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At Sandals Church, our vision is to be real with ourselves, God and others. This channel features sermons and teaching from Pastor Matt Brown and other members of the Sandals Church preaching team. You can find sermon notes, videos and more content at http://sandalschurch.com/watch
Thanks for tuning in to the Sandals Church podcast. Our vision as a church is to be real with ourselves, God, and others. We're glad you're here, and we hope you enjoyed this message.
Pastor Matthew Stephen Brown:Hey, Sandals Church. I am super excited to introduce my friend this weekend who's preaching at Sandals Church. He's come to us from Charlotte, North Carolina, and he pastors Mosaic. Give it up for my friend, Naeem Fossil.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Let me just tell you why I believe that your pastor is fearless. He is fearless. He's fearless. I'll tell you why. I'll tell you why.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:K? So I'm actually Pakistani, and in Pakistan, they speak the language Urdu. So my first language is actually Urdu. And, but I grew up in the Middle East, and, they speak Arabic over there. So we spoke Arabic there.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:But then my family, my parents had a brilliant idea to put me in an Indian school. Do you know what they speak in in yeah. They're Hindi. They speak Hindi and the curriculum was in English. So Yeah.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Right. So I've got all kinds of languages to want you to know, and there's some things that I might say, and they're they don't make any sense. Okay? They might not make any sense, but it is what it is. Case in point.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Case in point. I was speaking to a group of people once and, and I was describing to them that I was arguing with my wife. You know, I was like fighting with her. And, so I was gonna say that and communicate that to them, but I realized I've remembered that there's a buddy of mine who always uses the term, intense fellowship when he talks about arguing with his wife. So I thought, you know what?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I'll do that. I'll do that. So I just start off. I said, yeah. The other day, my wife and I, we were having, now instead of saying intense, I said I said intimate.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And I said, the other day, my wife and I, we were having some oh my goodness. We were having some serious, intimate fellowship, and it got loud. I'll tell you what. I don't know. Like, it got hot really fast and then it, yeah.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And she said some stuff and I'm like, where is this coming from? Like, what's happening right now? Now the good the funny thing is I did not know I messed up until my wife after the event, she was like, do you know what you said? And I was like, what? She said, you said intimate fellowship.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I have not been there since. Anyways but yeah. So I just want you to know, Sandals Church. Your pastor is brave to have me come here. So and and, also, I want you to know that, you know, if if if there at some point in this conversation, I might say something.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I'm not just so you know, for the record, I'm not talking about sex. I'm not talking about that. Talk about someone else. Alright? Alright?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Alright. So let's get serious. Okay. Let's talk about this. Let me ask you a question.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Was there, ever a time in your life you trusted God more than you do right now? Think about it. Ever a time in your life that you trusted God more than you do right now? I mean I mean, come on. Let's be honest.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:There were there were there were times where you trust and believe that he was able to do immeasurably more. I mean, he was he could do anything. You believe that. You believe that. But I know what happens.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Right? I know for me, life happens. Unanswered prayers happen. And what happens is that we we go, I don't know. I'm not quite sure if he's interested.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I don't even know if he knows me right now. Because there's so many things, loss, grief, betrayal. So many things has happened, and we find ourselves in a place and maybe you're there where you don't believe, he's the same god. You don't believe that he can do the impossible because there's so many things that have happened in your life. And maybe today you're watching and you're thinking, you know what?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I don't even know what I believe anymore. I'm just trying this out. This you know someone asked me to come and watch and listen, and I'm I'm just trying this out. I don't know what's gonna happen. So let me ask you this.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Could it be possible, for you to move from wherever that place is? Let let me just say it's a logical faith. Whatever the faith it is. It's a small faith. Whatever.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:A logical faith. Could I move you? Could we move together maybe even, from a logical place, faith, to a to a different space and that what I would like to call, an irrational confidence. From a an irrational confidence. From a logical faith to an irrational confidence in God.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Could we move together there? Because I think for some of us, you need to believe again. And you've been so faithful, but some of us, even though you're so faithful and you've been serving God for so long and being have be being in a relationship with him, you just might need to be reminded today that he in a relationship with him, you just might need to be reminded today that he is that same God who did miracles in your life. And maybe you don't believe him as much as you do right now, but you need to move. So I wanna move us from a logical faith to an irrational confidence with God.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:So I wanna take you to a passage of scripture. It's found in Matthew. So if you've, got you know a bible, a phone, whatever, however you can reach that or you know we'll put it on the, put it on the screen for you right in the bottom. Matthew chapter 8 chapter 8. So this story starts off as basically Jesus doing his thing.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And it starts says when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion a centurion could I just stop right there? A centurion came up to him pretty much. Okay? Now we'll get to what he did say to him but I just want you to know that Jesus is doing his thing. He is with his disciples.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:He is with people who need help, who need healing. I mean, he's doing his things. You got Pharisees in the house. You got all kinds of experts in the house. You know, you've got a a a bunch of people.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:K? Not all fans but a bunch of people there. But a centurion starts walking up to him. Now if you're one of the disciples, you're going, okay. We're doing our thing here.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:But a centurion is a Roman soldier and a centurion means that he has about 200 soldiers underneath him. So if you're Peter in the crowd with Jesus, you look at the guy coming. You're like, oh, it's about to go down. We are getting busted. He they're shutting this thing down.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:So this what happens is so Centurion comes but then he's does something which is interesting. He asked him for help. It says here he came asking him for help. So what does he say? He says, lord which is okay.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Lord? Okay. Okay. You're supposed to be oppressing us, but he calls Jesus lord. He says, my servant my servant, not my cousin, not my auntie.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:No. No. No. My my my servant. Now this is guy who's has compassion for a servant.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:But he says, my my servant lies at home paralyzed paralyzed, suffering terribly. Okay. So now let's just stop right there. So now it's already like odd. Right?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Like, if you're just imagine if you're with Jesus in the crowd, you find a centurion coming up and asking for help. And then what happens? What what happens? Well, I think depending on who you are in the crowd, you're probably gonna be like, well, you know, you know, we have our own Jesus. Find your own.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:You know what I'm saying? Like like Jesus is for the Jewish people. You know what I'm saying? Like like you're oppressing us. Why why would Jesus help you?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Why would he help you? Now what is shocking though is that, is the response that Jesus gives, to the guy. So what he say? He says this. He says, shall I, Jesus said, shall I come and what?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Heal him. Now I don't know about you, but if you're waiting in line to get a healing from Jesus, okay, just say just say you're blind. You're like, did I just hear him say that he's leaving? No. He's not.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Have you ever waited in line? Have you ever waited in line and then they go, oh we're done. We're done. Like no you're not done. You're you're doing this.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:This is happening. This is happening. I mean I'm sure there was maybe I'm just making this up. Maybe I But I'm sure there's somebody, like, grab him. Don't let him go.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I've been waiting forever.
McKay Vandenberg:Hey, Sandals Church. Thank you so much for joining us for today's message. I just wanted to take a brief moment to invite you into the work that Sandals Church is doing. One way that you can do that is by going to give dotsc. For now, let's get back into our message.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Okay. My healing is next. Like, could you imagine you're the guy next coming up and and before he touches you, he's like, shall I leave? No. You're not going.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Not going. Especially to this Centurion. No. No. No.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:We don't care about them. So then what happens? It gets interesting. The Centurion starts talking. He goes, lord, I don't deserve to have you come under my roof.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Which again some of the disciples were like, yeah. Yeah. You don't. Yeah. You don't deserve anything.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Okay? You're oppressing us by the way. K. No. You don't.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:But then he says this. Right? And if you've read the passage before, this is interesting. Right? He says, but you just say the word and my servant will be healed.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:What? What? Again, if you're one of the ones waiting in line for a healing, you're like, I could have called this in. Like, what? I coulda what?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:What? What? What? You could've done this on Zoom? Like, what?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:What? What? What are you saying? What? What?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:This guy has no idea who he's talking about. He says and then this insurance keeps on going. He goes, let me explain. Let me explain. He says, I for I myself am a man under authority with soldiers underneath me.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Yeah, bro. We know. Okay. He says, I tell this one go and he goes and then and that one come and he comes. I say to my servant do this and he does it.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Is he flexing? Like what's he doing? What's he doing? Like some people are like okay man. Well you're you're a big deal.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:You're a big deal. But Jesus is like, Wow. Because he Jesus heard something that no one else heard. Centurion was really saying, Jesus, I'm not nothing I'm nothing like you. And my faith in you is, you know, I I I'm not I'm a Roman.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:But I think you and me are alike. You see, I have people, that I have authority over. Like I and and when I tell people to do something, they have to do it. And the reason why they have to do it is not just because I have authority over them because I am under a bigger authority and that is Rome. So they might not like me but they have to do it.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Like I I tell that guy go get a falafel sandwich. Guess what? He gets me some falafel. You know why? Because if he doesn't, it's all of Rome that he has to answer to.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:So then he goes, I think you're just like me. I think you have authority over sickness and healing. And I think that you have if you can just tell sickness to go away, I think you can just tell healing to come, and it has to obey you. Because I think you represent something bigger. I think you have authority, but you are under authority of something a lot bigger than I've ever I could ever imagine.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:So that's what Jesus heard. And that's why we know that's why we know why he reacts the way he does. What does he do? It says here when Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Amazed at this.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:He was like, woah. Stop. Hey. Oh, hello. Amazed at this.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I mean, that word is very like, it's it's it's, it's is the actual word in Hebrew, which literally translates. Actually, it doesn't. It doesn't. It doesn't. It doesn't translate like that.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:But it was a big deal. Here's why. Because he said this after that. He said that there was following him. He said, truly I tell you that, that that that I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Now which one now if you're in the crowd and you've been Jewish for a long time, you're like, excuse me? Like excuse me? Have you met my grandmother? Like what? What are you talking about?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:In all of Israel? I mean all of Israel? Really? You should go out more. Like really?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Jesus? Really? All of Israel? All of Israel. He's like, I haven't found.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And they're like, what are you doing? He says and then what he says says listen. He says, I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and they will take place in the feast with Abraham. He's saying it doesn't matter where you started when you came when you first started in your faith journey. It doesn't matter who you are, where you grew up, the languages you speak, the languages you don't speak.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:It doesn't matter right now if you're like, you know what? I don't even believe this stuff. It doesn't matter where you are in that logical practical faith of yours. This doesn't matter that position, that place where you are. This the place of like, I don't even know I love God, but I don't even know if I trust him anymore because of what he's allowed to happen in my life.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. But Jesus is saying it doesn't matter where you came from but you're all everybody's going to come. Everybody's invited to come.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Everybody's invited to come to sit at the table to have the same power, same authority, same privilege as Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. They'll all come. It doesn't matter. And then he says this. He says, but the subjects the subjects of the kingdom, the people who stick here in this logical faith, in this practical religion because I grew up in one.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I grew up in a religion that was this was logical. It was like, this is how you, you know, this is how what you do because you have to do the things and do religion to make sure that God knows that you love him. Because religion is basically proof that you love God. Oh, humanity has made it up. But Jesus is proof that God loves you.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:That's right. And so so what happens here he's saying hey let me just let you know all the people who are there you're gonna you're gonna be thrown out and here's what's gonna happen. There's and he says, but the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside into darkness and there there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. All that means is regret. There'd be so much regret.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:So much regret. Then Jesus said to the centurion go and let it be done just as you believed it would. And his servant was healed at that moment. See, I don't know about you, but I I find myself going, okay. It doesn't matter.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:It doesn't matter where I'm starting from. All it matters is that I just take this one act, one step of faith towards him. Like you and I are just one act of trust away from God. And there's some things in our life that we're like, you know what I I I I wanna believe in this God who's incredible but I just don't know. See, for me it's it's it's it's my story.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:It does make any sense. Like I I cannot live in the space of of of rational thinking when it comes to my relationship with God and my experience with God and my relationship with Jesus. I can't because, I don't make sense. My story does not make sense. And so I've been thrust into this relationship with this irrational God who doesn't make any sense and I don't know why he would love me.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:That's my story. So let me tell you. Let me tell you. So I grew up, you know, Muslim and, I came here after the gulf war in 1990. And, when I got here my brother was already a Christian.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:He was a, he said I that he was a believer in Jesus. He was born again. And I was like, I don't know what you're talking about. You know, I was not interested at at all. In fact, when he told me, I threatened to kill him.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I pinned pinned him against the wall. It was a bad deal. Bad bad scenario. So I kinda knew he was already out there. So when I got here, I just knew that I didn't want anything to do with him or his Christian friends or anything like that.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:But I got here. I had I was a refugee. I mean, I had nothing. And so I'd just been through the war. I'd not graduated from high school.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And, you know, I was trying to get into college. And so my brother's like, hey. Listen. You wanna go to this meeting? This, it was called FCA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes collegiate group.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And I was like, I'm not interested, man. I'm good. I'm good. He was like, hey. Listen.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:There's some really cute girls there. And I was like, you know, I I was a athlete. I was like, I was a soccer player. Like, I was so I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And so I did. I did go. I was hang I start so I started hanging out in the back, and, yeah, FCA. And that's where I heard about this God who was supernatural. A God, that pursues humanity.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:It doesn't wait, because humans cannot really in fact reach him. So he has to come down and he did come down. I hear about this guy that that that honestly doesn't make any sense. And, if you are a follower of Jesus, what you believe doesn't make any sense. It's not rational.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:It's it's it's irrational. It's it's it's it's it's unbelievable to think that there's that that you could be loved so much that God would send a part of himself to die on a cross for you. And you know you. You know you're not in most days not even worthy of it or any day but yet he does. It doesn't make any sense.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And then he would choose to, to have his divine holy spirit not live in a building but in you and me. That doesn't make any sense. And then give you supernatural abilities. That doesn't make any sense. His grace doesn't make any sense.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:It's already irrational. So there's nothing practical practical about God's love for you. So anyways, I heard that, but I was still like, I'm not interested. But then I remember my brother challenging me one night. He's saying, you know what?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:God loves you so much, man. Is that if you would just ask Jesus to reveal himself, he'll do it. And I was like, you're you you should be on medication. You know, like like like, what are you what are you talking about? What are you talking about?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:He's like, no. No. No. This guy will just show up. I'm like, Jesus will show up.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Your Jesus will show up. So I remember we're like, we were walking down the street once and there was a bush, and I was like, hey. You remember that story? Let's burn the bush. I wanna ask Jesus to come burn the bush.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And my brother just straight faced, he was like, if you ask him he'll do it. I was like, what what is wrong? What? What? And you know you know sometimes when people are so confident is confident, it's annoying.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Like you hate them but you want to be like them. Do you know what I'm saying? Like they're fully convinced he was like that. So I was like okay okay. So one night at FCA, you know, at the end they were praying.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I just looked up and I said, hey. If this is even half true, I wanna know. That was it. That was it. 3 nights later, I'm in my bed and this is where the story gets crazy.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Warning you guys. Okay? K. Gets crazy. K.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:So I'm in my bed and lights are on and all that. And I'm about to shut everything down and fall asleep. And, I noticed that the room is just strange. I don't know. Like, my body, is reacting to something.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Like, my heart, starts racing. I don't know what's going on. I'm feeling things that I can't really explain. Felt like death walked in, that my body was reacting to fear and evil. And I'm like what's happening?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And it was happening so quick. I'm like what's going on? What's going on? And as I was trying to just look around, something grabbed my shoulders, dragged me and pinned me to my pillow. And then whatever, I was trying to wrestle out of it and something grabbed hold of me anyways.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I was paralyzed. I could not move. The only thing I could move, was my neck and my eyes were open. I didn't I had not fallen asleep. Lights were all on.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And I'm looking around going what's going what is happening? What in the world is happening? And then there was a serious, feeling of just I had entered into a dimension. I can't really explain to you. Okay?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:That it was it was it was beyond rationale. And so now I start screaming because that's what you're supposed to do when you're pinned down by the way. And so I'm screaming in every language I know and, the door opens up. My door opens up and I'm hoping my brother who's in the other room hears me but, the this thing walks in. Now again, I grew up Muslim.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:We're not into demons or angels or you know for that matter twilight or werewolves. You know what I'm saying? We're not. K. And and so this thing walks in and I'm making jokes but I was freaking out and this thing is huge and it starts walking up towards me.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I don't know what this thing is and it's walking up towards me. It's huge and it goes, I'm gonna kill you. And I'm like, oh, you can talk to me. Oh. I'm freaking out.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:So he cuts closer and closer and, he just says I'm gonna kill you. You're gonna die tonight. And, I I believe him. You know what I'm saying? And, as he gets closer, I'm like freaking out.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I'm I'm like like I'm like, what what did I just do? Like I I know I talked bad about Jesus and I'm like maybe this is Jesus. I mean he looks nothing like the pictures but maybe this is Jesus. And then I'm thinking no it's probably Allah, the God of Islam because you're not supposed to doubt. And I'm there you know you know at FCA.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And then I'm thinking, I I I ticked off someone up there. And it gets closer and closer. And now friends, I am praying to every god out there. Allah, Buddha, Oprah. You know what I'm saying?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Anybody. Anybody. Alright. Anybody. So this this thing starts walking closer and closer.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:It gets to my bed and I'm like, oh it's over. And it disappears. Wherever whatever was holding me let's go. And I find myself just stunned on my bed going, what what's happening? I look around.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:The room's still strange. I'm still freaked out. I'm in shock, you know. Right? You'd be in shock, wouldn't you?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And I just slowly get up and I'm like, did this did this just happen? And I'm like, I didn't follow I what what what's going on? So I run out of the room, wake up my brother, and I go, hey. What'd you do? What'd you do?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Did you put something in my drink? And he obviously he was like, what are you talking about? And like, what'd you do? And I I I tell so I tell him what happened. And he goes, oh.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And he smiles like, you know, it's scary. Like, he's psychotic. You know? Like, so he's like and he and he goes and then I'm like, what are you smiling about? He's like, oh.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I said, so what is this? He's like, oh, this is all true, man. I'm like, what do you mean it's all true? And he goes, oh, it's in the Bible. I'm like, I'm sorry.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:What? It's in the what's in the Bible? And he goes, like, you know demons and angels and Jesus and all of that stories of him. I'm like I had first of all, I'd never read the bible. So I just assumed that the bible and the Quran were basically the the same things.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:You know, all religious books, all the stuff, you know, that you should not do but are but but it's fun. You know, like like that's it. I had no idea of like Jesus stories. I'm like I'm sorry what? Then he starts talking to me about it and then he starts explaining what this could be.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And I'm freaking out more and more and more. And then he explains the gospel to me, explains the message of Jesus dying on the cross, you know, this connection to humanity forever redeeming us and all that. He's saying all these things. I'm not quite sure. I I totally understand.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:All I do know is I am scared to death. And I'm like, there is something out to kill me that I cannot fully see or understand. Like, this is not I had already been through a war. Like held a gunpoint, almost executed all that stuff. I'm like I just got to the states.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I cannot have demon problems. You know what I'm saying? I'm like what is what is happening here? What's happening? He was like listen listen listen.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:He tells me about Jesus. I'm like, you know, okay. Here's what I need. I need someone to help me. So then he says this.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:He says, the only person I know who has authority over demons and angels is Jesus. So I was like, okay. Right? I was like I was like, okay. Okay.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Alright. So let's let's do it. And he's like, you wanna you wanna do it? I'm like, yeah. What do we do?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:You know? Follow my Instagram. What what do we what do we do? Like, what do we do? And he was like, you wanna pray?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And I'm like, yeah. Let's pray. And so we get down. We're on the on the floor now. And he goes, okay.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Let me just repeat after me. And I stop him. Because I'm like, hey. Listen. Let me just be really, very real about this relationship, This this first this first introduction.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Because I've, you know, I grew up, you know, having a relationship with God basically on a mat. You know, and if if you know anything about Islam, I mean that's what you do. You speak. You talk to God in not your native language. You talk to him in in one particular language which is Arabic, in a particular direction, in particular period of time and on a mat.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And it just was not real for me. So I was like I just need this to be real. So, I said the first thing I said was I was like, hey, I wanna pray. My prayer was Jesus, I don't know who you are so I can't say you're the like the Lord of my life. I don't even know you so I can't say I love you.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I can't make any promises. I will say this though, if you save me from this I'll give you my whole life. And so then my brother prayed and led me through a prayer, and and he was like, okay. And then we were done. Amen.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Amen. I was like, alright. That's awesome. And he was like, alright. Alright, man.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Okay. It's awesome. Great. I was like, okay. I was like, he's super excited.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I'm still terrified. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. And he goes, alright, man. I'll see you in the morning.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I'm like, yeah. I'm I'm I'm I'm gonna sleep with you. Like, he's like he's like, no. No. You go back in that room.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I'm like, no. I'm I'm gonna spoon you for about a month. Like like, that's not I'm not I'm not going back in that room. He's like, you gotta go back in that room. He's like, go back in the room.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I'm like, no. I think we should burn the room. Like I don't think we should ever go back in that room. He's like no no. I got I got you.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:He tells me I got you. I got you. He gives me a Bible. He gives me a Bible. First Bible I ever held.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:The Bible was smaller than my iPhone. Okay. So it's like I didn't even know this. They they make the small bibles like I got I got I got Gideon bibles like the new testament small. They're literally this small.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:First time I held it, I was like this is the bible for hobbits? Like who is this for? And he was like no no. Just it's the new testament. Just read John.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:You're fine. I'm like, okay. Okay. Okay. So I go back in the room, turn on all the lights.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:You know, I mean, they're all on anyways but I was like, I turn on all all the lights. You know? I'm in my room. I'm like, hey. Can you hear me?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And he's like, yeah. You got got I can hear you. I was like, okay. Good. And so I'm reading, reading, and doing this.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And and, honestly, for about an hour or so, I just I'm going through all kinds of thoughts. I'm like, number 1, did this happen? Number 2, I just I just got here. I don't I don't want this. And so my frustration turned to anger and I just put the Bible down, and I went shut off all the lights.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I got back in my bed and I looked up again. I said Jesus if I die tonight, it is your fault. Like I don't know why I said this. True story. It's your fault.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And I put the covers on my head hoping nothing happened. And the next couple minutes I find myself like being shaken like someone's trying to wake me. I'm like, oh, no. Oh, no. And I'm like, whatever happens, name, don't open your eyes.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Don't open your eyes. And whatever happens, don't open your eyes. And, so next thing I know as I'm thinking this, I find myself sitting on my bed with my eyes open and staring. And man there he was. I don't know what I saw, but he was like, hey.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I'm Jesus, and your life is not your own. And I I it was so I was looking at him friends, but it felt like I was inside of him. Like I just knew that he was intoxicating. I couldn't keep my eyes on him, but I couldn't keep my eyes open. Like I I I he was I've never felt peace that aggressive.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:He said your life is not your own. Put me to sleep. Next thing I knew was morning and I got in a download of like what my life was gonna look like. Didn't make any sense. It was not a logical.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:It's not a logical faith friends. It was an irrational confidence. It was an irrational life that he was calling me to. I I just I went to my brother and said I'm supposed to be in ministry. I have no idea what that means.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And that my friends led to just year after year. 111 person at a time my my brothers and sisters all coming to faith in Jesus. Like, crazy, crazy story. Crazy story. Thank you.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Now I wish I could tell you stories because again, if you just read some of these stories and I've I wrote a book called ex Muslim and I highlight all the stories on in that. But it's again amazing stories. But what's amazing about it is the God behind it. And that God is the same God who loves you. The same God that maybe you don't trust anymore because he allowed something like that to happen.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Yeah. I've I've found myself in those spaces. I've had a story like I like I have. But I've gone through gone through grief. I've gone through loss of loved ones.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I've gone through serious betrayal. I've gone through times where I was like, you better show up and he didn't. And I find myself just wrestling with my thoughts going, I don't know if I believe any like, are you the same god? Are you the same god? And what I've realized, if you find yourself in the same space of going, I don't know what I believe about god right now because I'm I look at my life.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I look at the world. I look at what's going on around me. I look at this country. I look at all this. I'm not quite sure.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:I don't know what I believe about god. I want you to know this. Your opinion and my opinion about God has changed and will change. But his opinion about you will never change. Like you might not believe him right now, but he has not quit believing in you.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:And he knows. He knows that all you have to do is have this one moment where you go, just say the word. Just say the word. Jesus, just say the word. I believe that you are able to do immeasurably more.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:More than I can even imagine. More than I than I can pray. You are able to do that. So what if today you thought, let me make that move. So what is it?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Right? What is that one thing? Or or that or maybe it's your life that you need to trust God with. The beautiful thing about it is is you could be like me, the centurion not having any faith or not not wanting to be even interested, not even having the faith that I need to have to ask God. Not feeling not even worthy to be in his presence.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:It doesn't matter where you are. All you need is you are one act of trust away from God. And for some of us it might be our lives. Today might be the today might be that day where you go, I I just needed to make sense. God will never make sense.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:His grace, his love for you, his compassion over you, his relentless pursuit of you will never make sense. But what if today you're like, I am I'm gonna do it. What if today you're like, I'm gonna trust you. I'm gonna trust you. So what does that look like for you?
Pastor Naeem Fazal:What does it look like for some of you? You're like, you know what? With with this thing, I'm gonna trust you God. I'm gonna do that. So what I wanna do is I wanna lead you in a prayer.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Just very quick. It's just it's just a small step, but it's a giant leap for you. So let's pray together. Lord God, God I thank you for that person right now who finds themselves in a space, in a place where they love you. They love you.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:But they're not quite sure if they can trust you. Because truth is there's so many things that have happened and we just don't know why you allowed it. And so we've lost, God, this this faith that this belief that you are the God of the impossible. That truly you can bring healing and you can bring restoration and you can do the things that that don't make any sense. You can defy reality.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:God we've forgotten that you are the God of the supernatural. That you can you can and you always have. You'll supersede the natural just to be with us. Just to infuse us. Just to provide for us.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:So I pray that today we would trust you once again to go, I'm going to believe. I'm going to believe in this God. I'm gonna have an irrational. It doesn't make any sense. I'm not quite sure how it's gonna happen.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Irrational confidence in God's love for me. And God, for some of us today, we need to pray this. God, I'm gonna trust you with my life. And all you have to do, friends is say this, Jesus I give you my life. I'm not quite sure even what I'm doing, but today as I'm listening to this as I'm watching this I just wanna say I wanna just give you my life.
Pastor Naeem Fazal:Would you would you forgive me and would you fill me with your presence? God I thank you for that. I know it starts with that. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Morgan Teruel:Thank you so much for tuning in today. If you want more content from this series, we have the YouTube playlist linked in the description. And if you want more information about who we are and what we do, you can go to sandals church.com.