Embracing Transformation: The Journey to Salvation Through Jesus Christ

Imagine the profound transformation that awaits when you encounter Jesus Christ. This episode is a journey through scripture and personal testimonies, unraveling the life-altering experiences of those who witnessed His miracles. With each story, we uncover the truth about salvation—it's not about moral goodness, but through belief in Him. We delve into the teachings of Jesus to Nicodemus, revealing the essential steps of being born again, baptism, and the call to repentance. But it's more than just understanding; it's about embracing Jesus' offer of salvation and responding with a convicted heart that's ready for change.

Witness the ripple effect as we discuss the church's mission to spread the gospel and the individual's role in this divine commission. From the immediate transformation of a janitor to the deeper convictions of seasoned believers, every encounter with the message of Jesus Christ holds the power to revolutionize lives. We share stories that illustrate the importance of not only receiving the gospel but also the impact of sharing it, fostering a community that invests, builds, and multiplies faith. This episode is a testament to the transformative journey of being sent and responding with a conviction that reshapes our very existence.

Finally, we pause to reflect on the cherished memories of a children's minister whose dedication and energy were a beacon of God's love. Their story serves as a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of life and the urgency of embracing God's offerings—forgiveness, transformation, and the hope of eternal life. We extend a call to action for all, from those yet to commit to long-standing believers, to deepen their faith and assist others in their spiritual growth. Through prayer and commitment, we invite you to make the conscious choice to lead a life rooted in Christ, experiencing the ultimate fulfillment He promises.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:04

The last part of this series, called whatever it takes. The last three weeks we've looked at three different accounts of people in scripture who have come across Jesus. Either they've seen him do miraculous things or they've heard that he does miraculous things. And they come across him and they have this. There's a response that happens, and I believe with everything in me that when people have a genuine encounter with not only who Jesus is and I think that happens a few ways and one of them is through us as a church is his believers, but even when they, when they start to get into the word of God and they start to read the Bible. They might not completely understand it at the moment, but there's something about reading scripture that that draws us to this incredible thing that God is offering, and so every time that someone has this encounter with Jesus, there's a response to that. There's part of that that that's on them. You know, the woman who was bleeding for 12 years had to push her way through the crowd to touch him, to experience a miracle. It wasn't just enough for her to sit back and watch Right. So the lepers who, as Jesus is coming down the mountain and they call out to him you know, teacher, rabbi, he lost. I mean there there's a response on their end. They see what he does, but but they still have to engage. The woman or the man who was lowered through the roof. His friends had to rip off the roof of the house to get him into the presence of Jesus there.

Speaker 1: 2:55

When we see God working, we have two reactions. We either ignore what he's trying to do and I would say that most of the world at this point is ignoring that or we have this and I want to be a part of that. And how do I embrace that? How do I engage with him? And that's what we're gonna talk about this morning Now. So before I get into the message, as always, I'm gonna ask you to pray and just take a minute to focus yourself, and then I'll pray. God, thank you so much for who you are. I ask this morning, as I do every morning that's always more of you than less of me that your words are coming through. Your scriptures are the ones that are teaching us that. It's challenging us and it's transforming us. It's calling us to go deeper. I think that that's important, god. I thank you, someone, for who you are, and I pray and just ask you just protect those who listen, protect the words that are coming out of my mouth, protect those who are engaging. That it's your spirit, teaching that everything you do is to help us become more in tune with your truth and your word. We love you, we thank you, so let me pray Amen.

Speaker 1: 5:21

I had a youth minister that I was good friends with about 10 years ago, and one of the things that used to say to his students almost every time he taught was he said the beauty of the word of God is that it's shallow enough to walk into, but it's deep enough for an elephant to swim Right. And I know the first time he said that my reaction was wait what? But he's talking about the fact that the word of God meets us. It meets us at where our level of understanding is Like. That's the beauty of it. So for the person who's a new believer, and maybe someone who might not even quite be a believer, when they read the Gospels there's part of it that they start to understand and then they start to comprehend what's happening. But for the person who's been studying for a long time or they've been a believer for a long time it's deep enough that, as you study it, it continues to help you grow and understand. I want to say that it was Patrick, my homes and I could be wrong when I quote this. I know it was an NFL quarterback, but there was one of them. They were recently sharing last year, about their, their grandmother's, faith growing up, and one of the things they said in the interview that they found fascinating was the fact that, even though his grandmother had been reading the Bible her entire life, every day she still learned something new, and he thought he thought that that was profound, because he's like you would think that once you read something, that that's it, it's over. But but there's something about the word of God that that continues to transform us, and and so we see this in the way that the Jesus responds to those that he's already healed that that the transformation for them is just the beginning. There is a whole life yet to come. So Jesus is about to sit down with a man who is one of the greatest religious leaders of the day.

Speaker 1: 7:45

John, chapter three there's a man by the name of Nicodemus. He's a. He's a Pharisee. He understands the law probably better than anyone. He's a well educated man. He understands the Jewish law. He's been around, he's studied, he could probably quote the entire Torah Like he's just. He's someone who's very intelligent, and so, upon seeing all that Jesus is doing, nicodemus has some questions. Now Nicodemus is in a unique position because he has a religious leader of the day, so he can't just come right out and inquire about the things that he wants to learn. So he comes to Jesus in the cover of night and I can imagine that that is his fear is that if the other Pharisees find out that I'm here, that I'm talking to this man, they will surely have me put out. But he has this urgency inside of him that he needs to try to understand what is so unique about Jesus.

Speaker 1: 9:11

So, starting in verse one so now there's a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform the signs you were doing if God were not with him. That's neat. He establishes right out of the gate and I can imagine they've had these conversations as leaders that you clearly are from God. There's no way you could do this. There's no way you could do the miracles, there's no way you could offer forgiveness of sin if you weren't.

Speaker 1: 9:51

And so, continuing on, jesus replied very truly. I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. To which Nicodemus asked how can someone be born again when they are old? That's really. They cannot enter a second time into their mother's room to be born. Jesus answered very truly. I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and of the spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit gives birth to spirit. So you should not be surprised by my saying you must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So is with everyone born in the spirit. How can this be Be?

Speaker 1: 10:39

Nicodemus asked you are Israel's teacher, said Jesus, and you do not understand these things. Very truly, I tell you we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe. How then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things. No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of man. Jesus is just as Moses lifted up the snake in the waterness, so the Son of man must be lifted up that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

Speaker 1: 11:21

John 3 16,. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son in the world to condemn the world, but saved the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of one, god's one and only son. So Jesus takes this moment to have a really honest conversation with Nicodemus, and in the latter part of this conversation he speaks of his upcoming death. Listen, you don't understand this, but I'm going to be lifted up in the eyes of everyone that I too will be a sacrifice. But what he really is saying in this moment is that if anyone wants to experience the salvation that I'm offering, the work that I'm offering, they will only receive that through me. And I know there's a lot of people who think, and there's a lot. We talked about this on Sunday in our class.

Speaker 1: 12:42

As a society, we've convinced ourselves that if someone's a good person and surely they're going to go to heaven. I just want to let you know that that's not biblical, that that's not how this works, because the reality is we're not good enough. Sin has corrupted and distorted everything. So, like when I talk about how good I am, I'm a good person compared to Hitler, right. Compared to that guy, I'm a shoe in, but compared to the perfection and the righteousness and holiness of God, I'm not worthy. That's how sin works. It's distorted, it's separated, it's gotten in the way.

Speaker 1: 13:34

And so Jesus is talking to Nicodemus and he says listen, in order to truly experience the kingdom of God, you have to be born again, you have to accept what I'm offering. And he says it says two things they must be born again, of water and of spirit, and these are things that he has established. That this is the way that you answer into the kingdom of God and listen once again. I know in our mind we want to tell ourselves, and I think when we look at scripture we try to change what it says, because we if I'm honest with you, I hope everyone I come across finds their way to heaven. I don't wanna see anyone suffer in hell. That's not something that I wish upon any person that I've ever met. But the way they get there, and the only way they get there, is through Jesus. That's why the church exists. That's why we do missions work. This is why we have to go out and share our faith, because we believe we have something that no one else has in that, someone who raised himself up and died on the cross to cover and to handle the sin that you and I cannot.

Speaker 1: 15:07

So when we come to this understanding, when we are faced with this truth, we have two I think we have two reactions. You have people who they read the gospel and they read these words and they think, ah, but I don't really need Jesus, I don't really need the church, and they reject it and they walk away from it. And then you have people who look at this and they think, okay, if this is what I must do, the next question is what do I have to do to get there? What is my response and that's what we've been talking about this entire series is people engage Jesus, they see what he's offering and then they have to make a choice to do something about it. If the paralytic would have never found himself coming through the roof in front of Jesus, I would venture to say he would have never been healed and he probably never would have experienced forgiveness of sin. If the lepers allowed Jesus to walk by without calling out to them, he would have walked by them and they probably would have never experienced the miracle that they had. If the woman who was bleeding for 12 years decided not to respond to what Jesus was doing, she would have walked away and continued to bleed for the rest of her life. Because there has to be this response on our side that the gospel message is meant for everyone. Jesus died on the cross to save everyone, but there still has to be something we do to accept it. That is our responsibility.

Speaker 1: 17:05

Matthew 28, verses 18 through 20,. These are the last words that Jesus, some of the last words that Jesus says. He says. Then Jesus came to them and said all authority on heaven, on earth, has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I've commanded you, and surely I'm with you always to the end of the age. So Jesus tells us as his disciples to go teach other people to not only believe when I'm teaching you, but their response is they have to be baptized into the name of the father, son, the Holy Spirit. Acts 238, 39,. If you're part of the Restoration Church, you're gonna know that verse like the back of your hand, because it's one we use On the day of Pentecost when Peter is preaching to the crowd, right.

Speaker 1: 18:07

So he's having this incredible message, empowered by the Holy Spirit, millions of people here, and they ask him the question after they've been convicted, after they've been cut to the heart, what do we do now? And Peter replies repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord, our God, will call. There's an understanding in scripture that when we respond to the gospel message in order to step into the transformation that God has for us, there are things we have to do, there are things that we are called to do. This is our response to the gospel. This is the conversation.

Speaker 1: 19:13

When we have a conversation, when we share our faith with people, yes, we want them to get into a relationship with Jesus, and so we have to show them and teach them and help them follow what's been asked of us to do. This is how we get into or get to a place where transformation comes into our life. It starts. It starts at the moment we hear the message. The first time we hear the gospel message, the first time we read scripture, the first time someone shares with us about their faith, all of a sudden. Now our journey has started.

Speaker 1: 20:10

Paul says this in Roman 10, 14 through 15, says how, then, can they call in the one they have not believed in and how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news? So there's this initial conversation that happens as someone hears the message of the gospel, and so that happens in many ways. We share with them personally. We invite them to church. They might hear someone preach about it. They might attend a community group and someone has a conversation about it, but it starts with you and I taking the responsibility as disciples to tell other people about Jesus. That is what we collectively, as a church, are supposed to do.

Speaker 1: 21:07

This invest-build-multiply doesn't happen if we're not investing, building and multiplying. If we don't tell people about Jesus. The world surely isn't doing it. At least the way they represent him is not that great. So we have to tell people and they have to hear After they hear, in that moment that it's been presented to them. There's a response on their part. On the day of Pentecost, as people, as Peter is preaching, as he gets done with his sermon, the response of the people says that they're cut to the heart and their response is what do we must do to be saved? What do we do? And so when someone hears the word of God, there's a conviction that comes on them. It should. It should challenge them to start asking some deeper questions.

Speaker 1: 22:21

I know I've shared this story before and I'm pretty sure it was Bob Russell. Bob Russell was kind of a well-known preacher. One of the things that he would do on Saturdays before his sermons is he would stand in a pulpit and he would practice his sermon from start to finish. The story goes that one day, while he was preaching his sermon, that the janitor who was working in that church, who was a non-believer, heard him preaching his sermon and was convicted and immediately accepted Jesus was baptized on the spot. Now I can't say I've ever had that happen, but I think that that's one of it's a wonderful illustration that when someone is exposed to the message of the gospel, that conviction comes on them and they have a choice to make. What is their response? And so they have to deal with the fact that they've been given new information.

Speaker 1: 23:20

Listen, part of transformation is getting new information and allowing it to change who you are Like. One of the things that, as you study the word of God is there are things that I used to believe in my 20s that I don't believe now because I'm matured and I studied deeper and I went further and my views change. That's okay. And so even when someone who doesn't believe in God, when they come across the gospel, we pray that it's presented in such a way that their world view starts to change, so they're convicted at the heart. Second Corinthians, 7, 9 through 10,.

Speaker 1: 24:03

Paul writes this as it is. I rejoice, not because you were grieved, because you were grieved in repenting, for you felt a godly grief so that you suffer no loss through us, for godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. So there's this response that when someone is connected to God, when they feel that conviction, they feel that grief. It causes them to start to ask questions and evaluate. If you think back to the moment you accepted Jesus, if you can think about that moment, you can think about those conversations that people had with you that led to that decision that there was something in your life that wasn't right and something they were sharing with you made sense. So there's a response of conviction.

Speaker 1: 25:02

Then the next response is faith and belief. As they study, as they read, as it's presented, they start to understand and believe what's being told to them, what's being showed to them All three of the accounts of the people that the interactive with Jesus had faith, that he could do what he said he was going to do, and Jesus even acknowledges this that your faith is healed, you Because they believe. And so when we're talking to people, especially who are non-believers, they start to believe that God is working, that God is able to do it. Listen, he sees that. They see that through us I said it a couple times your testimony like who you are, how God has changed you, is so important Because when people look at you and they see how your life has changed, they realize that, hey, god really can do what he says he's going to do. And so we continue to show them, and so they have faith.

Speaker 1: 26:18

This faith Ephesians 1-7 says. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God's grace, faith to believe that the working of Jesus, the salvation being offered through Christ, the Holy Spirit's work that he's offering us to help us transform, is something that he not only can do, but it's something we actively believe and participate in. They repent. Repentance is such a. It's a big word, but really, if you look at it, it's this idea of going one way and you completely turn the other. So there's, I think there's two forms of repentance that I see in people. There's repentance of sin, so we live in a way that you know the things that I'm doing are wrong and we know that, and God helps us understand that. So we turn from our ways, but I think, for someone who's not quite a believer, when you introduce them to the gospel, they realize that they're separated from God. Right, they start to understand that this is not how it's supposed to be, that I'm supposed to be connected with the one who made me, and so, if they respond well, they start turning towards the one who can save them, because they realize they can't do it on their own. Once again, transformation requires participation. If we really want to experience what God is doing. There's some things that you and I have to do.

Speaker 1: 28:01

One John 1, john 1, 8, or 9,. We claim to be without sin. We deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us If we confess our sins, his faithful and just, and forgive us our sins and purify us all from unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. I have had people tell me very confidently that they don't sin. It's not true. Every single one of us has sin and without the forgiveness of sin, every single one of us remains separated from God. Once the person acknowledges that they need to come back to God, that they need to turn from the ways they confess Him as Lord.

Speaker 1: 29:11

Romans 10, 9 through 10 says if you declare with your mouth Jesus, lord, in believing in your heart that God raised them from the dead, you will be saved, for as with your heart, that you believe in and are justified, as with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. And Paul is speaking to believers in this moment, right so that the church in Romans is speaking to believers, christians, early Christians. But there's something about and if you've ever been here when we've taken someone's confession, there's a moment in your life where you realize that you're no longer on your own control of your life. There's a life that God wants for you, puts Him in top priority. So when you confess Him as Lord, you acknowledge that he is the one who's in charge. Now.

Speaker 1: 30:06

And then the last part of the I'm going to say the last part of the beginning process of this, and I'll explain that in a second as they step into baptism Baptism for the forgiveness of the sins and empowering the Holy Spirit Once again, peter says in Acts 2, 38, 39, replying to those who have been, who've heard the message, they've been convicted, they put their faith in who Jesus is, or at least what they've been taught. They ask what do we do? And Peter says to them, without missing a beat repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord, our God, will call. And what I said earlier was that's the end of the beginning, because I think a lot of times what happens is, as we get people to the process of accepting Jesus, we get them to the process of baptism, and then one of the things that I struggle with, and I think that churches struggle with, is you see people who get baptized as believers in the light of Acts 2, 38, for the forgiveness of the sins and the empowering Holy Spirit, and then you never see them again. I know a lot of not a lot. I know a few ministers who their goal was just to get people to accept Jesus so they could baptize them in front of the church, and then they did that, and then those people disappeared and they never spoke to them again. That's not how this works.

Speaker 1: 32:01

Baptism, that moment that you do all of these things right. So all of these things combined are the way that Jesus has told us. That scripture teaches us to step into the forgiveness of your sin and for the empowering of the Holy Spirit. These are the things we must do, and once you've done them, you now have to continue to move forward with the transformation that comes, so it doesn't just end there. Baptism is not only for the salvation your salvation and the forgiveness of your sins but it empowers you by the Holy Spirit. That's one of the gifts that you and I have, as we now have the Spirit of God in us, teaching us, growing us, showing us how to understand and not only understand the Word of God, but it helps us mature, it helps us deal with the sin in our life, it helps us continue to be everything that we're supposed to be. Without it, we're still trying to do it on our own, and it's just not possible.

Speaker 1: 33:16

And so Nicodemus, having this conversation with Jesus, not understanding right? So this is a man who is probably still wrestling with the law, because that's what he knows. Jesus says listen, there's something coming that's going to be better and there's something that you need to have in order to experience and be a part of the kingdom that I'm creating. And Paul goes on in Romans 8. And, like I said, this is not transformation as a believer, as a lifelong process.

Speaker 1: 34:08

I believe that our life starts having that transformation the moment someone loves us enough to share the gospel with us. We see that, we see how people are drawn in by that truth. And then our response to that and our decision to follow him, our decision to accept everything that Jesus has offered us, and the moment we accept that our life is now under his control, empowered by his spirit, in the same way that every single person who has responded to God in these last few weeks, the work that was done in their life was clearly Jesus. I don't want to take away from that. None of them healed themselves. It was their faith in what he could do. It was their choice to follow him. It was their choice to submit to his authority. It was their choice to step up and say I need you to do this work in my life and you and I are the same place. You can hear the gospel again and again and again and again. You can attend church every day for the rest of your life. But if you never make that decision to embrace and step into what God is offering us through the process, the way that Jesus has decided that it should be, then you're not fully experiencing everything God has for you. And then, once you've made that decision, the transformation you have in your life will continue until the moment you die.

Speaker 1: 35:50

Paul writes in Romans 8, 1 through 17,. It says Therefore, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because, through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life, has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, god did by sending his own son into the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemns sin and the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met enough. So once again, nicodemus is trying to figure out how can the law save me? And Jesus says it can't. I will. I will be raised up, I will be sacrificed, I will be what you need.

Speaker 1: 36:38

It says the law might be fully met enough to not who do not live according to the flesh but according to the spirit. Those who live according to the flesh, have their minds set on what the flesh desires. But those who live in accordance with the spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires. So for someone who has accepted Jesus, who has stepped in to the acceptance of Christ through the process and is received not only forgiveness of sins but the empowering of the Holy Spirit, they now desire what the spirit desires. It says the mind.

Speaker 1: 37:10

Paul continues in six the mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, or can it do so? Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of flesh but in the realm of spirit. If indeed the spirit of God lives in you, and if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then, even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the spirit gives life because of righteousness.

Speaker 1: 37:43

And if the spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, if you are a believer, if you have the Spirit of God in you, this Spirit who raised Christ from the dead, will also give life to immortal bodies, because of the Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation. It's not to the flesh to live according to it, for we live according to the flesh. You will die, but if, by the Spirit, you put the dead, the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God, or the children of God, the Spirit you received does not make you sleep so that you live in fear again. Rather, the Spirit received brought about your adoption to sonship, and by him we cry I have a father. The Spirit himself testifies, with our Spirit, that we are God's children. If we are children and we are heirs, heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his suffering, we also must share in his glory. Without the Spirit of God, without that acceptance of everything Christ has done, you're left to the flesh. You will die in the flesh. You will.

Speaker 1: 39:01

If you have not accepted and believe on Christ, if you have not done what he's asked us to do, you are in danger of not receiving and being in error to the kingdom of God, and that is not something that you and I should take lightly. Jesus is the only way to get back to God. Jesus is the only way to be reconciled to God. There is no other choice that should make our desire to share our faith that much more urgent. We cannot change what Scripture teaches because it makes us uncomfortable. That's not how this works. The Scriptures are supposed to change us. It's supposed to transform us, and when we accept what God has given us, when we receive that forgiveness of sin, when we receive that empowering the Holy Spirit, transformation is bound to happen Because it's His work in us, it's the Spirit in us. It's bringing us to not only be more like Him, but to a better understanding of His Word.

Speaker 1: 40:36

I know a lot of people that read the Bible and they find it confusing, and I think some of that is just because people study, especially younger believers. They have a lot of questions, but people who have not accepted Christ as their personal Savior listen. They're never really going to fully understand it, because it's the Spirit in us that brings us to the understanding. So we have a choice to make. You have a choice to make. God will not force you to do anything you don't want to do that. It's probably the downside of free will. So, but if you really want to see everything God has for you, if you really want to see what Jesus can do in your life, then be the woman that pushes through the crowd. Be the kind of person that's willing to tear off a roof to get to Him. Be the kind of person that that, like the lepers that he heals. Don't let this pass you by.

Speaker 1: 42:06

Life is very short. There's a man that I highly respect. He was a former when Danny and I were in Cincinnati and then with Pastor Bob, and he was easily one of the coolest children's ministers that I think I ever met. Even though he was an older guy like he was phenomenal so much energy and he loved God with everything that was in him, and we've had now yesterday that he had a heart attack. He died. Life is short.

Speaker 1: 42:53

You and I don't get to decide when it's over. God's not calling you and me and saying, hey, when's a good time on your calendar? When your life is over, that is it. But what you can do, the decision you can make today, is to step into everything God is offering, to receive the forgiveness of your sins, to receive the empowering Holy Spirit, to not only witness the transformation that God has for you now, but to have hope that at the end of your life you're going to step into His presence and it's going to be glorious, glorious.

Speaker 1: 43:56

As I wrap things up this morning, I want to make sure that I give you that opportunity, that if there's someone here who hasn't done these things, who hasn't made that confession, who hasn't heard the gospel, listen, I hope and I pray that I just gave it to you in the best and clear, concise way possible. But if you feel like God is calling you to give your life to Him, to make that decision, then now is the time to do that, because it's so important, because tomorrow is not guaranteed, but Jesus says everything he offers here is a promise that will never fail, even if the world falls apart. And, aside from that, if you've been a believer for a long time. I just want to encourage you and challenge you.

Speaker 1: 45:07

Don't stop being transformed by God. Don't ever think that you've arrived. Every day, we should be asking ourselves how can I be more like Him, how can I be more and understand His Word better? Or how can I help other people experience this same transformation. But it starts when you and I make a choice to put everything else aside and realize that it's only in Christ, only through Jesus, that we can experience these things. All right, let's pray.