1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,040 All right, good morning, Resurrection Church. 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,600 My name is Richard. I am the high school youth 3 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:09,480 director here at Rez. And what that basically means is 4 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,880 God thought I should do high school all over again because I 5 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:14,200 didn't get it right the first time. 6 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:21,320 By 30 years old, I have made a complete mess of my life. 7 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,640 I was an alcoholic. I couldn't keep a job. 8 00:00:25,240 --> 00:00:29,640 I had two broken families, barely a father to my two kids, 9 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:35,000 no real relationship with my own family because I was a dirtbag. 10 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:40,400 And I was so prideful. I kept doing things my way. 11 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:46,840 Nobody could tell me otherwise. And that pride, it's what 12 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:48,640 brought me to the lowest point of my life. 13 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,240 And it's where I finally learned what Jesus meant when He said in 14 00:00:54,240 --> 00:01:00,360 John 1224, Truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to 15 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,360 the ground and dies, it remains by itself. 16 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,880 But if it dies, it produces much fruit. 17 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,400 Join me today in John 12. There's a lot that goes on in 18 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:14,880 here. It's a beautiful chapter and I 19 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:20,280 encourage you to go and read it. Today we're going to look at 3 20 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:22,600 verses. Focus on three verses in John 21 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:27,240 1224 through 26 and these 3 verses. 22 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,600 I feel like I've been living them out for the past 10 years 23 00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:34,160 and I'm desperately trying to get past verse 26. 24 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:41,880 John 1224 through 26. Truly, I tell you, unless a 25 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:45,320 grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by 26 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:49,680 itself. But if it dies, it produces much 27 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,680 fruit. The one who loves his life will 28 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:56,280 lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep 29 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:01,960 it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must 30 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,880 follow me. Where I am, there my servant 31 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:10,840 also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father 32 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,760 will honor him. Taking a moment and imagine this 33 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:16,480 with me. The disciples have been 34 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,800 following Jesus for three years. They've seen the miracles, 35 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:24,240 they've seen the teaching. And out of nowhere, Jesus starts 36 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,880 talking about death first, about his own. 37 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:32,280 Jesus is talking about what he's about to do. 38 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:38,080 He's saying I'm willing to give up my life, not protect it, so 39 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,320 that many others can be saved and redeemed. 40 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:43,960 But he's also talking about theirs. 41 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,640 Death to self, death to self rule. 42 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,480 They had to shock them because that's not what they were 43 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:58,520 expecting. And if we're honest, we struggle 44 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,720 with that too. We're shocked when Jesus doesn't 45 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:07,040 do what we expect them to do. Because instead of building our 46 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:12,240 lives on Jesus, we want Jesus to help us with the life that we 47 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:16,400 already built for ourselves. And I've done that. 48 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,680 I wanted Jesus to help me with the life that I built. 49 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:27,880 Let me show you what living in verses 24 through 26 look like 50 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:33,680 for me and how I've learned the hard way that real life only 51 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,720 comes through real loss. If you remember one thing from 52 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:43,320 today, remember real life only comes through real loss. 53 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:49,800 In February 2015, I went out drinking on a Wednesday night, 54 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,640 drove home, got arrested, went to jail. 55 00:03:55,480 --> 00:04:00,200 The next morning I get out and I had this overwhelming sense that 56 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,960 I needed God in my life and I needed to go to church. 57 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,280 I didn't know where to go. I didn't grow up in church, but 58 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:14,520 that Sunday I ended up in one. At that point in my life, I was 59 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:20,519 drinking 1/5 of vodka a day. I'd quit for a few a few days, 60 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,240 then fall back. I quit for a week and then drink 61 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,360 again. But no matter how much I failed, 62 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:33,280 I kept going to church. Two months later, April 5th, 63 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:38,000 2015, Easter Sunday, I was sitting in church watching a 64 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:44,160 live skit and the man was having a conversation with God and God 65 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,960 was telling him follow me, leave it all behind and just follow 66 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,720 me. And the man was asking God, if I 67 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,400 follow you, if I leave all this behind, what am I going to be? 68 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:58,440 What will people think? What will people say? 69 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:01,400 And he asks again, what will I be? 70 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,360 And God said, you'll be whatever I called you to be. 71 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:11,080 And that hit me hard because I was asking God the same thing, 72 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:16,840 because I was the party guy, the bar guy, the guy that chased 73 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:21,600 money and women. I was asking God, if I walk away 74 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:26,880 from all this, what will I be? And I felt, God, tell me you'll 75 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:28,880 be whatever I've called you to be. 76 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:35,280 So I got up, did the altar call, and I gave my life to Jesus. 77 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:40,200 I'd love to tell you that everything changed overnight, 78 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:45,920 but it didn't. I was still building my life on 79 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,200 myself and I stayed sober for six months. 80 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:54,960 And then my pride crept back in. I was in a bad relationship and 81 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:59,120 I grew angry at God because I thought He was supposed to 82 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:06,000 improve my life and he didn't. And that anger, it pushed me 83 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:10,400 right back out. One night I went back drinking. 84 00:06:10,840 --> 00:06:12,880 I got kicked out. The next day, I had nowhere to 85 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:17,120 go. I texted my pastor and he got a 86 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:18,680 bed ready for me at his men's home. 87 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,960 Here I am, 30 years old, sitting in my car outside of this men's 88 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:30,280 home, gripping the wheel, wrestling with myself inside and 89 00:06:30,280 --> 00:06:36,480 my pride wondering how did I end up here breaking a little inside 90 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:42,520 every second because my thoughts are telling me I'm better than 91 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:46,200 this. I was at a fork in the road 92 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,920 thinking I don't need this, I can hustle up some money, I'll 93 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,760 get my own place. I'll be back at the bars this 94 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:56,840 weekend. Then I heard a knock at the 95 00:06:56,840 --> 00:07:00,760 window. It was a guy from the men's home 96 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:05,160 and recognized me from church. I get out of the car and he 97 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:06,480 says, what are you doing here, bro? 98 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:12,720 All I could say is I don't know. And I broke, and he says it's 99 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:14,160 going to be all right, bro, we got you. 100 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:21,600 I remember that first night in the men's home was the lowest 101 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:29,200 point of my life. I remember being in a room full 102 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:36,120 of men in a dorm, but I felt alone in a dark place that I 103 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:37,640 wasn't going to get myself out of. 104 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,480 Looking back now, that was my burial. 105 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:50,680 Everything I trusted, my comfort, stability, my pride, my 106 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:56,160 control was gone. I stayed there for two months. 107 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:01,520 Every morning they would get up and pray at 5:00 AM. 108 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:04,120 And this is how deep my pride goes. 109 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:10,040 I'm in there with men from 18 to 65 years old, some getting out 110 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:13,400 of prison, some kicking addiction, some coming off the 111 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:18,920 streets from being homeless. And in my head I go, you know 112 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:20,640 what? I'm going to get up with these 113 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:22,920 guys and I'm going to pray and read my Bible. 114 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,000 And man, they need a lot of help. 115 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:33,840 I'm going to show them. But I'd get up every morning. 116 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,159 I'd go downstairs and pray with them at 5:00 AM. 117 00:08:37,159 --> 00:08:40,320 And while I was there for that two months, I read the entire 118 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:44,560 New Testament and I found Jesus in the Scriptures. 119 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,440 It was no longer about what others had to say about him. 120 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:57,720 I meant him for myself. Two weeks after leaving the 121 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:05,520 men's home during worship, the pastor was saying many men will 122 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:11,520 choose to follow Jesus, but many men won't choose to suffer for 123 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:16,440 him. And I don't know why I said it. 124 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,880 I didn't plan on it, but I remember raising my hands and 125 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:24,000 saying Lord I love you, thank you for saving me. 126 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,240 And I said I will follow you, take everything from me and I 127 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:32,800 will suffer for you. I'll serve you 7 life sentences. 128 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:40,160 And I heard get on your knees. My stomach started turning, my 129 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:42,560 mouth started watering. I had goosebumps from the bottom 130 00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:44,000 of my feet to the top of my head. 131 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:45,800 And I'm like, I don't know what's happening. 132 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:48,120 I said I love you Lord, I'll serve you. 133 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,360 I'll suffer before you say get on your knees. 134 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,920 I was resisting because I was so worried about the people around 135 00:09:54,920 --> 00:10:00,000 me that would see me. And he said get on your knees. 136 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,520 And I stepped out of the row. My knees buckled and I hit the 137 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:09,440 ground and I wept and I wept and I wept. 138 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:15,600 I realize now what was dying on that floor was me being worried 139 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:17,200 about what other people would think of me. 140 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:23,760 Because when I stood up off that floor, it was the first time 141 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:27,160 ever that I felt the love of God in my life. 142 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,560 And I remember looking around that church at everybody, and I 143 00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:41,280 thought, I love everyone. I was transformed, I was 144 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:49,520 different, I was made new. And that's what it says in 2nd 145 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:55,840 Corinthians 517. Therefore, if anyone is in 146 00:10:55,840 --> 00:11:01,880 Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away and see 147 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:06,280 the new has come. My life wasn't perfect after 148 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:11,240 that, but I was a new person beginning to build my life on 149 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:20,960 Jesus and not myself. Death came first and then real 150 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:25,360 life. It was the beginning of me 151 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:29,720 learning that real life only comes through real loss. 152 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,760 Now, you don't have to believe the Bible to know this is true. 153 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,320 Real change always cost you something. 154 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:44,960 But here's the problem. Many people will go to the 155 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,480 cross, but they never get on the cross. 156 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:56,520 They admire it, they study it, they sing about it, they even 157 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:01,000 cry at the foot of it. But Jesus doesn't call us to 158 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,840 visit the cross, He calls us to die on it. 159 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:12,040 That's why Jesus says in Mark 834, if anybody wants to follow 160 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:18,760 after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. 161 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,040 When Jesus talks about taking up your cross, he's not using a 162 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,560 metaphor. In the Roman world, the cross 163 00:12:27,560 --> 00:12:32,200 was a death sentence. A condemned person carried it 164 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:34,880 through the streets as a sign of shame and finality. 165 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:39,960 When you saw someone carrying a cross out of the city, you knew 166 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,600 one thing. That person wasn't coming back. 167 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:49,400 So take up your cross means total surrender, dying to your 168 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:56,080 old life, to your rights, your control, and declaring that your 169 00:12:56,080 --> 00:13:01,760 life is no longer your own. And Jesus says when we do that, 170 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:08,320 we don't lose life, we find it. He's calling us to die to self 171 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:13,640 so we can finally be free. But free from what? 172 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:19,720 Jesus offers three specific types of freedom in his words 173 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:24,600 today. Freedom from sin, freedom from 174 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:30,560 death, and freedom from self. Let's look at each of them. 175 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:35,840 Freedom from sin. Freedom from sin isn't just 176 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:40,240 forgiveness of what we've done, it's freedom from what's been 177 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:45,560 holding you. Sin isn't only about mistakes, 178 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:52,160 it's about being stuck. Patterns you keep falling into, 179 00:13:52,680 --> 00:13:54,800 cravings that feel stronger than your will. 180 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:03,040 Identities that you start believing just who you are. 181 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:10,280 When Jesus calls us to die with him, he's saying the old life 182 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:12,120 doesn't get to run things anymore. 183 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:17,920 When something is buried, it loses its authority. 184 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:22,200 It may still pull at you, but it no longer owns you. 185 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:27,480 Burial matters because what goes into the ground doesn't come 186 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:32,160 back in charge. A new life comes out, not 187 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:37,560 perfect, but free. Free to say no, Free to choose 188 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:42,280 differently, Free to stop living as the person you used to be. 189 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:45,720 Jesus doesn't just forgive sinners. 190 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:51,440 He makes new people after the men's home. 191 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:56,200 Jesus broke that cycle of that off of my life. 192 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:03,520 I stayed sober for six years. Then one day I chose to drink 193 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,680 again. I chose to go back to something 194 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:08,560 Jesus had already broken off of my life. 195 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:16,000 Over time, my wife became concerned about how often and 196 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:24,120 how much I was drinking. If I'm honest, the Holy Spirit 197 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:25,960 would remind me every time I took a drink. 198 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:28,320 This isn't who you're called to be. 199 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:36,520 But my pride and my selfishness would make excuses and justify 200 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:41,320 it. I kept telling myself I didn't 201 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,720 have a problem because I wasn't living like I used to. 202 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:51,840 The truth is, if my wife had a problem with my drinking, that 203 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:56,560 meant I had a problem and I needed to face it head on. 204 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,720 I remember praying to God Sin, you broke this off of my life 205 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:11,720 before. Do it again, do it again God. 206 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:22,920 And He did because I couldn't. And I'm sober again today. 207 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:35,320 Here's what I've learned. Self denial isn't a one time 208 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:39,320 moment. It's a way of life. 209 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:47,280 That's why Christians fast to set aside physical needs 210 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:52,240 temporarily, to createspace, to draw closer to God, to seek 211 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,880 guidance, and to show dependence on God. 212 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:02,240 Fasting is denying yourself not just from food, but from 213 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:05,200 anything that competes with our pursuit of Jesus. 214 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:10,839 Sometimes it's for days, sometimes it's for seasons. 215 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:21,119 I submit to you today that life is a fast, and if fasting from 216 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:27,000 alcohol from the rest of my life helps me be a better follower of 217 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:34,120 Jesus, to be a better husband, a better father, a better friend, 218 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,520 then I'll gladly fast from alcohol for the rest of my life 219 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:40,480 so I can be a better follower of Jesus. 220 00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:50,800 Jesus promises freedom, man. He delivers it. 221 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,480 What is God asking you today to deny yourself of? 222 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:02,320 What has he been asking you to let go? 223 00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:10,280 Maybe it's alcohol. Maybe it's anger and addiction, 224 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:16,360 old habits, pornography. Maybe it's the constant noise 225 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:19,880 from podcasts and news and social media. 226 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:28,560 Or maybe you're like me In past seasons of my life, I was more 227 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:31,640 passionate about pursuing a political party than pursuing 228 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:36,400 Jesus. Or maybe you're like me right 229 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:39,720 now and you struggle with pride like I do. 230 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:45,720 Pride is like bad breath. Everyone else knows you have it 231 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:52,960 but you. And anytime I start thinking I 232 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:57,840 have it all together, my family is there to gently remind me 233 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:07,520 otherwise. And underneath all that sin, 234 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,120 habits, pride, there's a deeper fear. 235 00:19:11,120 --> 00:19:16,320 Jesus wants to set us free from freedom from death. 236 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:20,080 Freedom from death isn't just about dying someday. 237 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:23,800 It's freedom from the fear that shapes how you live right now. 238 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:29,880 Because Jesus rose from the dead, death isn't the end 239 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:34,480 anymore. And Jesus can ask us to die to 240 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:38,240 ourselves because he's already gone there and defeated it. 241 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,640 When that truth sinks in, fear starts to loosen his grip. 242 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:51,000 Our obsession with comfort, control, security, and approval 243 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:54,040 usually comes from being afraid of losing this life. 244 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:57,760 We cling to. We cling to. 245 00:19:57,760 --> 00:19:59,960 It's like, like, like it's all we have. 246 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:06,120 But Jesus says that kind of freedom, that kind of living 247 00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:11,800 isn't freedom, It's slavery. The resurrection changes 248 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,600 everything. Death becomes a doorway, not a 249 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:19,320 dead end. I used to live terrified of 250 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:24,080 losing everything. The men's home was supposed to 251 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:26,360 be the worst thing that ever happened to me. 252 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:32,240 But standing on the other side of it, I realized that that 253 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:35,240 wasn't the end. It was the door. 254 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,840 Loss isn't final. Surrender isn't wasted, and 255 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:45,080 Jesus isn't asking us to die to take life from us. 256 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:55,200 He's asking us to let go so we can live a life that matters #3 257 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:59,600 freedom from self. Freedom from self is where the 258 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:01,720 truth gets worked out in everyday life. 259 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:07,080 A lot of what exhausts us isn't obvious sin. 260 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,560 It's the constant pressure to protect ourselves, to prove 261 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:15,240 ourselves, and to hold together the life we built. 262 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:20,600 Living like everything depends on us. 263 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:27,160 That's why Jesus says deny yourself, take up your cross, 264 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,520 follow me. He's not trying to make life 265 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:32,040 harder, He's trying to make life lighter. 266 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:39,680 Because carrying yourself at the center and it's exhausting. 267 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:48,480 When S is in charge, you're always chasing approval, always 268 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:52,360 needing control, always building your life around comfort and 269 00:21:52,360 --> 00:21:55,080 success. And that kind of living will 270 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:59,400 drain you. But when S stops being the 271 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:04,480 center, freedom begins. You're no longer living to 272 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:07,800 preserve your life. You start to live a life that 273 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:12,920 matters. That's why Jesus says in John 274 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:18,520 1224, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, 275 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,440 it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much 276 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:25,400 fruit. This is how the Kingdom works. 277 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,840 You lose to multiply. A seat on the surface is 278 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:32,440 useless. No life can come from it. 279 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:40,480 It has to be buried and burial. It looks like loss, but it's 280 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:45,200 where life actually begins. As long as you're protecting 281 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:50,960 your image, clinging to control, guarding your comfort, life is 282 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:56,120 all about you. But when S dies, freedom shows 283 00:22:56,120 --> 00:22:59,480 up. And then comes fruit. 284 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:07,280 Not a little fruit, much fruit. A surrendered life doesn't just 285 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:11,040 change you, it multiplies through you. 286 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,880 God's Kingdom doesn't grow through holding on, it grows 287 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:22,080 through letting go. And I had to learn that the hard 288 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:29,840 way in John 1226. Jesus goes on to say if anyone 289 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:35,120 serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant 290 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:38,800 also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father 291 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:43,120 will honor him. That verse focus forced me to 292 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:44,800 confront something in my own life. 293 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:50,720 I realized I had a picture of serving God that looked 294 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:58,520 impressive for me, but wasn't actually about following Jesus. 295 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,720 I used to believe that God would be glorified by me becoming this 296 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:09,360 world traveling preacher, evangelist that's serving him 297 00:24:09,360 --> 00:24:12,760 and going everywhere, being involved in everything and never 298 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:21,560 being home. I thought that was fruit, but I 299 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,200 was pursuing a calling rather than pursuing Jesus. 300 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:33,000 I was forced. I was focused on ministry. 301 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:39,320 I was so focused on ministry that I became blind to my first 302 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:47,440 ministry, my wife and my family. My vision had to die so that I 303 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:49,080 can see God's vision for my life. 304 00:24:57,210 --> 00:25:01,410 And now I understand that God will receive the most glory from 305 00:25:01,410 --> 00:25:05,080 my life when I take my last breath. 306 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:10,080 And people say he loved God. He loved his wife and his kids, 307 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:16,760 and he loved people. And because I'm following the 308 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:24,280 King, I trust that God will honor my life in order to live a 309 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:26,600 life that truly matters. There will be lost. 310 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:30,640 That's unavoidable. But the Gospel tells us 311 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:36,560 something the world never will. Where there is loss, there is 312 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:44,280 also gain. Before Christ, the apostle Paul 313 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:48,520 had status, education, influence, a future. 314 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:51,440 That all changed after he met Jesus. 315 00:25:52,360 --> 00:25:56,360 That's why Paul can say without hesitation in Philippians 3. 316 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:02,720 Whatever gain I had, I count it as loss for the sake of Christ. 317 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:08,960 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing 318 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:11,640 worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 319 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:19,240 Paul is saying, I lost what I thought mattered, and I gained 320 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:24,920 what actually does. The seed falls, the old life 321 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:30,720 dies, and what looks like loss becomes gain because Christ is 322 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:34,960 better. And here's the beautiful part 323 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:39,080 about the Kingdom. Your surrender doesn't just 324 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:42,440 change you, it multiplies through you. 325 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:48,920 That man who knocked on my window, my car window outside 326 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:53,800 the men's home, he was fruit from someone else's burial. 327 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,000 Someone else had to die to themselves to create that 328 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:09,240 ministry, and now I get to be the fruit for others by 329 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:13,120 marriage. My kids, this church you're 330 00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:17,520 sitting here today, that's how the Kingdom grows. 331 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:21,800 Not through self preservation, but through surrender. 332 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:29,040 One seed falls, it dies, and from that death comes an entire 333 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:36,200 harvest. So the question is, what does 334 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:40,720 this actually look like for us? If you're a follower of Jesus, I 335 00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:44,840 want to challenge you with two practical ways to die to 336 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:51,600 yourself this week #1 prayer. Pray a certain way. 337 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:55,600 What if your prayers became radically different? 338 00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:00,520 What have you committed to pray? Not for your health, your money, 339 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:05,640 your week, your calendar, your trips or expectations? 340 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:10,240 What if the language of your prayer changed completely? 341 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:14,920 Instead of praying about your schedule, your comfort, your 342 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:19,280 vacation time, what if you started praying about what Jesus 343 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:22,880 cares about? Lost people in this city? 344 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:27,160 Kingdom purposes, things that actually matter for eternity. 345 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:33,000 What would it look like if you committed to praying like this 5 346 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:39,200 minutes every day this week? How do you need to change your 347 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:44,480 prayers? What do you need to bury or let 348 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:46,720 go in your prayers? Because it's not pointing 349 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:48,520 towards Jesus and it's pointing towards you. 350 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:56,000 The past couple of weeks, my prayer has been, Lord, help me 351 00:28:56,000 --> 00:29:00,680 to die more to myself today. Help me to die to my 352 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:07,600 selfishness, help me to die to my pride so I can fulfill your 353 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:17,040 purposes #2GO ask somewhere, someone where you need to grow. 354 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,320 What if we all went to the people closest to us in our 355 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:26,280 community and we asked him, where do you think I'm stuck? 356 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:31,360 I'll tell you what it looked like for me. 357 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:35,760 I remember a while back going to Pastor Daniel and asking him, 358 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:38,920 where do you see I need the most growth in my life? 359 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:44,320 And boy did he tell me. It was a long list. 360 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:51,840 He just keeps adding to it. I found out the only way that I 361 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:55,680 grow is having people around me who are honest with me, holding 362 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,120 me accountable. I mean, I was, I was putting 363 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:01,480 this message together and I was talking to Dave about it. 364 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:03,200 Pastor Dave. He was like, you're still not 365 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:05,800 drinking. No, that's a good thing. 366 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:08,280 Ask me. I need that in my life. 367 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:13,200 So I challenge you to do something harder than you've 368 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,280 ever done. Go to someone who cares about 369 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:18,960 you and ask them where do you think I'm stuck? 370 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:27,560 So will you commit to these two things this week #1 pray for 371 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:31,280 Jesus purposes, not your own. 5 minutes daily. 372 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:34,880 What if you stop praying about your week, your health, your 373 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:37,440 money, your calendar? What if you started praying for 374 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:41,000 lost people, Kingdom, work, and for the things that matter 375 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:45,320 beyond your comfort? Ask someone where you need to 376 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:49,920 grow. Go to someone who cares about 377 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:52,120 you and ask them where do you think I'm stuck? 378 00:30:54,640 --> 00:31:02,320 What do I need to change? And listen, here's the reality. 379 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,320 Some of you are sitting here today. 380 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:11,160 Maybe you're just visiting. You can't grow in Christ because 381 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:17,600 you've never actually met Him. You've been in that car with me, 382 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:22,840 this whole message, not outside the men's home, but at a fork in 383 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,960 the road, emotionally, spiritually. 384 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:31,160 You know you want change in your life and today Jesus is knocking 385 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:36,560 at your window and I want to give you the opportunity to know 386 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:41,440 Him. The 2000 years ago God sent his 387 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:47,200 Son Jesus to walk this earth, to live a perfect life, to live the 388 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:51,520 life we couldn't live and die the death that I deserve, that 389 00:31:51,520 --> 00:32:05,680 we deserve to pay for our sins. He died the death that we 390 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:11,200 deserve. He died, was buried and rose on 391 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:16,440 the third day, defeating death and sin, giving us assurance 392 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:20,280 that if we put our trust in Him as Lord and Savior that He will 393 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:24,600 give us eternal life and when we walk out of this life we will 394 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:28,040 rise and spend eternity with God. 395 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:33,520 The Bible says that if you declare with your mouth and 396 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:42,200 believe in your heart that Jesus is your Lord, you will be saved. 397 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:51,040 If you are willing to ask for forgiveness and salvation today, 398 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:55,480 I want to give you that chance. Would you bow your heads and 399 00:32:55,480 --> 00:33:04,330 close your eyes just quietly or even silently? 400 00:33:05,210 --> 00:33:07,890 If you want to ask Jesus into your life, repeat this prayer. 401 00:33:09,530 --> 00:33:14,210 Jesus, I know I'm a Sinner and I'm lost on my own. 402 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:20,240 I can't save myself. I know I'm incapable of living 403 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:23,520 perfectly. I want you to save me. 404 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:26,800 I want to be part of your family. 405 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:33,200 I surrender everything to you. I receive your promise of 406 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:40,560 relationship, of adoption as your child, of the forgiveness 407 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:45,440 of sin, of the Holy Spirit and eternal life. 408 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:53,360 Be my Lord. Please, Jesus, if you prayed 409 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:57,080 that prayer for the first time right now, would you be brave 410 00:33:58,280 --> 00:33:59,840 and just raise your hand for me to see? 411 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:09,719 Thank you, thank you. Put your hands down in Jesus 412 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:13,920 name, Amen. All right, everybody, if you 413 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:17,400 prayed that prayer today, welcome to the family. 414 00:34:25,250 --> 00:34:28,090 Our prayer team is going to be coming up right now and we'd 415 00:34:28,090 --> 00:34:31,969 love to pray with you. Maybe today you realize there's 416 00:34:31,969 --> 00:34:36,770 something you need to surrender, you need to bury, or maybe 417 00:34:36,770 --> 00:34:38,850 there's there's just something heavy you're carrying. 418 00:34:40,650 --> 00:34:46,520 Whatever it is, we want to pray with you and if you raise your 419 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:49,679 hand today to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. 420 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,600 We have two tables in the back, one on the left and one on the 421 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:58,040 right. Go to the one at the tables. 422 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:02,920 We have a gift for you. We want to talk with you about 423 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:06,560 what it looks like to follow Jesus and see how we can help 424 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:12,320 you on this beautiful journey. Please stand and move as the 425 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:12,920 Lord leads you.