* Your work is your testimony.

* Jesus was prepping His disciples for His departure, letting them know they will be hated because of Him.

* But He tells them He’s going to leave a gift - His Spirit to live inside them.

* That would be like the Spirit of Lebron James living in my 14 year old son, Jake.

* What does the Holy Spirit do?

* Vs 26 - He TESTIFIES about Jesus (this is the FIRST testimony).

* A “testimony” is “evidence or proof of the existence or appearance of something.”

* Just like a person vouching for someone’s character - “this guy is ossum, he’s the real deal.”

* The Holy Spirit is the voice inside you that tells you Jesus is real.

* When we do the right thing we have the testimony of the Holy Spirit inside us telling us that what we did was right.

* *** The Holy Spirit is doing the same in other peoples’ lives as well.

* Vs 27 - We testify about Jesus (this is the SECOND testimony).

* The way we live our lives should point people to Jesus.

* Our testimony should line up with the testimony in their heart.

* If the two testimonies don’t match then:

* We fail to “be a testimony.”

* People may not come to know Jesus.

* This puts extreme accountability on us.

* If you see your work as worship then the testimonies will always match!

* Your work is your testimony!

* The secret to loving and leading is the same - a willingness to SERVE!

* This is the best business principle of all!

* Serving involves Sacrifice.

* But you won’t do this unless you know a few things to be true.

* Let’s look at the most famous example of service in the book - when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet.

* Question - would you serve someone you knew would stab you in the back?

* Let’s look at what Jesus knew:

* Vs 1 - He knew His present - He understood the times He was in.

* In a time of crisis the person who knows what to do will become the leader.

* Vs 3a - He knew His power - God’s power was His power!

* Vs 3b - He knew His past - He recognized His source.

* If you want the fruit, go to the root.

* Vs 3c - He knew His future - this is two-fold:

* Physically - He knew Judas would betray Him and He’d have to die a gruesome death.

* Spiritually - He knew what was on the other side of faithful obedience - eternal life for all.

* KEY: In light of what Jesus knew, what did He do?

* In light of knowing His past, present, and future, how would He use His power?

* Vs 4-5 - He did the job of a bondservant.

* He identified with the lowest of the low, elevated the disciples above Him, and ROCKED THEIR WORLDS!

* How did this turn out?

* These 11 men transformed the world for the very man who washed their feet!

* And we’re still talking about it 2,000 years later!

* Vs 17 - Now that we KNOW these things, what will we do?

* The secret to loving and leading is through SERVING!

* True life can only be experienced when you go through death.

* How does that relate to biz?

* Because a biz starts as a dream, and if you want to accomplish it there are three stages to a dream:

* Birth - Death - Fulfillment

* Our first book - WTC: Facing your fear, Die to your dream, live POWERFUL.

* How does this work?

* Jesus came to give us eternal life, but He had to die first.

* Vs 23-24 shows the mindset of death (use seed prop).

* All the characteristics of the oak tree are found in an acorn - but it has to die to come to life.

* If the acorn had feelings, what would it say? “I don’t wanna die!”

* Vs 25-26 shows the method of death - the practical way you do it.

* You put God’s thing above your thing.

* That requires eternal perspective (hate this life compared to our next life).

* Vs 27a - Christ’s humanity revealed!!!

* Don’t ask God to get you out of it, ask Him to help you get something out of it.

* Vs 27b - the only way to die is to focus on your purpose for being alive!

* You are not here for YOU! You’re here for God’s glory.

* If you know you’re here for God’s glory, then you can trust Him to write your story!

* Vs 28 - God’s response - Christ heard His audible voice.

* Do you want to hear God’s voice? Then you have to be willing to die!

* You wanna hear God’s voice in your life? Then you gotta die!

* True life can only be experienced when you go through death.

*

Push the plow, then carry the mantle.

* If you want God’s grace you have to move at God’s pace!

* David was being pursued by Saul so he could kill him.

* Twice David could’ve killed Saul and become king in order to accomplish God’s destiny for His life, but he refused to.

* He wouldn’t violate a clear principle in Scripture about rising up against God’s anointed.

* So what did David do? He waited for God to do it!

* Vs 9 - "You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me, for you, O God, are my fortress."

* He waited for God, and therefore He took the throne of Israel in God’s time in God’s way - not in his own.

* RESULT - he had to grace to handle his new position!

* If he reached out and took it for himself he wouldn’t have had the grace to handle the place God wanted him to be.

* EX: couples’ ministry - I tried to do it 2 years after marriage but it bombed. 15 years later we got asked to do it and it worked!

* So what do we do when God has spoken to us and now we have a goal to pursue?

* Ask yourself a series of questions. Here are four I use:

* 1) Did the opportunity present itself or did I make it happen? Did the door naturally open or did I just kick it in?

* Faith is living without scheming. You have to be honest with yourself to see if you schemed to make the thing happen.

* Still not sure? Ask your spouse or a family member.

* 2) Does it fit into the flow of my life?

* Will it put more on my plate than what I can carry.

* When it’s time to move the “vital” things of your life will be taken care of (like David before he fought Goliath - his biz and personal stuff was handled).

* 3) Do I feel more energized or exhausted after a trial run?

* Sometimes you don’t know until you try, so test the water.

* Monitor how you feel afterward - when it’s God you have His energy.

* 4) What does your gut say?

* Pay attention to the physical sensation in your gut.

* When you’re on the right path your gut will agree.

* If you want God’s grace you have to move at God’s pace!

*

* In today’s world anyone can become famous.

* This has created an insatiable appetite for people to “seek their own glory.”

* We even have companies that exist now for that very purpose - to help you become famous!

* Marketing and Advertising firms used to exist to help companies sell a product or service.

* But now it’s all about the personal brand.

* It’s not all bad.

* It’s just now fueling a lust for fame like never before.

* But this lust for fame has also caused so much stress, anxiety, and depression in people.

* *** Jesus has something to say about it.

* Those who were threatened by Him did everything they could to RUIN HIS BRAND!

* Vs 48 - they painted a false narrative!

* Vs 49-50 - God is the one who glorifies me (He props Him up and shines a light on Him).

* Anytime something is mentioned twice pay twice as much attention!

* Vs 54 - He repeats - God is the one who glorifies Me!

* *** Problem solved - Do NOT seek glory for yourself, let God do it.

* Do you know how freeing this is?

* So what do we do? Obviously we can’t be social media agnostic.

* Here are some practical ways to adopt Christ’s mindset when it came to fame:

* 1) Be a DEFLECTOR - when the light shines, point it toward God.

* 2) Think LIVES, not LIKES - you are online to HELP PEOPLE!

* It’s not about you, it’s about them - real lives taking in your content.

* 3) Be GENUINE - don’t be the person you want to be, be the person you are.

* This will keep you from burnout - if people like you, fine. If not, who cares.

* 4) Manage your EMOTIONS - two things can happen when your audience grows, and you have to make sure it doesn’t happen:

* You become a people-pleaser - you start to live for your audience, catering to what you know they want to hear.

* You become a people-worshipper - you fall in love with others who have big platforms as you fall in love with yourself for having a big platform. (Ex: this “pic” is for you)

* When online, you are there to glorify GOD and it’s His job to glorify you, if He so chooses.

* Making a mark is impossible apart from knowing your Mission.

* It was the Feast of Tabernacles (7 day feast to remember Israel’s history).

* At night they would light candelabras in the Temple - the last night was the biggest.

* It was at this time Jesus shows up and says, “I am the LIGHT of the world.” (That got their attention I’m sure)

* The Pharisees refuted, Jesus responded.

* Vs 14 - three key components.

* His response shows us the three components of a mission:

* 1) IDENTITY (vs 12) - we are the same light as Jesus.

* Your identity isn’t determined by your STRUGGLE.

* Your identity is determined by your SURRENDER.

* 2) HISTORY - He never forgot His roots.

* Your story is “HIS-story” - it’s God’s hand guiding you.

* Look back at your life and see how God has prepared you.

* 3) DESTINY - He kept His eye on the prize.

* How else could Jesus endure such a gruesome death w/out focusing on the reward for going through it?

* Focusing on the reward is the only thing that keeps me working out.

* Do you want to be a person on mission like Jesus to leave your mark in the world?

* Then you gotta know your identity, history, and destiny.