Skip to content Fully Defined Part 1 with Kenny Luck Jan 18 · 55 min ...more
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Since 2000 Every Man Ministries has been activating men worldwide to live out their truest identity in Christ through its discipleship resources, live events, and steaming platform.
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Defining Moments and the Call to Full Commitment 0:01 Hey, guys. Welcome to the men's global live stream. Just put on your seat belt. We're starting a new series that's called fully defined, and I just want to encourage you to download the notes, click download0:13 notes if you're watching this for a couple of reasons. 1 is, we learn better. All the social scientists say, we learn better when we hear, when we see the scripture, when we write it in. Your learning level goes up. But0:24 here is the big reason why I want you to download the notes. I want you to teach this on a Zoom call, with your men's group at church, at your church. That's why I put the notes together, is to multiply0:37 the movement through you. So make sure that you download the notes. Like I said, we're starting a new series called fully defined. And to get us thinking in the right direction, I want you to answer a question for me.0:49 Can you think of a time in your life, you ready, where something happened or you made a decision that you would call a defining moment1:01 in your life. Think about it. Alright? A defining moment is a point in your life when you're urged to make a pivotal decision or when1:13 you experience something that fundamentally changes your trajectory for a long period of time, if not for the rest of your1:25 life. Defining moments have this transformational effect on us. It affects how we think. It affects our self perception. It affects our views and1:36 attitudes toward, each other. Right? It affects our approach to life and relationships. It impacts our attitudes,1:48 toward what's going to happen next. It impacts our purpose and life mission. So kind of to go from here, a defining moment, to maybe2:00 some practical defining moments. Think about having a baby, getting engaged, getting married, suffering a divorce, maybe, graduating college, starting a new job, leaving2:12 an old job. Right? Beginning a new business, becoming an entrepreneur, taking the trip of a lifetime. Alright? Or maybe it's2:24 losing a loved 1. You see, on earth, you have some key moments in your life that really change the trajectory of your life. I mean, for me, I2:36 remember being in college and smuggling Bibles into the Soviet Union with 3 other dudes. That was a defining moment2:48 in my life, especially in my walk with God. But I remember traveling Europe in college, the first time I had kind of seen, you know, the world, at least a big chunk of the3:00 world. Certainly marrying Chrissy, certainly moving to the great state of Texas, right, for my first job, and then God calling me back home3:12 to the left coast, California, right, helping to start a healthcare company. That was a huge defining moment, which changed the trajectory of my life going3:24 forward. And then, leaving that company and firing myself and starting Everyman Ministries. Right? But I have to say, the single most defining3:35 moment of life for me, and you probably expect me to say this, was when I personally and on my own placed my3:47 faith in Jesus as the son of God and his work for me on the cross. Why? Because no dimension of3:59 my life ongoing, no matter where I was or what I was doing, no dimension of my life, no season of life, no relationship in my life, no adventure in my life,4:11 was untouched forever by that single relationship, and it is still forming me today. And the Bible says that that's4:23 God's intention. Right? When you decide to cross the line into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, a supernatural4:35 process, a transforming process begins that fully defines my identity. Who who I think I am, where I4:47 came from, where I'm going. It fully defines your energy because whatever commands your identity, commands your energy. You start reallocating energy from certain4:59 places toward the things of God. And so then it turns into this expression of a life that continues to get lived5:10 out and worked out for the rest of your days on earth. And in this series, we're going to explore the 5 powerful ways a relationship with Christ is intended to fully5:24 define your life right now. And we're gonna start in part 1 by by just getting God's mind. We're gonna get a basis for the5:36 series. Just let's pour some concrete. Let's pour some foundations. By getting God's mind just on our relationship, How does he think about it? And then we can get5:47 into how we are fully defined by Jesus's life. Part 2, we are fully defined by his death and crucifixion. We are fully5:59 identified and defined by his resurrection. We are fully defined and identified by his position, seated at the right hand of God right now. That's part 4.6:11 And then lastly, we are fully defined by his ultimate glory. And so it's gonna be a great ride. I hope that you'll be with usGod's Heart for Our Relationship: Break Up Fallow Ground 6:23 each of the sessions, and that you'll invite some buddies to do that. So let's start part 1. Make sure you got your notes out. Click download. Print those out, and get those in front of you. If you don't for some reason6:34 have the notes, they're going to be on the screen. And let's let's just start off getting a foundation. Let's get God's mind on our relationship with him, so that we can be clear6:47 and we can either align with God's mindset about how he feels this relationship works, or for some of us, realign our6:58 mindset with him in mind. And I I chose a verse out of Jeremiah because it really speaks to dudes. Alright? And I think you, after you hear me read it, you'll understand why. But it's God,7:11 and he's talking to his community of men. And, listen to what he says. Jeremiah chapter 4 verses 3 and 4. For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah7:23 and to Jerusalem, quote, Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and7:35 remove the foreskins of your heart. Now you understand why I said, this is kind of a dude verse? He's not talking to the women.7:47 He is talking to his community of men, their sons of covenant, but there's an issue going on. So they're identified, but they're not fully7:59 defined with God. And you can see it in the language that God uses. He tells them to break up their fallow or unplowed ground. Okay? And it's a picture of hard8:10 soil. It's not productive. Okay? So in this relationship, God wants our relationship to produce fruit, but it can't produce8:23 fruit if in the farming sense, we are sowing and putting our energy into the area of ground that that is filled with weeds and8:34 thorns. So God says, hey, you gotta break up this ground and work work this ground and and make it productive, and stop putting your energy over here. And in the Bible, when8:46 you hear in the Old Testament these agricultural metaphors for having a relationship with God, it's usually a call to8:58 come back to him, realign with him. It's God expressing his heart, and he's saying, hey, you know what? Our relationship is unfruitful right now, because you're putting your energy in the wrong spot. And when the Bible9:10 says, do not sow among thorns, you can just write an equal sign. Right? The world. Right? Culture. Godless systems of belief.9:21 Systems of belief that involve idol worship. Okay? So they're putting their energy not into the relationship, they're putting it into the world. Right? So that's why God says,9:33 break up your fallow ground, don't sow among thorns. And then there's this image, and it's certainly masculine, where he says circumcise yourselves to9:45 the Lord. Alright? Now, they would think, you know, a Hebrew man would go, well, that's what sets us apart. You know, when God told Abraham9:57 to make sure that the men of Israel circumcised themselves, it was because, in the act of being a man and in the act of being a human being10:09 and seeing a body part, it would remind the men, like, okay, I'm set apart unto God. It was a10:21 marker. It was a physical symbol of a spiritual reality about their identity. I am at the most central part of my body, which makes me a man,10:33 I am God's man. And that's why God uses this reference, hey, circumcise yourselves to the Lord. Right? Set yourself apart in your identity to the Lord. So he's10:44 using something that's very familiar with them, that is very defining. Right? And then he also says, and remove the foreskins of your heart. So there is an obstacle. There's something,10:57 getting in the way, and I know I know this is graphic, but it's something that is personal, and that they get. Right? There's there's something covering them11:09 that where they look like the rest of the culture. Right? The uncircumcised culture that doesn't believe in the 1 true God. And so, you see God making a point, right? And11:21 he's got their attention, just like I have your attention. But God wants to be first. Just let's say that together. God wants to be first. That's right. When when it11:33 comes to our relationship with him, he wants your allegiance. He wants your loyalty. He wants to be first. He wants your love. He is number 1. Why? Because you're created by him. You're created for him, and 1 day11:45 you're gonna go to him. He's your creator. He wants to be first. Creator is always first. And that is the Hebrew mindset, but it's also the mindset of the follower of Christ.11:57 Right? You love the Lord first. He's your first consideration. Now Jesus, if you if you fast forward into the New Testament, the same power, the same vibe, the same12:09 message comes through to Christ followers, and his first group of Christ following men. Look at John 15 19 where he says to them, if you belong to the world, it would love you as its own.12:20 As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. The the word for world is the Greek word cosmos. Right? And it has12:32 to it reflects the culture, the systems, the identities, the ways to be, the ways to believe, the ways to behave that are without God.12:45 If you belong to that world, the culture, right, it would love you. Man, isn't that a prophetic word for today? As12:57 we kind of look out in culture and we see how godless culture treats now those who follow Christ, the13:08 labels that get put on, you know, the persecution around the world, the the lists of invites that you're not on, the the13:20 pursuit of criminalizing, you know, people who just believe in Jesus all over the world. So Jesus reinforces God's13:32 message to his followers, and he's like, nope. That's where you used to belong. That's the domain of darkness. That's run by the devil himself. If13:44 you belong to that, I would it would love you, but it doesn't. You think it does sometimes, but it doesn't. As it is, you do not belong to the culture, you belong to Christ. I have13:55 chosen you out, ek is the word, out of the the world and into another domain. So let's just make some14:07 very simple observations. Number 1, God wants all of me, not some of me. How about that? Yeah. It's like, you said yes, he said yes.14:19 And he expects commitment, loyalty, and love. Right? Remember when you went and married your wife? Ring went on, you know? Richard or poor, sickness and in health, till death do us14:31 part. I do. You make vows, make decisions, and it's like, all of me is for all of you. That's God's heart. God wants all of you, not some of you. Right? But14:43 here's the problem. We have a consumer mindset. Right? We have lots of relationships. We have lots of people who serve us. We have people who fix our cars. We got people who fix our phones. We got people who service14:54 coffee. We have people who do our mortgages. We have people who come over and fix stuff around the house. We have people who pawn tires. Everybody's got a guy, it's a consumer mindset, just like, it's, there's a bunch of15:04 people who accessorize our lives, God is not an accessory. God is number 1. God is beyond, beyond, beyond, and in first place.15:17 Creator created, vine, branch, shepherd, sheep, potter, clay, master, servant, teacher, pupil. He's number 1, and we're in the B position. He's15:28 not an accessory to our lives that we just kinda throw in there, and you know, maybe we go to church, or we go to a no. He is life. So God wants all of me, not some of me. Number 2, God wants me15:40 to battle, not blend. You know, and that's what Jesus is saying to his disciples. You know, you're gonna be tempted because15:52 you're gonna want to please people and fit in and get acceptance from men to be quiet or adjust16:04 who you are in God in different environments, so you don't ruffle the water. You don't stand out. Well, that's totally contrary to what he teaches the disciples. Nope.16:16 You're supposed to be salt. You're supposed to be in the mix. You're supposed to be flavoring, influencing. You're light. You shine against the dark. Right? And I put you on your lamp stand in your ultimate spot16:27 so that you can shine your light in this dark world. You're an aroma of Christ. So God expects visibility. Right, your light. God expects influence, your16:39 salt. God expects you everywhere you go to spread the knowledge of Jesus through what you say, how you live, what you do, how you share the love of God. Right? How you serve16:51 people. Right? Third, God wants Christ versus culture to define me. Jesus can't be more clear. Right? He's like, I define17:03 you. I love the language that he uses. You do not belong to the world, cosmos, culture, that godless system out here that you have to live in.17:14 Right? You can't escape that, but that culture does not define how you see yourself, how you see other people, how you see purpose, and who you worship.17:26 Alright? If you belong to that, I would have told you, but I've chosen you out of the world. Implicit is you belong to me. So is it gonna be Christ, or17:38 is it going to be culture? Kind of see how God's energy is is very clear. It's very direct. He wants to be first. He doesn't want some of you. He wants all of you. You're going to17:50 have to battle to stay true to his desires for you, and there's an adversarial relationship with culture. Now, in the bible, God's men encourage each other18:02 along the lines that we've read in Jeremiah and in John 15. The apostle Paul with his trainee. Timothy, younger,18:13 stud, God's man, but guess what? He's working through what relationship with God means in his context. Listen to18:25 older man Paul, veteran, talking to younger rookie Timothy. But you Timothy are a man of God. So run from all these evil things,18:38 pursue righteousness in a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to18:49 the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. So the admonition19:02 is rooted in identity. Timothy, you're a man of God. Where does the energy of the man of God go? Well, it goes into fighting the19:14 good fight of faith. Least he's being honest. Jesus was honest in John 15. He said, you know what? The world's gonna hate you, but remember it hated me before it hated you. There's gonna be a19:25 fight. You're gonna have to hold on to it. You're gonna have to stick to it. You're gonna have to sacrifice. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Right? And then here is this expression, hold19:37 tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you. Do you get the picture? You know? Like just think about something or some19:49 situation where you were holding on for dear life. Right? You're you're holding on. It means everything. Because if you hold on, you'll get there. If you hold on, you'll be20:01 safe. If you're you'll hold on, you won't have any regret. But the Bible tells us that we need to hold on to the eternal life to which God20:13 has called. Let God fully defines define us as we declared when we crossed the line into relationship and we made that commitment. Let's work out that commitment and20:24 hold tightly. So I love that picture. But there's the basis. There's God's mind on our relationship. Okay? He wants all of you, not some of you. Right? He wants you to battle for this relationship20:37 with him, to protect it and to guard it, and to give it priority. And you're gonna fight with the world out there that is godless. That's every day, 2420:49 7, 7 days a week, 4 weeks a month, 52 weeks out of the year, year after year, until you go to be with God. That's the journey. And I'm glad that God is upfront21:00 about that. Alright. So there's God's mindset. And so now let's look at, still pouring foundation, let's look at kind of where we start, what God does when we initially believe, what21:12 happens, and then what what the plan is. Alright? So let's let's get fully defined by getting the big picture in part 1. Alright? And to get that, you have toShow more In this video 0:00 Defining Moments and the Call to Full Commitment6:18 God's Heart for Our Relationship: Break Up Fallow Ground21:22 The Gifts and Process of Transformation into Christlikeness
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