Outreach Night

Good evening. We'll just start off with a few songs of worship. Do you all normally stand at church to sing, or do you like to sit? We do both. You do both? Well, let's stand for a couple, then we can sit for a couple. Does that sound good? The Lord is the Lamb, and I shall...

I'll sweat for Jesus. Sing, and I will sing. Do you continue? Let's just open our heart. Worship in spirit and truth. We hear the words of others who have gone before us and walked out. We haven't walked, and I just pray, God, that you would teach us something. Our hearts, through their words, we ask them in your Son's name.

There's some scripture out there. Your dad's so very shy. I have a twin sister.

Very bummed. I'm not sure what he said. Like, I needed what he was talking about. What I was necessarily... I've been looking to receive Jesus. The scripture meant so much to me is the scripture of Jesus not... That's the scripture.

In Revelation 3.20, it says, Be and you with him. What was amazing, folks, is that the Bible study made a change in the heart. I would have never seen it. And I was an RN for years. And I'm so, so grateful for the transformation that he has made.

Instead of halls. So nobody could get to me where they say I've done.

I'm from Park City right now, but that's not where I grew up at. I grew up in a little country church on the southeast side of Augusta, in between Augusta and Douglas, in Butler County, 46 years ago. I was five years old. And I watched my mom and dad get baptized in that little country church. And I swear to this day, that when they got baptized, they were glowing.

So I was sitting in the... All three of us kids were... I'm the oldest, and I was five. So my brother was four, and my little sister was about two or one. Somewhere in there. We're three years... She and I are three years apart. But we were all sitting in the front row. Once my mom and dad get baptized. And that's the first time I think I've ever been to see them in the bathtub at the same time together.

So that was very... Weird for me, I guess. But when they came up out of that water, I could swear they were glowing. So I crawled over to the piano teacher, slash communist, slash Sunday school teacher. Small church, a lot of different jobs. But I asked her what the glow meant. And she said it was the first thing that came to her head was the Holy Spirit was pleased because they were getting baptized.

I said, how do I do that? And I've been in Sunday school at the church for... Two or three years by then. And she said, well, that's the Holy Spirit. Like you hear about in your Bible story. And so she told me all about Jesus. And she led me through the sinner's prayer. And she told me how sin was dark and ugly and how Jesus was light. And that I needed to step into the light and how to step into the light.

So I did that day. Right there on the stairs to the baptismal while my mom and dad were in the other room getting dressed. And then fast forward about five years. And I had another Sunday. School teacher who is, I don't know, I think she was the savior. My mom and dad never knew she was. But she's about this tall. I was already taller by the time I was 10 years old.

And she was so full of Jesus. You could just see the light whenever she walked. Anywhere she went. And we used to crack up at her because she was so short. She would have to put, they had to put blocks on the accelerator and brake pedal for her. And she had to wear a sun visor when she was driving because the visor that you pull that wasn't tall enough. For her to see through the window when she's driving without the sun getting in her face.

Her name was Hazel. And when I was a teenager, we'd go over in her house on the weekends and that's where she's the one factor that kept us from running wild and crazy on the weekends. But I was in her class and every Sunday when she did Sunday school, at the end of our Sunday school class, she would always ask us if we wanted to accept Jesus into our hearts. And one Sunday I said, I think I did that already, but I'm not really sure.

So I told her my story and she said, Well, you can always renew your vows with Jesus. He doesn't mind. So I renewed my vows with Jesus when I was 10 years old and been walking with him ever since. Been up and down the trails and trials of being a teenager and married, divorced. But 51 years later, I'm still walking with Jesus. And I can't say, that I would rather be anywhere else.

Every time I've needed somebody, he's always been there. And the Bible tells you that he's your first call. And he might not answer in person, but he'll send somebody. And he always has. And I can say that he's led me down some really different paths. I minister to men that are in prison right now. So I've been doing that for the last 10 years, all the way to having one of those.

I'm in my house right now. And I can say that our trials and tribulations have been made, but Jesus has always pulled us both through. He is the calm in the sea of not so calm in the rough waters. Gives you the strength to walk over them or sometimes fly over them or just pull you through. And I know a lot of the things that I've been through that I wouldn't be here today,

if it wasn't for Jesus pulling me through them. I had a pastor that once told me that when you pray, if you have a problem with praying, because you're praying to somebody you don't see, give him the best seat in the house and facing towards you and sitting right next to him, facing that chair. And you pray to Jesus, just like you pray to your best friend, because that's what you're praying to. And you can just visualize that he's there.

And I've done that on several occasions, not because my faith is weak, because it just gives me a peace, knowing that he's right there listening to me. And he listens to all of it. Believe me, you know, stuff. He listens to all of it. So I want to thank you for allowing me to share today. And I just want to encourage you to keep giving him your best, even when you're at your worst,

because he's going to pull you through anything, any situation that you find yourself in. He'll pull you out of it. And it may not be instant, and it may not be in the way you expect, believe me. And you might be going kicking and screaming because he's the one pulling you through, and you're not understanding how he's doing it, but he does do it. Well, I was born and raised in this area.

I was raised in the little community of a couple of miles back from town. And unlike what Mary shared, I had a fantastic childhood. I had the best parents. I had the best life. I was raised on a farm, loved every minute of it, raised all of my life in church, did nothing but the Lord. It's interesting to be raised that way. I mean, I was raised in church, should have known a lot of things,

but I didn't. Finally, when I was about five or six years old, I think it was that I was baptized the way I was told baptism would take care of it. I'd be saved if I was baptized. They didn't use the word saved. But anyway, I would be a Christian if I was saved. Now, after I was baptized, though, I was informed. You gotta be good enough to stay being a Christian.

If you don't stay good enough, you're done.

I almost thought, I hope I can confess my sins on Sunday morning and die immediately. After, because that's the only way I'll make it. So by the time I was about 13 years old, came to my senses a little bit, just tiny bit. I realized I'm not going to make it. I'm going to help. So I'm going to live that way. And I lived like hell for the next eight years.

I'm going to give away my age here. Vietnam came along and they had the, now I can't remember the name of the big battle that they had that we basically lost an awful lot of men. No, it was the big base that we lost over there. And anyway, right after that, I decided like say, I was raised by great parents. My dad was very good man. He did not go to church,

but he always made sure I son his son's church. But I decided it was time for me to join the military and go represent my country and help save from communism. Look back on how that was supposed to work. But anyway, I went in and I was 21 years old. I was the old man in there. It was all a bunch of young pups that were coming in. I was 21 years old. I failed my physical,

but I was bound and determined. So that guy lied about it. And I got into the Marine Corps and I spent a lot of time in there. I'm retired on disability from the military. But my one of my roommates kept talking to me about going to a Bible Fellowship. Pretty went to. Well, me and my marine brothers were sitting there. You know, anybody knows anything about Marine Corps were a bunch of hungry fellows.

And so we read the Bible. And we found all how all those arguments to shoot down everything. Those silly Christians were telling us. And I volunteered to be the one to go crazy in to the Bible study. And argue the Bible. And I got to the Bible study. And it was one of those. It was a couple hours long Bible study in that. A couple hours long. At the end of it into the teaching.

I couldn't think of any arguments. Everything that I had to argue there. Was addressed.

And I wrote back home with him pretty quiet. But I asked him. I said, next time you go, could I go with you again? I went with him again. I came to the Lord accepted the Lord. But I still had this feeling in the back of my mind. Hey, I'm a marine. I'm proud. I've got to be the one to do this. It's all up to me. And so I lived along for a long time. Being what I thought was a Christian.

But I wasn't a Christian. And I was trying to work out my own salvation. My grandpa always said, you know, as the scripture says, every tub sits on some bottom. So he helped me find that scripture. But anyway,

one time, it's not been that long back. Now, this is 57 years. But I tried to do the Christian life. Never made. And I had it explained to me and I realized in the scriptures. Galatians 2 16. And again, Ephesians 2 8.

I finally came to the realization. My only salvation. Is in the Lord.

I cannot do this on my own. Only God will give me. Salvation.

I spent my time in the military. Where I retired. I sent my time scared to death. Of dying. Lord's taken that away.

I've done an awful lot of wrong things in my life. Still do. But I realized. God. Forgives me. He works that out. And because of God, I am forgiven.

I'm no longer a fear. No longer a fear to the dying. I'm no longer afraid of death. I am very sorry. Each time I sin. And I realized. That. Every nail. That was driven in his hands or his feet. Was for my sin.

But he loves me. And he forgives. Now. Still a sinner. But I'm forgiven. I'm still trying. Very hard to understand. How to be able to love. Like God loves. Because that's what he tells us. Is to love like him.

How there's some people out there. That just make that one a hard one for me at times. And I'm sure I make it hard on them too. But. The Lord. I know. Forgives me. And thank heavens. He forgives me. And I just. Thank you for letting me share my testimony this morning.

So my name is Cindy and I'm from Arkansas City Kansas and I was raised in Cali County. And my grandparents just lived a little ways.

My grandparents lived just a little ways down here. I drove by their house when they when I their old house when I came here. And so this is a very familiar territory for me. And I'm. Very grateful to be here today. I can tell you right now that there was never a time that I didn't believe that there was a God who loved me and sent his son to die for me. And so I don't remember a time like that.

And so for me. I went to church with my grandparents and I was sent to church by my parents and I heard the gospel many times over. But and I didn't want to go to hell. I knew that I knew I didn't want to go to hell. And I was pretty scared about that because I knew I was not a good person at times. I knew I lied and did naughty things even as a child. And so I knew that even as that I was a little sinner, but I just couldn't figure out how those people live such a good life.

And I didn't that didn't register with me. I would have this list of things that I knew I shouldn't do. And I just couldn't stop. Doing it. And so to me, that's what I mean. I thought God was an over waiting to smack me over the head every time and I was afraid of him. So I did have the fear of the Lord, but I don't think I had the righteous fear of the Lord.

And so that was a problem for me. I was honest enough with God that I knew that I couldn't quit sinning. And so finally, it just came to the point that I just gave up. I said, I'm not going to make it. I'm just not going to make it. And so I gave up and I lived a life without hope, even though I've been in church and I prayed. Oh my goodness. I prayed fire insurance prayers.

I don't know how many times and those Brian your insurance prayers. I think I might make it and then the next second I messed up again. And so I just lived a life of defeat and as I grew, you know to into a teenager and I saw how you know, everything was going and I had some things happen to me that were really bad and I was in despair and shame and I just wanted to clean up my life and I wanted to be better and I couldn't I couldn't make it better. And one day Rick doesn't remember this but one day when I was trying to do all that I heard this music at Wilson Park in our city and he and another gentleman were there and I was walking.

My dog in the park and the other guy called me over because he knew me and they start talking to me to go what's going on and it was one of those Calvary Chapel old-fashioned. They had all the priest bands used to come through Arc City. They had it in the park and they were telling me that was their church. That was something from a Calvary Chapel probably in California and told us about where Calvary was and invited me to church next Sunday and at the end Rick and John they said, they said now we'd like to pray with you know, and I was stubborn enough.

It was like but you can pray with me, but you're not going to pray for me. I'm not going to save today because I just wasn't quite ready for that and so they did. They prayed for me and then I came to church the next Sunday and guys I can't remember a thing. I cannot remember a thing that was said that in the sermon, but I remember sitting there and I remember thinking.

He's right, but you know what? I didn't have the white knuckles I had when I was a little girl. I didn't have the feeling and the emotion and the call that I had in my life. I'm like, man, I've gone too far, you know, and so then he gave the altar call that day. I'm like, well, I just got to do this by faith or I'm going to hell for sure. So what I did was I, when he came to the parkway and he raised his hand, I raised up my hand

and I got up. I had to get this because I raised up my hand up and that is easy, isn't it? That's all I had to do. But then, of course, the pastor went further and he's quoted the scripture. That's what I'm looking for right here. But therefore ever is Matthew 10 32 33. Therefore, whoever confesses me before men him. I will also confess before my father who is in heaven.

But whoever denies me before men, I will deny him before my father who is in heaven. Here I am. I bet he's right. I that's probably what's best for me. That's probably what's been wrong. I've never told anybody that I, that I accepted Christ as my savior. And so that day I thought when he invited us to come up, I said, I've got to do it. So I walked up front and poor Pastor Joe at the time, he'd never had anybody do because

I come from a little holiness church and I walked clear up front and he meant just come down here and show everybody she did it. And I came up and I went, well, praise God. I finally did it. And I made my testimony. That was the first time I ever gave him a testimony. It was the last time. This is the first time since then. That was 45 years ago, guys. And poor Joe, back then I had, Joe wasn't a tall man and I had on, you know, the wedgies,

those real tall shoes. And he looked over at me and just handed me the microphone and I off I went. And he said, they never forgot the day that Cindy Harding got saved. So anyway, just wanted to share that with you. And I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So anyway, just wanted to share that with you. And like I said that was 45 years ago. And so I just wanted to, and when I left that day, like I said I didn't have a big call in my life, guys. But when I left that day and I walked down that building, the grass was greener and

the sky was bluer. And so I knew. And my countenance just completely changed. The shame that I had felt. The guilt. But I knew, I didn't understand everything, but I finally understood that I didn't have to walk that walk alone. That Jesus was going to provide the way for me to be who he wanted me to be. And he has walked with me ever since. And like I said, that was 45 years ago.

And I need now to share with you, that's my first half of my testimony. My second half is that I felt, I started praying over this and I just really felt, I started feeling ashamed. The enemy came against me and it's very hard to be a person who's very big and overweight. And I thought, they're going to look at me and think I'm a glutton. You know, and I'm ashamed.

And I decided I wasn't going to come because I didn't want to stumble anybody. I thought, that's not a good testimony. And I kept praying about it. And. And God said, you know, there's people out there that might need to hear this message, Cindy. And that message is that we all have something in our lives. And mine is, I have had a disease that I was undiagnosed for 32 years.

And by the time I was so far into that disease, there wasn't any hope of it being reversed. And I have to live with it. And it can cause me bitterness. It can cause me shame. It can cause me envy. And I have to battle that. And it's hard for me to talk about. But what I want to tell you is that God is faithful. And I believe in a God who is able to take me through everything.

And I have an aunt who tells me, you know, God, why does God, if he's a good God, why do bad things happen? Well, as Christians, we're not promised that everything's going to be wonderful. We're not promised that. He promises he's going to be with us. And he gives us his word to hold on to. And I believe that we have an inherent, infallible word of God that we go to and we cling to in those times.

And he gives us the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to walk through that. And so I just wanted to share that with you, that God is so faithful. And even those things that we feel are weaknesses. And he is made strong in them. And so I'm taking what I have that causes me still, you know, difficult times. And I'm holding on to that and saying that my God is greater.

He is bigger. And that it's not on me that he will carry me through. And I want to tell you that if there's anybody here that's going through something that they don't understand, and we don't have to understand, we just have to believe and trust him. And I do. And I would welcome anybody to come talk to me because I've got scriptures with me that I've decided not to do it because of my time.

But I would like to say that I think we're all going through seeing this world change so much. And there's so great of a burden for people that bear. To watch things that are happening. And I would like to share it with you. I don't have a life verse. I have a life. I have a life song. So I'm going to end with that. And it's Psalm 27. And so it goes right here.

I'll leave it with that. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat. My flesh. My enemies and foes. They stumbled and fell. Till an army may encamp against me. My heart shall not fear. The war may rise against me. In this I will be confident.

One thing I have desired of the Lord that I will seek. That will I seek. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. To behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For in this time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion. In the secret place of this tabernacle he shall hide me. He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me.

Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy to his tabernacle. And I will sing. Yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. And that's the key. We worship a God who is worthy. And we give him praise. And I would encourage you to always give thanks in everything that you go. Through and know that God is there to hear you and to meet your needs. And the one thing that I want to emphasize that if I didn't make it understood.

That all those times that I believed that there was a God. I wasn't saved. I knew there was a God. And you know the scripture that says that even the demons know that there's a God. And the difference was I could know. If I was riding a plane that was going down. I could know that a parachute was going to save my life. But until I put that parachute on and jumped out of that plane.

I'd be dead. And that's what God. The difference that God made in my life. And the change that he put in me. The day that I received him as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for your time. The holiness of God and the demand of his holiness to deal with sin. And that's why Job said I wish there was a mediator. Between God and I that could lay hands on us and reconcile us.

He said I know my redeemer lives. Speaking of the one that would come as the mediator between God and man. The man Christ Jesus. And so when we speak of biblical salvation. That's what the problem is. It's not I need tweaked. It's not that I need a life coach. It's that I need to be redeemed. I need to be bought back. I need to be moved from death to life. I need to be moved from death to life.

I need to be moved from being alien. To being near. I need to be from blindness to sight. And that's what Christ did on that cross. Is he became the mediator. The mediator. And he who knew no sin became sin. That we might become the righteousness of God in Christ. And he became a curse for us. And if I am truly redeemed. And regenerate. There should be a difference.

And so what I've been called to do tonight. That's what I've been called to do tonight. Before the Lord. And when Rick visited with me about this. This was the conviction that God gave me. My role in these meetings is to encourage you. Individually and corporately. To what the New Testament church should be. To what the New Testament church should be. Not a summer camp.

The reason we gather is to equip the saints for the work of ministry. The reason we gather is to equip the saints for the work of ministry. We come in so we can go out. We come in so we can go out. And testify as Christ. And the reality that Jesus lays out. And that's where we begin. Matthew chapter 7. If you've got a Bible. I'd love for you to open it. Because I think we need to set clear what Jesus sets clear.

Especially when we look at. The need to evangelize. Within the church. You shouldn't need to evangelize in the church. You shouldn't need to evangelize in the world. So that people come in to Christ. And are apart of the church. Matthew chapter 7. The end of the Sermon on the Mount. The last part of that sermon. that sermon goes like this beginning in verse 13 of matthew chapter 7 enter by the narrow gate for

wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many to go in by it because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it and folks we live in a day where literally over and over and over people hear that salvation is so easy that is not biblical at all folks it will cost you everything here but what will it gain you everything there and it is narrow and it is difficult it's so narrow there's no room for your clothing you can't take your buddy you can't take your your wage you can't take your savings account you can't take the canned goods and ammo you got stored up if bad people come if you're going to come to christ you come

with nothing and it's also difficult it's going to take both hands you're not going to be able to keep your hands on stuff and come to christ but there is a broad easy way and it's easy and it promises heaven but it doesn't deliver it and many go in there by and just to reinforce that in my bible you just turn the page and you come to verses 21 and following in the same chapter and jesus again makes it very clear not everyone who says to me lord lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of my father in heaven many will say to me that day lord lord having not prophesied in your names and cast out demons in your name and done any wonders in your name and then i will declare to them i never knew you depart from me you who

practice lawlessness folks these are churchgoers didn't we prophesy in your name did we cast out demons in your name didn't we do many wonderful things in your name probably has he never commanded that in his sermon he never commanded that in his sermon he never commanded that in his sermon on the map what he commanded the sermon on the mount was obedience and obedience is difficult it's a lot funnier to go on some big wonder work than it is to love an enemy and to bless those that curse you and the good to those that hate you and spitefully use you a lot easier to do something big and fluffy than to knuckle down and be like christ so he says not everyone only those that do the will of my father and so in this day

we live in which has changed folks by the way if you're still thinking things are going to or are changing you're behind the curve things have changed locally nationally culturally globally they've changed and you have to make sure somewhere you decide if you're ready biblically to be a christian in a different world than you've ever dreamed of here in these states most people aren't they're very content to be middle-class american churchgoers that work their job get their money go on vacations and always show up at church and we have a little worship time and that's what christians do here and the church is infiltrated with sin there's no real repentance and he has to try to evangelize christians the problem with that

is jesus said many will say lord this was the first series of sermons i preached at the church i pastored the first series of sermons i preached at the church i pastored the first series of sermons i preached at the church i pastored and when i got to this point i declared to them the problem i've got and then it broke me i don't know which one of you are in that many see there are pastors that have preached for years that finally get saved there are people that have been in church their whole life that finally get regenerate because they finally encounter the god of the bible that is holy and the remedy for that holiness which is his son that regenerates me by the power of the spirit

all of a sudden he becomes real and they get real and you can tell many will say lord lord the will of the kingdom that he does the will of my father and so the first challenge if you will that i've been convicted to lay out is what does a biblical christian look like and we get that from scripture by the way we don't have to make that up and so we're going to walk through in our time this evening a couple of those 2 corinthians 13 5 simply says yourself and see if you're in the faith test yourself for you also know that Christ is in you and so that's what we're going to do for a little bit this evening is is those of you who are Christians we're going to do a little examining and see if we line up with biblical definition of what Christian is

we're going to come back to it but I want to remind us from the onset you must be born again to be a Christian attending does not make you a Christian and this brother said it baptism does not make you a Christian coming to Christ in belief in his finished work on the cross and being regenerated by the Spirit of God is what births you into a relationship with God through the blood of the Son you must be born again so that now we we're going to trick a little bit first we're going to look at abiding in the word a Christian is one who loves the word if you know somebody says yeah I'm a Christian are you in the word I know you know I'd love to be a nice time time okay is that does that line up well let's go to John chapter 8 verse 31 and 32 and there

are multiple other places but this is pretty concise verses 31 and 32 of John chapter 8 then Jesus says to those Jews who believed him who's he talking to people who believed him if you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free the truth not some truth the truth and those who are his disciples abide in this book and folks you need to spend more time in this New Testament than you've ever spent in your life it's about to make a whole lot more sense see this doesn't make sense because it's not synonymous with a base but it's about to make a whole lot more sense thinking about additives sharing presence with others it's about the truth you do it

it's about kingdom and remember Jesus was his slices did not go down together they were shepherds on earth and he rise from the dead to be slain the when you could be healthy keep trusting in Jesus like you do you can be happy when you have these things I'm gonna put this out on ourpaper we use players we get players with the whole Bible on it studies on it and those are available and you can do it the old-fashioned way like I do you can open your Bible and you can dive into the word see a follower of Jesus abides in his word and the problem some people have is they dawdle in it and flirt with it and their enemy knows it is Satan used the word when he tried to test Jesus and most people can't use this like a sword they could barely shave

with it and so it's really time to open this book up and go in wanting to obey he who wills to do the doctrine will be made known they spend time in the word I want to ask you in your circle if you were to ask the people in your circle of Christians what's one thing Jesus commanded other than love what do you think they come up with how can you obey what you have no idea of you know that's how a lot of people are trying to walk out faith you know he really commanded quite a few things he commanded to love your enemy what a suggestion he commanded don't lay up treasure on earth where moth and rust destroys and feet break in still he commanded over and over and over and over and most folks have no idea what he commanded you

know why because they don't spend time in his word and he is the word and the word became flesh and dwelt among us go to 2nd Timothy 316 2nd Timothy 316 describes this book that we hold all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine reproof for correction for instruction and training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work folks this is the only God breathed thing we have and it's the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and again most folks don't have enough of this to shave with let alone do battle with and they are run over go to Hebrews just a couple books to the right Hebrews chapter 12 or sports even either his

chapter 4 verse 12 for the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even in the vision of the soul and spirit of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of hearts and thoughts and the intent of the hearts and there is no creature hidden from his sight but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him who must give an account this is the God breathed living active Word of God and it is our only authority and it is our only authority and if it doesn't line up with this it has to move and the church has allowed so much that even in this book to filter its way in and folks folks aren't ready they are not ready my job before God first and foremost is to protect this

and then to teach what it speaks so someone can live a life that God can favor so a follower a true regenerate Christian is going to be in the word not only going to be in the word but they are going to obey the word that's where it gets a little tougher because if you will to do it will be known but if you have no inclination to obey it this book it will be open to you so let's look at a couple verses here John chapter 14 John chapter 14 beginning in verse 21 he who has my commands and keeps them this is John chapter 14 beginning in verse 21 he who has my commands and keeps them it is he who loves me he who loves me will be loved by my father and I will love him and manifest myself to him Judas not

Iscariot said Lord how is that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world Jesus said to him if anyone loves me he will keep my word and my father will love him and we will come and make our home with him he who does not love me does not keep my word and the word which you hear is not mine but mine is my father who sent me to obey this word and again the inclination in church today is to make up our own rules folks who can't and again this this thing has changed and most people don't even know what it means to be a biblical New Testament Christian they know what it is to be a middle-class American church goer but those two aren't the same Martin Luther said a faith that costs nothing

and gives nothing and suffers nothing is worth nothing and in this culture right now many buildings like this are more focused on protecting our stuff than protecting the gospel tomorrow in our circle we're going to quote a lady from 1527 her name was Willemuda Christ she was a widow and she was a Christian and she wouldn't be quiet and they had warned her about that and they took her into custody and said if you don't talk about Christ we're going to kill you and friends and loved ones came by and tried to talk her out of it and a dear friend of hers came and counseled her and she said dear mother can't you just be quiet and and this dear lady said oh I cannot be silent dear sister I cannot decide for with the mouth one

confesses unto salvation and with the heart one believes under righteousness I cannot be silent and if they put me in a sack and ground me or burn me it's of no indifference to me I am to cling to my Lord and the next day they came and they took her and they led her to the gallows and they strangled her and then they burned her and folks that's not losing because where did she go immediately she was asked for the body and present with the Lord and the church has said no to die is terrible no to die is death good people be with him are we going to obey this book are we going to love our enemies when the verse strike you on the right cheek are you going to turn to them the other also if they sue you and want to take

away your tuning are you going to let them have your cloak also if they compel you to go one mile are you going with them too you're just going to skip that part of the sermon on that are we going to obey the book many that's really not even a pot because that disrupts our schedule it disrupts our whole process of what we call Christianity because Christianity is about us right no religion is about us Christianity is about Jesus Christ it's about Jesus Christ and bringing people to him so they can be reconciled to a holy God by that work on the cross that he did they obey go to James 122

some of you probably have this committed pretty short and pretty to the point James 1 22 but be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves folks the reality is if you come here tonight and hear this and go to there and forget it you just deceive yourself and you know how many people do that every Sunday how many people are going to come to your church tomorrow with the intent of being changed to be more like Christ when they walk out that door I hope all of them that's the hope with the condition of the church you have to wonder if it's the reality or not though don't just be here as the word be doers because if you're just a here you're deceiving yourself this should change us third one do they

bear the fruit of regeneration because see if I'm regenerated which means I am made new right then there should be evidence of newness shouldn't there second Corinthians says if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation and the same word that was used in the original creation is the root that's used in that wording there creation he made me new I was dead and he regenerated me and now that life should show the fruit of that regeneration and in that set of Scripture Paul says the way you tell that is that they have been reconciled and they take up the Ministry of reconciliation with a word of reconciliation and their ambassadors same kind of a question how many people in our gatherings tomorrow will leave with the specific intent of sharing Christ

with somebody you know when I that actually came to be real to me that the reason I'm supposed to come here so I can go out there and tell somebody? It wasn't when I was growing up. It wasn't when I was in junior high, high school, or college. It was when I opened this book to obey. Did you know that's the reason you're breathing if you're a Christian is to be a witness for him?

See, that's why we haven't been persecuted, folks, because we don't tell anybody but our friends because it might cost us. And Martin Luther says a faith that doesn't cost anything and doesn't suffer anything and doesn't give anything really isn't worth anything. So do we have the regenerative fruit? And in a word, it's love. And it covers it all because what's the greatest commandment according to Jesus?

To love the Lord your God with what? All your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. Now, if we were to ask that, first of all, no, I haven't done that. I'm still learning to do that. But I am applying myself more to do that. And we can kind of leave it there, but what's the second one that's like to it? Love your neighbor as yourself. And who's your neighbor?

It's the person you love the least. That's why Jesus gives the parable of the good Samaritan. If you remember the lawyer when it's over, who was the neighbor to him? What does the lawyer say? He can't say Samaritan because he hated Samaritans. So he said the one that showed him kindness. You love God to the extent you love the person that you love the least.

Now, that's at the limit. Isn't it? You voiced that. Because now I'm panicking. And I just got exposed by the word, didn't I? But if I'm regenerate, go to Romans 5.5. Romans 5.5.

If I have truly been born again, if I am regenerate, verse 5 of Romans 5. Now, hope does not disappoint that eternal perspective that this isn't about here and what I can gather up. It's about there and who all I can bring with me. Who all can we bring to Christ that they might be redeemed? That hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts

by the Holy Spirit. Why in the New Testament does Jesus say I give you a new commandment when that commandment was given in the law? Because it now had the Holy Spirit to fully enable it. And if you're regenerate, you have the very agape love of God poured out in your heart by the Spirit of God and you can love an enemy. Go back and study the martyrs. We've been looking at the Marian martyrs

in our circle. And throughout church history, people have went to the stake to be burned singing hymns, preaching to those that persecute them. This dear widow at peace in the Lord testifying to the guards and to her friends that came to try to talk her out of it. How does that work? It's supernatural. How will it work if you try to do it? It's supernatural.

The fruit, the evidence of regeneration in a word is love. And we're going to dwell there just a second and then we'll get ready to wrap this up. I want to look at James, James chapter 2 verses 14 through 17. What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food

and one of you says to them, depart in peace, be warmed and filled, do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what is it profit? If I say I have faith and I see someone in need and I say, bless you, bless you, and go on my way, what's my faith worth? Nothing. Do you remember that parable of the Good Samaritan? That priest came and what'd he do?

He went down the other side. He had important God stuff to do. And that faith was worthless. And Levi came. He works on the temple all the time. He cared for the temple. Big job, lot to do. Don't have time for that. The guy's probably dirty anyway. So he walks by. But the outcast, the Samaritan, does what any Christian should do. He gave himself away. He rearranged his schedule and touched the guy

and covered his healing. See, if I see that and don't do anything about it, my faith really doesn't have much to stand on, does it? Go to 1 John chapter four, verse 20 and 21. You will be, yeah, verse 20. If someone says, I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

Folks, the word hate doesn't simply mean to be vehemently against. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, you can't serve two masters, for either you will love one and hate the other. You will be loyal to one and despise the other. You can't serve God and money. To hate means to put under something you love. If I love something by default, I neglect something else, right?

If you're in church tomorrow morning, you left something else to go and do that, right? And if you did something else instead of church tomorrow, you would show you loved it and you neglected church. That's what this means. If I say I love God, but I neglect the needs of the people around me, John says you're a liar. Because if I love God with all that I am,

you're a liar. What's the evidence that I love God with all that I am? That I love my neighbor as myself. And if I don't love my neighbor, I really don't have any business saying I love God. You love God to the extent you love the person that you love the least. And that's why churches are filled with venom and with depression and with all the symptoms of the world,

because we've spouted so much hate, we've told off some religion and we haven't understood biblical Christianity. Do we love the word? Are we in the word? Do we obey the word? And does that regenerative fruit show in love? The last place I wanna go is Revelation chapter three. And it was mentioned when I had one of the testimonies. So Lukewarm church. These letters are in sequence.

They have a lot of different fields, but this is the Lukewarm church. And so we'll read it. and to the angel this is revelation 3 beginning verse 14 into the angel of the latest scenes to the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans right these things says the Amen the faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God I know your works that you are neither hot nor cold I wish that you were cold or hot so then because you are lukewarm and neither cold or hot I will vomit you out of my mouth because you say I'm rich and have become wealthy and need of nothing and do not know that you are wretched miserable poor blind and naked I counsel you to buy from me gold refining the fire that you may be rich

and white garments that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed and not your eyes with eyes sad that you may see as many as I love our view and Jason therefore be zealous and repent behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me he who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my father's throne on my throne is also our team to sit down with my father on his throne he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches Laodicea was between Hierapolis and Colossae Hierapolis had hot springs Colossae had cold springs hot springs medicinal healing cold springs life-giving refreshing

Laodicea didn't have anyone they piped their water and when it got there they were putrid lukewarm and the picture of this church is you're not healing anybody you're not medicinal in any lives you're not refreshing anybody you're not getting life to anybody you're just glad that you've got lights on and somebody shows up on Sunday and you don't think you need anything but when God looks at that church what does he see you are wretched you are poor you are blind and you are naked and you have no works before me folks somewhere Mike has to ask himself is this Christian life that I profess life giving to anybody else or is this thing all about me and as long as I come and show up is that this got to be okay with God that's not Christian is my life

healing to anybody Thursday night in our gathering we have a twice a month study with guys and we were in Matthew 25 I was hungry I was thirsty I was naked I was a stranger I was sick I was in prison and either you came or you didn't and how many people sent me pews and their lives are of no benefit to anybody else? They're selfish that's not the Christ model and then he knock and that's the verse that was quoted in one of the testimonies as an individual folks this applies to the Church as well but give me an example way into incluation straight off these V Enlightenment scriptures as evangelical disciples as an individual folks this applies to the Church as well but that's a follow-up special哦 isso Absolutamente verdade

and then he knocks and that's the verse was quoted on one of the Testimonies and that's the first that was quoted in one Rabbi Rothschild's testimonyífico aisoud because who's he writing to? He's writing to the church in Laodicea. And folks, a lot of commentators think this is the description of the last church in the church age. And if you look and think about the church today, it's pretty definitive.

And the picture Christ has given here is he is standing at the door of the church that he bought with his blood, and he's knocking, and it's sad because the testimony is true. Is there any one? Is there just one in the house that will get up and open the door and let me back into my bride? Because somewhere along the way, he got left out. And we reshaped Jesus where he fit in our pocket.

In our church, we got two jars down front, two quart jars. One of them's filled with rocks with a little baby nativity Jesus in that jar. And man, he travels so easy, you can take him to work and nobody knows. You can take him on vacation, stop by the casino, nobody knows. You can do whatever you want with that little Jesus, and he's always there. He's just happy to be alone.

That's not the Jesus of the Bible. That's not a saved person. They're just full. And then there's another jar that's filled with red dyed water because I'm not going to put real blood in the jar. But it's the blood. It's the blood. And that person's filled. And it's not hard to tell. And somewhere in that religious activity that we've heard over and over, over and over and over,

I was in church. I was around. I went to church. And then something broke me. And with every one of them folks, were they really saved? And as Christian, that knowingly willfully went against everything the Bible says, or were they an unsaved person that finally just got saved when they crashed? Only God knows that. But folks, many will say, Lord, Lord, the one in the kingdom.

And we know he said that.

Does my life show the evidences of my life? Does my life show the evidences of my life? Does my life show the evidences of my life? Does my life show the evidences of my life? Does my life show the evidences of my life? Does my life show the evidences of biblical Christianity? Does your life show the evidences of biblical Christianity? Last one I'm going to look at is James 1, 27.

I like to keep things simple when we can. This is simple. And I'm going to ask you personally to evaluate it.

If I were to ask you before you read that, if you've turned, if you wanted to know what real, pure, right religion is to God, would you like to know the answer to that? So you could live it? Now, if you don't want to know, then stop your ears and live however you want. But if you'd really like to know, he's going to tell you what it is right here. Pure and undefiled religion

before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in the day of their trouble and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

See, if I say I'm a Christian and I want to be real about it, when's the last time you went to a nursing home and sat with somebody? Not the last time pastor did, you didn't hire him to do that. First of all, you shouldn't have hired him, you should have called him. That's what a pastor is supposed to be called. When's the last time you went to an orphanage or a children's home?

When's the last time you let something capture you and wreck your schedule to give yourself away for anyone?

That's what God thinks religion ought to be and unstained from the world. So we come back to where we started. The question is, am I saved? The question is, not do you attend church? The question is, are you regenerate? Have you been redeemed? Are you born again? And Mark 1.15, and you can look it up when you normally want, simply says this, and this is Jesus speaking,

repent and believe the gospel. And folks, if you are here tonight and you haven't come to Jesus Christ in saving faith, you remember where we started. There is a thrice holy God that when they were at the mountain of Sinai said, stay away from me or I will break out against you. Holiness is not an emotion with God. It is what he is. And when sin gets too close to holiness,

holiness destroys it. And so at Sinai, he says, stay away. And he implements the Levitical priesthood and the sacrificial, the sacrificial system to keep an ongoing atonement to keep from killing everybody. And it's not because he's mean, it's because holiness demands that. And then comes Christ. And he himself was offered once at the end of the age. And he atoned for the sin of all who would ever believe.

But he is the only mediator. He is the only name given. He is the only lamb slain. And you are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, or you are not saved. And that's what we call you to tonight if you're not regenerate. And folks, don't let a pew give you a false sense of security. Don't let your grandma's place in the Sunday school program

convince you you're saved. That won't save you. It is you confessing him Lord and believing God raised him and showing the evidence of that in a life lived for his glory. If you have not believed, if you have not come to Christ in saving faith, this would be a really good time to do that because you don't know the hour of the day he's coming and you don't know the hour of the day you're going.

He does. Before your days were, he ordained them and he wrote them in his book and he knows the second you're going to breathe your last. And the time to get ready is before that. And also folks, you're living in a day that has changed. And many people that sit in buildings like this, are going to say, you know what? I'm not ready for what's coming along. And I'm not trying to scare you about a nonprofit.

Don't mean to be, but you look at what's going on. You need to get biblically sound and understand what New Testament Christianity is. And if you have been a church goer, redeemed or not, first get saved, then get in that book and figure out what it means to be Christian. Because you're going to get the chance to, probably before tomorrow. Let's pray. Father, thank you again for the evening, Lord.

Thank you for your word. And I just pray Father, that you would seal these truths first. Many will say, Lord, that we'll not enter the kingdom. Religion has run rampant instead of Christianity. Salvation by association, instead of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. To reconcile, to justify before a holy God, those who come to that redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

And Lord, I pray if there is one brethren telling you it hasn't come to that savior of the world, then I might be the night Lord. But for those that have, I pray you would stir them also in Ephesians as it says, Awake, Awake! The church is sleeping. And she's sidetracked and she's dirtied herself. And she can't even tell the Christians from the non-Christians.

And I'll be so aware, we are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world. The city cell hill cannot be hidden. And if there's no light of the earth, we can't be hidden. And if there's no light of the earth, this is me avoir une claire de Dieu. there's probably no city if there's no life evidence there's probably no salvation so Lord you have your way

in this moment in each heart and when we're done Lord again not to be challenged is our prayer but to be changed and more like our Christ that's our plea and we pray it in Jesus name Amen