1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,200 Crossing family, it is good to see you. 2 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:05,560 I want to welcome those of you joining here at 48th St. those 3 00:00:05,560 --> 00:00:09,720 of you at Macomb and Kirksville, 929 Pike County, Hannibal, Lima, 4 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:13,640 Mount Sterling, Keokuk, Monmouth, Jacksonville, to those 5 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:16,160 of you watching online, to those of you are part of the Crossing 6 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,480 inside. And I also want to welcome those 7 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,600 of you who are joining us for the first time or the first time 8 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:23,760 in a long time. And if you fall into one of 9 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,000 those two categories, I want to encourage you to take advantage 10 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,720 of the QR code on the seat in front of you. 11 00:00:30,140 --> 00:00:33,340 It is a great way to get more connected to our church and to 12 00:00:33,340 --> 00:00:36,580 help you take your next steps spiritually. 13 00:00:36,980 --> 00:00:39,660 If you're new to our church, we are in the middle of a series. 14 00:00:39,660 --> 00:00:42,820 Then you can go and watch all of those online under the one 15 00:00:42,820 --> 00:00:46,140 crossing for our YouTube archives, or you can find them 16 00:00:46,140 --> 00:00:49,540 on our website. But today we are in Romans 17 00:00:49,580 --> 00:00:53,900 Chapter 11, and for those of you who have been going through the 18 00:00:53,900 --> 00:00:56,740 Bible reading plan and doing your devotions, I'm just going 19 00:00:56,740 --> 00:01:00,130 to tell you up front. Romans Chapter 11 is a bit of a 20 00:01:00,130 --> 00:01:03,330 hill to climb. It's not necessarily the easiest 21 00:01:03,330 --> 00:01:08,050 chunk of scripture to navigate. However, I think there are four 22 00:01:08,130 --> 00:01:12,130 phrases that will give you clarity on this chapter and also 23 00:01:12,130 --> 00:01:16,490 inspire you to either start a relationship with Jesus Christ 24 00:01:16,810 --> 00:01:21,170 or in increase your commitment to your faith journey. 25 00:01:21,410 --> 00:01:23,410 You've heard us talk about this at the Crossing before. 26 00:01:23,410 --> 00:01:27,410 If you call the crossing home. And that is the spiritual 27 00:01:27,530 --> 00:01:30,880 spectrum, that here at the Crossing we want to help people 28 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,400 find an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 29 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,320 And there's some you or maybe you know, somebody who will you 30 00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:41,440 classify or maybe you classify yourself as a -. 5. 31 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,440 Like you hate God. And then there's those of you 32 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:48,960 who you kind of think you, you know, you are God. 33 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,240 Somewhere in between. Our church exists for all of 34 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:56,020 those people, and I think no matter where you are on this 35 00:01:56,020 --> 00:01:59,300 spiritual spectrum, one, we're so glad you're here, and two, I 36 00:01:59,300 --> 00:02:02,060 think there is something in here for you. 37 00:02:02,540 --> 00:02:05,420 So this sermon has four phrases, which means if you pay 38 00:02:05,420 --> 00:02:07,420 attention, we get out of here early. 39 00:02:07,420 --> 00:02:12,580 OK. The first phrase is wish you 40 00:02:13,340 --> 00:02:18,260 versus I can turn your neighbor, say wish you versus I can. 41 00:02:19,820 --> 00:02:25,520 Romans Chapter 11 verse one says This I ask Then this is Paul 42 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,440 speaking. Did God reject his people? 43 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:33,400 By no means. I am an Israelite myself, a 44 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:37,920 descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. 45 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:40,640 This might sound a little weird to you, but if you've been 46 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:43,720 following during the sermon series, Paul has been taking a 47 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:48,360 swing at the Jewish nation and the Jewish believers in Romans. 48 00:02:48,730 --> 00:02:52,290 He has been so hard that his listeners might be thinking that 49 00:02:52,290 --> 00:02:56,850 God has rejected the Israelite, the Jewish community, the Jewish 50 00:02:57,090 --> 00:02:59,890 people. But Paul answers this with a 51 00:02:59,890 --> 00:03:04,330 resounding no. Paul's going unproof, and then 52 00:03:04,330 --> 00:03:07,010 he pulls out his birth certificate and reminds everyone 53 00:03:07,210 --> 00:03:11,370 that he is a Jew himself. Paul is saying I'm the proof 54 00:03:11,570 --> 00:03:15,650 that God has not rejected the people of Israel. 55 00:03:16,050 --> 00:03:20,120 And what makes this so beautiful is that Paul has a heart for the 56 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,840 Jewish people, even though he's doing ministry to the Gentiles. 57 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,560 Look what he says here in Romans Chapter 11, verses 13 through 58 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:30,840 14. I'm talking to you, Gentiles. 59 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,160 Insomuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles. 60 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:41,080 I take pride in my ministry, in the Everybody say that word in 61 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:46,800 the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and 62 00:03:47,130 --> 00:03:52,650 save some of them. Paul was a minister primarily to 63 00:03:52,650 --> 00:03:54,610 the Gentiles. That's like you and me, unless 64 00:03:54,610 --> 00:03:56,890 you're a Jew. And he never stopped having a 65 00:03:56,890 --> 00:04:01,010 heart and a desire to reach his own people. 66 00:04:01,450 --> 00:04:04,610 When Paul speaks to Jewish people, he speaks as an insider 67 00:04:05,010 --> 00:04:08,610 to insiders. He knows their struggles, their 68 00:04:08,610 --> 00:04:12,130 frustrations, their objections, their pain. 69 00:04:12,370 --> 00:04:14,850 He knows them because he's one of them. 70 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,240 And one of the things I noticed sometimes in ministry. 71 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,640 And I'm not scolding you. But sometimes you can have a 72 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,080 wish you faith versus an I can faith. 73 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,320 Here's what I mean by wish you you'll call me up. 74 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:29,760 Clayton. I wish you could talk to my 75 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:33,160 husband. I wish you would meet with my 76 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,880 friend. I wish you could pray with my 77 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,680 wife. I wish you could counsel my 78 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:44,100 coworker and hear me hear me. That's fine and we love those 79 00:04:44,100 --> 00:04:46,100 opportunities to opportunities to do that. 80 00:04:46,100 --> 00:04:49,700 In fact, we have capable staff at all of our locations. 81 00:04:49,700 --> 00:04:52,620 We even have a team of people who help minister to those of 82 00:04:52,620 --> 00:04:57,500 you who are watching online that can and will and love to be part 83 00:04:57,500 --> 00:05:01,260 of those moments. However, I don't want you to 84 00:05:01,260 --> 00:05:05,820 ever think that God can do more through us than he can do 85 00:05:05,820 --> 00:05:09,340 through you. Instead of I wish you could 86 00:05:09,340 --> 00:05:11,460 minister to my family. Clayton, I want you to hear me 87 00:05:11,460 --> 00:05:13,700 say you can minister to your family. 88 00:05:13,700 --> 00:05:16,500 I want you to be going. I can minister to my family 89 00:05:16,740 --> 00:05:18,420 instead of. I wish you could talk to them 90 00:05:18,420 --> 00:05:19,860 about Jesus. I want you going. 91 00:05:20,140 --> 00:05:22,540 I can talk to them about Jesus instead of. 92 00:05:22,540 --> 00:05:24,660 I wish you could pray for them. I want you to be going. 93 00:05:24,820 --> 00:05:26,860 I can pray for them. I want you to know this. 94 00:05:28,020 --> 00:05:31,300 When you become a pastor, we don't get like a special phone 95 00:05:31,300 --> 00:05:35,380 number like I don't. You know, you guys are calling. 96 00:05:35,380 --> 00:05:36,220 Like, yeah, we're trying to still. 97 00:05:36,300 --> 00:05:39,140 We're still on hold, waiting for God to give us the extension. 98 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:41,560 And like we are over here, we just have them on speed dial. 99 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,280 It doesn't work that way. Like, God loves all of us 100 00:05:44,280 --> 00:05:47,040 equally. And so while I have no problem 101 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:49,880 praying with you and praying alongside of you, I just need 102 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,440 you to know God doesn't go. Oh, now that Clayton's praying, 103 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,240 watch out, OK? Because I'll tell you, I think 104 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,840 sometimes we'd be better off if you just did the praying. 105 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,800 OK, hear me? One of the best ways to reach 106 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:09,460 people is not an outsider. It's not having the smartest 107 00:06:09,460 --> 00:06:12,980 person. Here's how you reach people. 108 00:06:13,660 --> 00:06:18,380 It's when you put the power of a transformed life right in front 109 00:06:18,380 --> 00:06:22,220 of them, People who are filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit 110 00:06:22,620 --> 00:06:26,420 living out a crossshaped love right in front of them. 111 00:06:26,980 --> 00:06:31,740 When you who you know their struggles, their fears, their 112 00:06:31,740 --> 00:06:35,500 objections, their challenges, you know what it's like to be 113 00:06:35,500 --> 00:06:37,220 them. Because you're one of them. 114 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:40,120 You get where they're coming from and you go. 115 00:06:40,280 --> 00:06:43,440 I can be a minister in this, in this moment. 116 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,880 I can lead people through this. It's when you take 117 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:48,760 responsibility. One of the themes in my 118 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,920 preaching, and I hope you're hearing it, is God has equipped 119 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:55,600 you to be the pastor. Wherever you go in your sphere 120 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,240 of influence, God has equipped you to be the pastor, the 121 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:03,400 spiritual leader, the minister of your home, your workplace, 122 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:06,240 your friend group. He's empowered you. 123 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,560 And while I would love to come alongside of you, and while I 124 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:11,720 enjoy those ministry moments where you're like, hey, I want 125 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,320 you to meet, I love all that stuff. 126 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,680 I just don't want you to ever think that God uses me because 127 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,880 he you think I'm special. I'm just like you. 128 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,560 I put my pants on one sleeve at a time, just like everybody 129 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,000 else. When you when you fall in love 130 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,200 with Jesus Christ, the same power that is in that raised 131 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,920 Jesus from the dead is in you and it's in me. 132 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:36,910 And together when we go out and we recognize that we are pastors 133 00:07:36,910 --> 00:07:41,070 wherever we go, God uses that to bring about redemption in the 134 00:07:41,070 --> 00:07:44,910 lives of people we care about. I do not want you to be thinking 135 00:07:44,910 --> 00:07:47,350 all the time. I wish I could get somebody else 136 00:07:47,350 --> 00:07:49,350 on the phone. I wish I could get somebody else 137 00:07:49,350 --> 00:07:52,030 in the moment. I want you to realize that I can 138 00:07:52,030 --> 00:07:55,190 lead through this. I can point people to Jesus. 139 00:07:55,590 --> 00:07:57,750 The second phrase that I want you to use to kind of drive 140 00:07:57,750 --> 00:08:01,910 home, this chapter is alone versus surrounded. 141 00:08:02,810 --> 00:08:05,930 Look what it says in Romans Chapter 11, verses 2 through 5. 142 00:08:06,770 --> 00:08:09,850 God did not reject his people whom he for knew. 143 00:08:10,330 --> 00:08:13,050 Don't you know what scripture says in the passage about 144 00:08:13,050 --> 00:08:17,010 Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel? 145 00:08:17,610 --> 00:08:20,450 This is what Elijah said. Lord, they have killed your 146 00:08:20,450 --> 00:08:23,250 prophets and torn down your altars. 147 00:08:23,530 --> 00:08:28,210 I am the only one left and they are trying to kill me. 148 00:08:29,410 --> 00:08:30,890 And what was God's answer to him? 149 00:08:30,890 --> 00:08:35,610 Paul said This is God saying, I have reserved myself for myself 150 00:08:35,850 --> 00:08:39,610 7000 who have not bowed the need to bail. 151 00:08:39,610 --> 00:08:41,850 That was the idol that they were worshiping at the time. 152 00:08:42,090 --> 00:08:47,970 So too at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 153 00:08:48,970 --> 00:08:52,690 Elijah was navigating a difficult situation and he was 154 00:08:52,690 --> 00:08:56,290 under the impression that he was all alone. 155 00:08:57,530 --> 00:09:03,050 But God is always drawing himself to people and people are 156 00:09:03,050 --> 00:09:07,410 always responding to God. We had some pastors here from 157 00:09:07,570 --> 00:09:10,890 around the country this past weekend and they saw our baptism 158 00:09:10,890 --> 00:09:13,970 video and I think Brett, our campus pastor from Kirksville, 159 00:09:13,970 --> 00:09:16,650 said it's been 10 years. I think that our church has 160 00:09:16,650 --> 00:09:19,770 gone, hasn't gone a single weekend without a baptism video 161 00:09:19,770 --> 00:09:23,330 being played because all the time there are people coming to 162 00:09:23,330 --> 00:09:27,850 relationship with Jesus Christ. But Elijah was feeling the pain 163 00:09:27,850 --> 00:09:31,490 of being all alone. However, God reminds him that 164 00:09:31,490 --> 00:09:35,370 there are 7000 people around him that he doesn't know, that are 165 00:09:35,370 --> 00:09:40,290 still committed to their faith. Satan would like you to think 166 00:09:40,330 --> 00:09:45,770 that you are alone, that you are the only one, that you are the 167 00:09:45,850 --> 00:09:50,050 only one left navigating A struggling marriage, a bad 168 00:09:50,050 --> 00:09:53,370 diagnosis while still trying to hold on to your faith. 169 00:09:53,850 --> 00:09:56,700 Satan would like you to think that you are the only one 170 00:09:56,940 --> 00:10:00,140 clinging to the promises of God in the middle of a storm. 171 00:10:00,460 --> 00:10:03,940 Satan would like you to think that you are the only one who is 172 00:10:03,940 --> 00:10:07,220 giving and praying and inviting and serving. 173 00:10:07,460 --> 00:10:11,140 Satan would like you to think that you are the only one still 174 00:10:11,140 --> 00:10:14,540 committed to your faith, still standing on biblical values. 175 00:10:14,540 --> 00:10:17,980 I don't know if you're like me, but I can scroll through social 176 00:10:17,980 --> 00:10:19,860 media, or I can scroll through the news. 177 00:10:20,060 --> 00:10:22,100 And I come to this conclusion frequently. 178 00:10:22,300 --> 00:10:25,860 I must be the only sane person left on planet Earth. 179 00:10:26,260 --> 00:10:28,700 Have you ever felt that way? Look around the room. 180 00:10:28,820 --> 00:10:32,300 You're not alone. There are other people just like 181 00:10:32,300 --> 00:10:35,300 you who are pursuing God. Satan wants you to think that 182 00:10:35,300 --> 00:10:38,940 you're the only one, but God wants you to know that you are 183 00:10:38,940 --> 00:10:41,020 surrounded. It may not make the news. 184 00:10:41,340 --> 00:10:44,660 It may not make the headlines, but there are more people like 185 00:10:44,660 --> 00:10:48,220 you than you can possibly imagine right now. 186 00:10:48,420 --> 00:10:51,260 Wherever you are watching from, if you are at one of our 187 00:10:51,260 --> 00:10:53,620 physical locations, I want you to look down your row. 188 00:10:54,700 --> 00:10:59,940 This is just one service out of 26 services at 11 locations in 189 00:10:59,940 --> 00:11:03,420 three states in an area over 10,000 square miles. 190 00:11:03,620 --> 00:11:06,420 There are that does not even include the 3000 people that 191 00:11:06,420 --> 00:11:09,140 watch online and that's just our church. 192 00:11:09,590 --> 00:11:12,390 But in our movement of churches there are millions who are 193 00:11:12,390 --> 00:11:15,790 walking by The Walking the same faith journey that you are. 194 00:11:16,110 --> 00:11:19,710 You can go to any state in almost any town and there is God 195 00:11:19,710 --> 00:11:22,430 fearing Jesus serving Holy Spirit empowered group of 196 00:11:22,430 --> 00:11:25,590 believers that each week are lifting high the beautiful 197 00:11:25,590 --> 00:11:29,030 gospel of Jesus Christ. This doesn't even begin to start 198 00:11:29,030 --> 00:11:32,550 taking into account what God is still doing in Central and South 199 00:11:32,550 --> 00:11:34,510 America. I don't have time to get into 200 00:11:34,510 --> 00:11:37,030 what he's doing in Europe or through the underground church 201 00:11:37,030 --> 00:11:39,110 in Asia. If you want to get even more 202 00:11:39,110 --> 00:11:41,990 impressed, there are moves of God that are too beautiful to 203 00:11:41,990 --> 00:11:47,150 comprehend in Africa. You are not alone. 204 00:11:47,830 --> 00:11:53,110 You're surrounded right now, All across the globe, there are 205 00:11:53,230 --> 00:11:57,990 people sitting in a seat right now just like you, listening to 206 00:11:57,990 --> 00:11:59,870 the word of God being proclaimed. 207 00:12:00,230 --> 00:12:01,910 They're going to respond in worship. 208 00:12:01,910 --> 00:12:04,670 They're going to pray to God. They're going to take communion 209 00:12:04,910 --> 00:12:07,280 just like you. And throughout the week they're 210 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:09,320 going to open their Bible. They're going to spend time 211 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:11,520 reading it and being transformed by it. 212 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:15,600 You are not alone. You are not the only crazy 213 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:18,720 person left on earth. You are the same one who is 214 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:25,000 pursuing the same God that they are. .3 I'm moving folks have to 215 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:32,080 versus get to, have to versus get to Romans. 216 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,660 Chapter 11 verse 5 through 6 says this so too. 217 00:12:35,660 --> 00:12:40,740 At the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace, and if 218 00:12:40,740 --> 00:12:43,700 by grace then it cannot be based on works. 219 00:12:44,140 --> 00:12:48,860 If it were, grace would no longer be grace. 220 00:12:50,100 --> 00:12:54,940 Paul goes out of his way again and again in Romans to let you 221 00:12:54,940 --> 00:12:59,220 know that the way into the Kingdom of heaven is by grace 222 00:12:59,220 --> 00:13:04,820 through faith. It is not based on works because 223 00:13:04,820 --> 00:13:10,980 if your salvation was based on works, grace would no longer be 224 00:13:10,980 --> 00:13:13,660 grace. And some of you, you have the 225 00:13:13,660 --> 00:13:17,940 same struggle that I have that you live in a half two world 226 00:13:17,940 --> 00:13:21,380 instead of a get to reality. You're showing up for church 227 00:13:21,380 --> 00:13:25,020 because you have to. You're giving because you have 228 00:13:25,020 --> 00:13:26,660 to. You might be serving in the 229 00:13:26,660 --> 00:13:30,860 early childhood room, wiping baby butts because you have to. 230 00:13:31,060 --> 00:13:33,580 You're praying because you have to. 231 00:13:33,740 --> 00:13:38,420 Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe. If I just give enough, if I just 232 00:13:38,420 --> 00:13:42,300 wipe enough baby butts, if I just pray enough, show up 233 00:13:42,300 --> 00:13:46,300 enough, then eventually God will love me. 234 00:13:46,780 --> 00:13:49,460 I'll do enough stuff to get into heaven. 235 00:13:49,900 --> 00:13:51,220 But I need you to hear me say this. 236 00:13:51,540 --> 00:13:53,860 You don't have enough money to buy Your Holiness. 237 00:13:54,500 --> 00:13:57,420 You don't have enough time to pray, enough prayers to make you 238 00:13:57,420 --> 00:14:00,350 righteous. There are not enough baby butts 239 00:14:00,350 --> 00:14:03,350 in the world for you to wipe, to make you clean. 240 00:14:03,630 --> 00:14:07,790 The dividing line for those who are in and out of the Kingdom of 241 00:14:07,790 --> 00:14:13,030 God is faith and the means of accessing the grace that we're 242 00:14:13,030 --> 00:14:16,110 talking about is through this faith. 243 00:14:16,670 --> 00:14:19,870 It is once you come to the realization that God has 244 00:14:19,870 --> 00:14:24,160 purchased this on your behalf that He has lavished us, poured 245 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:30,400 out His love on us, that we move from a have to to get to. 246 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:34,360 In other words, you realize that by God's grace, you get to 247 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:36,720 serve. You get to give, You get to 248 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,440 love, You get to care. You get to worship. 249 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:41,680 You get to invite. You get to. 250 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:43,840 And for a lot of us, we can't wait to. 251 00:14:44,210 --> 00:14:47,770 We can't believe that God took the broken, messed up pieces of 252 00:14:47,810 --> 00:14:51,650 us, wrote it into his story, and allowed us to be a part of his 253 00:14:51,650 --> 00:14:54,970 salvation mandate. We can't wait to tell people 254 00:14:55,130 --> 00:14:58,770 about what Jesus did in our lives because we can't get over 255 00:14:58,850 --> 00:15:01,770 what He did in our lives. Next one, is this. 256 00:15:02,010 --> 00:15:07,770 Used to versus still can? Used to versus still can. 257 00:15:08,250 --> 00:15:10,930 Romans Chapter 11 verse seven through 10 says this. 258 00:15:10,930 --> 00:15:14,300 What then? What the people of Israel sought 259 00:15:14,300 --> 00:15:16,980 so earnestly? They did not obtain. 260 00:15:17,620 --> 00:15:21,540 The elect among them did, but the others were hardened. 261 00:15:21,700 --> 00:15:23,500 We're going to circle back on that one a little bit. 262 00:15:23,940 --> 00:15:29,460 As it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that 263 00:15:29,460 --> 00:15:34,980 could not see and ears that could not hear to this very day. 264 00:15:35,860 --> 00:15:39,580 And, David says, may their table become a snare and a trap, a 265 00:15:39,580 --> 00:15:41,900 stumbling block and retribution for them. 266 00:15:42,220 --> 00:15:47,220 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see and their backs 267 00:15:47,460 --> 00:15:51,380 be bent forever. This might sound a little harsh. 268 00:15:51,900 --> 00:15:56,300 That's because it is. It's incredibly harsh because 269 00:15:56,300 --> 00:15:58,580 God doesn't want anybody to leave his family. 270 00:15:59,940 --> 00:16:03,900 God has the heart of a father. But if you choose to walk out of 271 00:16:03,900 --> 00:16:07,580 his house, if you choose to leave what he has for you, he 272 00:16:07,580 --> 00:16:11,830 may harden you in that position. You're going to experience what 273 00:16:11,830 --> 00:16:14,910 it's like with life without God. Those of you who've been around 274 00:16:14,910 --> 00:16:15,990 here before, you've heard this story. 275 00:16:15,990 --> 00:16:19,870 But I know there's a lot of you that are that are new from time 276 00:16:19,870 --> 00:16:22,750 to time. My house does not look like the 277 00:16:22,750 --> 00:16:26,910 godly house that it should. We've been known to have 278 00:16:26,910 --> 00:16:29,830 problems. And one night we were having 279 00:16:29,830 --> 00:16:33,950 problems with one of our kids, and I'm sitting in my chair 280 00:16:33,950 --> 00:16:39,310 eating some ice cream as things are escalating, and he decides 281 00:16:39,310 --> 00:16:40,870 he's going to leave. Leave us. 282 00:16:41,350 --> 00:16:43,950 And he was maybe 6:00 or 8:00 at the time. 283 00:16:43,950 --> 00:16:47,630 And he goes, I don't want to be a part of his family anymore. 284 00:16:47,630 --> 00:16:50,390 I'm out of here. I'm just eating ice cream. 285 00:16:50,870 --> 00:16:53,470 All right. Love you. 286 00:16:55,190 --> 00:16:58,390 And so he's walking to the door, and before he leaves, I go. 287 00:16:58,390 --> 00:17:00,510 Hold on a second. What? 288 00:17:01,230 --> 00:17:04,550 Are you leaving? Yeah, not right now. 289 00:17:04,630 --> 00:17:06,670 Why? Well, those are my clothes. 290 00:17:06,670 --> 00:17:07,950 You don't want to be a thief, do you? 291 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:09,760 What do you mean? I go. 292 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:11,520 You can leave, but you got to leave with the clothes that you 293 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:12,800 bought. Those are my clothes. 294 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:23,560 So he goes upstairs and I think I can't wait to do the parenting 295 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:28,480 series at church. He comes downstairs in a towel 296 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:35,440 wrapped around his waist, opens the front door, leaves the towel 297 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,240 in the house, and shuts the door. 298 00:17:39,010 --> 00:17:42,810 Yeah, so if you'd have driven by the pastor's house, my kid was 299 00:17:43,010 --> 00:17:50,090 standing outside naked. Little bit later, the door opens 300 00:17:50,090 --> 00:17:51,970 and he slams and he stomps up the stairs. 301 00:17:52,170 --> 00:17:54,210 I'm leaving. Just not tonight. 302 00:17:56,090 --> 00:17:58,210 Did I make it easy for him to leave? 303 00:17:59,290 --> 00:18:02,610 If you want to leave my house, you can, but I'm not paying for 304 00:18:02,610 --> 00:18:06,850 your rent in your apartment. The blessings of my home flow in 305 00:18:06,850 --> 00:18:10,250 the direction of obedience, just like they do with God. 306 00:18:10,810 --> 00:18:12,490 God is not going to bless your life. 307 00:18:12,650 --> 00:18:15,530 He's not going to lead you if you step out of obedience. 308 00:18:15,930 --> 00:18:19,010 If you want to experience the blessings of God and life with 309 00:18:19,010 --> 00:18:22,210 God, that happens when you are in the family of God. 310 00:18:22,410 --> 00:18:25,130 And the way you find out whether or not you are in the family of 311 00:18:25,130 --> 00:18:29,890 God or not is through faith. We God saying everybody can come 312 00:18:29,890 --> 00:18:33,690 in, but he's not going to handcuff you to the banister and 313 00:18:33,690 --> 00:18:36,730 never let you out. He hardens you so that way when 314 00:18:36,730 --> 00:18:39,490 you leave, he's going, listen, I want you to know what it's like 315 00:18:39,490 --> 00:18:41,410 when you're out there. So that way you want to come 316 00:18:41,410 --> 00:18:43,650 home. And the story of the prodigal 317 00:18:43,650 --> 00:18:47,610 son, the father allows the son to leave, but he doesn't make it 318 00:18:47,610 --> 00:18:50,210 easy on him. He doesn't keep him out of the 319 00:18:50,210 --> 00:18:52,130 trophy, doesn't keep him out of the hard work. 320 00:18:52,130 --> 00:18:56,970 And eventually he comes to his senses because it's hard and he 321 00:18:56,970 --> 00:19:00,400 comes home. Look what happens in Romans 322 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:05,880 Chapter 11, verse 11 through 12. Again, I asked did they stumble 323 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:11,400 so as to fall beyond recovery? Did they screw up too bad? 324 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:14,240 Did they make too big of a mistake? 325 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:17,920 Did they run so far away that God can't bring them back? 326 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:23,600 The answer is not at all. Rather, because of their 327 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:27,560 transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make 328 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:31,040 Israel envious. But if their transgressions 329 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:34,440 means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the 330 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:39,240 Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion 331 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:43,880 bring? No one, no one, no one, is too 332 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:46,480 far gone from God's redemptive work. 333 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:49,890 God doesn't want anybody to leave his family and the 334 00:19:49,890 --> 00:19:53,170 parable, the lost son. Not only does he allow him to go 335 00:19:53,170 --> 00:19:56,370 through what he's going through, but when the son returns, while 336 00:19:56,370 --> 00:20:00,410 he's still a long way off, the father comes running. 337 00:20:00,770 --> 00:20:03,650 If you want to know the heart of God, he is waiting for his lost 338 00:20:03,650 --> 00:20:06,290 children to come home. And the moment they decide that 339 00:20:06,290 --> 00:20:08,810 they want to come home, he comes running. 340 00:20:09,050 --> 00:20:13,170 God is so good and so powerful that he can redeem any 341 00:20:13,170 --> 00:20:15,490 situation. This is what he's unpacking in 342 00:20:15,490 --> 00:20:17,970 Romans Chapter 11. This is what he's saying. 343 00:20:18,530 --> 00:20:21,610 God used the Jewish people to bring Jesus Christ into the 344 00:20:21,610 --> 00:20:24,650 world. Then the Jewish people, because 345 00:20:24,650 --> 00:20:28,370 of their hard hearts, they crucified the very one that he 346 00:20:28,370 --> 00:20:31,410 sent. They crucified Jesus Christ, but 347 00:20:31,410 --> 00:20:35,020 through their sinful act of crucifying Jesus, he brought 348 00:20:35,020 --> 00:20:38,460 salvation to you and I. He took the very mistake that 349 00:20:38,460 --> 00:20:41,860 they made and turned it into a beautiful mystery that you and I 350 00:20:41,860 --> 00:20:44,580 can be included into the household of God. 351 00:20:44,740 --> 00:20:48,420 If God can redeem the dying of a son, he can redeem anything 352 00:20:48,420 --> 00:20:51,980 that's happening in your life. There is nothing and there is no 353 00:20:51,980 --> 00:20:55,740 one better at restoration because God doesn't want anybody 354 00:20:55,940 --> 00:20:59,300 to leave his family. He keeps unpacking this in 355 00:20:59,300 --> 00:21:02,180 Romans Chapter 11, verses 17 through 23. 356 00:21:02,460 --> 00:21:05,450 This is what he says. If some of the branches have 357 00:21:05,450 --> 00:21:10,330 been broken off and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been 358 00:21:10,330 --> 00:21:13,730 grafted in, and share among the others, now share in the 359 00:21:13,730 --> 00:21:15,650 nourishing SAP from the olive root. 360 00:21:16,210 --> 00:21:19,850 Do not consider yourself to be superior to those other 361 00:21:19,850 --> 00:21:24,730 branches. If you do consider this, you do 362 00:21:24,730 --> 00:21:29,250 not support the route, but the route supports you. 363 00:21:30,250 --> 00:21:33,040 You will say. Then branches were broken off, 364 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,320 so that I could be grafted in. Granted. 365 00:21:37,120 --> 00:21:40,560 But if they were broken off because of unbelief, and you 366 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:45,760 stand by faith, do not be arrogant but tremble. 367 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:50,200 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not 368 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:56,960 spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness 369 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:02,510 and the sternness of God, sternness to those who fell, but 370 00:22:02,510 --> 00:22:07,950 kindness to you, provided that you continue in His kindness, 371 00:22:08,590 --> 00:22:12,230 otherwise you also will be cut off. 372 00:22:13,950 --> 00:22:18,790 And if they do not persist in unbelief, if they don't keep 373 00:22:18,790 --> 00:22:26,510 running away from Him, they will be grafted in, for God is able 374 00:22:26,510 --> 00:22:31,040 to graft them in again. Here's what he's saying. 375 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:33,840 You and I must persist in our faith. 376 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:38,040 We must continue in our faith because those who are in and out 377 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:41,000 of the family of God are identified through faith. 378 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:44,040 Let me unpack it a little bit this way. 379 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,640 Here is a here is a big old tree. 380 00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:53,320 And this grass line represents here's the Old Testament and 381 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:57,280 here's the New Testament. And what God has always been 382 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:00,220 doing is he is making a family tree. 383 00:23:05,100 --> 00:23:07,900 This is what it is. And he's talking about the root. 384 00:23:10,700 --> 00:23:14,540 And he's saying if the root is holy, everything's holy, and the 385 00:23:14,540 --> 00:23:16,860 root supports you. You do not support the root 386 00:23:17,820 --> 00:23:20,180 saying, here's the Jewish people, when you're reading in 387 00:23:20,180 --> 00:23:21,580 your Old Testament, you're reading through all the 388 00:23:21,580 --> 00:23:23,580 genealogies. He's he's telling you about the 389 00:23:23,580 --> 00:23:26,940 root. And out of this root came Jesus, 390 00:23:27,950 --> 00:23:31,910 and the root of this tree are the patriarchs like Abraham and 391 00:23:31,910 --> 00:23:34,790 Isaac and Jacob and David, these people. 392 00:23:35,630 --> 00:23:38,870 But then here in the New Testament, God's making a tree, 393 00:23:39,630 --> 00:23:44,710 a family tree, and some branches have been grafted in, been added 394 00:23:44,710 --> 00:23:48,150 to it like you and me. And the way you become a part of 395 00:23:48,150 --> 00:23:50,990 God's family tree is through faith. 396 00:23:51,870 --> 00:23:56,870 And some of you, you've fallen off. 397 00:23:59,450 --> 00:24:01,010 You didn't continue in your faith. 398 00:24:01,770 --> 00:24:07,970 You didn't continue in your belief until we cut you off. 399 00:24:09,050 --> 00:24:16,730 He hardened your position and a desire that you turn around and 400 00:24:16,730 --> 00:24:19,490 then God would graft you back in. 401 00:24:20,330 --> 00:24:22,370 He would bring you back into his fold. 402 00:24:23,890 --> 00:24:29,070 I was working on this sermon and my boys came and were asking me, 403 00:24:29,070 --> 00:24:31,790 I was working in my Home Office and they asked me if they could 404 00:24:31,790 --> 00:24:35,230 borrow my my loppers because they were going to do some some 405 00:24:35,230 --> 00:24:39,470 landscaping stuff. And I I they assured me that it 406 00:24:39,470 --> 00:24:41,750 wasn't going to be a big deal. And I, you know, I believed 407 00:24:41,750 --> 00:24:45,430 them. And but over the course of like 408 00:24:45,430 --> 00:24:50,470 3 days, they were just outside for hours on end and they were 409 00:24:50,470 --> 00:24:54,590 sweating up a storm. And when I was outside my house, 410 00:24:54,590 --> 00:24:58,580 I after they were all done, they were talking about how cool what 411 00:24:58,580 --> 00:25:00,580 they had made was. And every time I looked at my 412 00:25:00,580 --> 00:25:02,540 house, it didn't look all that cool. 413 00:25:02,620 --> 00:25:05,940 In fact, I'll show it to you. I was like, okay, That's where 414 00:25:05,940 --> 00:25:08,020 they're at. This is all that this was 415 00:25:08,020 --> 00:25:08,980 supposed to be put in the trailer. 416 00:25:08,980 --> 00:25:11,980 They didn't put it in the trailer, but that was all they 417 00:25:11,980 --> 00:25:13,100 did. And I'm like, that's not three 418 00:25:13,100 --> 00:25:15,860 days worth of work. I'm like, what did they do? 419 00:25:16,060 --> 00:25:18,460 And so I'm here on my property line and I'm like, what are you, 420 00:25:18,460 --> 00:25:21,650 what do you got going on here? I'm trying to see it. 421 00:25:21,650 --> 00:25:23,890 I mean, it looks like they opened up a little bit of stuff 422 00:25:23,890 --> 00:25:25,250 down here, which these trees are dead. 423 00:25:25,250 --> 00:25:28,530 They need to come out anyway. But Okay, that's a little bit 424 00:25:28,530 --> 00:25:30,490 weird. Okay, that's a little bit more 425 00:25:30,490 --> 00:25:32,370 serious. What do we got now? 426 00:25:32,370 --> 00:25:35,970 We're on the neighbor's property, Okay. 427 00:25:35,970 --> 00:25:38,250 So there's where some more of the branches are that they've 428 00:25:38,490 --> 00:25:41,090 piled up. What do we have going on here, 429 00:25:42,130 --> 00:25:43,610 Okay? We've got some benches. 430 00:25:44,370 --> 00:25:46,970 We've we've got a blanket. Okay. 431 00:25:46,970 --> 00:25:49,010 This is a little bit more than I was anticipating. 432 00:25:50,020 --> 00:25:52,340 Where where are still all of these branches? 433 00:25:53,180 --> 00:25:55,700 OK, the Oh my goodness, what have they done? 434 00:25:56,780 --> 00:25:59,580 Well, come over here. Turns out they're listening to 435 00:25:59,580 --> 00:26:01,940 praise and worship music and they were building a church. 436 00:26:02,180 --> 00:26:04,900 This is the foyer. This is where you hang out and 437 00:26:04,900 --> 00:26:07,660 get your coffee. And before church starts and 438 00:26:07,660 --> 00:26:12,300 then in Gandalf's house that they created over here they've 439 00:26:12,300 --> 00:26:15,140 got a cross and this is where the church is. 440 00:26:15,380 --> 00:26:19,820 My boys made a church in the neighbor's yard, and we're going 441 00:26:19,860 --> 00:26:22,380 to, we're going to take up an offering because they don't come 442 00:26:22,380 --> 00:26:25,740 to our church and they may never will, because I'm going to have 443 00:26:25,740 --> 00:26:28,300 to figure out how to fix that. Here's my devotion. 444 00:26:28,900 --> 00:26:31,580 If my boys can make a church out of the neighbors shrubs, what 445 00:26:31,580 --> 00:26:34,940 can God do with you? Some of you listen to my voice. 446 00:26:34,940 --> 00:26:39,060 You used to, you used to come to church. 447 00:26:39,660 --> 00:26:41,500 You used to come to church in person. 448 00:26:41,820 --> 00:26:44,580 You used to come regularly. You used to serve. 449 00:26:44,580 --> 00:26:46,540 You used to give, You used to pray. 450 00:26:46,740 --> 00:26:49,940 You used to make a difference. Some of you, you might know 451 00:26:49,940 --> 00:26:54,580 someone who used to lead you used to sit with you and some of 452 00:26:54,580 --> 00:26:59,580 you listening to my voice, you're going, yeah, I still 453 00:26:59,580 --> 00:27:03,100 believe in God. But I have a hard truth for you. 454 00:27:04,060 --> 00:27:06,980 A belief in God that does not transform the way we live our 455 00:27:06,980 --> 00:27:10,020 lives. A belief in God that does not 456 00:27:10,100 --> 00:27:14,140 order our priorities is not a true belief in God. 457 00:27:15,340 --> 00:27:18,710 The bottom line is, is some of you, if you were to be honest, 458 00:27:19,270 --> 00:27:25,230 you know you've been cut off. You know you've fallen off, and 459 00:27:25,230 --> 00:27:30,510 you find yourself on the ground wondering if the nourishing SAP 460 00:27:31,230 --> 00:27:33,910 will ever run through your branches again. 461 00:27:34,830 --> 00:27:38,270 You're wondering, can I ever come back because of all that 462 00:27:38,270 --> 00:27:41,710 I've done? You might be thinking, I'm here 463 00:27:41,710 --> 00:27:44,230 on the ground and there's no way I can come back to this church. 464 00:27:45,430 --> 00:27:47,310 There's no way I can start praying again. 465 00:27:48,500 --> 00:27:52,060 Some of you, this message isn't for you, but it's a message that 466 00:27:52,060 --> 00:27:54,540 you have to carry. Because what are the chances 467 00:27:54,540 --> 00:27:57,060 that the people who need to hear this part of the message the 468 00:27:57,060 --> 00:27:59,500 most are actually in this church right now? 469 00:28:00,780 --> 00:28:05,980 But you as a pastor, you can carry this message that they 470 00:28:05,980 --> 00:28:09,140 might be stuck and used to, but they still can. 471 00:28:09,940 --> 00:28:12,660 They used to be one of the branches, and by God's grace 472 00:28:12,860 --> 00:28:16,480 they still can. He can graph them back in at a 473 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,560 moment's notice. God can put them back together 474 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:21,120 again. And this church won't be 475 00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:22,920 frustrated when you show back up. 476 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,360 This church won't be frustrated when you start to give and serve 477 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:28,880 and love and care and minister and invite. 478 00:28:29,120 --> 00:28:31,880 In fact, this church has been waiting on you to come back the 479 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:35,720 whole time. Final message or final point is 480 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:40,680 better than versus Same as Romans 11 versus 18 through 21 481 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,730 says this. Do not consider yourself to be 482 00:28:44,010 --> 00:28:46,090 superior to those other branches. 483 00:28:47,010 --> 00:28:51,490 If you do consider this, you do not support the route, but the 484 00:28:51,490 --> 00:28:56,010 route supports you and you might be tempted to say then branches 485 00:28:56,010 --> 00:28:58,250 were broken off so that I could be grafted in. 486 00:28:58,810 --> 00:29:01,290 I'm in ministry now because somebody else quit being in the 487 00:29:01,290 --> 00:29:06,330 ministry, granted, but they were broken off because of unbelief. 488 00:29:06,410 --> 00:29:10,130 Here it is again. And you, you and I, we stand by 489 00:29:10,130 --> 00:29:14,490 faith. Don't be arrogant but tremble. 490 00:29:15,330 --> 00:29:18,850 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not 491 00:29:18,850 --> 00:29:24,850 spare you either. This is the sternest part of my 492 00:29:24,850 --> 00:29:26,690 message. But I'm just choosing to believe 493 00:29:26,690 --> 00:29:32,690 that you know I care about you. There are some of you who maybe 494 00:29:32,690 --> 00:29:38,570 you've been tempted to become arrogant and prideful about how 495 00:29:38,570 --> 00:29:43,150 good of a Christian you've been. You see some of the other people 496 00:29:43,150 --> 00:29:45,590 around you. You know all of the used two 497 00:29:45,590 --> 00:29:52,270 stories because you've been here for so long and unlike them, you 498 00:29:52,270 --> 00:29:57,110 have not left your post. You're still holding on to your 499 00:29:57,110 --> 00:30:03,070 faith, and you might be tempted to think that you're better than 500 00:30:03,070 --> 00:30:06,230 them. You might be tempted to think 501 00:30:06,390 --> 00:30:11,920 that you're more loved by them. You might be tempted to think, 502 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:17,080 Boy, I'm so glad that I'm like me and not like them. 503 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,920 I'm better than them. God loves me more than them. 504 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:26,950 Look at how good I've been. You might even be frustrated 505 00:30:26,950 --> 00:30:30,870 with when some of the used to people start showing up and they 506 00:30:30,870 --> 00:30:33,830 sit in the seat that's was supposed to be your seat. 507 00:30:33,830 --> 00:30:35,990 And you're like I've been sitting in this seat ever since 508 00:30:35,990 --> 00:30:37,950 you left. And now you come back and think 509 00:30:37,950 --> 00:30:41,390 you get a sit right here. The back rows reserved for me. 510 00:30:43,750 --> 00:30:46,350 I'm better than you. I'm better than you. 511 00:30:46,350 --> 00:30:49,510 Because I serve more than you. And I give more than you. 512 00:30:49,510 --> 00:30:52,470 And I pray more than you. I'm better than you. 513 00:30:55,610 --> 00:31:01,410 And I'm here to tell you you're the same as, you're the same as. 514 00:31:02,210 --> 00:31:04,770 You're not better than, You're the same as. 515 00:31:04,770 --> 00:31:08,330 And I'll tell you why You're the same as because it was the same 516 00:31:08,330 --> 00:31:10,370 God who created you that created them. 517 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:14,880 The same God who sent Jesus to the earth to die for you, died 518 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:17,280 for them. It was the same nails, same 519 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:21,000 spirit, same faith, same baptism, same cross, and the 520 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:23,400 same blood that covers you, covers them. 521 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:26,240 And if we ever forget that message, we will never be who 522 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:28,600 God created us to be. We're moving to a time of 523 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:35,200 decision. There are some of you in here 524 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:38,240 who have never started an intimate, personal relationship 525 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:44,890 with Jesus Christ, and I'm here to tell you you don't have to 526 00:31:44,890 --> 00:31:49,130 wait any longer. You can be grafted into God's 527 00:31:49,130 --> 00:31:55,890 family tree because of the grace of God that was leveled out 528 00:31:56,570 --> 00:31:58,410 through Jesus Christ on the cross. 529 00:31:59,690 --> 00:32:04,450 And the same blood that covers me can cover you and you might 530 00:32:04,450 --> 00:32:07,320 be tempted to think so You've got to get it all dialed in 531 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:08,920 first. I keep saying the same thing 532 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:11,520 during invitations because that's what Romans keeps trying 533 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,680 to drive into our hearts, that you don't have to get it all 534 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:17,280 figured out before you start your relationship with Jesus 535 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:20,480 Christ. If you could figure it out, he 536 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:26,480 wouldn't have sent his son. But we go to him and we give him 537 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:32,120 our lives and he gives us his spirit and he figures it out and 538 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:36,760 we obey. And if you're here today and 539 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:39,640 you've never started that relationship with Jesus Christ, 540 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:44,680 my encouragement to you is don't wait, don't put it off. 541 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:48,720 If you're going. I still have some questions. 542 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:54,960 Then ask the questions to those of you watching online right now 543 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:58,240 in the chat, someone just put up an opportunity for you to click 544 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,920 on a button and they'll take you into a private chat so they can 545 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:03,440 talk to you about specifically what you're going through. 546 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:06,750 And there's a team of people, and we'll either get you 547 00:33:06,750 --> 00:33:09,870 connected to people here at our church or to one of the partner 548 00:33:09,870 --> 00:33:11,430 churches we have around the country. 549 00:33:11,430 --> 00:33:12,990 So you don't have to do life alone. 550 00:33:14,230 --> 00:33:16,750 But to those of you who are in the room right here at 48th St. 551 00:33:17,110 --> 00:33:19,110 in just a few moments, the people around you are going to 552 00:33:19,110 --> 00:33:20,670 stand up and they're going to start singing. 553 00:33:21,350 --> 00:33:23,470 Some of them are going to come to the steps and start praying. 554 00:33:23,470 --> 00:33:27,070 And I would encourage you to go right over to the Baptistry. 555 00:33:27,830 --> 00:33:29,910 If you came here by yourself, that's fine. 556 00:33:30,790 --> 00:33:32,430 Maybe you came here with somebody. 557 00:33:33,070 --> 00:33:35,690 Maybe they'll come with you. There's going to be somebody 558 00:33:35,690 --> 00:33:38,290 right over the baptistry who would love an opportunity to 559 00:33:38,290 --> 00:33:40,890 talk with you about what it means to start an intimate, 560 00:33:40,890 --> 00:33:42,890 personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 561 00:33:44,650 --> 00:33:47,730 I do this every so often at our church if you're new here, but 562 00:33:47,730 --> 00:33:51,650 it's because sometimes I think that you might be tempted to go, 563 00:33:51,970 --> 00:33:53,930 yeah, well, that's that's true for you, Clayton. 564 00:33:53,930 --> 00:33:55,730 It's just not true for normal people. 565 00:33:57,210 --> 00:33:59,330 So I'm just going to. I'm just going to show you 566 00:33:59,330 --> 00:34:03,940 something. I know in my experience that the 567 00:34:03,940 --> 00:34:07,860 greatest decision I ever made was making Jesus Christ, my Lord 568 00:34:07,860 --> 00:34:11,620 and Savior to starting an intimate, personal relationship 569 00:34:12,820 --> 00:34:15,780 with him. And if you would say that that's 570 00:34:15,780 --> 00:34:17,380 your story too, Would you raise your hand? 571 00:34:17,980 --> 00:34:20,340 See, it's not just me. Alright, I got another question 572 00:34:20,340 --> 00:34:24,100 for you. I know in my life my biggest 573 00:34:24,100 --> 00:34:27,780 regret is that I didn't start that relationship sooner. 574 00:34:28,699 --> 00:34:31,540 You see, I knew about God from a pretty early age. 575 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:35,280 I even had moments where I trusted God at a pretty early 576 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:38,719 age. But the amount of damage I did 577 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:41,960 between the time I knew about God and the time I believed and 578 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:45,280 followed God, I caused a lot of pain. 579 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:51,560 I endured a lot of hardship. My biggest regret is I didn't 580 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,760 start that relationship with Jesus Christ sooner. 581 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:58,400 And you know what? I don't think I'm the only one. 582 00:34:58,930 --> 00:35:00,970 If that's your story too, would you put your hand up just so 583 00:35:00,970 --> 00:35:02,650 they know I'm not crazy? All right, you guys, put your 584 00:35:02,650 --> 00:35:04,770 hands down so you don't have to believe me. 585 00:35:05,410 --> 00:35:08,970 Believe your row. Believe your section. 586 00:35:09,690 --> 00:35:12,010 They're telling you what I'm telling you. 587 00:35:12,490 --> 00:35:15,370 That the best decision they ever made was a Jesus decision. 588 00:35:15,570 --> 00:35:17,490 And the biggest regret was putting it off. 589 00:35:18,650 --> 00:35:20,930 We have these crazy stories in our church. 590 00:35:21,370 --> 00:35:23,610 They drive me crazy, but I love them. 591 00:35:23,850 --> 00:35:25,650 So I don't want you to not make a decision because you're like, 592 00:35:25,650 --> 00:35:26,610 I don't want to make Clayton mad. 593 00:35:26,770 --> 00:35:28,610 It makes me happy. I just don't understand. 594 00:35:29,250 --> 00:35:31,010 Sometimes you'll. I'll be talking to somebody 595 00:35:31,250 --> 00:35:32,810 before they get baptized. Like, yeah, we've been coming 596 00:35:32,810 --> 00:35:36,930 here for like, 6 years. Six years. 597 00:35:38,330 --> 00:35:39,930 How'd you hear about this for six years? 598 00:35:39,930 --> 00:35:42,290 And wait it off. But Satan's crafty. 599 00:35:44,290 --> 00:35:48,610 He'll get you to wait. He'll get you to hold off all of 600 00:35:48,610 --> 00:35:50,850 Satan's replies that you are not now. 601 00:35:51,730 --> 00:35:55,370 And God's answer is always right here, right now. 602 00:35:55,730 --> 00:35:58,570 The only thing keeping you from starting the relationship that 603 00:35:58,570 --> 00:36:03,610 you are destined to have is you making a decision right now to 604 00:36:03,610 --> 00:36:06,370 believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living 605 00:36:06,370 --> 00:36:09,130 God, and that you want him as your Lord and Savior. 606 00:36:09,490 --> 00:36:11,970 And if that's where you are, where you are today, in just a 607 00:36:11,970 --> 00:36:14,610 few moments you can walk over there and talk to somebody and 608 00:36:14,610 --> 00:36:17,890 start that path forward to the rest of you in the room. 609 00:36:18,770 --> 00:36:21,130 To those of you here at 48th St. want you to hear me? 610 00:36:23,170 --> 00:36:25,370 We have to get our hearts right before God. 611 00:36:27,100 --> 00:36:30,540 We have to live the life that he's calling us to live, not 612 00:36:30,540 --> 00:36:34,180 better than other people, but on behalf of other people. 613 00:36:35,340 --> 00:36:37,860 Man, we can't keep showing up and doing all the things we do 614 00:36:38,020 --> 00:36:40,860 trying to earn our salvation. That's not the kind of spirit 615 00:36:40,860 --> 00:36:43,220 that is going to grow a church and reach the people around 616 00:36:43,220 --> 00:36:44,980 them. It's going to require a bunch of 617 00:36:44,980 --> 00:36:47,260 people who can't wait to be a part of what God is doing. 618 00:36:47,260 --> 00:36:51,340 And so maybe as we go into this invitation time, you would spend 619 00:36:51,340 --> 00:36:53,780 some time on your knees or maybe over where you're at in your 620 00:36:53,780 --> 00:36:55,500 chair. You're going, God, what kind of 621 00:36:55,500 --> 00:36:58,860 work needs to happen in my heart today to make a difference to 622 00:36:58,860 --> 00:37:00,860 the people that you've put around me? 623 00:37:01,700 --> 00:37:04,300 That you would actually be the pastor to the people that God 624 00:37:04,460 --> 00:37:07,540 has put around you? Because chances are I'm not 625 00:37:07,540 --> 00:37:09,100 going to your workplace tomorrow. 626 00:37:09,300 --> 00:37:12,020 Neither's our staff, but you are. 627 00:37:12,940 --> 00:37:16,660 You are God's appointed messenger to make a difference. 628 00:37:17,940 --> 00:37:20,460 And how could we not? Would you stand with me, 629 00:37:21,850 --> 00:37:24,050 Heavenly Father? I'm asking you to do a work 630 00:37:24,050 --> 00:37:29,090 right now. God, wipe away the excuses. 631 00:37:30,170 --> 00:37:35,090 Fire up our passions. God, help us to be the people 632 00:37:35,090 --> 00:37:37,890 that you have called us to be, to reach the people you've 633 00:37:37,890 --> 00:37:41,010 called us to reach. And your name, I pray. 634 00:37:41,810 --> 00:37:42,170 Amen.