WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:00.880 My name is Ryan. 00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:03.040 I'm one of the pastors here at Impact. 00:00:03.279 --> 00:00:08.080 And we are in the middle of a series that we have called God Never Said That. 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:26.160 And what we've been doing the past few weeks is taking a look at some sayings, some different ideas that are very commonly stated, some that we have kind of embraced as gospel or biblical truth that not only is nowhere in Scripture, but oftentimes God says quite the opposite. 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:30.960 And so we've talked about things like, well, God will never give you more than you can handle. 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:35.439 And learn that actually He's just promised not to give us more than He can handle. 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:40.320 We've talked about statements like, if you want to know what to do, just follow your heart. 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:44.960 And yet God says your heart needs redemption because it is wicked and deceitful. 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:51.119 Last week, James did a great job of tackling the whole idea of health, wealth, and prosperity, right? 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:59.280 That that's God's plan for every single one of us in earthly terms and earthly speaking, and did a great job of giving us clarity there from scripture. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:04.640 So today we're gonna be hitting on a new one that maybe may be familiar with you guys. 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:05.840 I hope it is. 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:07.280 But God never said that. 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:11.280 And today we're gonna talk about pray this prayer and you'll go to heaven. 00:01:12.159 --> 00:01:15.200 Just pray this prayer and you'll go to heaven. 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:18.959 Again, I know the heart and the intention behind this, right? 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:23.120 It's trying to emphasize this decision to give our lives to Christ. 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:40.400 But unfortunately, for a lot of people over the years here in Christian and in the church, especially here in the West, what we've done is inadvertently reduced the whole of following Christ to just in a moment of emotion, perhaps, for many people, praying a little prayer. 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:43.599 And now our mindset is I'm good. 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:45.680 That's all I need to do. 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:55.680 We have a mindset of I've got my eternal fire insurance, and now I can live how I want and do the things that I want to do for the rest of my life. 00:01:55.840 --> 00:02:00.879 I'm covered, and so I can just live my life because I'm now fine. 00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:06.640 Maybe some of us even pray a prayer every time someone invites us to. 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:13.680 So we go to different services, we go to an outreach, we'll go to a concert, we go to camps, conferences, wherever it may be. 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:20.879 And anytime someone's like, if you've not given your life to Christ, pray with me right now and give your life to Jesus, we go, you know what? 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:23.680 I'm gonna pray it again just to be safe. 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:24.479 Right? 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:35.840 So there's this mindset where it reduces Christianity and the whole of our faith to something that is easy, something that is convenient. 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:42.800 Our world today is all about making things as convenient and as easy as possible. 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:44.000 You guys agree with that? 00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:46.240 That's the whole of technology. 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:49.759 It's just kind of pervasive throughout our society. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:51.520 We want things easy. 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:53.199 That's what technology does. 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:57.520 It's meant to make our lives easier, and it certainly has. 00:02:57.680 --> 00:03:02.080 More so the past 20 to 30 years than in centuries before that. 00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:06.479 I mean, the the escalation of technological advance is staggering. 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:10.479 When you look at what we're able to do now and how easy things are. 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:26.960 I mean, I remember the days growing up where my mom used to go to the grocery store and to pay for her food, had to either take out cash or she would always bring out her checkbook from her purse, you know, and we'd just be sitting there waiting for her to write the check and the amount and all these things. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:27.759 You guys remember that? 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:28.240 Right? 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:32.639 The first time you start using credit cards, remember the big credit card device, the machine? 00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:39.439 And they're like trying to like get an impression, a carbon copy of your credit card number and all the information. 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:41.280 Right, and we see the advancement. 00:03:41.439 --> 00:03:48.800 Just a few days ago, I found myself kind of falling victim to this mindset because now everything is just digital, it's all on your phone. 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:57.360 And so all you gotta do is now just tap something and it and it takes it directly out of your account because you just upload your card information to your phones. 00:03:57.520 --> 00:04:01.120 Right now, here at church, a lot of you guys are like, oh, I didn't get the bulletin. 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:01.840 No problem. 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:08.319 Tap the little circle in the chair in front of you, just hold your phone up to it, open the little thing, and all of a sudden it's all there. 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:12.319 The bulletin, you can get connected, join groups, you can give, you can do all the things. 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:14.639 We like it to be as easy as possible. 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:19.839 A few days ago, I went to Walmart because that's where all good things are purchased. 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:31.120 And as I'm at Walmart, I've not been there for a while, but I go up and I grab a few things, I'm kind of in a hurry, and I come up to the register, found the shortest line, I get there, they ring everything up, and I got my phone ready. 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:37.519 And as soon as she's like, okay, the total will be this, I kind of hold my phone up to the device, and she's like, Oh, we don't do the tap. 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:46.639 And I found myself in that moment going, what kind of organization is this? 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:48.480 What do you mean you don't tap? 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:51.360 And I had to open my little wallet phone. 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:52.959 It's like I got my cards on my phone. 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:54.000 It's like the case. 00:04:54.160 --> 00:05:01.439 I had to open a little flap, I had to take out the card, I had to put it into the device and wait. 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:04.079 I mean, it was a solid three to five seconds, guys. 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:08.160 That I had to wait, just irritated the entire time. 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:11.120 And then finally pull it back out, put it back in, and leave. 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:13.279 And I'm like, I'm never going there again. 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:15.439 That was so inconvenient. 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:15.839 Right? 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:17.439 Isn't this the world we live in? 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:21.279 Everything is immediately available, it's immediately accessible. 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:29.360 There's a common knowledge as you look at churches here in the US, and we'll go to conferences and you read articles and books and hear podcasts. 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:34.639 And anytime you talk about church growth, right, how do we see churches grow? 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:40.480 It's always the same kinds of things where they address certain obstacles to church growth. 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:46.480 Now, I want to throw out there, oftentimes it's about numerical growth, which is not the growth we should be concerned with. 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:50.399 The growth we should be concerned with is not quantitative but qualitative. 00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:53.920 It's about fruit, it's about disciple making about these things. 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:59.040 But every time talking about obstacles to numerical growth, the same things always come up. 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:02.240 And I'll be listening to it going, oh, that's that's interesting, right? 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:09.920 So they'll have things like, of course, teaching and the worship ministry, they'll have the kids' ministry blessed there with an amazing kids' ministry here at Impact. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:15.600 And then they always go to things like, you know, you need to make sure and have enough seats and chairs and space for people. 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:19.839 And you can make sure too that parking is really convenient. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:21.360 I'm like, well, we're out. 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:23.759 We're out, we're done, right? 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:26.959 Because we know that is not a convenient part of our setup here. 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:33.199 But this is the kind of stuff that the church leaders stress over going, we've got to remove these obstacles. 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:36.879 This saturate this mindset is saturated, even the church, right? 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:40.959 It's seeped in to be able to go, okay, we want to make things easy. 00:06:41.120 --> 00:06:44.480 Because if we don't make things easy, people aren't gonna want to be here. 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:49.199 And so I'm so sorry we're parking in Rancho Family Medical Group in Chick-fil-A parking lot. 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:53.920 And that's why we have a shuttle ministry here at Impact that we love our shuttle drivers, right? 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:55.920 Especially in the yeah, see? 00:06:57.040 --> 00:06:57.920 Easy. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:01.360 This is our our mindset. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:08.720 When I look at what I've experienced in different parts of the world when it comes to the church, guys, it's pretty humbling. 00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:33.759 When I've been able to go to Haiti, and I've been able to go over and and be able to speak and preach at a pastor's conference in Haiti, and you've got 100 to 120 pastors from the region of the Central Plateau known as Hinch, and they will come from not just the downtown, the city of Hinch, which is third world even and of itself, but they're coming from these remote villages in the jungles of Haiti. 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:39.839 And these small towns, like villages, pastors are coming, and they're they're coming in their only suit. 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:56.720 They only have one, and it is well worn, and they're walking in 98-degree weather with 98% humidity, and some of them will walk for two to three days to come to a conference to be poured into with the Word of God. 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:09.040 And I'm sitting there going, what do I possibly have to offer these pastors who are shepherding at such great cost when everything is so easy for me here? 00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:12.480 Everything's so comfortable for us here. 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:22.240 Jesus only seemed to talk about the cost of what it means to follow him into eternal life. 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:28.800 He never talked about the benefits package of salvation as much as he talked about the cost. 00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:43.919 In Luke chapter 14, we read this: the words of Jesus, for which of you desiring to build a tower does not first sit down and count the cost whether he has enough to complete it. 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:54.159 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. 00:08:54.320 --> 00:08:55.279 Verse 33. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:09:03.360 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:09.759 Jesus understood something about human nature, how we think about things. 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:18.320 That anything that costs us little or next to nothing is considered by us to be cheap. 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:26.639 And that's what we see so many around us a cheap inversion of the Christian faith. 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:30.720 A cheap inversion of what it means to follow Christ. 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:36.480 Because I prayed the little prayer in this one moment in Sunday school, and so now I'm good and I can do whatever I want to. 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:38.720 I'm covered, I'm going to heaven. 00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:48.080 Not understanding the call of Jesus begins here and now and today, and it is surrendering every area, every part of our life to Him. 00:09:49.759 --> 00:10:02.000 When I look at the martyrs, the disciples of Jesus, and even throughout the history of the world, even those today in different parts of the world, the price they pay because of their faith in Christ. 00:10:02.159 --> 00:10:04.240 It's a humbling thing, isn't it? 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:08.480 Families that are being torn apart still in the world. 00:10:08.799 --> 00:10:21.360 Different parts of the world where we see Christians that will not renounce the name of Christ and are murdered on the spot, shot in the head because of their faith in Jesus that they boldly proclaim and profess. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:41.360 When you look at the disciples and the torture they endured, the persecution, the opposition, all of them giving their lives, being crucified on X-shaped crosses, upside down, being stabbed to death with spears, being dragged behind horses through the city until they died. 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:51.039 Willingly going up to a block and kneeling in front of it and laying their heads down on it, knowing that in that instant they're gonna go be with Jesus. 00:10:51.360 --> 00:11:07.440 When you hear these stories, it is a humbling thing to know that one day we're not only gonna be in the presence of our Savior, but we're gonna be in the presence of these martyrs, hearing them share their story of Christ's faithfulness even in their demise here on earth. 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:10.480 And I don't know what I'm gonna say in that moment. 00:11:10.559 --> 00:11:23.759 I mean, they're gonna be sharing about how they they were beaten to death and dressed in animal skins and ripped apart by lions and treated, dipped in wax, boiled in hot wax while they were alive and lit up as human candles. 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:27.120 And they're gonna be sharing these stories and be like, guys, I get it. 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:28.080 You don't understand, too. 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:34.399 I mean, there was one time like I flew to Zambia on a missions trip and I had to fly a coach. 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:41.519 I mean, the leg room was terrible, and I was stuck in a middle seat. 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:49.759 We got stuck in Miami for an hour and a half, and that airport food was atrocious. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:55.840 And what does my faith in Jesus ever really cost me? 00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:00.960 And this is not a message to say, so go out there and find ways to suffer. 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:02.320 No, that's not it. 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:09.600 Because we have the assurance of Scripture that any of us who desires to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, we will be persecuted. 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:16.000 There will be things we lose, people that walk away, that no longer want to be a part of our lives. 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:25.279 And we're not willing to do that, to pay any of these prices because of our fear of man, our need to be accepted by this world. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:43.759 The result of our cheapened Christianity, countless chairs, countless seats and pews and and churches that are filled with casual and coddled, filled with carnal consumer Christians. 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:47.279 Because there's a lack of genuine conversion. 00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:56.480 There's so many who look the part, they know how to play the part, but they're not following Jesus with their lives. 00:12:57.679 --> 00:13:03.120 They're really of no use in their own selfishness that they're we unwilling to let go of. 00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:14.480 They're of no use to the Lord, to his kingdom, building into this world, building his church, seeing the lost come to radical saving faith in Christ because of our example. 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:21.120 We're just so focused on ourselves and what we need to do every day, and that's what we're consumed by. 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:24.399 We're like those Jesus describes in Luke 14. 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:32.080 Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:35.840 It is of no use, either for the soil or for the manure pile. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:37.360 It is thrown away. 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:40.720 He who has ears to ear, to hear, let him hear. 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:44.480 As we are tasteless salt, so many of us. 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:47.360 It doesn't look any different. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:50.559 Maybe some people would look at our lives and they wouldn't know. 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:57.919 The only way is to really taste that salt to go, oh, it's lost its flavor, and now it's good for nothing at all. 00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:10.960 Salt is meant to preserve, it is meant to protect against decay, it is meant to add flavor to this world around us to show people, this world, who Jesus is. 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:20.879 And yet we've embraced this cheap form of Christianity where I've got my fire insurance, I'm good, now I can live how I want to. 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:27.360 What can we learn from the first gospel message, the first real gospel invitation ever preached? 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:27.600 Right? 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:29.600 Let's go to Acts chapter 2. 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:35.120 And what we see is this is after Christ dies for the sin of the world. 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:43.600 He raises from the dead and he appears to his followers, hundreds of them, and and then he ascends back to the Father into the clouds. 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:45.679 But he gives them this great commission. 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:49.440 He he tells them that they're gonna be his witnesses when the Holy Spirit falls upon them. 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:53.440 And in Acts chapter 2, we see his words come to fruition. 00:14:53.679 --> 00:15:00.799 It's on the day of Pentecost, this Jewish feast and festival, and they're all gathered together and they're praying together as his followers. 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:06.399 And the Holy Spirit of God, as Jesus promised, falls upon them and begins to empower them. 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:15.679 And they declare the glories of God in different languages, and these miracles start happening, and everyone's gathering around, and there's thousands of people that gather around. 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:19.360 It's in the marketplace, and they're like, What is happening to this group of people? 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:20.960 Something drew them in. 00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:29.279 And it's Peter who stands up and he preaches the first gospel salvation message empowered by the Holy Spirit. 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:36.080 And he basically goes through the history of Scripture, just proving that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:41.039 And then he looks at everybody, the thousands of people there, and he says, You killed him. 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:46.480 You killed the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:48.240 And this is the response. 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:50.240 Acts 2, verse 37. 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:56.240 Now, when they, the people, heard this, they were cut to the heart. 00:15:56.559 --> 00:16:01.759 And they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:06.639 And Peter said to them, Bow your head, close your eyes, pray this prayer, and you're gonna go to heaven. 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:09.440 Did I read that wrong? 00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:12.480 Peter said to them, What, church? 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:19.759 Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:38.559 And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promises for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself, and with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation. 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:45.919 And those who received his word were baptized, and they were added that day about 3,000 souls. 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:51.759 You notice the response of Peter when they said, What shall we do? 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:53.519 We've murdered the Messiah. 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:55.919 How do we how can we be forgiven? 00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:57.679 How can we be saved? 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:01.279 And Peter's response wasn't pray this prayer. 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:05.200 It was repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sin. 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:11.279 It wasn't even an invitation, it was a challenge, a calling out. 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:16.799 The word repent, it means to turn from, to change direction. 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:23.359 Right in our context, it's marked by a recognition and a renouncing of sin. 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:38.000 Can we admit there are so many, even Christians, who don't really understand the magnitude, the severity, the horrific nature, the ugliness of our sin. 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:47.119 And we've reduced it to something that's, yeah, it's not great, but it's really not that big of a deal because we're all about self-esteem. 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:50.880 So we'll minimize our sin and our failure against God. 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:58.319 We'll rationalize it away, we justify it, we dilute it, we try to transfer that blame to everybody around us. 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:01.599 I'm just a product of my society and upbringing. 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:20.960 And we never take responsibility for our personal rebellion against the creator of all things and his holiness and his love for us that we daily spit in his face and say, no, no, no, no, not your will be done from my life, my own will be done. 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:23.359 We never take ownership of it. 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:26.799 The weight of our sin we never confront. 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:35.119 And then we invite Jesus into our life to be our savior, and we don't even really know what we need to be saved from. 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:44.160 We invite him in to save us from our insecurity and to save us from the bad problems that happen in our lives and to save us from hard things. 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:58.079 Guys, Jesus came to be Savior, to redeem us from ourselves, from our own sin, from the wrath of a holy God that we deserve because of our sin against him. 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:04.880 That's what he came to redeem us from, to buy us back because of this infinite debt we could never pay. 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:10.960 Anybody here want to see revival in the church? 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:19.920 We know there needs to be a revolution in our culture, a moral revolution to see just our world change. 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:30.720 Revolution is always downstream from the church's revival, an awakening where we have our eyes opened and we see the reality. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:43.680 Because part of revival throughout the history of the world, every revival is marked as the people of God pray, and then there is a repentance collectively that takes place. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:49.920 The Holy Spirit comes upon people as they repent and confess their sin before God. 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:53.119 One of my favorite stories of Peter Cartwright. 00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:58.319 He was a preacher that was an itinerant Methodist preacher back in the 1700s. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:03.599 And he was one that helped bring on what was known as the second great awakening in our country's history. 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:19.039 And the the story goes that he was staying at this hotel, this tavern type place, and this inn, and the inn had a tavern where there was a dance going on, and he was gone, didn't know the dance was happening, and he returned back to his room, and the dance was in full force. 00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:24.720 And this is back in the day where there's plenty of drinking and plenty of people just living the worldly life. 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:30.000 And here comes this man of the cloth, this holy preacher, and he starts to walk to his room. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:36.319 Well, there was a young lady who didn't know who he was, and so she approached him and invited him, asked him to dance. 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:40.079 And everyone was kind of chuckling, going, There's no way he's gonna do that. 00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:43.599 And to their great surprise, he accepted the invitation. 00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:58.240 And so he walks with this young lady to the center of the dance floor and he quiets the band and he looks at her and he says, I have never undertaken anything of any kind of significance in my life without first asking God's blessing. 00:20:58.559 --> 00:20:59.519 Would you join me? 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:03.119 And he goes to his knees and he pulls her down to hers. 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:07.680 And she's kind of pulling away at first, and he just begins to pray. 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:20.319 And he seeks not only God's blessing, but he repents of the collective sin of the people that were there, acknowledges their need for mercy, and he just begins to cry out to Jesus as Savior. 00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:28.000 And it was in this moment that this young lady stopped resisting and fighting against, and suddenly the Spirit of God overwhelmed her. 00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:34.720 And she begins weeping profusely, falling onto her face, crying out to Jesus because of her sin. 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:43.039 And then someone over here doing the same and the same, and this dance ended up becoming this incredible service of worship. 00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:48.720 Where revival broke out, not just in that dance hall and tavern, but throughout the community. 00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:02.960 But it's that We need to understand we need saving. 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:08.000 I know the word repent, it seems harsh or offensive. 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:09.759 And guys, I wrestled with this, man. 00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:15.920 You know, there's one thing I could speak about for the rest of my life, it is the grace we have in Christ. 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:20.880 It is his mercy and goodness toward us because it's changed everything for me. 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:31.279 But what the Lord has to keep reminding me is the hope of the gospel and grace is only reserved for those who know the horror of their sin. 00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:36.160 Otherwise, we feel like we deserve his undeserved favor. 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:40.400 We kind of just dismiss it as not that big of a deal. 00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:45.039 We like using language like, you know, we we all make mistakes, we all mess up. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:46.559 Nobody's perfect. 00:22:46.799 --> 00:22:52.160 Isn't that much more comfortable than having somebody stand up here and say, repent of your sin? 00:22:52.720 --> 00:23:01.839 It's so much easier to go, you know, I know you're not perfect, everything's not great in your life, but the grace of Jesus is amazing, and so invite him into your life and you're good. 00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:06.799 That is such a better, more uplifting as we leave. 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:08.400 And I wrestled with it. 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:10.960 I don't want to be the hellfire brimstone up here. 00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:13.599 I feel like I'm the bad preacher from Pollyanna. 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:16.799 Some of you young people are like, Polly, what? 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:17.680 Just explain. 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:19.440 Your parents will explain. 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:35.440 Guys, we can't, we can't in any way cry out to Jesus to be our savior until we first truly know we need saving. 00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:46.000 I mean, we're like a drowning man, a drowning woman that has the lifeguard swim out to us, and as we're gasping for air, use that air to go, I'm good, I got it. 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:52.240 We have to acknowledge, help me, save me, redeem me from myself. 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:56.160 I know the ugliness that's in me, and I can't change it. 00:23:56.319 --> 00:23:57.839 Jesus, I need you. 00:23:58.240 --> 00:24:03.599 No matter how moral I become, how many life changes I try to make, it's not enough. 00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:06.240 I need you to save me from me. 00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:09.599 Come into my life and take control. 00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:11.440 Take over. 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:16.559 I submit all of me to you and your leadership and your lordship. 00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:20.079 And yes, this is a lifelong process and it's a journey. 00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:28.799 It doesn't all happen in a moment, but we can't come to Jesus to save us without any intention or desire for him to change us. 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:32.240 Do you need changing? 00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:43.119 When Peter here says, repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, it is so important that we interpret Scripture through the rest of Scripture. 00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:49.039 Because Peter is not saying that it is the act of getting baptized that we get to celebrate here today. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:52.240 It's the act of getting baptized that saves us. 00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:54.319 What does Ephesians 2 tell us? 00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:59.119 Paul writes this: he says, For by grace you have been saved through faith. 00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:00.880 This is not your own doing. 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:06.000 It is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:10.240 Not even the work of getting baptized is what saves us. 00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:19.519 Baptism isn't necessary for salvation, but it is a necessary demonstration of the salvation we have in Christ. 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:23.359 The picture of baptism goes along with repentance. 00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:29.119 It is my old life of sin is dead and gone, and it is buried with Christ. 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:34.319 And as I raise out of that water, it's a picture of the new life I have in him. 00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:39.839 That the old is done away with, that there's been radical change and transformation. 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:42.799 That's what baptism is meant to convey. 00:25:43.119 --> 00:25:45.359 Our need to be transformed. 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:49.839 Consider the story of Zacchaeus, Luke 19. 00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:58.720 This sinner and had a terrible reputation, and he was a tax collector who robbed from people and stole from them, and everyone knew it. 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:05.200 Jesus comes into his house, his home, and he places his trust and faith in Christ. 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:07.200 And here's what we read, verse 8. 00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:13.440 Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, said to Jesus, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. 00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:18.319 And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold. 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:25.680 And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:29.920 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. 00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:36.079 Jesus here is not saying that Zacchaeus is saved because he is going to pay people back. 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:38.480 We're saved by grace through faith. 00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:39.759 It's not our works. 00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:45.440 What he's saying is the evidence that Zacchaeus has been saved. 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:49.119 It's his desire for restitution to make things right. 00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:54.960 Zacchaeus' desire to change, to be transformed. 00:26:55.279 --> 00:26:59.279 That's why he invited Christ into his home. 00:27:00.160 --> 00:27:02.480 Because he knew he needed saving. 00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:28.720 I don't know if I shared this with you guys, but as these young people, night one, were crying out to the Lord and acknowledging their sin and giving their lives to Him. 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:31.680 And it happened, continued to happen throughout the week. 00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:34.319 We saw Zacchaeus things going on. 00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:45.200 Some of these young people were coming up to our leaders and they were taking out of their pockets their vapes that they had actually used in the restrooms here at church during the midweek studies. 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:47.200 And we had all these conversations. 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:47.839 What do we do? 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:49.119 Do we beef up security? 00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:51.039 We got to make sure to keep bathroom doors open. 00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:52.240 We can't have them doing that. 00:27:52.319 --> 00:27:55.119 And we're wanting to control this wrong bad behavior. 00:27:55.279 --> 00:27:56.400 Hey, I got an idea. 00:27:56.559 --> 00:28:02.720 How about Jesus just radically saves and transforms them to where their heart is different and they don't want to do that anymore? 00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:06.880 So they're willingly, voluntarily coming up to our leader saying, Here, take this. 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:08.640 I don't want to do this anymore. 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:11.839 I think they collected about eight vapes at camp. 00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:24.880 One of the students came back home, shared with his friends that were not at camp everything Jesus had done for him, how he had radically been changed, and Jesus saved him, and he took the vape and he trashed it, didn't want it anymore. 00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:28.640 His friends were so moved that they wanted the same thing he had. 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:34.400 And so they had a gathering at this young man's house that was a vape destruction party. 00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:42.559 And they started doing studies together on a weekly basis, on a daily basis. 00:28:43.119 --> 00:28:48.319 A few days ago, I went into Starbucks with Pastor James, you know, suffering for the Lord again. 00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:59.279 And as we go in, there's a group of about six of these teenagers from our student ministries, Bibles open in the Word together, just letting the Lord speak to them. 00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:01.759 That's revival. 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:09.279 It's the mark, there's an evidence, it's the fruit that is born in keeping with repentance. 00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:16.480 And this is not a message today for anyone who is here who is constantly wrestling, like, Lord, I love you. 00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:21.039 I want to give everything to you, but I still see these areas of my life that need to change. 00:29:21.119 --> 00:29:22.160 And am I saved? 00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:22.720 And I don't. 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:24.480 That's not a message for us today. 00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:26.160 Man, scripture is so clear. 00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:31.279 Jesus doesn't break the bruised reed, he doesn't extinguish the smoldering wick. 00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:31.839 Right? 00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:37.680 He meets those of us who know our sin, who are wrestling with our sin, who are broken by our sin. 00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:41.359 That's when he meets us with his grace and says, I'm enough. 00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:42.319 I'm enough. 00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:43.359 It's not you. 00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:52.880 But guys, I know that there are some of us here today who have flippantly approached our faith in a way where we just casually go, Yeah, you know, I'm good. 00:29:53.039 --> 00:29:55.119 I prayed the prayer, I'm fine. 00:29:55.440 --> 00:29:58.079 And there's no urgency. 00:29:58.799 --> 00:30:04.160 There's no true awareness of our need for Jesus to save us. 00:30:04.640 --> 00:30:07.680 And today, my prayer is that that changes. 00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:16.079 Even as we celebrate these baptisms, what an incredible, incredible way to be reminded of what he's done for us. 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:17.759 I want to ask us to do this. 00:30:17.839 --> 00:30:18.640 Can we pray together? 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:30.720 I'm gonna invite the worship team back up, and then we're gonna have our baptizees come up to the front and we're gonna celebrate with them. 00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:33.200 But I want to give us a chance today to respond. 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:36.960 Lord Jesus, we need you. 00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:49.599 Guys, if you are here and the word of God, his spirit is bringing that conviction, like those who heard the message of Peter, your heart is, you're being cut to the heart. 00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:52.000 Would you just respond today? 00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:55.920 And it's not just a matter of praying a little prayer and hear the words you say. 00:30:56.160 --> 00:31:01.920 If you're aware of your sin and you know you need a savior, will you just tell your Savior that today? 00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:08.240 Acknowledge that, repent, and turn to Him. 00:31:09.119 --> 00:31:15.759 There's no other remedy, no other cure, no other solution but Jesus. 00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:28.880 And Father God, as we celebrate the work you've done in these lives, Lord, we just want to say thank you. 00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:35.279 We give you all praise and all glory, our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus. 00:31:35.920 --> 00:31:37.759 And we pray this in your name. 00:31:38.079 --> 00:31:38.480 Amen.