Toure Roberts - Higher Conversations

I want to start this conversation with this thought, and if you’re taking notes, I want you to write this down: how you thrive in our new world is going to come down to the quality of your conversations. I’ll say it again: how you thrive in our new world is going to come down to the quality of your conversations. Now, I’ll tell you right now that that’s a loaded statement. It’s loaded. First, if you notice, I didn’t refer to a coming new world; I didn’t say «a coming new world.» I said, «How are you going to thrive in our new world?» I wasn’t talking about a coming new world; I was referencing the new world that has already come. I’m not going to tell you that all of a sudden tonight at midnight—or maybe midnight wherever you are—something new is going to happen. Here is the truth: if you didn’t know this, here is the truth: we are in the new. We’ve been in the new era, and so if we are sitting around waiting or even praying for things to return to normal, we’re not having the right conversation with God and the right conversation with ourselves. The title of this message is «Higher Conversations.» I have a deep concern right now—a really deep concern—about the moment that we’re in, and believe it or not, this concern is not about COVID-19, it’s not about climate change, right? It’s not about oppression or even violence or injustice, although dealing with those things is extremely important. But that’s not my greatest concern right now. My deep concern right now—the deepest concern that I currently have—has to do with the level of our conversations as a society. Because what I’ve learned is that, if you’re taking notes, write this down: your conversations are the determinants and predictors of your life and your future. It all comes down to your conversations. Your conversations say so much about where you are and where you’re headed that it’s just a huge thing we all need to pay attention to. Our conversations—everything rises and falls by our conversations. Oh, hallelujah! Our conversations with ourselves, our conversations with God, and our conversations with others. My concern is that right now, we’re not having the right conversations. Our conversations are surrounding symptoms, not realizing that we are, in fact, the cure. Can I talk about conversations just for a moment? Because this has been heavy on me. I’ve been praying, «God, what do you want me to talk about? What’s happening?» And I feel like there’s a disconnect between the moment we’re in and the conversations that we’re having in culture and society right now. Conversations are how things move; conversations are how things get done. When I was thinking about conversations, it dawned on me that the first humans who were ever created were established in victory and dominion by their conversation with God in the very garden. The sons and daughters of God were established by a conversation. God said, «This is you. This is the world. This is what you have the power to do, ” and they said, „Yes, sir. Amen, ” and they were established. Then I thought further about conversations, and I realized that they lost that victory and they lost that dominion through a conversation they had with the serpent. So conversations shift things. It all comes down to what you’re talking about. Can I take my time and teach a little bit today? Then I thought about creation itself, and I thought about God, and God even produced creation through a conversation. God said, „Let there be, ” and the Spirit that was hovering over the face of the waters produced what He said. And then, scripturally, it says that all things were created by Jesus. So, God was in conversation with the Godhead to create the heavens and the earth and everything that we have come to know and understand. Everything moves by conversation. Are you tracking with me? And so I’m concerned because I don’t think that our conversations—the conversations we typically have and the conversations happening in the highest places of our society—are at the level our world is currently in. Oh, I wish I could teach or preach this the way I see it. I don’t feel like our conversation is high enough. I love what Paul talks about in that text; he says, „Our conversation is in heaven.“ That word, „heaven, ” is an interesting word because it can figuratively refer to a place, but literally, it means to rise or elevate. So Paul is saying that in the midst of a time when he is worried about what people are talking about and who they are listening to, he is saying, „Our conversation is elevated.“ Oh, God! Because your conversations will determine not only your attitude, but also your altitude. I feel it! There are some people that I can’t even connect with because their conversation is too low. I love you; this is not a judgment. But I can’t make room for you or time for you because your conversation, which is really an indicator of who you are and what you’re about and what’s important, is too low. And I love you, and God bless you; I’m praying for you. But if your conversation doesn’t elevate, then we can’t connect. I feel the spirit of God—can’t take my time. And so I’m concerned that…