place now where I just, like, I'm good with Jesus now.
Speaker A:I know that he wants me to preach the gospel, and I know he wants me to be faithful and steward what he's entrusted to me.
Speaker A:But my identity, my sense of worth is not tied to what I do, but to who he is.
Speaker A:And if he wants me to sit back and do nothing, I'm good with that.
Speaker A:In fact, I really start to like that more and more.
Speaker A:I feel kind of like I'm the old guy who's sitting back there, like, coaching.
Speaker A:And this is part of what.
Speaker A:I won't call Lynold because she's younger than me one month, but she always brings that up.
Speaker A:You know, I just had my birthday.
Speaker A:Hers is coming on the 22nd of August, just saying so.
Speaker A:And she'll be the same age as me, but for now, I'm the old.
Speaker A:I'm the old guy.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Where was I?
Speaker A:I have no idea.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:But I feel, honestly, I feel like in this season, in this time of our lives, that this is what God's called us to do.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And it's biblical.
Speaker A:Equipping the saints.
Speaker A:Equipping the saints.
Speaker A:What does it mean to equip the saints?
Speaker A:Glad you asked.
Speaker A:Are you ready?
Speaker A:Let's unpack that this morning.
Speaker A:Are you ready?
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:The word found in Ephesians 4:12, right?
Speaker A:And starting in verse 11.
Speaker A:And he gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the building up or the edification of the church.
Speaker A:And then it continues particularly down to verse 16.
Speaker A:And it shows us in those verses, what does it look like for the church to be equipped properly?
Speaker A:Well, there's unity of the faith.
Speaker A:There's the fullness of the stature of Christ Jesus.
Speaker A:We become one man, Teleios, a perfect man.
Speaker A:And we literally are like a people that understand the truth, live in the truth that we're kind and that we're using our gifts.
Speaker A:But we recognize humbly that we're just one part of the body of Christ.
Speaker A:I may be gifted, you may be gifted.
Speaker A:We may not be that gifted.
Speaker A:We may not think we have anything to offer the Lord or anything significant at least.
Speaker A:But the Bible says that we all have something to contribute.
Speaker A:And that's what it looks like when you're contributing.
Speaker A:You're like Jesus.
Speaker A:All right, so let's break it down a little bit more.
Speaker A:The equipping of the saints.
Speaker A:The word is.
Speaker A:I'll just say it.
Speaker A:It's a Greek word.
Speaker A:You can just say.
Speaker A:Well, the Greek word means.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:The Greek word is.
Speaker A:Okay, you ready?
Speaker A:Karartidimos.
Speaker A:It's only 1.
Speaker A:One time in the Bible.
Speaker A:In Ephesians 4:12.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:It's only found one time.
Speaker A:However, there's a word that is derived from that.
Speaker A:It's karatezo.
Speaker A:Karatizo is used many times in the New Testament.
Speaker A:It's a very interesting word.
Speaker A:It has multiple meanings or implications.
Speaker A:One example that I want to point out is Matthew 4:21.
Speaker A:Guys, ready?
Speaker A:Go there in your Bible, please.
Speaker A:We don't have it on the screen, so you can go there in your Bible.
Speaker A:Matthew 4.
Speaker A:21 says this.
Speaker A:Jesus is walking along the beach, the seashore, and he sees what James and John just came back from a fishing trip, apparently, and there they are mending their fish.
Speaker A:Father's fishing nets.
Speaker A:Mending their Father's fishing nets.
Speaker A:Guess what that word is?
Speaker A:Cartizo.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:Hey, when you leave today, look at the person near you and say cartizo, okay?
Speaker A:Say it with some.
Speaker A:At least sound Italian or something.
Speaker A:When you say it, it's Greek.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:So caratizo, mend to repair.
Speaker A:Mending.
Speaker A:So what does Jesus do?
Speaker A:He says, guys, that's amazing.
Speaker A:Now come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
Speaker A:What is he saying?
Speaker A:Come and follow me and I will.
Speaker A:Carter, tidzo you.
Speaker A:I'm going to mend you.
Speaker A:Now, how do I know that's what Jesus was doing?
Speaker A:Because the Bible tells me so.
Speaker A:You know, there's two examples in the Gospels of miracles that have to do with fishing nets.
Speaker A:The first time is found in Luke, chapter five, the very beginning of Jesus ministry.
Speaker A:Here he is.
Speaker A:Disciples are like, here's Peter, right?
Speaker A:Gets in the boat.
Speaker A:He says to Peter, hey, have you caught any fish?
Speaker A:No?
Speaker A:Nothing.
Speaker A:Okay, launch out into the deep.
Speaker A:Let down your net.
Speaker A:Boom.
Speaker A:Peter does it.
Speaker A:An amazing catch of fish.
Speaker A:And the writer adds the detail, how many know that it's not just the devil that's in the details.
Speaker A:Read the Bible, right?
Speaker A:Reject that, actually.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Unless you're signing a contract, you better read it.
Speaker A:The fine print.
Speaker A:The devil could be in the fine print.
Speaker A:So read it.
Speaker A:But the fact is this.
Speaker A:He says, the net tore.
Speaker A:So the net weren't able to contain this abundant catch of fish.
Speaker A:So here we are.
Speaker A:There's all this fish.
Speaker A:And then Jesus calls Peter and the other disciples, come and follow me.
Speaker A:All right?
Speaker A:For three and a half years, they followed Jesus.
Speaker A:You know, the first year.
Speaker A:Ish.
Speaker A:They actually did no ministry.
Speaker A:They just hung out with Jesus.
Speaker A:He rebuked them, told them they were stupid, things like that.
Speaker A:Sorry, I sound like I come from New York there, didn't I?
Speaker A:You're stupid.
Speaker A:You know, like.
Speaker A:But the fact is, he said these kind of things to me.
Speaker A:Hey, guys, follow me.
Speaker A:Watch me.
Speaker A:Learn from me and let me correct you.
Speaker A:Let me teach you.
Speaker A:Let me disciple you.
Speaker A:Let me cut our deeds.
Speaker A:O you You've got stuff in your life, you've got brokenness in your life.
Speaker A:Let me heal you, let me prepare you.
Speaker A:Why?
Speaker A:Because at the very end of Jesus ministry, after he died, he rose again and he appears to his disciples.
Speaker A:During this 40 day period, we see in John 21 that once again a miracle occurs that has to do with fishing nets.
Speaker A:Here are the disciples.
Speaker A:Dejavu.
Speaker A:They've been out fishing all night.
Speaker A:Nothing, didn't catch any fish.
Speaker A:So Jesus this time says, okay, let down the net on the right hand side the first time, go deep and let down the net the second time, let down the net on the right hand side.
Speaker A:Why the right hand side?
Speaker A:You need to go deep with God.
Speaker A:For three plus years they went deep with Jesus.
Speaker A:Deep in the word, deep in intimacy, deep in their identity, deep in understanding who he was, deep in repentance, deep in consecration, deep in the Spirit filled life, deep in their yieldedness.
Speaker A:And then after three plus years.
Speaker A:Okay guys, it's time.
Speaker A:Father's conferred to me a kingdom and I confer the same to you.
Speaker A:All right guys, right hand side.
Speaker A:What does the right hand side symbolize?
Speaker A:Jesus is seated at the right hand side.
Speaker A:It speaks of resurrection, speaks of authority.
Speaker A:There's other scriptures that talk about that.
Speaker A:So now you're going to have authority, going to have power, you're going to, you're going to be able to do what I've called you to do.
Speaker A:And when you read the account, when they put in their nets, when they cast their nets into the sea and they call and they haul back in the nets, it actually says that there were 153 large fish.
Speaker A:Okay, St. Jerome tells us that at that time there were 153 nations identified on the earth.
Speaker A:153.
Speaker A:Call in your nets, haul them in and guess what happens?
Speaker A:The writer adds, John adds, and even though there were 153 large fish, the nets did not break the first time.
Speaker A:Luke says, by the way, the net's broke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker A:Three and a half years later, now go fishing.
Speaker A:And the net did not break.
Speaker A:Mending is a process of equipping and discipleship.
Speaker A:There are too many people that jump into ministry, expect God to use them and they've got all this brokenness in their life and they're not prepared and, and they throw out a net and it's like a net that tears things implode.
Speaker A:Don't be in a rush, don't aspire to be in ministry.
Speaker A:That's what the Bible says in 1 Timothy 5:17.
Speaker A:Don't lay hands on anyone hastily.
Speaker A:Don't just send people off into ministry.
Speaker A:Prove them Jesus has come and follow me for a year.
Speaker A:They followed him.
Speaker A:He didn't say, okay, guys, I'm going to give you this position and put you on staff.
Speaker A:He took care of them.
Speaker A:No, no, no.
Speaker A:It was about this.
Speaker A:Will you allow the Father to change you, to repair your life, to mend you, to make you whole, to show you who you really are, to refashion and recreate you and the original image and likeness?
Speaker A:Will you allow.
Speaker A:Will you go on this journey?
Speaker A:See, the word cartizo is found in Luke 6:40 as well.
Speaker A:And in Luke 6:40, it says this.
Speaker A:The student or the pupil is not above his teacher.
Speaker A:But every student who's been perfectly trained will be like his teacher.
Speaker A:Well, in English, those two words, perfectly trained, they sound great, but guess what?
Speaker A:They are in Greek.
Speaker A:The student is not any better, is not above his teacher, the rabbi.
Speaker A:But when they've been Qatar Teezot, they'll be like their rabbi.
Speaker A:So what is the goal, the outcome of proper discipleship?
Speaker A:If you continue in My Word, you will be my disciples indeed.
Speaker A:And you will know the truth, the Greek word genosko, which means to know experientially.
Speaker A:And the truth will make you free, will heal you, will make you whole, will change your life, and you'll become more and more like Jesus, your master.
Speaker A:See, he died not to make us in life, but to conform us to his likeness.
Speaker A:He died so that we will become like Jesus.
Speaker A:Romans 8:29.
Speaker A:Those whom he foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the image, the likeness of the Son, that he might be Jesus, the firstborn among many like Jesus.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:Isn't that awesome?
Speaker A:God wants to mend you.
Speaker A:Secondly in 1 Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 10.
Speaker A:So I'm just preaching.
Speaker A:No notes, just preaching.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Is that good?
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:This is a message that's in me.
Speaker A:The Word has to be in you.
Speaker A:It's got to be in you.
Speaker A:We should be able to jump up anytime and preach without notes, right?
Speaker A:Because it's in us, right?
Speaker A:So the word.
Speaker A:1 Corinthians 1:10.
Speaker A:You ready?
Speaker A:Paul's talking about division in the church.
Speaker A:Oh, that's not a good thing.
Speaker A:He goes, guys, I'm hearing bad reports.
Speaker A:There's divisions said now, that grieves the Father.
Speaker A:You know, this schism, some of you follow this one and that one.
Speaker A:And you know, you're like, oh, yeah, I like him.
Speaker A:He's a better preacher than.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And then there's really spiritual.
Speaker A:Well, you follow Jesus.
Speaker A:He goes, but look, he says, I pray that you would be of the same mind and the same judgment is what he said.
Speaker A:There be no divisions among you, is what he prayed.
Speaker A:And he said, and that you be perfectly joined together.
Speaker A:The words, perfectly joined together.
Speaker A:One Greek word, guess what it is, right?
Speaker A:So God wants to mend you, but he also wants to blend us, to make us one.
Speaker A:So the whole idea, hey, just me and Jesus is nowhere to be found in the Bible.
Speaker A:Just you and Jesus.
Speaker A:You'll blow up.
Speaker A:You blow up.
Speaker A:I'm telling you, you need people around you, too, right?
Speaker A:And look, can Jesus speak to us?
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:He corrects us.
Speaker A:He uses people as well, right?
Speaker A:He uses others to correct us.
Speaker A:People that sometimes aren't necessarily nice.
Speaker A:Well, we're like, all right, but there will be people that love you and will correct you and help teach you in the ways of the Lord.
Speaker A:We all have that.
Speaker A:We still have people that speak into our lives on a regular basis.
Speaker A:I'm on meetings with those who are old over me and older than me and.
Speaker A:Hi.
Speaker A:Anything you say, anything you want to ask me about, go ahead, do it.
Speaker A:We all need that.
Speaker A:We all need that.
Speaker A:So blending means we become part of the body, that we recognize that we're part of the body of Christ, right?
Speaker A:Many people have gifts.
Speaker A:They have callings, they have anointings.
Speaker A:They're body parts, but they're not part of the body.
Speaker A:And can you imagine how silly that looks?
Speaker A:Body parts strewn and all over the place, not connected together.
Speaker A:That's like the valley of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37.
Speaker A:And when he prophesied those body parts, those bones came together.
Speaker A:So there's a blending, there's a coming together.
Speaker A:Carter, Tizo means he puts you in a family, he puts you in a community.
Speaker A:He connects you with the body so that you can grow and become more like Jesus.
Speaker A:And I realize there are communities of faith and there are leaders that aren't necessarily the healthiest, but can I tell you that the obvious truth is that we're called to be part of that.
Speaker A:So you have to look, you have to pray until you find.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Don't judge people too harshly.
Speaker A:We all make mistakes, right?
Speaker A:So that's an important part, blending.
Speaker A:Now, the last thing is this.
Speaker A:Are you ready?
Speaker A:Do you think it's going to rhyme with the word mend?
Speaker A:Blend.
Speaker A:Send.
Speaker A:There you go.
Speaker A:Okay, let me use this illustration, right?
Speaker A:There are a lot of churches today led by Prophets.
Speaker A:Some are led by pastors, others are led by apostles.
Speaker A:Some, believe it or not, actually have the entire fivefold.
Speaker A:Very few, but they do.
Speaker A:Maybe not inherent in the house, but at least they're coming in.
Speaker A:So what does that mean?
Speaker A:Means we need the entire fivefold.
Speaker A:Now.
Speaker A:Here's the thing.
Speaker A:When you look at this church, we'll just call it the First Church of the Mended Fishing Net.
Speaker A:Sounds very American.
Speaker A:First Baptist, First Presbyterian.
Speaker A:We've seen Fourth Baptist.
Speaker A:You know that like, literally there's cities in America where it's Fourth Baptist on site.
Speaker A:And somebody says, well, actually we're the Fourth Baptist now.
Speaker A:And so they fight over that and they divide and start a new denomination.
Speaker A:There's 500 Baptist denominations in America, apparently so.
Speaker A:Gotta love the church, right?
Speaker A:So the point.
Speaker A:The point is this, though.
Speaker A:The First Church of the Mended Fishing Net is like this.
Speaker A:Hey, guys, you got addiction problems, you got issues, brokenness in your life, come into our church, we'll help you, we'll disciple you, we'll teach you how to overcome.
Speaker A:We'll equip you with everything that you need in order to be free, to be healed, to be made whole.
Speaker A:That's awesome.
Speaker A:We need that, right?
Speaker A:We need churches like that.
Speaker A:But what happens is you come in and you go through the training, the discipleship.
Speaker A:You experience maybe deliverance, and you get your healing and your restoration and you're made whole, but it stops there.
Speaker A:And it's kind of like you walk into the church and.
Speaker A:And the elders or the pastors say, hey, you know, welcome to the First Church of the Mended Fishing Net.
Speaker A:Do you see that fishing net up there in the wall?
Speaker A:And you look at the fishing net and you go, well, that looks so nice.
Speaker A:It's clean, it's pristine.
Speaker A:I mean, there's nothing broken.
Speaker A:It's been entirely mended.
Speaker A:But it's on a wall.
Speaker A:It's not.
Speaker A:It's mounted on a wall.
Speaker A:It's not being deployed for its purpose.
Speaker A:And the last meaning of the word, cartizo means to be used for the intended purpose.
Speaker A:We were created for a purpose.
Speaker A:We were created not just to be made whole.
Speaker A:Thank you, Jesus, for healing me.
Speaker A:Praise God.
Speaker A:Because there's other churches where you come in and it's like, hey, we're glad you're here.
Speaker A:So sign up, be on a team, serve on roster, give your money, do all the right things.
Speaker A:But there's no discipleship, there's no equipping, there's no healing.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:So it's not either or it's Both ends, we need both.
Speaker A:Come in.
Speaker A:Be discipled, be healed, be equipped, be made whole, and then get filled with the spirit somewhere down the road and get the gifts that God has for your life.
Speaker A:Be activated and have opportunities to be activated and to begin to use your gifts and seek God and get prophetic words and all that you need to be able to understand what is my purpose?
Speaker A:What is my calling.
Speaker A:Guess what?
Speaker A:The Bible puts it this way.
Speaker A:Without a revelation, what?
Speaker A:People perish.
Speaker A:Do you know what it means?
Speaker A:It says this.
Speaker A:Without a revelation, people cast off restraint, right?
Speaker A:People live recklessly.
Speaker A:The word, it says they perish.
Speaker A:That Hebrew word, perish.
Speaker A:Remember when Moses was on top of the mountain and the children of Israel were waiting and waiting and waiting?
Speaker A:Where is Moses And Aaron's like, who knows?
Speaker A:Let's make ourselves a golden calf.
Speaker A:And so they all pitched in their.
Speaker A:Their ornaments and their jewelry, and they melted it in the fire and they put it in a mold and they made this golden calf, calf.
Speaker A:And it actually says in Hebrew, they bow down and worship and said, this is our God that took us, brought us out of Egypt.
Speaker A:Guess what it says that they dance naked around the golden calf.
Speaker A:Do you know that the word that dance naked is the same Hebrew word perished without a revelation, right?
Speaker A:My people perish.
Speaker A:My people dance naked without a vision.
Speaker A:Prophetic revelation, kingdom, purpose.
Speaker A:What does it mean?
Speaker A:Well, not literally, but it means to cast off restraint.
Speaker A:It means to live aimlessly, recklessly.
Speaker A:People have no purpose, no vision.
Speaker A:That's what it means.
Speaker A:So the idea is, let him mend you, let him blend you, put you in the family, and then let him begin to prepare you for your purpose, what you're called to do in his kingdom.
Speaker A:Equipping.
Speaker A:Come to him as a child.
Speaker A:Walk before him as a child.
Speaker A:Be malleable.
Speaker A:Allow him to shape you, to conform you to his image.
Speaker A:Let him deal with the brokenness in your life.
Speaker A:I found there are believers, there are Christians who've been going to church for years, and there's still brokenness in their life.
Speaker A:And can I also say things that have never been addressed?
Speaker A:Can I also say this, that life is sometimes nasty things happen.
Speaker A:Disappointments, setbacks, we make mistakes, we fail.
Speaker A:Other people hurt us.
Speaker A:We experience trauma, we experience victimization.
Speaker A:Sometimes we hurt others, ourselves.
Speaker A:In the midst of all of that, all of our failures and our shortcomings, there's still a God that says, come to me.
Speaker A:Let me change you, Let me heal you.
