Thank you. You know times while pastoring for
three decades now in various forms. I've run
into people who said that they had a temptation.
They had a difficulty. Something that would lure
them in a direction that they should not go.
That it was repetitive. That they had not defeated
the temptation. That they had experienced it
time and again. Mostly maybe while they were
alone or while they didn't have anything else
going on. While they weren't real busy. while
there wasn't another brother or sister in Christ
along with them, guiding them in the right direction.
And they said, at that time, I feel whatever.
What they actually feel varies, right? I feel
a variety of things. And then I turn to that
thing that tempts me because I lack, I need,
I want, I desire, I'm after something, I hurt,
I was wounded, whatever. I submit to you today,
there is a way that that's supposed to go. And
we're going to see it in the scripture today.
It's a relatively short passage of scripture,
but it's kind of exciting because not only is
it Jesus showing us the kind of character that
Jesus has, which if you'll recall, Christian
means little Christ. So if you know who Jesus
is, that's what you're supposed to try to be
like, right? And not only is it showing us who
Jesus is and how he handles that circumstance.
But on top of that, then, it shows us what our
life can actually be like in Christ if we have
recognized certain truths that he is making very
clear. So if you'll go with me in your Bibles
today, give me a little who to holler amen as
we go to Luke chapter 24. Thank you very much,
those of you who participate in that little object
lesson. This is the Word of God. I'm going to
read it as it is written. I'm going to explain
it just a little bit as we go through, and then
I'm going to break it down. It's expository preaching
because we're going to expose what God says.
It's not really all that much about what I say
or even how I say it or how I make it clear.
It's really all about what God says. So in Luke
chapter 24 and verse 44, we see a certain circumstance.
Now just to make sure you understand where we're
at in the story, this is after the death, burial,
and resurrection of Christ. They are reeling
now from his having appeared to them alive after
the fact. And he appears to them. In verse 36,
there's that little subtitle above that says,
Other Appearances. Now, while they were telling
these things, Jesus himself suddenly stood in
their midst and said to them, Peace be to you.
So he is right there all of a sudden. Verse 38
says, And he said to them, Why are you frightened?
And why are your doubts arising in your hearts?
See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because the Spirit does not
have flesh and bones, as you plainly see that
I have. Then down in verse 42, they served him
a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate
it in front of them. And now verse 44. Now he
said to them, these are my words which I spoke
to you while I was still with you. That all the
things that are written about me in the law of
Moses and the prophets and Psalms must be fulfilled.
Side note, I love that little phrasing there
that Jesus uses where he says the law of Moses
and the prophets and the Psalms. There's no question
about what the Old Testament Bible is. Pretty
clear there, right? What Jesus thought the Bible
was, was laid out right there for us. Verse 45,
then it says, then he opened their minds to understand
the scriptures. So before we go any further,
I want you to see that Jesus is making yet another
proof and evidence, something that will help
them to ascend to the fact that Jesus is resurrected.
In fact, that Jesus had to be crucified, that
this was the way that God was going to accomplish
this, right? So he's giving them yet another
understanding. Already a piece of broiled fish,
so clearly he is risen from the dead. They saw
him dead, now they see him alive, able to eat
in front of them, and so on. They see the wounds
still on him. And now he says, these words which
I spoke to you while I was still alive, that's
talking about the prophecies that he gave, that
he said, this is what's going to happen to me.
This is how it's going to unfold. He laid that
out clearly for them while he was still alive.
Three times he told them that he would be taken.
crucified, buried, and rise again on the third
day. And even then they struggled to believe
it. Before we accuse them, I think we might as
well. But then he goes on to say that all of
the things that he was talking about, all the
things that they had taught about, good morning,
all those things were laid out in the scriptures.
So now you've got, here is a man before you who
is seen dead, risen from the dead, still bearing
the scars of his crucifixion, eating, Food. So
he is not a spirit. He is a risen body. And then
he gives them the proofs that he told them three
times it would happen and it was laid out in
scripture all along that this is exactly how
it was going to go down. Now he opens their minds
to understand the scriptures. And he said to
them, so it is written that the Christ would
suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.
and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would
be proclaimed in his name to all the nations,
beginning from Jerusalem. Jesus makes it clear
that in Scripture, not only is it taught, and
you can go back and look at this in the Old Testament,
not only is the gospel clearly presented there,
that Jesus Christ, it doesn't say his name, but
Christ means the anointed one, the Messiah, that
the Messiah would come, he would live a sinless
life, he would die, he would be crucified, and
he would be buried. He would no longer have a
position on earth. And then he would rise from
the dead and take a position on the earth. You
can see it very clearly laid out all over the
Old Testament, and yet they were stuck on it.
They could not accept it when Jesus did it right
before them. Now Jesus points out to them, Clearly
in the Old Testament it's laid out. The gospel
is clearly laid out there. And notice that he
then says that it is proclaimed in the Old Testament
that in his name forgiveness of sins would be
proclaimed to all the nations beginning from
Jerusalem. And that is in the Old Testament.
So the Bible that they had clearly speaks to
this fact that the gospel as presented through
the Messiah would be laid out to the whole world.
Now that's quite a job. It's not going to be
done overnight, right? They didn't have the internet.
They didn't have CNN to... to cover it and blast
it all over the world. So there was a job entailed.
They always knew that the Jewish people would
have a job after the Messiah came, lived, died,
was buried, and resurrected. And Jesus now is
reminding them of those teachings. Verse 48,
we're almost done with the text. You are witnesses
of these things. So he says, you were there.
You saw it. You saw it unfolding. You saw me
teach you. You saw me explain to you. I taught
the scriptures to you while I was alive. Prophecy
to you three times about my death, burial, and
resurrection. You saw me crucified. You saw me
buried. You see me alive. Verse 49. And behold,
I am sending the promise of my Father upon you.
But you are to stay in the city until you are
clothed with power from on high. And we now know
in retrospect that he is pointing to the coming
of God's Holy Spirit. So three things I want
you to see in this text. and they're subdivided,
okay? And they're also alliterated. So those
of you who like that, like I could start with
A's, B's, and C's. I don't often do that, but
today it does. So the first point is access after
and always, all right? So I want you to see that
Jesus shows up in the room. They're there gathered
inside a closed room, and Jesus shows up in the
room. Nobody, no knock at the door, no walking
to the door. Jesus has access. I submit to you
that you need to understand that Jesus has always
had access. There are those theologians who believe
that they could point out a variety of places
in the Old Testament where Jesus actually showed
up. My favorite of those, by the way, is the
fourth man in the furnace. You know the story?
Many theologians believe that that may well have
been. In fact, Nebuchadnezzar says what about
the fourth man in the furnace? He looks like,
he kind of gives the appearance of a son of God.
Now whether that was Jesus or an angel representing
God, it doesn't matter. It demonstrates that
God has always had access to creation. And that
access has been all over the place. When Abraham
went into Egypt and he had Sarah with him and
he kind of lied about Sarah being his wife because
he was afraid they would kill him and try to
take her. And then so Pharaoh takes her into
his, what do you call it, his harem. Right. And
then he doesn't have sex with her. But then I
can say sex in a sermon. Right. Yeah, I think
I've done it before. OK, we're good. He doesn't
have sex. He doesn't have intimacy with her.
But his house is cursed and all the women become
barren. And then he finds out that Abraham lied
about her being a sister. Why did you do this
and send him and allow me this to happen? Right.
How could you let this happen that I could take
your wife into my harem and now my whole house
is suffering? And he asked God about it. And
God said, yeah, see, I know. I know that. But
I didn't allow you to sin against me by taking
it because that would have been the worst sin.
See, God has always had access. God has access
into the lives of believers and non -believers
alike. Don't kid yourself. Much of the trials
and difficulties that you faced when you were
a non -believer was the wrath of God. And much
of what the world is going through now because
of the actions and the things that people are
doing, that's the wrath of God. God has always
had access. There's never been anything that
ever restrained God from having access. You can
lock the door, but you can't keep God out. You
can shut the window, but you can't keep God out.
God has always had access and Jesus has always
had access. Notice that this is after what God
was pointing to has taken place. The death, burial,
and resurrection has now happened. So now this
access, he's got a purpose. He's up to something.
And it isn't anymore to point to the coming of
the Messiah who will be crucified. It isn't anymore
to point to the death, burial, and resurrection
of the Messiah. It isn't anymore to point to
a future time in which the people of God will
be responsible for delivering the gospel. But
rather it is now to herald the beginning of just
such a time. This is after the death, burial,
and resurrection and witnessed. God's access
to mankind has been testified to in a way that
cannot be denied. Paul would later say, and I'll
paraphrase, that... Prior to this time, God kind
of laughed at the foolishness of man and the
kind of the silly things that man did, not being
willing to accept that God was sovereign, not
being willing to accept the way that God would
make. But now that it has been disclosed to the
entire world, now that the entire world has seen
it clearly that Jesus Christ was crucified, now
men are expected to repent. Now the time had
come. This is after the death, burial, and resurrection
of Christ. This is after the prophecies have
been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. His access is
clear. Notice it's also always, all throughout
the Old Testament and the New, we see this idea
of Jesus being with man always. See, originally,
God walked with Adam and Eve in the coolness
of the garden. He was with them. He had access.
He showed up every day and they spent time with
him in person. But then there was sin. And much
sin. And it eventually got to be so bad that
God was done. It grieved God that he had made
man. And so God decided to wipe it all out and
start over again, but he kept one man and his
wife and his sons and their wives. You know the
story. But do you remember who it was that shut
the door of the ark? It was God. God shut the
door. It wasn't Noah. He didn't reach up and
grab the toggle and pull it down shut and bar
it. God shut the door of the ark. See, God has
always had access. God has always had access.
And Jesus now comes after everyone in that room
that realizes that God has access to humanity.
And now he says, I will always be with you. In
the Great Commission, we hear, Go ye therefore,
and it ends with, and I will be with you always,
even unto the end of the age. Always. You realize
that the Bible says, Jesus speaking, Revelation
3, Behold, I stand at your heart's door and knock,
and he who opens the door. Just a curious question.
Where is your heart's door? Well, presumably
your heart's door is in you. And if God stands
at every man's heart's door and knocks, if Jesus
is standing at the door of your heart and knocking,
He's already in. He may be away from your heart,
your core, your decision making, but Jesus is
already having access to every human being to
be able to be knocking at their heart's door.
It also says in John 16, it says, And he, Jesus
is speaking of the Holy Spirit, he says, and
he, when he comes, will convict the world concerning
sin and righteousness and judgment. Concerning
sin, because they do not believe in me. And concerning
righteousness, because I go to the Father and
you no longer see me. And concerning judgment,
because the ruler of this world has been judged.
Go back to the beginning of those three verses,
it says this, four verses, it says this, and
he, when he comes, will convict the world concerning
sin and righteousness and judgment. Always. The
Holy Spirit has come and I want you to understand
if you're talking with someone and they are denying
the existence of God, they're denying the existence
of the risen Christ, they're denying the crucifixion
as payment for sins and the resurrection as proof
of eternal life with God forever, then you understand
they are under conviction. You claim the promise
for them. Let them deny it, but understand that
they are under conviction. And all you have to
do is find a way to move beyond the barriers.
And help them to understand that they are facing
conviction. That in their heart, they know what
it is that God wants from them. And that all
that they have set up to say that God is never
instead of always, to say that God does not have
access, to say that the Christ has not come,
lived a sinless life, died, was buried, and rose
again. That Jesus is no one or nothing. All that
they have done to set that up cannot stop the
fact that the Holy Spirit, since he has come,
has always convicted men, all men, all women,
all human beings who are old enough to understand
what's going on, of their sin. For all the efforts
of the enemy, there will never come a time again
when people are left wondering, how will God
do it? Because he's already done it. But ignore
someone and it's like, They're not even there.
And you can even come to convince yourself that
you're not there. I was sitting on the couch
in my living room, and the TV was on, and a program
was playing that, frankly, I don't even really
like. It wasn't for me. It was for somebody else
in the room. They were watching, and I was actually
reading my Bible on the couch. I had it in my
hands, reading my Bible. And then I found myself
watching the program. There was a particular
scene that caught my attention. And right about
that same time, Ariana came into the room and
she started to tell me a story of what had happened
to her. It was important to her. I was there
with her at the beginning of the story. I knew
that she was telling me the story, but my mind
was on the TV. So in this very one room was Ariana.
To this day, I still do not know the story that
she told me in that moment because my presence
was absent. I was focused on the screen, not
listening to my child tell me a story that was
important to her. It is as if she wasn't even
there because I don't know what she said. But
worse, it's as if I wasn't even there because
I don't know what she said. Worse than that,
while that was going on and that was going on
and I was missing both of those, my Bible was
open in my hand. And while I watched the TV,
I learned nothing, heard nothing from God, witnessed
nothing, participated in no way with the God
of the universe, though He was ready for me,
having access, having already done everything
that was needed, being always with me, I was
not ready for him. I was not present. I submit
to you that this is the very thing that is going
on in the world. We think that social media is
about money. That TV is about money. Or at best,
we think it's about entertainment. But I submit
to you that those tactics of the devil are far
more developed than that. What they're actually
about is filling dead air. They're filling every
moment of every presence of every person across
the world with something. When millions and millions,
tens of millions or a billion people tune in
to watch some kind of program, this you can know
if they are engrossed in that program. Here's
what they're not doing. Spending time with the
Lord. If you ignore someone, it's like they are
not even there. That's what TVs are about. That's
what phones are about. And that's what personal
agendas are about. We're after money, after jobs,
after promotion, after resources, after whatever.
And we get focused on that one thing and we forget
that God is a just and time deliverer. That God
is present and active in our circumstances. That
he has access. That it is after he has already
done everything that is necessary for him to
do. And that he is always with us. And then on
to the second point. It is behold, believe, and
be blessed. This could be said to be the thing
that Jesus was about that day. That's why he
came into the room, I think. He said, behold,
look here. See? See me eat? See the word? Recall
as I prophesied to you? Behold. See? The evidence
is all there. For this reason, when men spend
time in creation, they are without excuse. Because
everything that is necessary for man to see about
God is displayed beautifully. Even in the middle
of suffering. But displayed beautifully in creation.
Behold! And believe. Jesus wanted them to actually
invest themselves. See, somewhere along the lines,
I always say it probably happened during the
Enlightenment, but I don't really know when it
was. I guess you could probably do a whole bunch
of research and talk to some scholars to figure
it out. But somewhere along the lines, people
started thinking that to believe something was
to think it was true. That's not even, that's
just to think it's true, right? You ascend to
a certain idea, like, ah, I think, yeah, I think
that's probably right. I think they probably
will win the Super Bowl. I think they probably
will. I think we probably will play softball
this year. To believe changes you from the inside
out. And that's what Jesus was looking for. He
wanted them to accept the truth about what had
happened and let that truth be more than an accepted
idea. Jesus came that they might behold. Listen,
they knew he had died. They were there. And he
said that. You were there. You're witnesses of
this. They had beheld it. But now they needed
to take what they had beheld. And this is the
same for you or for I. We must take what we have
beheld and apply it daily in our lives. You come
here and you hear preaching or you study time,
you sit in your backyard or at a restaurant or
wherever you read the Bible, you have to behold
what's there. And then if you have a belief in
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you have to
take that thing, what's there, what you discovered,
the new verse, the new phrase, the new application,
whatever it is that God's trying to do. And do
it! It becomes who you are. It's not our job
to go, oh, I think that's probably true, and
then walk away and do nothing. If you think it's
probably true, most of the time in your life,
you do something about it. You don't bet on the
losing team unless you're betting on them to
lose. You probably shouldn't be betting at all.
You don't go to the store and buy all the foods
you know your wife hates. You think that she
would like, you think that he would like, and
you buy accordingly. We act that way all the
time. But when it comes to Jesus, we go, yeah,
I think that's probably true. I think I'm going
to go to work. I'm going to go to play. I'm going
to buy stuff. I'm going to eat. I'm going to
enjoy. I'm going to eat a little too much, maybe.
Sleep a little too much, maybe. I read my Bible.
I'll get around to that. If you think it's probably
true, you should do something about it. But that
isn't even what Jesus is asking for. If you have
beheld it, if you know that it's true, then let
it affect you from the core of your being. Let
it rewrite your DNA. Indeed, God says that we
have become as children of God, adopted into
his family. That's different. That's not like
becoming a member of the Elks. That's not like
deciding to work out for 100 days and at the
end going, look, I'm ripped. That's an instant
translation of a family bloodline where the God
of the universe brings you in. If you have beheld,
believe and let it affect you. And when that
happens, then be blessed. Realize that he is
at work. Trust him and accept his plan for your
life even when you don't completely know what
it is. I jump a little bit ahead there to the
C's. But I'm going to tell you a story real quick.
When I was at Liberty University back in the
day doing seminary, I was on campus, and David
Wheeler, who used to be the evangelism director
for the Southern Baptist Convention in the state
of Ohio, and actually he was the one who had
built, organized our block party wagon that the
church still owns, that we do the block parties
out of. He's the guy who set those up. Anyway,
he later became a teacher at Liberty and I went
down there and he impressed upon me how it is
the duty of Christians to witness and talk about
Jesus. And he said, that's kind of funny that
he did that. Should he have had to do that? I
was a Christian about 12, 15 years by that time.
Probably not. But I became very convinced, convicted,
if you will, that we needed to do that. So then
the next semester I was at Great Lakes because
I was getting a degree from both places, getting
all my credits in from both places. I left one
of my classes. They let us out early. It was
supposed to be three hours. And I had an appointment
after class. So I had about an hour and a half
to just kill. It was a three -hour class, like
an hour and a half, get a break. And then he's
like, well, we're not coming back after the break.
So I had like an hour and a half to kill. And
then I had a meeting that I had to go to. So
I didn't have a choice. I couldn't drive to Perrysburg,
the 126 miles, and then go to the meeting. So
I was still there. So I thought, well, I'm going
to go get something to eat. And I went out of
the parking lot, and as I go out of the parking
lot, the Lord told me to turn right. Well, all
the food is to the left. I'm like, okay. I figured
I was going around the block the long way for
some reason. You know, God knows. And I get down
to the corner and pull up the stop sign. God
says, turn left. Okay, now I'm going out into
middle Michigan. There is nothing in there. There's
like little towns. That's it. And so I'm driving
into country and I'm thinking, well, then my
fuel light comes on. I'm like, now I need gas.
I'm nowhere. There's no gas stations. There's
no food. What on earth are we doing, God? So
I pull through this little town. So there's a
sign that says pizza. I'm like, well, that's
food. So I pulled over. I go in. I order pizza.
She says, well, it's going to be about 12 to
15 minutes. I'm like, let's see. Pizza, where
I come from, is like eight to nine minutes. But
okay, fine. So then I thought, well, while I'm
waiting the 12 to 15 minutes, I'll run down to
that gas station. I saw them buy gas. So I go
down to the gas station. And as I get to pizza
and I go into the gas station, God's going, yeah,
you got this. You're doing a good job. I'm getting
these little pats on the back. Like, yeah, do
this. This is right. So I go to the gas station
and I go to pull up and I go to put my credit
card in the pump, except the card reader says
it's non -operational. Got to come inside to
pay. And I'm like. I got a meeting in less than
an hour. I mean, gosh, okay, fine. So I go in
to pay, and there's a cashier there. She's got
a bunch of tattoos. She's got her hair back.
I can kind of see her to this day. And I go up
to the counter, and I grabbed a drink because
I didn't want to pay the prices at the little
pizza place. It was a ridiculous price. So I
grabbed a drink, and I go up to the counter,
and I'm going to pay for that. I'm going to order
my gas. I pay with my credit card. And the Lord
says, talk about me. Talk about Jesus. And immediately
I became afraid. Now, don't look at me like that.
Because you've probably done it too, right? Now,
why? Why would I be afraid? What's she going
to do? Like, I'm at the gas station. I'm talking
about you. She's like, get out of here! Beats
me with a picket sign. She's going to throw stones
at me. She's going to shoot me with a gun. She's
on the job. She's getting paid to be there. She's
got to be polite, right? So what could possibly
go wrong? And I'm afraid. I'm afraid to start
talking about Jesus. I pay for the gas. I pay
for the drink that I got. I think it was a soda.
No, it wasn't. No, it was after I gave up soda.
So I paid for my drink. It was a lemonade or
something. Walk out to the car, and I pump the
gas. The guy comes in. He goes in there. He talks
with her briefly. Then he comes out, and I look
up, and I'm done pumping my gas, and I'm still
feeling convicted like I'm supposed to talk about
Jesus, but I'm feeling a little better because
I'm further away from it. You know what I'm saying?
Like it's not so hot right now. and I look in
my car, and there's a track in there, and it's
got the steps to becoming a Christian in it and
like that, and I'm like, well, I'll just slip
the track on the counter and say, here, read
this when you get time, and then I'll run away,
right, because that's good enough. At least I'll
have done what God said do a little bit. So I
grab the track, and I'm walking in, and as I'm
walking in there, I'm like, if I walk in there,
I just know God is going to make me talk to this
woman about Jesus. And at some point in time,
you've just got to stop saying no to God, right?
I mean, you can't keep saying no constantly because
it really feels very uncomfortable. So I walk
into the counter, and I have a track in my hand,
and I'm just about to turn around and go back
out without saying anything. She turns around
and says, what's that? And I spewed Jesus all
over her, just like I vomited everything I had
been holding in my chest. And I told her all
about Jesus. And she said, well, I was saved
and baptized when I was 12, but I haven't had
anything to do with any since then. And she said,
and I often think that was the worst decision
I ever made was not walking with Jesus. And I
said, well, what are you doing? I said, Jesus
is awesome. You know, and she said, well, I just
don't have anybody to go to church with. I said,
nobody. So there's nobody in your life that you
could go to? Well, I had a roommate. She used
to talk about Jesus, but she never invited me
to go to church, but she lives across town now.
I could probably go to church with her. And I
said, do you have her number? And she said, yes.
No one has come in. We've been talking now for
20 minutes. No one has come in this door. I said,
call her right now and tell her you'll go to
church with her on Sunday. Now that's pretty
bold. So she pulls out her cell phone. And she
calls her, and she says, I'm standing here with
this guy. She might have said my name because
I gave it to her. I don't remember. And she said,
I want to go to church on Sunday. Can I go with
you? And the girl on the phone is like so excited,
and she's crying, and she's happy, and she's
like, yes, yes, absolutely, yes. I'll even pick
you up if you want. She said, no, no, you don't
have to pick me up. And anyway, so then she hangs
up, and she's crying. The girl on the phone was
crying, and I'm crying. You know me. I'm crying.
And I said, well, I'm sure glad I said something.
And she said, I'm so glad you said something
too. She said, thank you so much. And I got her
phone number and she got my phone number. And
I said, I don't live anywhere near here. I said,
I'm going home. I go to school down in Lansing,
but I'm going back to Parishburg after my meeting
tonight. And I won't be back up until I think
Monday was my next class. And I said, so I'm
going to call you Sunday and see how it went.
Jesus came that they might behold, that they
might believe, and that they might be blessed.
The next time that you're afraid or you think
that you're alone and he's not there, you just
got to call whoever that is that's giving you
that idea a liar and believe the truth. That's
what you got to do. That brings us to the C's.
Complete conviction and confirmation. Now, I
love confirmation. Because a lot of times I'm
doing stuff all by myself. I feel like just me
and Jesus, we're just doing stuff. And then my
wife will step in and say, why don't we do this?
And it's the same thing that I'm thinking, right?
Or that I've been doing. I'm like, well, yeah,
I started on that a couple hours ago. Or I get
here and I'm like, I wrote my sermon and I'm
like, oh, I really think this way. I'm almost
sure. And then we sing the songs and the songs
are like hammering my sermon points home, like
one after another, like they're nails in a coffin.
I'm going, yeah, this is the right sermon. I
have today. It's complete because it's done.
Listen, I see you and you see me. I'm an ordinary
guy that God's using to do this. Before I got
saved, there's no way I could have preached at
all. Many of you are doing things that you would
say, and I know some of them, that you would
say, if it wasn't for God, the opportunity would
not be here. I could not do it. I cannot do it.
This is not me. I'm trusting completely in the
Lord. God has paid the bill. Your sins in Christ
are washed away. Now you say, but I still screw
up. Well, yeah, you're still human. Don't do
it on purpose. Fix it every opportunity you possibly
can. Repent and turn to the Lord whenever you're
in the process. And confess, be open and honest
with God. He is faithful and just. And he will
heal you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness
time and again as is necessary. Why? Because
it's done. The last words they saw Jesus speak
before he died on the cross. It is finished.
and I submit to you the same message of this
meeting, it's done. It's done. So when I'm standing
at the counter and I'm fearful that the lady
may or may not want to hear what I have to say
or if I should even speak up, I've got to remember,
it's done. It's done. She already has conviction
in her heart for her sin. If she's not saved,
if she is saved, she's got the Holy Spirit nagging
at her all the time that she's supposed to be
doing the right thing. Which one of those things
leads to me being afraid? Neither one. If I'm
afraid, it's because I'm not believing. Or if
I'm afraid and I overcome my fear, what they
call that courage, it's because I'm believing.
It's complete. It provides conviction. The teachings
of Jesus Christ, man, they sink deep. They hit
hard. They don't come to you like, oh, that's
flowery and fun. That must be for somebody else.
Every time I read my Bible and I discover something,
an application of a text, I go, now what? Where's
this going to go? What is God going to do? Okay,
God, whatever you say, I'm in. I'm with you.
I don't fully understand how we're going to apply
this or how I'm going to give that up or do that
or go be that, but I'm willing because that's
what you say. If you say it, it's good. They
cut deep. It's conviction. It's not just about
I think I believe because we act on I think I
believe. But it's about belief, which transforms
who we are. And then when you start doing it,
you're like convicted from the inside. Now I'll
never, you know, I can honestly say standing
before you, and I never had this plan, that there
are, for example, I'll probably, in my lifetime,
it's highly likely I'll never eat another piece
of candy. And I'm not saying you have to do that.
There's nothing simple about eating candy. But
because God told me to give it up, I gave it
up. Now it's been going on 25 years since I had
a piece of candy. And that's not even listed
in the Bible, right? I'm wearing this jacket
with this. Funny shirt. You see like this combo
today? Because God picked it out. God has access.
He will always be with you. He believes in you
even when you don't believe in yourself. Believes
that you are worthy to be adopted as a child
of God into His family. It's time we started
developing some convictions and standing up for
what we believe in. If you're ever wondering,
You should have the Holy Spirit, God's Holy Spirit
inside you testifying with your spirit that you're
saved, telling you that you are now an eternal
being and adopted as a child of God, part of
the kingdom of God, doing kingdom of God things
because the king says so. And if you don't have
that, then get saved today. Because the Bible
says the Holy Spirit does that. He shows up and
testifies with our spirit to whom we belong.
The world is trying to convince you that you
need something more. A promotion. A degree. Better
grades. Better relationships. Someone to say
something to you to make you feel a certain sort
of way. Someone to be with you. And all of it
is a lie. Because it's done. It's complete. And
when you are convicted that it's complete, you
will have absolute confirmation. Because you
have seen with your own eyes. Because you have
believed. Because He is with you. And you have
conviction that runs deep. I'll take pedigree,
that means like your DNA, if you will, over degree
any day. I'll take transformation of my being
into something that will honor God over comfort
for me any day. I'll take kingdom values over
cash payments any day. I'll take souls over accolades
any day. I'll take his presence over any other
concern any day. And before you think that that's
not what's at stake, you need to realize that's
exactly what's at stake. Because Jesus said,
if you hold on to your life, you surely will
lose it. But if you'll give it for me, you surely
have it. Quick recap and then the conclusion.
The A's were access, after, and always. And amazingly,
as I'm saying those words right now, access,
after, and always. You know what they mean in
the context of this passage of Scripture. And
behold, believe and be blessed. And you know
what they mean in the context of this scripture.
Complete conviction and confirmation. And you
know what they mean in the context of this scripture.
I love it when I read a scripture and I see Jesus
doing something and I go, you know what? That's
something I can do. Don't you love that? Like
a lot of times, I would love to walk on water,
multiply food. heal lepers. All of those things
would be great. I know they're not intended for
me, but they would all be great, right? And so
you see so many things that Jesus does that we
can't do. Like, you're just not, I mean, he could
do them through us, possibly, if he chooses to,
right? But here's one. Jesus, Jesus shows up.
In fact, it is the chief thing that Jesus does.
More than water into wine or walking on water
or calming storms, Jesus shows up. This is what
we should be doing as well. Because we know everything
that is necessary for salvation has already been
accomplished, complete conviction and confirmation.
We can show up. We can let go of fear. We can
be present in the moment. We can be the body
of Christ doing whatever it is that God has for
us to do, showing up. Give the world a reason
to behold, believe, and be blessed. Show up.
You have access. This is what's amazing. You
have friends and family members and coworkers
and fellow students. You have people that live
on your block. You have people that live on your
block that you don't even know. I know that because
statistically 99 % of Americans do not know.
even half of their neighbors that live within
five houses of them. You have people that live,
you have access. You go walk over to their house,
you knock on their door and they say, well, who
are you? What are you doing? I'm your neighbor
from three doors down. I came to meet you because
we've been living here for X years and we don't
even know you. You have access. They're not going
to go, get out of here. I don't know you. You're
a perfect stranger. They're going to go, oh,
you're my neighbor from three doors down. You
have access. The students in your school, they
look at you. They dress funny. They think you
dress funny. Everybody's looking at each other.
Everybody's all worried about who's looking at
them, right? That's what school's about. Take
your eyes off the fellow students and put them
on Jesus. What is Jesus doing? Jesus is convicting
some. He's walking with some. He's Lord of all,
whether or not they realize it. You have access.
Now, could someone that you have access to actually
do something to you? Could it result in some
discomfort in this lifetime? Well, absolutely.
They may hate you for using your access to them
to say what truly needs to be said while they
are busy fighting the conviction of the Holy
Spirit inside them. They think the last thing
I need is somebody coming along and telling me
what I already know. Now, they may not say it
that way. They might hate you. And Jesus said,
don't be surprised. They hated me first. Give
the world a reason to behold, believe, and be
blessed. Show up. You have access. You live after.
And you're offering nothing less than always.
Maybe you're here today and you don't have always.
Like I see Jesus showed up. I see that the primary
trait of Jesus was that he showed up. But I don't
have always. I don't feel saved. The Holy Spirit's
not in me, not testifying to me that I'm saved.
I don't know what I know and what I don't know.
Jesus said, behold, before he ever came, there
were hundreds, hundreds of fulfilled prophecies,
prophecies that were fulfilled in him. The odds
of that are astronomical. You'd be more likely
to be struck by a tiny piece of dust moving a
billion miles per hour that came from all the
way across the galaxy to kill you instantly than
you would to be able to fulfill those prophecies.
Jesus' prophecy. Behold. Believe. Are you here
today and you have not accepted Jesus Christ
as your Lord and Savior? Do it now. It's real.
He shows up. He showed up here today. He is here
right now. Maybe you're here today and you say,
I am a Christian. I know it. I feel the testimony
of the Holy Spirit in my heart. I know I'm a
Christian. I know it for a fact. But also, I
also know that when it comes to me and Jesus
alone in the dark, and when it comes to me and
Jesus should be alone in the dark, I'm thinking
about I've got this problem, I've got that problem,
I'm tempted in this way or that way. And instead
of turning to Jesus, I turn to the things of
this world to placate the needs of my flesh.
Let me tell you this for sure. If you stop doing
that, Jesus shows up. You turn to Jesus. The
next time you feel like you need something to
sustain you, you turn to Jesus. Everything else
that might sustain you will run out at some point.
So even if you could get by for a while with
a medication or another person or a relationship
or a job or money, eventually it will run out.
Choose Jesus. He shows up. And then as we become
part of the family of God, let us show up. Let's
show up. Let's give the world a reason to behold,
believe, and be blessed. You live after. And
you offer nothing less than always. I ask the
praise team to come forward and do this in our
closing hymn today. And as we sing this song,
if the Lord has laid something on your heart
today, if you're accepting Jesus Christ your
Lord and Savior, if you're baptized, if you need
a new church home, whatever it might be, you
come. You come right down here and say, actually,
I know this is what God wants for me today. Give
us the PowerPoint slide. Just before you turn
it off, send a message back and we'll be praying
for her and then turn it off. Okay, would you
stand with me then and we're going to sing this
song. If the Lord is moving your heart, you respond
to him. Not about me, not about anybody else
in the room. Listen to the Lord and do as he
would have you do. That thou bidst me come to
thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. Lord, speak
into your heart. Even as we're singing, you're
coming. You don't have to stand there and sing.
That would be a distraction. The Lord is good
in your heart. He made you respond.