1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,360 Thank you for listening to this message from LifeHouse Church. 2 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:18,000 Good morning, good morning. 3 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:19,520 It's good to have you here at LifeHouse. 4 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,080 Thank you for worshiping this morning. 5 00:00:22,080 --> 00:00:23,520 I can feel God's presence. 6 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,440 How many of you felt God moving this morning already? 7 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:26,080 Amen. 8 00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:26,480 Amen. 9 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,440 It's just so good to be in the house and to worship God. 10 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:30,320 That's why we come. 11 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:31,520 That's why we're here. 12 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,240 We're here to lift up His name, to glorify Him in every way, 13 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:36,080 anytime we can. 14 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,240 So thank you for engaging in that. 15 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,880 But before I begin on the message this morning, 16 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,080 we're going to take just a few minutes and set aside here 17 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,920 because Pastor Alyssa Calhoun, who is with us, 18 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,880 she is new here on the LifeHouse staff, 19 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:55,920 but we have something to celebrate besides her being fairly new to the staff. 20 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:01,120 We are going to officially give her her certificate. 21 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,360 She's earned her certificate for ordination. 22 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:10,000 One of the great pleasures I have as a lead pastor is to watch this next generation 23 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,560 really come up in the Lord and watch them grow. 24 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:17,520 It's incredible to watch the next generation rise up in Christ, 25 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:24,240 but it's even an extra layer, maybe an extra blessing to see those who are called 26 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,440 into full-time ministry and vocational ministry. 27 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,800 And I've been blessed to work as an MIP coordinator in our denomination, 28 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,560 which is Ministerial Intern Program, and also serve on the credentialing board. 29 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,120 And I've got to see this over and over again. 30 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:41,360 But Pastor Alyssa is one of those people who I've watched the call of God. 31 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:42,560 Dixie and I have watched her. 32 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,360 We've watched the call of God unfold in her life. 33 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:52,720 Long before Jeffrey came to LifeHouse, Dixie and I saw this in her gifts and her talents. 34 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,640 We know her former senior pastor pretty well, 35 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,600 and we've heard lots of great reports along the way. 36 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,320 But she loves God, and she also loves students. 37 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,360 And that's what she takes care of here is the student ministries. 38 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,080 So I'm going to ask if Pastor Alyssa would come and stand down front. 39 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:09,680 Dixie's going to come with her. 40 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:14,800 And I just want you to just reiterate that she has successfully and faithfully 41 00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:19,680 passed all the requirements for ordination, and she's done so with excellence. 42 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:20,560 She isn't just passed. 43 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:21,520 She's done it with excellence. 44 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:22,880 Yes, please give her a hand. 45 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:30,640 She has finished CAMHS, MIP, both the Exhorter and the Ordination Testing. 46 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,400 She's been recognized by the church leadership and has been found 47 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:39,120 with a great record of pursuing God and walking in her calling. 48 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,760 She's been faithful in training and living out her call 49 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:47,440 and have been found as a person of character and worthy conduct in ministry. 50 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,720 So she's been more than successful all along the way. 51 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,800 And I thought a fitting scripture to share along this would be your job description. 52 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,320 And this is for job description for all ministers in Ephesians 411. 53 00:02:58,320 --> 00:02:59,840 They're going to put it up on the screens. 54 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,760 But it says this, and he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, 55 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:08,080 some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints 56 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,080 for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come to 57 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,640 the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man, to the measure 58 00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:18,400 of the stature of fullness of Christ. 59 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,920 So the job description is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, 60 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:27,680 to edify the body of God till we all come to a place of faith in him and the knowledge 61 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:28,480 of the Son of God. 62 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:34,080 So one of the chief tools that you'll need and have to do that is the Word of God. 63 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:35,680 It is the sword. 64 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,440 So we wanted to get you this Bible. 65 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:39,520 I know you have lots of them, but I'm going to give you another one. 66 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:45,200 But this is what we primarily use as ministers to really bring the Word of God. 67 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:46,560 It is the sword, right? 68 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:53,280 It is this is how and implement our instrument that we use to bring the Word of God and to 69 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:54,640 fulfill that calling. 70 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:59,440 And then along with this is her ordination certificate, which is given by the Church of 71 00:03:59,440 --> 00:03:59,840 God. 72 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,240 And she is again fulfilled all those things. 73 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,040 So if you would one more time, would you just? 74 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:06,960 Yes, please give her applause. 75 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,480 And I'm going to ask if the Deacon Board here would come forward. 76 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,160 We're going to pray over Pastor Liston. 77 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:18,640 I'm going to ask the entire congregation to stand. 78 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:22,960 And if you would just place your hand forward and we're just going to pray over her. 79 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:27,200 This is a biblical thing to do is to lay on of hands and to pray. 80 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,600 And we're just going to believe and trust God for what he's going to do as she walks 81 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,320 out her ministry here at Life House as part of this family. 82 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:36,320 Well, that's by our heads. 83 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:40,240 Father, we come before you right now, just grateful and thank you, Lord, for Pastor 84 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:40,400 Liston. 85 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:41,760 We thank you for her calling. 86 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:44,320 God, we thank you, Lord, for all that you're doing in her life. 87 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:49,120 God, I thank you, God, for the great desire that she has to follow you. 88 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,480 And God, Lord, I just pray that your hand would continue upon her. 89 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:56,640 God, that you would make the path in front of her straight and obvious. 90 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:01,040 And Lord, God, as she moves in ministry, Lord, God, that there would be fruit in the kingdom. 91 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:02,880 God, that the kingdom would expand. 92 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:04,320 God, that it would go forward. 93 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,160 And Lord, we just thank you for the calling. 94 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,720 We thank you, God, for raising her up. 95 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,680 And we just give you praise and glory and honor in Jesus name. 96 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:12,720 Everybody say together. 97 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,720 Amen. 98 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:15,120 Amen. 99 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:16,960 Thank you for being a part of this this morning. 100 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:18,320 You may be seated. 101 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:23,520 And if you get the chance, please congratulate her somewhere along the way today because 102 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:24,480 it's an awesome thing. 103 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:27,920 And that's no small feat. 104 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,160 I don't know if you understand the whole process. 105 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,720 If you want an explanation, I'll be glad to explain that to you. 106 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,200 But it's not a simple or easy thing to do. 107 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,680 And it really is a calling of the church to recognize and see that. 108 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,040 You heard about the Castle Shalom, but this taking place. 109 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:46,080 There's a meeting following second gathering today. 110 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:52,480 If you have any interest in Castle Shalom going on the missions trip in February, please 111 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:53,360 come to that meeting. 112 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:54,640 We're going to give you some information. 113 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:58,240 You're not signing up yet unless you really want to. 114 00:05:58,240 --> 00:05:59,760 But we want you to come. 115 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:00,960 And here's what I believe. 116 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:04,800 I believe that as we've been talking about this, God's moving and speaking on your heart. 117 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:08,000 Some of you just see this as a construction trip. 118 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:08,640 It's not. 119 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:10,720 It's so much more than that. 120 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,480 There's a lot of different ways to get involved. 121 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,320 So if you're interested in going and you feel like the Holy Spirit's prompting you to go, 122 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:17,200 please come. 123 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:22,240 And just to give you a little amazing news, we set a goal of eighty five hundred dollars. 124 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,680 That was just for the roof portion of the whole missions trip. 125 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:30,880 And currently we are we are over eleven thousand dollars. 126 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,080 Yeah, come on to go to Castle Shalom. 127 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,360 So we're not only going to be able to do the roof, but we're going to be able to do extra 128 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,680 work when we get down there and bless that ministry. 129 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:41,200 So we're super excited. 130 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,480 We needed some tools to go along and we're going to leave them there for them because 131 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:45,680 they've got additional work. 132 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,320 So we'll be able to buy those, purchase those, leave them there. 133 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:52,480 And then also any work we're going to we're going to get in touch with them for extra 134 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:52,720 needs. 135 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,520 So if you feel like you're supposed to give, just continue to give. 136 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:56,560 It's all going to go there. 137 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:57,680 None of it's going to stay here. 138 00:06:58,240 --> 00:06:59,600 We're looking forward to what God's going to do. 139 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:00,000 Amen. 140 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:01,920 Come to the meeting if you want to go. 141 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:06,880 Well, listen, we've been diving into God's word all month long in the pursuit of what 142 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:10,640 scripture talks about in great conversation. 143 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,920 All month long, we've been talking about conversations and we've been talking about 144 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:19,760 different different nuances of what might great conversation look like in Jesus, you 145 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:25,360 know, and at the core of a great conversation, there's one thing you've got to have. 146 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:29,120 If there's if you're going to get into a go from a good conversation or a regular 147 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:33,760 conversation or even a bad conversation, if you want to move it to a great conversation, 148 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:37,600 it's got to include new life in Jesus. 149 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,200 There's got to be new life in Jesus. 150 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,080 And we want you to engage in those conversations. 151 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:43,440 We've been talking about that. 152 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:45,360 We want you to get up close and personal. 153 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,600 We've discussed that just a little bit, right? 154 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:52,960 We want we want you to get nearby to have those conversations and interject as much 155 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:54,240 as you can along the way. 156 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,360 You know what it is to have new life in Jesus. 157 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:58,960 And last week, we even made a suggestion. 158 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:00,640 Get yourself a reminder, right? 159 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:03,680 Get a cross necklace, get a bracelet, get something. 160 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:09,840 You put on every single day of your life that reminds you that today is the day I can have 161 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:11,360 a conversation with someone. 162 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:15,360 Today is the day that I can bring new life in Jesus to somebody else. 163 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:16,560 So hopefully you've done that. 164 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,600 Hopefully you've taken that to heart somewhere along the way. 165 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:24,080 And I want to dive in today to the very last message that I'm going to preach in this 166 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:24,960 series. 167 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,160 And I've got a question that I want to propose to you. 168 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:28,800 All right. 169 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:35,040 I'm going to ask you this, have you ever been the recipient of a compliment sandwich? 170 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:36,960 How many know what that is? 171 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,040 Raise your hand if you know what a compliment sandwich is. 172 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:39,440 All right. 173 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,520 How well that some of you don't even know what it is. 174 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:42,400 So let me explain. 175 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:44,800 This is a compliment sandwich. 176 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:45,440 All right. 177 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:50,720 If I'm going to give somebody a compliment sandwich, I start off with some kind of something 178 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,200 that's a complimentary about you. 179 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:53,440 Right. 180 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:55,840 Now, once you think about a sandwich, this is one side of the bread. 181 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:57,120 How many of you got bread? 182 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,120 You got bread and you got something in between. 183 00:08:59,120 --> 00:08:59,600 Right. 184 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:00,560 For a sandwich. 185 00:09:00,560 --> 00:09:03,440 And on one side of the bread, it's a compliment of some kind. 186 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:04,880 It could be anything at all. 187 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,760 You just get like, man, you're awesome at singing. 188 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:09,760 You're awesome at tying your shoes. 189 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:10,240 All right. 190 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:13,040 You're awesome at, I don't know, you got you are great t-shirts. 191 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:13,360 I don't know. 192 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:14,240 Whatever it is. 193 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:14,480 Right. 194 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:16,400 You start out with a compliment on one side. 195 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:18,720 It can be something that's an attribute that they have. 196 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:23,280 But how many know after you give the sandwich, right, the one side of the sandwich, you got 197 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,440 to get to the meat in the middle. 198 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:25,760 All right. 199 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,160 And the meat in the middle is something different. 200 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:31,680 The meat in the middle might be a tough conversation that you got to have with someone. 201 00:09:31,680 --> 00:09:36,640 The meat in the middle might be something that maybe is not going so well in what they're 202 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:37,840 doing in her performance. 203 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:39,440 You got to have a talk about that. 204 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,960 It could be something about a commitment that they need to make. 205 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:47,120 It could be something along the lines of, you know, the tough part of a conversation 206 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,760 or here's what's ahead of us and it's going to be difficult. 207 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:52,400 And I want to talk to you about that difficulty because we need to get through. 208 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:52,880 Right. 209 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:54,880 And then and then so that's the tough part. 210 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:56,880 And there might be even be some tension there. 211 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:59,200 And then at the end, you just compliment them again. 212 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:04,240 Man, have I told you that you have amazing taste in whatever. 213 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:05,040 All right. 214 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:08,080 Whatever it is, you know, so that's a compliment sandwich. 215 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:08,400 Right. 216 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:10,240 There's something complimentary in the front. 217 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,640 There's the meat in the middle and there's a compliment at the end. 218 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,600 How many of you have ever been a recipient of a compliment sandwich? 219 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:17,040 Now, now I've explained it. 220 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:18,640 Still the same amount of people. 221 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:19,680 I went into all that. 222 00:10:19,680 --> 00:10:21,040 It's the same amount of people. 223 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:27,040 Well, listen, the idea of that is to soften the blow when somebody's going to do something 224 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:32,640 or give you something that's tough to swallow, tough to think about, tough to walk out. 225 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:34,480 And I don't know if you've ever had that happen to you. 226 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:35,040 You've not. 227 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:37,760 It might happen in the future somewhere along the way. 228 00:10:38,560 --> 00:10:41,920 But and some of you may have given somebody a compliment sandwich. 229 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:43,280 Some of you like forget the compliments. 230 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:44,240 I just get to the meat. 231 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:44,880 Amen. 232 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:45,200 All right. 233 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:45,360 Come on. 234 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:46,800 How many of you just meet people right there? 235 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:47,840 You just throw it out there. 236 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:48,480 Right. 237 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:51,520 But here's the thing about great conversations. 238 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:55,280 We need to have great conversations that have new life in Jesus. 239 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:59,760 But the reality of following Jesus needs to be in the discussion as well. 240 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,160 You got to give them the reality. 241 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:03,360 You got to give them the meat. 242 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:06,400 You got to give them the lunch meat, whatever you put right in the sandwich. 243 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:10,080 You got to give them the reality of what it is to follow Jesus. 244 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:14,800 And I'm not talking about correction here as much as I'm talking about commitment. 245 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:15,280 OK. 246 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:16,640 You got to talk with someone. 247 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,480 If you're going to talk about new life in Jesus at some point in the conversation. 248 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:23,600 Now, that might not be just when you're doing a little quick conversation with somebody 249 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:27,120 or throwing some Jesus in there so that they start to get curious. 250 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:32,640 But somewhere along the way, if you're really going to have an in-depth kind of conversation, 251 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:34,400 you got to get to the meat. 252 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:36,160 You got to get to the commitment. 253 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:38,480 You got to start talking about that what that is. 254 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:38,880 Right. 255 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:41,680 And we forget the commitment sometimes in the conversation. 256 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:44,720 We like to just talk about all the benefits that come in Jesus. 257 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:46,640 We like to talk about His grace. 258 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:48,080 And we should write. 259 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:48,560 We should. 260 00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:50,240 We like to talk about His mercy. 261 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:51,200 And we should. 262 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:51,920 We should. 263 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,640 We like to talk about how He changed our lives. 264 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:55,920 And we should. 265 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:59,680 We like to talk about how God raised us from from the dead. 266 00:11:59,680 --> 00:11:59,920 Right. 267 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:01,520 We were dead and now we're alive. 268 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:02,480 And we should. 269 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,920 We should talk about all the beautiful things that the bread of life. 270 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:06,400 Right. 271 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:07,520 How many know he's the bread. 272 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:08,320 Right. 273 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:09,760 The bread of life that's done. 274 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:11,760 And come on, I worked hard on that all week. 275 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:12,080 All right. 276 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:13,760 Right. 277 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:14,400 Seriously. 278 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:14,800 All right. 279 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:17,360 So, you know, we should we should do that. 280 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:19,360 We should tell them all about that. 281 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:20,720 But don't leave out the meat. 282 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:26,560 Don't leave out talking about when you get to the in-depth conversation, 283 00:12:26,560 --> 00:12:32,960 don't leave out the commitment to Christ because the commitment is part of the new life that is 284 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:33,840 in Jesus. 285 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:34,320 Right. 286 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:37,360 And Jesus is not just looking for fans. 287 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:39,360 He's not just looking for a fan club. 288 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:39,760 Right. 289 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:41,440 He's looking for followers. 290 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:43,440 He's looking for people who are going to commit. 291 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:46,720 He's looking for those who are going to be all in and following him. 292 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:49,040 And Jesus paid an enormous price. 293 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:50,480 He paid with his blood. 294 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:56,320 He prayed paid with a broken body so that we won't just be fans, but that we would be followers. 295 00:12:56,320 --> 00:13:01,360 And we got to make sure that we're having that in-depth new life conversation in Jesus. 296 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:03,440 It includes commitment. 297 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:03,760 Right. 298 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:05,680 So turn to somebody today. 299 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:07,440 Right now, turn somebody sitting beside you. 300 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:08,480 Tell them we're going to talk about me. 301 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:10,000 Well, come on, we're going to talk meat today. 302 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:11,520 We're going to talk meat. 303 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:12,000 All right. 304 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,720 If you got your Bible, I want you to turn to Luke chapter 9. 305 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:15,920 We're going to Luke chapter 9. 306 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:18,880 We're going the whole way down to verse 57 is where we're going to begin. 307 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:21,360 And as you turn that, I'm going to pray over the reading of God's word. 308 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:22,720 Father, thank you. 309 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:23,600 Thank you for this day. 310 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:24,480 Thank you for your word. 311 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:26,640 God, thank you for the direction. 312 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:28,080 Thank you for your presence. 313 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:31,360 God, I pray that today, Lord, that we get to the meat in your word. 314 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:33,600 God, that we talk commitment when we talk. 315 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:37,840 When we get to that in-depth conversation, Lord, help us to talk about the meat. 316 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:39,200 God, the commitment that's in you. 317 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:42,240 And we just give you praise in Jesus name and amen. 318 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:43,920 Luke chapter 9, 57. 319 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:44,960 Hopefully you're there. 320 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:46,880 If you're listening online, welcome. 321 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:48,880 Hope you're getting there as well. 322 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:53,760 If you're already sure, Luke chapter 9, we're going to start verse 57. 323 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:54,720 It says this. 324 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,320 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road that someone said to him, 325 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:04,160 it's talking about Jesus there, said to Jesus, Lord, I will follow you wherever you go. 326 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:07,520 How many know that's a bold statement to make? 327 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:11,200 If you're speaking it to Jesus or if you're speaking into anyone, 328 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:13,200 how many know that's a bold statement? 329 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:17,200 I will follow you anywhere you go. 330 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:21,760 You if you go to Australia to live, I'm going to get on the flight with you. 331 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:23,040 I'm pulling up stakes. 332 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:25,040 I'm taking everything I got with me. 333 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:25,760 I'm going. 334 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:26,880 How many know that's a bold statement? 335 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:30,240 Whether you're going to a different continent, you're going to a different country, 336 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:34,320 you're going to a different state, a different city, a different place, right? 337 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:35,280 Different place to work. 338 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:35,920 Just come. 339 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:37,520 That's a big talk. 340 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:41,360 You come up to somebody and say, wherever you go, I'm going to follow. 341 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:43,520 How many of those big talk and big commitment, right? 342 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,640 And I kind of picture this happening with Jesus. 343 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:47,840 I kind of picture this. 344 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:49,840 I don't know why this is just my listen. 345 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:51,120 It's not in the Bible. 346 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,120 It's just what I see in my head, right? 347 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,760 I kind of picture somebody coming up, you know, it's a guy coming up. 348 00:14:55,760 --> 00:15:01,280 He's like, you know, Jesus, wherever you go, I'll follow. 349 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:01,760 All right. 350 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:04,080 I don't know if that's how it went down. 351 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:08,640 You know, I don't know if it was just this random moment of inspiration that somebody had. 352 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:13,120 I don't know if it was truly in their heart that they wanted to follow Jesus, you know, 353 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:17,920 but I'd be super curious to see what Jesus's body language was when this person came up 354 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:22,000 and said that because I'm thinking Jesus is probably like to his head a little like really. 355 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:26,560 I mean, do you ever have one of those really moments like really somebody comes up, 356 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,080 just I'll follow you wherever you go. 357 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:29,040 Right. 358 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:30,720 And I kind of think Jesus did that. 359 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:32,080 I think Jesus is like really. 360 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:36,640 Because the very next statement he says in 58, he says, and Jesus said to him, 361 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:41,920 well, foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. 362 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:43,920 What was Jesus saying? 363 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:48,560 Let me give you the realities of following me in my current position. 364 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:50,400 Let me give you the realities. 365 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:54,880 Let me give you the realities of what it is to follow Jesus, because this person's come out, 366 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:56,400 follow you wherever you go. 367 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,600 This person approaches Jesus in the height of his mission. 368 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,800 Jesus is not living at a particular home at this point. 369 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:03,040 Right. 370 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:05,760 He doesn't have ministry headquarters somewhere. 371 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:06,960 He isn't working. 372 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:07,920 He's not working. 373 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:12,880 He hasn't got one point five million dollar conversion bus that he's traveling down the highways 374 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:19,120 of, you know, of Israel, and he's going place to place ministering and taking his crew with him. 375 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:21,040 He's going from city to city. 376 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:22,640 They're going there on faith. 377 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:23,040 Right. 378 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:24,560 They don't know where they're going to sleep. 379 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:27,520 They don't know necessarily know where they're going to eat their next meal. 380 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:29,760 They don't know where they're going to get their next shower. 381 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:30,320 Right. 382 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:35,440 And they're going and Jesus saying, I'm currently traveling and ministering all the time. 383 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:37,040 I'm homeless, my friend. 384 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:37,760 All right. 385 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:39,440 I don't got a home base. 386 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:41,840 I rely on my father everywhere I go. 387 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:43,040 Do you still want it? 388 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:45,840 You're going to follow me everywhere I go. 389 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:47,840 You dine the self. 390 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:48,640 Right. 391 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:55,120 You come along with me and Jesus begins to address the reality of what it is to follow him. 392 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:55,760 Right. 393 00:16:55,760 --> 00:17:00,720 One day, one day previous to all this, Jesus has kind of a reality discussion with his 394 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,360 disciples in Luke chapter nine, verse twenty three. 395 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:04,160 He said this. 396 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:09,440 He said to them all, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take 397 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:16,240 up his cross daily and say daily daily and follow me for whoever desires to save his 398 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:17,040 life will lose it. 399 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:20,400 But whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 400 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:23,920 Now, you might be thinking, man, I'm going to be a Christian. 401 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:28,320 Now, you might be thinking, man, I get into a new life in Jesus conversation. 402 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:30,400 I don't know if I want to bring all this to the table. 403 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:30,720 Right. 404 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:32,320 Right. 405 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:33,360 This is heavy. 406 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:34,720 This is a big deal. 407 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:35,440 Right. 408 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:36,800 Why would I do that? 409 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:40,480 I'm thinking if I had start, I certainly don't want to start discussion there because 410 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:41,520 somebody's going to run. 411 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:48,960 But this next verse tells us exactly why when we get in a new life in Jesus conversation, 412 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:53,680 a great conversation, when you get to that in depth part, I'm not talking about the beginning. 413 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,320 I'm not talking about just getting somebody curious. 414 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:57,920 I'm not talking about when you just start. 415 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:02,080 But when you get that in depth conversation, you got to go there. 416 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,320 You got to tell him what this is really all about. 417 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:04,560 Right. 418 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:10,800 And in the next verse, it says this in Luke 925, for what profit is it to a man if he 419 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:15,040 gains the whole world and himself destroyed or lost? 420 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:19,360 For whoever is ashamed of me, in my words, of him, the Son of Man will be ashamed when 421 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:23,600 he comes into his own glory and his father's and of the holy angels. 422 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,920 We got to give others the truth of new life in Jesus. 423 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:30,480 Don't just lay out all the benefits. 424 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:37,280 When you get in that in depth talk with somebody, start to talk about the expectation God has 425 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:38,080 for us. 426 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:38,320 Right. 427 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:40,640 It's denying myself. 428 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:43,120 It's taking up my cross daily. 429 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,000 It's making life about Jesus. 430 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,160 It's living a whole new way. 431 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:49,520 It's a whole new life. 432 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:53,440 And we can't make it sound just we do this sometimes. 433 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:54,720 I'm guilty as well. 434 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,520 Sometimes we make it sound like we're just giving somebody a Christmas gift. 435 00:18:57,520 --> 00:18:57,920 Right. 436 00:18:57,920 --> 00:18:59,520 We're just going to give them a Christmas gift. 437 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:00,640 If they say a prayer. 438 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:01,520 Well, awesome. 439 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:02,000 Right. 440 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:02,800 You said a little prayer. 441 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:04,160 Here's eternal life. 442 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:04,720 Whoa. 443 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:05,360 That's it. 444 00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:06,480 That's all there is to it. 445 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:07,520 That's not what it is. 446 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:09,520 Now, listen, I know faith, right. 447 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:09,840 Faith. 448 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:10,720 It's a gift of God. 449 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:12,480 Salvation is a free gift. 450 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:14,880 God really does give it to us like a gift. 451 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:18,560 But he says, you know, faith in him equals following him. 452 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:22,720 Following him means living in him and living in him means dying to me. 453 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:26,480 That's the whole definition of what it is. 454 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:30,720 And you might be thinking, well, if I bring that into the conversation, 455 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,040 nobody's ever going to follow Jesus. 456 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:34,640 Nobody's going to want to listen to all that. 457 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:35,600 They're going to get up. 458 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:42,400 Listen, in new life, in new life conversation and in depth, great conversation. 459 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:47,680 They will be willing to die to themselves if they realize if they come to realize 460 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:50,320 they're not the answer for themselves. 461 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:50,880 Right. 462 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,840 We we don't have the answers for ourselves. 463 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,840 I can't fix the mess that sin is created in my life. 464 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:02,400 I can't close the gap between me and God. 465 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:03,040 I don't have it. 466 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:03,840 I can't do it. 467 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:04,320 Right. 468 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:08,960 I am completely powerless, powerless to fix some of the problems in my life. 469 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:12,640 I can't personally ensure where I'll spend all of eternity. 470 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:14,240 I can't make that determination. 471 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:15,200 Only God can. 472 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:20,400 I have I have no way of avoiding hell, the physical hell without Jesus. 473 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:21,200 I don't have that. 474 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:25,680 I have little power to change much in my life outside of Jesus. 475 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:30,880 When somebody starts to understand that reality, because that's where you got to get to. 476 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:34,960 Everybody who's saved, everybody who come to faith in the kingdom of God, 477 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:39,520 somewhere along the way, you came to that reality that you can't fix any of this, 478 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:43,920 that you're powerless in any of this and you need a savior. 479 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:48,640 And when you get to that place, you can say, look, Jesus died. 480 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:49,840 He paid it all. 481 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:51,520 He's given his blood. 482 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:52,880 He's sacrificed. 483 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:54,320 He's God's son. 484 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:54,800 Right. 485 00:20:54,800 --> 00:21:01,360 And he wants you to come and commit and he will gladly give you eternal life. 486 00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:03,360 All he's looking for is a commitment. 487 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:04,000 Commitment. 488 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:09,360 Die to you because you don't got the answers anyway in any of this and live for him. 489 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:10,660 Amen. 490 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:12,800 How many know that's how it happened for you? 491 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:17,920 Somewhere along the way, when you got saved, right, you realized I can't fix any of this. 492 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:21,600 The only one that can fix this is Jesus in my life. 493 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:23,840 And we've got to give him that reality. 494 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:25,920 Anyone who is saved has come to that. 495 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:31,280 And when you begin to unfold that reality, it dawns on somebody. 496 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:35,280 I got to die to me because it's only in him that I have life. 497 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:42,320 And if you unfolded that way, it's the only logical answer is to run to the one who can save you. 498 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:43,920 To run to it. 499 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:46,800 Man, it's like being out in the middle of the ocean. 500 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:47,200 Right. 501 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:48,960 And you're drowning. 502 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:51,120 You're out of energy and you're treading water. 503 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:56,000 And somebody comes along with a dinghy and throws it out there, a life raft of some kind, 504 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:56,720 throws it out there. 505 00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:58,640 It's the only logical thing is to get in. 506 00:21:59,280 --> 00:21:59,600 Right. 507 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:01,840 Because it's the answer. 508 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,800 If you don't want to get into that deep, I know this is deep. 509 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:05,920 You all are just staring at me. 510 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:06,160 Right. 511 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,960 When it comes time to get into that in-depth conversation, 512 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:12,800 and it may take a long time to get there. 513 00:22:13,360 --> 00:22:15,600 Sometimes you've got to spend years. 514 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:18,160 I just heard a testimony last week of this. 515 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:23,680 You know, of somebody who spent three years talking to somebody just in conversation, 516 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:28,720 just throwing Jesus, right, life giving conversation to somebody, praying with them. 517 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,120 And this person would even cuss them out sometimes. 518 00:22:31,120 --> 00:22:35,120 And they just kept going at it for three years straight, just these little opportunities. 519 00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:40,480 And all of a sudden they sat down a week ago and it got to have an in-depth conversation with them. 520 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:45,360 And they realized they were lost and gave their heart to Christ and everything changed. 521 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:47,920 It's part of it. 522 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:51,120 We can't just talk about the hit and run stuff, right. 523 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:52,160 The little stuff that we do. 524 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,800 We sooner or later you're going to get to the in-depth. 525 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:57,200 And we got to give them the reality of what it is. 526 00:22:57,200 --> 00:22:59,040 You got to give them the meat. 527 00:22:59,040 --> 00:22:59,760 You got to give them. 528 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:01,120 Come on, say you got to give them the meat. 529 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:03,120 You got to give them the meat, right? 530 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:04,640 Let me read a passage. 531 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:05,600 Let's go a bit further. 532 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:07,440 I'm going to reread the passage that I started with. 533 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:09,040 I'll just go a little further in this passage. 534 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:09,680 And it said this. 535 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,640 Now it happens as they journeyed on the road that someone said to him, 536 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:15,040 Lord, I'll follow you wherever you go. 537 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:18,240 And Jesus said to him, foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, 538 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,320 but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. 539 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:22,000 Now, listen, the conversation continues. 540 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:26,080 He starts with someone else and he said to another, Jesus says to another, 541 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:26,880 follow me. 542 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:28,000 Right. 543 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,720 I think it was a gang of people with this person, whoever this individual was. 544 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:31,920 There was more than one. 545 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:35,280 I think it was some extra people there kind of beating their chest together with him. 546 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:35,840 Right. 547 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:37,040 There was he was the leader. 548 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:38,320 The first one was the leader. 549 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:41,440 But but Jesus addresses one of them says, follow me. 550 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:44,240 But he said, Lord, first, I have to go bury my father. 551 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,720 Jesus said to him, let the dead bury their own dead. 552 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:48,400 But you go and preach the kingdom of God. 553 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:50,800 And another said, Lord, I will follow you. 554 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,680 But let me go first and bid them farewell who are at my house. 555 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:57,920 People were asking Jesus if they can follow Jesus is asking them to follow them. 556 00:23:57,920 --> 00:23:58,480 Right. 557 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,040 About falling and excuses start to come. 558 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:02,320 Right. 559 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:04,240 People start rolling off her tongue. 560 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:05,760 What's what's excuses? 561 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:07,040 I would follow you, Jesus. 562 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:08,880 But I got this thing going on. 563 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:09,360 Right. 564 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:11,440 I know you do miracles. 565 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:12,480 I've seen the healings. 566 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:13,680 I heard you teach. 567 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:14,000 Right. 568 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:15,920 I know that you offer salvation. 569 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:22,240 But how many know that anytime I stick, but into a statement, 570 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:24,480 uh, into a statement, I'm heading for trouble. 571 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:25,600 Amen. 572 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:30,160 It's not any time I say, but I'm heading for trouble. 573 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:31,040 And let me give you an example. 574 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:32,160 What I'm talking about. 575 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:33,600 I'm sorry I did that. 576 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:41,200 But you should have quit after I was sorry I did that because but just going to gate the whole thing. 577 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:41,440 Right. 578 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:43,600 I would do that for you. 579 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:45,440 Say with me. 580 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:46,480 But right. 581 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:50,080 Well, then you whatever excuse that is, I love you. 582 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,720 But here comes a flimsy condition. 583 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:53,120 Right. 584 00:24:53,120 --> 00:24:54,320 I'll serve. 585 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:55,200 Say with me. 586 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:56,720 But right. 587 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:58,000 Only if I feel like it. 588 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:02,720 But whatever the condition is, we could go on and on and on in very real sense. 589 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:04,720 I mean, one of these people even said that. 590 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:04,960 Right. 591 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:05,520 I would. 592 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,200 But I got to go do this. 593 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:11,040 We can't follow Jesus and leave the but intact. 594 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:12,240 All right. 595 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:13,600 In our statement, we can't. 596 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:15,040 We can't make a decision. 597 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:16,480 We can't make a declaration. 598 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:18,240 Make a commitment to follow Jesus. 599 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,480 But leave. 600 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:26,160 But in the statement, if you follow Jesus, but first, I got to go attend to some family affairs. 601 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:28,720 Now, listen, in this passage, it sounds pretty legit to me. 602 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:32,640 Because the first person he says, I got to go bury my father. 603 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,200 I got to go bury a how many of that sounds legit. 604 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:35,440 Right. 605 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:37,200 Come on. 606 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:38,320 It's a funeral. 607 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:38,880 I get it. 608 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:44,320 But if you follow this out, if you study this out, scholars say this really wasn't a discussion 609 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:46,960 about an immediate funeral that was going to take place. 610 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:52,240 What this really was was an individual who was saying, I have to go back and take care 611 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:54,400 of my father until he passes. 612 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:55,360 And then I bury him. 613 00:25:55,360 --> 00:25:57,600 And then I take care of all his affairs. 614 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,080 So he was saying, I got family obligations. 615 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,360 I got things because, you know, I got a family member who's not well, my dad. 616 00:26:03,360 --> 00:26:04,960 And I got to go take care of that. 617 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:05,360 Geez. 618 00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:06,800 And Jesus comes back with it. 619 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:08,800 He cracks back with a statement. 620 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:09,600 He really does. 621 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:13,280 He said to him, let the dead bury their own dead, but go preach the kingdom of God. 622 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:15,280 That's pretty straight talk right there. 623 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:17,200 Do you know what? 624 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,600 And part of us is like, wow. 625 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:19,920 Right. 626 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:21,760 Part of us like, whoo, that's strong. 627 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:23,680 But here's the thing. 628 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:28,560 Do you know what millions and millions of Jesus followers have found out over the millennials 629 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:30,560 and over the decades of following Jesus? 630 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:35,280 They found out that if you follow Jesus, right, you can follow Jesus and take care 631 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:36,640 of your family at the same time. 632 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:38,240 You really can. 633 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:42,640 You can follow Jesus and do anything else in life that needs to be done. 634 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:48,560 And matter of fact, if you follow Jesus, he's walking with you while you're taking care 635 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:49,760 of all those other things. 636 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:51,280 He'll give you ideas. 637 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:52,560 He'll give you plans. 638 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:54,880 He'll give you things you never even thought about. 639 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,520 He'll make a way where there's no way to do it. 640 00:26:57,520 --> 00:26:57,920 Right. 641 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:01,600 He'll do it and hard excuses, soft excuses. 642 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:05,120 Jesus never going to be OK with the butt in our commitment. 643 00:27:05,120 --> 00:27:06,880 He's not going to be all right with that. 644 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:07,760 He says it right. 645 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:11,440 When Jesus came to this earth, just think about that for a second. 646 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:13,920 What if Jesus would have done that when he was in heaven? 647 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:14,240 Right. 648 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:16,080 All this mankind needs salvation. 649 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:18,320 He was like, well, I'd come. 650 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:22,720 But right there's this big party taking place on the north side of heaven. 651 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:24,160 I got to get there. 652 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:24,400 Right. 653 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,400 Maybe another month, maybe a different year, maybe a different millennial. 654 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:28,800 I'll come. 655 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:30,400 He didn't do that. 656 00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:32,160 There was no button. 657 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:33,280 He was all in. 658 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:34,960 It was an all in thing. 659 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:39,120 I cannot follow Jesus and put butts in the state. 660 00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:45,840 Jesus didn't put his hand in the plow and look him back as fit for the kingdom of God. 661 00:27:47,120 --> 00:27:51,120 Following Jesus is about being all in and it's about never looking back. 662 00:27:52,100 --> 00:27:53,200 You don't look back. 663 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:59,360 New life in Jesus is eliminating the butt in the commitment statement and never looking back. 664 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,320 Scripture gives us a vivid picture of this 665 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:07,120 in the Old Testament of what the earth does. 666 00:28:07,120 --> 00:28:10,860 in the Old Testament of what it means to look back. 667 00:28:10,860 --> 00:28:12,540 There's a small scripture that says 668 00:28:12,540 --> 00:28:14,580 it's almost like a dog returning to its vomit. 669 00:28:14,580 --> 00:28:16,660 Now I know that's pretty gross, right? 670 00:28:16,660 --> 00:28:18,700 But it really is that kind of picture. 671 00:28:18,700 --> 00:28:23,020 And there's an Old Testament story of Lot and his family, 672 00:28:23,020 --> 00:28:25,820 and they're living in a city called Sodom. 673 00:28:25,820 --> 00:28:29,080 And Sodom was a city, Sodom and there was another city, 674 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:32,660 Gomorrah, and those two cities were wicked. 675 00:28:32,660 --> 00:28:36,340 They were so wicked, they were so steeped in sin 676 00:28:36,340 --> 00:28:38,460 that it was violent sin. 677 00:28:38,460 --> 00:28:41,100 It wasn't just people sinning. 678 00:28:41,100 --> 00:28:44,220 It was violent, it was vile, it was wicked, 679 00:28:44,220 --> 00:28:46,700 and God said, I'm gonna destroy this city. 680 00:28:46,700 --> 00:28:48,900 And he sends two angels to Lot's home, 681 00:28:48,900 --> 00:28:51,340 and he sends them there to get Lot and his family out 682 00:28:51,340 --> 00:28:53,700 because they're the only ones following God. 683 00:28:53,700 --> 00:28:56,140 And it says this in Genesis 19, 15. 684 00:28:56,140 --> 00:28:58,980 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, 685 00:28:58,980 --> 00:29:01,620 saying, arise, take your wife and your two daughters 686 00:29:01,620 --> 00:29:03,380 who are here, lest you be consumed 687 00:29:03,380 --> 00:29:04,940 in the punishment of this city. 688 00:29:04,940 --> 00:29:07,660 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, 689 00:29:07,660 --> 00:29:10,980 his wife's hand, and his hands of his two daughters, 690 00:29:10,980 --> 00:29:12,360 the Lord being merciful to them, 691 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,460 and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 692 00:29:15,460 --> 00:29:18,180 And so it came to pass when they had brought them outside 693 00:29:18,180 --> 00:29:20,140 that he said, escape for your life. 694 00:29:20,140 --> 00:29:25,140 Do not, say this with me, do not look behind you. 695 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:28,480 Do not look behind you, nor stay anywhere in the plain, 696 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:31,500 escape to the mountains lest you be destroyed. 697 00:29:31,500 --> 00:29:33,580 Lot talks with these two angels, 698 00:29:33,580 --> 00:29:38,580 and they agree that Lot is gonna escape to the city of Zor. 699 00:29:38,940 --> 00:29:41,300 And the instruction from the Lord is, 700 00:29:41,300 --> 00:29:45,140 through these angels is, don't look back. 701 00:29:45,140 --> 00:29:46,580 Don't turn around. 702 00:29:46,580 --> 00:29:48,660 When you leave, keep on going, 703 00:29:48,660 --> 00:29:51,540 because this place is toast, this place is done. 704 00:29:51,540 --> 00:29:53,220 It should just keep moving. 705 00:29:53,220 --> 00:29:54,220 Don't look back. 706 00:29:54,220 --> 00:29:57,220 But Lot's wife doesn't listen. 707 00:29:57,220 --> 00:30:01,100 In 19, verse 19, 23 in Genesis, 708 00:30:01,100 --> 00:30:03,500 it says the sun had risen upon the earth 709 00:30:03,500 --> 00:30:05,140 when Lot entered Zor, 710 00:30:05,140 --> 00:30:08,540 then Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah 711 00:30:08,540 --> 00:30:10,580 from the Lord out of the heavens. 712 00:30:10,580 --> 00:30:13,020 So he overthrew those cities, all the plain, 713 00:30:13,020 --> 00:30:16,580 all the inhabitants of the city that grew on the ground. 714 00:30:16,580 --> 00:30:19,460 But his wife looked back behind him, 715 00:30:19,460 --> 00:30:22,060 and she became a pillar of salt. 716 00:30:22,060 --> 00:30:24,640 She literally crystallized on the spot. 717 00:30:26,100 --> 00:30:27,660 We don't wanna look back. 718 00:30:28,540 --> 00:30:29,500 Now listen, I'm not telling you 719 00:30:29,500 --> 00:30:30,900 God's gonna crystallize you. 720 00:30:30,900 --> 00:30:33,020 That's not what I'm saying, all right? 721 00:30:33,020 --> 00:30:34,420 That's not what I'm saying. 722 00:30:35,540 --> 00:30:38,020 But we don't wanna look back in conversation. 723 00:30:38,020 --> 00:30:40,640 We don't wanna look back in our walk with Jesus. 724 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:42,580 We don't wanna go back to, 725 00:30:42,580 --> 00:30:44,920 like a dog were turned into its vomit. 726 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:48,700 Once we begin to plow with Jesus, don't look back. 727 00:30:48,700 --> 00:30:52,940 No one having put his hand to the plow and looking back 728 00:30:52,940 --> 00:30:54,460 is fit for the kingdom of God. 729 00:30:54,460 --> 00:30:56,100 John, you know why he says that? 730 00:30:56,100 --> 00:30:56,940 I don't know if you've, 731 00:30:56,940 --> 00:30:59,340 probably most of us in here have never plowed a row, 732 00:30:59,340 --> 00:31:00,580 right, in farming, right? 733 00:31:00,580 --> 00:31:02,220 You've probably never plowed somewhere. 734 00:31:02,220 --> 00:31:05,780 But if you plow forward, if you turn your head, 735 00:31:05,780 --> 00:31:07,500 you know what happens to your row? 736 00:31:08,460 --> 00:31:09,540 How many of you have ever turned your head 737 00:31:09,540 --> 00:31:10,500 while you're driving? 738 00:31:11,340 --> 00:31:13,260 Your car, how well does that work out, right? 739 00:31:13,260 --> 00:31:14,260 Wah! 740 00:31:14,260 --> 00:31:15,700 Right, you're going off the road. 741 00:31:15,700 --> 00:31:16,940 Whichever way you turn your head, 742 00:31:16,940 --> 00:31:19,540 you're trying to drive, you're doing like that. 743 00:31:19,540 --> 00:31:20,640 That's what he's talking about. 744 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:22,980 What happens is when you start looking back, 745 00:31:22,980 --> 00:31:25,100 if you twist your head the whole way behind you, 746 00:31:25,100 --> 00:31:26,540 and you try to go forward, 747 00:31:26,540 --> 00:31:28,460 how well is that gonna work out for you? 748 00:31:28,460 --> 00:31:29,940 Not so much, right? 749 00:31:29,940 --> 00:31:32,940 If you try to do that, you're gonna crash. 750 00:31:34,020 --> 00:31:37,100 Jesus is saying don't look back, right? 751 00:31:37,100 --> 00:31:38,980 Make the commitment. 752 00:31:38,980 --> 00:31:40,660 Give him the meat. 753 00:31:40,660 --> 00:31:41,780 Give him the meat. 754 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:44,220 Somewhere along the way, you know, 755 00:31:44,220 --> 00:31:46,000 it's great conversations. 756 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,020 Sometimes you're just gonna be interjecting 757 00:31:48,020 --> 00:31:49,620 the smallest of things. 758 00:31:49,620 --> 00:31:51,740 Man, like Jesus is awesome. 759 00:31:51,740 --> 00:31:53,980 He can save you, he's gonna message it to you. 760 00:31:53,980 --> 00:31:56,220 He can do this in your life. 761 00:31:56,220 --> 00:31:57,460 He wants to do this in your life. 762 00:31:57,460 --> 00:31:58,940 He wants to heal you. 763 00:31:58,940 --> 00:32:00,820 He wants to see your family whole. 764 00:32:00,820 --> 00:32:02,340 He wants to bless you. 765 00:32:02,340 --> 00:32:05,100 He wants to do all these things. 766 00:32:05,100 --> 00:32:07,180 But somewhere in a conversation, right? 767 00:32:07,180 --> 00:32:09,060 When it gets down to the curiosity 768 00:32:09,060 --> 00:32:11,540 and they're wanting more, 769 00:32:11,540 --> 00:32:12,860 and you sit down and talk with them, 770 00:32:12,860 --> 00:32:15,960 you gotta say, I gotta give you the meat though. 771 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:18,500 Jesus is an all in kind of God. 772 00:32:20,020 --> 00:32:21,700 He's full commitment. 773 00:32:21,700 --> 00:32:23,820 He fully committed to you, 774 00:32:23,820 --> 00:32:26,520 and he's fully committed to you, 775 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:28,960 but he wants full commitment back. 776 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:32,700 And you gotta die to that old sinful self, 777 00:32:32,700 --> 00:32:35,300 and you gotta come up a new person in Jesus. 778 00:32:35,300 --> 00:32:37,340 You gotta have that conversation. 779 00:32:37,340 --> 00:32:38,580 Amen? 780 00:32:38,580 --> 00:32:40,380 It's true, it's part of it. 781 00:32:40,380 --> 00:32:43,180 If you listen, if we don't have that conversation, 782 00:32:43,180 --> 00:32:45,260 we call Jesus savior. 783 00:32:45,260 --> 00:32:47,540 What's he saving you from? 784 00:32:47,540 --> 00:32:48,540 Why would we need Jesus 785 00:32:48,540 --> 00:32:51,180 if we didn't ever need saved from something? 786 00:32:51,180 --> 00:32:53,740 He's saving us from death and hell and the grave 787 00:32:53,740 --> 00:32:55,700 and so many other things in our lives. 788 00:32:55,700 --> 00:32:58,140 Why would we even need a savior? 789 00:32:58,140 --> 00:32:59,180 He came as savior. 790 00:32:59,180 --> 00:33:01,420 He came to do what we can't do. 791 00:33:01,420 --> 00:33:02,740 We can't do this for ourselves. 792 00:33:02,740 --> 00:33:03,580 Can't do it. 793 00:33:03,580 --> 00:33:04,400 Amen? 794 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:05,620 Mass feed standard. 795 00:33:05,620 --> 00:33:06,820 Where's the teams coming? 796 00:33:12,820 --> 00:33:15,100 Thank you for tuning in to this message 797 00:33:15,100 --> 00:33:16,580 from Life House Church. 798 00:33:16,580 --> 00:33:20,900 We pray that you were impacted powerfully by this message. 799 00:33:20,900 --> 00:33:23,860 If you have been personally affected by our ministry 800 00:33:23,860 --> 00:33:25,580 and you would like to partner with us 801 00:33:25,580 --> 00:33:28,700 as we love God, love people every day, 802 00:33:28,700 --> 00:33:55,700 visit our website at www.lifehousecog.com.