Welcome to you. We are glad that we get to do
this together. Glad that we get to walk through
life. Those of you on the online community, wherever
you happen to be, however you happen to be hearing
this, we're just glad that we do life together.
Those of you in the room, welcome. If you are
new to this space or either our online spaces
or either of those locations, just extra special
welcome to you. Don't take it lightly that you
would step into an arena like this, a space like
this, where you go. I'm here because I'm trying
to figure something out. I'm here because I want
to know more about. I'm here because I just need
something in my life. Like that's a space that
as you enter, just know that we don't take that
lightly. Like that's a big deal to us. And so
we're just grateful for that. You notice how
things come back. You notice that? Like Pastor
Todd's got a stash. It's back. I saw him this
morning, and first thing I said is, must be November,
right? Like, here we go. And, you know, Aaron
Rodgers, he just keeps coming back. He's like
an old penny you can't get rid of. But hopefully
he continues to stay healthy and lead the Steelers
into good spaces in the future. Bradshaw right
here, I see it. I see it. And, you know, and
then there's songs. Some of you are like, wow,
that was a great new song. I got to let you know
that song is not new. And if you've been around
church for a while, you've been singing it for
a while. And here's what's beautiful. I don't
want to miss the moment of kind of what that
song means and how it really leans forward. And
here's what I mean. That years and years and
years ago, somebody decided that they were going
to take the gift that God had given them. And
that was the ability to write music, write song.
And they were going to put that song on paper
and essentially birth it into our time and our
space. What I also love is the person that wrote
it isn't the one that you know it recorded by
if you know that song. That there was another
group of people that went, you know what? We've
got, we like this song. We love what it's about.
Is that a Dodger shirt? Is that what I see back
there? Rocha, I see you. I see you. You're in
church today because you were praying hard last
night, let me tell you. Pastor Todd said it's
the worst day of the year after the Dodgers win.
So there you go. What were we talking about?
Songs. Okay, so there's, but here's what I love.
Another group of people recorded it, right? And
you may remember it for that. If you're old school
Heights family, you may remember being in the
event center in Prescott Valley, singing that
song on Easter, right? Like it depends on where
you've been on this journey. But here's what
I love. That people along the way were faithful
to take truth and take their lives and the creativity
and what God had given them. And they used it
for the kingdom, which still today, some of you
are going, that was new. Some of you are going,
man, I miss this song, right? Like wherever you
happen to be on that spectrum, somebody used
their gifts. And in using their gifts, they have
impacted a whole group of people. But here's
what the beauty of this is. When Jeannie Lee
Riddle, which none of you know, wrote that song
that is now very, very popular and has been for
a lot of years, when she wrote that song, she
was just using the gifts that God had given her.
She was just being faithful. What could God do
with your faithfulness? Like, what could God
do with you just going, God, you give me gifts,
you give me talents, you give me creativity,
you put me in a time and place and space, and
I'm just gonna be faithful there. You don't know
if in 20 years people are still talking about
what you did because you were just using your
gifts. It kind of leans into where we're heading
over the next little while with this idea of
a generous life. You know, if we took this mic
and we kind of handed it out and went, okay,
tell us what you want out of life. I highly doubt
that we would hear anybody go, I want to live
a stingy life. I want my life to be smaller.
than God intended it to be. I don't want to live
a life larger. I highly doubt that if we were
talking about your funeral and people standing
up and speaking at your funeral, that anybody
goes, what I really want them to say, you guys,
is they were just so greedy. Nobody wants that,
right? Because instinctively inside of us, we
know that we were built for more. Instinctively
inside of us, we know that God created us for
this life that is larger than what we are living
today. That he built us for this kingdom that
he is building and he wants to use your life.
But here's the thing, if you do not have a generous
soul, you will never have a generous life. The
outcome, and there's parts of this that we're
gonna build over the next weeks of what does
it look like to have a generous life? What does
it need? What are the building blocks, if you
like, that you need to have a generous life?
And here's what I would say. We're gonna spend
time in Luke chapter 10 all the way through Luke
chapter 12 over the next weeks. These are the
words of Jesus, right? Like if you have an old
school Bible, they're in red. So if you are offended
over the next four weeks, You can be mad at Jesus
because they're his words. Like we're going to
leave it on Jesus. We're going to put it on him
this week. Right. And the idea of this generous
life is hopefully what happens is as we build
through this and we work towards what we call
Thanksgiving. Right. That what we get to is that
that God has designed you. He's designed me for
a generous life. Now we're in week one and in
week one, I need you to know something. We are.
launching today a New Heights vision. We got
a New Heights mission going on. Here's what we
are hoping for. By the end of today, by the end
of services today, we will have 144 people signed
up for this mission. What is the mission, you
ask? We are sending people, 144, we are sending
them off this afternoon to Northern Arizona.
Now, there are parameters to this mission. You
cannot take a car. Right there, 50 of you just
dropped out. The rest of you are like, well,
I'll just take an Uber. You cannot take an Uber.
You cannot take your bicycle. You are going to
use the two feet that God gave you, and you are
going to walk to the towns of northern Arizona.
When you happen to go, what's gonna happen is
you are going to declare a mission of God. That's
why you are going. Now, you also can't take any
money. So you can't take your wallet. You can't
take your credit cards. You can't take anything
that you would be able to purchase something
with. On top of that, this 144, you cannot take
your cell phone. We just lost 280 of you right
there. You're like, I'm out. You can't take your
cell phone. In fact, you can't take a bag with
extra clothes or any other supplies of any sort.
You can't take your backpack with your laptop.
No electronics can go with you on this trip.
It is a stinky mission, meaning you will wear
what is on your body and you will wear it for
the entire mission. As you go. And as you are
on this mission, you will also not be able to
take any shoes. If it is your choice, you could
take a pair of flip -flops. Okay, but they're
the cheap ones that you buy for like $1 .99.
Probably going to break, and at some point you
will be barefoot upon your journey. So what are
you going to do? You are going to go to each
town, each dwelling, if you like, of northern
Arizona. And you are going to go into a space.
And when you arrive, you're going to give a greeting.
And what you are trying to discern is, does the
peace of God rest on this place? If the peace
of God rests there, then what you're going to
do is go, hey, can I stay? Can I stay with you?
Will you provide lodging for me? Because I got
nowhere to stay. And then you're going to ask
him, well, you're already having me stay with
you. Can you just feed me too? And you're gonna
eat whatever they give you. Whatever they put
in front of you, that's what you're gonna eat.
Whether you like it or not, that's just what
you're gonna eat. That's what you get. Now, on
top of that, when you are there, you are there
to announce that Jesus is returning, that the
return of Jesus is coming. Now, we're in church.
That deserved at least a, yeah, that's happening.
Okay, all right. Just making sure we're still
Jesus people, okay? You're gonna announce that
Jesus is coming. You are going to heal whatever
sicknesses you find, whatever ailments, whatever
is broke in Jesus's name, you are gonna heal
those. And you are also going to announce that
the kingdom of heaven has come near, tell the
story of Jesus and that his return is coming.
You are going to do that. However, whatever house
you end up in first, do not move to another house.
You're gonna stay where you are for the entire
time. Now, if you go to a town and when you get
to the town, the town, you do not find peace,
you know, as you're figuring it out, you are
going to symbolically dust off your clothes that
are now stinky and sweaty because we live in
Northern Arizona. Symbolically to tell them judgment
and destruction is coming. Now, if this is something
you are interested in, you can go into the lobby
post service and there will be somebody to sign
you up. We need 144. Anybody want to go? You're
like, what are we even talking about anymore?
Right? Luke chapter 10, verse 1. After this,
the Lord, being Jesus, appointed 72 others and
sent them two by two ahead of him to every town
and place where he was about to go. He told them
the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are
few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,
to send out workers into his harvest field. Go,
I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
Do not take a purse or a bag or sandals and do
not greet anyone on the road. When you enter
a house, first say peace to this house. If someone
who promotes peace is there, your peace will
rest on them. If not, it will return to you.
Stay there eating and drinking whatever they
give you. For the worker deserves his wages.
Do not move around from house to house. When
you enter a town and are welcomed, eat whatever
is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there
and tell them the kingdom of God has come near
to you. But when you enter a town and are not
welcome, go into its streets and say, even the
dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a
warning to you. Yet be sure of this, the kingdom
of God has come near. I tell you, it will be
more bearable on that day for Sodom than for
that town. Y 'all. This isn't a parable. I just
need to be clear. Parable being a story that
Jesus made up that had a point to it. That's
not what this is. This is 72 people that answered
the call of the mission you just refused. Right?
That's how extreme this is. I love that it starts
out in verse one. After this, the Lord appointed
72 others, 72 others. Okay, well, in scripture,
what's happened before this? Well, if you go
back one chapter, what you find is there's 12
and Jesus sends them out the exact same way.
In fact, he gives them a little more, like don't
take this, don't do that, a little more specific.
And he sends out 12. Why did he send out 12?
Well, before that, there was who? John the Baptist
that he sent out. And if you notice, it says
that he sent out 72 and then it goes 72 others
and sent them two by two ahead of him. Okay,
so what was John the Baptist? John the Baptist
was a forerunner for the person of Jesus. He
was sent out by God to what? To announce that
Jesus is here. The Messiah is here. 12 go out
and what do the 12 do? They are forerunners for
Jesus. They're on mission going, hey, the kingdom
of heaven has come near. We've seen the Messiah
and he's coming to you. Now he sends 72 and the
72 go out and what are they supposed to do? The
kingdom of heaven has come near. Jesus is on
his way. They're forerunners for the person of
Jesus. And what I find interesting is for you
and me, What we have been left here, the reason
you're still on planet Earth as a follower of
Jesus, you know what's interesting? Jesus could
save you and take you. That'd be a fascinating
service, huh? Okay, anybody wanna receive Jesus?
And this half the room doesn't, they're gone.
And the other half are like, well, I guess we
got left. But he doesn't do that. Jesus saves
you, puts you into family, why? Because you are
now a forerunner. For what? Jesus is returned.
He is coming back. Still nothing. Good. We're
going to keep going. He's coming back, right?
So you, your life is what? A forerunner, a witness
to that if he died on a cross and he saved me,
then guess what? If that's true, then what's
equally true is he's coming back. Why? Because
he said he's coming back. So you're a forerunner.
Your life has a distinct purpose that you have
been. You are here with a mission, a kingdom
mission that God has put you on. And just like
this 72 there to go ahead of him. He sent him
to every town and place where he was about to
go. He told them the harvest is plentiful, but
the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest,
therefore, to send out workers into the harvest
field. One of my favorite things about Global
Month, it reminds me, and hopefully it reminded
you, the world is really big and the mission
is really big. When you hear of countries that
it's only 5 % of the population know Jesus, we
got a lot to do, you guys. We got a mission in
front of us. The work is not done. And this verse
is still true, right? Like that God would raise
up his people to go, hey, I am here to work in
the harvest field of heaven. I'm here to work
in the kingdom mission. My life is not about
me. It's about what God is doing. And so he emphasized
that verse three, go, I am sending you out like
lambs amongst wolves. Maybe in our context, that's
like you're a poodle to a bobcat. Right? Like
that's kind of the feeling that you get. Now,
if you're Jesus, this is not a good PR plan.
Right? Your mission statement, right? You're
going to put this, you're going to brand it like
I'm sending you out like lambs amongst wolves,
a .k .a. you are weak, you are vulnerable, you
are in danger, and you're helpless, and they
could devour you. Go. You just read it and you
go, wait a minute. he's stripping out safety.
He's telling them ahead of time, hey, my goal
for you as you're going out, my goal for you
as you follow me is not that you would be safe.
My goal is not that you would build this whole
thing where you can just kind of hunker down
and make sure that you're safe, your family's
safe, and nothing can ever get in, right? He
intentionally tells them right up top, which
he might need a different PR plan. He definitely
needs HR, I'll tell you that, because they need
a policy about this. I'm sending you out like
lambs amongst wolves. Leon Morris has a quote
in his commentary where he said they were in
danger and they were helpless. That doesn't sound
very... Western, does it? That's what I signed
up. Be in danger and be helpless. No, no, no.
If we're going in danger, we're going to have
the biggest weapon. Right? But he takes their
weapons away. He goes, I know I'm sending you
into danger, but I'm also taking away your defense
mechanism. It is such an upside down kingdom
perspective that God would take away the thing,
right? Like, what is he doing here, Jesus? Like,
what's the plan? Well, the plan is, verse four,
do not take a purse. So don't take any money.
Don't take any way to kind of be self -reliant.
Don't take any way to pay your way. Or a bag,
meaning don't take any supplies. Don't pack any
food. Don't pack any extra clothes. Don't pack
anything you might need for this journey. And
sandals. Sandals is interesting because they
think that they, some say, no, they went barefoot.
Some say, no, they went in sandals, but those
sandals were likely to break just because of
the rigors of the travel and the walk and all
of that. So at some point they were going to
end up barefoot. That was part of the point in
going. And do not greet anyone on the road, which
if you're here and you're like, you know Jesus
a little bit and you're like, well, that doesn't
sound very Jesus -like. I thought he was kind
and gracious. He is. But the idea of not greeting
on the road is when they would go on the road,
what would happen is the greeting was long. And
so as they greeted somebody, they would get distracted
by what was in front of them. And he's going,
don't get distracted. In our context, it's leave
your cell phone at home. Because if you could
go out into the middle of nowhere and have your
cell phone and you're distracted from everything
that's there, right? He's going, don't get distracted.
What this is speaking to is the urgency of the
mission. You guys, there is an urgency to your
faith. There is an urgency to our life. There
is an urgency to the mission that God has put
in front of us. And we get so, and when I say
we, me, I can get so distracted by what? A simple
piece of whatever metal in my hand with glass
that lights up. And in the meantime, I miss the
kingdom mission that God has. And he's saying
the same thing. When you go down the road, don't
talk to him. Which we're like, well, that doesn't
sound very nice. Don't be distracted. Verse five,
when you enter a house, first say to the house,
or first say peace to this house. If someone
who promotes peace is there, your peace rule.
rest on them. If not, it will return to you.
Anybody else just feel like stress for them?
Like I just got, every time I teach this, I'm
just stressed for them. Why? Because they're
supposed to go to a house, right? Which was a
household of people and do the normal greeting,
like the peace greeting. And if the greeting
came back and it resonated with them, then they
were supposed to stay there. That sounds terrifying.
Like, hey, what's up? God be with you. I don't
know if I feel it or not. Am I supposed to stay
here or am I not? Can you imagine? Like, we'd
be such a mess. Like, I don't know if I'm supposed
to. I guess I'm supposed to ask you this. Can
I stay here? Verse 7, stay there. So if the peace
returns, stay there eating and drinking whatever
they give you. That's so stressful for these
early believers. You know why? Because they're
going to towns that are Samaritan villages and
towns. Now, who are the Samaritans? You pick
your worst enemy. That is who the Samaritans
were to these Jewish boys, right? And what does
that also multiply to? When you go into a house
and now you're staying there and they put food
on that table, you eat whatever is in front of
you. What is eating with a Samaritan? What are
you actually doing? You are building a relationship
and you are in fellowship with, you're saying
I'm in community with you. That was a huge no
and look down on. And Jesus is going, go do it.
Why? Because in Jesus's economy, in a kingdom
mission, there are no lines, you guys. There's
no lines. We keep creating lines as a church.
There are no lines. There are only people that
need Jesus. And it is our job. It is our job
to what? To go across lines and build relationships.
What's crazy in this sense is they would have
sat down with really rigid, strict religious
rules around what they could eat and dietary
options. And they're supposed to sit down and
eat what's ever in front of them. Now you're
violating your religious. Why? Because if you've
got rules to your religion that stop you from
taking the good news of Jesus and the kingdom
of Jesus to people, you have mixed up the whole
thing. Right? It's not about all these rules
and regulations. It's about you need Jesus and
I will go across this so that you find Jesus.
Why? Because he's coming back. Eternity's on
the line. You know that, right? Like eternity
is on the line. And so the mission really, really
matters. Stay there eating and drinking whatever
they give you for the worker deserves his wages.
Do not move around from house to house. I love
this one. This is like human nature at its finest.
So you go to the first place and you're like
super nervous, like, oh, the peace rested. And
you're like, yeah, I got a place to stay. And
then you look at the neighbor's house and you're
like, wow, that house is so much nicer than this
house. And their food is within the dietary restrictions.
He goes, don't move. Don't try and better your
comfort. Don't try and better your circumstances.
Don't let your eyes, look at, look at, don't
let your eyes go to all the things we're trying
to build and gain that make us feel comfortable
and safe and secure. He goes, don't do that.
Verse eight, when you enter a town and are welcome
to eat whatever is offered to you, they needed
to hear that twice. Heal the sick who are there.
and tell them the kingdom of God has come near
to you. But when you enter a town and you are
not welcome, go into its streets and say, even
the dust of your town, we wipe from our feet
as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this, the
kingdom of God has come near. I tell you, it
will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than
for that town. How? Like those of you that have
the biblical narrative, you know who Sodom is,
you know what happened to the town of Sodom,
right? Like how? That's absolutely terrifying.
That it will be more bearable for Sodom on that
day? All that does for me is it talks about the
importance of the mission that God has given
us. The level that he raises it to is vital.
Your life is so vital that your life is one that
is lived being given away. But you will only
live giving life away if you live a generous
life. So what is, Jesus, what are you doing?
What is this all about? What is the point of
all this? Well, He strips away security, right?
The things that made them safe, their community,
their swords, their people, their ethnicity.
He strips all of that away. Then he takes away
what? They could depend on money. So even if
I get there and it doesn't go well, well, I got
a credit card. He takes that away. There's no
dependability on themselves. Well, if nothing
else, I can look a certain way. No, you can't
because that was stripped away because all you
got is your stinky clothes. There's nothing that's
going to attract people to you because of the
way you look and especially the way you smell.
Well, at least I got sandals. No, you don't because
you broke them on the way and now you're barefoot
and it hurts. It's painful. There's a physical
toll to this. Jesus is stripping away everything.
everything that they can depend on, everything
that they would have had trust in. Think about
it, you guys. This is not so far -fetched. What
do we spend our lives trying to collect? Comfort
and safety. I can be self -reliant. I don't need
anybody. We spend our whole lives trying to build
this thing, and then when I got it all in place,
Then Jesus, I'll take up the mission. No, you
won't. Because you never learned how to trust
him. What was this whole thing about? That they
would trust him. Why? Because you will never
live a generous life if you don't trust everything
to God. You won't. Luke chapter 22. This came
out of our teaching prep meeting on Tuesday this
week. Somebody said, hey, it reminds me of how
this ends. Luke 22, verse 35. Then Jesus asked
them, when I sent you without purse, bag, or
sandals, did you lack anything? Wait a minute.
When I stripped everything away. Did you lack
anything? What's the answer? Sorry, I can't hear
you. I'm kind of hard to hear. Still can't really
hear you. Hey, this is important. I need everybody
in this room to say nothing. Why is it important
that you say nothing? Because one thing for me
to read verses and it just gloss over you, it's
another thing for you to go, wait a minute, the
people that he sent out with nothing, the people
that he sent out vulnerable, like what? Poodles
to your bobcat. The people he sent out, they
respond, we lacked what? Nothing. Why is that
important? Because Psalm 23, verse one says,
the Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd,
therefore I lack nothing. So let me ask you,
the Lord is what? We lost about. 75 % of the
room. The Lord is my shepherd. Why is it important
that the Lord is your shepherd? Because therefore
you what? Like nothing. So stop trying to live
your life gaining everything. Stop trying to
give your life to have comfort, security, safety.
That's the point. The point of what he's getting
at is when you were out and you were vulnerable
and you had nothing and you thought you would
die, what did you lack? nothing. You lack nothing.
They had to learn to trust God and God alone.
I wonder how many of you God is just stripping
away right now. You know that friend that you
thought you'd always have? You don't have that
friend no more? Or maybe it was that nice house
that you thought would be like, when I get there.
And you don't have no more. Or maybe it's a car.
You've been saving up. I got this car, right?
And I got the car. And then this always happens.
You get the car, and then somebody hits it, like,
in the first week of having it. Like, it's inevitable
because God goes, it's not about the car, slugger.
Or maybe it's your kids. Like, you just got little
bubbles around your kids, you know? And you're
going to keep them as safe as you can. And so
you're creating all this. I'm not saying don't
keep your kids safe. Like, don't mistranslate
this. But it can easily become your focus where
you think you keep them safe. Here's what's really
interesting about safety, by the way. Later today,
you guys will go to sleep, hopefully. When you
close your eyes and go to sleep and you hit that
REM sleep, who's holding it all together? It
sure ain't you. Because you're unconscious. Your
snoring says so. Right? Isn't it interesting
that... I went to my itty bitty little lock on
my door and I latched it before I went to sleep.
I'll save. Your lock ain't doing nothing. The
God who's all powerful, who lacks nothing is
the one holding you. And until we learn to trust
that, we will not live a generous life. Why?
Because I'm collecting for me because I need
all these things. Instead, what God is trying
to teach them and trying to teach us is that
you can let go of all that stuff. Why? Because
he's got you. And when you learn that he's got
you, here's what happens. Next verse says this.
He said to them, but now if you don't have a
purse, take it. And also a bag. And if you don't
have a sword, sell. Sorry, now if you have a
purse, take it. And also a bag. If you don't
have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Wait,
wait, that's the opposite of what he told him
before. Why is he telling them now to take their
stuff? Because they've learned to what? Trust
him and not their stuff. And now what does their
stuff become? Their stuff becomes things that
he wants to use for the mission. He wants to
use to give away. Why? Because he knows he can
trust them because they trust him, not their
stuff. See how this works, right? What is God
doing in your world? He's maybe stirring up your
trust. Maybe he's taking some stuff away. Maybe
he's showing you today that you're building this
kingdom and trying to get this. When in reality,
what he wants to do is you trust him. And then
everything you have is about how can he get it
through you? Because that's what the generous
life is, is that I trust him so much I'm not
attached to stuff anymore. I had a moment this
week. I was actually preparing for this meeting.
I was in a coffee shop, barista comes up and
he goes, hey man, you drive that car out there?
I'm like, yeah, somebody just hit your car. And
it was such a beautiful moment because John of
20 years ago would have gone out there and been
so worked up about my car. And I got to walk
out there and I got to meet somebody. And I got
to just be kind. And it was such a moment for
me because I'm studying this where God goes,
you've learned, you've learned, you're in the
process of learning. Am I got this down? Not
even close, you guys. I'm an emotional wreck
on stuff. But in this instance, it was like,
God, it's just a car. It doesn't matter. You
know what part of that is? You'll live long enough.
You'll live long enough. And especially those
of you that are from Wisconsin or back that way,
you'll live long enough. And what do they all
do? They all rust. That's what they do. They
all become old. Nobody wants them anymore. And
yet we can get so sidetracked and distracted
to hold on, right? Look at this. One last thought
and then we're done. Back in chapter 10. Verse
16, whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever
rejects you rejects me, but whoever rejects me
rejects him who sent me. What that means is this,
when you go to somebody and you're like, hey,
can I pray for you? Because I just feel like
God told me and they go, no, don't take it personal.
When you share the gospel with somebody and they
get mad at you, don't worry about it. They didn't
get mad at you, they get mad at who? Hey God,
they get mad at Jesus. They're rejecting him,
not rejecting you. Don't take it so personal.
Verse 17, the 72 returned. Sorry, 72. How many
went out? 72. So not 71 came back. Jesus wasn't
like, we didn't like that guy anyways. All 72
came back. Why is this so important? God will
not lose what is his. He won't lose what's his.
You can trust him. 72 came back. And how did
they come back? With joy. And said, Lord, even
the demons, even demons submit to us in your
name. So they come back. Now think about it.
Humanize for a second. They went out on the mission
that all of you didn't sign up for. They went
out, right? Going, man, we don't have anything.
Everything's been taken away. This is scary.
We are vulnerable. We're in a space we don't
like. We're dependent on other people. And it
says that they came back with joy. They came
back with a spiritual fruit that they got to
experience. It doesn't make human sense. Verse
18, he replied, I, Jesus, saw Satan fall like
lightning from heaven. I have given you authority
to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome
all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm
you. However. Do not rejoice that the spirits
submit to you, but rejoice that your names are
written in heaven. You guys, creator God, heavenly
father who is perfect. the one that holds the
very stars, the one who is the essence of love,
knows your name. You are seen today. And your
name, those of you who have gone, man, my trust
is in Jesus. In spite of everything else, Jesus,
you gotta save me. Your name, your name, when
you put your trust in Jesus, your name is written
in heaven. So not only is it known, but in the
book of life that Revelation talks about, your
name is written into the book of life. So you
are known by God, but you are kept by God. Which
leads me to this. You should receive one of these
on your way in. What is this? Jesus says it's
a reminder. What is it a reminder of? Well, that
God showed up, that God took on human form. That
God went to a cross where he was mocked and he
was beaten and he was put to shame. And on that
cross, your very worst day, your very worst moment,
your worst sin that you try and bury as deep
as you possibly can because you can't believe
that you were the one that did it, that one,
it was put on him. And he chose to pay for your
sin. He chose to take your sin and bury it in
a grave. And when he rose from the dead, your
sin and your worst and your brokenness was left
in the grave. And what was raised out of that
grave was you with Jesus to newness of life.
That shame would not be your story. That grace
would be poured on you. And maybe just a word
on grace. That when you feel like you have done
something that's too much, you just go, there's
grace for that. How do you know? Because the
God who is infinite poured out so much grace
that it's like an ocean that you can't help but
drown in. That mercy, what is mercy? That the
God took mercy on you. That instead of putting
what you deserve on you, he withheld it and put
it on Jesus. That's what this is. Why? Why all
of that? so that your name, your name could be
written in heaven today. So what does it make
this moment? This isn't a sad moment of memory.
This isn't a moment when we get super reflected.
This is your own personal celebration party.
This is your own personal thank you. Thank you,
God, for showing up. Thank you, Jesus, for taking
my place. Thank you that because of that, my
name is written in heaven. Thank you, thank you,
thank you. I can't thank you enough for what
you've done because I don't deserve it. But our
trust has to be here if we're ever gonna live
a generous life. It has to be in the person of
Jesus. So here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna
pray for you and then we're gonna have a time
of reflection where you just get to thank God.
Thank God that your name is written in heaven
because of Jesus. And then we'll sing together.
God, we come before you. As a collective family,
we come before you. As ones you have rescued.
As ones you died for. As ones whose names are
written in heaven. God, I pray over anybody in
this room, anybody outside of this room, anybody
under the sound of this microphone that does
not cross screens, wherever, does not know you,
God, I pray that today is a day of rescue. I
pray today is the day that for the first time
in this reflection, they just go, Jesus, I give
you my life, save me. God, for those who have
declared, Jesus, I give you my life, save me.
For those that have put their trust in you, their
faith in you. God, we recognize that because
of your sacrifice, we, we, for all of eternity.
are written, our names are written in your book
of life. Our names are written in heaven and
we just say thank you. Thank you for being kind.
Thank you for being generous to us. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you.