Don’t Leave God Out | Take Action
Pastor Keion Henderson is the lead pastor of The Lighthouse Church in Houston, Texas Lighthouse is an organization that serves the body of Christ through our 5 pillars. We always ANTICIPATE a move of God in every experience, so we constantly set a great ATMOSPHERE, and we ACCEPT everyone through love. We believe the best way to impact people is by being AUTHENTIC to who we are and by taking ACTION to move everyone towards greater.
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Autogenerated Transcript
Pastor Keion (00:21):
What’s going on everybody? Welcome to another episode of Take Action. I am Pastor Keon Henderson. I am privileged to give leadership to the Lighthouse Church of Houston, of Southwest, a Leaf Southeast and the West. And we are so excited that God is using us. I didn’t come by myself today. I got the Holy Spirit, got my sidekick, pastor Torrance Moore, the assistant pastor
Pastor Torrance (00:47):
What’s what’s going on
Pastor Keion (00:48):
Of the Lighthouse Church and he’s got his agape sweater on. These are our top level leaders in our organization and Agape is an executive who leads through accountability and gives or guides, excuse me, with authority to protect and execute. And so that’s what Agape leader here at the Lighthouse Church is. And so we love each other and we’re so glad that you’re here with us and we love you as well. Pastor. How you doing?
Pastor Torrance (01:15):
I’m doing good, man. How you doing
Pastor Keion (01:17):
Man? I’m slow motion, man. I’m doing well, man. Slow motion man.
Pastor Torrance (01:21):
You look, you’re the coolest cat.
Pastor Keion (01:22):
Yeah, man.
Pastor Torrance (01:23):
Stand on. Too late.
Pastor Keion (01:24):
Yeah, man. That’s true man. I can’t go against you on that one, but yeah, you good too, man. You’re the coolest
Pastor Torrance (01:30):
Cat. I try, Reverend. I try.
Pastor Keion (01:32):
Yeah man. So we got this topic today.
Pastor Torrance (01:36):
That’s good.
Pastor Keion (01:37):
Literally, it’s good. We taught it in staff meeting today. And just for transparency sake, I was getting ready to get up here and teach.
Pastor Torrance (01:45):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (01:46):
I saw you sitting over there with Pastor Billy Johnson and I say, you know what, pastor Torrance, come on up here. So ladies and gentlemen, this man has no idea what I’m getting ready to say, but he has studied to show himself approved so that he can rightly divide the word of God and there is nothing. And I mean absolutely nothing that I can get up here and say that in some way, some form, some fashion this man of God hasn’t already prepared himself
Pastor Torrance (02:14):
For. Yes sir. I’ll try to add a little something to it, man.
Pastor Keion (02:16):
Yeah, man. So today we’re going to be talking on this subject, don’t leave God out. And that may seem very trivial to you. It may seem very basic, but we we’re talking about it from another perspective and that perspective is, is that we tend to leave God out by employing this three letter word and this three letter word.
Pastor Torrance (02:43):
Oh God,
Pastor Keion (02:43):
You want to tell him or should I tell him?
Pastor Torrance (02:45):
Ego,
Pastor Keion (02:46):
Ego,
Pastor Torrance (02:47):
Ego.
Pastor Keion (02:48):
Such a huge ego,
Pastor Torrance (02:50):
Man.
Pastor Keion (02:51):
We got a lot of egos in us and I don’t know if we understand how it’s plaguing us.
Pastor Torrance (02:57):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (02:58):
Keep us from reaching our ultimate destiny. Yes sir.
Pastor Torrance (03:02):
Yes sir. I
Pastor Keion (03:02):
Want to talk about it. So in your estimation, if you were to define ego right off the top of your head, how would you define it?
Pastor Torrance (03:11):
Thinking about one’s self the most?
Pastor Keion (03:15):
So just thinking about me more than anything or anybody else? Yes sir.
Pastor Torrance (03:18):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (03:20):
I love that idea. Let me give you these preliminary notes. So while the word ego
Pastor Torrance (03:29):
Doesn’t
Pastor Keion (03:30):
Appear in the Bible, concepts and principles regarding the ego certainly do.
Pastor Torrance (03:37):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (03:37):
And the word ego generally refers to an exaggerated sense of self-importance,
Pastor Torrance (03:45):
Which
Pastor Keion (03:45):
Usually results in an excessive preoccupation with self. Now here was the first, here’s the first note that I want to throw out and that I want everybody to have to deal with this. And it is a quote by a man named Alan Watts.
Pastor Torrance (04:05):
So good.
Pastor Keion (04:06):
Alright, I’m getting ready. So normally when it’s just me, it takes a long time for us to get in the lesson. We already in the
Pastor Torrance (04:12):
Lesson. So good.
Pastor Keion (04:13):
Here’s what he says. A person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except thoughts. So he loses touch with reality and lives in a world of illusions.
Pastor Torrance (04:37):
My God,
Pastor Keion (04:38):
I bet most people didn’t know that overthinking is sometimes an indicator of an ego.
Pastor Torrance (04:48):
My goodness. I will guarantee many people didn’t know that
Pastor Keion (04:51):
Because when I read it, when I first came across it, I thought everybody tells you. Think, think. And then we admit that we’re overthinkers almost as if it’s a badge of honor. Or even if we know it isn’t, we don’t think it’s something that we should stop doing because thinking has given us copious amounts of results. We’ve overthought things, but it didn’t always work out bad. So sometimes you use a defective strategy, but you have a good outcome and you think that that’s a good source to go back to. But overthinking according to Alan Watts is synonymous with having a huge ego. And in the scripture we read that it is not okay with God, nor is it okay with scripture for us to have a overly amplified version, our vision of ourself and self-importance.
Pastor Torrance (05:52):
Absolutely. Pastor, listen, the moment that we begin to think about ourselves continually, how can we die to self?
Pastor Keion (06:02):
Okay, so now we are talking scripture. So because the Bible says that we have to die to self.
Pastor Torrance (06:06):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (06:07):
So the ego will keep us from accomplishing the commandment because we cannot deny ourself if we are in love with ourself.
Pastor Torrance (06:16):
Absolutely. And thinking about yourself all the times only gives me one conclusion that you’re the most important person in the room. That if you’re constantly thinking about yourself, when do you have space? Enough for me?
Pastor Keion (06:29):
So the Bible is filled with admonitions against the self because of man’s inherent desire to be worshiped.
Pastor Torrance (06:37):
Oh my goodness.
Pastor Keion (06:38):
So because we have an inherent ingrained desire to be worshiped, then God puts a rule in place that keeps us from getting the very thing that we are addicted to. Yes,
Pastor Torrance (06:53):
Sir.
Pastor Keion (06:53):
Because remember, remember.
Pastor Torrance (06:55):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (06:56):
God says, I’m a jealous God. I will not have you worship anybody above me.
Pastor Torrance (07:03):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (07:04):
And that also means, that means then, am I correct on this that idolatry is not always the worship of a figure outside of us. Sometimes the worship of ourselves
Pastor Torrance (07:17):
Is idolatry
Pastor Keion (07:18):
Is idolatry. What do you
Pastor Torrance (07:19):
Think about that? Absolutely the pastor. Because listen, when you go to Genesis 11 verses one through nine, you think about the Tower of Babel. And the Tower of Babel is a great example of ego because the Bible says that they said to themselves, let us build a tower and a city so that we can go to the heavens and reach God. But God had to come down, confuse their language to put them on the original assignment that he gave them. They wanted to get to a place outside of the system of worship that God said is that ego because they built the tower to get to heaven, to have God come down and dwell with him.
Pastor Keion (08:10):
And Mira’s ego was huge.
Pastor Torrance (08:12):
It was,
Pastor Keion (08:13):
Yeah. And I read somewhere and I visited the holy land and it was talking about King Herod and how literally in the holy land he literally leveled one mountain.
Pastor Torrance (08:28):
Yes sir. And
Pastor Keion (08:28):
Then tasked his slaves to build another
Pastor Torrance (08:31):
One, build another one
Pastor Keion (08:32):
To show God that he could build mountains too.
Pastor Torrance (08:35):
Is that ego?
Pastor Keion (08:36):
That’s ego, man.
Pastor Torrance (08:37):
Man, that’s ego man.
Pastor Keion (08:38):
That’s ego. Nebu. Ezr had an ego.
Pastor Torrance (08:41):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (08:41):
Because he thought that because of his prowess and ability and kingdom that he was God. But here’s what God, lemme show you how much God will deal with the ego. It says not many days, hence that Nebu kza was grass like oxen. Like oxen because that God always, now he has to always equalize the ego.
Pastor Torrance (09:03):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (09:04):
Because he’s a jealous God. He’ll have no other God. Now I saw this and I want to get your thoughts on this, and I saw this in the dark forces of hell of when Satan, we can trace this back to the garden of Eden, when Satan stirred up,
Pastor Torrance (09:22):
Cementing
Pastor Keion (09:22):
The garden and told Adam and Eve, you can be just like God, I think let’s read Genesis three and five. Pastor,
Pastor Torrance (09:29):
It says, for God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you’ll be like God knowing good and evil.
Pastor Keion (09:36):
So what happened is they get in the garden, God says, don’t touch this sad. It says,
Pastor Torrance (09:43):
Don’t worry about it,
Pastor Keion (09:44):
Don’t worry about it. If you eat this, you’ll have the knowledge of good and evil.
Pastor Torrance (09:50):
So
Pastor Keion (09:51):
What I believe is that when Satan goes into the garden, his ego, which got him kicked out of heaven is now introduced to Eve, to Eve. And now Eve is like, oh, I can be like God, I
Pastor Torrance (10:09):
Can be like God. That’s the plan. If I can get your ego off track to make you think you’re just like him.
Pastor Keion (10:18):
So then the ego is sometimes a reflection of me playing God in my own experience.
Pastor Torrance (10:27):
Absolutely.
Pastor Keion (10:27):
Because when we say you be like God, we know that we can’t create the heavens in earth.
Pastor Torrance (10:33):
No sir, you cannot.
Pastor Keion (10:34):
We know that we can’t make it rain. We know that we can’t make the sun hot, but it doesn’t prevent us from getting in God’s way trying to effectuate an outcome.
Pastor Torrance (10:44):
Absolutely.
Pastor Keion (10:45):
By manipulation or conversation or pouting.
Pastor Torrance (10:50):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (10:50):
All of that is a result of the ego. Let’s look at this past 2,400 years ago, Plato said that people are guilty of feasting.
Pastor Torrance (11:09):
Oh my goodness.
Pastor Keion (11:09):
On their own thoughts.
Pastor Torrance (11:10):
Oh my goodness. Feasting on your own thoughts.
Pastor Keion (11:13):
And then I thought, no wonder so many people are hungry because they’re eating empty things.
Pastor Torrance (11:23):
My goodness.
Pastor Keion (11:25):
Because his ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. And I can be the first one to say to those of you all at home, my thoughts as much as I read the word of God, as much as I study all of my thoughts are not always pure
Pastor Torrance (11:40):
Mine either,
Pastor Keion (11:41):
Which means that if I fetched on my thoughts, oh, okay, here’s a scripture as a man thinks.
Pastor Torrance (11:47):
So is
Pastor Keion (11:51):
It true then that when I’m looking at a person or have an encounter with a person, am I in conversation with a person? Am I in relationship with the person or am I in relationship with a thought pattern?
Pastor Torrance (12:12):
It’s a thought pattern because if I’m talking to you, I’m trying to get you to take on my thought pattern. It’s a thought pattern. How many people do that? We get into a conversation with someone and my perspective is what I really want you to grab a hold. We are having a combat of perspectives here. Eventually one had to take hope in its mind because I need you feasting on my thoughts.
Pastor Keion (12:37):
No, let’s stay there. So you’re saying, let’s just take a combative conversation. The argument for just say you and I are arguing right now. Are you saying that the argument is persistent? Because I’m trying to get you to feast on my thoughts
Pastor Torrance (12:53):
And I’m trying to get you to feast on mine,
Pastor Keion (12:57):
But I’m not going to eat your thoughts and you’re not going to eat my thoughts and I’m going to eat my thoughts and you’re going to eat your thoughts and you’re going to be serving your thoughts.
Pastor Torrance (13:09):
I’m
Pastor Keion (13:09):
Going to be blocking them. Yes sir. I’m going to be serving you my thoughts.
Pastor Torrance (13:12):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (13:12):
You’re going to be blocking them. And we’re both going to leave hungry or mad
Pastor Torrance (13:17):
For S for
Pastor Keion (13:19):
Substance because nobody ate a thought outside of their own vision.
Pastor Torrance (13:25):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (13:26):
And that is the definition of an argument.
Pastor Torrance (13:28):
Of an argument. And then what does it do? It leads us right back to Alan Watts because eventually we leave reality and live on the illusion. Oh my goodness,
Pastor Keion (13:37):
Man. I hope y’all are getting this right now because oh
Pastor Torrance (13:39):
My
Pastor Keion (13:39):
Goodness, this is a word for somebody because we’re leaving God out because his ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. And yet we are trying. Listen, we may not admit it. We’re trying to influence how God thinks.
Pastor Torrance (13:56):
Yes sir. Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (13:59):
We literally would love it if God would see it our way,
Pastor Torrance (14:04):
If he would be servant to us to get him to do the things that we want him to do. If God, if you just took my thoughts and just moved according to my plan, I’d be all right.
Pastor Keion (14:15):
Yeah. And that’s ego.
Pastor Torrance (14:18):
That’s ego.
Pastor Keion (14:18):
And what’s the opposite of ego? Humility. Humility. Man, humility. And God was a meek and humble lamb. Go ahead.
Pastor Torrance (14:28):
You need to talk on that re because humility, I believe, is the very seasoning that we avoid of why we keep getting into so many crashes within the church.
Pastor Keion (14:38):
Man, here’s what Micah six and eight,
Pastor Torrance (14:41):
Look at this.
Pastor Keion (14:42):
He has told you, oh man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you? Here it is talking about humility, but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. But notice it ends with a question mark
Pastor Torrance (15:06):
To emphasize. Can you do it? Can you do it?
Pastor Keion (15:10):
People read this as a statement. He has told you, oh man, what is good and what does the Lord
Pastor Torrance (15:16):
Require
Pastor Keion (15:16):
Of
Pastor Torrance (15:17):
You?
Pastor Keion (15:17):
But to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God
Pastor Torrance (15:23):
Different then
Pastor Keion (15:23):
Different and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.
Pastor Torrance (15:29):
Yeah. Can you do that?
Pastor Keion (15:31):
Can you do it?
Pastor Torrance (15:32):
No. That’s the question that God is asking us. Can you humble yourself to follow my way and not try to manipulate me to follow yours?
Pastor Keion (15:45):
Well, let’s read another scripture, proverb 22 and four.
Pastor Torrance (15:48):
Here we go.
Pastor Keion (15:49):
The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is richest and honor to life.
Pastor Torrance (15:59):
Lord have mercy.
Pastor Keion (16:00):
So one of the ways, please hear me, children of God
Pastor Torrance (16:06):
Hear it. Hear it.
Pastor Keion (16:07):
One of the ways that proves that I fear God is not me having the ability to not sin.
Pastor Torrance (16:21):
Wait a minute, reference. You
Pastor Keion (16:22):
See where I’m going? People said, I fear God because I didn’t do it. I fear God because I had that urge, but I went the other way.
Pastor Torrance (16:31):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Pastor Keion (16:32):
I fear God because I could have did this, but I didn’t do it,
Pastor Torrance (16:36):
But I didn’t. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, no, no.
Pastor Keion (16:38):
One of the ways that you prove to God that you fear him
Pastor Torrance (16:43):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (16:43):
Is through humility. Humility and the fear of the Lord.
Pastor Torrance (16:48):
That’ll preach right there, Reverend.
Pastor Keion (16:49):
That’s what I’m saying right there. That will preach.
Pastor Torrance (16:51):
That will preach. That will preach.
Pastor Keion (16:52):
Yeah. Because one verse that epitomizes this is, and I’m looking in one Peter five and five where the Bible says, likewise, you who are younger be subject to the elder. Clothe yourself, all of you with
Pastor Torrance (17:07):
Humility
Pastor Keion (17:08):
Towards one another. For God opposes the proud
Pastor Torrance (17:12):
God
Pastor Keion (17:12):
Who gives grace to the humble God.
Pastor Torrance (17:14):
Oh my
Pastor Keion (17:14):
God. So pride is actually leaving God out. Here’s what I say. Ego is e g o edging God out, eliminating God out. The ego has gotten in the way of our destiny because we won’t put on humility in the fear of the Lord.
Pastor Torrance (17:34):
My goodness Lord.
Pastor Keion (17:35):
We’re always trying to figure out how we were wronged.
Pastor Torrance (17:39):
Lord have mercy.
Pastor Keion (17:40):
We’re always trying to figure out how to convince somebody that if they would’ve treated us better than we would’ve responded better.
Pastor Torrance (17:46):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (17:47):
I can’t hear what you’re saying because you at me. You yelling at me. I don’t know why you so hard on me. So now the question or the conversation is about my tone. And now I’m losing my, I have an ego because I’m yelling.
Pastor Torrance (18:06):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (18:07):
And you have an ego because it’s not presented in the way that you wanted it presented.
Pastor Torrance (18:11):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (18:12):
And now we’re both feasting on our
Pastor Torrance (18:14):
Thoughts
Pastor Keion (18:15):
And both of our thoughts are empty, not good for nutrition. And we’re right back where we started.
Pastor Torrance (18:20):
Yep. Because nobody’s humble.
Pastor Keion (18:21):
Because nobody’s humble
Pastor Torrance (18:23):
Like God, look at what it says. Pastor gives grace to the humble.
Pastor Keion (18:27):
Wow. Wait a minute. Oh, I missed that.
Pastor Torrance (18:29):
Hold on.
Pastor Keion (18:30):
God opposes the
Pastor Torrance (18:32):
Proud. The proud. My goodness.
Pastor Keion (18:34):
Now see, if I was like you, I run around here right now,
Pastor Torrance (18:37):
Billy, you know how
Pastor Keion (18:37):
Pastor
Pastor Torrance (18:38):
Get up. He start running around, you’re
Pastor Keion (18:39):
Going to make me run. So I missed that.
Pastor Torrance (18:42):
So
Pastor Keion (18:42):
God opposes the proud
Pastor Torrance (18:44):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (18:45):
And gives grace to the uncle, to the humble. So are you telling me
Pastor Torrance (18:49):
My goodness,
Pastor Keion (18:50):
That there are some people in the world
Pastor Torrance (18:53):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (18:53):
Who deserve to be written off?
Pastor Torrance (18:55):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (18:56):
And they made all kinds of
Pastor Torrance (18:58):
Mistakes. I’m about to run,
Pastor Keion (18:59):
But they survived because they were
Pastor Torrance (19:02):
Humble. Lord, Reverend, Reverend, look what that words mean something.
Pastor Keion (19:08):
Tell me,
Pastor Torrance (19:09):
What did they say? Say right there. Oppose means that he go to walk. Lord,
Pastor Keion (19:17):
Don’t run reverend don’t run reverend. So God goes to war
Pastor Torrance (19:24):
With the proud.
Pastor Keion (19:25):
Yes,
Pastor Torrance (19:25):
Sir.
Pastor Keion (19:27):
And goes to grace. Oh my God. With the humble.
Pastor Torrance (19:31):
My God.
Pastor Keion (19:32):
I don’t know if y’all listening, and I don’t know if you already wrote this message off, but I think you better tune in because we’re trying to show you how to acquire the grace of God.
Pastor Torrance (19:42):
My God.
Pastor Keion (19:42):
It is not through tears.
Pastor Torrance (19:44):
No, sir.
Pastor Keion (19:45):
According to this text, not just praying and fasting.
Pastor Torrance (19:47):
No, not just shouting.
Pastor Keion (19:48):
Not just shouting.
Pastor Torrance (19:50):
It’s being humble.
Pastor Keion (19:51):
Just being humble.
Pastor Torrance (19:52):
He’s saying, I’ll go to war against the proud, but go to war for the humble.
Pastor Keion (19:59):
Wait, wait. Say it again. Say it again.
Pastor Torrance (20:00):
He say, I will go to war against the proud, but I’ll go to war for the humble
Pastor Keion (20:07):
Reverend. Don’t run reverend
Pastor Torrance (20:08):
Reverend I’m about to. The Lord will fight the battle of the humble
Pastor Keion (20:14):
And then pick a battle with the
Pastor Torrance (20:15):
Proud.
Pastor Keion (20:18):
See, I hope y’all hearing this because some of y’all in the fight with God and all you got to do is just relinquish authority.
Pastor Torrance (20:26):
Just give
Pastor Keion (20:26):
It and bow out and say, God, have your way.
Pastor Torrance (20:28):
Just drop.
Pastor Keion (20:29):
Because he goes to war with the arrogant and the proud. But he will war with those who are humble. Why do you think David had God with him? Because with all of his issues, the one thing he did not with was humility. Why do you think that Gideon was made to be the strongest in his house? Because
Pastor Torrance (20:56):
He said he was the weakest.
Pastor Keion (20:57):
He was the weakest. I’m the beast. His timidity, his timidness in the wine press made God pull him out and say, I’m taking you to the top of the hill.
Pastor Torrance (21:08):
My God.
Pastor Keion (21:08):
Because if I go low inside, God will take me high outside. If I go low inside, God will take me high.
Pastor Torrance (21:22):
Say that one more time. Because somebody ain’t catching that.
Pastor Keion (21:25):
If I’ll bow in.
Pastor Torrance (21:27):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (21:29):
He’ll stand me out.
Pastor Torrance (21:33):
My God.
Pastor Keion (21:34):
He don’t want any competition.
Pastor Torrance (21:37):
So
Pastor Keion (21:37):
If I’m arrogant and proud and hardy, then I’m giving God like vibes. God says, I’m not going to fight you. I don’t have a superiority complex.
Pastor Torrance (21:50):
No, sir.
Pastor Keion (21:51):
When you bow, I’ll stand.
Pastor Torrance (21:53):
Yes sir. Man, you couldn’t have put that no better,
Pastor Keion (21:56):
Man. Listen to this. Listen to this. Proverbs eight and 13,
Pastor Torrance (22:01):
The feel of the Lord is hatred of evil, pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech. I hate,
Pastor Keion (22:10):
I can’t tell you how important this lesson is. The amount of scriptures that I keep pulling up is I want you to see how much of a problem we have in the earth realm today because we are dealing in our politics. We are dealing in our economy, we’re dealing in our churches, we’re dealing with this in our families, in our marriages. The one thing that is tearing us down, it is pride and ego. And pride goeth before the fall. I was listening to the news yesterday. This is what pricked this conversation. One of the commentators on the news said that the United Nations had gotten together and said that no country in the world has kept their promise as it relates to mitigating the greenhouse gases. And that right now our world is 1.5 degrees, I believe Celsius above what the sustainable temperature
Pastor Torrance (23:26):
Is.
Pastor Keion (23:27):
So this is what they call global warming. And I’m not here to have a political debate of whether I believe or not, but what this commentator said was that no country is on track to keep their promises.
Pastor Torrance (23:41):
The
Pastor Keion (23:42):
Other guy says, is it too late? He said, it’s never too late. He says, but because the country and its leadership talking about all of the countries are so arrogant that when they come to the table, they won’t get it done because the people who benefit from the burning of emissions won’t look at the sustainability of the country over the profit. Which means that pride keeps us from not only having the conversation, but putting in place the things that are necessary for the globe to survive. And they said that while we made a 1% incremental difference by this time, we promised that we would be at 50% and nobody’s willing,
Pastor Torrance (24:48):
Nobody’s willing
Pastor Keion (24:48):
To do what’s necessary to save the world. He says, in fact, it was pride that turned Lucifer
Pastor Torrance (24:58):
Into Satan.
Pastor Keion (24:59):
Into Satan. Now let’s talk about that because people think that Satan has always been Satan.
Pastor Torrance (25:06):
No sir.
Pastor Keion (25:07):
Ego made him Satan.
Pastor Torrance (25:08):
Ego, ego,
Pastor Keion (25:09):
Absent of ego. He was Lucifer. I’m trying to talk to the Lucifer in you.
Pastor Torrance (25:15):
Listen,
Pastor Keion (25:16):
The word Lucifer.
Pastor Torrance (25:18):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (25:18):
Which is actually the proper term for him in heaven.
Pastor Torrance (25:23):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (25:24):
His reputation is so bad that when you say Lucifer,
Pastor Torrance (25:28):
It
Pastor Keion (25:28):
Sounds bad.
Pastor Torrance (25:29):
Yeah. But that was his name.
Pastor Keion (25:31):
That was his name. That was the one God gave
Pastor Torrance (25:33):
Him. Yeah.
Pastor Keion (25:35):
Ego turned him into Satan. Look, man, listen. I don’t know how many of y’all going to like what we talking about right now, but this is major.
Pastor Torrance (25:47):
This is major.
Pastor Keion (25:49):
If you turn this one off, you got an ego
Pastor Torrance (25:52):
Because this is blocking your ascension.
Pastor Keion (25:54):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Torrance (25:55):
That the next level is out of your reach because of ego. Okay,
Pastor Keion (25:59):
Let’s put it that way.
Pastor Torrance (26:00):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (26:00):
As Lucifer, no ego. What happened when he got an ego? Boom. Because ego goes before the fall.
Pastor Torrance (26:10):
My goodness. And what did scripture say? Ru
Pastor Keion (26:13):
Isaiah.
Pastor Torrance (26:14):
Yeah, it is.
Pastor Keion (26:15):
You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven above the stars of God. This is the prophet
Pastor Torrance (26:25):
Talking
Pastor Keion (26:25):
About what Satan said. What
Pastor Torrance (26:26):
Satan said,
Pastor Keion (26:27):
I will set my throne on high. So he basically going to pull up his chair next to God and I will sit on the Mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north, and I will ascend above the heights of the clouds and I will make myself
Pastor Torrance (26:47):
Here. It is
Pastor Keion (26:48):
Like the most high.
Pastor Torrance (26:49):
There it is.
Pastor Keion (26:50):
And I just think there it is that after he said most, I don’t even think he got high out. I just think he just,
Pastor Torrance (26:59):
Yes sir. Yes sir. The higher you try to lift yourself, the quicker your fall will be.
Pastor Keion (27:05):
Man, let’s dissect that. He said, I will ascend myself. I will raise myself.
Pastor Torrance (27:15):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (27:15):
I will make myself.
Pastor Torrance (27:18):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (27:19):
Like the most high.
Pastor Torrance (27:20):
Yes sir. Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (27:21):
Look at that language. Look at that.
Pastor Torrance (27:23):
Me.
Pastor Keion (27:24):
I did it. I
Pastor Torrance (27:27):
Built to me, this is the shadow or shadow of Nebuchadnezzar that you were talking about.
Pastor Keion (27:33):
Oh God.
Pastor Torrance (27:34):
In the castle.
Pastor Keion (27:35):
When
Pastor Torrance (27:36):
Nebuchadnezzar walked around the castle and said that, look at all that I have built. And then the Bible said that the word came to him like pastor said, and soon he was out in the field eating grass like oxen. His hair had grown long like the bird, the feathers of an eagle, his claws, his nails had grown long and the Bible said he was eating grass for seven years until he praised him. The moment that he saw God in his right position, then Nebuchadnezzar was restored to the place where he once was. He got kicked out of the place where he was in all of his strength because his ego got too high. And then he had to go down low humble yourself before God does it. Because if God humbles you, there may be a place that you foul to that you may not be able to recover from.
Pastor Keion (28:24):
That’s Reed Matthew 2312. I just pull it up,
Pastor Torrance (28:27):
Whoever exalts himself here it is, will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Rabbi,
Pastor Keion (28:40):
You got to go back to the nebu kza, man. So lemme get this right. So Nebu kza, this is the guy who was so wealthy that he built a statue of gold.
Pastor Torrance (28:53):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (28:55):
And brought it out to the province of Babylon and looked out over the sea of people and said, whoever doesn’t bow to this golden image, by the way, that’s in the image of him,
Pastor Torrance (29:08):
Of him,
Pastor Keion (29:09):
I will exalt myself. Yes
Pastor Torrance (29:11):
Sir.
Pastor Keion (29:13):
Then they’ll be thrown into the fiery furnace.
Pastor Torrance (29:16):
This is the same Nebuchadnezzar now during Daniel’s time.
Pastor Keion (29:20):
Okay.
Pastor Torrance (29:21):
So wasn’t that King Nebuchadnezzar that was throwing Daniel into the lions?
Pastor Keion (29:26):
Into the lion’s den.
Pastor Torrance (29:27):
Now, when we think about that, pastor, think about this. And I know you going to dissect this right here. Did not Nebuchadnezzar, after Daniel was pulled from the lion’s den, say, through decree, all of us will worship the God of Daniel. And now we see him walking around this castle with this decree already being made and saying, look what I built. God has to humble Nebuchadnezzar, bring him down low and then get him back to the original statement, God, I will worship you. He made everybody in the land worship the God of Daniel.
Pastor Keion (30:06):
Oh God.
Pastor Torrance (30:07):
God will humble you until you get back to the original statement.
Pastor Keion (30:11):
Well, hold on, I’ll be back. So he says this, Christ reiterated the fate of the proud warning that whoever exalts himself will be humble. Listen. So this is what we take away and inflated ego,
Pastor Torrance (30:35):
Oh my God.
Pastor Keion (30:36):
And its focus on self are not in line with the call that God has on your life. It is the antithesis of what characterizes you
Pastor Torrance (30:51):
As
Pastor Keion (30:51):
A servant of God. Okay,
Pastor Torrance (30:54):
So I can’t have ego and service.
Pastor Keion (30:56):
No, no, no, no, no, no. Not in a sense God. Not in this sense.
Pastor Torrance (30:59):
God. Oh my God.
Pastor Keion (31:01):
I’m going to give you, so we’ve been using biblical analogies.
Pastor Torrance (31:04):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (31:05):
For those of y’all who are history buffs who say, I need everything to be proven, I
Pastor Torrance (31:12):
Need document.
Pastor Keion (31:13):
Yeah. And so everybody thinks, well, not everybody, there are a lot of people who think that the Bible is fiction. And I understand it because it is a book written about things that were too far back for us to reach a
Pastor Torrance (31:26):
Lot of allegorical stories, a
Pastor Keion (31:27):
Lot of allegories. Well, let me bring you into something that happened in your lifetime. Go and look up a man named George McClellan. George McClellan is the perfect example of this archetype that we’re talking about. The Nebu IUs history says Now this is within your grandparents’ lifetime.
Pastor Torrance (31:55):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (31:56):
Or your great grandparents,
Pastor Torrance (31:57):
Grandparents, sir,
Pastor Keion (31:58):
The Civil War here in America.
Pastor Torrance (32:00):
A documented
Pastor Keion (32:01):
War. A documented war that we know actually happened. That’s not an allegory.
Pastor Torrance (32:05):
That
Pastor Keion (32:06):
We still have
Pastor Torrance (32:07):
Tombstones for.
Pastor Keion (32:09):
People who fought in this war in the, and some of you all are related to brave men and women who were part of this civil war whose
Pastor Torrance (32:19):
Lives we celebrate,
Pastor Keion (32:20):
Whose lives we celebrate. And George McClellan was chosen to command the union forces
Pastor Torrance (32:29):
In
Pastor Keion (32:29):
The Civil War because he checked all of the boxes. He went to West Point.
Pastor Torrance (32:35):
Oh yeah.
Pastor Keion (32:37):
Alright.
Pastor Torrance (32:38):
One of the top military schools, if not the top military school in the world.
Pastor Keion (32:41):
So we ain’t talking about the Garden of Eden, we’re talking about West Point. It’s still over there, by the way.
Pastor Torrance (32:45):
Yes, sir. Still producing general,
Pastor Keion (32:47):
Still producing generals
Pastor Torrance (32:48):
Right now. So
Pastor Keion (32:49):
This is not an allegory, this is not a some
Pastor Torrance (32:52):
Fictional tale.
Pastor Keion (32:53):
Yeah. This ain’t a
Pastor Torrance (32:55):
Fable
Pastor Keion (32:55):
Inter fable. It is real. And he went to West Point, according to history, proven in battle.
Pastor Torrance (33:06):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (33:06):
A student of history.
Pastor Torrance (33:08):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (33:09):
Of regal Berry.
Pastor Torrance (33:10):
Loved
Pastor Keion (33:11):
By all of the people who followed him. And yet history says that he was quite possibly one of the worst generals this country’s ever seen. Now, I ain’t never met the man, so I’m not saying it. And if anybody’s related to him, please don’t get mad at me.
Pastor Torrance (33:27):
This is what history says. This
Pastor Keion (33:28):
Is what history
Pastor Torrance (33:29):
Says,
Pastor Keion (33:31):
And here’s what it says. Even in a crowded field of incompetent and self-absorbed leaders, general McClellan was still saw as one of the worst because he had a huge ego could never get out of his own head. Listen, and I quote, he was in love with his vision.
Pastor Torrance (33:58):
Oh my God.
Pastor Keion (33:59):
Of himself.
Pastor Torrance (34:00):
Oh my God.
Pastor Keion (34:04):
He could prepare an army for battle like a professional. But when it came time to lead wanting to battle, he was an amateur.
Pastor Torrance (34:12):
Oh my God.
Pastor Keion (34:14):
Because there are many a people,
Pastor Torrance (34:16):
Oh my God,
Pastor Keion (34:17):
Who prepare like they’re about to kill it. They shout like they’re about to change. Preach like we’re convicted, speak like we’ve been changed. But when somebody steps on our toes, we respond like amateur.
Pastor Torrance (34:34):
Now run Reverend, run, run, reverend, run, run, run.
Pastor Keion (34:43):
How many people are professional at talking about what should be done and amateurs at doing what should be done?
Pastor Torrance (34:53):
Lord, they mercy.
Pastor Keion (34:53):
Can we raise our hand? Can you raise your virtual hand?
Pastor Torrance (34:58):
But Reverend, you said something in a crowded field of incompetent and self-absorbed leaders. He was still the worst.
Pastor Keion (35:07):
How you still the worst when you surrounded by people who already terrible? How you the worst ego?
Pastor Torrance (35:16):
That’s it.
Pastor Keion (35:19):
Right now you are at home with your spouse and they get on your ever loving nerve, but at least they humble.
Pastor Torrance (35:29):
Yes sir. Yes sir. Yes sir. Yes sir. Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (35:35):
The person in house,
Pastor Torrance (35:37):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (35:38):
That needs the most help is not the person who yells all the time. The person in your house who needs the most help is not the person who doesn’t clean up. The worst person in your house right now is not the one who mishandles the money.
Pastor Torrance (35:55):
The
Pastor Keion (35:55):
Worst person in your house right now is the person with the biggest ego.
Pastor Torrance (35:58):
Oh my God. That just helps somebody. It ain’t nothing else we got to say on that.
Pastor Keion (36:04):
And that might mean,
Pastor Torrance (36:05):
Oh my goodness,
Pastor Keion (36:06):
You.
Pastor Torrance (36:07):
Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. I got to lay hands on myself. I got to lay hands on myself.
Pastor Keion (36:15):
Because the scripture says in one Corinthians four, seven, for who sees anything different in you, what do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it? Why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
Pastor Torrance (36:40):
My God.
Pastor Keion (36:41):
A subscription.
Pastor Torrance (36:43):
My God,
Pastor Keion (36:44):
A humble heart has no room for ego
Pastor Torrance (36:48):
Or
Pastor Keion (36:48):
Arrogance because it recognizes that all we have and all we will ever be is because of God.
Pastor Torrance (36:59):
If you can’t settle on that reverend,
Pastor Keion (37:01):
Because think about this. How many people in the house mistreat somebody because they make the most money?
Pastor Torrance (37:07):
Absolutely.
Pastor Keion (37:08):
How many people in the house are mistreated because they are not responsible for how I got us here.
Pastor Torrance (37:18):
I
Pastor Keion (37:18):
Pay these bills, I did this, I did that. But ego love keeps no record. So ego doesn’t remind me that I owe you allegiance. Excuse me. The lack thereof of ego. Ego keeps tally and makes me feel that I owe you because of what you did for me or what you said you did for me out of love. Ego requires a payment. Love requires none.
Pastor Torrance (37:44):
Oh my goodness, Reverend. You know how many men right now are doing that to women because their paycheck is larger, that they’re making women feel small? And it may be on the reverse now
Pastor Keion (37:57):
There’s some. Yeah, because women are making a lot more money than they’ve ever had.
Pastor Torrance (38:00):
Reverend, you just preach. It’s a girl.
Pastor Keion (38:03):
Yeah,
Pastor Torrance (38:03):
It’s a girl that women are on the rise and somebody somewhere is feeling like they’re less than because somebody’s making more than,
Pastor Keion (38:12):
So a husband is making more money than the wife and making her feel less than Because I did this.
Pastor Torrance (38:17):
The
Pastor Keion (38:17):
Wife is making more money than the husband and you ain’t no man, I did this, I did this. And it ain’t your paycheck. It’s your ego.
Pastor Torrance (38:25):
Yes sir. Because you just told him you got to settle on God.
Pastor Keion (38:28):
Man,
Pastor Torrance (38:29):
We wouldn’t even have received it if it had not been for him. My goodness.
Pastor Keion (38:35):
Let’s read Ephesians two, eight. This is for the person who thinks that what they have done is the reason why they are where they are.
Pastor Torrance (38:44):
This is it right here. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast.
Pastor Keion (39:00):
One of the most important scriptures in the Bible, if you don’t know any scripture by heart, Ephesians two and eight, you need to memorize Ephesians two and eight and verse nine. For by grace, not by works, not by education.
Pastor Torrance (39:23):
Anything I’ve done
Pastor Keion (39:25):
For by grace, you have been saved through faith. Who? Faith Here it is. Yes
Pastor Torrance (39:34):
Sir.
Pastor Keion (39:34):
And this is not your own doing. Rev, I went to work with his heir and his strength and his strength. It is the gift of God, gift
Pastor Torrance (39:50):
Of God. It’s the gift of God,
Pastor Keion (39:52):
Not a result of works. And the reason why he put it that way, he said, I did it so that no man could boast
Pastor Torrance (40:01):
Reverend, how can we have ego or be proud about breathing When you don’t know that the next breath is not promised to you, how can you have ego about that and declare that it is something that you’re doing where the next breath is not promised?
Pastor Keion (40:18):
How about how can you have an ego when Jesus Christ himself said, for even the son of man came not to serve, but not to be served. Not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. So if the king of kings of the Lord of Lords is a servant,
Pastor Torrance (40:39):
How can we speak to be served?
Pastor Keion (40:42):
Philippians two and five,
Pastor Torrance (40:44):
My goodness, have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Pastor Keion (41:06):
I can’t even let you go past that scripture without
Pastor Torrance (41:11):
Have
Pastor Keion (41:12):
This mind among yourselves. This is what people who know the king let this mind be in you. That is also
Pastor Torrance (41:19):
In Christ
Pastor Keion (41:20):
Jesus. In Christ Jesus. Who though he was in the form of God,
Pastor Torrance (41:25):
Yes, sir,
Pastor Keion (41:27):
Did not count equality with God.
Pastor Torrance (41:31):
That old King James say Counted what?
Pastor Keion (41:33):
Robbery. Robbery.
Pastor Torrance (41:35):
Yes sir. Yes sir. Counted
Pastor Keion (41:36):
Not robbery to make himself equal. Equal. So God, listen to
Pastor Torrance (41:41):
This
Pastor Keion (41:43):
God himself when he transposed himself into the form of Jesus. Yes, sir. Wouldn’t even equate himself with himself. Wait a minute, Reverend,
Pastor Torrance (41:57):
Break that down some more. Because you mean to tell me that Jesus, God wrapped himself up in flesh, sent himself down here and did not even
Pastor Keion (42:07):
Say I’m
Pastor Torrance (42:07):
Equal with him. And
Pastor Keion (42:08):
Said, even though that’s me, even though that’s me, it ain’t equal to me. My goodness, my God. No ego whatsoever.
Pastor Torrance (42:24):
My
Pastor Keion (42:24):
God. That’s me. My God. But it ain’t equal to me. My God, my
Pastor Torrance (42:30):
I can’t. I’m putting a mic down
Pastor Keion (42:32):
And listen to what he said. A thing to be grasped. You got to grab that. I don’t care how important you are on your job, you not God. I don’t care if you bought the house and built it with your bare hands. You’re not God. Lord Mercy, I don’t care if all of your children are millionaires and rich and lawyers and doctors. Okay, great parent. No bit of God. And this is a thing to be
Pastor Torrance (43:04):
Grasped. I felt the Holy Ghost on that one, Reverend. I did. Man,
Pastor Keion (43:07):
That’s huge. That’s huge. This is a thing to be grasped, grasped. You got to get a hold of it,
Pastor Torrance (43:15):
That mindset.
Pastor Keion (43:17):
But this is how it happens. Verse seven, there it is. He emptied himself. Now, either one or two things, you empty yourself
Pastor Torrance (43:26):
Or be fully of yourself. Are
Pastor Keion (43:27):
You full of yourself? The only two options you got, that’s
Pastor Torrance (43:30):
The only two options. And Reverend, we gave you the cheap code.
Pastor Keion (43:34):
How do you empty yourself,
Pastor Torrance (43:36):
Reverend? You got to deny yourself
Pastor Keion (43:37):
By taking on the form of a servant. Yes sir. Reverend, now why this word keep popping up today,
Pastor Torrance (43:45):
Reverend Service has this not been our whole day? You taught us about service in the staff meeting and said that it’s the best form of leadership.
Pastor Keion (43:55):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Torrance (43:57):
Had someone come in who was well known and wealthy, a top five person in his field. And the very thing that he ended his little summary of what it took for him to get to the place, he was wrapped it all up in one word.
Pastor Keion (44:13):
Service. Service. And lemme tell you what it did, ladies and gentlemen, I brought in somebody today to handle a problem that I did not know how to solve. I’ve been thinking about it for weeks. He handled it in minutes.
Pastor Torrance (44:24):
Yes, sir.
Pastor Keion (44:26):
Because ego will keep you from admitting that you don’t know. And you’ll be going around making statements that are not true because your ego will not let you admit that you don’t know. Oh my
Pastor Torrance (44:39):
God.
Pastor Keion (44:40):
And you will convince people to believe what isn’t true. Because ego always speaks out of turn.
Pastor Torrance (44:53):
So my ego might be holding up my progress.
Pastor Keion (44:57):
Oh man. That’s the only thing it can hold. Only thing ego can hold is progress. Can’t hold nothing else. It can’t hold a position. It can’t hold a marriage. The only thing it can hold,
Pastor Torrance (45:10):
It’s your progress.
Pastor Keion (45:10):
It’s your progress.
Pastor Torrance (45:11):
My goodness.
Pastor Keion (45:14):
It’s the only thing it can hold.
Pastor Torrance (45:17):
Rev, I know we laughing, but we talking to somebody today. Oh
Pastor Keion (45:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Pastor Torrance (45:20):
We talking to somebody today. Sometimes we got to laugh so we won’t cry. But we talking to somebody today, man,
Pastor Keion (45:27):
You first start talking to you.
Pastor Torrance (45:29):
Yes sir.
Pastor Keion (45:29):
And after you start talking to you, then you can talk to them. And here it is while we’re talking to you. So is God. Oh my God. You getting it from us as he’s giving it to us. And wherever you are in this country or in this world, something is happening in your spirit right now. And here’s the word of the Lord, take my yoke upon you and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart. And you will find rest in your soul. Jesus did not come to this earth to be.