Good morning, y'all. How's everyone doing? Man, you're looking good today. I mean, you are looking. This is the best-looking crowd I've spoken to all day. I mean, there's a few of you pulling the numbers down, but that's okay.
I'm so excited to be back here at the Father's house. This is like home away from home. We're here so often. I just told my wife that I was looking forward to being here. And I just can't believe how excited I am just to see some of the new faces.
And the growth that's taking place. I'm hearing all the salvations and baptisms and all the fun stuff going on around here. And just so, in case you don't know this, I'm going to let the cat out of the bag. Next month, you celebrate 29 years of being in the Father's house. Come on. That's good.
I know we've been doing a lot of clapping and cheering during this service. To me, that's what church should be like. I need you to do it one more time, although they've already greeted them. Let's tell our online audience how much we love them. They're welcome here. Come on. Let them know they're welcome right here at the Father's house.
And I just, my wife's not here. She's playing hooky again. She missed one time not long ago, but she had to go through Oklahoma. She had a ladies' event there, and she texted me two days ago, and she said, "It's one below zero with the windchill factor." And I said, "That's why I sent you to Oklahoma, baby. Take one for the team."
But I'm so glad to be here. Of course, you know how I feel about your pastors. Love you. Need I love you, too. But I do. They're just some of the best friends I've ever had in my life. They're family to us. We've been doing life together a long time.
And, of course, my Father's house family. Come on, y'all. It's amazing to think how long we've been friends. I saw Maggie walking today. I was so excited. I've not seen her in several, several months. It's cancer-free. Woo!
So let's pray. Let's get into the Word because I don't have a long time. We've got a long ways to go and a short time to get there. Pray with me.
Father, we love you. We thank you for your Word. Your Word is truth. God, I pray that you'd anoint the ears that hear because your Word is anointed. God, I pray you'd anoint me to say only that which you would have me to say to those that are here today. Help us to receive your Word in fullness so we'll be transformed in the image of your Son, Jesus Christ. Come on and say amen.
Amen. I want to start talking about I love International Sunday. It is a fantastic time for me to be here. Last year I was here for International Sunday. And I love it because everywhere I travel, I love different cultures. I love different backgrounds. I love just trying different countries to go to.
My wife and I are taking off together for her 60th birthday. She turned 60. Although I was asked again last week in the store if she was my daughter. That man is dead. I buried him so deep God's going to have trouble finding him.
And for her 60th birthday, I'm taking her down under to Australia, over to Samoa, over to New Zealand, over to Fiji. She deserves it. She's not only six years old. She has lived with me for 42 years this June. She deserves a lot more than one trip. And so, because I can be a little extra in case she hadn't noticed.
But let's go to the Word. We're talking about the Holy Spirit. Everyone say Holy Spirit. I love the topic of the Holy Spirit. I received my prayer language when I was eight years old. I was raised in the Pentecostal Church of God. And you can't say it without saying God because that's really what makes it Pentecost. If you do it with God and you breathe, God, then you're really Pentecost because it's the wind of the Holy Spirit.
And so, on International Sunday, I love talking about the unity of the church. The fact that the Holy Spirit brought unity to the church. It's amazing that the world around us is having trouble finding unity. All they need to do is come to a great, Spirit-filled church, and they will see what unity is all about. Amen?
All they have to do is walk into the Father's house, and they'll see what unity is all about. But Acts chapter 2, let me start here with some Scripture, verses 1 through 6. It says, "When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as a fire appeared to them, and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled." Everyone say, "All filled."
Come on, never say, "That means everybody." Everyone, everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them the sound or the utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound, the multitude came together, and they were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. Come on, everyone say, "Many nations."
I looked at the many nations that were up here today, and I thought, man, so many nations represented. And I wasn't sure I saw a flag from Ireland. I should have jumped up here and represented my hometown. Or Steve Trulock. I'm sure he's Irish. He's like small. He's like me. And so we represent the Irish people.
But many nations, the nations that were known in that region were gathered together. And when the Holy Spirit fell and tongues came, they heard them in their own language. Everyone say, "Their own language."
Now, it's not only the fact that they heard, but it was what they heard. It wasn't just the fact they were hearing, but what they heard. If you go down to verse 11, the last part of verse 11 says, "We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." Everyone say, "The mighty works of God." I love that. They were not only speaking. The Holy Spirit wasn't just using them to say words. He was using them to speak the mighty works of God.
You ever place yourself in the scripture in the moment? I do. I like to do that when I'm reading the Bible. I like to place myself there. There's so many things I hope is on film when I get to heaven so I can watch what happened at some of these moments. I can see the Red Sea part. I can see some of those moments. But this is one of those moments I think was a great moment.
If you place yourself there, think about being there that day. Imagine being in a room, waiting, praying. Then all of a sudden there comes a sound as a rushing mighty wind. Fire appears and rests upon each person, not consuming, but bringing a language. Come on, bringing a language. It rests upon them. It rests upon you.
And all of a sudden you begin speaking. You're not sure what you're saying, but the people around you hear in their language the mighty works of God. I don't know about you, but I think this is one of the most miraculous moments in scripture. That God is using us as vessels that are not honorable, but he sees us in a way to use us to be talking about the mighty works that he has brought into the world.
Now the impossible happens, right? On that day we have to appreciate the miracle. We have to appreciate the moment. We have to see what God is doing by letting and allowing everyone to hear in their own language the mighty works of God.
And you might say, "What's so important about that?" I'll tell you what's important about that. God is using that moment to usher in his mission. His mission is that we would preach the gospel to every nation. I love when Mike Blackhall talks about missions and he talks about going to these other nations. It's almost like he's almost excited as when he plays the drums, and well, he is as excited, but he's excited.
He must do missions better than he drums. Shots fired, guys. Shots fired. Just kidding. I love to watch Mike play the drums. He's so excited about where he goes into the world and he shares the gospel. That is the mission of the church. Come on, everyone say, "That's your mission."
Everyone say, "That's my mission." As we talk about this today, we're going to talk about the Holy Spirit and the church empowered for mission. We're going to see what happened on that day, but how it affects us today. There are a few things I want us to look at, so write them down in your notes. If I miss something, Pastor Neal will get on to me later and we'll fill in the notes.
Here we go. Number one, the Holy Spirit established a movement, not meetings. The Holy Spirit established a movement, not meetings. Come on, y'all with me? What we read above was not just a meeting. It was a movement that the Holy Spirit brought into the earth, right? It was a movement born of power, wrapped in fire, and driven by the Holy Spirit for the church to receive and understand the mission of going to all nations, right?
Now, here's a question I have for you. Are we attending a meeting today, or did we come as part of a movement? Are we coming to church today because it's the right thing to do? My wife told me I had to get here. My marriage is in trouble. I got a bad doctor's report. I'm in trouble financially. I need Jesus now, so I'm going to go to a meeting.
Or are we coming today saying, "God, today I am a vessel used of you. I want to be used of you in your power. I want to speak the wonderful works of who you are. I don't want to just be in a meeting, but God, I want to be a part of a movement." Come on, amen?
Everyone say, "It's a movement." Consider Pentecost, the foundation of the church. You have to think about that. And what a wonderful day like today to experience all the nations together, that there's nothing that separates us when the love of his son, Jesus, is the bond of our perfectness together, that he drew us together, that we could have one bond, and that is Jesus Christ that breaks down all division, that breaks down anything that would separate us as nations, amen?
Unified in the Spirit. Come on, never say unified. Unified. If you're here and you have anything in your heart that would separate you from another race, another nation, you need to get that right, and the Holy Spirit showed it on the day of Pentecost. He meant for us all to be one church, one movement, one race, the human race, telling the wonderful works of God. Come on, amen?
Scripture reveals that there's actually a miracle when we're united. When we're united in Christ, there's literally a miracle that takes place, and it's found in John chapter 13, verse 35, where it says, "By this, all people will know that you're my disciples, that you prophesied in one another, that you have a word of knowledge for one another, that you are used in the healings and the gifts of people." No, by this they will know you're my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Everyone say love. Come on, look at someone and say, "Can't you feel the love?" Unity is not just a good idea. It's the evidence that Jesus is exactly who he says he is. It reveals the heart of God in the earth, right?
Listen to what Jesus prayed over his disciples of that day. And not only them, but future disciples, which would include you and I. In John chapter 17, verses 20 and 21, he says, "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us so that the world, once again, here it is, may believe that you sent me."
So if you're ever talking about one of your co-members at the church, if you're ever caught up in any type of gossip for the sake of prayer, if you're ever sharing something that someone told you you shouldn't be sharing with someone else, you can be sure you're not being used in the miracle of showing who God is.
But when we walk together, when we live together in unity, when we have the peace of God among our church, when we are loving one another, we are representing the fact that Jesus Christ was sent. The world sees him through you. The world sees him through you and I. Can you say amen?
The Holy Spirit established the church on unity and purpose. The unity and purpose work together. The purpose is so the world will believe Jesus. But unity is the way he promotes that. And the way it happens is they see us unified and they believe Jesus is the Son of God.
Why? Because they're not getting that on the news. They're not getting that at work. They're not getting that wherever they go in the world. But when they come to the church, they should get the fact Jesus Christ came because they see something different in you and I.
The apostles were ordinary people. I think sometimes we forget that. They were fishermen. They were tax collectors. They were ordinary people. Right? Yet the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and after that day, they were transformed into bold proclaimers of the good news of God.
They moved from just being fishermen, tax collectors, to those who would speak on God's behalf because of the boldness of the Holy Spirit. I know you've been some weeks now speaking of the Holy Spirit. I've heard stories since I've been here that how God's already using you in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
But if we're used in the gifts of the Holy Spirit but not unified by the Holy Spirit, then what you're doing for the Holy Spirit doesn't matter in the scheme of eternity because it's only when they believe in Jesus that it matters we've done anything for Him whatsoever. Amen?
This is not just a result of some well-planned meeting and human effort. It's the movement of the Holy Spirit. The early church didn't just gather for meetings. They were a dynamic movement. Do you believe that? It's not supposed to be any different then than it is now. A movement driven by unity and established by the Holy Spirit.
Here's point number two. Write it down. The Holy Spirit turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. He turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. When I look at normal people who do the miraculous, I've met several people in my lifetime. My father was a minister who, when I would meet them, I would think they were just average people.
But yet when the Holy Spirit and the gift of that spirit would rise up in them, I could see something from just ordinary change to extraordinary. And when they would dwell in unity, it would mean that much more because you want to be around those people, don't you?
I don't think you want to be around people who are talking about other people. Because when you leave, guess what? You're next. Right? When I'm around someone who's talking about other people, I think, okay, I've got to make sure I don't give them anything to talk about when I leave. I don't want them to know anything about my life, right?
I was at a church not long ago, and literally the pastor said to me, "Now this person coming up to talk to you right now, you don't want to share any information with them." And I thought to myself, "Then don't let this person come talk to me. Why would I want this person talking to me?" Right? Y'all with me?
Y'all know people like that? Here's a question. Have you ever been a person like that? I mean, the truth is we probably all have fell somewhere in this miserably sometime or another, right? Where we showed ourselves to be ordinary. And that's the importance of walking and living in the Spirit because he takes that which is ordinary and reminds us to live above the fray.
Everyone say above the fray. I heard the story of a doctor in India that talked to his students and began to talk to them, and he used an oil lamp as an illustration. As he was giving the illustration, the oil burned out, and the wick ran dry, and it just started producing smoke.
And the illustration was that without the oil, it can't produce light. It just produces smoke. And I thought about the church. If we don't have the Holy Spirit living and dwelling among us, we can't produce a light. We only are smoke and mirrors, and we're just a bunch of smoke that doesn't matter.
But if we're going to be the light of Jesus Christ, we've got to have the oil of the Holy Spirit living in us. We've got to have the oil of the Holy Spirit flowing through us. Can you say amen?
First Corinthians 1, verse 27 through 29 says, "But God chose what is foolish." Every time I read this verse, I understand now why he uses me. What are y'all laughing at? Anyone out there been used of God? Lift your hand and been used of God.
So foolish. He chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. He chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not to bring to nothing those things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. Wow.
We live in a time of spectacular, don't we? Can I just tell you this? God is supernatural, but he is not spectacular. Las Vegas is spectacular. God is supernatural. He's not looking for us to do spectacular things. He's looking for us to do supernatural things.
And I've got news for you. What you have at the Father's house is a supernatural movement when it comes to being unified, because no longer are you just a smoky place. You're a light-filled place for the kingdom of heaven. Amen?
God delights in using the unlikely. He delights in using the weak. He delights in using ordinary people to display his extraordinary power, because that's when people know it's not us. It's only him that could do it through us. Amen?
I have a golf glove up here. And I thought about this golf glove laying up here and how it just lays up here lifeless. It really means nothing. It's just a glove. But when you take this glove and you put a hand in the glove, all of a sudden this glove becomes animated.
What was once lifeless and did nothing now is used in an extraordinary way. Well, maybe not for some of you, but I've heard about some of your golf games, but it's used in an animated way. And if it's on the right hand, such as Tiger Woods, or it's on the right hand, such as Jack Nicklaus, it's used in an extraordinary way.
And I'm telling you right now that the church, without the Holy Spirit, without being filled with the Holy Spirit, without the infilling of the Holy Spirit, we are lifeless. It doesn't matter what we're doing, and we're not animated whatsoever. We're doing nothing that really matters, but when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, He takes that which is just laying around, being nothing, and makes it something very extraordinary through Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. Amen?
I love the fact that my wife calls me a techie. I'm actually her IT department. Her office is just across the hall from my office, and I'll hear throughout the day, "Kevin, can you help me? Something's wrong with my computer."
Now, some of you are going to see here at the Volunteers Banquet Tuesday, and if you tell on me, I'm going to get on to you, because the problem is not the computer. It's user error, right? I'll try to print something that won't print. I'll go in, and she'll have 40-something things she's hit trying to print something. I'm like, "You're killing me!"
But I do love computers, and I worked in computers before I started The Rock, and back then, some of you didn't know, we were bringing out the first big hard drive by Seagate. It was 800 megabytes, almost a gig. It was almost a gigabyte of storage. And now we walk around with our iPhones in our pocket with gigabyte after gigabyte after gigabyte, all of our gadgets. We have all this special stuff, and it's amazing that we have the technology we have.
But here's the thing that I realize. It doesn't matter what gadget you have, it doesn't matter how many you own, your phone, your gadget is only as good as the battery or the power supply in the gadget. Take away the power supply, and your gadget doesn't matter. Y'all with me?
I think some of y'all are getting the point, right? You come to church, and the Bible even says there'll be those who have a form of godliness. They look like a Christian gadget, but there's no battery. There's no power. There's nothing to animate the Spirit, because it is the Holy Spirit that energizes the life of a person that changes him from ordinary to extraordinary through the Holy Spirit. Amen?
The Holy Spirit in the church is like the battery in our cell phone. The church is only as good as the work that we allow the Holy Spirit to do among us, moving us from ordinary to extraordinary.
Which leads me to my third point, number three, the Holy Spirit sustains the church. I'm so glad that I've been filled with the Holy Spirit, but I'm so glad I've been refilled with the Holy Spirit, and refilled with the Holy Spirit, and refilled with the Holy Spirit, and for some reason, I got some leakage.
Take that however you want to. I don't really care. Y'all got some leakage too. Batteries drain, right? My Harley has been sitting in, well, it's not my Harley, but I've had it long enough it should be. I've got a Harley sitting in my garage that a friend left at my house for me to ride because he was leaving the States, and I was riding it regularly, and then all of a sudden, I realized I need to put on a trickle charge, and I did, but still, if you leave it there long enough, it's not enough charge.
I went out, and the battery was still dead. So I just sat in the garage going and it just don't feel the same. See, some of you come to church during worship, we're all screaming, even jumping? You're just like poof poof poof poof poof poof poof poof.
I remember when it felt so good. I remember when I came to church and I was excited. I remember when I came to church, I used to be like that guy. I don't know why I keep doing poof poof poof poof, but you're going to remember it. It's funny.
The problem is your battery is drained and you don't allow refilling to take place. I love lighthouses. Anyone love lighthouses? Gosh, I just, I'm intrigued with them. They are, they're just incredible. They sit on rocky, you know, rocky edges. And I have pictures of lighthouses all across the globe that I just love.
And I love seeing them perched on the rugged coastline. But the purpose of the lighthouse obviously is to guide ships through dangerous corridors and dangerous waters and various things. And it's really the beauty of the lighthouse or the structure of the lighthouse itself is not what's important.
It's the light, the illumination from the inside that's vital. Take away the illumination from the inside and you don't have anything to guide. You don't have anything except a beautiful structure, a beautiful edifice that sits there that really doesn't amount to much. And there's still wrecks taking place. There's still things crashing around it because there's no illumination.
The Christian without illumination is not helping guide a life to where they need to be. A Christian without illumination of the Holy Spirit in their heart is not helping people from crashing when they need the church to help them from crashing. Amen.
Look at someone and say, "They need your help." Look back at that person and say, "Yours too." It's the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit that provides light in the Christian life. Without the Holy Spirit, the church would be like an unlit lighthouse, right? The present but not fulfilling its true purpose.
I don't know about you, but God didn't simply save us. He called us to mission and he didn't just call us to mission. He sustains us with continual renewal. Everyone say continual renewal. The Holy Spirit revitalizes Christians, revitalizes the church, preventing spiritual stagnation. Y'all with me?
There's a renewal process that changes our attitudes. Continue. Look at Ephesians chapter 4, verses 21 through 24. "Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your formal way of, throw off," everyone say "throw off," "your old sinful nature."
And it says, "Throw off your old way of life. Throw off that which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitude. Let it renew you. Why? How? By putting on a new nature, by putting on that which is created to be like God, by putting on righteousness and holiness."
And it only comes to a renewal process when you're daily allowing the Holy Spirit access to the internal part of your lighthouse. It is the light of the Holy Spirit that makes the church effective. I don't want to be a part of the church that's simply present but powerless.
I don't, I don't want to, I refuse to be a part of a church that exists but doesn't shine. We're called to shine. Let your light shine so the people will see God's glorious works in you and make a difference. Amen.
There's a purpose for the church to shine. It is to fulfill God's mission. Amen. Look at Isaiah, and I'm just going to begin to close with this. In Isaiah chapter 60, verses 1 through 3, it says, "Arise, my people. Let your light shine for all the nations to see, for the glory of the Lord is streaming from you."
Everybody shout, "I'm a lighthouse." For the glory of the Lord is streaming from you. Everyone say, "I'm a lighthouse." For the glory of the Lord is streaming from you. Everyone say, "I'm a lighthouse."
Do you see the picture? Are you getting the imagery that the Holy Spirit sets up through the Bible? That the glory of the Lord, the light of the Lord is streaming from you. Darkness as black as night shall cover all the people of the earth, but the glory of the Lord will shine from you.
All nations. Come on, everyone shout, "All nations." What a great Sunday. International Sunday. All nations represented. All nations will come to your light. Mighty kings will come to see the glory of the Lord upon you.
The light of the Holy Spirit shines through the church to pierce the darkness. It's the Holy Spirit's role. You have to understand, it's the Holy Spirit's role to establish, empower, and to sustain the church. That's you and I.
That's those of you at home that's listening today. Just as believers were transformed at Pentecost, we too can experience the life-giving, the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit to make a difference. That wherever we go, we shine in such a way, we make a difference.
How many here can say, you're born again, you're proud of that, and you want to make a difference? Hold your hand up like you're proud. You're born again, just hold them up. You're proud of that. You want to make a difference.
Say, "This is a cheap way of doing an altar call." Because I can see the hands that don't go up. And my prayer is that before this service ends, in the next few moments, that desire you have, that sense of peace and power and joy, the experience that you were looking for when you walked in here, you're like, "This is it."
That next Sunday when you come back, and that same question is asked, you say, "Yep, I can lift my hand now." Because you experience something today you don't experience at every church. It's the presence of the Holy Spirit that unites all people, all nations, makes us one, and you've now encountered Jesus. Wow.
We must be open to His guidance. We must be open to His power. We have to commit to the work of the Holy Spirit. It's easy to get frustrated in a perverse world, isn't it? It's easy to get frustrated at a government that is lost.
Y'all notice Washington, D.C. needs Jesus? Not just your side of the aisle either. Both sides. Just trust me. It's both sides. They need Jesus. So whatever you're thinking right now, dismiss that because they need Jesus. Amen?
It's easy to complain about the condition of our culture, the world around us, while always forgetting, if we're not careful, that we're the light. Instead of complaining that the world is dark, why don't you start shining your light?
When I was a child in church, this is when you know you're getting old. You start saying things like this. When I was a kid, we sang a song. Probably all of you have heard. We would hold our finger up. Y'all remember this?
This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. Bye-bye. Shine this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Then we got real creative, right? Hide it under a bushel. Okay, everyone together, hide it under a bushel? No!
Those of you who didn't go to church, it's easy. Do it with us. Hide it under a bushel? I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. But somewhere the wick's gone dry and we're just a bunch of smoky old Christians.
Pastor Terry and I, we encourage one another. He encourages me. I hope I encourage him. And in the last year or so, the Holy Spirit has just been speaking to our hearts more and more and more and more about the way we were raised and the Holy Spirit and the presence of God and the way God moved.
And how if we're not careful, church can become so mechanical. Church can become so corporate. Church can become so dry and smoky when really when we leave here and we go into that world, it shouldn't just be a song we remember from when we were in children's church.
We should walk out going, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine." There's a dark world that needs Jesus, and I'm just, I'm just foolish enough to say, "You know what? I'm gonna make a difference."
How many here can say you want to make a difference? Father, I pray for every individual right now. I pray that they're never the same in Jesus' name. Lord, I pray that they'll begin to understand the depth of your love for them, just how much they mean to you, that they are the apple of your eye.
And God, for those who came in here today that felt so unlovable, like you could never ever accept them, God, reveal in them that you accepted me, and if you accepted me, you can accept anyone.
And just for a moment, my heads are bowed, eyes are closed. I have just a couple of questions I'd like to ask. Here's the first one. Maybe you're here, you're born again, you know Jesus, you've made him the Lord of your life, you know you're going to heaven, but while I was giving this talk today, the Holy Spirit spoke to your heart.
Maybe you've hidden your light under a bushel. Maybe your wick has gone dry, and you just feel like I'm just an old smoky Christian. Maybe you're a lighthouse, but you don't have anything lit on the inside, and there's crashes happening all around.
Maybe this last few weeks God is starting to relight that candle, but today is the day you say, "I feel and I hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. I want to go back to making sure I shine bright for Jesus." If that's you, the Holy Spirit's dealt with you and you want prayer for that today, although you're born again, you lift your hand up right back down saying, "Pastor, that's me."
Good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good. Thank you. Thank you. You can put it back. Thank you. You can put it right back down. Thank you. So many hands.
Father, I pray for these believers right now. I pray that they'll never be the same in Jesus' name. Holy Spirit, one of your ministries to us is to remind us of the word of God which has spoken to us. I pray that when they leave here, you remind them of this in the coming days, weeks, months, and even years of this moment you spoke to them about the power of your Spirit that lights the path, that lights their hearts so they can be a bright light in this world.
Now one more question. Maybe you're here, and a few moments ago when I said if you're born again, lift your hand, you couldn't do it, but you know there's something real. You know that God is dealing with you. You can feel that sense in your heart that there's something different.
That what you've been looking for is here. You found it. You know it. You don't understand it, but you want to. Here's what the Bible says. We've all sinned and we've come short of God's best. Because man's sin, sin passed through all of us. Sin separates us from God.
So we were born separated from God. The book of Romans says, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you believe in your heart that he's the son of God, you'll be saved." That's the only way to salvation. Confessing him, believing he's the son of God.
What does it mean to be saved? Well, first of all, it means saved from an empty life in this earth. That emptiness, that chasm that you have in your heart. You tried to fill it through the years with drugs, maybe alcohol, parties, relationships, business, money, career, hobbies, busyness.
But you still say there must be more to life than this. And there is, but it's not something. It's someone. His name is Jesus. Secondly, he's been saved into a place called heaven. Heaven's a perfect place. No more sickness, no more pain. Love, joy, peace, and the presence of Jesus with those that you love and those you, come on, those you influence to go with you.
But Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father, which is in heaven, but by me." This is your moment. This is your opportunity. I'm not going to have you stand up. I'm not going to call you forward. I'm not going to put a spotlight on you. I just want to pray for you right there where you sit, like we pray for the others.
But if you're here right now, you know you need Jesus. God has dealt with your heart. You want to receive him today as these others already have. Come on, just slip your hand up and right back down saying, "That's me, Pastor Kevin."
God bless you. There's one. Someone else. God bless you. There's two. Thank you so much. God bless you. There's three. There's someone else. Come on, just slip them up. God bless you. You can put it right back down. Four. Thank you so much. They see that hand. You can put it right back down. There's five.
Is there someone else who'll say, "Pastor, that's me. Include me in that prayer. I want to know that Jesus is my Lord. I want to know that heaven's my future." Thank you so much, sir. You can put it right back down. Thank you so much.
Is there anyone else you'll say, "Pastor, that's me. I don't want this moment to slip away. I want to be included in that prayer. I want to know that Jesus is my Lord." Are you here?
All right. I'm going to pray this prayer. Those of you who lifted your hand, I'm going to ask you if you would to repeat this prayer after me out loud, not by yourself, but everyone here that is born again, I'm going to ask you to say it with them, to support them. Those of you at home, this is that prayer that you can pray as well.
Let's say it together. Father, come on, everyone together. Father, I believe in Jesus. I believe he's your son. I believe he died on a cross. He was buried and rose again. Jesus, I confess you now as my Lord, my Savior.
Forgive me for my sin. Make me new. From this day forward, Lord, I place my life completely in your hands. And I place myself in a local church to learn more of you. That through greater knowledge of who you are, I will grow in deeper love with you. In Jesus' name. Come on, amen. God bless y'all. Love you.
on Feb 23, 2025
