The Way Week 4 "Locked-In"

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Move into the Word of God today. We want to just say good morning to everyone, our visitors, our guests. We're just so glad to see you today. And we are so excited about this Easter season. It's quickly approaching. We have our Easter work days, as we mentioned, coming up next Saturday and the Wednesday following, which is April 1st. And so we want to encourage, if you're able to, to come out and help us out as we get the church ready for Easter and Good Friday. And it's just going to be an awesome time. We are praying and preparing for a harvest of souls. Amen. People who are far away from Christ, coming close to him and getting to know him and accepting him into their life and becoming part of the family of God. Is that okay? That we get prepared for that, that we get our church ready. Amen. And so I'm excited because next week is Palm Sunday. Anybody ready for that? Palm Sunday is here. And uh my wife, Pastor Kayla, is going to be bringing the word next week. And so we're excited about that. And uh this is a perfect time of the year for you to invite your friends, invite your family, invite your neighbors, coworkers, uh, round everyone up. Let's fill up God's house this Easter season. Amen. It's the most important time of the whole year because we are zoning in, we're focusing in, and we do it every week, but it is a sp there's a special time of the year when we um we zero in on the cross, amen. We zero in on the resurrection and we focus on what God did for us and what he is still doing for us, amen. And I'm eager to get into the word of God today because I have a lot of ground to cover. And so um, how many of you have been enjoying this series that we've been on called The Way? Amen. And so I hope that you've been following along with us in the book of Matthew, and uh, you know, Jesus said, I am the way and the life. What did he say? Jesus said, I am the truth and the life. Okay, and no one comes to the Father except through him. And so uh we've been on this journey and we've been following the ministry of Jesus from when he called his first disciples to follow him. We talked about what truly following Christ looks like. And we've been following that all the way to the cross. And and so this week we are covering Matthew chapters 17 through 20. And so, if you're reading along with us, if you're if you're following us on this journey, we encourage you this week to to look at those chapters and pick one for for each day, and then start over again at the end of the week and look and see what is God trying to speak to me. Maybe that Pastor Phil didn't get to this week in his sermon, but there's something in there that that that is just for me and God's saving it just to speak to me in my own private time with the Lord. And so so far we've seen Jesus go to the mountainside and he brings a sermon on the mount, the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer, and he talks about the kingdom of God, and during this time he kind of puts on his teacher's hat, right? We've talked about that. He put on his teacher's hat. We know this because they started calling him rabbi, which means teacher. And then uh we moved on to where Jesus takes on the title of miracle worker, and he just starts doing miracles after miracles. And the reason behind the miracles were not just to heal. Anybody here last week? You guys remember this? Not just to heal, he met those needs, but they were also those miracles helped reveal that he was the Messiah, amen. And so, if you were here, we ended the service with the question and we were following through with those scriptures, Matthew 8 through 16, and and and Jesus asked Peter and the disciples, Who do you say I am? And so that brings us to this week, Matthew chapter 17 through 20. And after studying these portions of scripture, you can't help but notice that something changes about Jesus. Okay, he gets more serious, his energy changes in these scriptures, he becomes more direct in his answers, and we're going to explore this some in the next few minutes. And so, today's title, so you're getting ready for it, we're going to be talking about locked in. Look at your neighbor and say, Locked in. We'll get to more explanation on that in a minute, but let's bow our heads and let's ask the Lord to bless his word today. Father, I'm so grateful for your presence that was here when I showed up this morning, God. And when I woke up this morning, God, you gave me breath, and so I knew you were with me. And Father, I just pray that you'd help me get out of the way. You would help any walls of religion that might be up in between us and connecting with you, any anything that maybe is distracting or anything that maybe is going on in our life, God, that is keeping us from hearing from you today and your word speaking to our heart. God, I pray that it would be pushed aside. And Father, we want to hear from you today. We want you to have your way in this place. And so, Father, we ask for you to bless your word. We ask that you would bless our ears and our heart and our mind as we listen, as we receive, God, as we try to comprehend what it is you're saying to us, God. And I pray that the momentum that we have been seeing, building up to Easter, building up to Good Friday, building up to Resurrection Sunday, God, that it would continue in our hearts. It would continue in our praise, it would continue in our worship. And as we read your word today, we would just get excited about what it is you're speaking to us in Jesus' precious name. And the church said, Amen. Now, I want to cover this term real quickly, we're talking about today called locked in. Because it's important you understand what we're talking about. If you've never heard that phrase before, like when an athlete steps onto the field and you can tell this isn't casual anymore. They're focused. Everyone say focused. They're intense, they're not out there just playing for fun. They're ready to win, they're locked in. It's a serious mode. It's all fun and games until it's time to lock in. Being focused, so focused that you don't have time for anything else until you achieve your goal. People dieting get locked in because it doesn't matter how good that piece of cheesecake might look. Come on, can I got a witness this morning? You're gonna hold fast to your diet. Now I I share that because cheesecake is a weakness of mine. Anyone else? Anyone can testify to that this morning? Okay. But if you're dieting, you know, it doesn't matter how good that piece of dessert looks, you're determined to lose weight and get healthy. It doesn't matter how tempting that sin may look. You're focused on living for God, you're locked in. It doesn't matter what this person or that person says about me. I'm gonna do the best job that I can because the Bible says whatever your hands find to work, to do, to do it with all of your ability. So that's what we're talking about when we say locked in today. Okay? We can make it humorous for a moment. You know, I was a mama's boy growing up. Anybody else a mama's boy growing up? And uh she let me, you know, she she let me do a lot of things. She gave me a lot of liberty, okay? But when I was disrespectful, if I broke something, if I said something, if I disobeyed my mom, something about her changed. Come on, somebody. She got this look. Anybody know what I'm talking about? The look? I grew up, got out of my mom's house, got away from the look, and now my wife gives me the look. Amen. But she she could switch from being my from my mama and me being a mama's boy because she got locked in on me, and that was the look that she she gave me, and it was no longer playing and fun and games. She was serious. Anyone know what I'm talking about? So we're talking about this because something happens to Jesus in the scripture, something shifts in his personality, his character, something changes when he comes down from the mount of transfiguration. He's locked in. Before this moment, Jesus was revealing who he was, and and after this moment, Jesus is locked in on why he came. Jesus is no longer building a movement, teaching disciples. He can still heal, he can still do miracles, and he does a little bit of that, but he's focused. He was locked in on Calvary. Come on, somebody. And so we're gonna read this because I want you to see it for yourself. And it's a little bit, so I want you to bear with me, have patience with me. But we're gonna go to Matthew chapter 17, and we're gonna read this. It's important we see and read and understand the context of what changed, what shifted here for Jesus. And so, in verse 1, it says, Six days later, Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. And as the men watched, Jesus' appearance was transformed, so that his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as light. And suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. For some of you who like to do a deep dive in the word, can I challenge you to go and read about Moses and Elijah here? Go and read about them because they also, in their own story, have moments where they go to the mountain and have an encounter with God. And I'm just wondering, you know, God is above time and space and matter. I'm wondering, you know, if there's some sort of a connection there, okay? So some of you who like to do a deep dive, go there and look at that. Think about that for a minute, okay? But, anyways, I'll talk to you about that later. So they see Moses and Elijah and they appear and begin talking with Jesus. And Peter exclaimed, Lord, it's wonderful for us to be here. If you want, I'll make three shelters as memorials, one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah. But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is my dearly loved son who brings me great joy. Listen to him. And the disciples were terrified. They fell face down on the ground, and then Jesus came over and touched them. Get up, he said, Don't be afraid. And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus. As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, Don't tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. Then his disciples asked him, Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes? And Jesus replied, Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn't recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer. Verse 13 says, Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist, and Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy, and at the foot of the mountain, this large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. And so I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn't heal him. And Jesus said, You faithless and corrupt people, how long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? See what I'm saying here? Something shifts a little bit in the way that he's talking and communicating. Bring the boy here to me. And then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy and it left him. From that moment, the boy was well. And afterwards, the disciples asked Jesus privately, Why couldn't we cast out that demon? You don't have enough faith, Jesus told them. I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, The Son of Man is going to be betrayed in the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead. And the disciples were filled with grief. Verse 24 says, On their arrival to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and asked him, Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax? Yes, he does, Peter replied. Then he went into the house. But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, Excuse me, what do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered? They tax the people they have conquered. Peter replied, Well then, Jesus said, The citizens are free. However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake, throw in a line, open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us. How many of you want to do fishing like that right there? Now, if you've been reading along with us in the book of Matthew, you can see the tone adjustment here. Jesus gets locked in on the mission. What is the mission? The mission is the cross of Calvary. And so that actually is our first point today as we get into this word that the Lord has spoken to my heart. The first point is locked in on his mission. Jesus is locked in on his mission. And so Jesus is focused. He comes down from the transfiguration and he knows what's coming. He is reminded of the plan of God. He sees Moses and Elijah, and the Father speaks over him once again. And to show us that he knew what was going to happen, but also try to give his friends and his disciples a heads up, Jesus predicts his death multiple times. He does this in Matthew 17, where we just read and he does it again in Matthew 20, verses 17 through 19. He says, the Son of Man will be delivered and killed and raised again. So let me just give you some insight here, real quick. This isn't random. It's intentional. Jesus isn't reacting to the cross, he's walking towards it. He knows all things and he knows the pain that's coming, but he still moves forward. He knows the betrayal, but he still moves forward. He knows the cost, but he still moves forward. You see, Jesus wasn't a victim of the cross, he was committed to it. Can I tell somebody why this morning? Because when he looked at the cross, when he thought about it, when he was thinking on it, he didn't see the pain, he didn't see the suffering, he didn't see the embarrassment or any of those things. He saw you and me. He saw his creation being redeemed on that cross. He's seen freedom for his people, and he's seeing the end game. Can we give him some praise for that this morning? He's seen the end game. And this is why we worship, this is why we sing, this is why we celebrate. I can't help but think about these lyrics this morning when we're talking about this. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction to me. For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above, to bear it to dark Calvary. And that old rugged cross stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see. For twas on that old cross, Jesus suffered and died to pardon and sanctify me. Come on, somebody. And so cherish the old rugged cross till my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the old rugged cross and exchange it someday for a crown. Can we give God some praise in this place? See, he wasn't a victim of the cross, but he was committed to the cross. He was locked in on the cross. He was committed to you and me and every sinner. And so as we keep on going and we approach Matthew 18, the disciples ask the question, who's the greatest? Jesus says, Become like a child. You see, they want position and they want respect and they want to know where their sacrifice is taking them. What is it doing for them? And Jesus talks about their posture. If you want kingdom greatness, you need humility. If you want kingdom leadership, you need to be serving. If you want kingdom culture, you need forgiveness. So while they were trying to climb these ladders and figure out who was going to be seated next to Christ in heaven, Jesus was trying to tear ladders down. You see, you can't follow Jesus and stay full of pride at the same time. You might be thinking, Well, what do you mean? Let's go to Matthew chapter 18, verse 3. Jesus says, I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This is where Jesus is really showing us a change in his talk. And this is where he says it would be better off for you to tie a millstone around your neck and be tossed into the sea. This is where Jesus says, if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. If your eyes cause you to sin, you know, gouge them out, throw them away. Why? Because it would be better than going to hell. All of a sudden, Jesus is preaching hell and judgment, and he's not joking, he's not saying cute little things, he's not leaving them with deep thoughts and all of that. He's saying it's time to stop messing around. There's a heaven and there's a hell, and you need to get rid of that sin, and the truth of that still stands today. Amen. Without Jesus, the path we are all on leads us to hell, eternal separation from God. But because of Jesus, come on, somebody, because of Jesus, because of what he does on the cross, because of his resurrection, we can choose heaven, we can choose eternal life with God. How that famous Bible verse, John 3.16, and I know we know it, but what does it say?

SPEAKER_00 19:36

Whosoever believes in him.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

It's important though that you understand in the original Greek that word believe means to trust and to rely on, to place confidence in, to commit yourself to. It does not simply mean believe that he exists and you're good to go. It means believe into him. It means trusting him with your life, living for him. When you believe you are, or you're going to be a professional athlete, you live, you eat, your habits, your actions, everything you do, your time is spent with the things that help you become a professional athlete. Because you believe it and you live for it, and if you don't, then you won't. I know it's not popular, I know it's not fun, but when you are locked in, like Jesus is here in these scriptures, he's done playing games. Can anyone relate with that today? Sometimes we just get tired of playing games. Sometimes you are just done playing games with people. Sometimes you just get sick and tired of everyone being fake, putting on a show. Jesus is locked in on his mission, and his serious face is on. Just a quick little uh joke here. But me and Kayla, when we first started dating, we would we made up this game called Serious Face because we always dating, laughing around each other, having fun. And so we were always laughing and having a good time, and we made up this game called Serious Face. And so we would try to see who could hold the most serious face the longest, and whoever gave in lost. But listen, Jesus had his serious face on, the cross was quickly approaching, and it was all business, no play. And so, point number two is this Jesus was locked in on transformation, not impressing people. He already did all these miracles, he already showed them he was the Messiah, he already taught them, and maybe they were still trying to decide what they believed about him, but he already did all that he was gonna do, and now. He was locked in on what was ahead of him. And it's so interesting to me because the disciples are trying to figure out who's going to sit at the throne next to Jesus, who will be important, who will have titles, who is Jesus' favorites. And Jesus is like, Man, you better focus on not going to hell, not where you're going to be in heaven. And can I tell you, even though I'm not that kind of preacher, and that is not something that you're going to see me do a lot, is get up here and try to scare someone to heaven and try to scare the hell out of them. I'm not going to be that kind of a preacher and I'm not that person. But can I tell you something? There is something healthy about keeping it in front of you that there is a real place called heaven, and there is a real place called hell. And heaven is the home where God lives. So we're our loved ones who went before us, and we need to do actively do everything we can to go there. Can I tell you today that if you're not sure where you would go, if God forbid something were to happen to you, can I tell you before this service is over today, we are going to give you an invitation to make that right, to ask Christ into your heart, to make a decision in your heart to live for him.

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So Jesus is done impressing people.

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He's focused on saving people. And so moving from Matthew 17, Jesus pays the taxes with money from this the mouth of a fish that they pull out of the mouth of a fish. And Jesus talks about the parable of the lost sheep and leaving the 99 to find the one and how important every individual is to God. And Jesus talks about correcting believers and how you shouldn't do that alone. He says, Whatever you forbid on earth, you will be forbidden in heaven. Whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. He says, if two or of you agree together on earth concerning anything you ask, God will do it for you. And he says, where two or three are gathered together in his name, he's there in the midst. And so he talks about how many times you should forgive. 70 times seven. He brings it back to mercy. If you want mercy, you need to show mercy. Which ties back into some of our previous week's teachings. And so this brings us to Matthew chapter 19. Look at your neighbors say chapter 19. Jesus challenges what they know all over again. They bring up the topic of divorce, and Jesus reminds them of God's original plan was intended that a man and a woman leave their parents and become one. He goes on to talk about our faith. Because the disciples try to stop little kids from approaching Jesus, and he tells them not to do that. Don't stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like these. And then we get to the rich young ruler. And this is huge. This is emotional. We're gonna go there. Matthew chapter 19, verses 16 through 26. Someone came to Jesus with this question. Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? Why ask me about what is good? Jesus replied. But to answer your question, if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments. Which ones? the man asked. And Jesus replied, You must not murder, you must not commit adultery, you must not steal, you must not testify falsely, honor your father and mother, love your neighbor as yourself. I've obeyed all these commandments, the young man replied. So what else m must I do? And Jesus told him, If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me. But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. And Jesus said to his disciples, I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. I'll say it again: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were astounded, then who in the world can be saved? They asked. And Jesus looked at them intently and said, Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God, everything is possible. The man wants eternal life, but not at the cost of his own possession. He didn't reject Jesus, he just wasn't willing to release what he loved the most. You see, you can be close to Jesus and still not be surrendered to him. He walked away sad, not because Jesus asked too much, but because he loves something else more. This is important because our point number three today is this we have to be locked in to surrender, not comfort.

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Our faith isn't supposed to be comfortable.

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Our relationship with Jesus isn't supposed to it's supposed to challenge us and it's supposed to convict us and it's supposed to guide us.

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Can I tell somebody this morning your relationship with Christ, it's supposed to be a struggle. And so then Peter asks, what about us?

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In Matthew 19, 30. Jesus reminds them the first will be last, and the last will be first. Jesus is exposing what people really love because following him requires surrender, not just admiration. Let's be honest this morning. People love Jesus' miracles, but struggle with surrender. Jesus surrendered so that we could surrender. Jesus surrendered on the cross so that we could surrender. It meant something. Surrender isn't comfortable, it's not convenient, it's not easy, it's hard. And so Jesus in Matthew chapters 17 through 20 moves from proving who he is to preparing them for what he came to do. And I hope that that's what we're doing this this season of this year with with Good Friday and Palm Sunday and Good Friday and Easter coming up. I hope that we're preparing our hearts to receive from the Lord to understand what it really is that he did for us.

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See, surrender is important because Jesus surrendered. And this is so powerful if you catch this. Jesus, who you could say as the first, became like the last, so that the last, you and me, could become first.

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See? Amen. Surrender matters because surrender is the way of Jesus. Jesus, who was first in every way, did not cling to his rights and his position or his glory, but he surrendered himself on the cross. He took the lowest place, carrying our sin and our shame and our punishment. And we who were last because of sin are now brought near to him. Come on, somebody. We are forgiven, we are redeemed, we are adopted into the family of God. He went low so we could be lifted high. Jesus tells the parable of the workers in the vineyard, where everyone gets paid the same regardless of what they started, when they started. And this challenge, this challenges us to fairness, and and it reveals that God's kingdom runs on grace, not merit. And then again, Jesus predicts his death, and this is now the third time, and still they don't get it. And can I just point out there that God likes Jesus was doing things, trying to get them, and I think he did this so that they would think about it later. But three times he tells them what's going to happen.

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Three times he asks Peter if he loves him and feed his sheep. Peter denies him three times.

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So three times he tries to tell them about what's to come. And right after that, the mother of James and John asks for her sons to sit in place of honor with Jesus. And even now, through all of this, Jesus is trying to tell them what's about to happen. Their focus is still on chasing positions. How many times do we do that in our life where our focus is just on the wrong thing? Jesus responds with one of the most powerful kingdom statements. He says, Whoever wants to be great must be the least, must be the servant. As we're following the scripture, he heals two blind men, and and they see him clearly for who he is. But Jesus is very close friends, and his disciples are still stuck on their positions and their titles and their crowns. Jesus is revealing who he is more clearly than ever with the transfiguration and miracles and authority and the must being the Messiah, but the disciples are still misunderstanding the kind of king he is. They expect power and position and victory. And Jesus is teaching suffering and surrender and servanthood. There's a growing tension between expectation and reality. And this is huge because they see the glory, but they don't understand the cross. They want the crown, but they reject the cost of it. They follow Jesus but don't fully trust his way. And Jesus is preparing for something that they are not ready to accept. Three times he predicts his death, three times they fail to grasp it. Jesus is walking towards the cross. And his closest followers are still thinking about status. Seeing Jesus clearly, but still not understanding his way. And workers complain that's not fair, and disciples ask, Can we sit at your right or on your left? And they were asking for crowns while Jesus was about to carry the cross. They were thinking about crowns while Jesus was preparing for the crown of thorns. Jesus was locked in and he was focused. His eyes were on the prize. And so I have to ask you today, what are your eyes focused on?

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Where is your focus? Some of us are locked in, but we're locked in on the wrong things.

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Maybe we're like the disciples and we're locked in on success. Or maybe we're locked in on money or reputation or comfort or what people think. And the truth is, some of us are following Jesus, but we're not surrendered to him. Think about the disciples. They walked with him, they saw the miracles, they were behind the scenes, they heard the teaching, and they still didn't get it. While they were arguing about greatness, Jesus was thinking about the cross. While they were worried about position, Jesus was preparing for pain. While they were asking, what do we get? Jesus was saying, I'll give you everything. He was locked in on you and me. And the question today is simple: what are you locked in on?

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Are you locked in on your life or his purpose? Are you locked in on comfort or your calling?

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Are you locked in on control or surrender? Jesus didn't go to the cross halfway. He was fully locked in. I'm gonna ask the band to come and begin to play something softly. And I want someone to know under the sound of my voice today, he's not asking for part of your life, he's asking for all of it. If he gave everything for you, will you give everything to him? See, he was locked in on the cross so that you could be locked in on purpose. And so this morning, even though this is a different type of message, it's preparing our hearts for what we're gonna learn next week on Palm Sunday, and it's preparing our hearts for what's about to happen to our Savior Jesus Christ on Good Friday, and it's preparing our hearts for the resurrection that's coming on Easter. But during this time when Jesus' attitude kind of shifts into being about business and not about anyone else's will except for the Father's, it's kind of the perfect Sunday morning for a gut check. It's kind of the perfect time to ask us why do we really come to church? Is it because it's something we do, or is it because of a savior we know? Is it because it's the religious thing to do? Or is it because we truly understand what he did for us on the cross? Why do we gather here at 701 South 2nd Street in Versailles, Missouri? Why do some of us drive more than five or ten minutes to get here? Why do some of us wake up early to come teach a Sunday school class or to come have a cup of coffee and see people that we know? Why do we do what we do? Can I tell somebody this morning the reason is what we're about to learn next week? That there is a savior who we should be singing, Hosanna and the highest to. There is a savior who's seen us at our worst, but was locked in on our best. He was ready to take us from shame to glory. He was ready to give everything and pour it out for us. And so this morning the question is: what are you locked in on? I won't answer that question for you because I believe the Lord can do it for you in your own heart. But can I tell you, now is the time to see our loved ones come to church? Now is the time to do whatever it takes to invite that lost person in our life to Christ. To come to church, to tell them about Christ, to share the gospel with them. More than any time of the year, now is the time to talk about heaven and hell. Now is the time to tell people about what Jesus Christ did on that cross for you and for me. We don't have to wait until Easter Sunday to bring our family to church. We don't have to wait for all the right things to align for us to lift our hands. We don't have to wait for the most perfect sermon before we come to the altar and give up the things we've been holding on to. Today is the day of salvation. And so with your heads bowed and your eyes closed, I want us just to go to the Lord in prayer. And I want us to ask him what it is he wants to do in our lives today. Father, I thank you for this word, God. We know it never returns void. Something in this sermon today, something that we read today, is penetrating hearts. It's speaking to us, it's it's pricking away at the walls that we have built up, God. And Father, I just pray right now as we ask for your will to be done, that we would let down any barriers that are between us and you. Maybe we don't always have our serious face on when we come to church, but during this time of the year, God help us understand that we need to be locked in on the purpose of why we come to church. It's to celebrate you, it's to tell others about you, it's to glorify you for what you've done for us. Stir up the passion inside of us. God, I pray, I pray against a lukewarm spirit that might be here today, Father. God, and I pray that you would help us catch on fire for you again. It doesn't take the right song or the right style or the right sermon or the right group of people, it takes us looking at the cross. That's all it should take. That a Savior who was on the throne in heaven stepped down to earth as a baby in a manger, who grew up, went to the cross for our sin and shame, and three days later rose from the grave. God stir up the passion inside of us. Help us do whatever it takes to see our lost loved ones come to find you. With every head bowed and every eye closed, if you're here this morning, say, Pastor Philip, I'm lost. I haven't been living for the Lord. And you're talking about Jesus going to the cross and dying for my sin and dying for my shame so that I could go to heaven. But I don't know this Jesus. If that's you this morning, can I encourage you? Just with one simple prayer, one deciding moment. Your name can be written down in the Lamb's Book of Life. As simple as you understand that we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But because of God's great love for us, he sent Jesus Christ to die for us, to take our sin and our shame on that cross and to nail it to that cross and to bury it in the grave. And three days later, he was raised to life. And all we have to do is confess that he is our Lord and Savior, and we will be saved. And so, if that's you today, God has already made the way, all you have to do is accept it. God has already offered a bridge over the gulf of sin. All we have to do is cross it, and his name is Jesus. So with every head bowed and every eye closed, if you're here this morning and God's speaking to you, and you need to ask Jesus into your heart and into your life, you're ready to make a change, you're ready for a new life. Would you just slip up your hand and say, Pastor, that's me? You're speaking to me this morning. I need Jesus. Thank you for those hands. Nobody's looking around, just between you and God. That's you just slip up your hand and say, That's me. I need Jesus today. I need to ask him into my heart and my life. Thank you for those hands that were raised. If you're here today, And as you're searching your heart, you're searching your soul, God is speaking. You're asking the question this morning, what am I locked in on? What is all my focus on? God's asking, are you just going through the motions? Or do you really love me? Are you really living for me? Maybe you're here this morning and you're saying, you know what, I have some priorities in the wrong place. I need to make a recommitment to Christ. I need to, I need to get some things aligned to the will of God. I need to ask Him to help me this morning. If we can pray for you, would you just slip up your hand showing God that that's you? You've got some things you need to work on. You've got some things that you need to ask God to help you realign. You need to get locked in on the right things. And then finally, in this journey that we are on to the cross, in the gospel, we are reading. As things are starting to get serious, and we're approaching Palm Sunday and the cross and the resurrection. Time is short. Don't miss out on what God is trying to do, what God is trying to say. It's time to get serious about our faith. In the same way God helped Jesus through the transfiguration, and Jesus locked in, and he got serious about the cross approaching him. Maybe you're here today, and it's time for you to get serious about your faith. God's speaking to your heart, he's speaking to your life. There's more that you can be doing, there's more that you should be doing. If that's you and you won't need to respond to that, you need to say, God, I hear you talking to me. I need to respond. Just slip up your hand so He can see you today. Thank you for those hands. I want us to stand to our feet. Can we stand to our feet? And I want us to say a prayer. And I want to I want you to repeat this prayer after me so those who raise their hands don't feel like they're alone in this. They don't feel like they're they have no support. I want I want us to say this prayer together so they can feel the family of God is behind them and with them. And so let's say this prayer together. Dear Jesus, I ask you into my heart and in my life. I surrender to you. I accept you as my Savior. I've sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and I need you. Write my name down in heaven. Help me live for you. Help me learn about my faith. Help me lock in on what it is you want me to do. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Can we give the Lord a hand clap of praise today? We're getting ready to dismiss today, and I just want to encourage you. Find somebody to invite to our services. We've got some things in store for you guys. We've got some plans and preparations that are coming. And even next Sunday, we're going to have some fun things to interact with everybody. But can I encourage you to lock in on what is about to happen as we're running going through this journey in the book of Matthew? We're getting ready to go to Palm Sunday. We're getting ready to do Good Friday. We're getting ready to do Resurrection Sunday. Invite your friends, invite your neighbors, invite somebody to come to church with you. Help us fill up God's house this time of the year. Amen. We love you, church. Consider yourselves dismissed. We look forward to hugging you and greeting you on your way out. Give the Lord another hand clap of praise today.