Mission Sent
Thanks so much for your time as you hear from Mission Sent in Florida. Our mission is to Serve Others, Share the Gospel of Jesus, and Live our Lives on Mission! Let's make the world better one Mission at a time.
Mission Sent
The Journey to Genuine Fulfillment
Imagine winning the lottery only to face the end of your journey the very next day. This striking anecdote sets the stage for our exploration into Romans 12:1 and the profound shift Paul urges in his teachings. Salvation isn't just a passive gift; it's a call to action that challenges us to reevaluate how we live in gratitude for the grace we've received. Join us as we question the transient nature of material possessions and the wisdom of delaying life's true joys until they're almost out of reach. It's a reminder that fulfillment is not found in wealth but in a life that truly reflects the selflessness and love of Jesus.
As we navigate the cost of following Jesus, our discussion highlights the misconceptions surrounding wealth and happiness. Is accumulating objects really the key to a fulfilled life, or does it just distract us from our true purpose? We candidly address these questions, focusing on the need for authentic discipleship that goes beyond treating salvation as an insurance policy. Through self-denial and alignment with Jesus’ mission, we encourage a deeper relationship with faith that demands active participation and spiritual growth, underscoring the idea that grace, while free, comes with responsibilities that lead to true contentment.
Our conversation culminates in a powerful reflection on how we wish to be remembered. Are our lives a testament to self-love, or do they mirror the selfless love that Jesus embodied? By encouraging introspection, we challenge listeners to live as living sacrifices, committed to genuine service and love for others. This episode invites an inside-out transformation, urging us all to pour everything we have into those around us, just as Jesus did. Embrace this call to action, where faith is not just a belief but a lived experience that leaves a lasting impact on the world.
get up and head out. The rest of us are going to get ready as we jump into Romans, chapter 12. Mission Center we love you, we thank you and we can't do this without you. All right, well, good morning. I hope everyone's doing well this morning. We are starting a new chapter and, like I told you, paul's going to start to shift his focus throughout the book of Romans here. All right, and we're going to see that right out of the gate. So I'm going to pray and then I'm just going to jump in, because there is a ton we have to go through.
Speaker 1:Father, I ask and I pray that, as I preach your word, father, that it be your word. I preach that, father, I am just someone you use to speak to your people. I pray, god, that by the power of your spirit, we are cut to the heart and that we are changed, father, from the inside out. Father, I pray this in Jesus' name, amen, all right, so we are going to look at Romans 12, verse 1. It says this this I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. And that is the only verse. Well, I mean, I'm going to use other verses as I preach, but that is the only verse we're going to look at from Romans, because there is so much in that one verse. So Paul starts with this. I appeal to you, therefore, and anytime we see that word, therefore, it is always good to stop and go. What is therefore Like? What is he talking about? He's sitting here going. Hey, I appeal to you, therefore, and that, therefore, is referring to this, based on everything I have said to you up to this point.
Speaker 1:Now, that's 11 different chapters, though, like, paul is sitting here going because I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of salvation, because we are wicked and we are blackhearted and we are wretched and we are sinners Because we are wicked and we are black hearted and we are wretched and we are sinners. And then, when we get all the way up into chapter three, he said this that we are of all sin and fallen short of the glory of God, that there is no one righteous no, not one. But then, in chapter five, he goes on to talk about that, while we were yet sinners, christ died for us. Then, in chapter seven, he starts talking about this, that the things I want to do I don't do. But the things that I don't want to do, these are the things that I do. Then we get to verse eight or chapter eight, where he sits here and goes there is now no condemnation for those found in Christ, that who could even bring a charge against you? Then we get into chapter nine, where he talks about how you were chosen by Jesus. And then in chapter 10, we see these beautiful things that all we have to do is confess with our mouth and believe in our heart and we shall be saved. And then we get into chapter 11 and he talks about that those of us who are Gentiles, who were far off, were grafted into that tree so that we may have relationship with Christ.
Speaker 1:Now, based on all of that, based on everything he has talked about up to this point, he's sitting here, going. Now I appeal to you. See, he's shifting the focus of what his book is about at this point, or his letter is about at this point. He's sitting here, going hey, based on all of this, here's how your life should look. See, what he's sitting here, doing is going when you understand what your salvation actually is. Everything from this point forward is going to be an overflowing of that understanding. See, we don't do to earn, we do because we have been given.
Speaker 1:Like if, all of a sudden, I went, hey look, I'm just going to start over on this side of the room and I'm just going to go this side of the room and I'm going to give everyone in here a thousand dollars, like just cash in your hand and then I went, hey, does anybody mind? Like staying after service for a little bit, just kind of help me clean up? Everyone would be like, oh no, I'm good, I could do that. I got that. Why? Because you got something for it, See, and that is the same thing with our Christian life Like you got something for it and because of that, paul is sitting here going this is how it should work, not because you have to, not because you are compelled to, but because that is an overflowing of my understanding of the salvation that I have been given, knowing that there was nothing good inside of me that deserved that salvation. And what we're going to do is we're going to start with a misunderstanding that the church has really been hard at peddling for at least the past 100 years.
Speaker 1:Listen very carefully to this. Stop telling people to just accept the free gift of salvation and allow Jesus into your heart. Stop. That is not doing anyone any good, because here's what the church was doing. Hey, we're afraid that if we tell people that there's something required of you of this, then they won't come and be a part of this. And since we want to grow our churches and since we want to grow our crowds, let's just make it as easy as possible for people to get in. Now.
Speaker 1:If you are astute and you remember all the way back to Romans, chapter 6, you should be sitting here going um. But isn't salvation a gift? Because for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord right. Salvation is free. In this fact, we can never earn it. In other words, we will never be good enough to earn salvation None of us. However, salvation is not free. In fact, it costs Jesus everything.
Speaker 1:Just look at 1 Corinthians 6, verses 19 and 20. It says this or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. What was the price? You were bought with Jesus Like? Jesus paid everything because he went. I want you that much.
Speaker 1:Now a lot of people use this verse. I'm going to tell you right out the gate, in a way that is completely out of context, right, like this verse is usually used for, like why you should like go to the gym and diet and not smoke and all of those things, because your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. That is not at all what Paul is talking about here. What he's sitting here saying is you were bought with a price that it cost Jesus everything and therefore you are no longer your own. See, there's a word we have for this right Selfishness, where everything is wrapped up in me. And, if we're honest, that is what each and every one of us in this room struggle with. And I'm going to go ahead and give you a hint. It wasn't even something you learned. You were born this way.
Speaker 1:Think about it. Any of you in here who have kids, you know they were born selfish, regardless of whether you want to look at your little darling, precious angel and go oh no, they're perfect. No, they're not. They were born selfish and they were born to sit here and go. All I want is what is mine. Think about it.
Speaker 1:If you're a mom in here, did you ever get a night where, like you, just didn't sleep? Maybe a couple of nights strung together, right, because your child decided, hey, I want to be up all night and I want you to feed me all night. They never once stopped and went. You know what? Mom had a hard day today and I'm going to just, I'm going to let her have tonight, just I'm gonna let her have tonight. I'm gonna go without tonight so that mom can have a good night's sleep.
Speaker 1:See, think about this. This is how we were all born and it's something we have struggled with our entire lives. And, if we're honest, it's something we still continue to struggle with. Because I'll tell you right now, here's the biggest thing you hate having to be put out for someone else. How do I know this? Because Kayla has broke down in tears before, because I like to make a lot of jokes about how inconvenient it is to have children. She's like well, I don't ever want to be a burden to you guys, so I keep this stuff inside, to which here is my response you are a burden to me. You want to know what, so is JT, and so is Gabby, and so is mommy. You guys are all burdens to me. Because of you, I can't do what I want to do, but because I love you, I will do what you want to do and I will do it, most of the time, joyfully, even if it's something I have no want, will or desire to do. Why? Because I love you See and that is me trying to push into what I have seen from Christ Because when we look at Jesus, he is the most selfless person we will ever see in life. Think about it.
Speaker 1:In Matthew 20, 28, jesus says this even the son of man came not to be served, but to serve. If there is anyone who has ever existed in the history of the world that deserved to be served, wouldn't it be Jesus, you know, the one who created all things and holds all things together Like? Wouldn't that be the person that would go hey, look, here's the deal, guys, bow down, worship me. Everything will go smoothly from this point forward. But yet Jesus goes. I didn't come for that, I came to serve, to give my life a ransom for many.
Speaker 1:How many of us are in that position. Like, how many of us are sitting here and going, hey, you know what? I came to? Pour my life out so that your life may be easier. Like some of us, especially if you're married, you're sitting here going, I do it every day. First of all, you're a liar, you don't do it every day. Second of all, okay, but what about in a relationship where you don't get anything back? Like, are you still serving them? Are you still sitting here going, hey, I'm going to pour out for them. Like I'm going to be honest.
Speaker 1:Guys, the sharing center, I know, is a big ask and please don't leave until Debbie gives you the paper, because there's like specific food items we're looking for. It's not just, hey, go home, clean out your pantry and bring me all your unwanted food, because that's, I'll tell you right now. I have no, but we've already told one lady who pulled up with a carload of food no, we're not taking it Because it's expired. And I'm not passing out expired food to people who are already sitting here going, hey, I need help. And number two, it's going to go bad within a week. That ain't going to do me any good. Like I don't need bread and I go, I'm telling you it's a big ask.
Speaker 1:And here's why Because this isn't going to be a one-time ask, like I'm not going to sit here and go, hey, let's just fill the shelves up one time. Because what happens when people come and start taking stuff? Guess what? I'm going to ask you again hey, we need to fill the shelves up again. You know why? Because it's super easy for you.
Speaker 1:This is a small ask for most of us, like if I go, hey, when you're at the store, can you just pick up a couple extra cans of tuna fish or a couple extra jars of peanut butter and jelly? For most of us in this room, you're sitting here and going oh, okay, cool, not a problem. But for these people that are coming to get it, understand, that might be the difference between they got to eat dinner or they didn't, they got to feed their kids or they didn't See. And if we look at scripture, which one should we be doing? Because what Paul is sitting here saying if you understand what God saved you from, then this is easy, see. So salvation isn't free because it costs Jesus everything. And guess what? It's not free for you, either In Luke or, yeah, in Luke, chapter 9, jesus says this, and he said to us right, because what he's saying is this is you could have everything in this world, and what profit is there for you?
Speaker 1:What's going to happen to all your toys when you die? Like some of you are like, oh, I'm going to. You know, I'm passing it down to my kids. Number one do they even want them? Because I'll tell you right now I have some hobbies that I don't think any of my kids are interested in, like I know some of my well, not some of. I know they'll fight over my guns who gets which one? And stuff like that. But I'm going to be honest with you guys.
Speaker 1:If I went hey, kayla, one of my most prized possessions is my collection of fishing gear. I want you to have this when I die. That is not going to matter to her in any way, shape or form. She doesn't matter and she doesn't care how much I have spent on it. She doesn't care how important it is to me.
Speaker 1:Why? Because Kayla's not into fishing. So if I left her this stuff, what's going to happen with it? Eventually, it's just going to get rusty, moths are going to eat it and it will be destroyed.
Speaker 1:Or one day Kayla will go hey, you know what? We got too much stuff in here. Let's have a yard sale. Hey, $30,. You can take all this stuff that my dad has literally spent hundreds of dollars trying to acquire. So you understand this. Here are the two places that all of your stuff will go A yard sale or a landfill. That's it.
Speaker 1:Your most prized possession will one day either be sold at a yard sale or thrown in the dump, but yet you're going to work your whole life to gain for you. Why? Think about it. How many of us in here are just like completely obsessed with retirement, like I'm going to work my whole life with retirement, like I'm going to work my whole life. I'm going to slave my whole life so that when I hit a certain age, then I can start actually living my life. I've told you all this over and over and over again. My dad did that, and a month into his golden years he died.
Speaker 1:Alanis Morissette, for those of you that came to the 90s thing. Right, an old man turned 98, he won the lottery, died the next day. It's a black fly in your Chardonnay, it's a death row. Pardon, two minutes too late, isn't it ironic, see? And we have to start understanding that that's life's what jesus is saying here. He's sitting here going. Follow me.
Speaker 1:Stop trying to stack up for yourself here, because, regardless of what joel osteen's book wants you to believe, this is not your best life. This isn't it. If this is the best that jesus to offer, I'm going to stop worshiping him, because this isn't that amazing. I'll go ahead and be honest. This downright sucks sometimes, but yet this is what we do.
Speaker 1:We forget that our salvation costs Jesus everything, and Jesus is sitting here going. If you want to follow me, there's a cost to that too. You have to deny yourself. Do you know what that means? All those things that you're sitting here going, I want you got to go. Wait, but are these in line with the mission of Jesus? Are these things that I'm trying to build up in my life? Are these things in line with Jesus? Because so many of us treat Jesus as an add-on to our value meal.
Speaker 1:It's like we pulled up to the, the drive-through of heaven, when we said our little sinner's prayer and we went hey, can I have salvation? You know what? Give me the 39 cents and let me upgrade that and let me get Jesus with it too, and like we just expect Jesus to go. Hey, do you want change with that? No, no, no, no, I'm good. I just wanted the salvation stuff. Jesus, I don't actually want you to change anything about me. I'm pretty good with where my life is. I try to do the right thing. I try to be a good person. I try to do the right thing. I try to be a good person. I try to tell the truth. I try to serve you. I try to be, you know, do one good deed a day. No, I don't want all the change, jesus, I just wanted the fire insurance. So when I die, I don't go down there and I go up there. I'm gonna be honest, that's most of our salvation story right there. And see, I get it Because we were all told how much Jesus just absolutely adores you and how he just sits up in heaven and he can't imagine it without you because you're that special.
Speaker 1:Understand this. The king of the universe, this is the one who spoke into the darkness and went let there be light before light was even a thing. This is the one that either made the round earth or the flat earth, whatever one you want to believe it is, but you know how he made it? By speaking it. I can't even get my kids to listen when I speak, but yet all of creation obeys his voice. And you think he was just sitting there one day and went man, I just I couldn't imagine this without Josh. He's just so special. I mean the way he can just dominate trivia games like I need that on my team. See, that's the lie we all believe, though, isn't it? It's a lie? Half of us tell our kids, isn't it? Oh, you're so special.
Speaker 1:We did a podcast a couple of weeks ago that went hey, no one loves your kid like you do. And the whole point of this was this I absolutely adore my children. You know who. I don't expect to Any one of you Well, except for you. But other than that, no one's going to love them the way I do, and one day they're going to leave my house and guess who? They're not going to have Mommy and Daddy sitting here, going oh, you're so special, you special little snowflake.
Speaker 1:And that's how some of us treat our children. That's the same way some of us treat Jesus, like Jesus just looks at us and goes oh, it's not his fault, he's a sinner. Shouldn't punish him for that. No, the Bible is very clear God disciplines those whom he loves. Why? To give you a better life. Because if I just let my kids play anywhere when they were little, the street looks really appealing, doesn't it? And if I never went, hey, you're not allowed to go over there. Guess what's going to happen? They're going to think that they can. And those big things driving in the road, well, they need to stop for us, not the other way around, and their life is going to be cut short. Why? Because we don't understand that there's a cost. You want to follow Jesus? Awesome, but there's a cost to following it. Jesus doesn't say come to me and just be where you are. He says pick up your cross and follow me daily. Jesus said I'm going to change everything about you. Why? Because we're not good people in need of a little help. We're dead people in need of a resurrection.
Speaker 1:This isn't just get all of the benefits without putting in the work, but that's what we want, right? Think about it and I may mispronounce this word because it's me right. We want the ozempic of the gospel, right? Like I just want to lose, you know the weight. Like I just want to lose the. You know the weight. I don't care how I do it, I just want to look the way I want to look. So give me that little pill. Like I don't actually want to have to diet or exercise or have any kind of discipline whatsoever, I just want to take a pill, not change anything about my life and get all of the benefits. And this is how most of us treat that relationship we have with Jesus. I just want to say a little prayer, get dunked underwater. I don't actually want to have to change anything about me, but that way I can eventually go to heaven when I die and I go.
Speaker 1:How's that working out for us? Because that is the opposite of what Paul is saying here. See, we sit here and we go. We don't want to have to work at it. We don't want to have to work at flighting our flesh. Because here's the thing.
Speaker 1:Paul in chapter 7 of Romans was sitting here, going hey, here's what happens when Jesus saves you. You now have these two different natures at war. That's why he says the things I want to do, I don't do, but the things I don't want to do I do these things. Oh, wretched man that I am. Because there's two different natures that are conflicting with us. At that point we have my flesh, which wants to be pleased, and then I have the spirit, which is sitting here going hey, no, we can't do that, that's going to cause us harm, see, and we go. We don't want to have to fight our flesh, we don't have to work at being disciplined, we don't want to have to study, we just want to do the bare minimum, just like we looked at last week.
Speaker 1:Though I encourage you to understand this you get out what you put in. You to understand this, you get out what you put in. So if you're putting in the bare minimum, understand, you're going to get the bare minimum out. If you only go to the gym once a week, you are not going to compete with someone who goes seven times a week. If you only like, had just one shot or one opportunity. Man, I can't get these, and I know that's 2000s, but like, the songs just keep popping up. Right, would you capture it or just let it slip away? Y'all didn't know Eminem was a theologian, did you? But, like, understand, we only get out of this what we put into it. And I'm gonna the next verse. I'm gonna read I know, especially JT is tired of hearing. It was actually in a frame on his wall because we don't do the uplifting verses all the time.
Speaker 1:At my house it's this Proverbs 13, 4 says this the soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing. But when the soul of the diligent is richly supplied, you want to know what that's saying. Lazy people want stuff too. The sluggard, the slug, the one that just kind of scrolls through life, guess what? They want things, but they're not willing to put the work in to actually get said things. Now, the soul of the diligent, though, that person that's sitting here going, hey, like I'm going to go all in on this, I'm going to put everything I have into this. Guess what they're. They're richly supplied, but understand this everybody in the world wants things, but do you want it bad enough to work at it? See, that is what Paul is saying right out the gate, right here, with this give your life.
Speaker 1:See, so many of us come into a relationship with Jesus with one question you ready? What's in it for me? What do I get out of this? What benefits can I have? See, so many of us go oh, the Bible gives marriage advice. Well, my marriage isn't in trouble. So if I just go to church then my marriage will get better. Or, oh, we had kids. Well, I want to make sure they're raised with morals and they're raised rightly, so we go to church. That's actually one of the biggest reasons why millennials have come back to church is once they had their kids they went.
Speaker 1:Well, I know if I leave it up to me they're going to wind up like me, and I know I got some issues. So let's go somewhere else. Or we sit here and we go oh, I need help breaking this addiction, or I need help with my finances. We're sitting here going. I want all of the benefits and all I want it to cost me is saying a little prayer after service, like I don't want it to actually take my time, my talent or my treasure. I just want to go up to the altar when he's done. I'll say that little prayer and then I'll show up. When I show up, see, and that is the soul of the sluggard. It's sitting here going. I want the magic pill so that my heart feels what I want it to feel, without actually doing any work with that.
Speaker 1:So I have a quote here from this pastor. His name is Dietrich Bonhoeffer. If you don't know who he is, he was a German pastor during World War II who actually preached against the Nazis. He was actually involved in an assassination. He was actually involved in an attempt to try to assassinate Hitler. Didn't work out so well for him, and when you preach against the powers, guess what happens. They kind of locked him up, put him in a concentration camp and, just like Paul, you know what he did in that concentration camp Preached the gospel, preached the gospel. People came to know Jesus and then, yeah, they did wind up killing him. But listen to what he said.
Speaker 1:Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ living and incarnate. That's where most of us live. I want the benefits of it, I want to feel a certain kind of way, but I don't want everything else that goes with it. I don't want to do the actual hard work that is involved in that. I don't want to be disciplined. I don't want to have to do this. I don't want to have to give of myself.
Speaker 1:I heard Debbie talking to someone before service, and I'm assuming it was about youth sports. We have no problem devoting six nights a week so that our kid who I'm going to go ahead and tell you is probably not going professional can go play a game. But do we devote the same amount of time to pour into our children so that they may one day be able to live a successful life? Like any of us ever sit down with our kids and go, hey, let me explain to you. Hey, we're paying. What season we're in right now. Right, we're paying taxes. Any of us ever sit down with our children and go hey, here's what taxes are, because one day they're going to have to go pay those. And you know what they don't teach in schools? Here's what taxes are. Do you know how many students or former students, I'm sorry I should say have that? Come to me and go.
Speaker 1:Mr Lively, why didn't y'all teach me how to fill out a resume? Why didn't you teach me what a W-4 was compared to a W-2? Or what is this whole 1099 thing? Why didn't you teach us about investments and savings? Why didn't you teach us anything that was real world? Hey, I can do the Pythagorean theorem. Raise your hand if you even remember what that is, or let alone when you'll ever use it in life. So none of us right. When you'll ever use it in life. So none of us right.
Speaker 1:You know what I remember from high school Spanish Hola me llamo Dario, ¿cómo estás? You want to learn Spanish? Go work construction. You will learn Spanish faster there than you will ever learn in school. And they start with the fun words right. Then you work into the usted. See, think about it though. This cheap grace. This is what we want. I want all of the benefits without doing any of the work, because the soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing. So we have this cheap grace. Think about it. Think through most sermons you've heard throughout your life. Think through articles you've read. Isn't this what they are about? That cheap grace that, hey, come to Jesus, he'll fix everything magically.
Speaker 1:I was talking to someone yesterday in confession time because I have no problem standing up here and confessing most of the time. As long as it's I know it's not going to embarrass Debbie, I'm good with it, because that can lead to arguments throughout the week. I found that out hard way, but here's the deal. I was having a meltdown like a week and a half ago. It was just one of those times where it was just like there was a lot on my mind. I was just, I was done, like just donezo. So I'm telling Debbie I'm like I'm done with this, I'm done with this, I'm done with this, I'm done with this, we're shutting everything down, I'm done. I'm just going to get a regular job, I'm done.
Speaker 1:And Debbie looks at me and goes well, have you prayed about it? I said, debbie, you know what? That's another thing I'm done with. I'm done with prayer. I'm going to go ahead and let everybody in on a little secret Prayer. If all you're doing is praying and expecting a miracle, that is not what prayer is. You don't find that anywhere in scripture. That's why I hate when I, when I ask someone something, they're like oh well, yeah, let me, let me pray about it. That's not what we see anywhere in scripture. And then she's like well, have you read any scripture, debbie? I like I read scripture professionally, professionally, like that's what I do. The words aren't just miraculously going to jump off the page at me, though. I'll tell you right now.
Speaker 1:Here's what Jesus has been working into my just stone cold heart over this two week period. In James 2, it says this faith without works is dead, and some people use that to preach a works-based righteousness. They sit here and go no, no, no, no. Here's the thing. You gotta have this, you gotta have this, you gotta have this. No, no, no, no, no, no. What James is actually saying is what God has been working into my heart. You can sit here and pray all day long. You can sit here and pray all day long. You can sit here and study scripture all day long.
Speaker 1:I hate to tell you this. The devil knows exactly who Jesus is. The devil knows the Bible better than all of us in this room put together. Here's the thing, though If you're not putting into action what you actually believe, then you don't really believe what you actually say, and that is that whole confession right there. That was God going. Hey, this is what I'm talking about. Stop with the cheap grace, josh. Stop sitting here going just because you know some facts that you got this thing together. Josh, start seeking me, start looking for me, give me your actual life. Stop telling people come to Jesus and he'll fix everything. Start preaching this gospel Jesus is better than everything anyway. This gospel. Jesus is better than everything.
Speaker 1:Anyway, see, as much as I love Debbie and if you don't understand that, like I genuinely do love Debbie she is the only woman I've ever met that will actually put up with me outside of my mom. But she doesn't really have a choice right. Have a choice right. But as much as I love Debbie, jesus is better. As much as I love my kids and, let's be honest, they make it into almost every single sermon I've ever preached I love my kids. Jesus is still better. As much as I love my truck, which I get it it's not a Chevy. Some of y'all are like well, how could you love that? But as much as I love my truck or my boat, or fishing or my job or anything else you can possibly plug into that, jesus is still better.
Speaker 1:But why isn't that the message we preach? Instead of preaching, hey, come to Jesus, he'll give you all your heart's desires, why don't we just start preaching this Come to Jesus, because Jesus is better than all of your heart's desires. See, and ultimately, this is what Paul is saying Give Jesus your life. That is what being a Christian actually is. It's going Jesus. All I got. All I got is this fragile breath, and it's very, very, very fragile, because today could be the last day for any of us in this room. And yeah, I'm sorry I kind of stuttered with that, because sometimes I have, because, like the last time I preach, hey, you know, in the middle of night you can get a phone call and anyone in here's life could be changed. I got that phone call in the middle of that night, so I was like I didn't want to actually say this one out loud, but whatever, I don't, I'm not superstitious, I'm just a little stitious, ok, okay.
Speaker 1:Now, that being said, ultimately that's what being a Christian is is going, jesus, this is all I got, but I'm going to give it all to you. See, think about it. He said present your bodies as a living sacrifice. What's a sacrifice? Like what happened to the animals in a sacrifice they died, they literally gave their life to be a sacrifice. Now what Paul is saying is not, hey, let's have mass suicides. This isn't a Jonestown thing, like we're not passing out Kool-Aid at the end of this, because he says a living sacrifice. Here's what that means. Jesus, all I got is this breath, but I'm going to give it all to you. Everything about me is going to you, I'm not going to try to hold on to these parts that I want to hold on to. I'll tell you.
Speaker 1:For me, music's one of them. Why? Because 90s music is amazing, like you go. 95 to 2005, that 10-year period of music, man, it was amazing. Hate to say it, but Z88.3 ain't keeping up with it and I go, but you know what.
Speaker 1:What I put in is going to come back out. That's a big struggle for me. Another thing is to sit here and go. The stuff that I watch is Y'all couldn't even leave TikTok banned for 24 hours. What in the world is happening here? See the things I do, the things I bring in.
Speaker 1:That matters, and what Paul is sitting here saying is is how many of us are going to pour out everything we are for everybody around us? See, in another book Paul wrote in Galatians. He says this I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. In other words, my life is no longer mine to live. My life is done, it is over. I have been crucified with Jesus, which means now I will build my life according to Jesus and not the desires of my heart. Here's what that means.
Speaker 1:My life should not be lived going. One day I'll get to retire. One day I can take that trip. One day I'll get to do this or one day I'll get to do that. It shouldn't be lived sitting here going. If I could just have that job, or if I could just marry that person, or if I could just have those kids. Our life shouldn't be lived sitting here, going.
Speaker 1:Let me look at the here and now. Our life should be lived on mission to serve others, share the gospel of Jesus. And living a life on mission. Guys, those aren't words I just came up with because I was like, hey, they sound good. All of that came from the Bible.
Speaker 1:Here's what keeps me up at night. I have insomnia, if you didn't know that. And here's the things that start running through my head as soon as everybody else in my house is asleep. How can we clothe more people? How can we feed more people? How can we counsel with more people? How can we serve more people? What are other ways we can share the gospel of Jesus with more people? How can we squeeze in another thing to bring one more to Jesus? How can we take barbecue and do it for the glory of God? How can we take fishing and do it for the glory of God? How can we take fishing and do it for the glory of God? How can we take mowing lawns? Because that is now my new like?
Speaker 1:I don't know, I really want to ride in lawnmower for some reason, and it just hit me like we were going to get a dryer yesterday, and we just happened to be walking by the riding lawnmowers at Lowe's, and I was like you know what? I really want to ride lawnmower, because, like I could just, at that point, put my headphones on and go cut all my neighbor's yards. I have no idea why, though, but I went. How can we serve more people? How can we do all of the things that Jesus put us here to do? Now, why is this the stuff that keeps me awake at night? Because I realize I only get one shot at life. One day, either Jesus is going to return or you guys are all going to be sitting in this room talking about the person I was, and here's my goal.
Speaker 1:I don't want anyone in here to have to lie, like I don't want, as whoever comes up, as JT comes up to give my eulogy and he goes. Hey, does anyone have anything they want to say? I don't want anyone to have to get up and lie and go. Hey, josh, man, he really loved right. Like, I don't want that. I want my life to count. I want people to go. Hey, you know what he poured out. He gave all he could. Did I do it perfectly? No, and I wouldn't expect anyone else to, except for Debbie to say I was perfect at anything.
Speaker 1:But that being said, what do you want people to say when it's your turn? Like if they were to say the truth about your life? Are they going to sit up here and go, man? Like if they were to say the truth about your life, are they going to sit up here and go? Man, they really loved themselves, didn't they? I mean, all you got to do is scroll through their social media. Look at all them selfies, man, look, they went on. Everything they wanted to go do.
Speaker 1:But are they going to be able to sit here and go? Man, they loved like Jesus loved. Are they going to be able to sit here and go. They loved God with all their heart, mind, body and soul. Are they going to be able to stand up here and, without lying, go? They loved others the way that they loved them.
Speaker 1:See, that's what a living sacrifice is. That's how we pour out everything we are to Jesus. Are they going to sit here and say that your life was a living sacrifice, or will it be that they loved themselves well? Will they say you served and loved others, or was it all about you? See, selfishness is the opposite of selflessness. It is the opposite just as much as the devil, who is the most selfish, is the exact opposite of Jesus, the picture of selflessness. So, this morning, as we close, is your life wrapped up in Christ or in you? Are you pouring out or saving up? Are you following Jesus or following the devil? Whichever one, you answer.
Speaker 1:If you need to talk, if you need to pray, if it's anything that I can do, as I say every week, I am here to serve. But the one thing I say is that, at some point, if we're going to say we believe the Bible, we have to start taking the Bible seriously. So, father, I ask and I pray that if there's anyone in here this morning, father, that you're sitting here going. Hey, man, I've been wooing you for a minute. Father, I ask and I pray that you're sitting here going. Hey, man, I've been wooing you for a minute. Father, I ask and I pray that you completely capture their heart and, father, again, we are changed from the inside out. That, father, we can leave here today going. I'm going to live my life as a living sacrifice and I'm going to pour everything I have into everyone around me, because that is what Jesus did for me. So, father, I ask and I pray all of this in Jesus' name, amen.