in-depth Sermon Breakdowns

We invite you to use this page as a resource to dive into the recent messages preached from behind our pulpit. Please let us know how these messages have blessed you.

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Willing Sacrifices: Lessons from Veteran's Day [Galatians 6:14-17]

A Connecticut National Guardsman prepares to hug a family member at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Windsor Locks, Conn., Jan. 22, 2022, after returning from a nearly yearlong deployment in the Horn of Africa.

Willing Sacrifices

Lessons from Veteran’s Day

Galatians 6:14-17

Summary

This message focuses on sacrifice, comparing the commitments of military personnel with those of followers of Christ. As we honor veterans, we acknowledge their sacrifices—personal freedom, time with family, and safety. These sacrifices parallel our spiritual journey. In Galatians 6, Paul mentions bearing the marks of Jesus, highlighting the willingness to endure hardship for the Gospel. This reminds us that following Christ requires sacrificing our desires and comforts for God's kingdom.

In Christ, we become new creations, similar to the transformation in military service, demanding a renewed mind and commitment to God's will. Just as military service requires sacrifices, our faith walk requires laying down our lives, plans, and comforts. Jesus set the ultimate example of sacrifice by giving His life, calling us to do the same in our pursuit of His kingdom.

Sacrifice comes with rewards; God honors our commitments. Like military service brings benefits, serving Christ yields eternal rewards. We are encouraged to persevere, confident that our sacrifices are meaningful and that God rewards those who seek Him.

Reflecting on these truths, let us be willing to make sacrifices, trusting in God's strength. Remember, sacrifices are inherent to following Jesus and show our commitment to Him. May we be inspired by our veterans and Christ's ultimate sacrifice to live sacrificially for God’s glory.

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Key Takeaways

  • Sacrifice is a fundamental aspect of both military service and the Christian life. Just as soldiers give up personal freedoms and comforts, we are called to lay down our lives for Christ, embracing the transformation into new creations in Him. [45:53]

  • The marks of sacrifice, as seen in Paul's life, are a testament to our commitment to Christ. These marks, whether physical or spiritual, serve as evidence of our willingness to endure hardship for the sake of the Gospel. [01:02:50]

  • Following Christ requires a willingness to sacrifice personal relationships, comforts, and desires. Jesus calls us to prioritize His kingdom over earthly ties, reminding us that true discipleship involves bearing our cross daily. [57:42]

  • The sacrifices we make for Christ are not without reward. God is faithful to honor and reward those who diligently seek Him, and our sacrifices are seen and valued by Him. [01:17:11]

  • Just as military service comes with benefits and honors, serving Christ comes with eternal rewards. Our willingness to sacrifice is part of the package of following Jesus, and it is a testament to our commitment to Him. [01:18:59]

Youtube Chapters

Bible Reading

  • Galatians 6:14-17 NKJV - 14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. 16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy [be] upon them, and upon the Israel of God. 17 From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

  • Luke 14:26-27 NKJV - 26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

  • John 15:13 NKJV - 13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

Observation Questions

  1. In Galatians 6:14-17, what does Paul mean when he says he bears the marks of Jesus on his body? How does this relate to the concept of sacrifice? [42:12]

  2. According to the sermon, what are some specific sacrifices that military personnel make, and how do these compare to the sacrifices Christians are called to make? [49:54]

  3. What does Jesus mean in Luke 14:26-27 when He talks about hating one's family and bearing one's cross? How does this relate to the idea of sacrifice in the Christian life? [57:42]

  4. How does the sermon describe the transformation that occurs when one becomes a new creation in Christ, and how is this similar to the transformation experienced by military personnel? [45:53]

Interpretation Questions

  1. How does Paul's willingness to endure physical marks for the sake of the Gospel challenge modern Christians in their understanding of sacrifice? [01:02:50]

  2. What might be the spiritual significance of the sacrifices Jesus calls His followers to make, as described in Luke 14:26-27? How do these sacrifices reflect one's commitment to Christ? [57:42]

  3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the sacrifices made for Christ are rewarded, and how does this compare to the rewards and honors given to military personnel? [01:17:11]

  4. How does the concept of being a new creation in Christ require a renewal of the mind, and what are some practical ways this renewal can manifest in a believer's life? [45:53]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on a personal sacrifice you have made for your faith. How did it impact your spiritual journey, and what did you learn from it? [01:20:11]

  2. Consider the relationships in your life. Are there any that might be hindering your walk with Christ? How can you prioritize your commitment to His kingdom over these earthly ties? [58:52]

  3. Identify a specific area in your life where you feel God is calling you to sacrifice. What steps can you take this week to begin making that sacrifice? [01:14:12]

  4. How can the example of military personnel inspire you to embrace the sacrifices required in your spiritual journey? What practical actions can you take to demonstrate this commitment? [49:54]

  5. Reflect on the rewards and honors that come with serving Christ. How does the promise of eternal rewards motivate you to endure hardships and sacrifices in your faith journey? [01:18:59]

  6. Think about a time when you felt uncomfortable or challenged in your faith. How did you respond, and what might you do differently in the future to embrace these moments as opportunities for growth? [01:03:56]

  7. How can you support others in your community who are making sacrifices for their faith? What specific actions can you take to encourage and uplift them this week? [01:24:53]

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Prayer Prompts and Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

In Love,

Pastor Adam Dragoon

 Did you benefit from this message? Support our ministry with a generous donation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://give.vbph.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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The Ministry of Reconciliation [2 Corinthians 5:17-20] | VBPH Sermon Summary & Study Guide

The Ministry of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:17-20

Summary

In this Sunday morning service, we explored the concept of reconciliation, both with God and others. We acknowledged the divisive times and the strain on relationships. The message emphasized the need to embrace the ministry of reconciliation, as outlined in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20. This passage reminds us of our transformation in Christ, making us new creations. This transformation will necessarily reflect in our interactions with others.

Reconciliation is a practical call to action. It requires letting go of past grievances and recognizing the inherent worth of every individual. This contrasts with the world’s approach, which often treats relationships as disposable. We are called to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who persecute us, as Jesus did.

The message also highlighted that reconciliation begins with God. He initiated salvation, offering grace and mercy even when undeserving. This divine reconciliation inspires us to seek reconciliation in our human relationships. We are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation, modeling forgiveness and healing.

As we reflect, we are challenged to examine our lives for relationships that need reconciliation. We must release bitterness and unforgiveness to God, trusting Him for justice and healing. This fulfills our role as ministers of reconciliation, embodying Christ’s love and grace in our interactions.

Watch/Listen

Key Takeaways

  • Reconciliation is a divine mandate, calling us to let go of temporary grievances and embrace a new way of thinking that values every person as made in God's image. This requires a radical shift from the world's disposable view of relationships. [20:50]

  • In Christ, we are new creations, and this transformation should be evident in our lives. Old ways of living, including bitterness and unforgiveness, must pass away, making room for new, Christ-like behaviors. [26:35]

  • Jesus exemplified the ultimate act of reconciliation by praying for His enemies even as He was crucified. This challenges us to love and pray for those who have wronged us, trusting God to bring justice. [46:47]

  • God initiated reconciliation with humanity through Christ, offering grace and mercy even when we were undeserving. This divine act should inspire us to seek reconciliation in our human relationships. [53:05]

  • As ambassadors of reconciliation, we are called to model forgiveness and healing in a broken world. This requires us to be proactive in mending strained relationships, trusting God to guide us in this ministry. [57:32]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[14:22] - Introduction to Reconciliation
[16:22] - Temporary Problems, Permanent Solutions
[17:41] - Hope in Divisive Times
[19:23] - Real-Life Examples of Division
[20:50] - The Call for Reconciliation
[22:23] - Understanding 2 Corinthians 5
[23:58] - The Model of Reconciliation
[26:35] - New Creations in Christ
[28:39] - Old Things Passed Away
[30:09] - Personal Testimony of Change
[32:14] - The Transformative Touch of Jesus
[33:18] - Baptism into New Life
[34:09] - The Cost of Following Christ
[37:40] - The Struggle with Bitterness
[39:13] - Disposable Relationships
[41:25] - A New Way of Thinking
[42:14] - The Value of Every Person
[43:42] - Loving Our Enemies
[46:47] - Jesus' Example of Forgiveness
[49:10] - The Universality of Christ's Sacrifice
[51:00] - The Devil's Division
[51:59] - Salvation by Grace
[53:05] - God's Initiative in Reconciliation
[55:39] - The Gift of Salvation
[57:32] - Our Ministry of Reconciliation
[58:43] - The Challenge of Forgiveness
[01:00:00] - The Block of Bitterness
[01:01:06] - Vertical and Horizontal Reconciliation
[01:02:48] - The Call to Action
[01:04:10] - Invitation to Salvation
[01:05:57] - Prayer for Reconciliation
[01:07:49] - Altar Call and Prayer
[01:09:19] - Communion and Closing Remarks

Message Study Guide

Bible Reading:

2 Corinthians 5:17-20


Observation Questions

  1. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, what does it mean to be a "new creation" in Christ? How does this transformation manifest in a believer's life?

  2. In the sermon, the pastor mentioned that reconciliation is a divine mandate. What examples were given to illustrate the world's disposable view of relationships? [39:13]

  3. How did Jesus exemplify the ultimate act of reconciliation, as discussed in the sermon? What was His response to His executioners? [46:47]

  4. What role does God play in the process of reconciliation, according to the sermon and 2 Corinthians 5:18-19? [53:05]

Interpretation Questions

  1. The sermon emphasized that reconciliation requires a radical shift from the world's view of relationships. How might this shift challenge a believer's current way of thinking and interacting with others? [41:25]

  2. Reflecting on Jesus' prayer for His enemies, what does this teach about the nature of forgiveness and love in the context of reconciliation? [46:47

  3. The pastor mentioned that God initiated reconciliation with humanity. How does understanding this divine initiative impact a believer's approach to seeking reconciliation in their own relationships? [53:05]

  4. In what ways does being an "ambassador for Christ" involve the ministry of reconciliation, and how can this be practically applied in daily life? [57:32]

Application Questions

  1. Are there any relationships in your life where you need to seek reconciliation? What steps can you take this week to initiate that process? [01:02:48]

  2. The sermon challenged us to let go of bitterness and unforgiveness. Is there a specific person or situation you need to release to God? How can you begin to do that today? [01:00:00]

  3. Jesus prayed for His enemies even in His suffering. Is there someone you find difficult to pray for? What might be a simple prayer you can start with to begin this process? [46:47]

  4. The pastor spoke about the importance of viewing every person as made in God's image. How can this perspective change the way you interact with people you disagree with or find challenging? [42:14]

  5. As an ambassador of reconciliation, what is one practical way you can model forgiveness and healing in your community or workplace this week? [57:32]

  6. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's grace and mercy. How can this memory inspire you to extend grace to others, especially those who have wronged you? [53:05]

  7. The sermon mentioned the importance of not solving temporary problems with permanent solutions. Can you identify a situation where you might be tempted to do this? How can you approach it differently? [16:22]

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Prayer Prompts and Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

In Love,

Pastor Adam Dragoon

 Did you benefit from this message? Support our ministry with a generous donation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://give.vbph.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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The Ministry of Refreshment [2 Timothy 1:16-18] | VBPH Sermon Summary & Study Guide

The Ministry of Refreshment

2 Timothy 1:16-18

Summary

In Sunday’s gathering, we explored the profound ministry of refreshment, drawing inspiration from the life of the Apostle Paul and his relationship with Onesiphorus. Paul, despite his immense spiritual stature and accomplishments, experienced times of deep need and hardship. He faced numerous trials, including physical beatings, shipwrecks, and imprisonment. Yet, in these moments of vulnerability, Onesiphorus emerged as a beacon of support, often refreshing Paul and not being ashamed of his chains. This narrative serves as a potent reminder that even the most spiritually mature among us require refreshment and encouragement from others.

The essence of the message is that we are all called to be like Onesiphorus, to be refreshers in the lives of those around us. This ministry of refreshment is not limited to grand gestures but can be as simple as offering a kind word, a listening ear, or a helping hand. It is about being present and supportive, especially when others are in their most challenging times. The act of refreshing others aligns us with the heart of Christ, who invites all who are weary to come to Him for rest.

Watch/Listen

“The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; ... he sought me out very zealously and found me.”
— Apostle Paul [2 Tim 1]

Furthermore, the sermon emphasized the importance of community and connection within the church. In a world where isolation is common, the church is called to be a place of refuge and support, where believers actively seek out and uplift one another. This is not just a duty but a privilege, as it allows us to participate in the divine work of bringing comfort and encouragement to those in need.

Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[06:17] - Announcements and Upcoming Events
[08:57] - The Principle of Generosity
[10:20] - Overcoming Fear with Faith
[14:11] - Introduction to 2 Timothy 1
[19:19] - The Need for Refreshment
[23:22] - Paul's Trials and Hardships
[26:31] - Onesiphorus: A Model of Refreshment
[30:39] - The Importance of Community
[35:28] - The Power of Encouragement
[39:56] - Using Our Tongue for Good
[45:34] - Seeking Out Those in Need
[47:15] - Aligning with Christ's Mission
[52:12] - The Good News of Salvation
[59:52] - Prayer for Refreshment and Blessing

Key Takeaways

  1. The Ministry of Refreshment: Just as Onesiphorus refreshed Paul, we are called to be sources of encouragement and support to those around us. This ministry is vital, especially in times of spiritual dryness and hardship, and it reflects the heart of Christ, who offers rest to the weary. [19:19]

  2. The Power of Community: Isolation can lead to spiritual dryness, but being part of a supportive community can provide the refreshment we need. The church should be a place where believers actively seek to uplift and encourage one another, fulfilling the law of Christ by bearing each other's burdens. [20:14]

  3. Overcoming Fear with Generosity: Fear often holds us back from being generous, but the Bible teaches that true richness comes from a generous spirit. By trusting God and giving freely, we align ourselves with His principles and open the door to His blessings. [10:20]

  4. The Role of Encouragement: Encouragement is a powerful tool that can transform lives. By speaking life and blessing into others, we can become a source of refreshment and strength, helping others to overcome their challenges and grow in their faith. [39:56]

  5. Aligning with Christ's Mission: When we engage in the ministry of refreshment, we align ourselves with the mission of Christ, who came to seek and save the lost. This calling invites us to be proactive in seeking out those in need and offering them the love and support of Christ. [47:15]

Message Study Guide

Bible Reading:

  • [2 Tim 1:16-18 NLT] 16 May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains. 17 When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me. 18 May the Lord show him special kindness on the day of Christ's return. And you know very well how helpful he was in Ephesus.

  • [Mat 11:28 NLT] 28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

  • [Gal 6:2 NLT] 2 Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Observation Questions:

  1. What specific actions did Onesiphorus take to refresh Paul, according to 2 Timothy 1:16-18? How did these actions impact Paul during his time of need? [20:14]

  2. In the sermon, what examples were given to illustrate the concept of "spiritual dryness" and the need for refreshment? [18:26]

  3. How does the sermon describe the role of community in providing refreshment and support to believers? [20:14]

  4. What does the pastor say about the challenges of living a life of faith, even for someone as spiritually mature as the Apostle Paul? [24:33]

Interpretation Questions:

  1. How does the example of Onesiphorus challenge the common perception of what it means to serve others in the church? What does this suggest about the nature of true Christian service? [27:20]

  2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that fear can hinder generosity, and how does this relate to the broader theme of refreshment? [10:20]

  3. How does the pastor connect the ministry of refreshment to the mission of Christ, and what implications does this have for believers today? [47:15]

  4. What does the sermon imply about the importance of seeking out those in need, and how does this align with the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 11:28? [44:58]

Application Questions:

  1. Reflect on a time when you felt spiritually dry or in need of refreshment. How did you find support, and what role did others play in that process? [18:26]

  2. Consider the people in your life who might be in need of refreshment. What practical steps can you take this week to be a source of encouragement and support for them? [28:01]

  3. The sermon highlights the power of community in overcoming isolation. How can you actively contribute to building a supportive community within your church or small group? [20:14]

  4. Fear often holds us back from being generous. Identify a specific area in your life where fear has hindered your generosity. What steps can you take to overcome this fear and trust God more fully? [10:20]

  5. Onesiphorus was not ashamed of Paul's chains. Are there people in your life who are going through difficult times that you might be hesitant to support? How can you overcome this hesitation and offer them the refreshment they need? [42:08]

  6. The pastor mentioned the importance of using our words to speak life and blessing. Think of someone who could benefit from your encouragement. What specific words or actions can you offer them this week? [39:56]

  7. How can you align your actions with Christ's mission of seeking and saving the lost, particularly in the context of being a refresher to those around you? [47:15]

 

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Prayer Prompts and Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

In Love,

Pastor Adam Dragoon

 Did you benefit from this message? Support our ministry with a generous donation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://give.vbph.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Discipleship in the Digital Age | Sermon Summary & Study Guide

Summary

Livestream Replay

This Sunday, we explored the profound impact of technology on our spiritual lives and how we can navigate this digital age as disciples of Jesus. We began by acknowledging the rapid technological advancements that have transformed our world, drawing parallels to historical innovations like the printing press, which revolutionized access to the Word of God. While technology itself is not inherently evil, it requires wisdom and discernment to ensure it does not replace our connection with God or become an idol in our lives.

We delved into the concept of discipleship in a digital age, emphasizing the importance of abiding in God's Word. Jesus calls us to make His teachings our home, our place of comfort and truth. In a world saturated with digital content, we must be intentional about where we direct our attention and how we spend our time. The truth of God's Word is absolute, and it is through knowing this truth that we find freedom.

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. ‘”
— John 8:31-32,36

Message Inspiration came from Chandler Bible Conference

Podcast Version

We also discussed the dangers of allowing technology to create a false sense of connection and community. While digital platforms offer numerous ways to connect, they can never replace the depth and authenticity of face-to-face relationships. True discipleship involves impartation, a life-to-life transfer of spiritual gifts and wisdom, which cannot be fully realized through digital means alone.

As we navigate this digital age, we must develop habits of wisdom, such as setting boundaries on our screen time, being mindful of the content we consume, and prioritizing real-life interactions. We are called to reject the dehumanization that technology can bring and to remember that we are not just products of algorithms but human beings created in the image of God.

Ultimately, our goal is to be disciples who are free in Christ, not bound by the distractions and deceptions of the digital world. By abiding in His Word and living out our faith in tangible ways, we can be effective witnesses for His kingdom in this generation.

Youtube Chapters

Key Takeaways

  1. Abiding in God's Word: To be true disciples, we must make our home in the teachings of Jesus, finding comfort and truth in His Word. This requires intentionality in a world filled with digital distractions. [47:46]

  2. The Reality of Truth: Jesus teaches that there is absolute truth found in His Word, and it is this truth that sets us free. In a culture of moral relativism, we must hold fast to the truth of the Gospel. [01:01:51]

  3. The Dangers of Digital Connection: While technology offers many ways to connect, it can never replace the depth of real-life relationships. True discipleship involves life-to-life impartation, which cannot be fully realized through digital means. [01:23:00]

  4. Developing Habits of Wisdom: We must be intentional about how we use technology, setting boundaries and prioritizing real-life interactions. Our time is valuable, and we should use it to glorify God and build His kingdom. [01:09:31]

  5. Rejecting Dehumanization: We are not just products of algorithms; we are human beings created in God's image. We must resist the temptation to let technology define us and instead live out our faith authentically. [01:13:41]

Message Study Guide

Observation Questions

  1. What does Jesus mean when He says, "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed"? How does this relate to the concept of discipleship in a digital age? [47:46]

  2. In the sermon, what historical technological advancement is compared to the impact of modern technology on our spiritual lives? [49:04]

  3. How does the sermon describe the potential dangers of digital connections compared to face-to-face relationships? [01:15:52]

  4. What are some examples given in the sermon of how technology can become an idol in our lives? [01:30:39]

Interpretation Questions

  1. How might the concept of "abiding in God's Word" challenge the way individuals consume digital content today? [47:46]

  2. The sermon mentions the importance of setting boundaries on screen time. What might be the spiritual implications of failing to do so? [01:09:31]

  3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that technology can create a false sense of community, and how does this impact true discipleship? [01:15:52]

  4. How does the sermon interpret the idea of being "free indeed" in the context of the digital age? [01:26:36]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on your current habits with technology. Are there specific areas where you feel technology is distracting you from your relationship with God? What steps can you take to address this? [01:07:12]

  2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of real-life interactions. How can you prioritize face-to-face relationships in your daily life, especially in a world dominated by digital communication? [01:15:52]

  3. Consider the content you consume online. How can you be more intentional about ensuring it aligns with the truth of God's Word? [01:01:51]

  4. The sermon discusses the idea of technology becoming an idol. Are there specific technologies or platforms that you find yourself overly reliant on? How can you begin to shift your focus back to God? [01:30:39]

  5. How can you develop habits of wisdom in your use of technology, such as setting boundaries or being mindful of your screen time? What practical steps can you take this week? [01:09:31]

  6. Think about a time when you felt disconnected from others despite being "connected" digitally. How can you foster deeper, more authentic relationships in your community? [01:15:52]

  7. The sermon calls us to reject dehumanization by technology. What are some ways you can remind yourself and others that we are created in God's image, not just products of algorithms? [01:13:41]

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Prayer Prompts and Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

 

In Love,

Pastor Adam Dragoon

 

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Church is a Team Sport

The church is not merely a collection of individuals but a cohesive body that thrives on cooperation and mutual support. Just as a sports team or a choir requires each member to play their part harmoniously, the church needs every believer to contribute their unique gifts and talents for the common good. Division, whether caused by foolish disputes, racism, politics, or pride, is demonic and counterproductive to the mission of the church. Paul’s instruction to reject a divisive person after the first and second admonition underscores the seriousness of maintaining unity.

We explored the metaphor of the church as a team, an army, and a temple. Each metaphor highlights the necessity of working together under a common purpose and authority. Just as a team cannot win if its members are divided, and an army cannot succeed if its soldiers do not follow orders, the church cannot fulfill its mission if it is fractured by internal strife. The unity within the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—serves as the ultimate model for the church, providing a strong theological basis for our call to unity. This divine unity should be reflected in our relationships with one another, fostering an environment where the Spirit of God can dwell and work powerfully.

The Apostle Paul’s transformation from Saul, a persecutor of Christians, to a beloved church member exemplifies the power of reconciliation and unity. His story reminds us that our vertical relationship with God must translate into horizontal relationships with others. The church is called to be a living example of heaven on earth, where diversity is celebrated and unity is paramount.

In closing, we were challenged to embrace a spirit of humility and unity, to avoid foolish disputes, and most importantly, to actively seek ways to contribute to the body of Christ. By doing so, we can become a powerful, harmonious force that reflects the glory of God and advances His kingdom on earth.

Key Takeaways

1. **Unity in Diversity**: The church, like a choir, thrives on the harmonious blending of diverse gifts and talents. Each member's unique abilities contribute to a powerful collective impact that surpasses individual efforts. This unity in diversity reflects the nature of God's creation and His design for the church. [01:08:01]

2. **Rejecting Division**: Paul’s instruction to reject a divisive person after the first and second admonition highlights the seriousness of maintaining unity. Division is demonic and counterproductive to the church's mission. It is better to have fewer people united in purpose than a large, divided congregation. [01:03:19]

3. **The Church as a Team and Army**: The metaphors of the church as a team and an army emphasize the importance of working together under a common purpose and authority. Just as a team cannot win if its members are divided, and an army cannot succeed if its soldiers do not follow orders, the church cannot fulfill its mission if it is fractured by internal strife. [01:31:43]

4. **The Power of Reconciliation**: The transformation of Saul to Paul exemplifies the power of reconciliation and unity. Our vertical relationship with God must translate into horizontal relationships with others. The church is called to be a living example of heaven on earth, where diversity is celebrated, and unity is paramount. [01:27:20]

5. **Living Stones in God’s Temple**: The church is described as a temple built with living stones, each uniquely shaped and placed by God. This imagery underscores the importance of each member's role and the masterful way God fits us together to create a dwelling place for His Spirit. Our unity allows God's presence to manifest powerfully among us. [01:34:12]

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Conquering Chaos: Finding Peace in the Storms of Life

Watch it Here:

YouTube Chapters

1. [0:00] - Welcome
2. [09:02] - Announcements
3. [12:16] - Outreach Report
4. [13:50] - Offering and Generosity
5. [16:44] - Bible Reading Plan
6. [17:43] - Structure and Boundaries
7. [21:33] - Conquering Chaos
8. [24:38] - Jesus Calls Us into Chaos
9. [30:49] - Feeling Out of Control
10. [32:30] - Stepping Out in Faith
11. [36:59] - Jesus as Our Advocate
12. [40:13] - Challenges in Chaos
13. [48:25] - Limitations of Human Ingenuity
14. [56:47] - Faith Overcomes Fear
15. [01:00:29] - Invitation to Salvation
16. [01:06:16] - Altar Call and Prayer
17. [01:11:25] - Communion
18. [01:15:06] - Final Charge and Dismissal

Summary

The importance of structure and boundaries in parenting was acknowledged, drawing parallels to how God provides order in our lives. Without structure, chaos ensues, and this is true not only for children but for all of us. The story of Jesus walking on water from Matthew 14 was explored, illustrating how Jesus calls us into chaotic situations to test and grow our faith.

Jesus sent His disciples into a stormy sea, a place of chaos and fear, to teach them reliance on Him. This act mirrors God's call to us to step out of our comfort zones and into the unknown, trusting Him to guide us. The sea, often a biblical symbol of chaos, represents the unpredictable and uncontrollable aspects of life. Yet, Jesus walks on this chaos, demonstrating His power over it.

Human ingenuity and our own "boats" of understanding are insufficient to navigate life's storms. True peace and safety come from stepping out in faith, as Peter did when he walked on water. However, Peter's momentary doubt and subsequent sinking remind us that our focus must remain on Jesus, not on the surrounding chaos.

Jesus' actions show that He is always interceding for us, even when He seems distant. His call to step out in faith is a call to experience His supernatural power. The story concludes with Jesus calming the storm, reinforcing that He is the ultimate source of peace and order.

As we face our own chaotic situations, we are encouraged to trust in Jesus, step out of our boats, and keep our eyes fixed on Him. This faith journey is not without its challenges, but it is through these trials that we experience God's miraculous power and grow closer to Him.


Key Takeaways

  1. Structure and Boundaries in Life: Just as children need structure and boundaries to thrive, we too need God's order in our lives. Without it, chaos reigns. God provides us with guidelines and limits not to restrict us but to help us grow and flourish.

  2. Jesus Calls Us into Chaos: Jesus intentionally sends us into chaotic situations to test and strengthen our faith. Like the disciples on the stormy sea, we are often called to step out of our comfort zones and trust in God's guidance, even when it seems risky.

  3. Human Ingenuity is Limited: Our own understanding and abilities can only take us so far. In the face of life's storms, our "boats" of human ingenuity are insufficient. True safety and peace come from stepping out in faith and relying on Jesus.

  4. Faith Overcomes Fear: Peter's experience of walking on water teaches us that faith can enable us to conquer chaos. However, when we take our eyes off Jesus and focus on our problems, we begin to sink. Keeping our focus on Him is crucial.

  5. Jesus is Our Advocate: Even when Jesus seems distant, He is interceding for us. He is our advocate before the Father, praying for our strength and guidance. This assurance should encourage us to step out in faith, knowing that He is always with us.

Conclusion

Facing chaos is an inevitable part of life, but with faith and trust in Jesus, we can navigate through it. By stepping out of our comfort zones and keeping our eyes fixed on Him, we can experience His peace and order amidst the storms.

  • And I'm grateful that in our Bible reading plan, if you don't know, we do have a churchwide Bible reading plan. And in the last couple of weeks, we have finally made the switch into the New Testament. If you want to know how long it takes to read the Old Testament, it's about two-thirds of the year. So we made it through the Old Testament, and in our Bible reading plan, we finally arrived into the book of Matthew, and it's always a refreshing experience to get into the story of the Gospels after being in the Old Testament and reading the prophets and the law.



    And so we find ourselves in the book of Matthew. God, it's really inspired me about this message this morning. I pray it's a blessing to you.



    How many here are parents? Let me see your hands. You're parents, you have children. How many understand this morning that raising and training children requires structure and boundaries? If you've ever tried to remove structure or boundaries or failed to set proper structure and boundaries, what happens as a result? Chaos. You said it. The word is chaos. Chaos.



    When children are not given structure and boundaries, they have chaos. And can I tell you, this is necessary for parenting. Actually, children will appreciate when they know what the limits are. They operate best when they know what time is bedtime, what time is time to get ready for bedtime, what time is time to brush your teeth, what time... when they know when properly set expectations.



    When they understand expectations and boundaries, it actually helps them. Do you know why? Because children were not made to make decisions. They don't have the experience. They don't have the knowledge. They don't have the wisdom yet. Especially small children, what we're trying to do is in the time that they are incapable of making decisions, we, as parents, have to make decisions for them.



    Everybody know what I'm talking about? And so when you go to your four-year-old, and you say to him, I have a great problem. To them, what do you want for dinner tonight? You have made a grave mistake. It's going to be 30 minutes of trying to figure out what to eat. Instead, if you want to give them a choice, you should say, okay, we have pizza or we have chicken nuggets. Which one would you like? Now, that's a decision they can make. I would choose pizza if that was me.



    But you say this or that, and they think for a second, and we'll go with this. That's a decision that a child can handle. Don't give your child some open-ended, what do you want to do with your life, right? Children of four, five, six years old, they cannot handle decisions like that.



    This is why it's such a crime to, you know, to how people allow their children to make a decision on what kind of gender they want to be when they're four or five. They don't even know what to eat for dinner tonight. And so as parents, we are called to create limits and borders and boundaries for them. Otherwise, chaos will reign.



    Everybody say the word chaos. I believe that chaos is part of life. We're going to look at that in just a moment here, why it's an important part of life. Risk-taking sometimes. But chaos left uncontrolled is not good. The job of a good parent is to bring order.



    Parents are not prison wardens. They're not supposed to lock down every decision in the same way that God gives us the ability to make some decisions with our life while He retains the ability to be in control of all things. Is that true? Chaos is the natural state of the world. Sometimes that can be exciting or adventurous. But we realize that we cannot build important things that last while we are in chaos.



    In other words, you can't build a business if you can't even keep a budget, right? You can't go on to greater things until you establish a foundation of order. And so while chaos, while risk-taking, while those risky behaviors can sometimes feel exhilarating, we can't remain there forever. There has to be a balance of chaos and order.



    And it is God, who as our heavenly Father, brings order into our chaos. And I want to preach a message out of the book of Matthew, chapter 14. If you join me there, this is the famous story of Jesus walking on the water, calling His disciples out on the Sea of Galilee. And we're going to find a very powerful illustration of conquering chaos. That's the name of my message this morning, conquering chaos.



    Let's read together. Matthew, chapter 14, beginning with verse 22.



    Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that His disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake. While He sent the people home, after sending them home, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. Night fell while He was there alone.



    Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble, far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o'clock in the morning, well, that's not a good time to be on the sea. About three o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.



    When the disciples saw Him walking on the water, they were terrified, and in their fear, they cried out, it's a ghost. Jesus spoke to them, don't be afraid. Take courage, I am here. Then Peter called to Him, Lord, if it's really You, tell me to come to You, walking on the water.



    On the water, yes, come, Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. When he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. Save me, Lord, he shouted. And Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him.



    You have so little faith, Jesus said. Why did you doubt? And when they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. The disciples worshipped Him. You really are the Son of God, they exclaimed.



    Let's pray. Father, we come once again, thanking You, God, by the blood of Jesus, for Your grace, for Your mercy, for Your forgiveness. Thanking You, Lord, for the opportunity to gather in this house. May this message inspire, convict, draw people closer to You. Help us, Lord, to recognize the chaos of our lives. Lord, to understand You've called us to conquer, to overcome. I'm praying, God, give us faith to believe You for great things.



    In this place, we give You glory in Jesus' mighty name. God's people would say, this message is titled, Conquering Chaos.



    And I want to begin by looking at Jesus, how He called His followers into chaos. This is very interesting. It was Jesus' idea. It was He who told them to get into the boat and put them out into a dangerous place.



    I want to give you a test. I want to give you a test to start this message out. Are you ready? Pop quiz. See if you can finish this sentence without Googling. Are you ready? In the beginning, God... Whoa, pretty good, pretty good. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. That's the very first line of the Bible, one of the most well-known sentences in the English language.



    And just following it is verse 2, which is fascinating. The Bible says this, the earth was without form and void. Void. Without form and void. The darkness was on the face of the deep. If you do a deep study into the Hebrew language here, you'll discover that the words that are used to speak, that were translated in English, without form and void, is a very interesting pair of words in Hebrew.



    And I'll quote them to you. It sounds like this. Tohu wabohu. They rhyme. Without form and void. Tohu wabohu. Tohu wabohu. And the idea here is much deeper than what we get in the English. It's not just that the earth was formless and empty. That's the wrong picture. When you study the Hebrew, you find that these words are used, especially the word tohu, is used in 20 other places in the Old Testament.



    And the idea is a wildness, a wilderness. It's a place that is... It's not just vast emptiness of space. It's describing a place of chaos. Imagine a jungle with no structures, with no path that maybe a helicopter drops you in the middle of a wild jungle. That's the idea of tohu wabohu. It was without form and it was void. It was without structure.



    And the idea added to that is that there is water involved. It said, the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And so these ideas of chaos, of wilderness, are joined together with the idea of water in the Bible, and especially seas or oceans.



    Now, here in modern-day America, in the West, when we think of water, we think of a vacation, right? We think of, oh, I'm going to go on the cruise or, uh, I'm going to go join the Navy so I can see the seven seas of the world, right? And it's a place of vacation and it's a desirable place where we want to be. We are seeking, right? The most valuable properties are what? Waterfront properties, right? We think of a vacation. We think of some tropical paradise where the sea and the horizon meet and you're sitting in a little chair on the beach.



    And that sounds relaxing to us. But from the biblical narrative, when we think as though we were one of the people writing the Bible or we were one of the original audience of God's Word, the idea of the sea was scary. It was frightening. It was a place of uncontrolled chaos.



    The ancient world thought about water and especially seas and the wild places of the world much differently than we did in the Bible. And so we think of the sea as a place of uncontrolled chaos. And so we think of the sea as a place of uncontrolled chaos.



    When they would think about the sea, they would think about people that they one day waved goodbye to as they went out onto the sea and never saw them again. That the sea was a place where people were consumed. The sea was a place of danger. The sea was a place not just to relax, but a place of great fear. It's a place the Bible describes of chaos. A place of wilderness, void, of structure, a place of chaos.



    And what's interesting about our scripture is that Jesus calls His disciples out onto the water. Now we have a beach here. We live in Virginia Beach. And if you've ever been, have you ever been out at the beach in the water? This has happened to me a couple of times. And you feel something brush your leg. And then you're like running back to the beach. I got to get out of here.



    I've had that happen. I don't know if it was a dolphin. I don't know if it was a fish. I don't know if it was a shark. I don't even want to know what it was because that's scary. It represents a place of the unknown. It's a place where we don't have control. It's a place where human beings are not supposed to be.



    In fact, they say the final frontier of our earth, the only place that is left unexplored are the depths of our ocean. It's just as foreign to us as the depths of the cosmos. There are so many creatures there that we don't even know about still. And it's a place of the unknown. It's a place of uncontrolled chaos.



    And what's interesting in our scripture is that Jesus tells them to get in their little rickety fishing boat and go out onto the sea at nighttime. Now that is crazy. We wouldn't even do that today with all of our modern technologies. But here they are. And Jesus says in verse 22, Jesus insisted that His disciples get into the boat and cross over to the other side of the lake.



    Now that would be one thing if He says, hey boys, let's go together. I'm coming with you. But in this case, He made the point to send them and He did not get in the boat. He says, you guys go out there. I'm going up to the mountain to pray. I'm going up to the mountain to pray. I'm going up to the mountain to pray. I'm going up to the mountain to pray.



    We'll see y'all later. Have you ever felt, have you ever found yourself in a place of chaos? Have you ever felt out of control? Have you ever gotten yourself into a situation that you didn't know how to get out of? That's where the disciples have found themselves, in a place of chaos.



    And there are many times that the Lord will lead us into these places. He will ask you to take a risk, to do something. He will ask you to do something uncomfortable. To go out, to step foot into a new arena for His kingdom. This is how the life of faith began.



    Think of the father of our faith. His name was Abram. And at the ripe age of 70 plus years old, a man who has everything that the world says you need. He had wealth. He had family. He had culture. He had a job. He had possessions. He had a whole bunch of stuff. He's 70 years old. He's comfortable. He's in a culture where he knows, he understands.



    And the Bible says in Genesis chapter 12, verse 1, that the Lord spoke to Abram. And the Lord did not say, hey, Abram, everything's cool. Just chill. What did the Lord say? He said, get out of your country, from your family, from your father's house. Okay, God, no problem. Where are we going? He says, I'll show you when you get there. No plan. No map. No five-year progress map. No goal.



    He said, just step out by faith, Abram. Now that is similar to Jesus calling His disciples out to a dangerous sea. And that is so similar to many times in our lives. Jesus will speak to us and lead us to step out into chaotic or uncontrolled places.



    Acts chapter 1, verse 8, Jesus is leaving back to heaven. He's going to ascend to His Father and His last words to the church as He rises from the Mount of Olives. In Acts 1, verse 8, He says, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem.



    Jerusalem is where they were, right? Mount of Olives is right next to Jerusalem. So you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, that place where you are. Then you'll be my witnesses in Judea. That's the larger area, the countryside. It is not just the city, but the whole surrounding region. Then He says in Samaria, you'll be my witnesses in Samaria.



    What's that? Samaria is the place where the Jews did not want to travel. In fact, they had a road connecting northern Judea with the northern part of Judea and they were to the southern part of Israel. Samaria was right in the middle, and it was the shortest distance to go through Samaria. But the Jews had a different road that went around instead of through because they didn't like Samaria. They didn't like those people.



    That's why the Samaritan woman, it was such a surprise that Jesus even spoke to her. That's why it was such a surprise when Jesus used the illustration of a good Samaritan who healed the man who fell among thieves. And Jesus said, you'll be my witnesses here where you are, Jerusalem, in Judea, the surrounding region and nation, and also Samaria, that place filled with people you don't like, places you don't want to go.



    And finally, Jesus said, you'll be my witnesses to the end of the earth, to places you never heard of, to cities and nations and countries and islands with people that you've never encountered, the ends of the earth. That, you know what that sounds like to me? A call into chaos.



    We've had the privilege, my wife and I, to be called as missionaries. We were in Bulgaria for four and a half years. Can I tell you that when Pastor Campbell came to me, and the opportunity had been explained to him, he approached us, and he said, have you ever heard of Bulgaria?



    And to be completely honest with you, I don't think I had ever heard that word uttered in the English language. I said, what's a Bulgaria? Where is that? And so, he says, well, there's an opportunity. It's a country, Eastern Europe, a former communist nation. There's a church there, and if you're willing to go, we'll be willing to support you.



    I had not one single fact in my brain about Bulgaria. And so, we were called upon to make a decision. That was a call out of our comfort zone, out of what was familiar. It was very similar. In my life, it was similar to God calling Abram, get out of your country, the place that's familiar to you. The place where you know how to pay bills.



    And going to a place you don't even know anything about. This is the missionary calling, isn't it? And while you may not have the same missionary calling, I do want to tell you, somewhere in your life, God is going to call you to an uncontrolled, chaotic, risky place. Maybe it's into a new job. Maybe it's into parenthood. Maybe it's into marriage. God will call you into a ministry that you never expected.



    There are many areas, there are many seas, many chaotic places, risky places that God will send us into. And many times, when we find ourselves there, we seem to be separated from Him. Verse 23 says, after sending them home, the other people, He said, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray.



    So, Jesus is not bodily with us. He's not physically with us. He's not physically with them. He's not with them in a physical sense. But as Jesus goes to the hills, He begins to pray. I want to tell you, Jesus is still praying for you. If you find yourself in a chaotic situation this morning, don't suppose that you are completely left alone.



    Because we have an advocate with the Father. 1 John 2, verse 1 says, my little children, these things I write to you, so you may not sin. And if anyone sins, listen, we have an advocate. Say the word advocate. With the Father. Who is that? Jesus Christ, the righteous.



    You know, it's important in life to have a good Jewish lawyer. That's who Jesus is. He is our advocate before the Father. He stands on your behalf. If you are in His will, He will be praying for you. Listen, 1 Timothy 2, verse 5, there's one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus.



    Jesus exists today. His present ministry between the time of the cross until the time He returns, His primary role, His primary mission, His primary ministry is to advocate on behalf of His church to the Father. He's praying for us. Hebrews 7, verse 24. But He, Jesus, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.



    Therefore, He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercessions for them. Jesus was praying for them, even though He wasn't in the boat. You know, that's just a picture of what it's been like for the church for the last 2,000 years. We don't see Him. We can't speak to Him, to His face. We can't, you know, give Him a handshake or a hug.



    But I want to tell you, just like these disciples in the boat on the waters of chaos, Jesus is up on the hill. He can't see them, but He's praying for them. Just remember that. In the moments of chaos, in the moments of difficulty, in the moments where you can't predict how your situation is going to end, there is a Savior. There's an advocate who's pleading on your behalf to the Father.



    And it's here in chaos, in the tohu wabohu places of our lives, where we find complications. Jesus will call us to adventure. He will call us into exciting things. And they hold great promise. It is true that there's no reward without a risk, right?



    This is why people don't start businesses. Because businesses are risky. It requires a large amount of investment and time and effort. And you're not guaranteed to be a success. So it's a lot easier to, you know, go find a corporate cubicle to do your work in, right? And you get benefits and 40 hours a week and a set schedule.



    And not many people want to go into business because it's risky. But if you are successful in it, there's a larger reward that is available. And it's the same with God. We could spend the rest of our lives being comfortable. Just receiving the blessing of God. Just going to church, have a good time, shake a few hands, say a few prayers.



    And we could get through our lives and make it to heaven like that. But I believe God calls us into riskier situations. That living for Jesus will, He will purposefully put you out on the lake sometimes. And in that place, there will be complications.



    Let's look at these complications. Number one, the disciples felt a period of darkness. It says that as, verse 23, after sending them home, He went up to the hills to pray and night fell while He was there alone. That also means that night fell on those poor disciples out there on the sea. They're rowing. They're trying to get across the lake.



    They're hours into this thing. And by the time, it was Jesus who sent them out there. Remember that? They didn't get sent out there at 6 a.m. It was in the evening. The day had already passed and He said, you guys need to go out there right now. He compelled them to do that. He ordered them to do that, even though it was the wrong time.



    And darkness fell in that chaotic place. You know, when we find ourselves in these risky steps for God, it is easy for us to lose our sight. When there's a lack of light, there's a lack of clarity. David described what this was like. Psalm 82, verse 5. They do not know, they do not understand. They walk about in darkness. The foundations of the earth are unstable.



    When you can't see in the darkness, you can't see in the darkness. When you can't see in the darkness, everything automatically gets more difficult. Is that true? So darkness falls on them. The second thing they find is that they're separated from safety. Matthew 14, verse 24. The disciples were in trouble, say in trouble, and they were far away from land.



    They were so far into this journey that even if they said, boys, we're in trouble, we got to go back. The journey back was even farther than the journey forward. They were in trouble. They were in trouble. They were in trouble. They were in trouble.



    Have you ever found yourself neck deep in a situation and you don't know how it's going to work out? Maybe financially. The bills with the red ink start showing up. You know what I'm saying? The phone calls from the bill collectors start blowing up your phone. We become separated from safety. What used to be comfortable now becomes difficult.



    And if that wasn't enough, then there was a storm. It says a strong wind had risen. And they were fighting heavy waves. This is what happens in chaotic places. When you take a risk, it's risky. And there's a chance that a storm could rise and that it might get harder before it gets better.



    And I want to tell you, people come to church on Sunday morning and we can put on a certain view to other people, but often we're in over our heads in many situations. Maybe in your marriage this morning, your family. There's a relationship that's strained. You don't know how to get out of it. You don't know how to handle it. You don't know how to make it better.



    Finances. We can get over our heads. Our children. Training children is hard, man. Teenagers can be difficult. Not my teenager, but other teenagers. Ministry. Hey, in the church, working with people can be hard. In your job, in your workplace, you know what? Customers, bosses, fellow workers.



    And you find yourself in conflicts and situations where like, is this ever going to get better? And the winds and the waves are beating against this boat. Remember, it was Jesus who told them to go out there. It was Jesus who said, you guys, at this time, when the sun is going down, when the storm is coming, I'm going to send you out there at this moment.



    And they are in the boat facing a storm. And it shows us that there are going to be inevitable challenges as we face a life with Jesus. We just got back from our missions trip a couple of weeks ago. Our missions team, we had eight of us. We went to St. Lucia. It's an island in the Caribbean. So that sounds pretty nice.



    And yeah, there are some nice things there. But you know, being a missionary, and if you were on the trip, you saw it. If being a missionary and actually living your life, you saw it. There's a lot of challenges related to that. There's a lot of things they've had to adjust their lifestyle. There's challenges.



    Yeah, it's exciting, right, to go to conference and to hear the announcement, going into St. Lucia. Heath and Renee Flitcroft, everybody, yeah, everybody cheers. It's exciting. A call out to the water. But then they get out there. And they've lived there for two and a half years. And there's a lot of complications.



    And now he's having to deal with the government officials to try to get a visa. And it's taken him six months. When we were there, he told me, yeah, they lost all of our paperwork. Have to do it all over again. Have to start from scratch. And in the meantime, they're threatening him. If you don't get this right, we have to send you out of the country.



    While he's trying to build a church, while he's trying to do something for God, right, while he's trying to keep his family, and there's real challenges that come by following Jesus. Now there's a temptation in the challenge, in the midst of the storm. And that is that we rely on the boat alone.



    This is a great mistake. Now remember, it's 12 disciples, no Jesus. He's up on the hill praying for them. The only thing that's keeping them alive in this moment is their rickety little fishing boat. Now let me ask you something. Who built that boat? Some guy, right? They probably, somewhere a fisherman.



    It could have been Peter, Andrew. I don't know. They had some fishermen in the crew. Might have been their boat. We don't know for sure. But at the end of the day, this boat did not come down from a cloud from heaven. This boat was built by the hands of men.



    We know how to make boats. These guys know how to make a boat, how to maintain a boat. They know that, you know, you have to build it in a certain way. You have to have this kind of wood. You have to seal it up tight. You have to have some little holes where the oars will rest. You have to have a keel that goes down the center. You have to have some seats.



    We have been, as a species, as human beings, we have been making boats for thousands and thousands of years. They know how to make a boat. The problem is that in this situation, their boat is not good enough.



    Have you discovered the limitations of human ingenuity? See, when we get out on the, and when we find ourselves in the midst of chaos, the mistake is, it's gonna be okay. I know how to handle this. I've got my little fishing boat. You'll discover very quickly that your boat is not enough to save you.



    Your intelligence is not enough to get you through. Your education is not enough. Your human experience is not enough. Your human relationships are not enough. Your intelligence is not enough. Your human relationships are not enough. Your human ingenuity, your ideas, we will bump up against challenges that all of our preparation is not enough to get us to the other side of that lake.



    Because this storm was stronger than their boat. And if their trust was in that piece of wood, if their trust was in the maker of that piece of wood, then they would have drowned. I want to tell you, Jesus not only calls us out into the sea in a time of chaos, but there's going to be a time when He asks us to step out of that comfort.



    To step out of our own experience. To step out of our own wisdom. Our ingenuity is not enough. See, God made man in His image, but He made us with limitations. Even from the beginning, we had limitations. Adam and Eve, they were made in God's image. They were without sin. They lived in a perfect existence.



    And yet, God limited them. He said, of all the trees, Genesis 2, verse 16, you may freely eat from every tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He said, this is my tree. Don't touch my tree. Don't touch its fruit. And God said, this is the one limitation that you have as my created beings.



    And man could not even handle that limitation, right? They came up with the idea. It was inspired by the enemy. Eve was beguiled because what did he tell her? He said, oh, God's just trying to hurt us. He said, oh, God's just trying to hurt us. He said, oh, God's just trying to ruin your fun. He's holding back from you.



    And that one limitation. See, what we try to do is we try to get through our chaotic situations by leaning on our own understanding, by doing a few Google searches, by watching a few YouTube videos. Oh, I can make it. We buy a book from the self-help section. We even ask chat GPT these days, right? What does AI have to say?



    And you know, we can come up with some interesting answers. But at the end of the day, there are going to be some seas that are too powerful for your boat. Despite being skilled fishermen, they're overwhelmed by the storm. And this shows us that human ability is limited.



    If you are relying on your skill, on your wisdom, on your saving account, on your resources, if you're depending on these things, things that you can understand, then you're going to be able to do a lot of things. And if you're going to understand things that you have control over to navigate life's challenges, I want to tell you, you're going to reach a limit of how far they can carry you.



    That boat was able to get them into the problem, but not out of the problem. And this is the problem. Have you ever known somebody who thinks too much for their own good? People are pointing at themselves. Some people consider themselves too smart to believe in God.



    I often say those are the people who watch the show. I'm not saying they're not smart. I'm saying they're not smart. I'm saying they don't watch too much YouTube. They think too much because they think themselves into the problem, but they can't get out of the problem.



    Consider with me as we close the woman with the issue of blood in Luke chapter 8. Now, this woman has a desperate problem. It says, a woman having a flow of blood for 12 years. Think about what that would be like. She's got some kind of hemorrhage, female problems, and she's been bleeding for 12 years.



    Now, this is difficult in a Jewish culture where a woman who has that kind of a situation, she is considered by the culture to be unclean. That means she cannot have regular human interactions. She can't go worship at the temple. She can't be with her family. She is ostracized from society. She has to live outside the city for 12 years.



    Not only that, but the Bible says she spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed. She's went to every doctor, she's went to every healer, she's went to every place that took her money and failed to bring a satisfactory resolution to her problem.



    And this is where we find ourselves often. We've tried everything we knew to try. We did everything we were supposed to do. We did everything right. We did everything I thought I knew. But this woman, having spent all, being desperate, heard about Jesus.



    The Bible says she came from behind, touched the border of His garment, and immediately her flow of blood stopped. I want to tell you, where human ingenuity ends is where supernatural power begins. If we want to see the hand of God, we have to get out of the boat.



    Peter did not walk on water until he got out of the thing that he understood. And that's where we're going to look, finally, as we close, supernatural solutions. The answer doesn't always come the way that we expect. I love this scripture, verse 25.



    Three o'clock in the morning, they're all freaking out. Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. Now, aren't you glad Jesus came walking on the water? In another gospel account, it says that He would have passed them by. He was just out for a stroll. Hey, guys, good luck.



    But they cried out to Him, and He turned aside to them. Now, this was very frightening. It would be frightening to you, too, if you were out on the water, thinking you're about to die, and you see somebody walking on the waves. They were terrified. They thought He was a ghost.



    But He was the answer to their problem, wasn't He? Often, the answer that we want from God is terrifying at first. Wait, what do you want me to do? What offering do you want me to give? Wait, what place do you want me to go? Often, the answer to our prayers is so far away. Isn't that true?



    The kingdom of God is so opposite from our own understanding. Jesus says, if you want to live, you have to die. If you want to be first, you have to be last. This is the paradox of the kingdom. It's not an earthly kingdom. It's a heavenly kingdom, and it's opposite from our own thinking.



    It was terrifying. The second thing we see is that it required great faith. Verse 28, Peter called to Him, Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you walking on the water. This was not Jesus' idea. It was Peter's idea. He was so afraid and so desperate that he didn't want to die.



    He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die. He was so desperate, and so on the edge of himself, he thought, Lord, the only safe place is wherever you are, so help me to get to you. Man, Peter had a lot of flaws, but one thing he had right. He wanted to be with Jesus, even if it required getting out of his own understanding.



    Walking on the water represents to us stepping into the realm of the impossible through faith. It shows us that when we do step out in faith, trusting in the power of God, you can conquer chaos. You can walk on the thing which you think is about to destroy you.



    Let me ask you this evening, this morning, what boats have you been struggling to survive in? What water and what wind, what waves have been crashing against your life? Is Jesus calling you to a new level of conquering chaos?



    This morning, it requires faith. It's not easy, but I want to encourage you to step out of your boat and trust Him. See, Peter did this. He's the only human being, besides Jesus, to walk on water. He took a few steps, miraculous steps, but he started looking around. He saw the wind.



    The problem was he took his eyes off of Jesus. He was distracted by his problems again, he was distracted by the waves that were crashing, the wind that was blowing, and when he put his focus on the problems instead of on the Savior, he began to sink again.



    Now, he did cry out. He said, Lord, save me. And Jesus did save him, pulled him back out, but there was a rebuke. Man, it's like, Jesus, pretty hard on the guy, right? I mean, he has just stepped on the water. Nobody's ever done this except for you, Jesus. And Jesus still rebukes him.



    Why did you doubt? You were doing it, Peter. You were succeeding. You were conquering your chaos. But even as he began to fail, Jesus had a rebuke for him. Why did you doubt? Wow. Some expectations the Savior has for us. He expects us to conquer our chaos.



    It requires faith this morning. And I want to challenge each and every one of you. There's a chaotic place of your life. You're in a boat trying to figure it out yourself. But the boat's not good enough. I challenge you this morning to step out of the boat and trust Him.



    Because, here's why, walking on the waves with Jesus is safer than staying in the boat. Did you hear what I said? Walking on the waves with Jesus is safer than staying in the boat. The end of the story is that Jesus gets back into the boat with them. Immediately, the storm is calm.



    He exercised His power over nature. And the end of the story is they're all, okay, this guy really is the Son of God. And that's the point. At the end of the day, when Jesus helps us to conquer our chaos, the proper response is one of fear, admiration, and worship.



    Okay, Jesus, you are worthy of my whole life. Let's bow our heads and close our eyes as we bring this service to a close. And I'm grateful for your attention.



    This morning, as we look at this powerful scripture, this story, before we close this service, before we pray together here at this altar, we're going to come together to pray, and then we're going to be receiving the Lord's Supper together.



    But before we do that, I want to ask if someone has made their way into the service today, and the honest truth of your life at this moment is that you're not right with God. The Bible says we have all sinned. We've all fallen short of God's glory. There is nobody here who deserves heaven.



    In fact, what we do deserve is condemnation. We deserve the wrath of God. We have all sinned against Him, broken His laws. The bad news is that we are all sinners in His eyes. But there's also good news. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.



    And if you're here this morning, I want to give you some good news. If you're in sin, if you are consciously and knowingly disobeying the will of God, the Word of God, the laws of God, I want to give you some good news. There's a God in heaven who knows exactly who you are, knows exactly what you've done, knows exactly what you're going through, and He loves you.



    Say, how could God love somebody like me? Well, He made you, and He doesn't make junk. He made you, and He wants to save you from your sins, and He proved it by sending His Son, Jesus. If you want to know how much you are worth to God, you need to think about what Jesus did for you.



    Jesus was willing to give His life, shed His blood, His body to be broken on the cross. He was willing to do that because it was the only way to atone for your sins and mine, to ease and to put at peace, to put at rest the wrath and the anger of the Father. Jesus paid the price so that you and I don't have to.



    And the Bible says, if you are willing to turn from sin and trust in Jesus, that that sacrifice can be applied to your life. It's a decision that I made at about 16 years old. It's a young man finally understanding that my sin was leading me to death. If I didn't get right with God, all of my church experience would not save me.



    All of my Christian morality, all of my church attendance, all the scriptures I read, all of the religious activities of my life, you put them all together and add them up. It is not enough to save us. And I realized that at 16 that my sin was going to destroy me. And I said, God, I don't want to go to hell. I don't want to be separated from you forever. I said, save me. I'm lost. I'm broken.



    It requires humility. But if you're willing to do that, if you're willing to step out on the sea, humble yourself and trust in the Lord Jesus, the Bible says, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all our iniquities.



    And before we close this service today, I wonder if someone's here. I'm describing you. You're separated from God. Oh, but there's hope for you. He is not finished. You are here at this moment for a purpose. He's calling out to you. Will you respond?



    If that's someone here today, would you do something that takes a little courage for me? Would you just lift up your hand so I can see it? Say, Pastor, pray for me. I'm not right with God. I've been running from God. My sins are before me, and I feel the guilt and the weight of my sins. And I believe God wants to save me.



    Don't miss this opportunity. Someone here, unsaved or backslidden, prodigal, you're here today. You need Jesus. Can I see your hand? Would you lift it up right now? I want to pray with you. I don't want to embarrass you. We're not going to put you on the microphone, but you want to experience the salvation of the Lord Jesus. You want to not just know about it, but you want to know God.



    You don't want to have a relationship with Him personally. Is that you? Quickly, lift up your hand. Put it right back down so I can see it. Someone here, you need Jesus to save you. Don't miss this. Don't leave this place without knowing the Savior. Can I pray with you? Is there anyone at all? Quickly, right now, as God's speaking to hearts.



    Amen. Then we want to pray together, church. I preach a simple message about stepping out on the waves, about conquering chaos. Yes, it's Jesus who calls us into chaotic and difficult places. Places that are filled with complications and wind and waves and storms.



    We find ourselves up to our neck and not knowing what to do. Often, we are grasping on as tight as we can to the little rickety boat of human understanding. You know what the Bible says in Proverbs? It says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.



    That little boat of understanding, it can get you so far. It can get you into the lake, but it can't get you out. And there are some people here this morning, God's speaking to you to take a step of faith, take a step out of the boat into the presence of the Lord Jesus.



    See, miracles begin when human understanding ends. And we're going to open up this altar for prayer. If God's dealing with you about a situation in your life, would you come? Let's stand to our feet. We're going to pray together here at this altar. Would you come and present your chaotic situation?



    Lord, you brought me this far, but I can't continue unless you speak to me. Amen. This altar is open. Let's begin to pray. Let's find a place here. We can cry out to God together. Amen. Church, let's begin to lift up our needs to the Lord. He's the only one who can rescue. He's the only one who can redeem. He's the only one who can bring us all the way through.



    Would you come and present your need? Listen, Jesus, you are not alone. He is praying for you. He is advocating for you even at this very moment. So let's come. And let's cry out to the living God. If you're still in your seats, please be praying for these that have come. Let's lift up our needs. Let's believe God for a few moments.
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Adam Dragoon Adam Dragoon

If You're Not a Disciple, You're Not a Christian | VBPH SUNDAY MORNING

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Sermon Summary

Today, we gathered to worship and reflect on the true meaning of discipleship as taught by Jesus in Luke 14. This is a transformational and powerful message about what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ.

Discipleship is not merely about being a follower in name but involves a deep, all-encompassing commitment to Jesus. Jesus' words in Luke 14 challenge us to reconsider our priorities and the cost of following Him. He uses strong language to emphasize that our commitment to Him must surpass all other relationships and possessions. This means being willing to forsake everything, even our own lives, to follow Him.

Jesus illustrated this with examples of a man building a tower and a king going to war, both of whom must count the cost before proceeding. Similarly, we must understand that following Jesus involves self-denial, sacrifice, and a willingness to bear our own crosses. This is not a path of convenience or comfort but one that demands total commitment.

Moreover, Jesus likened discipleship to being the salt of the earth. Salt, in ancient times, was valuable for its preserving and healing properties. As disciples, we are called to be a preserving force in a broken world, maintaining righteousness and spreading the gospel. However, if we lose our "flavor" or fail to live out our calling, we become ineffective and worthless.

The message concluded with a call to action, urging us to examine our lives and make a genuine commitment to discipleship. This involves prioritizing Jesus above all else and being willing to make uncomfortable and inconvenient decisions for His sake. True discipleship is about surrendering all to follow Christ, knowing that He has already given everything for us.


Key Takeaways

  • True Discipleship Requires Total Commitment

    • Jesus emphasized that to be His disciple, one must be willing to forsake all other relationships and possessions. This means prioritizing our commitment to Christ above everything else, even our own lives. This level of commitment is not optional but essential for true discipleship. [58:25]

  • Counting the Cost

    • Jesus used the examples of a man building a tower and a king going to war to illustrate the importance of counting the cost before committing to discipleship. Following Jesus involves self-denial, sacrifice, and a willingness to bear our own crosses. It is not a path of convenience but one that demands total dedication. [59:21]

  • Being the Salt of the Earth

    • As disciples, we are called to be the salt of the earth, preserving righteousness and spreading the gospel in a broken world. If we lose our "flavor" or fail to live out our calling, we become ineffective and worthless. Our lives should reflect the preserving and healing properties of salt. [01:24:25]

  • The Challenge of Discipleship

    • Discipleship is not about comfort or convenience. It involves making difficult and sometimes painful decisions to follow Jesus. This means being willing to give up self-interest, possessions, careers, hobbies, and even dreams to prioritize our commitment to Christ. [01:10:14]

  • The Reward of Discipleship

    • While the path of discipleship is challenging, it is also the most rewarding. Jesus promised that those who lay down their lives for Him will produce much fruit. True discipleship leads to a deeper relationship with Christ, greater spiritual growth, and the fulfillment of God's purposes in our lives. [01:27:41]

YouTube Chapters

  1. [0:00] - Welcome

  2. [15:05] - Opening Worship: "I Will Praise Your Name"

  3. [18:07] - Lead Us Up the Mountain

  4. [19:59] - Hearts Abandoned

  5. [21:25] - Send Me Out

  6. [25:12] - Jesus, Savior: The Victory is Yours

  7. [29:17] - I Will Look Up

  8. [41:55] - Announcements

  9. [48:20] - Offering and Tithes

  10. [51:31] - Outreach Report

  11. [53:07] - Introduction to the Sermon

  12. [56:50] - True Discipleship: Luke 14

  13. [58:25] - The Cost of Discipleship

  14. [59:21] - Counting the Cost

  15. [01:24:25] - Being the Salt of the Earth

  16. [01:27:41] - The Reward of Discipleship

  17. [01:29:21] - Call to Commitment

  18. [01:33:17] - Altar Call and Prayer

  19. [01:42:28] - Closing Remarks and Prayer

  • What a blessing it is to serve the living God.



    It is an opportunity that we have each and every day.



    Just a few quick announcements we want to share with you.



    Today is our, as already mentioned during the worship, is our World Evangelism Sunday.



    We do this every month.



    On the last Sunday of the month, we put a highlight and a focus on the needs of world evangelism.



    We are reminded about how great need there still is to reach the nations for the kingdom of the Lord.



    Can you say amen?



    And so tonight in our evening service, we're going to be doing something special.



    As most of you know, we just got back from our annual missions trip.



    We were in the nation of St. Lucia for one week.



    And so tonight we'll be seeing a video report from that trip.



    Also, those that were with us on the trip, a few of us are going to be testifying tonight in a kind of a testimony service this evening.



    So you want to hear about St. Lucia, tonight would be a good opportunity to come and hear about that.



    So our service begins this evening at 7 p.m.



    We open the door for prayer at 6 p.m.



    We also want to remind you this week, we have a Wednesday night, our week, we call it our midweek recharge service on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.



    That is another opportunity to gather together to worship and hear the word of God.



    It's a full service that we do.



    It's a full service that we do on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m.



    Then this coming Thursday, we were planning to start our new believers class last week.



    We were not able to make that happen.



    So part one of our, what we call the fresh fire new believers class that is beginning this week, Thursday night at 7 p.m.



    We have a sign-up sheet.



    If you are a new believer or if you want a good reminder of foundational principles of the kingdom of God, what it means to be a follower of Jesus and a disciple, this is a great class to be part of.



    It's going to be five or six weeks, Thursday nights beginning this Thursday at 7 p.m.



    There is a sign-up sheet on that table if you would like to put your name so that we can prepare for how many people we're going to have.



    This coming Saturday, we're going to be having a movie night.



    We'll be showing a film here in our building and that's going to be this Saturday at 7 p.m.



    I believe, hopefully, we have a trailer available.



    We'll give them a minute to get that ready.



    The name of the film is called Sight and it is a true life story.



    It's a true life story of someone who came from China, a doctor, who developed a...



    Yeah, there we go.



    Go ahead, hit play there.



    Amen.



    So, we want to invite you to that.



    This is not publicly available without paying for it online.



    So, we want to encourage you to come, invite your friends and co-workers.



    We have some invitations available on the tables out there.



    You can grab one of those before you leave.



    That's going to be this Saturday at 7 p.m.



    Powerful presentation.



    And so, we'll be having a movie night.



    You'll be inspired.



    A couple other things quickly.



    We want to remind the teenagers.



    There's a rally happening in Jacksonville, North Carolina for all teenagers, 13 through 19.



    That's happening next week, Friday and Saturday.



    It's the 6th and the 7th of September.



    It's a Friday night and a Saturday morning event.



    It's an overnight stay.



    And so, we do have a few teens that are going to be joining in that.



    If you have a teen that is interested to go get inspired as we begin a new school year, this would be a great opportunity.



    So, again, next week, Friday and Saturday, an overnight stay, Jacksonville, North Carolina, just about a three-hour drive away.



    And then, finally, we want to announce our upcoming Bible conference in Chandler, Arizona.



    We are very excited, as always, to join together with our leadership church.



    Pastor Campbell hosts this every year to inspire us, to help us, to retool us, and get us back in working condition.



    Amen?



    And it's like taking your car to the mechanic.



    Sometimes you just need a tune-up, right?



    This is our annual spiritual tune-up.



    And I want to encourage you, if you can, to come along with us in Chandler, Arizona.



    There is more information.



    We have the brochures out on the table.



    The dates on that are September the 30th through October the 4th.



    I've heard some families already planning to go.



    That's very encouraging.



    And I wish that you get that time available.



    You will be inspired.



    You will see the heartbeat of our fellowship.



    You will see churches launched.



    You will see missionaries go.



    And we're excited to always be a part of that.



    October the 30th through...



    Sorry, September the 30th through October the 4th.



    And we are preparing for all that God is going to do.



    Our ushers are going to come forward this morning as we receive the Lord's tithe and offering.



    And as we do that, we always want to remind you how important it is that all of us do our part.



    We are not independently financed by some large benefactor.



    We are completely supported by the giving of God's people.



    We don't have a side project, a side business.



    We don't have angel investors.



    What we have is we have faithful people.



    Ha ha.



    We have faithful people who are with average, normal, everyday jobs.



    And as we set aside a tithe and an offering, God is able to use that together to further His kingdom.



    That this church can continue to thrive, can continue to meet our obligations, and can continue to fulfill our mission of winning souls, making disciples, planting churches.



    And I want to encourage you in that this morning.



    If you see something that God is doing here, you believe in that, then this is your way.



    This is an obvious way that you can support and you can continue to help us as we give tithes and offerings.



    Cash, if you are giving cash this morning, the ushers will have envelopes.



    If you would like a record of cash giving, put that in an envelope.



    You can also give with a check.



    You make that out to the Potter's House.



    Most people are giving through our online giving system these days.



    And you can do that by scanning the code up on the screen.



    We also have Cash App available if you prefer.



    That Cash App tag that you can give to is the letters VBPH, standing for Virginia Beach Potter's House.



    Let's pray for this offering this morning, asking God's blessing over it and the rest of the service.



    Amen.



    Brother Mason is going to pray.



    Oh, Lord, I will sing about your mercy.



    And I will sing about your mercy.



    Lord, you deserve the highest praise.



    You deserve the highest praise.



    Be exalted here as we begin to praise.



    We lift him higher.



    Let our praises sing.



    Wonders of his love.



    Lift him higher.



    For he deserves the glory.



    Oh, we're gonna lift you.



    Lift him higher.



    Let our praises sing.



    Wonders of his love.



    Lift him higher.



    Wonders of his love.



    Lift him higher.



    For he deserves the glory.



    Oh, yes, he deserves the glory today.



    He deserves the glory.



    For he deserves the glory.



    For he deserves the glory.



    For he deserves the glory.



    Amen.



    If you love Jesus, give me a shout.



    Hallelujah.



    God is good.



    All the time.



    Amen.



    We're grateful.



    Thank you for your presence here this morning.



    What a blessing it is to be gathered in his house.



    And we're grateful for those who fulfill the needs of ministry both here on the stage for our song service.



    For those who helped us yesterday with our outreach.



    I want to bring a good report from our outreach yesterday.



    We had a van full of people that went and outreached in a local apartment complex.



    Many of you saw what I posted that there were people who were saved as a result of our outreach yesterday.



    Who prayed for salvation.



    We also prayed for healing.



    Several people made some good contacts.



    We're believing God to help us.



    I just want to say thank you for people who go on outreach.



    We appreciate that.



    We do that every Saturday.



    And that outreach is not just an outreach team but is also a cleanup team.



    The reason that you can look down at the carpet and not see too many crumbs is because we came back from outreach and did a cleanup crew.



    And so I want to say thank you.



    That's a big job for our church building.



    And we appreciate all of you who labor, set aside that time to help us.



    And you can be a part of that.



    We always are looking for people to help us on Saturdays as we prepare for our services on Sunday.



    So I'll just put in a plug.



    If you are interested in that or service in any area, maybe in the AV team back there in the booth or in music ministry.



    We're always looking for people that are willing and able to help us with those things.



    And so I would appreciate anyone who would like to find out what is necessary to do that.



    Amen.



    So we're going to open up our Bibles this morning.



    We're going to look together in Luke chapter 14.



    If you would join us there.



    Luke chapter 14.



    We are grateful for all that God has done.



    Amen.



    We had a powerful week in St. Lucia.



    And you're going to hear a lot about that this evening.



    But I do want to just say.



    If you gave to world evangelism in the last few weeks.



    Last year.



    We thank you.



    We thank you for your support.



    We do this on a yearly basis.



    A missions trip.



    And that comes as a result of your generosity.



    Giving specifically to the need of world evangelism.



    So we thank you for that.



    This morning I want to turn our attention to the word of God in Luke chapter 14.



    Words of Jesus.



    As we consider the topic of discipleship.



    This was the ultimate goal.



    Also the topic of the message that was preached on Friday night.



    There was a men's discipleship class that happened in Jacksonville.



    Myself and a few others from local churches went to go be a part of that.



    On Friday night it was a great time.



    But I was just really, really inspired.



    And I wanted to share with you some of the themes that came from that message.



    Luke chapter 14.



    If you'll join us there.



    So there's a wilderness area in Bridger, Wyoming.



    And this particular wilderness area.



    Remember it's called a wilderness area.



    And they have a comment card box.



    Have you ever seen the comment card boxes?



    And so this was a few comment cards that were collected at the wilderness area in Bridger, Wyoming.



    One person said, too many bugs, leeches, spiders, and spider webs.



    Please spray the wilderness to get rid of these pests.



    Okay.



    Another comment.



    Please pave the nature trails.



    We need chair lifts.



    So that we can get wonderful views without having to hike.



    Another comment.



    From the wilderness area.



    Coyotes made too much noise last night.



    Kept me awake.



    Please eradicate these annoying animals.



    One person said there was a small deer that came into camp and stole my job.



    A jar of pickles.



    Can I get reimbursed for this expense?



    Please call.



    One person said escalators could help on steep uphill sections.



    A McDonald's would be nice at the trail head.



    One person said too many rocks in the mountains.



    Maybe they missed what was on the sign.



    This is a wilderness.



    Maybe they should go to the shopping mall if they have all these expectations.



    These comments and complaints indicate that people who made them do not understand what a wilderness area actually is.



    They were looking for something more convenient, more comfortable.



    This is why some people don't go camping.



    That's okay.



    I'll stay in my bed, Pastor.



    I have a house with air conditioning.



    Why would I go fight with bugs?



    But in the same way that here's people who went to a wilderness area looking for something that was not there.



    In the same way, there are many people today who do not know what it really means to be a believer and a follower in Jesus.



    They don't know what it means.



    They have different expectations.



    They assume that living for Jesus means one thing when it in reality means something very, very different.



    And so I want to take this opportunity this morning to reset some expectations.



    Going back to the source, to the original blueprint, Jesus himself.



    So that we can learn exactly what it means to be his follower.



    We want to follow him, yes?



    If you want to get to heaven, this is how.



    Jesus, the one who came from heaven and went back to heaven.



    If we want to live eternally, we got to follow the one who knows about it.



    The tour guide who's been there, who knows about it.



    He is there now.



    But we have to follow correctly.



    There are many people who consider themselves and even name the name of Christ.



    But in many ways, they're not really followers.



    It's possible to be religious, to go to church, to profess faith, to read the Bible, even give in the offering.



    But like people who expect an escalator to the top of the mountain, we often have expectations buried.



    And we are secretly disappointed because Jesus isn't doing everything we thought he would do.



    I want to preach this morning a message that I've simply titled True Discipleship.



    And let's look at Luke chapter 14, beginning with verse 25.



    Now great multitudes.



    Say great multitudes.



    That means that's a whole lot of people.



    Great multitudes went with him, Jesus.



    It's almost like Jesus gets a sense.



    Okay, there's a large crowd here.



    I got to do something about that.



    And he turned and said to them.



    Here it comes.



    He's about to drop the bomb.



    If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.



    Say cannot.



    That means it's impossible.



    And verse 27.



    Whoever does not bear his cross and come after me.



    He who intending to build a tower does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it.



    Lest after he has laid the foundation is not able to finish.



    And all who see it begin to mock, saying this man began to build and was not able to finish.



    Second example.



    Verse 31.



    What king going to make war against another king does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against or 20,000.



    Or else while the other is away off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.



    Verse 33.



    So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all.



    Say the word all.



    Does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple.



    Final example.



    Jesus uses his salt as good.



    But if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?



    It is not fit for the land nor for the dunghill.



    But men throw it out.



    And he who has ears to hear, let him hear.



    True discipleship.



    Father, we come today once again in the name and by the blood of Jesus Christ.



    We thank you for your spirit.



    We thank you for your grace.



    We thank you for your power this morning.



    Lord, that you would remove the guilt as a result of misunderstandings today.



    We are praying, God, that you would reveal once again what true discipleship looks like.



    Lord, that we would set our hearts to that.



    If we want to live for you, this is what is required.



    And we give you glory in Jesus' mighty name.



    What is a disciple?



    What is a true disciple?



    We often, when we think about what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus, we call ourselves Christians.



    And the word disciple, I think, has fallen out of favor with many Christians.



    Because right there in the word disciple is the word discipline.



    And that is not an easy word, is it?



    We don't like discipline.



    Discipline is what professional athletes have to do or super jacked movie stars.



    That takes discipline.



    But living for Jesus, I don't know.



    I just want to go to church on Sunday.



    You know what I'm saying?



    The more common term that we use for a Christ follower is Christian.



    And the problem is that when you look at the Bible, the word Christian and the word disciple are not used interchangeably.



    In fact, far more often in the scriptures, the word Christian is only used three times.



    And it is only after Jesus has gone back to heaven in the book of Acts.



    And it was in Antioch.



    Acts 11 verse 26.



    It says the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.



    And do you know why?



    The reason they called them Christians is that they were making fun of them.



    It was a derogatory term.



    The word that they used for themselves was not Christians.



    They would run from that term.



    The people who were living for God in that time, they said, we are Christ followers.



    And so when we understand, we think sometimes that there is this two-tiered salvation system.



    We think that in many churches, okay, I can be a Christian without being a disciple.



    Like if you profess faith in Jesus and you answer an altar call and you do some religious things, okay, I can be a Christian.



    But discipleship, that's like serious believers.



    That's like the ones who are pursuing ministry or want to be a pastor or a missionary or, you know, they are in leadership.



    And those are the guys that need discipleship.



    I want to tell you that's a false view.



    That's not how the Bible represents.



    In reality, every disciple is a Christian and every Christian ought to be a disciple.



    There is no difference biblically speaking.



    In fact, if you are not a disciple, you are not a Christian.



    And that might be hard for some people to hear.



    Pastor, but isn't there a way that I can be a believer without being a disciple?



    And I say to you scripturally speaking, no, you cannot.



    To be a disciple means to be a Christian.



    And that is what we all must strive for.



    So we have to understand what then does it mean to be a disciple.



    If just being a Christian without discipleship is not enough, then what is required of me to follow this guy Jesus and make eternal life with him?



    Alright, good question.



    I'm glad you asked.



    I'm about to answer it.



    To be a disciple, number one means to be all in.



    How many ever heard the term all in?



    It's a poker term, right?



    It's when you take all of your chips, all of your winnings, and you got the hand that you know is going to beat everybody else at the table.



    And you're going to put it all in at the table.



    And you might be bluffing, you might not.



    But when somebody goes all in, you know what that demands? A response.



    I'm going all in.



    I'm putting it all on the line.



    I want you to understand from our scripture, first of all, that to be a disciple means to be all in.



    In our scripture, it said that large crowds, multitudes were following Jesus.



    And when he understood this, there was probably something happening in Jesus' mind.



    He's saying there's a lot of people following me here, but not many who are actually disciples.



    And so this is why he began to challenge them.



    This is why he began to use some harsh language.



    He began to understand that there were some people just traveling around the countryside hoping he would multiply a few more loaves and fishes.



    That's a good day when Jesus is multiplying fish sandwiches.



    You know what I'm saying?



    Like the McFishes.



    Come on, bring some more of those, Jesus.



    Maybe if I follow this guy for another day or another week, he'll multiply some more food and I'll get to fill my belly.



    But Jesus began to understand some of the people here are not following for the right reasons.



    It means to be my disciple.



    It's more than just physically present.



    It means more than just having a positive attitude toward Jesus.



    The Bible says even the demons believe in Jesus and they tremble.



    And so even just mental acknowledgement that yes, Jesus is a cool guy, that Jesus is the Lord, Jesus is in charge.



    We can say all of those things and still not be a disciple.



    They considered themselves followers of Jesus, but in reality, they had not gone all in for him.



    I wonder if there's any churches today in the same place.



    I wonder if there's any Christians in the same place in their lives today where we like to do many Christian things.



    We leave Caleb on the radio, positive and encouraging.



    And we listen to the nice Christian artists who record nice Christian pop songs.



    And I'm amazed at how many people have Jesus fish on their bumper sticker but still drive like maniacs.



    Like if you're going to drive like a maniac, maybe take the Jesus fish off.



    You know what I'm saying?



    Bad advertisement.



    In a sense, people are along for the ride, but they haven't gone all in.



    Is it possible that there are large crowds in the world today in America?



    Listen, we have a legacy.



    We have a culture of Christianity.



    This nation founded in Christian principles.



    I would say we were a Christian nation at one time.



    But I don't think we can describe ourselves that way anymore.



    Unfortunately, I'm not happy about that.



    I'm sad.



    I'm grieved in my spirit.



    We are no longer a Christian nation.



    We have turned from the God that founded this nation.



    And America is mostly a backslidden nation.



    But what that means, what that has produced is that people can name the name of Jesus, can have a church membership, can have a Jesus fish on their bumper sticker, but not know anything about Jesus, about following him, about going all in.



    Let's be clear from our scripture, from what Jesus said here.



    To be a disciple means to have a 100% commitment to Jesus.



    Let's make that totally clear.



    He said, unless you are willing to forsake all that you have, you cannot be my disciple.



    Does that describe you?



    Are you willing to forsake all that you have to follow him?



    Now Jesus is not going to force all of us to forsake everything that we have.



    But if that opportunity came, if the choice was follow Jesus or keep all your stuff, if the choice was if you are going to serve Jesus, you have to be destitute, would you make that choice?



    Would we be willing to give up self-interest, possessions, careers, hobbies, goals, dreams even to follow Jesus?



    Verse 26, anyone who comes to me but is not fully committed.



    In verse 26 it said, anyone who comes to me and does not hate father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and his own life also cannot be my disciple.



    Jesus, Pastor, is Jesus telling me to hate my family?



    No, he is saying that your commitment to your family must be the number one.



    To Jesus must be your number one commitment.



    Your commitment to Christ must come before any other commitment.



    He is saying that this principle applies to everyone who is following Jesus.



    Jesus uses hyperbole to show us exaggeration to show us that our commitment level to him is number one.



    Not number two, not number three, not number four, not number ten.



    That following Jesus is our number one commitment.



    And let me just give you a hint.



    When you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, then God is good.



    He is a blesser.



    He will add all these other things to you.



    People get this out of order in their lives.



    We seek the things and hope that Jesus can come along with it.



    But that is not how it works.



    He is saying we must seek first his kingdom.



    Our commitment to obey and follow the Lord must be greater than any other commitment in our lives.



    Is Jesus bigger than your house?



    Is Jesus bigger than your bank account?



    Is Jesus bigger than your social media?



    Is Jesus bigger than your gaming system?



    Is Jesus bigger than your lake house?



    Is Jesus bigger than your family?



    Now I don't think God makes a practice of making us choose between our family and serving him.



    That is not a common thing, right?



    But when we serve Jesus first, when we have this priority correct, God helps us to work out other things.



    To be a disciple, we must be committed to him above even our own lives.



    Verse 26, it is not just father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, but also his own life also.



    That means our commitment to Christ is not only about our possessions, our relationships.



    It is about what do we count most dear to us.



    And in an environment where Jesus knows who he is talking to, he is talking to disciples that in a few short years they are going to have to make a very real choice.



    Either to confess Christ as Lord and Messiah or to lose their very lives.



    He is making it clear for them.



    Listen guys, you have to love your commitment to Christ greater than even your life.



    There is not many in America today who are called to become martyrs for the faith.



    You know, it is not a calling that is very common in our Christian experience today.



    More often it is harder for us to live for Jesus, much less die for him.



    But if it came down to it, if you like that girl with the Columbine shooting so many years ago, you remember that story?



    I think her name was Chrissy, is that right?



    Somebody will correct me.



    But those armed gunmen came into the Columbine High School, pointed a gun in her face and said, do you believe in Jesus?



    And she said yes.



    And she went straight to heaven.



    I wonder, I wonder if it really came down to it.



    Somebody threatened you with your life and said, do you really believe in Jesus?



    What would you say?



    Would you seek to preserve your life instead of confessing Christ?



    Jesus uses a metaphor here in our scripture.



    Verse 27, whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.



    Everyone present would be familiar with what Jesus was talking about about carrying their cross.



    Ultimately Jesus was going to carry a cross, right?



    They would put the cross on him, on his back, and they would make him carry it up to Golgotha the hill.



    The very thing that he carried would be the thing that they would crucify him on.



    It was a common form of execution during those times.



    And so when Jesus says this to his followers, he is reminding them that following me is going to lead to self-denial and self-sacrifice.



    Following me does not mean comfort and ease.



    Following me, Jesus is saying, does not mean everything is going to be convenient.



    Oh, we love our convenience.



    You know how much we love convenience here in America?



    We don't even want to get out of our car to get food.



    America is the land of the drive-through.



    We want it handed to us through the driver side window.



    And you could drive down Lynn Haven and count 20 drive-through restaurants because we want it so convenient that I can pay and I can eat in my car before I get home.



    Can I tell you serving Jesus is not convenient?



    It is not comfortable.



    Following Jesus means that we are going to have to choose some difficult roads.



    Hello.



    Jesus said you cannot be my disciple unless you bear your cross.



    For him, what about you?



    Here is a good illustration.



    Let's say that I had a desire to climb Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.



    And suppose that with that desire comes a cost.



    There is a price that is involved.



    So first of all, I have to give up my time to be able to prepare for that.



    I have to buy equipment.



    I have to set aside money and time for people to help me.



    Let's say that the cost to get up Mount Everest is $70,000.



    I don't have that kind of money, right?



    So suppose there was a wealthy businessman who heard about this desire and he felt inclined to offer and pay for that expedition.



    He would pay for the clothing and the gear and the transportation and the guides and the training.



    It is free for me.



    So I don't have to pay that money out of my bank account.



    But if I accept his free offer, then that means now I am committed to doing this thing.



    Now I am committed to going to training and preparing my body and preparing that time and to give that effort.



    If you are going to be the one who sponsors me, then I have to put in the work.



    Hello.



    Anybody getting the picture yet?



    Is it possible that Jesus has paid the price for us?



    And the price that he paid was so great that we can never repay him.



    The blood that he shed, the body that was broken on our behalf, the salvation that he provided.



    He has purchased us with a high price.



    And that price that he paid, he offers freely a ticket to eternal life.



    I want to tell you there comes an expectation if you receive this offer of salvation.



    Be aware, count the cost that there is a life attached to this salvation that Jesus comes with expectations.



    That we are going to choose to do a few things that are not comfortable, not easy.



    We are going to choose to be a disciple.



    And to illustrate this, Jesus gives us two examples in our scripture.



    The first example is a man intending to build a tower, a building.



    And he says he has enough to finish it after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish.



    All who see it begin to mock him, saying this man began to build and was not able to finish.



    This is a picture of many, unfortunately, in the Christian world who get into this thing.



    They have been invited by a friend.



    They come.



    They hear a nice story.



    They hear a good scripture.



    They confess a sin.



    They find themselves what it means to serve Jesus, find themselves building a building but not having enough to finish.



    We call it false conversions.



    Jesus described the seed that falls on the rocky soil and it is able to take some root.



    But when it sprouts, the sun beats down or the weeds begin to choke it out and it does not have enough to sustain through the difficulties.



    The church today in the West has created so many false converts.



    They say just follow Jesus, everything will be good.



    Just follow Jesus, just come to church and your life will get better.



    Just follow Jesus and name him, put the bumper sticker on, everything will work out.



    That is not reality, is it?



    I tell in our little sneak preview of our fresh fire new believers class, what I tell new believers is actually it gets harder before it gets easier.



    The first year of salvation, just like the first year of marriage, is the hardest year.



    And you are going to be willing to go through a few things and pay a price.



    That is why we have to count the cost.



    To be a disciple means we have to be committed through the high value.



    If you have ever done a building project, you know it is always going to cost more and take longer.



    We figured that out here in our building when we build this place.



    We knock down some walls.



    Yeah, I am talking to Pastor Campbell.



    Yeah, Pastor, I think we can get it done for $5,000.



    We can finish this thing in a couple of weeks.



    Yeah, right.



    It always costs more.



    It always takes longer.



    And the same way this building, this tower that we are building in our faith, yeah, it is going to cost you more than you thought.



    It is going to mean giving up more than you thought.



    The second example is he speaks about a battle.



    He speaks about a king.



    What king, verse 31, going to war against another king does not sit down and consider whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him against 20?



    Or else while the other is a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks a condition of peace.



    Isn't this life, this Christian life, isn't it a battle?



    We are waging a war.



    Not a war of guns.



    There will be casualties.



    You know who is most often a casualty of war?



    Those who are unprepared.



    When the bullets start flying, you really know who is the warrior.



    There are so many believers that find themselves in the middle of a battle.



    All of a sudden they begin following Jesus and then there is a war in their home.



    There is division.



    How many know Jesus came?



    He said I will bring a sword.



    I will turn you against family.



    That there will be people that you start serving Jesus and there is a war.



    They say we don't like this.



    We like the old version of you better.



    You are going to make decisions.



    Friends that you used to care about, used to hang with, and all of a sudden you are serving Jesus.



    Man, there is a division there.



    It is polarizing to serve Jesus.



    Some people will love it, other people will hate it.



    There is a battle.



    You are going to have to fight some battles.



    Be willing.



    You are going to have to fight flesh.



    Hello.



    There is a recent poll.



    It showed little difference between the way the world lives and the way professed Christians live.



    For example, polls show that Christians are just as likely as non-Christians to be divorced, just as likely to buy lottery tickets, just as likely to watch rated R movies, just as likely to watch even pornography.



    There is a problem with that.



    Yes, that means that there is a large number of Christians who are not fighting the battle for holiness.



    There was several years ago in Washington, D.C.



    It happened to be on a Palm Sunday.



    You know that is the Sunday before Easter.



    And the city had scheduled a marathon, a running marathon on that same day, Palm Sunday, which greatly interfered with all the traffic in Washington, D.C.



    All the leaders of the various churches were upset and made their feelings known in the local newspapers.



    They reported that their attendance was down 70% on that Sunday.



    Why?



    Was it impossible for people to get to church that day?



    It was not impossible.



    It was just inconvenient.



    Because the race delayed traffic to those churches, many by their own admission were unwilling to spend an extra 30 minutes in traffic to get to church.



    See, those are Christ followers, but those are not disciples.



    He makes it clear to us, doesn't He?



    Jesus says following Him means to give up everything.



    It means to be committed to Him above everything else.



    The final picture that Jesus uses, he uses a building and then a battle and then finally he talks about salt.



    Verses 34 and 35.



    He says salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?



    It is not fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.



    Salt is a very interesting picture in the Bible.



    Salt was very valuable in the ancient world.



    In fact, that is where we get the word salary.



    You get a salary comes from the word salt because in the ancient times it was possible to be paid in salt because it was so valuable.



    It was used as a replacement for currency in many places.



    Why?



    Because in a world without refrigeration, the way that you would keep meat fresh is you would salt it so it would preserve things.



    It was also a way to cleanse and bring healing to wounds.



    They could use salt as a fertilizer to keep plants growing well.



    Salt had many, many good uses in the ancient world.



    Today we just keep it on our tables and it doesn't do a whole lot.



    But to them, they would understand how valuable salt is to the world.



    Salt is a preserving and Jesus says you are the salt of the earth.



    My followers, disciples, we bring a preservative power to a desperate and dying world around us.



    This is what Abraham prayed for in those wicked ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.



    And God says to Abram, I'm going to destroy that place, but because Abram prayed, he said, Lord, if there's five righteous there, would you preserve the city?



    And God said yes, I will.



    I'll answer that prayer.



    In the same way, we live in a wicked world today, but because for the sake of believers doing the work of the kingdom in wicked cities, we are preserved.



    That we are supposed to be the force that preserves righteousness in a broken world.



    But Jesus is making a point here.



    He says salt is good, but what happens if it loses its flavor?



    What happens if the salt is just mush?



    What happens if the salt doesn't do what it's supposed to?



    Then it's worthless.



    It's lost its value.



    In the same way, what happens if a church is no longer doing what it's supposed to do?



    No longer winning souls, no longer making impact, no longer all we do is gather and pat ourselves on the back on Sundays.



    That's not discipleship.



    True discipleship leaving all to follow Christ.



    Leadership magazine ran a cartoon with a billboard that spoke about the light church.



    24% fewer commitments, 7.5% tithe, only 15 minute sermons, 45 minute worship service, we only have eight commandments, everything you've wanted in a church and less.



    Some people are hearing that saying, man, that sounds pretty good.



    What's the address?



    What time?



    What time do they meet on Sunday?



    To be a disciple means committing our lives above everything else.



    But I want to leave you with a promise.



    There are great possibilities.



    It is not just doom and gloom.



    It's not just sad news this morning.



    Following Jesus is not a bummer.



    It's the best thing that you could ever do because Jesus gave us this promise.



    Listen, John 12 verse 24.



    Most assuredly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone.



    But if it dies, oh, it produces much grain.



    If you take a look at the map that's on that back wall, what you see is the product of people laying their lives down for Jesus.



    What you see is 38.



    What's printed there is 3595, 3595 churches.



    But that was as of January 2024.



    Since that time, there have been nearly 500 more churches planted in our fellowship.



    We're getting close to 4000 in just what month is it?



    August.



    In just 8 months, our fellowship planted close to 500 churches.



    How do you do that?



    By laying down your life.



    How do we reach the nations?



    How do we reach our city?



    How do we reach our neighborhood?



    We have to be willing to be disciples, to be followers, to be learners, give up our lives.



    So I ask you, are you willing to forsake all to follow Jesus?



    That's what it means to be a Christian.



    You cannot be a Christian without being a disciple.



    And my call for us today is that, Lord, I want to take seriously your call to discipleship.



    This is not about me.



    It's not about Pastor Adam.



    It's not about the Potter's House.



    This is about your decision, what it means in your life to be a disciple of Jesus.



    And some of us is going to require some uncomfortable decisions, some inconvenient ideas.



    And I want to ask you to allow the Holy Spirit to challenge you into the realm of discipleship.



    Let's bow our heads and close our eyes for just a moment.



    We're bringing this service to a close.



    And as we consider these things, this powerful scripture from the words of Jesus, I wonder maybe you've come here this morning and if you'd be honest for a moment, you'd say, Pastor, I'm not sure.



    I'm not sure if I'm right with God.



    I'm not sure I'm really living for Him.



    I'm not sure that I'm truly a disciple.



    I've made comfort my idol.



    Things and the opinions of others and fear of the world and my job and possessions have become more important to me than what God thinks.



    And as you're here today, maybe God would convict you of sins.



    Sin is what separates us from God.



    Sin is when we do what we know is wrong and it brings death.



    The Bible says the wages of sin is death.



    First, sin separates us from the Lord spiritually, but then it ultimately, sin will separate us from Him forever.



    When our physical bodies die, the Bible says we will stand in judgment before the Lord and our sins will be convicting us.



    You know what the Lord will use as evidence in the court?



    He will use your own words against you.



    He has every word you've ever spoken recorded in His book and your words will bring judgment against you and separate you from God unless there is a change in your life.



    The Bible says the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.



    And that is the good news we are here to proclaim.



    The church of Jesus Christ exists to send this good news into the heart of every person.



    Our sin will destroy us, but there is a God in heaven who loves you, proved it by sending His son Jesus to die for us.



    And if you're here today, you want to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ who died for you, paid the price.



    And I'm asking you to do one thing.



    Somebody here, you're not right with God, but you want to be.



    I want to ask you to just lift up your hands.



    Say, Pastor, pray for me.



    I want to get my heart right.



    I want my sins forgiven.



    I want to live for Jesus.



    I want to leave it all behind this life of sin and brokenness.



    I'm not going to stay there.



    I'm going to trust Jesus to save me.



    I'm going to follow Him.



    Is that you?



    Someone here unsaved or backslidden in your heart?



    Thank you, honest hearts.



    Is there someone else?



    Quickly, God is speaking to you.



    Would you lift up your hand?



    Unsaved or backslidden?



    We want to believe God to help us.



    See, religion and church membership is great, but it's not enough.



    Religious activities and good deeds are great, but it doesn't save us.



    I declare right now that there are people who have been convincing yourself that everything is good when everything is not good.



    Jesus said many there will be on that day that call Him Lord, Lord.



    Did we not do so many things in your name, casting out demons, praying for the sick?



    Jesus said I did not even know you.



    And I wonder if there's anyone else quickly.



    You'd say, Pastor, I don't want to deceive myself.



    I want to know Jesus.



    I want to know His forgiveness.



    I want to know His mercy.



    Would you lift up your hand?



    Anyone else quickly, quickly this morning as God deals with hearts.



    Holy Spirit moving right now upon the hearts of somebody.



    You lift up your hand.



    Don't forget about me.



    We're going to pray together.



    Amen.



    Thank God.



    Thank God.



    If you lifted up your hand, I want to ask you to come.



    We're going to pray together.



    Would you come?



    We're going to pray with you.



    I need a sister to come and pray.



    With our heads bowed for just one moment more, we're going to open up this altar for prayer right here at this altar.



    We're saved in this place, but the challenge always remains to surrender our hearts, to surrender our lives.



    God's speaking to you today.



    Would you come?



    We're going to pray together right here at this altar.



    Would you come and join us?



    Say, Lord, I don't want to just be a follower.



    I don't want to just be a Christ.



    I don't want to just have a bumper sticker.



    Lord, I want to be your disciple.



    I want to give up all and surrender my life to serve.



    And so we're going to pray together for a few moments here.



    If the Lord is speaking to you, don't miss this opportunity.



    Would you come and pray with us for a few moments right here at this altar?



    Hallelujah, Lord, we thank you.



    If you do me a favor as you're here at this altar, please remain here.



    We're going to pray together before we go back to our seats.



    But God, let's cry out to the Lord right now.



    I want to pray with you, church.



    If we could stand right to our feet right where you are, or if you need more time to pray at the altar, please take as much time as you need.



    But I want to pray with you for a moment.



    I want to believe God with you.



    I want to lead you in a prayer.



    But before we do that, I just want to remind you, you know, if you have heard this message today and it has touched your heart and you realize that there's some things that it's been difficult for me to let go of, well, welcome to the Christian experience.



    Welcome.



    We're glad you're here.



    Even if it was a little late, but we're glad you're here.



    It's difficult to give things up.



    The word for giving things up in the Greek, it's also the same word for the word goodbye.



    Being willing to say goodbye to things that we care about.



    It's like missionaries in times past.



    You know, there was a time before airline travel that when somebody said goodbye, they're packing their casket with them.



    We're going and we're not coming back.



    They would say goodbye forever.



    And they'd be willing to plant their lives in a foreign nation.



    You know, that's a picture of what it means to actually follow Jesus.



    But we're not saying goodbye to our friends and family.



    We're saying goodbye to our old lives, to our old way of thinking.



    That's what water baptism is.



    It's a picture.



    I'm saying goodbye to that old person and I'm saying yes to the Lord and all that he has for me.



    I want you to think about this.



    What did it cost Jesus to get you here?



    What did it cost him?



    Was there anything he was unwilling to give to save you?



    Was there anything that Jesus withheld from the Father so that you could have a place in heaven?



    What I'm saying is we don't get the liberty, we don't have the right to receive that salvation from Jesus and then to say, nah, I'm not willing.



    We don't get that right.



    So he's asking for all of you.



    He's asking for your mind, for your heart, for your joy, for your future.



    He's asking for your family, for your possessions.



    He's asking for it all.



    And he has the right to do that because he gave it all himself.



    Serving Jesus means he's the Lord.



    He's not just Savior, he's Lord.



    So we're going to lift up our hands together and we're going to make a commitment to the Lord.



    And I am right along with you and I understand this is not easy, but we're going to pray together.



    Let's say, God in heaven, thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sins, to pay the price for all humanity.



    I thank you, Lord, that you are faithful, that you are just, that when we confess our sins and trust in you, that God, you are able to cleanse us and heal us and adopt us into your family.



    Lord, today we realize that true Christianity means discipleship, means leaving all to follow you, means placing the first priority on Jesus and his will for my life.



    I'm asking you now, remove every excuse, remove every earthly lover, remove every earthly idol, remove everything, even you.



    And I thank you to have given you that you are faithful.



    Therefore, when we now worship your kingdom and great things, kingdom and pray in this world, life by the Holy Spirit.



    In Jesus' mighty name.



    Amen.



    Now, come on, let's give God praise right now.



    How many feel His presence right now?



    You know, it pleases the Father.



    It pleases the Father.



    You know, if you have kids at home, you know, sometimes we want to explain to our children why we're making all the decisions, right?



    And we want them to understand things so that in the future they can make good decisions also.



    But there are also times when as a parent, you're making decisions that the child cannot understand.



    And you're going to ask them to trust you.



    I can't explain everything about this, but you're going to have to trust me.



    And we are imperfect as parents, right?



    If that's true for us, isn't it also true for the Father in heaven?



    That when He asks us to give up of ourselves and we say, why?



    God, it's painful.



    And He doesn't owe us anything.
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The SPIRIT of ELIJAH: God's Answer for Wimpy Men and Wicked Women [Sunday School Series]

Part 4: Defining the Spirit of Elijah

Originally preached May 26, 20224

1 Kings 17:1 NKJV - 1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "[As] the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." 

  • Adam Dragoon (00:00.494)

    Thanks for listening to the Sermon Podcast from the Potter's House Church in Virginia Beach. Our vision is winning souls, making disciples, and planning churches. You're about to hear a message that was preached live from one of our recent church services. We hope that you'll open your heart to hear the Holy Spirit speaking directly through this message. Stay tuned after the message for information on how to get connected with us. Thanks again, and enjoy today's message.

    Adam Dragoon (00:28.686)

    school. Once again as we gather together we're in the middle of a series that I've titled, Confronting Wimpy Men and Wicked Women. God's Answer is in the Spirit of Elijah. So just to do a little bit of a review this morning, get your minds rolling, need your participation. This is not a sit and watch time, this is audience participation time, so please help me out.

    Number one, we saw the origins of both the Ahab and the Jezebel spirit at work in the very first chapters of the Bible there in the Garden of Eden. How did we see that and what do you remember from what we learned? The spirit of Ahab and the spirit of Jezebel at work in the Garden. What do we remember from that? Noel?

    Adam Dragoon (01:24.334)

    Very good. Okay, we see both the Ahab spirit. So Ahab spirit is passive, is on the sidelines, is too busy with

    earthly affairs to be involved in spiritual matters. It's a good thing that Ahab doesn't infect anyone today. Maybe I should say that one more time. Ahab is passive. He's on the sidelines. He's too busy with his business, with his career, with his hobbies. Then he is with spiritual matters. So then we see the spirit of Jezebel also at work.

    because she was deceived, she was overtaken, and the spirit of Jezebel is a domineering, take charge, tyrannical attitude that jumps into battle with the serpent without asking for any support. I can do it! And so from the garden we see both of these powerful demonic strategies that have, over the thousands of years since then, have been refined, have been concentrated, and have been deployed against...

    both God's people and worldly people for many generations. So the last two Sundays that we looked at this, we looked at first the historical character King Ahab. We looked at the lineage of kings that led up to his reign in the nation of Israel. And what do you remember from what we learned about King Ahab? What was the defining factor of his life? Shadon?

    Adam Dragoon (03:24.43)

    that he just wanted to just let Jezebel have control so he didn't have to be accountable for anything. Okay, that's true. But what's the Bible's description about Ahab? Yes, Mason. It describes him as being the most wicked of all the kings. Yes, so more than all who come before him that he did more evil in the sight of the Lord.

    And so the way that this evil is translated, at least in this character of Ahab, is that the most evil thing that a man could do, that a king can do, would be to usurp his throne and to give that control and that authority into the hands of someone who doesn't have the best interest at heart, and that's Jezebel. So last week we looked at defining the Jezebel spirit, and what did we say was the best definition of the Jezebel spirit?

    If we could boil it down to one word, what was it? Ms. Shakima, good morning. Control, that's right. Control. And so what Jezebel desires more than anything else, what she hangs onto, what she defends, what she fights for, is control. And what does she use in order to keep that control? What do we see? Chris? Manipulation. Okay, what else? She manipulates. Jaden? Takes advantage of...

    Ahab not wanting to be accountable? Yeah, well she definitely feeds off of the Ahab who because he's passive because he he doesn't want to get involved She's gonna take advantage of that for sure want to add to that

    It's along the same lines as manipulation, but I was going to say fear. Fear? She uses fear. Who is she threatening? Elijah. Elijah. And what does she say to him?

    Adam Dragoon (05:15.79)

    Noel?

    May the gods of my land do to me more than if I don't make you as one of them. I'll kill you. So she's threatening. And guess what? She can back up those threats too, can't she? Because the Bible says very clearly that she's the one who massacred the prophets of the Almighty God. She is not into true religion. She is not into worshiping the true and living God. And she will attack anyone who

    who is standing up for God. She's not afraid to use violence. There's one more factor that we missed. What does she use to keep control? David? Seduction. Seduction. Okay. So the Bible says in 2 Kings there where she, her strategy against Jehu is that she puts on her makeup and she gets her eyelashes and she gets her hair did and she puts on her nails and she gets looking fine because she understands...

    that she can use her looks and her attractiveness to seduce men. And then we find in Revelation we find the words of Jesus who he confronts the church in Thyatira and what does Jesus say? Why is this account important in this discussion about Jezebel? Anybody remember? Well let's go there, it's in Revelation chapter 2 since nobody remembers it.

    I think we just mentioned it in passing last week, so we'll jump in right there one more time. So Revelation chapter two, starting in verse 18, write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God whose eyes are flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze. He commends them, first of all, I know the things that you do, seeing your love, your faith, your service, your patient endurance. I can see your constant improvement.

    Adam Dragoon (07:17.71)

    in all these things. But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman, that Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet, to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn from her immorality. Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will greatly suffer unless they repent and turn from their evil deeds.

    I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person, and I will give to each of you whatever you deserve." So he goes on, I also have a message for those who have not followed this false teaching. I will ask nothing more of you except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come. To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, to them I will give authority over the nations. So in this...

    message to the church in Thyatira, Jesus brings up, there is obviously a spirit at work, there is a woman who is seducing and leading people to sexual sin and idolatrous behavior in this church in Thyatira, and Jesus calls this person Jezebel. Not because that's her name, but because the spirit of Jezebel is inhabiting this person.

    Thousands of years later, or maybe hundreds in this case, after Jezebel has died and gone, but the spirit has lived on and Jesus calls her out in this church in Thyatira. Okay, so today, let's take a pause there. Thoughts, questions so far? Anything to add? Okay, so now we're going to, what we've done so far in this study is we've defined the problem. And it's always easy to define the problem.

    The harder thing to do is to find the solution. And so if it's obvious to us that there is a problem with Ahab, with men being weak, wimpy, passive, and uninterested in spiritual truth, that's a problem. If it's also a problem that there's a Jezebel spirit, which is tyrannical, which desires control above all things. And as I mentioned before, it's not that Ahab only affects men and Jezebel only affects women, that they can.

    Adam Dragoon (09:41.838)

    They can cross -pollinate as well. You can have Ahab -type women and you can have Jezebel -type men, 100%. But it's just the inherent weaknesses of who we are as men and women that men are more susceptible to Ahab and women are more susceptible to Jezebel. And so it's easy for us maybe to see these problems and to recognize them at work in the world today and more specifically in the church. But what's more difficult for us is how do we stop it? How do we confront it?

    And the answer to that question is found with the introduction of the third character of this study, and that is Elijah. Let's get some scriptures this morning. I need some volunteers to read if I could get some help, Chris. First Kings chapter 17, First Kings 17 verse 1. Leanna is gonna get Acts chapter 5, verses 27 through 29. Then...

    I will meet you in the next video.

    Adam Dragoon (10:44.046)

    Let's see, Sabin. Sabin can keep your Bible open in Revelation 2. We're going to read that scripture again. Revelation 2. And I think that's all I need for now. Okay, so into this account, the Bible has described in 1 Kings chapter 16 has given us this long line of evil kings that are ruling over the northern kingdom of Israel, the ten tribes.

    that went astray from the teachings of the Lord and these kings led the way in setting up idol worship and became just like all of the pagan nations around them embracing their belief systems, their sacrificial systems, turning away from the living God. That's basically the whole chapter, 1 Kings 16. And it concludes by introducing us to Ahab, who the Bible says was more wicked than all of them. Did more evil in the sight of God than any of the rest.

    And so now, verse 1, chapter 17, we are introduced to God's solution for this problem. And verse King 17, verse 1. Okay, so here comes this mystery character, Elijah from Tishbe.

    or some of your translations will say the tishbite. And so immediately what we notice about Elijah is that he is a man of few words. He's not going to stand and preach a sermon to Ahab. He gives him the word of God. He is standing in the role of a prophet. Okay, so let me ask you, what do you think is the biblical role of a prophet? What does that mean? When you see...

    teachings and preachings in the Old Testament specifically of a prophet. What is that to you? What do you take from that? What is a prophet? What is he supposed to do? Yes, Ms. Ernestine.

    Adam Dragoon (12:54.318)

    Say it again. Like an owner of, okay, okay, Chris.

    Adam Dragoon (13:05.998)

    would be the chosen man to voice the word of God. Okay, good. So he is supposed to give voice to God's desires, right? Okay, a prophet, does the prophet have his own opinions? No, he, the prophet in the Old Testament, when you see the word prophet, you can replace it with the mailman, okay? So you might have a letter that has a $5 ,000 check in it. That's good day.

    or you might have a letter that has a five thousand dollar bill in it. That's a bad day. But either way, whichever letter he's got for you, the mailman is just there to deliver. He's there to take it from the one who sent it and to deliver it to the recipient. Okay? So in the Old Testament, a prophet is similar. The prophet is there not to deliver long expositions about what he wants, what he desires. He is simply the...

    the mailman so he's delivering the message of God so why is this a problem what what happens to so many of the prophets in the Old Testament? They got killed and persecuted they got chased out of cities they got stoned they had a rough time. Why? Because they were called upon by God to deliver bad news to the politicians of the day. Now remember who Ahab and Jezebel are. Remember that he is the king of Israel that Jezebel is the queen.

    And so they stand as leaders of their nations. They are politicians. OK? And so we understand politicians because we still have some around today, right? We don't have a lot of respect for our politicians these days. They say that getting an illness and disease is more popular than Congress these days. So there's people that we have.

    have called upon to represent us. And so what is a politician? A politician is a contrast to a prophet. A politician will do and say anything to remain in power, right? Somebody who's slippery, somebody who takes a poll, somebody who is sticking their finger up and seeing which direction the wind is blowing. And I just need to catch a hold of that so that I can remain in authority.

    Adam Dragoon (15:33.934)

    So here's why I'm talking about politicians. In our world today, and in our church, we don't need more politicians. We need more prophets. The church today is filled with religious politicians who are carefully judging the public opinion. What does the audience think of what I'm about to say? What happens if I preach this message or that message? What happens if I actually teach what the Bible says and all of it, not just the parts?

    that people like to hear. How many pastors in our world today have become politicians, carefully weighing whether their next sermon is going to cause people to stop tithing. So much of our church world today, unfortunately, is politics. When what God needs, He doesn't need politicians. He needs prophets. He needs men and women who are going to deliver the mail and worry, let God worry about the consequences.

    Okay, so this is what we see in Elijah. First of all, Elijah, his prophetic ministry is defined by civil disobedience. So, remember the context of where we're reading this. Remember that Ahab and Jezebel, they have killed the prophets. They have torn down the true sacrifices, the true temples of the living God. And in their place they have erected all of these pagan shrines, these places where

    ungodly and and wicked practices, bail worship, even child sacrifice is happening, sexual pagan nasty things are happening and these are all being encouraged by Ahab and Jezebel. And so here comes Elijah and the first thing that he says to them, he says, there will not be dew nor rain these years except at my word. This is his first word into the situation. This is a stand against

    the powers of the world. He is willing to stand up against them. He is willing to speak against them. He is willing, even at his own risk of his own life, that he's going to not let them continue unchallenged. So can somebody tell me why, when Elijah says, there will not be dew nor rain, why was that such a direct confrontation and a challenge to Ahab and Jezebel?

    Adam Dragoon (17:59.598)

    See you then.

    Because Baal is supposed to be a god of storms and rain and stuff like that. Exactly. So when they are worshiping Baal, they are praying that their false god is going to cause the storms to come to rain on their crops to produce a good harvest. And so Elijah comes into the scene, and he simply says, that's not going to happen. All of your pagan worship is not going to work. He's going to be the monkey wrench in this system.

    And this is what we call civil disobedience. Can somebody tell me what civil disobedience means? What does it mean to you? Mom?

    Joni.

    A united effort by people who are not united with the majority making acts against the norm. Okay, okay, that's good. Noelle, want to add to that?

    Adam Dragoon (19:04.526)

    Would it be like anarchy? It is not anarchy. This is not just disobedience, it's civil disobedience. So it is not introducing anarchy into a situation. That only makes things worse. If Elijah was going to bring anarchy, well then he would just come in with uncontrolled force. He's going to raise up an army. But that's not what he does. It's civil disobedience. Want to add to that, Mason?

    going against the norm imposed by the system, but in a calm and collected manner. Exactly. That's exactly what he's got. So remember, again, the situation. They've outlawed worship. They've made sport of massacring prophets. They've commanded their citizens to worship Baal and Asherah. So if you were a true follower of Jehovah in that day, what are you called to do? If the government, if your king and your queen come to your town and say,

    Here's the new statue. You're supposed to come here twice a week and make a pagan sacrifice. What are you supposed to do as a true follower of God? You're supposed to disobey, aren't you? You're supposed to say, no, I'm not doing that. And people will die for that because the systems of power don't like it when the little people rise up and say, no. Is there a history of civil disobedience in the Bible? If so, can you think of some examples?

    Adam Dragoon (20:35.214)

    Was it the prostitute Rahab? Hmm, that's an interesting case. Who helped them on the wall? Is that the person I'm thinking of? Yeah, that is a correct story, but tell me why you think that that is civil disobedience. Because she wasn't supposed to welcome them in, and she also provided them a safe haven to come into the city and to do their agenda, not what the government wanted. Okay, that's good.

    Very good. Yep. That's Liana.

    Adam Dragoon (21:11.182)

    The three men who were tossed in the fire. Okay. This is a perfect example. And their names?

    so those are the names I don't like. Those are their Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We should remember them by their Hebrew names, which is Hananiah, Meshael, and Azariah. And these three Hebrew boys, when everybody else, when everybody else was bowing down, they were saying, no, we're not gonna bow. Go ahead and kill us if you want to. But our God, who is able to save us, he is worthy of worship, and we're not gonna bow down. Yes, Noel.

    Esther. Esther? Okay, explain. When the, what was his name, Haman decided to go to the king and say that there's a bunch of people who did not want to worship and to follow his rules to get rid of them, then, what was his name? I'm trying to remember. Esther's cousin Mordecai went to her and

    telling her that she needed to figure out a way to save the people of Israel. And so they had a big fast. And at the end of it, Esther had told the king that it was Haman who wanted to get rid of them. So Haman was hanged instead of Mordecai, who was his true target, and the people of Israel. She had been put in a position of authority.

    She had a position that very few people had. She had access to the king, but even with all that access, it was very dangerous for her to present this need. There was protocol, there was different things that she was supposed to do, but she just rushes into the courtroom of the king and presents this request. She could have been killed for that, but instead, God uses her. So that's an interesting case because she's the queen. She's the queen at the time.

    Adam Dragoon (23:14.382)

    But that's normally not what civil disobedience looks like. Civil disobedience means it's being done by people at the bottom, people who don't have a lot of wealth influence in the world. Andre? You. Daniel? OK. How did he practice civil disobedience?

    Adam Dragoon (23:38.574)

    Correct. So this is a great example because in Babylon, they're trying to attack Daniel. He's an old man. He's probably up in his 70s when this happens. And they're trying to attack him. They're trying to get him out of a position. And so they can't find any flaws in his character. They can't find that he's cheating on his taxes. They can't find that he's sleeping around with prostitutes. And so the only thing that they can find is that this is a man that prays.

    So what we could do is we could go to the king of Babylon and we could tell him, hey king, did you know that Daniel prays to the God of Jehovah? He prays to the Lord most high. And that was an offense because he's not praying to the Babylonian gods. So they go to the council and they make a law. And the law says anyone who prays to any other god is going to be killed. So when that law passes, what does Daniel do? Does he hide? Does he run? Does he preach a sermon? No.

    He keeps to his practice, which is he opens up the windows, he faces Jerusalem, and he prays. He says, you do to me whatever you're going to do. So this perfect example of civil disobedience. Deanna? Moses, technically, because he may have started at the top, but he fell to the bottom after he murdered her man, originally ran. And then once he got the...

    like the message from the Lord, he went all the way back at the risk of pretty much putting not only him but the rest of his people in jeopardy, but he still was just standing up to Pharaoh so that he can free his people. And I'm sure a few of the, you know, as the, sorry, words have escaped my brain, plagues progressed and the people saw more of God's miracles, they started joining with Moses to stand up against Pharaoh.

    How about the account that led to the life of Moses? How about when Pharaoh commanded that all the Jewish boys would be killed as soon as they're born? He made a law. And so a good, well -meaning citizen is supposed to follow the law. Is that right? That's what it says in Romans. In Romans, Paul tells us that if we want to have peace in this life, it would be a good idea for you to follow the laws of the land that you live in. So what happens when...

    Adam Dragoon (25:57.198)

    The Pharaoh makes a law that says kill all the Jewish baby boys. Well, what are good and righteous people supposed to do? On one side we have a command, follow the law. On the other side we have a command, the law is telling me to kill the Jewish baby boys. What are we supposed to do? We're supposed to disobey the laws of the king, aren't we? And that's what the Hebrew midwives did. They said, we're not going to obey that commandment. We're going to do what's right in the eyes of God.

    But John the Baptist. The king and his wife, they was committing a sin and John the Baptist called it out. But in their power they could say whatever they wanted to say. But he called it out. That's right. That's why he lost his life ultimately because he is willing to call out sin even in high and public officials. How about Acts chapter 5? Who had that one? Acts chapter 5 verses 27 through 29.

    Adam Dragoon (27:00.334)

    And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood on us. But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. That's what we need in the church today. That's what we need in God's people. We're supposed to obey God, not men.

    that can lead us to civil disobedience. Can somebody think of examples where the church has been called to disobey the authority of the ruling class? Yes.

    Adam Dragoon (27:47.374)

    Yep. Yep.

    That's right. So we do our best to honor the authorities that God has put over us. But when it causes us to disobey God, when the laws of the land are going against, do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, especially in these latter days, we're going to disobey. If you're going to send the police and shut down our church service, go ahead. We were willing to risk that.

    Okay? How many churches shut down during that time? What is that? Ahab. That is Jezebel in the government colluding with Ahab in the church and Elijah with the Messiah. Where is the Elijah? Stand up and say, no! We're not going to follow your edicts. We're not going to follow your commands because they're forcing us to disobey God. What else?

    Adam Dragoon (28:46.734)

    You've got to do what your heart says is right. Follow your conscience. Absolutely. Ramon?

    Adam Dragoon (28:54.894)

    So, can we consider Noah and David's situation as civil disobedience? Noah? Noah, when he went against the crowd and David, when he decided not to pay attention to his brothers and to the king, and he told him, God has helped me before, I know He's going to help me now.

    Can that be considered civil disobedience? I think you're on the right track there, for sure. So the point of all of this is that we have to be aware that there is a Jezebel spirit at work in the world today, a spirit of tyranny, control, and guess who it's coming down on? People of faith. They would love nothing more than for every church to be shut down. They would love that. Because why? When people have a mind to serve the living God,

    then they're not the obedient sheep that they want. And so, when there is obstruction, when there are attacks against Christianity, you know what another huge attack in our world today, somebody know what I'm talking about? There's another huge area where the government, the government, the president, the cabinet, even the congress, they are forcing us to try to believe something which is not God.

    There's a few big things like that. Noelle? The LGBTQ society and the marriage act that they are trying to tell us that marriage is, they're saying that marriage is not defined by a man and a woman. It can be defined by a man and a man or a woman and a woman. Okay. Teresa, I saw your hand go up. She got it.

    Okay, trans ideology, mom.

    Adam Dragoon (30:56.206)

    they also are marrying animals and dolls and trees and bridges and bridges yeah I I don't know in a public place like that when we wouldn't have to witness their honeymoon that would be just disgusting so yep Mason pretty much you're not allowed to offend anyone for any reason despite the fact doing so offends others like we can't call

    trans person by their birth name or gender but yet they could call us bigots. Okay so again was Elijah when Elijah comes to confront King Ahab and Queen Jezebel is he angry? Is he upset? Is he sweating? Is he shouting? No he's just a mailman. I'm here to deliver God's word. What you're doing is wrong and God's gonna judge it. There's gonna be no rain. God needs people like that.

    in our world today. We're not called to hate people. We're not called to be aggressive. We are called simply to stand on the Word of God and to be prophets of our generation. So when the government says, we're going to let anybody marry whoever they want, where's the church? Ahab. The church is led by Ahab. Passive, non -confrontational. we don't want to mention anything. We don't want to say. Just...

    Just let them do whatever they want. We're just going to preach Jesus. There's a lot of churches like that. And it's not wrong to just preach Jesus. But if we're just preaching the love and the mercy, the grace, and the salvation of God and ignoring what Jezebel is doing outside of our door, then we're missing. We're missing in action. So Elijah's are necessary. We need Elijah's. Let's look at who is Elijah. Verse 1 again, Elijah the Tishbite, the inhabitants of Gilead.

    So just looking into history, this city that he's from, Tishbeh, is apparently such a small ancient town that to this day, we don't even know exactly where it is. It wasn't on the map at the time, and it's not on the map today. It's a very small place. He literally started as a no one from nowhere. Very opposite of King Ahab. Ahab, we know his lineage. We know the king before him, the king before him, the king before him, all the way back to David and Solomon. And...

    Adam Dragoon (33:25.006)

    And so Elijah is completely the opposite. There's no family history. There's no lineage. There's no, nothing has been passed. It's just he shows up. Elijah from Tishpet. Where? I don't know. That's where he's from. Why is this important for us? Why is that important to you? Mason? Come on. Any one of you can be used by God. The spirit of Elijah.

    can rest on any one of you. Doesn't matter where you're from, what's your background. If God can speak through you, then he can use you. Gilead, it says of the inhabitants of Gilead. So we know a little bit more about Gilead, which is the region where this city was located. So Gilead is a region known as a very remote place of refuge. It was a mountain area, place of a lot of peaks and valleys. It was desolate and a rocky hill country. And so,

    The Gileadites, those people from Gilead, were known, generally, as people who lacked social etiquette and educational credibility. They were kind of the backwater, the country bumpkins, we could say. How many of you have seen the TV show Alone? Interesting show, gets your attention. So if you're not familiar with it, Alone is a TV program where they take these people and they send them out into this wilderness place.

    where there's nothing, no people, and they see how long they can survive completely on their own. They give them a pack of tools and resources that they can use, but then the game is, whoever lasts the longest without any help from the outside world, that's the winner, and they get some large sum of money. And so you really see in that kind of show, if you've watched any of it, I've watched a few episodes, it's pretty interesting.

    You see that it's not just a question of do you have survival skills. So much of it is about the mental. It's about can you stay sane? Can you avoid hurting yourself? Can you gather enough food to eat? And these shows, they go on sometimes weeks, sometimes six weeks, seven weeks, two months even. And so the biggest, to me, the biggest game, the biggest factor that's gonna cause success there is,

    Adam Dragoon (35:51.054)

    Can you be okay being alone? So many of them, it's not because they don't know how to fish or cook, but it's because they can't handle being alone, completely alone. Because man was not meant to be alone. So it's a battle of will. And so when I think about Elijah, I think he would probably do really well on this show. He's an outdoorsman. He's not dependent on anybody else, for right or for wrong.

    At one point, the Bible tells us that he hiked about 100 miles of rugged terrain through the heart of Asherah worship while on Israel's most wanted list so that he could go visit the widow and her son at Zarephath. If you look at it on the map, he had to go through this very rugged terrain to get there. Second Kings chapter one, I don't think I got this one. Can somebody get this for me? Second Kings chapter one, verses seven and eight. Chris, you got that? Second Kings chapter one.

    verses seven and eight. We get a little description of Elijah the Tishbite, what the Bible says about him.

    What sort of man was he? the king demanded. What did he look like? They replied he was a hairy man and he wore a leather belt around his waist. Elijah from Tishbell, the king exclaimed. So they're trying to figure out who this guy was saying all these crazy things. They said just describe him to me. What does he look like? He's hairy. He's got a leather belt. Sound like he's from Texas. And as soon as they describe him they said, that's Elijah. I know that dude.

    He's a little weird. And what I'm saying is that that spirit of independence, now we're not saying independence from God. He is completely dependent on the word of God. He's a prophet. But he's not into the customs of the day. He's not there to impress people. Do you know who else takes on the spirit of Elijah? In the New Testament. Who else reminds you? Somebody who's a little bit off. John the Baptist, right? The Bible says he's eaten bugs out in the countryside.

    Adam Dragoon (37:56.878)

    What's wrong with this dude? But he's preaching the Word of God. He's preaching repentance. He is not there to please people. He's there to prepare the way for Messiah. So why is this important to us? Why is it important? If we're going to be able to confront the controlling Jezebel spirit and the passive Ahab spirit, then what's going to be necessary for us as prophets, as messengers of God? Chris?

    Just the confidence to stand on one's own and on God's word while everyone else is bowing down, to stand there and do what you're supposed to do, whether it may make people happy or upset, just because it's what God's called you to do. That's true, but what's the problem with that?

    Andre? You're trying to do it in your own strength. But you have to depend upon the Holy Spirit to give you the boldness. Yes. And I'll just say this, though. We as the church, we have to realize that the Holy Spirit lives in us. That's right. So we have access to that power all the time. So when we get that revelation, we're able to go through these things. We don't have to say,

    Well, I'm waiting until the Holy Spirit land on him. Because he's in us. And he said he would never leave nor forsake us. Amen. Amen. So, yeah, whatever Elijah had, we have even in a greater supply. So if the Spirit of God rested on Elijah to empower him to do what he had to do, what we have as sons and daughters of the king now, now that we've been redeemed and rescued and justified and sanctified,

    Bible says your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. That means you can be an even greater Elijah. Jesus said you'll do greater things than I did. The problem is that we don't do that and often because we're too interested in what people might think. If I really stand up for righteousness, if I really do what the Bible says, if I really sanctify my life and act as the messenger of God, how's it going to affect my paycheck? How's it going to affect

    Adam Dragoon (40:12.366)

    my family, how's it going to affect my future, where I live, what kind of stuff I own. Because often we're too worried about that stuff, right? We're too worried about the possessions, the earthly possessions and our bank accounts, and we're too worried about, you know, what kind of clothes we can wear, and we're too worried about what the world thinks of us. What Elijah shows us here is he's not worried about any of that. He says, I can get along with a burlap sack and a leather belt. I don't need to shave.

    The hairy man. Okay, so let's look at his name Elijah. This is a good name Elijah when you break it down the name means this my God is Yahweh So can you imagine being Ahab or Jezebel? Just by speaking his name. They are violating what they believe Where is my God who is Yahweh? Where is he? Where is my God is Yahweh?

    just by speaking out his name is causing them to have an internal conflict with their false world system. Can I tell you that's how the world should think about you? That just by thinking about you and your testimony and how you live for God, that that should be a speed bump whenever they think about sinning. That's how it should be. So if we break it down a little more, Elijah. Eli means the strength of the Lord.

    And Jah, of course, is short for Jehovah, or my God is Jehovah. So the literal translation when you mash those two thoughts together, I live by the strength of the Lord my God. How did this man live that kind of a life? He certainly didn't do it on his own. And it's what we're talking about. He lived by the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit sustained Elijah to live beyond his natural limitations to live a supernatural life.

    The very first thing that he says in the scripture as we've read, as the Lord God of Israel lives, there will not be dew nor rain except at my word. So he is commanding the heavens to be closed. It's going to be Phoenix, Arizona from now on. No rain. He initiates a fight. You know, so often the church is trying to end fights. And sometimes we need to be starting a few. I'm not saying that we should, you know, we should be chaotic.

    Adam Dragoon (42:38.446)

    It's not chaos, right Noel? But when we are in a world that is attacking godly principles, sometimes the only way to confront that is with a fight. If you're the school kid and every day you get on the bus to go to school and you have a bully who's tormenting you every single day, sometimes the only language a bully understands is violence. We do not negotiate with terrorists. Or that's what we're supposed to be anyways.

    That's why you can't let your two -year -old, your three -year -old, your four -year -old, you cannot let them be in charge of your house. Your four -year -old has a spirit of Jezebel. I will be in control. And many parents are Ahabs. whatever you want, little baby. We've got to have a spirit of Elijah. Sometimes we've got to start a fight. Sometimes no is a confrontation. Your reign is not going to fall, Ahab. When the world is all twisted up, people of faith,

    need to be willing to confront. He's confronting the power of their false gods. Baal is worshiped as the god of rain. He's supposed to control the seasons, the crops, and fertility. So Elijah, by saying it's not going to rain, he's saying, nope, your god is not going to do what you want him to do. But see, in order for this to happen, miracles are required. Because guess what? Elijah, in his own strength, he doesn't have power over the weather.

    He needs God's miracle working power. Is that correct? He has to stand on faith to believe that God's going to carry out this edict. Okay, so if we are going to have the spirit of Elijah in our wicked world, full of Ahab and full of Jezebel, if we're going to live according to God's Word, if we're going to be the messengers that God has called us to be,

    It means that we have to live supernatural lives. Are you all with me? What does it mean to live a supernatural life? That supernatural, that word means above the natural. Okay? Our natural lives are things that we understand. We have natural lives, we understand, we go to work, you get a paycheck. That's natural. We understand. You live in a house, you pay the electric bill, you turn the switch, the light comes on. For some people, that's a miracle. But for us, that's natural. That's what we expect out of life.

    Adam Dragoon (45:03.918)

    Okay, but what I'm saying is, if we're gonna confront Ahab and Jezebel, we need supernatural lives. We need lives that include the miraculous. There is a list of miracles in the account of Elijah. Let me just go through this list. You can take your own time to do your study. But these are the miracles that the Bible says that Elijah, that God worked through Elijah. These are all in 1 Kings chapter 17.

    Number one, God stopped the rain for three and a half years in answer to his prayer. Number two, the widow of the Zarephath, her oil and flour were supernaturally renewed every day. Number three, the widow's son died and then returned to life the first resurrection in the Bible. Can you imagine that? No record of ever a resurrection ever happening, but Elijah believed God and contended for a resurrection. Number four,

    God fed Elijah with bread and meat delivered by ravens two times a day. Not a bad deal. Number five, God, at the command of Elijah, God sends fire from heaven. We're going to look at that one in its own study to destroy the prophets of Baal. Number six, God sent rain in response to Elijah's prayer after three and a half years of drought. So one day Elijah prays, Lord, don't send the rain. And God said, OK.

    And after three and a half years, now the time comes for rain. He says send the rain and God sends the rain. That's miraculous. Number seven, in 1 Kings 18, Elijah outruns a horse to escape a coming flood. You ever seen anybody that can outrun a horse? No, that requires supernatural ability. God enabled this man. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is hiding in a cave and God speaks to him through a whisper. That's a miracle.

    2 Kings 1, fire comes down from heaven two more times, and then 2 Kings 2, the final chapter of Elijah's life. Did you know Elijah did not die? He's one of only two people in the Bible. The Bible records did not taste of death. One is Enoch, the other is Elijah. Do you know anybody who doesn't have to taste of death? No, this is supernatural. So all of these things give us a window into the life of this man.

    Adam Dragoon (47:26.766)

    yet God enabled him to work all of these miracles and we know miracles don't come from man. Miracles come from God. It was a supernatural life. So why is this all important to us today? Why is it important that we know about this? Is Elijah some kind of superhero? Is he kind of some, you know, God of thunder? No, the Bible says Elijah is a man just like us. Chris, you want to add to that? As Jesus said,

    miracles that have been done before, you can do and even more now with the power of Spirit. So if all that was possible through God then, even more can be possible now through God if we just trust Him and follow His Spirit. I wish that the church would believe this. I wish the church would believe that any individual from anywhere, with any name, with any background, with any culture, doesn't matter where you're from, that any one of us can tap in to a supernatural God.

    You and I can live supernatural lives also. We can see miracles. There is a strain of Christianity in the world today called cessationism. Can somebody tell me what that is? Anybody know? Cessationism. There are some entire denominations that accept cessationism as fact. And what cessationism means, unless somebody wants to grab it, somebody know what it is? Sabin?

    that the miracles it gives to the Spirit are no longer in operation. Okay. So the argument goes that the miracles that we see in the book of Acts were only for that first generation of Christians. Were only for the apostolic age. After that, miracles ceased. That's where the name comes from. Cessationism, that things have ceased. That the miracles of God, at least in that way, have stopped. And I believe that's a complete lie. I believe that's a strategy from hell.

    I believe that the devil would love it if Christians believe that they can't believe God for miracles. The devil would love it if people wouldn't even pray for miracles. The devil would love it if people would say, well, God, we know.

    Adam Dragoon (49:37.838)

    But underneath there is a spirit of doubt which says even if you don't. Now we believe that, okay? That's true. We're gonna be like the three Hebrew boys that say, Lord, even if you don't heal me, I'm still gonna serve you. Okay, I get that. But don't let that hide a spirit of fear. Don't let that be an excuse for doubting what God can do. And so often that's what happens and our faith is limited. Listen, God enables us to live supernatural lives.

    The whole Pentecostal movement is built around God is moving. God is doing miracles. Whatever you see in the book of Acts, you can see it today. We pray for the sick. We see people get healed. We pray for deliverance. We heard a testimony, we're going to hear testimony this morning about Miss. Ernestine, God healing her body. That God still does supernatural things, supernatural timing. Listen, we know salvation is supernatural.

    And if just coming to Jesus as sinners we can be saved, if that miracle can still happen, then why not all the rest? Because all the rest of the miracles are less than the miracle of salvation. God can use your life. You can keep a spirit of Elijah on your life too. Okay, we have a few minutes for questions or comments before we close here.

    Perla. I was just thinking about, I think one pastor that I listened to, he was saying that God does not make miracles. Like he answered prayers. Like he already know what's going to happen in our life. It's kind of like, I already know what am I going to do for Savannah, whatever, next week or whatever. She might come and say, can you do this? But I already know if I might say no right now.

    but I already know what's gonna happen, right? Because I kinda have control of her life. That's a goddess, he had control of her life, and he don't always answer the prayers that we request on our time, but he already knows what he's gonna do. And those miracles are just answer prayers, because he's in the business of, you know, but we have to come to him, he want us to come to him because he's our father. I still want Savannah to come to me, you know, to request or whatever, but I already know what's gonna happen.

    Adam Dragoon (51:54.666)

    It's not like there is miracles because God, that's his business. That's what he does every day. He just, but he wants us to come to him to answer. It's born out of relationship. That's so good. We're going to look next week at how Elijah, the reason why he lives such a supernatural life, because the Bible says he's a man of prayer. He had a relationship with God and he didn't do everything right. We're going to see that too. He made some mistakes and he fell in.

    He was manipulated by Jezebel. Even an Elijah can become a target of Jezebel. But what I'm saying is that, what you're completely right, Perla, is that for us, what God does is supernatural. It's miraculous. But for God, it's normal. That's what he does every day. For God. And so we've got to begin seeing our lives through that lens. Mr. Andre. I just want to add this, because God has been dealing with me with this. You know,

    The same way we have that zeal that all things are possible through Christ, you know, and we can do all things through Christ. We have to have that same zeal with him delivering us out of our sin. Amen. Because, you know, when it comes to that, I hear a lot of people in the church own that. But when it comes to seeing it, it's like, I can't get I can't, you know, you see what I'm saying? It's every excuse when it comes to seeing it.

    God bringing us out of these addictions. Absolutely. But when it comes to that, we don't have that same God can do this. Amen. But when it comes to these other things, God can do everything. He can give me this job. He can give me that. But we the number one, the number one is bringing us out of sin. Sanctification. Sanctification. We got to have that that God can bring us out of sin and then we'll see these things to go away.

    That's all I wanted to add.

    Adam Dragoon (54:14.478)

    I believe Jesus Christ is your Son and that He died and rose again for me. I receive Him today as my Lord and Savior. May the old things of my past pass away as you make me a new creation. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit to give me strength to live for you for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. We want to help you live for God. Please join us in person for one of our upcoming church services. We are located in the heart of Virginia Beach at 1045 Linhaven Parkway.

    about one mile from the Lynn Haven Mall. Please check the show notes for links to our website and social media. You can also find a link to support this ministry with a generous donation. We would be so grateful. We look forward to sharing future messages here on the VBPH Sermon Podcast. In the meantime, we pray that God would strengthen you to serve Him with all your heart.

    Description text goes here

Part 3: Defining the Jezebel Spirit

Originally preached May 19, 2024

1 Kings 16:29-32 NKJV - 31 And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.

Part 2: Defining the Ahab Spirit

Originally preached May 12, 2024

1 Kings 16:29-32 NKJV - 29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who [were] before him. 31 And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

Part 1: Origins of the Ahab and Jezebel Spirit

Originally preached on April 28. 2024

Gen 3:1-7 NKJV - 1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 "but of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make [one] wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

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Sin-Revival, Self-Denial [Romans 7:7-12] | GOSPEL OF GOD, #25

Originally preached in our Mid-Week Recharge Service on May 8, 2024.

Scripture: Romans 6:16-23 NLT:

Rom 7:7-12 NKJV - 7 What shall we say then? [Is] the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all [manner of evil] desire. For apart from the law sin [was] dead. 9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. 10 And the commandment, which [was] to [bring] life, I found to [bring] death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed [me]. 12 Therefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

Takeaways:

  • The existence of evil in the world is an argument for the existence of a righteous God.

  • Knowing the law in your head is not enough; it must be written on your heart.

  • Lawlessness leads to destruction and is a rejection of God's sovereignty.

  • Receiving a personal revelation of God's word leads to personal transformation.

  • Understanding the revival of sin requires recognizing one's own brokenness and the need for spiritual death. Understanding the holiness and power of God leads us to repentance and a recognition of our own sinfulness.

  • The law is not the problem; our sin is. Jesus came to fulfill the law and bring us victory over sin and death.

  • Surrendering to Jesus and allowing Him to transform our lives is the path to freedom and a new creation.

  • The blood of Jesus washes us clean and allows us to be adopted as sons and daughters of God.

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Full Transcript (Auto-Generated):

Amen. Romans chapter seven, we are continuing in this series on the book of Romans. Romans is an adventure of theology and wisdom from the apostle Paul. And so tonight we're going to look at a scripture. Paul is going to give us a powerful argument tonight about how the law interacts with our sin.

our sinful nature, our carnality. There is a relationship there tonight that Paul's going to explain to us and I pray that it will be encouraging to you before we leave this place. I want to ask you for a moment, I want to begin with a question and ask you to consider. If somebody asked you to define what is darkness, what would you say? How would you define darkness?

And maybe even one step more difficult than that is how do you define darkness without using the concept of light? It's interesting when you begin to think about it because light is a physical thing. Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation. It has physical properties. Light moves at a certain speed and even has a certain amount of mass because of its

Momentum. The people at NASA are even experimenting with incredibly large, what they call a solar sail, as a form of propulsion that they would be able to open up a fan of light, reflective material, which would be able to catch the sun's rays and propel a craft through space simply because of the power of the particles of light passing into that sail.

Adam Dragoon (02:30.19)

But darkness, on the other hand, darkness is not a thing. In fact, darkness is nothing. It is simply the absence of light. And in the same way tonight, there's a powerful argument for the existence of God when you think about that there is evil in the world. How many have observed some evil in the world? We've seen it on display.

We've seen murder, we've seen mayhem, we've seen even in the last few weeks and months, we've seen an attempt of genocide once again in Israel. We've seen people rioting in the streets and bringing destruction. And when you see pure evil, that in fact is an interesting argument for the existence of an almighty, righteous God. In other words, tonight, the shadow

can prove the sunshine. If I'm outside on a sunny day and I pass by under a tree and I notice that there is sun shining on me, I pass under the tree's shadow and then I realize I'm in the darkness now, well what does that really prove? It proves that there is a sun that I can know the difference between darkness and light. Everybody with me so far? And in the same way if we experience evil, if we experience murder,

if we experience injustice in the world. That that is also a powerful argument that there has to be something good, otherwise how would you know that it was evil? C .S. Lewis said it like this. He said, I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. How many understand that without light we would not be able to see anything?

And also without God we would not be able to understand the difference between good and evil. Without the perfect presentation of God's law we would have no understanding of our sin. And that's exactly the argument Paul's going to make in our scripture. He says that before I knew the law I was, I was, I was, he's saying that I was not under the power of sin.

Adam Dragoon (04:53.038)

But when I became aware of the law, the law caused sin to be revived in my heart. And you're going to see how this relationship works tonight. Let's read the scripture, Romans chapter 7, beginning with verse 7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not. On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law, for I would not have known covetousness.

unless the law had said, you shall not covet. But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Verse nine is a key here in this scripture tonight. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. We're gonna spend a little bit of time on that scripture by itself.

Let me repeat it. I was alive once without the law, but when commandment came, sin revived and I died. And that commandment which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. Let's pray tonight. Father, we come by the blood of Jesus. I thank you for your word.

And I thank you for this teaching, Lord, from the book of Romans tonight, that you would cause it to come alive in our hearts, God, that we, as we gain greater understanding and revelation of your word, that it would cause even more things in our flesh, in our carnality, in our past. Cause those things to die, Lord, so that we might live forevermore. And we give you glory tonight for what you're going to do. I need your anointing and your grace. Bring clarity for this service tonight in Jesus.

mighty name. God's people would say, amen. This is a message I've titled, Sin Revival for Self -Denial. Because that's the idea of what Paul is trying to communicate to us. The law caused sin to be revived, which caused Paul to die. His carnality, his old life. Let's look first of all at the lawless life. Again, verse 9 in our scripture is the key to unlock this entire

Adam Dragoon (07:21.166)

portion of scripture and we're going to understand it we have to understand exactly what Paul is talking about here. Verse 9 he says, I was alive once without the law. Now what is he talking about? I was alive once without the law. Now remember who this man is and who he was before Christ. Remember that he described himself as a Hebrew of Hebrews.

a Pharisee of Pharisees zealous for the work of the Almighty God, but the problem was he was not saved. So in his pre -salvation condition, do you suppose that the apostle Paul was once unaware of the laws of God? No, he was not unaware. He was not unaware of the written law from a very early age.

he and most young Jewish men would have been trained in the law. In fact, they would have, if he had gone early on into Hebrew school and into a... he was being taught under the teacher named Gamaliel, most of these Pharisees would have at least the five books of Moses memorized to heart. And the reason I mention that is because you can have the law...

even memorized in your mind without touching your heart? Is that true? Is it possible to know what the law says but to not have it written on your heart? That's what Paul is talking about. He's saying that it wasn't that he did not know the law, but he says I was once without the law. It means that it had no effect on his heart, on his mind.

on his conscience that the law was powerless over him because it was dead to him. It was just a teaching. It was just something that he would go and soak up like a sponge in his mind. He would memorize it. He would even most likely begin to study the teachings of rabbis and the interpretations even and what does this mean and what did Elijah, what did Moses...

Adam Dragoon (09:44.814)

mean by these things and to understand that there was tradition, that there was teachings, that there was different opinions and philosophies that come out of it, but the problem was all of that teaching, it meant nothing to his heart. He was still hard -hearted toward the will of God. The law was powerless over him, and I'm saying all of that because it's possible tonight for you and I to spend lots of time in church.

to spend lots of time in the Bible app even, to listen to hundreds or perhaps thousands of sermons and still be without the law. Being without the law, this kind of person has no thought about death or what comes after, has no thought of standing before the judgment seat of Christ. People without the law are wrapped up in their own attempt at keeping

their own set of distorted moral virtues. It's what people do when they compare themselves to other people to determine their own righteousness. The person without the law is at ease and at peace. Nothing disturbs him because everything's okay. Right, think about the person who grew up in church but stopped going for one reason or another, wrapped up in career, wrapped up in hobbies.

wrapped up in taking care of the house and taking the children to Little League. Think about the person who, it's not that they've never read the Bible, it's just that the law has no effect on them. The law is dead to them. Paul remembers what that was like in his life and he says, I was without the law. And that's a powerful statement considering the incredible amount of training and learning that he would have done.

regarding the laws of Moses. It's the Pharisee who prayed, Luke 18 verse 11, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even like this tax collector. Paul remembers what his life was like in Philippians chapter 3 verse 4 before Christ. He says that if anyone thinks that they may have confidence in the flesh, I the morso,

Adam Dragoon (12:09.518)

circumcised on the eighth day the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of Hebrews concerning the law, a Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church, concerning the righteous which is in the law blameless, but reflecting on that life that he had before Christ, he says this in verse seven, what things were gained to me, these now I have counted loss for Christ. He goes on to say, I count them as rubbish.

I treat them like trash to be thrown away. Why would he say those things about his teaching and his training? Well, because he understands that even though he had incredible wisdom and knowledge and teaching and training under the laws of Moses, but all of that did not bring him to Christ. In fact, knowing those laws, being aware of them, but not having them written on his heart, what it leads to,

Listen carefully, is lawlessness. It's possible to know the law in your head, but be lawless in your heart. Are you hearing what I'm saying tonight? It's possible to know it in your head, to read the scriptures, to highlight the scriptures on your Bible app. It's possible to share some social media and know it in your mind and even memorize it.

but it misses the mark because I have observed people that if you have a biblical discussion they can have an intelligent conversation with you about what does the Word of God say? Rightly dividing the Word of Truth and yet you look at their life and there is a spirit of lawlessness. It's the idea that the law, even if I know it, even if I've heard it, even if it's been preached to me or even if I've preached it myself, but does it have an effect on us?

what paul is trying to show us here is that it's possible to know the law but to be self -exempted from it in other words it doesn't apply to me i can live how i want i can do what i want this is the perfect example of the spirit of lawlessness everybody say lawlessness in the same way church would like we live in a society that has laws right like we have traffic laws for example and i

Adam Dragoon (14:38.926)

you know in a few months here, Jaylee's gonna be getting her learner's permit, everybody watch out. And so in order to get a learner's permit, you know, she's gonna have to get a book that's filled with laws. She's gonna have to study that and take a test. But how many understand that you could ace the test and still act like an idiot? The evidence is on every freeway in Hampton Roads.

that you can know what the book says but when you get behind the wheel you can act like a fool and you can be dangerous and even kill people because of the spirit of lawlessness you could pass the test and get an A and then throw the book and that's possible also when it comes to the word of God isn't it that's the spirit of lawlessness listen to what the Bible says about lawlessness because the Bible says a lot are you ready for this Matthew 7 verse 23

These are the words of Jesus written in red ink in my Bible. It says, I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. That means an unwillingness to submit or surrender your own heart to the laws, to the message, to the kindness, to the mercy of a holy God. Matthew 13, 41, the son of man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all the things that offend and those who practice

lawlessness. It matters not if you have it in your head. What truly matters is if you do it from your heart. Jesus said, why do you say you love me when you don't obey what I tell you to do? Matthew 23, 28, even so, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. This was the rebuke of the Pharisees. they had it all together on the outside. They had

very fine clothing and had carefully manicured their habits and their appearance and how they look before men and their prayers on the street corner and everyone looked at them and said, wow, that's a great man. But Jesus said, he said, they have their reward because all they wanted was to impress people and they got it. But you should know that none of their prayers reached heaven.

Adam Dragoon (17:02.638)

because on the inside they had a spirit of lawlessness. They were willing to teach it to others. They were willing to study it day and night to try to memorize it. But when it came time to do what the Word of God says, it was a spirit of lawlessness. Jesus predicted that in the last days, this would be the biggest problem of the last days. The biggest problem Jesus predicted in Matthew chapter 24,

And the mark, the sign that we are in the last days is this, Matthew 24 verse 12, lawlessness will abound and the love of many will grow cold. I don't know how you can read that scripture and not see that it's coming true before our very eyes. That even in the church world and people who call themselves Christians and yet living all kinds of ways, I don't know if you saw this, I picked up the newspaper.

it was funny i was with adam mcfeeters down there in in in florida and it was on sunday morning we we got up early and he came down to the hotel we ate some breakfast down there in the lobby and you know they had the the u s a today the only time ever read the paper you know it's when it's a sitting there and so i grabbed it because on the on the headline right in the middle the big headline that said that you said the methodist church you know i'm talking about

the United Methodist Church had a vote to remove the language from their charter regarding homosexuality, LGBTQ +, all of this, that they are basically allowing anyone to identify however they want. Can you imagine? United Methodist Church, the vote was something like 600 to 50 to allow this change to occur. You know who the United Methodist Church is? This is the movement started by Charles Wesley.

Charles and John Wesley, the second great awakening. This is a powerful movement, Salvation Army. These were street preachers. These were men that were on fire. You pass by Methodist Church, you'll see the logo. It's a world on fire, not too much different from our logo. You know what I'm saying? They were on fire. They were preaching the word of God for hundreds of years. Now they're allowing homosexuals and worse in their pulpits. I tell you, the Wesley's are rolling in their graves.

Adam Dragoon (19:29.454)

at what has happened to the Methodist Church. I can't imagine. But what this is, listen carefully, this is a spirit of lawlessness. yeah, we know what the word says. Yeah, it's still in there, but we're just going to do whatever we want. We're going to live how we want. We're going to speak how we want. We're going to sleep with who we want. And you can't tell us anything different. That is the spirit of lawlessness.

Ultimately all sin is a spirit of lawlessness. In verse John 3 verse 4, whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness and sin is lawlessness. Can I tell you who else has a spirit of lawlessness? The enemy of your soul. Second Thessalonians 2 verse 7, the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

They're speaking about the Holy Spirit. He is the one who restrains that spirit. But then when the Holy Spirit is taken away, many people believe this is talking about the rapture. But when the lawless one is revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming, the coming of that lawless one is according to the working of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders. There, Satan...

and the antichrist spirit are described as the lawless one isn't that exactly what the devil did the reason why he was ejected from heaven because he wanted to be god he wanted to make the rules who do you think you are god to tell me how i need to live that is the spirit of lawlessness and what i'm telling you tonight church is that this is not a sinner thing or a church person thing this is a

human being thing. There is a part of you that wants to reject the influence and the sovereignty of an almighty God. There's a piece of us that says, I want to do it. I'll live the way I want to. And you can be educated. You can have Bible knowledge. You can go to church a thousand times and still harbor a spirit of lawlessness. How do you know? How do you know?

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Well, it's because of what it leads to. The lawless life always leads to destruction. Imagine. Imagine if you were planning a large ocean voyage across the sea. And you go down to the harbor to find a ship. And you don't inspect it. You just get on the boat and start sailing. Let's go. I need to get across the ocean. Halfway.

halfway through the voyage you go down to the bottom of the ship and to inspect the hole and find to your horror that the entire ship is full of holes. That would have been something to check before you left, right? That is a picture of the life that is lawless. You might be able to sail for a little while, but it will eventually get to you. It's like what Jesus said, living in a house whose foundation is sand.

And yeah, you might have some cover, you might have some shelter for a while. But when is it revealed? When the storm comes, when the waves, when the wind beat upon that house, and that reveals the weakness of the foundation. And Jesus said, great was its fall. Paul is speaking here. He says, I was once alive without the law. And it is possible to be alive...

It is possible even to know the law but to be without the law in your heart. Let's look then at the revival of sin. Are you all with me tonight? The revival of sin. Look at what it says next in verse 9. It says, when the commandment came. So he's describing his own personal experience. He says, there was a time I was alive without the law and then the commandment came. And what does he mean by that? What does he mean when he says the commandment comes?

It means that as he began to not just know it, but to understand it, to receive it, he found the meaning of it. In other words, that the law of the Lord became alive in his heart. That it was possible he could have had all kinds of education about the law, but it wasn't until the commandment came. It wasn't that he was just reading the letter, but he found the spirit. It means that...

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He discovered the law was not a thing to mess around with. It wasn't meant to just sit on the shelf like a dead letter, but that God had spoken that word and he would carry it out. That he would execute judgment on those who defy him and break his commandments. When he saw that the commandment had come, the next thing that happened, it says, is that sin was revived. Okay, this is where it gets pretty crazy.

When the commandment came, he says, then sin was revived. In other words, the knowledge of his brokenness before the Lord was revived. Psalm 19 verse 7 says this, the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making the wise simple. Verse 9 goes on to say that sin revived and I died.

There are two Greek words to describe the word word. All right, I'm going to do a little Greek word study, right? There's two words you got to know about in the Greek language. And both of them can be translated into our English word, word. There is the idea of logos and the idea of rima. So maybe you cried like the rest of us after episode number three.

of the chosen, you know what I'm saying? So the name of that character that died, her name was Ramah, right? That name is a Greek word that is transliterated from the Hebrew. Ramah means, it can mean word. Okay, but there's a difference between logos and Ramah. So if you understand, logos is the written word. Logos is helpful because logos is what we study. Logos is what we speak.

Logos is what you hear in your ears. Logos is what Paul had. The concepts, the principles, the precepts, the philosophies, the logos. He had the logos, but he never had the rima. The rima means when God takes his logos and applies it directly to your life. The logos is what the preacher preaches, but the rima is what you receive in your heart.

Adam Dragoon (26:48.334)

And how many know that can be different? If there's 30 people in a church service like this tonight, there is one logos because I'm preaching the same sermon, right? But God can have 30 different ramas applying to 30 different people in 30 different situations. Rama is how God takes his logos and applies it to your personal life, your personal situation. It's revelation. It's what Jesus said to Peter.

when Peter piped up and said, you are the Messiah, the son of the living God, and Jesus comes back and says, flesh and blood didn't reveal that to you, Peter. That was a rama. That was a revelation. That was something that God spoke to you. Can I ask you tonight, when's the last time you had a rama? When's the last time, I'm not just talking about you learned a scripture and memorized it. I'm not just talking about you highlighted it on your Bible app and shared it on your social media.

I'm talking about when the word became true in your heart, when it hit you and it changed you. The mark of what happens when you have more than logos, you receive a rama, what happens next is what happens to Paul. He says, sin was revived and I died. In other words, when I understood what God was saying to me,

My sinfulness was also revealed to me and I had to die. That old Saul had to go away and somebody else took his place. You know what reminded me as I was putting this together, I was reminded of that story in Isaiah. We've been reading our Bible plan through Isaiah recently and there's this account in Isaiah chapter 6, a powerful story. You've heard it preached no doubt many times.

But Isaiah has a revelation of God. In Isaiah chapter 6, he says, I saw the Lord sitting on the throne high and lifted up. The train of his robe filled the temple. We sing the song. And above the throne there was seraphim. These are special angel, angelic creatures designed and purposed for one reason, to worship the living God day and night for all eternity.

Adam Dragoon (29:13.518)

and they cried out to one another they said holy, holy, holy is the Lord of all. I mean he's getting this vision. He's having this personal encounter of who God is. His holiness, His power, the whole earth is full of His glory. He says the posts of the door were shaken and the house was filled and he has this powerful revelation of a holy and a righteous God and you know what he's not doing? He's not bored out of his mind.

He's not falling asleep, I'll tell you that much. He's not sipping a lemonade. Hmm, I wonder what happens next. What's happening to Isaiah in this moment is the more that he realizes the holiness and the power of a righteous God, the very next thing that happens, verse five, woe is me for I am undone. See, the power of the holiness of God revealed, it uncovered something about his own life.

When you read that in the Bible, when it says, woe, woe unto, in fact the first five chapters of Isaiah, he's pronouncing woes on all these other nations because of their disobedience and rebellion against God. But now in chapter six, he sees God and now the woe comes against himself. He's cursing himself. Woe is me, I am undone. And almost, it's almost without his, it's like,

He can't stop himself from profusely speaking about his sin. It says, I'm a man of unclean lips. I dwell in the midst of a people. He's just repenting. He just can't stop. My eyes have seen the King compared to the holiness of God. Listen, I'm going to tell you, if you have an understanding, if you get a rama about the power of God's word in your life, your sin will be revived. You'll get a revelation.

I like to ask people, you know, when I'm out witnessing, I like to ask them, you believe you're a good person? You know why I like that question? Because everybody says yes. Everybody thinks they're a good person. And they might be good compared to, you know, the person who's in prison or, you know, the person who killed somebody or a drug dealer down the street. That's how we judge ourselves, isn't it? Let's put that to the test. I always ask people, do you mind if I put that to the test?

Adam Dragoon (31:40.206)

You know, let's examine what the Bible says. How does God judge? I know how I judge. But how does God judge? Have you ever told a lie? I guess so. Don't lie to me! No. See, when we have a revelation of His Word, when we get that rama, Paul says, when I received the commandment, sin was revived and, whoa! It means I died. Think about it like this.

Imagine that in your house there's a cellar. I don't think there's a lot of cellars around here, but some places in the Midwest, there are houses that have cellars. And those cellars, maybe the doors have been shut for a long time and it gets dark and it gets nasty down there. And maybe even the walls are covered with critters. But if you open the door and you descend the steps,

but you have no light, you have no flashlight, you have no candle, you could walk down the stairs and be completely unaware of all of the cockroaches and termites and all kinds of spiders and nasty critters all over the wall. You could just walk down there, as long as you're in darkness, you're unaware of them, they're unaware of you. I'll just go down there, come right back out, no big deal. But if you bring a lantern with you, like oldie in the Indiana Jones, into the snake pit,

And you walk down there and you look around and you start seeing, this is not good. There's spiders, there's snakes, there's critters, there's rodents, there's, nasty things everywhere. That's what the law does. When the light of God's law shines into your life, when you allow the Word of God to be more than just words printed on the page, but you begin to allow them to examine your heart, you'll discover that there's a lot of critters in there.

There's a lot of cockroaches that need to be exterminated. There's some things down there, and by the way, when you bring the lantern down into that cellar, not only are you aware of them, but now they become aware of you. And the cockroaches start scurrying. And the walls start moving. We gotta get out of here. All the things that had been sleeping, dormant, are now made active and aware. I wanna tell you,

Adam Dragoon (34:03.982)

When you get saved, when you truly give your life to the Lord, this is what happens when we try to get close to God. Have you ever done that? Have you ever tried, Lord, I just want to be close. We sang it tonight. I want to know you. I want to see your face. And God says, really?

Okay, well there's a few things we're gonna have to deal with then. We're gonna bring the smoke fog down here. We're gonna have to do some work. That's what Paul means when he says, sin was revived and I died. The law brings forth death. Remember a couple of messages ago what we said, wherever we allow to die for the Lord can then be resurrected.

In verse 9, once again, I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. Can I just remind you tonight that once you have tasted and seen the Lord's goodness, His mercy, His forgiveness, once you have tasted of that, can I tell you, you are ruined for the world? Whatever pleasure you had in your sin before Christ will now be forever gone. The world is ruined.

will no longer produce the kind of pleasure that it did before. You know that? Some of the most miserable people on planet Earth are backslidden people who know what God had done for them. They walked away. Paul says, I died. The great I, the great self, the great ego has to die in the presence of the Almighty God. And so the problem though, the problem is not with the law, right?

What Paul's trying to show us, he starts this scripture by asking the question, is the law sin? And he's trying to answer, he's trying to bring clarity that no, the law is not sin. The law is not evil. The law is good and righteous and God gave us his law for a purpose, but it was not the law that was the problem. What's the problem? The problem is our sin.

Adam Dragoon (36:15.598)

And the law is what causes that sin to stir up in our lives. Maybe you've seen it at work in your life. Maybe you've seen what it's like when you try to make a step of faithfulness to God. When you try to do something for the Lord, right? When you come to the altar and you say, Lord, Lord, I'm going to do my best. I'm going to try my hardest. And Lord, I'm going to commit myself to you. And we make our oaths and our vows and we try and we... But guess what? All of the attacks of hell double down, right?

And we leave from this place feeling all good and then it's not 24 hours later that just like the Israelites out in the desert, they start complaining and moaning and wishing they were back in Egypt. And I wish that we were different. We're not. When we try to make a step in faith so often, the law, the word of God penetrates our heart and we become sensitive and say, Lord, I want to change, but the law, it causes...

our sin to revive and then we have to die. He goes on to say that the problem is not the law, it's the sin. Verse 10, the commandment which was to bring life, I found to bring death. In other words, as Paul thinks about the revelation of God as revealed through Moses, he says, listen, God was trying to help us. God was trying to bring us to life. But the problem was that when you bring the law to a sinner,

the sin is revived and then brings forth death. Verse 11, for sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me and by it killed me. You know the devil is such a jerk.

You know what he does? It's the same devil who tempts you, right? He tempts you to sin. Like you're trying to live right, and you're just trying to mind your own business, and out of nowhere here comes this temptation from hell. And what does he tell you? come on, it's not a big deal. Everybody does this. come on, you know. Don't be such a prude, you know. Just live a little. Just do something exciting. Have a little fun, the devil says.

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And then if you fall into that temptation and your flesh is weak, the spirit might be willing, but your flesh is overcome and you enter into that temptation. And guess what? That same devil who was just telling you it wasn't a big deal. Now he comes around and he says, what have you done? How dare you? Who do you, what kind of Christian do you think you are? You could never live for God. You could never be righteous. You could never be what that preacher says you could be.

same devil on both sides bringing his condemnation lawlessness see the the problem with us is that our sin betrays us it's on his side but there is a fulfillment tonight roman seven as he goes on we're going to look at this in future message but this is how paul wraps up this argument at the end of the chapter roman seven verse twenty four

His final conclusion on this point is, wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? Have you felt like that before? Have you been there? Like, what is the point of all this? God, is there any way that this is ever going to turn out good? Because guess what? Your law, I tried to obey it, but it just revived sin in me, and it caused death. And Paul comes to the point of desperation.

Who will deliver me? And he answers his own question in verse 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. With the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. In other words tonight, I thank God. I thank God that because of Jesus we can find victory over the body of death. Jesus is the great law fulfiller.

Remember what he said in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, verse 17, do not think that I came to destroy the law. No. You would think that if the law was so dangerous, if it causes our sin to be revived, if it causes death and devastation and destruction, that Jesus would say, get this law out of here. But no, he did not come to destroy the law. He came to fulfill it. In other words, to fill it full.

Adam Dragoon (40:52.782)

He came to put the pieces together, to do what none of us can do. See, none of us, even in our best efforts of obeying God's law, all it does is frustrate us and get us to the point where Paul was there, wretched man that I am. That's life without Jesus. That's understanding the law but not having Jesus to help us. But if Jesus is there to help us, I want to tell you that we can find the victory.

He came to fill the law full. To take what we could not do in our own strength. He did it. He took upon himself the penalties of the law so that we don't have to. And the way that that happens tonight is when we simply put our trust and faith in the Lord Jesus. You were waiting for some heavy revelation tonight, weren't you? You were waiting for some golden nugget.

that came down from the top of the mountain but I don't have that for you what I do have is the gospel and the gospel says put your trust in Jesus who did fulfill the law who never committed sin and when we follow him when we remain close to him then the Bible says we don't have to fight with sin anymore we don't have to fight the law anymore we can put our trust in him because he has taken victory over sin over death over the grave

He has fulfilled the law and we can join him in that victory as we follow him tonight. Was that good news? That's pretty good news, right? It's good news because we don't have to remain there forever, wretched man that I am. Who will deliver me from this body of death? We already know the answer. Jesus. Jesus will deliver us from this body of death. But I want to tell you it's not automatic.

It doesn't come as a result of all of your experience in church. The law itself. Paul says, there was a time that I was alive without the law, even though he knew it in his mind, but not in his heart. I want to challenge you tonight. Let Jesus fulfill the law in your life. Let's bow our heads tonight, close our eyes as we bring this service to a close as we consider these truths tonight.

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Before we close this service, I want to ask you, I'm not asking you how many Scriptures you've read or memorized. I'm not asking you if you've been to...

class at a seminary or theology class. Listen, we can know a lot about the Word and still not know the Word who has made flesh. Jesus is the one who fulfills the law. And any child without having any understanding, if he receives Christ as his Savior, he's got all he needs. I wonder tonight if you have it. Have you received knowledge, wisdom, and understanding?

I wonder tonight, maybe you know the logos, but do you have a remma, a revelation? Not from flesh and blood, but from God Himself. Paul says, when I got that, when I got that revelation, sin was revived in me and I died. I couldn't survive. I needed to be renewed. I needed to be made new, born again, is what Jesus said.

I wonder tonight, have you been born again? Have you been transformed from your old life? Don't tell me how close you are to Jesus if you're still living that old life. Don't tell me how great of a Christian you are if when you leave this place, your life is still full of those critters, those little nasties. Your life, there's disobedience and lawlessness at work in your heart.

saying, yeah, I know what God said, but I'm going to do it my way. I'm going to keep trying to do it my way. See, that's lawlessness tonight. Lawlessness leads to destruction. If we'll put our trust in Jesus, the Bible says He can fulfill the law so that we can avoid that destruction. Tonight, if you're not saved, if you're not right with God, I want to pray with you before we leave this place. Say, Pastor, I'm not right. I want to get right.

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struggling tonight because of my sin. I've been thinking I know better than God. But He's got your attention tonight. You want to respond in faith. Say, Lord, save me. I'm lost. I'm broken. Maybe you have a revelation like Isaiah. the Lord is high and lifted up. And you don't want to be caught in your sin. You don't want to die and stand before a holy God without turning to Him and asking Him to save you. Would you do that tonight before it's too late?

Let me see your hand quickly tonight. You lift it up. Say, Pastor, pray for me. I'm not right with God, but I want to be. Would you lift it up quickly? God's speaking to you. Is there anyone here unsaved or perhaps backslidden in your heart? Maybe I described you tonight when I said that there is no such thing as a successful backslider. There are many people who are miserable because they've turned from God and now there is no pleasure in the world like there was before. Ruined to sin.

because you've seen the truth. And now it's time to come back home. God's calling on you, unsaved or back -sitting in your heart. Don't miss this opportunity. Would you lift up your hand? Can I see it quickly? Is there anyone here? God's dealing with hearts.

Thank God. Let me speak to the believer then. Amen. The Apostle Paul, as he reflected on his own life, a man who is very learned, very knowledgeable, highly educated on the laws of Moses, but he says, I was alive without the law. The Word of God, there was head knowledge, but you know what? It was not alive in my heart.

And then the commandment came and sin was revived.

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And I died, he said. That's exactly the life of a believer. When the commandment comes, that means there's part of us that has to pass away. There's a part of our will. I want to tell you, surrender is a death of the will. We have to say goodbye to the old life, to the old pleasures, to the old habits, to the old mindsets. We have to be renewed in our minds.

as we are transformed into his likeness and image. Jesus came to fulfill. Listen, all of the heavy work has already been done. Jesus paid the price for us. All we have to do is surrender ourselves and submit to his will. And if you're here tonight and you say, Lord, I need some help with that. I realize that the word, the law brings condemnation, brings death, brings an end to myself, and I felt that struggle.

between the spirit and the flesh. But tonight, Lord, I need the victory. I need you to fulfill the law in my life. Overcome the destruction of my bad decisions. Overcome the temptations of hell. Take the keys of my life, of death and hell in the grave. Lord, I want the victory tonight. We're going to stand up to our feet. We're going to pray here at this altar. God's speaking to you. Would you take some time this evening to join us here as we pray?

we want self to die so that Christ can rise in our place. Paul says, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me. That means that the more and more that we live for Him, the less and less the world should see of you, the more and more we should see of Christ in you. We're saying goodbye to our old ways, to our old thoughts.

to our old strategies, our old habits, to our old philosophies which were leading to death. And in their place rises something new tonight. Come on church, let's cry out to the Lord. All we're called to do, submit ourselves, surrender to him.

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When we will, there's blessing, there's favor, there's peace that passes understanding. Come on, let's cry out to him for just a few moments here tonight at this altar. God, we pray and listen. Can I tell you, this is why the blood of Jesus is so precious and so powerful. The blood of Jesus was shed so that we who were broken by the law, that the law brought death and destruction to us.

but it's the blood of Jesus that washes us clean. And now, as sons and daughters of the Most High God, we've been adopted into His family, and when God looks down on you, if you have received the gift of salvation and trusted in Christ, set you free, then when God looks down at you, He no longer sees a guilty law breaker. He no longer sees one with the spirit of lawlessness.

What does he see? He sees a son or a daughter. He sees one that with Christ is being redeemed. Listen to what the next chapter... I want to tell you, Romans 8 is where it starts soaring. Paul is going to kick it into another level in Romans 8. And he says this in verse 11, If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life

to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you.

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The Spirit of God will bring life to our mortal, to our bodies that are, hey, every day that passes, we're not getting better, guys. We're getting worse over time. But these mortal bodies can be strengthened. We can receive life from Christ. We are not debtors.

But we are the sons of God. Romans 8, 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. Romans 8 is going to be fun. Yeah, Romans 7 gets a little dark and difficult. But Romans 8, telling you the promises of God. Come on, we're going to receive his Spirit and his life tonight. We're going to break the power of the law over our lives. And we're going to receive his life tonight. Let's lift up our hands.

And I want you to receive more than just a Logos right now. I want you to receive a Rhema from the Lord. Let Him speak to you directly, okay? Let's say this prayer. Say, God in heaven, I recognize the depth of my sin, my brokenness, Lord, my lawlessness. How many times have I done what I thought was right and ignored Your law?

ignored your word, ignored your prompting, even violated my conscience. God, I'm so sorry. I need your Spirit. Lord, I plead the blood of Jesus over my mind, my heart. Speak to me a word of life for my situation.

Lord, You are not a God who's far away, but You are close. You are here to speak to me and move on my life. Forgive me and cleanse me and set me free so I can do Your will. Lord, make me free from the bondage of the law which leads to death. Lord, I need Your Spirit.

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which brings life and peace and harmony. Lord, I thank You. You've given us a path forward. Let me walk in that path in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

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