[June 7, 2026] North Chatham Campus - When People Meet Jesus

And then somehow I ended up at a conference, one of those weekend conferences that was about god's heart for lost people. I didn't realize that's what I was getting into, but that's what I got into. And over the course of the weekend, I realized Jesus when Jesus says that he came to seek and save the lost, to come after lost things, that was God's priority. And there's this beautiful phrase in the old testament about king David. King David is described as a man after god's own heart, and I still wanted to be that, to be me. I wanted to be me. I wanted to be who I was. I wanted to be a man after god's own heart, and I realized I can't be a man after god's own heart if I don't care what god cares about. [01:01:19] (39 seconds)  #HeartForTheLost

If we don't ache over the fact that there are people in your neighborhood, at your workplace, in your family that are far from God, if you don't ache over that, then we're not gonna rejoice and celebrate when they find their place in God's in God's household. And for some of you, frankly, here's also the other Some of you are not naturally wired up for rejoicing. You're more wired up for worrying or grumping or cynicism or ambivalence. So for some of you, it is work to rejoice. So, alright, go to work. Roll up your sleeves. Because all of heaven's rejoicing, you don't wanna miss it. [01:10:15] (32 seconds)  #CultivateRejoicingHeart

This man welcomes the wrong kinds of people. He even eats with them, and who you ate with in the first century in Middle Eastern culture still, really big deal. That's how you had that's who you had business dealings with. That's that's that's your tribe. Your people is who do you sit down and eat with. That's Jesus' tribe. So here's that in group bias. The religious people saying, those are the not religious group. Now are not the religious people now. So here you've got that natural in group bias, that preference for my people, but here's where it gets really, really, really bad when you start putting God in the middle of it. [00:52:52] (32 seconds)  #NoTribalismInFaith

And so that week, I prayed this giant stack of cards, and I'm praying, praying, praying. And one day, one morning, as I'm praying over these cards that of the of the things of the people that the students loved and and and and hadn't met God, I started crying. I thought, how far I've come? How much I've changed, how much I've grown, how much has the Lord answered that great prayer? Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours. Because here's the thing, Jesus doesn't go chasing after lost people, maybe you're kinda lost, someone he would call lost. Jesus doesn't go chasing after lost people out of obligation or guilt. He does that out of love. [01:02:54] (40 seconds)  #JesusSeeksOutOfLove

to to share in the celebrating, to be a part of what's happening and celebrating. The religious leaders of Jesus' day were not celebrating that the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus because they didn't share in Jesus' heart. They didn't share in God's heart for lost things. In fact but Jesus said, this is so important. He emphasizes it twice. The rejoicing, the celebrating part. This is so so critical that he emphasizes it twice. And frankly, the the the the the trick is that's a litmus test. It's a litmus test for where our hearts is. If we don't share in the longing for god's heart for lost people, we're not gonna celebrate when they come home. [01:09:43] (31 seconds)  #RejoicingIsTheTest

You are the fact that you're here is maybe a small or major miracle. We are so so glad you're here. And today, what Jesus is saying is all of heaven is leaning in, holding their breath, hoping, hoping, hoping that today you might finally say yes to Jesus, the good shepherd who's coming to carry you home. Hey. Are you willing today? Are you willing today to be the sheep that stops running away? To let Jesus throw you over your shoulders with joy to bring you home to your good father, a family that loves you, to the place where you were made for, where you belong? Are you willing? Because all of heaven is holding his breath, leaning in, can't wait to celebrate over you, your name. Today. [00:59:03] (41 seconds)  #ComeHomeToGod

repeats. These are the five primary. Prayer. Prayers you might pray. Pray for people that don't know the lord. Maybe it's again, maybe it's a a spouse, a sibling, a a neighbor. Just pray, god, would you would would you meet them? Would would you come up in conversations? Would you give them a spiritual longing, spiritual hopes? One of the things I started praying for a lot is that Jesus would breathe dreams to people that don't know the lord. They just disturb their dreams, call them to self. Right? So prayer is a great thing. Relationship. Just loving people the way that Jesus calls us to love people. Just being invested, being intentional, coming alongside, caring for people, demonstrating the love of Christ in in tangible concrete ways. [01:07:34] (31 seconds)  #PrayLoveInvest

And so I had to repent. I had to repent. Ask the Lord to forgive me. I had to ask the Lord to change my heart. And so I I prayed that prayer. For many many years, I prayed that prayer. And the prayer that I prayed is is similar to a song we used to sing around here pretty regularly. The song was, Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours. [01:01:59] (19 seconds)  #BreakMyHeartForTheLost