Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:00]:
This evening, I'm continuing the series we started last week, called Be A Light. And, you know, we talked about how Jesus is the light of the world. And I love the fact that he wants to shine his light in our darkness, but not just our light. Right? Not just in our darkness, that he's the light of the world, it says. And so, one of the things we talked about last week was that everybody needs God. Right? It's not because we need everybody to believe like us, but because everybody carries the own weight of all their own brokenness, their own sin, their own mistakes. And God says this that because we're be standing accountable to the maker of heaven and earth, our maker, that we need a savior. We need somebody to stand in between.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:43]:
And and so last week, we talked about how what our response is to to start praying. Start praying for those that that you care about. Start praying for them, for God to draw them, for God to reveal himself, for for God to open his for to open their eyes. Right? And, and so that's what we talked about last week. And this week, this week, we're gonna talk a little bit about living an invitational lifestyle. Now I don't know how many of you guys that, when you get an invitation, that you read it carefully. Have you guys ever get an invitation and you didn't read it carefully? You got got the wrong time, you got the wrong day. I I know somebody actually came here today for, the men's breakfast and he they they texted and I said, oh, maybe they didn't read it carefully.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:29]:
Sometimes it matters that you read it carefully. You understand what is I I I read this one that said this, guy had us invitation, he said black tie only was written on the invitation, but he said, you know, but when I got there, I noticed everybody also had shirt and pants too. So, you know, that was a that was a problem. Right? So that when you don't always understand the invitation or another one from the COVID years, this guy said this. He's, he was, his friend asked him to come over for dinner and he was still scared and still had paranoia about it and, you know, because it was kinda that time in the, peaking of COVID, and and so he finally, you know, said, I'll I'll go. But he's the kinda guy that, you know, not just, you know, sanitize his hands, he would sanitize himself. He sanitize his cars and all of those things. But he said, I I'm gonna go.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:16]:
I I'm gonna go, you know. My friend Bob, he invited me over. I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go Sunday after church. And so Sunday, he knocks on on Bob's door, and and he said, hey. Great to see you, Bob. Bob. And he goes, oh, man.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:28]:
Great to see you. Come on in. And he said he smelled. He goes like, wow. I don't know what you're cooking, but it smells awesome. He said, oh, that's good. You know, because I just haven't been able to smell the last 3 days, and I'm not really sure how to never mind. Right? Some of you guys already forget what that's like, but but, you know, sometimes you you get an invitation and we're gonna understand what that means to to have an invitation and to be inviting.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:52]:
Jesus said it like this about this is what Jesus said about himself. He said in Luke 19:10, he says, for the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. And you know the thing is that God wants to invite those who are lost. And when you think about the word lost, it can be a lot of different meanings. Right? It can be without direction, right? It can mean misplaced, right? It can mean, you know, like it coming to worse when when we say, Hey, you know, we lost him last night, right? It can mean people who are stuck, right? That they're stuck in their sin, Right? There there's a spiritual darkness. And God is seeking people who are stuck. God is seeking people who are are lost. God are seeking people who aren't on the right track.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:44]:
God are seeking people with a spiritual brokenness. It's not in your notes, but you know, like if you were to read how God is concerned about lost people, you just read Luke 15. And if you read Luke 15, there's 3 stories in a row, 3 parables in a row. Jesus tells about the lost sheep. Right? He says that the guy had a 100 sheep and what happens? One wandered off. Right? And and and he goes out and he leaves the 99, he goes search for that. Right? And what is the point of that story? You know, sometimes people wander off. You guys ever kinda like you got caught up in your own thing, you got caught up in your own life, you got caught up in your own agenda, and the next thing you know you're you've just kinda drifted, Right? And sometimes you sometimes we drift that you don't even notice.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:31]:
Maybe those of you guys been surfing, and you're out there, you paddle out. Next thing you know, like, oh my gosh. Where's the break? No more waves over here. It's like the way because because you just got drifted. Right? And God was concerned about then he says, he tells a story about the lost coin, about a lady who who has a coin and she drops it somewhere in her house and she tears the house up looking for the coin. Right? And it says that when she finds it, it says she's so relieved and and she's so, you know, joyful, she tells everybody. And and what does that talk about? Like, that sometimes I think people fall through the cracks in life. You know, sometimes when you go through a hard season, right, when people kinda get derailed by, like, like, some of the things that we're praying about tonight, that that when the opposition comes, when a hurt happens, when, you know, like, when when you when you kinda had something kinda get the short end of the stick, sometimes people fall between the cracks.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:28]:
Right? They just kinda hide out. And sometimes people say just this. They'll say this. I I just need some space for a season and that, to be honest, the season just never ends. Right? And so Jesus said this, I look for I look for them as well. And what's the last one? It's about the lost son. And the lost son is about rebellion. It's not about it's not about just kind of wandering off.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:53]:
It's not about kind of getting overwhelmed by situation. It's just it's rebellion. I just don't want to. Right? I just I I don't care. And and this is what what is what happens is that God was concerned about that one as well. And and so Jesus tells as a sense for us to understand that how he came for the lost, he said because look. If it if I'm concerned about a lost sheep, I'm concerned about a lost coin, I'm concerned about a lost son. I hope we can understand very clearly God's concern about the lost.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:24]:
Right? And so with that in mind, we're gonna read, kind of one of those scriptures that just talks about how Jesus then comes and and and reaches that. We're gonna read that in Matthew 99. Would you be kind enough to stand this this evening? We're gonna read Matthew 99 together. And it just says this. Ready? Let's read. He saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector's booth. Follow me and be my disciple, Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:59]:
And you know that how does Jesus come for the loss is he invited him. Right? He he just saw him and where was he at? He's he's sitting at the table. He's just kinda doing his thing. He's this is the same old same old for him. And in the middle of that, Jesus comes to him, and he says he sees something in him. He he affirms him. To be honest, probably nobody says to Matthew, unless they're kinda like in the same lifestyle as him. He's kinda like on the seedy side that they he's probably not invited to some time together.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:39]:
And you know what he does? Matthew just gets up, and the implication is he leaves the money and started following. And, you know, there's a power of having a invitational lifestyle. And, you know, that before you're seated, would you be kind enough just to turn to your neighbors and says, aren't you glad somebody invited you? And then you can have a seat. Right? No. I do. I'm gonna guess that most of us who are here, somebody invited you somewhere. Right? Somebody invited you to go to church one day. Somebody invited you to to hear the gospel.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:10]:
Somebody invited you to an event. Somebody invited you to a bible study. Somebody invited you to a place where you there was a breakfast or something, right, that that someone invited you. And Jesus invites people at times who are far from him. He invites those who are close to him, but he's looking particularly, he says, I came to seek and save those who are lost. And so, you know, this this evening as we're here, we just wanna take a look at at living an invitational lifestyle. How do we do that? And we're gonna see, in in the the rest of our time, we're gonna see about another, disciple, whose life is impacted. Thank you, Mike.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:52]:
And, can we just say thank you, Mike? Yeah. Thank you for leading. Thank you. Thanks for leading worship, but also then give me water. So I appreciate that. So, so we we are seeing this. It it it just starts out this. I I'm gonna read it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:05]:
It says, John was standing there with 2 of his disciples. That's John the Baptist. And when he saw Jesus passing by, he said, look, the lamb of God. And when the 2 disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, what do you want? They said. What do you want? And they said, rabbi, which means teacher, where are you staying? And what was Jesus' response? Come. Come. Right? And he and he said, and you'll see.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:36]:
And so they went and saw where he was staying, and they they spent that day with him, and it was about 4 in the afternoon. Jesus is often saying come. Yeah. No. No. No. Like, I don't know if there's space. I don't know.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:48]:
I I know I wasn't invited, and then nobody said any but Jesus, no. No. No. Just come. Right? Why does Jesus say that? Because he he longs for people to keep seeking him. He wants us. If you wanna lead an invitational lifestyle, the first thing that's important is not know how to, like, answer everybody's question. The first invitational lifestyle is not that you have to have everything together.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:10]:
First thing that's important is always just keep seeking Jesus. Why is that? Because the more you see Jesus, the more you experience Jesus, you get to not just know his you get not just know his word, but you get to know his heart. And you start moving through this process that the things that are heavy start getting lighter. The things that are dark start getting lighter, the things that are confusing start getting clearer. So for many of us, it's that transformation process, and everybody needs to change. Right? Everybody needs to change. Like, do it for you. Turn to your neighbor and says, everyone needs to change.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:45]:
Everyone needs to change. Right? And and sometimes you get how many of you get help on which part you gotta change? Some of us are our spouse, right, that's the second holy spirit tells you, you gotta change in this area. But but the thing is that that God knows. God God knows. God has a plan. God has a timetable, and and so we need to do that. And so bringing yourself before Jesus, I think it's a fundamental thing, and we cannot overlook it because it's not about getting a task done alone. It's it's not what you can do for Jesus.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:14]:
It's what you do with Jesus. Right? Jesus is not calling you to go prove how much you love him. He's asking you to trust him and obey him. Right? It's it's more than what he we do together with him. And when you start seeing Jesus like that, you realize you matter, that you matter to God. Because one day, we were the one that wandered off. One day, we were the one who was the lost. One day, we were the one who was in rebellion, and Jesus said you mattered.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:46]:
Why? Because people matter to to God. Right? People matter to God. And it doesn't matter to Jesus if it's rebellion or whatever whatever your poison. Right? Whatever your weakness, whatever whatever your temptation, whatever your strength, whatever God doesn't care, but he has a heart for people because people matter to him. But what we also see in when we start experiencing that is that we start understanding that God matters. Right? That God matters at whatever you face. That God matters in whatever is before you. That that Jesus already paid the price.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:20]:
He already made the way. And because of that, that we want to align our lives with him. Right? We wanna be closer. We We wanna be, we wanna see God at work. And and so we we're in this kind of a place. Right? And so if you wanna lead an invitational life style that first start seeking Jesus, but but then the other part is there's another reason why we seek Jesus is that you cannot expect people to do what you're not doing. Right? That that Paul said this, follow me as I follow Christ. Right? He didn't say follow Jesus, right, but do as I say, not do as I do.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:00]:
Right? Then and then how many of you guys at home or at work realize that it doesn't really work that way? Right? You you cannot be the boss and say, hey. You guys gotta put in the time for the thing, but then you only show up, like, less than the required time. Right? Nobody wants to follow that. Right? Like, that that that there you everybody does in a in an organization that if you want you know, there's an old leadership thing that says if if you want people to sweat, you gotta bleed. Right? There's just a thing, right, that people will do not just what we say, but but what we do. And so there's a credibility issue. There's an authentic, authenticity, issue. Because people can sense that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:41]:
People can sense whether you just tell them what to do or this is what you do. This is who you are. And you guys ever tell anybody that, you know, like, tell them to do something but you're not doing it? That you feel but you feel a little weird saying it. Right? I I I've told my kids that, hey. You know, you should eat better. I I see my kids sometimes at all the junks that they eat, and then I look at what I eat. Anyway, you know, what am I gonna do? Right? But, some of you guys know Clarence. Right? Doctor Clarence.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:09]:
And, he was going to Fiji, on our mission trip in in the fall. And he was supposed to speak about basically, one of the things they wanted him to speak on is is kind of that lifestyle and health kind of issues in Fiji because the lifespan in Fiji is 67 years old. And I remember that going to the leaders there and the first time going and meeting one of my friends, one of the pastors' leaders, and she's the wife of, like, kinda like his main guy. And and I met her and and I said, oh, how are you doing? Whatever. And then we're just talking, chit chatting. And she says, well, you know, but I only have, like like, 5 more years to live. And I said, oh, what? I'm sorry. I I didn't understand.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:56]:
Like, are you ill? I didn't realize. She says, oh, no. No. I'm not I'm not ill. I said, oh, why do you say you have 5 years left? She says, oh, because we die at 67 in Fiji. And I was shocked. Right? And I said, I'm 62, and we die at 67. And it was at that point I I said, oh, wow.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:15]:
Can can I see your hand? And I I started going like this, looking at her hand. And and she said, sorry. What are you what are you doing? Alright. I was looking for the expiration date. Right. And, and she she kind of laughed. Right? I said, because I don't think there's an expiration date on you. And so maybe we shouldn't speak that over our life.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:34]:
Right? Maybe we ought to lean into kinda having more than that. Like, that might be average, but how do you guys know that God calls us sometimes to be above average. Right? And and so, you know, the thing is that so he Clarence was asked to speak on that because his background, right, as a doctor and all these kinds of things. And so, he knew from the research that that one of the best ways to reverse heart disease, to reverse diabetes, to reverse high cholesterol, all that stuff that that sometimes the pastor is like, hey. There's guys, like, they're big brothers up there. Like, I mean, like 6, 7. I mean, some big boys that were the pastors that we're miss ministering to. But some of them could barely walk because of health, lifestyle issues.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:19]:
You know what I'm saying? And so it was one of those things. And so Clarence knew he had to speak. So he already knew from just kinda his years. Right? That probably like the cheapest way, the easiest way, like without medication because not everybody could afford it. You know that not everybody can do it's it's a different kind of a world. Right? And, so he says, I gotta talk about it. So you know what he did? He went on a vegan diet. And he and he lost £30.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:48]:
You know why he did that? Because he didn't walk in and wanna say, do as I say, not as I do. Right? And why? Because he knew that nobody would do it. So it was one of those things that was like a huge thing for the leaders, in Fiji. But, you know, the thing is that it also then gives us the capacity to say, you know, that if you keep meeting him and he gives you peace and he he gives you comfort, he gives you encouragement, he gives you vision, he he gives you power, or he gives you love. Right? You you feel his love. Then you can say to someone, man, I just wish you had the peace that I have. Right? And you can mean it. Right? I I wish just wish you would have the hope that I have.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:31]:
Like, regardless of everything that's going on, man, that that I have a hope because my hope is is rooted in God. My hope is rooted in Christ. I wish I had the joy or the comfort or or that you would experience this power. Right? Because I can't do it, but I know God can do it through me. I I know that I wish you would experiences his love because even though at times that people say things or do things that, you know what, man, I know who I am because of God. Right? That it gives us not just the words to say, gives us the credibility to say them. And the credibility to say them doesn't mean that your life is perfect. It just means that God is meeting you in the midst of your life.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:12]:
Amen? Right. Do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor. God wants to meet you in the midst of your life. God wants to meet you in the midst of your life. But then he says this, I want you to join me in seeking lost people. Right? And and so last week when we talked about, like praying for them, right, and and then I I believe one of the things that we also ought to pray, and I pray this, I wish I prayed it every day, but I don't. I'm gonna admit that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:38]:
But I do pray is that, God, would you lead me to the people that you want me to talk to today. Right? That God, I I and I would you give me the boldness to say the things that you want me to say or to do the things that you wanna do? So how do we how do we do that? How do we we do that? I think one of those is just simply that to do what Jesus did is invite them to join you. Right? We we go on and we see that same passage that we read about those disciples that met Jesus, and it goes on the next verse. In verse 40 says this, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the 2 who had heard what John had said about those who had followed Jesus. And the first thing Andrew did was to find his brother, Simon, and tell him, we have found the Messiah. That is the Christ. And he brought him to who? To Jesus. Right? And Jesus looked at him and said, you are Simon, son of John, but you will be called Cephas, which translator is Peter.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:19:36]:
Now the thing is that what would have happened if Andrew said I met like, that was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced when I heard Jesus. He knew me. I I felt like he he I felt like he was looking through my soul. I I felt like he understood me. That every word he said was this is like it was like there was lot of people there, but it was like every word was for me. Right? That what would have happened if Andrew had experienced that and he said he kept it to himself? And I wanted to say this, that I wanna ask this. Who's been that person in your life? Right? Who invited you? Because God wants you to you're an essential part in someone's spiritual journey. You know, in this in in this post COVID season, you know, that kind of the last few years have been kind of a, I mean, obviously, upheavals in our culture.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:40]:
You guys notice. Right? A lot of things. Right? A lot of people easily offended, people easily argumentative, people easily, you know, withdraw, people find things to get offended. I think in the middle of all of that, with people arguing about different points and now we're coming in election season, it's like I kinda dread that. Right? Because it's politics season. Right? It's gonna be coming up and that we all know what politics means. Right? Poli from the Latin word many and ticks, blood sucking insects. No, I'm just kidding, but not too much, but yeah.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:16]:
So there's these different points of view. But you know, the thing is that I think a lot of us got shy about inviting people, right? A lot of us got shy, right, about inviting people. Because 15, years ago or less than 15, 12 years ago, 85% of people felt like their responsibility before God was to invite people to church. Today, it's 61%. Right? 61%, which is, you know, it's more than half. It's like, you know, better than better than, you know, like, less. But the thing is that that's a severe drop. That's a 24%.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:55]:
It's not a 24% drop, but 24% less than than what it was. Right? And and and so the thing is that, you know, statistics and and and research tells us though that even in these environments, even in this kind of taking, you know, kind of with their moral high ground, thinking that if you don't say the right virtue signaling thing, you know, even with that, they say this, research says that 50% of unchurched people would be go would be interested in going to church if invited. And when it says unchurched, it means not just simply those who don't know Jesus, because a lot of people that used to join us on the weekend when I say used to join us, I mean, not just our church, but it's every church. And probably everybody knows somebody who used to be really tight in, used to be very active, used to be, you know, kind of in the midst of of whatever God was doing. But today, they're just kinda sitting at home, just kinda doing their own thing, just kinda living their own life. And maybe they say, hey, I'll tune in on a thing sometime and right? But we all know somebody like that. Right? Don't we? I think I think we all do. But it says 50% of unchurched people, you know, they'll they'll join you if you invite them.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:20]:
And and and, you know, the thing is that even for those who are not believers, it says this, 27% who are total unbelievers. Like, they they don't even believe in God necessarily. Right? I'm not saying that they're the most hardened atheist, but they're not believers yet. That 27% said they would go if somebody they knew invited them. And so, you know, that you might be thinking 27%, that means, like, if I ask 4 people, 3 people gonna tell me, like, no. I don't like. Right? And so some of you guys hear stuff like that. You get discouraged, but this is what the scripture says.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:59]:
When Jesus tells the story about you know what? When if a man had a there's a man who had seed and he went out and sowed the seed and some fell on the road, right, and then some fell on the side of the road and then some fell in the thorns and then some fell in good soil. You know what? What's the percentage? Only 25%. Only 25% bear fruit. And and you know what? Jesus didn't say like, oh, no sense. Sow seed then. Right? And this is what statistics say. We're at least even above 25%. And so don't be don't think that no one wants to hear.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:35]:
To be honest, there's nothing further than the truth. 50% of the people would respond. 27% of unbelievers. Does that mean exactly it's gonna happen like that for you? No. Not necessarily. Maybe maybe your friends are worse. No. I'm just kidding.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:51]:
I'm just joking. But, like, but, you know, the thing is we don't know. It's just these are statistics, but but here's the thing is that but I I think that when you invite them, it's like we're not doing it to kinda put a notch in our Bible. We're not doing it to kinda like, you know, show God that we're better than somebody else or show them that we're like, obviously, that stuff is crazy. Right? But but we invite them because we know where there's life. Right? You know, when there's if you knew where there's life, wouldn't you want your friends to experience that? If you knew there was life, if you knew there was hope, if you knew there was power to change, if you knew there was encouragement, right, if you knew there was healing, we would bring them we would bring them we drag them, right, at times. So this is the thing. How do you do that? Well, I think one of the first things is before we invite, just make sure you you kinda make a connection with people.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:45]:
Right? I'm not advocating that, hey, just put a card on the the parking lot and and it's like, that's not kinda like the thing. I hope you guys all got a a card at least. Right? It's it's just a simple invitation card. Right? And it just says it doesn't tell us about all the things that are happening, but just telling focusing on Easter. That Good Friday, we will have a a gathering. And to be honest, this is kinda like what I say. I think Good Friday Good Friday is really for the believer. Right? It's like when we get to say, man, this is what Jesus did for me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:17]:
I get to I get to stand in that presence. I get to meet him in that moment and and and and so is Easter. Is that right? The resurrection is is is for right? It's it's the other half of him dying on the cross. Right? Is that he died on the cross, but he rose from the grave. Right? I'm I'm glad that I don't serve a dead savior. You got that your savior is not dead. You serve a living God. Right? So but I think the other part, though, Easter is so it's the time.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:44]:
It's the it's it's that place that is so much easier to invite someone who doesn't know Jesus. They're just way more willing to come on an Easter. Right? It's just it's unknown. Then you got kids, you got like an egg hunt, you got different things, we got activities that that just becomes that. But before you just invite just random people like, sometimes that works. Sometimes that works. Right? I've invited random people, but usually just not even before we had a little bit of a conversation. Right? At least get to kinda make some kind of a connection.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:15]:
Right? We go like, oh, wow. Like, yeah. Well, no, I got kids too. And you're talking. Right? Or, like, you just sing and it's like, hey. Wow. You know, like, if you guys, you know, you wanna bring your kids, I just wanna invite you to Easter. You know, that kind of a thing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:26]:
And I've had people come from that. But share your life, right? Share your life and invest in building that connection with people. Get to know them a little bit. Maybe ask them their story. Right? Like, get to know their background. Like, kinda like what they're what they're about. Right? Show them some compassion and kindness and generosity from your life. And that's why I I have to meet Jesus because how many of you guys are are like me that it's like if I if I haven't met with Jesus, there's places that I go that I'm not just reaching out to people.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:58]:
I just wanna get it done. You know, like, when I go to Starbucks, like, there's been times I'm standing in line, like one day to be honest, even before church, that I I order coffee for the guys that set up, the Levite guys early. I just we bring in a carafe before hospitality, before any of that. I placed the order like half an hour ago. I'm standing in line and I see them working and I asked about it. Is hey. Is that carafe ready? And they go, it's working on it. Just kinda got a little bit and like and I see them and nobody's working on it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:29]:
You know what I mean? I'm I'm standing over there. It's like I'm getting like, brother, you guys better get something in gear in the back of it. You know what I mean? I'm I'm thinking like I'm not like all joyful and, right, all that kind because I I I want to get it done. Right? And I need to go and all that kind of a thing. Or if I'm in the gym, too bad sometimes I just want to get it done and get out. But but when I'm filled, you know, it's different. Right? And and it's like, oh, no. Go.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:57]:
Go ahead. Right? You're kinda like that. Right? But when you have no margin, that's a different thing. And so it's so important to to meet with Jesus. And so because people people impact people, you know, and and hearts touch hearts. Right? Hearts touch hearts. Sometimes sharing your life is, you know what, go golf with your friend. Go fishing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:20]:
Right? Go shopping with them. Right? Go go get coffee. Go Go go go eat dinner together. Right? So sometimes it's it's that kind of stuff. Just go watch the game. Right? Go go do that stuff like like your friends that you wanna reach out to, don't just make it come to Easter. Don't just make it come like but spend some time. Right? Because to be honest, they wanna know that I'm not a project.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:43]:
Right? They wanna know that I'm your friend. They they wanna know that that they you matter they matter to you and and that you matter to them. And so sometimes just a little bit of that. Right? And so share your life with them. But the the other thing is please share your faith. Right? Because the faith is it is like instead of keeping the faith, I think we're supposed to give it away. Right? We do. We do hold on to the faith, but we don't keep it for ourselves only.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:09]:
Right? And and sometimes you make use of events. Right? That painting days. Right? Sometimes that stuff like that. Right? Sometimes you you use events like, a food pantry for those people who's like, man, I just wanna make a difference in my community. I I sometimes I get surprised how some people, like, they don't go to church, they don't know Jesus or anything, but they find out that we do stuff like that, that they go, wow, that's awesome. Can I come? And and I said, sure. You know, come. We'd love to have you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:38]:
Right? That that kind of thing. For some of us that there's guys who who come to church, like from jujitsu. I know Steve was one of those guys that, like, I'm like, one is I wouldn't have wanted to meet him in a dark corner before he knew Jesus. But, you know, after that, like, the thing is that he's a he's one of those guys that he came to who's playing drums today. Right? Because because of jiu jitsu people come for all kinds of reasons, but but, you know, the by far the biggest day is Easter. By far, by far. I'm and I'm not sure why. I think some of it is just the power of the resurrection.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:13]:
I think just resurrection power is available. Spirit power is available. And so that if you invite your friends to Easter and the reason why we we do this is not for you to know when the date is, but if you don't know when this date is, please put it in your phone. But, but because Easter moves around. Right? It's the 30th 31st for us that weekend, but it's for you to invite somebody. Right? Here's the thing. I know a lot of us in this room that on different services and different times that you're actually running you're you're the guys who are running church. Right? You're guys who who are leading ministries.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:51]:
But but can if you can, when you invite somebody, if you're on the stage. Right? Hard to sit with them if you're kinda helping with the kids zone or you're doing a tech thing. But maybe just say this, hey. You know what? I I cannot see what you're doing thing, but make sure you sit with them after. Right? Have lunch with them. Introduce them to your friends. Right? Show them the kids where they can do stuff or like jumping thing or whatever it is that we all have that but make sure that you do that because this is the thing you don't want to do is just invite part of the reason why they come is because you invited them. Part of the reason why they come is because you invited them.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:38]:
Unless I invited them, they don't know me. They came because they know you. People come because they know you. Turn your to your neighbors, people come because they know you. People come because they know you. Right? And so please please invite. Please share your faith. Right? But the thing is that they come be because they know you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:59]:
And and and it's not to say that I should just invite only the people that I know well, because sometimes you you you can invite strangers. I've invite straight. I invite the lady who who cut my hair and I, like, I go to Great Clips now just because it's easy. I I love that they have an online booking thing, but, like, it's almost always a different person. I don't care who it is, but whoever cuts my hair, like, this month, like, in a couple weeks, they'll give an invitation. Right? I don't care because it's like, hey. We chitchat. We do and I'll just invite them.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:26]:
I don't know if you're doing anything for Easter, but it's a sub to invite you. Right? If you if you're free, we'd love to have you. Right? That kind of a thing. I there's a there's the people that you know and then the other one's called the 3 foot rule. You guys ever heard the 3 foot rule? You know what the 3 foot rule is? Yeah. When you have business hey, Mike. Here's this. Here you go.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:45]:
Right? You're with them with 3 feet. Anybody that you're around. That's another thing That you can do that, but but here's the thing that Jesus in in the scriptures, it tells this story that that where Jesus was talking about the kingdom of God and some guy blurts out, well, how blessed is anybody who who goes to the banquet in the kingdom of God. And and then Jesus replies, it says in Luke 14. His response to somebody who said, well, how blessed is it to go to the the to be honest, like the marriage supper of the lamb. And Jesus replied with this story. He said, a man prepared a great feast. Let's say a great feast.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:19]:
Great feast. Right. We'll have a great feast even on Easter. And he said, and he sent out many invitations. And when the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to tell the guests, come. The banquet is ready. But they all began making excuses. Right? And so, you know, is does everybody make excuses? Well, people began, it says, making excuses.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:41]:
You know, I I just got married. I I just bought 5 yoke of oxen. I just bought some property. Like, it's because my relationship, like, you know, it's like dreams that I'm working on and so they don't come. And so the master is upset. Right? Because people made excuses. And so in this is just a story. Right? It's not like an event, but it's the story that Jesus is telling, a parable.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:09]:
And so his master said later, he says, go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone, let's say anyone. Anyone. Anyone. Right? It says like, there's a great feast. Get anyone to come that the house will be full. And here's the thing I think is that that Jesus loves the lost in many ways because he wants his house full. God doesn't need people to worship him. God is growing his family.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:44]:
And the thing is that, you know, if Jesus paid for the world, I want Jesus to get what he paid for. You guys ever pay for something and never use it? And you feel like, Oh, what a waste. I wonder if God feels like that. I paid for that guy. I died for that guy. I'm not gonna let him go. What a waste for him to to be separated from me. What a waste for him to go to judgment and because he wants to build his family.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:16]:
Maybe in this story, the ones who made excuses were the recipients. Maybe 3 out of the 4. I don't know. But but here's the thing. Today, if we're not careful, it's we who make the excuses about why we don't invite because, you know, I don't know. It's a sensitive subject. I don't know. I'm kind of busy.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:37]:
I don't know, you know, like in my workplace or whatever. I I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. What if they ask me a question? Whatever the case. You know what? You're not responsible to to answer every question. You're not responsible to solve every problem. You don't have to be the Bible answer man. Right? You don't have to be, you know, the apologetics guru who can explain all the ways about the reasons for God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:03]:
To be honest, there's people who who do that. Right? And and and I enjoy that kind of a thing myself. But, you're not responsible for that. That some of you, you're afraid that you're gonna fail. But today, you know, when we're at the men's staying pastor Wayne told a a great story when he was a youth pastor and how he had this one kid been coming for 6 months. And and, and I know it's a great story because I don't remember hearing it before, and I heard a lot of Pastor Wayne stories. But, you know, the thing he told that story, just like a lot of you guys know my stories, but, he said that, you know, he tried to lead this kid to the Lord and say, hey, man, come here and explain the gospel to him and and he said that no matter what he said, the kid just says, well, does that make sense to you? He says, yeah. So you wanna accept the lord? He says, no.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:49]:
And he said, why? And he says, because I don't want to. Right? And to be honest, you can't change people's want. Right? And and so he he keeps asking, and the kid says no. And and then he's when he when he left, he said after he took the kid home, he said, you know, he's just telling God, God, what a failure. I can't even how can I how can I go into ministry? How can I serve if I cannot even lead this kid who's been coming to 6 months, I'm a failure? And he said he felt the Lord say to him, you know, Wayne, you're not a failure because he didn't respond. He says, you're you fail when you don't give them something to respond to. And I think it's the same for us. Right? You're not a failure if you invite somebody.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:33]:
You're not a failure if no one comes. You're not a failure if they don't wanna eat dinner with you or that they don't wanna go to the game with you. You're not a failure when you do that. It's when we don't give them something to respond to. Does that make sense? I think the same holds for us. And you know the thing is that I know that there's different seasons, right? There's just different seasons in people's lives and that that sometimes that not every season is the same. Right? Just like how many of you guys, like I mean, well, how many guys fish? Anybody else fish besides just some oh. I'm surprised.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:10]:
Like yeah. Yeah. Like and if you maybe you don't fish in Hawaii before, but, like, there's different seasons and different things. Right? And so, although they're around a lot, but generally in in my in my mind, Hallelu is summer. Right? You get Wama. You get all these different seasons. Right? But if you go in a different time, that they're they're not there. Right? But although for those of us who who fish that sometimes you just walk the beach and you whip, why do you do that? Because you never know what's gonna hit.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:39]:
Right? Sometimes. You never know what you're gonna hit. And and so we do this, but there are seasons when, to be honest, people tend to be most open. This is research that that has gone on and as people respond, in that. And there's 3 things that when people are most likely to respond, when there is tension in their life, when there is trouble or when they're in transition. And so what does that mean when there's tension? You know, like that when the news is bad. Right? When COVID is is happening. When people are scared.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:10]:
Right? People sometimes they want some good news. Sometimes they're they're looking for hope in in different situations. They're when there's, like, is the company gonna survive? Is is is this season are we gonna weather this storm? What's gonna happen? Are we gonna shut my division? There's just tension. Right? We don't know what's gonna happen. We're it's uncertainty. That that's one of those moments. The second time is that when there's trouble. Sometimes whether there's trouble at home or trouble at work or trouble with friends and, you know, that when they're kinda in the midst of a like, we don't know if we're gonna get divorced.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:45]:
We don't know if this is gonna you know, there's that kind of a situation, transition when I'm in a new job. Right? Maybe when I'm newly married, when I when I when I have a child, when I when I just broke up, when there's a death in the family or whatever there's there's some kind of a a sense where there's a transition. Something has changed. I moved to a new city. I I my kids go to a new school. All these kinds of things because they're they're destabilized. And how many of you, when you look at the news today, that there's tension in the news. Right? There's there's you read the news, there's trouble in our communities.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:26]:
There's trouble. People have trouble in their families. People are having trouble in their soul, right, mental health sometimes. Some people have trouble in their relationships that there's a lot of changes, lot of changes in different people's lives. And so that this is a time that I I'm just praying for this this this Easter. That it's normal for us at Easter to, like, double in number on Easter. It's just kinda normal. And and I I don't mean it like, oh, we just do it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:54]:
That's great. No. God just normally does that. But because of the things that are going on, I'm praying that God, we would more than double. Because people just need that. People just need hope today. People just need encouragement today. People just need power to kinda get through the things today.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:13]:
People need to get right with God today. And and so I I'm just ex I'm just expecting that. But, you know, sometimes the time that you think is like a horrible time is is the time that God is using to open people up. Because to be honest, it's in those moments that we're open to change. And that's why they that's why people get saved. And so consider the season, but even if it's not a great season on your estimation, do it anyway. Maybe an example of that would be what happened in China. You guys know the history in a little, I don't know if you know the history in China, but in 1949, that's when, Mao Zedong, they won the communist revolution in Taiwan, it was off on its own, but the rest of China became under the rule of the communist party.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:11]:
And at that time, there were a 1000000 Christians in China. And and great waves of missionaries had gone, Hudson Taylor and all these guys had gone and and worked. And there's at that time, after over a 100 years, there's like about a 1000000 Christians in that in that country. And then during that time that Mau came on, there was tremendous upheaval. He he tried to kinda, collectivize the way that they grew food and farming and it led to food shortages because it the communist didn't work in producing food and and so like tons of people died. They said during that time it was the largest famine in history. That during that 3 year period between 1545000000 people died because of that. It was it was a horrible time in China.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:06]:
His policy failed. He started doing it and then they had this other thing now where they started to do this called the revolution where they tried to reeducate people and people a lot of people were killed at that time. It was it was it was a crazy time where he was trying to reassert his power, and he tried to then remove all the foreign influences a little later. And they started opening up churches in China to kinda combat this. And and these are government churches, and we were invited at one time when we were going to go and speak in the government churches. But we I said, no. We're gonna refuse. Because once you do that, they you're tagged.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:43]:
Right? Like right now we can kinda go in as missionaries. We do all this stuff and we would speak in underground circles. Right? We do training in underground churches and all that kind of stuff. But during that time, they were persecution in the church and all these underground churches. They arrest pastors, arrest leaders, beaten. I told you guys some of the stories about, you know, this this scam who was in prison, arrested like 2, 3 times, spent 6 years in prison at one time and some other years. And it's just people paid a price. But in 90 in 2010, at that time when they could count, they were 49,000,000 believers in China.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:32]:
And all the time that you would think that it's not a good time, what happened is the faith grew because people needed hope. People needed encouragement. People needed life. People needed power. When it was the most horrible time, the gospel exploded. They say today that by 2030, that they expect there will be more believers in China than in the United States. Because you don't know really sometimes what it looks like, just do it anyway. Paul said it like this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:11]:
He says, preach the word of God. Be prepared whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct. Rebuke. What does rebuke means? Rebuke means to kinda show when you get off when we're off track. That's what that mean. Rebuke is not yell at people and not scolding people. Just say, hey.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:30]:
I think we're off track here. Right? And and then encourage your people with good teaching. I I just I'll close with this story, you know, that you guys ever worry that you don't know how to do it like just people get offended or whatever. I there was this military guy. He was a captain at Schofield And I remember him saying, bring in one of my, soldiers. He's gonna come to church, next week and I said, awesome. I I I'd love to meet him. And and, and I I met him and got to and I then I found out, I asked him, hey, how did you you come? And and the guy who well, actually the the the commanding officer, the guy who's the lieutenant of this guy said this and he was just kind of a joker kind of a guy and he was just teasing and he said to this guy, this soldier in his rank, he said, you're a sinner and you need to go to church.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:30]:
And the guy said, okay. And he was just joking. He was just kinda like He was acting like a bonehead at the time and and so but he said, oh, okay. And he actually came. And then he came and I saw him and he sat with him and I saw him give his heart to Jesus And then I saw his girlfriend give her heart to Jesus. And then I I got to do their wedding. Right? And then they I got to see them serve in the kids zone, and I got to see them serve in Journey, I got to see them do all these different things, and and it was a great time and and then they they, you know, military things changed and he got out and then they they moved back to the mainland. But last summer they came.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:20]:
A lot of us got to see them. Mike and Danny Cookl. And they got to come with their 3 kids and and guess what? They brought their other friends that became believers. And and they all came. Right? And you know why? Was it because that guy and I can't remember that officer's name anymore because he he had cycled out and they moved on pretty quick. But but those those guys, I remember Mike and Denny, because we got to do life together, because we got to do ministry together, because we got to worship together, and because I saw the change. But you know what? It started because some guy was joking and said, you're a sinner and you need to go to church. And he came.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:02]:
And and it's not about that you gotta do it perfect. Sometimes it's not how you say it. Sometimes the issue is that you say it. Right? Sometimes it's that you invite. We're not a failure if they don't come. Maybe we failed if we never gave them something to respond to. That make sense? Miss Bauerheads, we'll close in a word of prayer. Lord, that some of us are in here and, Lord, they could teach the same message.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:41]:
You could preach the same message, maybe better than I could this evening. And there are some of us that we struggle because we feel like I I don't know how to answer all the questions. I thank you, Lord, that although there's value in in understanding the depths of your word, being able to communicate those things, sometimes, Lord, it's it's not how we say it. Sometimes the issue is that we say it. Lord, that that we're inviting husbands, that we're inviting wives, that we're inviting parents, or that we're inviting kids, or that we're inviting friends. Lord, because you already paid the price for them. And Lord, we don't want to go to the end of our day and say, I wish I had said something. We don't want it to be that I never expected that that that would happen to them.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:42]:
Lord, would you put in our hearts today people that maybe you've invited in the past, but lord that people would you put on our hearts today, god. People that we should be praying for. People that we should be reaching out to. People that we should be inviting. Because it's a season. And Lord, I I believe that you're wanting to grow your family and that you're wanting us to be a blessing. Father, you want us to speak a life. The world needs it so desperate.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:20]:
The world just needs Jesus. And, Lord, I wanna do my part. If that's you today, that you're saying, God, I just I wanna do my part. If that's you, would you just raise your hand to God and say, God, that's me. I wanna reach people. I wanna love people. I wanna be light in the dark world. Lord, thanks that you didn't say that we had to work really hard to be light.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:56]:
You said when you're seeking you, the light of the world, lord, we get some of that light in us. But would you show us? Would you lead us? Give us boldness, god. Give us, lord, stir our faith. Lord that I'm thankful. We're also thankful for those who invited us. Lord, we weren't always on the inside. We weren't always people of faith. We weren't always people who wanted to follow you, but someone loved us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:32]:
Someone believed in us. Someone encouraged us. God, help me to be that person for someone else. And we pray that blessing in Jesus' name. Hey, with our heads bowed, our eyes closed. I don't know if you're in here today or you're watching online and and you know the thing is that you're you're watching some maybe some of you watching online because you're checking on us checking us out. Maybe somebody invited you to church, you weren't ready to come, you know, so you you just watched online, or maybe somebody in the house. But you know, this is the thing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:08]:
God's not saying go and do these things for me. Guess what he's saying? He's saying, I'm extending my hand to you. The reason why maybe we even have the services for you today is God's extending his hand to you, and he's extending his hand in friendship. And and, you know, there's there's more than one way that God can can deal with people. He can deal with us in judgment, but that's not His preferred way. His preferred way is that you would take his hand. His preferred way is that you would become part of his family because he paid the price for you. And he loves you no matter where you've been, no matter what you've done.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:51]:
No hole is too deep that God cannot reach down. No place is too black that his light cannot shine, no thing that you're walking through is too heavy that God cannot carry that load with you, but it starts with saying yes to him. And if that's you today, we'd love to have you join us. I'd love to pray with you today. We're gonna pray a very simple prayer if you wanna respond to God. Because all it takes is for you to say, I realize I need to change my thinking. You know what the Bible calls that? Repentance. Because I used to say I was gonna just do my thing, but, God, I'm willing to to seek you today.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:54:31]:
I'm willing to do your way. We repent. We change our mind, our thinking, and we put our faith in Jesus. If that's what you wanna do, we're gonna pray a simple prayer. Would you join me? Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus. Thank you that you came to seek and save the lost. I confess, that's me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:00]:
I've sinned, but I thank you. You said, you still love me. You still want me. You still want me. That you died in my place. So today, I changed my mind about me doing it all on my own, and I put my faith in you. Would you come live inside me today? Would you help me to know you, to hear your voice, to understand your word so that I might be able to walk with you, to grow stronger in you, to grow stronger in you, and to become the person you created me to be. In Jesus' name I pray.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:49]:
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Hey. Can we say congratulations to those folks who prayed? Hey. God bless you guys.