Reflecting Christ: Grace, Love, and Intentional Engagement

### Summary

Today, we explored the concept of the "whosoever" from John 3:16, focusing on the problem that the whosoever faces, which is often us—the believers. We delved into how our actions, attitudes, and behaviors as Christians can either draw people to Jesus or push them away. Using personal anecdotes and scriptural references, we examined the importance of living a life that truly reflects the love, grace, and humility of Jesus Christ.

We discussed how poor representation of Christ can be a stumbling block for unbelievers. For instance, bad customer service at a Christian store can deter someone from ever returning, just as our unloving actions can deter someone from coming to Christ. Ephesians 4:1 and 1 Peter 2:12 remind us to live lives worthy of our calling, exhibiting godly character and moral courage.

We also looked at the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11) and how Jesus handled the situation with grace and love, contrasting it with the judgmental attitude of the Pharisees. This story illustrates how we should extend grace and love to the whosoever, rather than judgment and condemnation.

The story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) further emphasized that Jesus didn't care about societal optics; He cared about the individual's soul. Jesus' mission was to seek and save the lost, and that should be our mission as well. We are called to be the light in the midst of darkness, to be hope to a hopeless world, and to reflect Jesus in all that we do.

### Key Takeaways

1. **Our Actions Reflect Christ**: Our daily actions and attitudes as Christians have a significant impact on how unbelievers perceive Jesus. When we fail to exhibit love, grace, and humility, we become a stumbling block for those seeking Christ. Ephesians 4:1 calls us to live a life worthy of our calling, reflecting godly character and moral courage. [44:01]

2. **Grace Over Judgment**: The story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11) teaches us to extend grace rather than judgment. Jesus showed love and forgiveness, even when the religious leaders were quick to condemn. This is a powerful reminder that our role is to love people in their messiness, just as Christ loved us in ours. [47:42]

3. **Impact of Personal Conduct**: Our personal conduct can either build bridges or walls. Peter emphasizes in 1 Peter 2:12 that our behavior among unbelievers should be excellent, so that they may see our good deeds and glorify God. Our consistent, Christ-like behavior can lead others to encounter Jesus. [44:01]

4. **Intentional Engagement**: Jesus' interaction with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) shows the importance of intentional engagement. Jesus didn't care about societal judgments; He cared about Zacchaeus' soul. We must be willing to engage with the whosoever, regardless of their past or societal status, to show them the love of Christ. [55:57]

5. **The Power of Example**: The transformation of C.S. Lewis from a devout atheist to a significant defender of the Christian faith highlights the power of a good example. When believers live out their faith authentically, it can lead even the most skeptical individuals to Christ. Our lives should be a testament to the transformative love of Jesus. [01:02:52]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[03:46] - Vision of a World with No Hate
[05:44] - Celebrating Baptisms
[06:42] - Series Introduction: The Whosoever
[34:09] - The Problem for the Whosoever
[36:04] - Customer Service and Representation
[39:15] - Personal Story: Christian Apparel Store
[42:04] - Ephesians 4:1 and 1 Peter 2:12
[44:01] - Our Behavior Matters
[47:42] - The Woman Caught in Adultery
[55:57] - Zacchaeus: Jesus' Intentional Engagement
[01:02:52] - The Transformation of C.S. Lewis
[01:10:24] - Call to Reflect Jesus Daily
[01:15:00] - Offering and Generosity
[01:20:08] - Baptism Celebration
[01:24:55] - Closing and Prayer

### Bible Reading
1. **John 3:16** - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
2. **Ephesians 4:1** - "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."
3. **1 Peter 2:12** - "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."

### Observation Questions
1. What does John 3:16 say about God's love for the world and the promise for those who believe in Him?
2. According to Ephesians 4:1, how are believers urged to live their lives? [42:04]
3. In 1 Peter 2:12, what is the expected outcome of living good lives among unbelievers? [44:01]
4. How did Jesus respond to the woman caught in adultery, and what does this teach us about grace and judgment? [47:42]

### Interpretation Questions
1. How can our daily actions and attitudes as Christians impact how unbelievers perceive Jesus? [44:01]
2. Why is it important to extend grace rather than judgment, as illustrated in the story of the woman caught in adultery? [47:42]
3. What does the story of Zacchaeus teach us about intentional engagement with those who are considered outcasts or sinners? [55:57]
4. How can the transformation of C.S. Lewis from an atheist to a defender of the Christian faith inspire us in our interactions with unbelievers? [01:02:52]

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your daily actions and attitudes. Are there specific behaviors you need to change to better reflect Christ to those around you? [44:01]
2. Think of a time when you were quick to judge someone. How could you have extended grace instead, as Jesus did with the woman caught in adultery? [47:42]
3. Identify someone in your life who might feel like an outcast or sinner. How can you intentionally engage with them to show the love of Christ, similar to Jesus' interaction with Zacchaeus? [55:57]
4. Consider the impact of your personal conduct on unbelievers. What steps can you take to ensure your behavior builds bridges rather than walls? [44:01]
5. How can you be a better representative of Christ in your workplace, school, or community? Share specific examples of actions you can take.
6. Reflect on the story of C.S. Lewis. Is there someone in your life who is skeptical about faith? How can you be a positive example and engage them in meaningful conversations about Jesus? [01:02:52]
7. What practical steps can you take this week to live a life worthy of your calling, as urged in Ephesians 4:1? [42:04]

### Day 1: Our Actions Reflect Christ
Our daily actions and attitudes as Christians have a significant impact on how unbelievers perceive Jesus. When we fail to exhibit love, grace, and humility, we become a stumbling block for those seeking Christ. Ephesians 4:1 calls us to live a life worthy of our calling, reflecting godly character and moral courage. [44:01]

Ephesians 4:1 (ESV): "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called."

Reflection: Think about your interactions today. How can you intentionally reflect Christ's love, grace, and humility in your words and actions?


### Day 2: Grace Over Judgment
The story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11) teaches us to extend grace rather than judgment. Jesus showed love and forgiveness, even when the religious leaders were quick to condemn. This is a powerful reminder that our role is to love people in their messiness, just as Christ loved us in ours. [47:42]

James 2:13 (ESV): "For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment."

Reflection: Is there someone in your life whom you have judged harshly? How can you extend grace and mercy to them today?


### Day 3: Impact of Personal Conduct
Our personal conduct can either build bridges or walls. Peter emphasizes in 1 Peter 2:12 that our behavior among unbelievers should be excellent, so that they may see our good deeds and glorify God. Our consistent, Christ-like behavior can lead others to encounter Jesus. [44:01]

1 Peter 2:12 (ESV): "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."

Reflection: Reflect on your behavior in public settings. Are there areas where you need to improve to better reflect Christ to those around you?


### Day 4: Intentional Engagement
Jesus' interaction with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) shows the importance of intentional engagement. Jesus didn't care about societal judgments; He cared about Zacchaeus' soul. We must be willing to engage with the whosoever, regardless of their past or societal status, to show them the love of Christ. [55:57]

Luke 19:5-6 (ESV): "And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.' So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully."

Reflection: Who is someone in your life that you have avoided engaging with due to societal judgments? How can you reach out to them with Christ's love this week?


### Day 5: The Power of Example
The transformation of C.S. Lewis from a devout atheist to a significant defender of the Christian faith highlights the power of a good example. When believers live out their faith authentically, it can lead even the most skeptical individuals to Christ. Our lives should be a testament to the transformative love of Jesus. [01:02:52]

1 Timothy 4:12 (ESV): "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."

Reflection: Consider how your life serves as an example to others. What changes can you make to ensure that your actions and attitudes consistently point others to Jesus?

Joshua Ali.Hey, we just came to give you some encouragement today.I hope you're ready.tried to weigh us down.Some days can't see the light.I'm just praying we be found.No food, no light, no water.And that baby needs some shoes.It would be livingWon't stop and we won't go.Can't quit till we let y'all know.Hey, this love and peace I found.It never ends and it won't come down.Hey, I had a great idea.A world with no hate and no fear.All grace, love, and all cheers.Families, hugs, and no tears.Hey, let me just bask for a minute.Brand new whip, no windows tinted.Party in the street till the sun come get us.And tell the whole crew they can all come with us.And we ain't gotta lock the doors.And we don't need cops, of course.And we don't care about your skin.We just want an all out win.They tell me it's illogical.But anything is possible.If God be for us, we can overcome all obstacles.They say love covers a multitude of sins.So I'm here to put some love in.And I'm here to put some love in.Well, good morning, good morning, good morning, church.How are we doing this morning?Oh, we can do better than that.How are we doing this morning?Yes.Well, I'm excited to see each and every one of you this morning.Would you stand with me as we prepare to worship this morning?If this is your very first time, welcome to Limitless Church.My name is Kenan.I, along with my beautiful wife, Sonia, we are the pastors here at Limitless Church,and we are excited that you are here.We are celebrating something very special today.We are celebrating baptisms, and we are excited about those who are making the decision togo public with their faith today after service.So if you're here at service and you see us a little bit excited, you see us a littlebit overjoyed, it's because we got something to celebrate, and we are excited about that.So, let's pray and let's get started.Heavenly Father, thank you for this day.God, thank you for what you called us to do and what you called us to.God, this is the day that you have made, and we make a decision to rejoice and to be glad.God, this is your house, so we ask that you would have your way in every corner of thisproperty, that you would speak to your people, and that you would begin moving in the heartsand in the minds of everyone.God, we thank you for every person.God, we thank you for every gift that has walked through this door, God.And we thank you that we will cherish those gifts, and that you would begin to move anddo what you do in this place.Have your way in your house.In Jesus' name we pray.Amen.well good morning everybody how we doing this morning it's good to see each and every one ofyou this morning and for those of you i haven't seen in a while welcome back it's good to see youum i'm excited to dive into this church and i'm excited to see you guys and i'm excited to see youthe word this morning um we have been in a series called the whosoever and we have been talkingabout this idea of the unbeliever or the whosoever it's based off of john 3 16 that says for god soloved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him would notperish but have everlasting life and so we've been talking about who is this whosoever and sowe've been in this series and we started talking about the hope for the whosoever that's found injesus we talked about how god has a need for the whosoever we talked about the purpose forthe whosoever and this week um i want to do something a little different as we continue onthe idea of the whosoever today i'm not going to specifically talk about the benefit of thefor the whosoever but today i'm more so focusing on what i call the problem for the whosoever let'spray god thank you god your presence is already here you're already moving in the hearts and inthe minds of your people god we would just ask that you would just continue to move lord yourword is already anointed we ask that you would anoint our ears and our hearts to receive whatyou're sayingspeak to us god each one of us individually lord you know everything that we have need ofand only you can speak to all of us at one time so we thank you for this opportunitythat we have to hear from you challenge us today god that we would leave here differently than theway that we came in in jesus name we pray amen all right so i'm a person that's really big andon customer service. It is a big deal for me. In my teens and in my 20s, I worked in hospitality,and particularly I worked in what was called high-profile hospitality, because the placesin where I worked, I ran into quote-unquote famous people all the time, okay? And the places I worked,they placed a high priority on customer service. And as a result, that's something I pay very closeattention to. I can usually tell the type of food or service that I will receive based on theinteraction that I have with the sales employee or the, excuse me, the sales representativeor the employee that I first encounter of that establishment.If I walk in a place and nobody says something to me, first of all, I get irritated, but that's notwhat this is about. Or when I do have a, or if I do have an interaction with an employee and theyhave a bad attitude, like you met because you came to work, I can usually tell what type of servicethat I'm going to receive based on that. And more than likely, if I encounter one of those things,I can probably,assume that my service is going to be bad, or my food is going to be bad, and I'm probably notgoing to be back either. And let's not even get on phone customer service, because that is a lostart in and of itself. Earlier this week, I had the opportunity, is what I'm calling it, becauseI'm choosing to use a better term. Something happened with my credit card. I had to get anew credit card, and so I called customer service.Yeah, you see where this is going, huh? Yeah, so I called, and they, after a couple of times ofthem telling me how I was, how they appreciated me calling, and how I was a valued member, andthat they wanted me to hold, then I finally did get to something, and they said, hey, you know,we would love to help you. Tell us, and I immediately said, representative,we understand.We understand that you would like a representative. Please tell us what you need. I need arepresentative. By the time you get me the third representative, I don't know how much Jesus I haveleft. I want to talk to somebody, okay? Representative is what I'm looking for.And then when I did get on the phone with the representative, they proceeded for the next 10minutes to tell me what I could do to fix my problem. I said, that's why I called you.I called you to fix this, not for you to tell me how I could fix this, but you're the representative.You're the one, you, they pay you. I'm not getting paid to fix this. They, okay, all right, so,so it's a big deal for me, and so, so, so, so I, I, I'm a person who, who really likes Christianapparel, so I started this faith-based clothing line a couple months back called Sweatless Victory,and it is a clothing line that I've been using for a long time, and it's a clothing line that I've been using for a long time,and we do, like, shirts and just different apparels, okay? I, I just believe in supportingChristian apparel. I support, I believe in wearing Christian apparel, so I went on Instagram,and I saw that there was this store that sold Christian apparel in Sacramento, and the guy whowas, he was, like, like, pseudo-influencer. He loves Jesus. He has a store. I'm like, yes,I'm going to the store. I like to spend money in Christian,businesses, because I like to support the kingdom. I believe that if God has given methe resource, and I got an opportunity to spend that resource with a fellow believer, I want todo that, okay? So, I, I, I'm like, oh, cool. I'm going to the store. I'm driving from Woodland toSAC. I'm excited. I get to the store. I see the store. I walk in the store. Nobody says anythingto me. I'm in there for a couple of minutes, and I'm walking around. I obviously look like somebodywho hasn't been in the store for a long time, and I'm like, oh, I'm going to the store. I'm like,I'm looking around. I have no idea that the, the mannequins and the sizes is, is weird, and thethings that are out is all weird, and the, there's a person at the register, and the person looks upand sees me as they're packing some things in a box, and then they look back down in the boxto continue packing the stuff. I'm like, okay, maybe, maybe they short staff, and, and, and,you know, it's cool. I'm, I'm, you know, be gracious.Hallelujah. Extend some grace, right? Give them some time to finish packing the stuff up,so then once they finish packing the stuff up, then they could come over here and help me.Never mind that they didn't acknowledge me. Cool. It's all right. I'm fine. I'm just happy to behere, all right? So, so they finish packing the stuff up. Once they finish packing the stuff up,another gentleman comes from the back. They proceed to now have a conversationback and forth with each other about nothing that has anything to do with the store,and they've yet to come over to me to acknowledge that I'm in the store,and then once they did, this was the response. Is it, you good? Pastor Kenan, Pastor Kenan,Pastor Kenan, Pastor Kenan, Pastor Kenan loves Jesus. Pastor Kenan loves Jesus.So me, I done drove all the way from Woodland to SAC. I'm leaving here with something.So I grab a couple things. I go to the register. I'm already upset because the people who werethere, and they still having a conversation. I'm leaving here with something. So I grab a couplethings. I go to the register. I'm leaving here with something. So I grab a couple things. I go toconversation. No one has come out. I get to the register. They're still having a conversation.I'm like, hey, I want to, I want to check out. Can I check out? And I'm like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah. And they grab the stuff. No, they put my stuff in the bag. There's a problem with theregister. And of course, the person who's there doesn't know how to work the register. So theyhave to call somebody else. They come and handle it. No apology. No, I'm sorry for the wait. No,none of that. Here you are. Thank you. Have a good day. I got horrible service from this Christianclothing store.And because of the horrible service I received, I am never going back to that store. Here's thething. I never got a chance to personally meet the owner of that store. I don't even know if thepeople who were working at the store were Christians, but they were the representativesand they represented the brand and the owner in a way that made me never want to go back thereand shop again. Ephesians chapter four, verse one.Ephesians four, verse one.So I, a prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which youhave been called. That is, live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personalintegrity, and mature behavior. A life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvationwith all humility, forsaking self-righteousness,gentleness, maintaining self-control with patience, bearing with one another in unselfishlove. First Peter chapter four, verse, let's start at verse two. Oh, actually let's start at verse12. First Peter two, verse 12. Keep your behavior excellent among the unsaved Gentiles. Conductyourself honorably with graciousness and gentleness.So that for whatever reason they may slander you as evildoers, yet by observing your good deeds,they may instead come to glorify God in the day of visitation when he looks upon them with mercy.What am I saying? One of the main problems for the whosoever isn't the concept of Godor even the validity of the Bible. One of the main problems for the whosoever,sadly,is us. It's us. It is those of us who call ourselves Christians, but don't accuratelyreflect the life, the values, the morals of a true follower of Jesus. We wear the name tag,but our life does not reflect a follower of Jesus. Time after time, we underestimate the impactthat our daily choices and example has on the whosoever.Paul and Peter tell us that how we behave is important in the life of the whosoever. In fact,Peter passed a direct correlation with our conduct and the day when the believer encounters Jesus.He says, keep your behavior excellent. Why? By observing your good deeds,they may come to glorify God in the day when he looks upon them with mercy. Behavior,the unbeliever, someone encountering God.Jesus. When we are rude, when we are unloving and ungracious, when we compromise in areas ofour life because we feel like it's okay, when we have all the knowledge of the scripture but noneof the heart behind it, we become a detriment and a black eye to the name of Jesus. We becomethe bad employees or the representatives in the foyer of the body of Christ.That is a problem for the whosoever. How many more scandals? How many more stories? How manyrude and self-righteous Christians have hindered unbelievers from really encountering Jesus?But as with all things, this is not a new thing. Jesus encountered this as well, and he tooksome significance out of it. He took some significance out of it. He took some significanceopportunities to show us and those in his circle at that time what it really meant to exhibit thelove of God to the whosoever. Because we place limits on how we're going to love somebody thatdon't know Jesus, right? Because if they say, we're like, okay, because we love Jesus together,so we cool. But you, I will cuss out. Do you understand me?Like, that makes sense. John chapter 8, verse 3. And I want to talk to me today.Now, the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery.They made her stand in the center of the court, and they said to him, teacher,this woman has been caught in the very act of adultery. Now, in the law, Moses commanded usto stone such woman to death. So what do you say to do with her? What is your sentence?They said this to test him, hoping that they would have grounds,for accusing him. But Jesus stooped down and began writing on the ground with his finger.However, when they persisted and questioned him, he straightened up and said, he who was withoutany sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. Then he stooped down again andstarted writing on the ground. They listened to his reply, and they began to go out one by one,starting with the oldest, until he was left alone with the woman standing there before him in thecenter of the court.Then up Jesus said to her, woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you? She answered,no one, Lord. And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on, sin no more.The story is very interesting, and I know this is a story that most of us have known and may haveheard before. But this story is very interesting because we see in verse 3, if we would put upJohn 8 verse 3, it starts,off telling who Jesus is around. Verse 3 says, now the scribes and the Pharisees.Now the scribes would be the historians of the day. They would be the ones who their very jobis to write down everything that happens. That's all they do all day long, all their life,not only them, but their entire family and their lineage. All their job is to write downeverything that happens.They know what they know, what they know, because they were there and they wrote it down.So they know it. They know everything. Okay, so we got the scribes. Then we have the Pharisees.See, the Pharisees, they were the ones who prided themselves on upholding the law. They knew all ofthe laws. They made sure that people upheld the law. They were very prideful people. They werewere the ones who walked around puffed up because they did everything right or they portrayed theimage of doing everything right and so it says the scribes and the pharisees brought a womanwho had been caught in adultery and just a little behind the scenes let me tell you why this is aproblem because the people who were supposed to know everything because they wrote it downand the people who were supposed to know the law from top to bottom brought a woman who was caughtin the act of adultery however the law states that whenever someone is caught in the act ofadultery both parties should be brought they brought the woman but not the man okay a littlehistory for you that's free you don't worry about that so this is already a problem so jesus alreadyknows this is a problem y'all not really here for this because if y'all were here for thisy'all would have bought both parties so obviously y'all y'all y'all this is this is sus this is this isa problem okay so personally if it was me i think and again this is my opinion this is not the bibleat all this is this is the book of kenan which is not viable at all all right i think jesus was alittle upset and sometimes when you really upset um and you love jesus or you are jesus you haveto remove yourself from the situation right and ithink jesus was a little upset and so rather than him uh flipping tables or whipping people i thinkhe just wrote in the ground because he was just he was just mad he was just mad because becausehe couldn't even fathom or understand why the very people who had encountered the grace of god themost who had encountered the forgiveness of god the most the ones who knew the law the ones whoknew the history would now instead of showing that same love that same grace they would nowbring somebodyto the very son of god to be accused couldn't figure out what was going on but jesus shows ushere what it really means to exhibit the love of god towards the whosoever the very peoplethat were supposed to know better the ones who had experienced all of this were more interestedin trying jesus and embarrassing this woman than anything else but jesus shows us thatas believers no matter what our title is no matter what our position is we have to carefully examineourselves our actions because life death and eternity could be on the line see you just thinkabout how upset you are you just think about how unfairly you've been treated you just think aboutyour emotions and how you want to pop off because you feel like you should be able tobut eternity is not the answer to that question because you feel like you should be able to buteternity is on the line life and death could be on the line the impact that jesus had on thiswhosoever's life changed her forever she was facing certain death but one encounter with jesuschanged everything it changed everything when whosoever encounters us do they encounter jesusor someone else this isthe question do we take the limits off of the way that they see jesus faith in the church or dowe perpetuate the limits that they already have we are called to be the light in the midst ofdarkness we are called to be hope to a hopeless world but when the world sees us if all they seeis fighting if all they see is division if all they see is hatred and people who can't seem toget along then the main thing is that we are called to be the light in the midst of darknessstopping them from becoming a believer is us that is a problem jesus shows us that we are called tolove people in their messiness just as christ loved us right in our mess because when we dowhen we do that we have an opportunity to be the representatives that god called us to beand they have an opportunity to encounter the transforming love of god and instead of being aproblem for the whosoever we now become the answer for the whosoever luke chapter 19 verse 1story we know jesus entered jericho and was passing through and there was a man there calledzacchaeus he was a chief tax collector a superintendent to whom others reported and hewas rich zacchaeus was trying to see who jesus was but he couldn't see for the crowd for he wasshort in stature so he ran ahead of the crowd kind up in a sick andmortuary to see him for he was about to pass through that way when jesus reached the placehe looked up and said to him zacchaeus hurry and come down for today i must stay at your houseso zacchaeus hurried came down and welcomed jesus with joy verse 7 when the people saw itthey all began muttering in discontent he has gone to be the guestof a man who is a notorious sinner zacchaeus stopped and said to the lord see lord i am nowgiving half of my possessions to the poor and if i have cheated anyone out of anything i will giveback four times as much jesus said to him today salvation has come to this household because hetoo was a spiritual son of abraham for the son of man came to seek and save that which was lostjesus didn't care about the opticsjesus didn't care about what it was going to look like to other peoplehe didn't care what people were going to say he only cared that the lifeof the whosoever was on the line instead of talking down on him instead of reminding himof all the sins that he had committed and all the things that he had done and how he was no goodhe chose to go eat with him he chose to go to his house with his family with his friends and spendtime with him he chose to go to his house with his family with his friends and spend time with himnot only did he just choose to go with him jesus said i must go to your house todaythe mission for the unbeliever for the whosoever drove jesus and that same mission has to driveus it has to be a driving factor for us it cannot be something that we just do whether we feel likeit or not we just live our own life we're free we're free we're free we're free we're free we'refine because we got our jesus and we go into heaven so we are all right with that and and aslong as i'm going it's okay no no no no no then we become no better than the jews and the phariseesand the sadducees we become no better than them it's not just about the fact that jesus saved usbut it's about that he saved us all see we don't get i know some of us think we get our littlepersonal jesus right and it's a customizable jesus right and you can have your own littlecustomizable jesus and you can wear it and you can wear it and you can wear it and you can wear itand you can wear your customizable jesus or you can have your customizable jesus in your pocketor you can put your customizable jesus in your car or you can have your customized customizablejesus at your house and your customizable jesus lets you do what you want to do when you want todo it because it's your own customizable jesus and you can choose whatever you want to do outof this book because it's your own customizable jesus right and you can choose whether or notyou want to obey what the book says because it's your own customizable jesusgod forbid god forbid no he says i came to seek and save the loss and he commended usit's called the great commission not the great suggestion he commissioned us to go and tellpeople of the day and night difference that he made in our life he commanded us to go and tellpeople that god sent his son to die for us and he did and he did and he did and he did and he did andfor us so that we could be in relationship with him so that we could have an opportunity to spendeternity with him it wasn't optional he said this is what i've commanded you to do but it's a problemfor us when we choose to not do that and it's even worse of a problem when we choose to notline our lives with this and then be bold about being a christian because it looksconfusing not only is it confusing to the body but it's confusing to those who don't know jesusbecause when people see jesus they should when people see you they should see jesuswhen people see the word they see jesus and when they see you they should see the wordthey should see jesus when they encounter you they encounter jesus and all of this is supposedto line up and when it doesn't line up it is a problemand that's why when we talk to people about jesus and we talk to them about christianityyou know what they say you know i'm i'm more i'm more spiritual you know i'm more spiritual thananything why because somewhere along the line i guarantee you if you have a conversation withthem somewhere along the line they encountered somebody who was not a representative an accuraterepresentative of jesus christand they became a hindrance a stumbling block for somebody encountering jesusand they became a problem for the whosoever this is what god has called us to bewe are called to be the solution we have no idea what impact our time will havewhen we spend time with the whosoever when we have dinner with the whosoever when we uh uhchoose to to just give them five minutes of our time when we choose to give them our testimonywe have no idea what impact that can make jesus goes and sits and has dinner with these peopleand and and and somewhere in the dinner somewhere in the dinners that kids gets up and he says youknow what fine i got it you ain't even got you ain't got to say nothing else you know what ifi've done anything i'm i'm not because he was still working on the truthhe says if i've cheated anybody i'm i'm i'm i'm giving it back i'm giving it back four timeshe says i'm gonna give half of everything i owe to the poor why because jesus spent time with himso we have no idea what our time can do and when we live our life as an accurate reflectionof the grace of god our graciousness when grace isundeserved our patience when others is impatient our peace in the midst of chaos people see thatwhen we commit to living like jesus loving like jesus and telling the story of jesus we will havean opportunity to say today salvation has come to this house today salvation has come to this housethere was a um world renowned author who was a devoutatheist devout atheist however in his circle there were some believers and he could notfigure out why they lived the way that they live why they were so committed to the way that theywere living it seemed foolish to him couldn't understand why they were so generous why theywere so loving why they were so kind even in the face of everything that was going on and so hebegan to ask him why they were so kind why they were so kind why they were so kind why they were sokind he began to ask questions he began to have discussions about faith and over time he hadthese discussion and he experienced love like he had never known he experienced grace and patienceand he was in awe of how they moved through their life through their examplethis whosoever came to know jesus christ as his lord and savior and he became a believerbut not just any believer he became one of the most significant defenders of the christian faithof the 20th century he became a world-renowned author and theologian that whosoever was c.s lewisif you don't know who he is i would challenge you look him up but because of somebody else's examplebecause somebody else chose to spend time with him when he had questions y'all know how y'allget irritated when people keep asking him questions he became a believer and he became a believera bunch of questions and y'all want to answer him yeah but because of that because of the grace hewas shown he became one of the most significant defenders of the faith of the 20th centurywe never know who god has called us to and we never know who the whosoever god has placedin our life if we are obedient see the challenge we face isn't simply the world's rejection ofchrist but rather how we as hisrepresentatives attribute to that rejection when we fail to embody the love the grace andthe humility of jesus we inadvertently become the obstacles for the whosoever that he desiresto draw to himself we could think about the moments that that we were the pharisees therehave been moments where we have been the phariseesquick to judgeand slow to love our actions have the power to either build bridges or build walls and we have toremember that each one of us bears the weight of being a living testament to the transformativelove of christ our daily conduct our attitudes matter our daily conduct let me say this againlàthe consistency of our daily conduct matters greatly because the world is just looking foran fades to breakfastan opportunity be like i thought you was a christian let's not give them an opportunityas we step out into a world that desperately needs hope it is my prayer that we would committo not being the problem for the whosoever but being the answerlet's let our lives bereflect the heart of Jesus, who dined with sinners and extended grace to the undeserving.Let's not wait for the world to clean themselves up before we decide to extend them love.I have a thing that I say, and I've said this for a long time, we catch them first,then we clean them. Sometimes we try to clean them before we catch them. And just to get youmore upset because we're at the end of this, it's not your job to clean them anyway. The HolySpirit does the cleaning. You're just a part of the process. Please remember that it was throughkindness and patience that many of us came to know Jesus. So let's do the same thing that wasdone for us for others, inviting people into our lives and showing them the radical love and graceof God. Let's be a people that reflect God's heart, allowingus to be the people that reflect God's heart, allowing us to be the people that reflect God'severy whosoever that we encounter to meet Jesus through us. People's lives are on the line.Eternity is on the line. Hell is a real place. It is a real place that exists. It's not meantfor us. But those who don't have the opportunity, those who choose to not accept Jesus Christ astheir Lord and personal Savior, have that as eternity. But we have the opportunity tomake sure that that doesn't happen when we share the message of Jesus with them. When we share ourlife, we share our love. We don't make Christianity, we don't make church, we don't makefaith a Sunday thing. It's bigger than Sunday. Sunday is the huddle. This is the day that weall come together. This is not it. If this is it, that's the problem. If this is it,for you, that is the problem. This is a life. Every single day, every single moment, that's whatthis is for you and for those that watch you, for you and for your kids that are watching you,for your grandkids that are watching you, for your great-grandkids that are watching you,for your nieces, for your nephews, for everyone that is watching you. This matters. You have achoice.It doesn't have to be a problem or be the answer. You decide. Every single day, you decide.Heavenly Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for speaking to us today.God, I thank you for reminding us of what you've called us to do and who you've called us to be.God, I thank you that it is not by our might, but us partnering with you that allows us tobe the examples you've called us to be, God. Perfection is not attainable until we getto heaven, but God, thank you for giving us the ability and the power through the Holy Spiritto live a life that lines up with the word of God. God, thank you for empowering us daily to be theexample to the believers and the unbelievers in word, conversation, charity, faith, and impurityas your word says. God, thank you. Thank you for your grace and your mercy being extended to usthat we might extend it to others. Thank you.For our heart, for the whosoever. God, I pray that you would prick our heart, God,that we would have an undying passion to tell people about what you've done for us,to tell people about how you saved our life and brought us out of the pit of hellinto your marvelous light. Thank you, Jesus. We honor you today. We believe your word has beenplanted on the fertile soil of our life. God, thank you for your grace and your mercy being extendedto all of our hearts. I pray that it will produce a plentiful harvest, God. I pray that this word wouldbe in us all week long, God, that we can't sleep, God, that we would wake up thinking about it,that we would drive thinking about it, that we would be at work thinking about it, that all weeklong we will be thinking about the unbeliever, that we will be thinking about the whosoever,and what we can do to make sure that people have an opportunity to come and know you.We thank you for it. In Jesus' name, amen.Amen. I'm going to have our offering team come forward at this time. As we transition to a timeof giving, today's message reminds us that we are called to be representatives of Christ,representatives in a world that desperately needs to know the love and grace of Jesus,reminded about how our actions and our words and our attitudes either draw people to Jesusor push them away.In this moment, I want us to consider how we can put our faith into action,not just in our daily lives, but also through giving. When we give, we're not just supportinga church. We're not just supporting a ministry. We are investing in the mission of the gospel.We're helping to pave the way for the whosoever to encounter Jesus, just like Zacchaeus did,just like the woman,that was caught in adultery did, and so many others throughout the ages.In Luke 19, we see that Jesus transforms Zacchaeus' life, not because of anythingthat he had done to earn it, but because he simply chose to engage with him.Imagine the impact that Limitless can have when we decide to invest in the lives of others throughour resources, when we have the opportunity to do that.We have the opportunity to say, hey, let me tell you about Jesus. Hey, we're going to put on thisoutreach for no other reason than to tell middle schoolers and high schoolers abouthow Jesus loves them. Hey, we're going to go out and feed people, and every time we hand them ameal, we're going to tell them about how much Jesus loves them. All that is made possible. Hey,we're going to get some power to some kids in Africa. Why?So we can tell them about how much Jesus loves them. All of that is made possible through yourgiving. And so today, I pray that that will be your heart, and I pray that God will speak to youeven now. Heavenly Father, God, we don't want to give out of compulsion.We don't want to give because somebody told us to give or just because it's a moment in service.We want to give because you placed it on our heart.So in these next few seconds, God, would you tell us what you want us to give?Some of us may have set aside an amount. Some of us may have already said, this is what I'm doingor whatever is in my pocket, God, but would you speak to the hearts of your people right now?Challenge us in the area of our generosity. What would you have us to do, God? Speak now.Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God, for speaking to us. We believe that we have heard you,and we make a difference. We believe that we have heard you, and we make a difference.We make a decision to move out of faith and out of obedience. We honor you with our gift.In Jesus' name, amen. The offering buckets are going to pass at this time. When they pass,would you do me a favor and stand, and then I'll be right back, and I want to speak to those ofyou that are getting baptized, and then I have one more thing.Do whatever you want toLimitless, would you stretch your handstowards your offering this morning?Heavenly Father,we thank you for your graceWe thank you for the opportunityto sow into your missionand your vision today, GodWe believe that our financesare a seedAnd we've sowed that seedinto good groundAnd we command that seedto go, to grow, and to multiplyIn Jesus' name, GodWe thank you for those that gaveout of the little that they hadGod, thank you for their obedienceand their sacrificeThank you for those that gaveout of the plenty, GodThank you for those that didn't havebut desired to give today, GodI thank you for their heartAnd I ask that you would bless them as well, GodPressed down, shaken togetherand running over, GodI thank you for the harvestin every area of their life, GodWholeness on their returnIn Jesus' name, we prayAmenAmenIf you are here todayand you are celebratingthrough baptismI want to release you right nowAnd we want to go aheadand get you readyto get baptizedAnd so if you're hereand that is you, I know we haveI think 12 or 13 people that are getting baptizedGo ahead and gois truly an honor to celebratewhat God is doing in the life of peopleIt's a privilegeand an honorto witness this moment in people's livesand we get the opportunity to be a part of thatPlease don't take it for grantedI urge you all the timewhen you see somebody that gets baptizedThat's a big dealIt takes a lot for somebody to make that decisionwhenever they make that decisionAnd a lot of times when they make that decisionthe enemy comesto make them doubt the decisionto make them question why they did itDid it take?So when you see them, encourage themWhen you see them, pray for themPray heavily for themThat God will continue to move and work in their livesThat they would understandthat the finished work is already accomplishedThat Jesus has already done it allThat baptismis about the outward expressionof the inward confirmationof what's already been doneAnd we're just privileged to celebrate with themAnd this time I'm going to call our altar team forwardIf you're here today and you would like prayerwe want to have the opportunity to pray with youWe believe in the power of prayerEvery week I get the opportunity after serviceWe'll do that today and meet with our teamand we get to hear the testimoniesof what God is doing in the lives of our peopleSo I can testify that God works miraclesSo if you're here today and you sayHey pastor, I just need somebody to agree with me in prayerI'm believing God for a second time todayThere's something that I just need prayer onWe want to pray with youSecondly, if you're here todayand you have not made Jesus Christ your Lord and personal SaviorThis whole series has been for youYou are the whosoeverGod loves youGod desires youHe has a need for youThere's something that He's uniquely placed into youthat He desires to useBut more importantly than anythingHe has a love for youthat is unlike anything elseGod sent His Son to diebecause He wanted to be in relationship with youBecause He wanted to be in relationship with youHe sent His Son to diesaid that whosoever believeth in HimRight?Whosoever believeth in HimThat's youHe says if you believe in your heartand confess with your mouth Jesus is Lordyou shall be savedLord, making Him your Saviorthe King of your lifethe Lord of your decisionsthe Lord of every area of your lifeIf you recognize todaythat you need a Savioryou recognize todaythat you want Jesus Christ in your lifethen we want to pray with youWe want to have the opportunityto walk with you through thatAnd lastly, if you're here todayand you say, hey Pastor, you know what?I realize I might have been beingmore of a problem than an answer for thisto whosoeverAt one point I did commit myself to Jesusbut I have not been living a life that lines up with thatThen I want to offer you the opportunityto recommit your life to ChristAnd the great thing I love about this moment isGod never leavesHe never movedHe's right thereready to receive youSo if either one of these things apply to youthen we want to offer you the opportunityOur altar team is going to be down hereSome of them are down alreadyOur altar team is going to be down hereWe would love to pray with youand pray for youWe love youWe are excitedI have a special guestthat is going to be here next weekSo I encourage you to be hereI'm going to be preachingbut I got somebody amazingthat is going to be here next weekhelping me preachSo I would encourage you to be hereBring somebodyBring two people hereBring two people hereBring three peopleI got like 200 chairs next doorSo don't worry about thatBut I would love to see you next weekCome down and get prayer if you need itCelebrate with us outside as we do baptismsHave a wonderful weekAnd if you're going to liveMake sure you live limitlessGod bless

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "They tell me it's illogical. But anything is possible. If God be for us, we can overcome all obstacles. They say love covers a multitude of sins. So I'm here to put some love in." [04:19] (13 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "We are called to be the light in the midst of darkness. We are called to be hope to a hopeless world. But when the world sees us, if all they see is fighting, if all they see is division, if all they see is hatred and people who can't seem to get along then the main thing stopping them from becoming a believer is us." [54:08] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "Let's let our lives be reflect the heart of Jesus, who dined with sinners and extended grace to the undeserving. Let's not wait for the world to clean themselves up before we decide to extend them love. I have a thing that I say, and I've said this for a long time, we catch them first, then we clean them." [01:06:32] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "Please remember that it was through kindness and patience that many of us came to know Jesus. So let's do the same thing that was done for us for others, inviting people into our lives and showing them the radical love and grace of God." [01:08:20] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "Imagine the impact that Limitless can have when we decide to invest in the lives of others through our resources, when we have the opportunity to do that. We have the opportunity to say, hey, let me tell you about Jesus. Hey, we're going to put on this outreach for no other reason than to tell middle schoolers and high schoolers about how Jesus loves them." [01:13:28] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




### Quotes for Members

1. "One of the main problems for the whosoever isn't the concept of God or even the validity of the Bible. One of the main problems for the whosoever, sadly, is us. It's us. It is those of us who call ourselves Christians, but don't accurately reflect the life, the values, the morals of a true follower of Jesus." [44:01] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "When we are rude, when we are unloving and ungracious, when we compromise in areas of our life because we feel like it's okay, when we have all the knowledge of the scripture but none of the heart behind it, we become a detriment and a black eye to the name of Jesus." [45:48] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "Jesus shows us that as believers no matter what our title is no matter what our position is we have to carefully examine ourselves our actions because life death and eternity could be on the line. See you just think about how upset you are you just think about how unfairly you've been treated you just think about your emotions and how you want to pop off because you feel like you should be able to but eternity is on the line life and death could be on the line." [52:24] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "The mission for the unbeliever for the whosoever drove Jesus and that same mission has to drive us it has to be a driving factor for us it cannot be something that we just do whether we feel like it or not we just live our own life we're free we're fine because we got our Jesus and we go into heaven so we are all right with that and and as long as I'm going it's okay no no no no no then we become no better than the Jews and the Pharisees and the Sadducees we become no better than them." [55:57] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "If you recognize today that you need a Savior you recognize today that you want Jesus Christ in your life then we want to pray with you. We want to have the opportunity to walk with you through that. And lastly, if you're here today and you say, hey Pastor, you know what? I realize I might have been being more of a problem than an answer for this to whosoever. At one point I did commit myself to Jesus but I have not been living a life that lines up with that." [01:23:58] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)