Freedom From Temptation | Issues

WEBVTT
00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:03.600
We have one more big hand for Nick for playing the issues box.
00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:06.639
Shout out to you, man.
00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.039
Deal with your issues.
00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:09.919
Amen.
00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:14.400
Today, if you have your Bible, your tablet, your phone, and be looking to the word of God.
00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:18.000
And in doing so, 1 John 2 is where we're going to be looking today.
00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:22.480
We're talking about freedom from temptation.
00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:24.239
Say it with me.
00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:27.519
Freedom from temptation.
00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:31.760
If you have your Bibles, your tablet, your phone this morning, I encourage you to highlight this.
00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:34.000
Lots of great scriptures for us today.
00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:35.520
And we want to highlight these things.
00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:37.200
Go into your study this week.
00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:38.640
Let it speak to your life.
00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:39.200
Amen.
00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:43.520
It says this do not love the world or the things in the world.
00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:51.520
If anyone loves the Father, the love of the love of the Father is not in him.
00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:53.039
Let's pray.
00:00:53.039 --> 00:01:03.600
Lord, we thank you so much for your word, and we pray that you would breathe upon it, Holy Spirit, become alive and rehema to us, Lord, transformative, that our character would be more like you.
00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:06.239
We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ.
00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:07.200
Amen.
00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:10.719
Now we're talking about this idea of temptation.
00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:15.040
And it's interesting as we go into temptation because all of us understand it.
00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:19.359
All of us have to deal with temptation in some kind of way.
00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:30.079
Now, if we go back to all the original narrative in the garden, we see where the temptation of mankind, of Adam and Eve, was one of having to be like God.
00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:32.799
So that was what was offered to them by Satan, right?
00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:35.040
By the by the attacker of our soul.
00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:37.200
He offered to them that they would be like God.
00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:42.560
God gave them everything, rule over everything, dominion over everything in the narrative in Genesis.
00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:46.319
But you would see, he said, do not take of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:50.239
Now it didn't say that it's an apple, but we've kind of traditionally said it was an apple.
00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:51.519
I personally love apples.
00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:52.799
It could be something else I don't like.
00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:54.319
You guys know what I'm talking about?
00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:55.920
But it probably wasn't.
00:01:55.920 --> 00:01:59.120
It was probably something that looked really good, really good.
00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:01.359
And they were like, What is this?
00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:08.479
And so, you know, it says that Satan comes and he says, Oh, well, if you eat like this, you'll be just like God.
00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:20.080
And so though we had everything, though we lived in peace, we had no shame, we had no guilt, we had no brokenness, there was something of a temptation to get the thing that you don't have.
00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:22.240
Anyone there?
00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:24.000
Anyone been there?
00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:28.319
And so it's interesting because we start to be tied to these temptations.
00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:33.520
Like, for instance, in our culture in America, a lot of us are tied to the temptation of sugar.
00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:36.159
So we get a tie to this temptation of sugar.
00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:41.280
It is tied to you, and it is following you around your house at nighttime.
00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:43.919
Nobody else, just me.
00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:51.199
When I walk by relatively anywhere near the kitchen, it's like, Jay, it's me, sugar.
00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:52.319
I love you, Jay.
00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:54.560
I'm like, stay away from me, sugar.
00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:59.759
Nobody else, praise God.
00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:01.919
Maybe that's not it.
00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:04.639
Maybe you do very well, you stay away from the sugar monster.
00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:12.319
Maybe your thing is that you're so hungry from working so hard at your job that the thing you want to eat has all the whole calories in the whole entire world.
00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:15.120
You want to eat the quadruple stack of any place you go to.
00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:16.719
How many people know what I'm talking about?
00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:20.319
I'm only gonna have one big meal today.
00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:25.919
Followed by the big breakfast and the big dinner and then the late second dinner.
00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:30.560
Maybe it's not that, maybe it's something else.
00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:33.439
Maybe it's, oh man, you know, I've had such a stressful day.
00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:40.639
You know, I need to go after that third glass of wine, I need to go after this other thing, and that's the thing that becomes a temptation for you.
00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:43.120
And see, it's not picking at any one thing.
00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:49.439
All of us have something that's a temptation to us that would draw us away from what we're supposed to do after God.
00:03:49.439 --> 00:03:52.319
And that's the struggle, that's the battle, that's the thing that we do.
00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:55.680
We all prioritize our time and our and all the things we're doing.
00:03:55.680 --> 00:04:03.280
And so as we start to start battling with the real temptation, the real things that hold us back, we have to go deep.
00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:08.319
And the reason we have to go deep is because if it was easy, it would already be done.
00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:10.240
We'd just be like, oh, you're good.
00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:11.680
And they're like, oh, great, I'm good.
00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:13.680
I mean, I don't even care about sugar anymore.
00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:14.639
It doesn't even matter.
00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:19.120
Or I don't even care about this thing, or you fill in the blank with whatever it is.
00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:24.240
And so as we start talking about temptation today, I knew you guys were so excited about coming to church to hear about temptation.
00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:24.959
I know you were.
00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:27.279
I know you guys are pumped about it.
00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:37.839
But here's what I know: in talking about these issues over these last few weeks, what we want to see is we want to be those that are free from these issues controlling our life.
00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:40.879
We want to be free in the power of Jesus Christ.
00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:42.560
He has already won the victory for us.
00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:46.560
We have to walk in the freedom, the victory he already has afforded us.
00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:48.879
And so this is the alignment we're talking about.
00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:53.759
This is when we come to the word, it speaks to us and becomes something that changes our lives.
00:04:53.759 --> 00:04:55.839
Not a good feeling on a Sunday.
00:04:55.839 --> 00:04:57.199
That's great, that's fine.
00:04:57.199 --> 00:05:01.439
No, we want something that transforms our lives for the better every day.
00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:03.360
And so that's why we go to the Word of God.
00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:03.680
Why?
00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:08.879
Because it's something that's eternal, speaking to us forever from what God wants to speak to us about.
00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:12.079
And then looking to the word, it continues here in the scripture.
00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:21.279
It says in 1 John 2 16, for all that is in the world, as we read, it says, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life.
00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:25.680
It's not from the Father, it's from the world.
00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:29.120
And so we see this peace and we start to understand.
00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:32.000
We've talked about it before, but what are these three things?
00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:33.759
These are three things that get tempted.
00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:36.879
It's it's what's puts in front of us desires of the flesh.
00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:39.199
What makes you feel good?
00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:42.800
So often people they're wanting to live for the moment.
00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:48.639
They leave everything they know that's better just for a fleeting moment of something that makes them feel good right now.
00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:51.120
That's the lust of the flesh.
00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:53.439
Desires of the eyes could be that very thing.
00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:55.519
It could be something alluring that someone else has.
00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:59.040
It could be greed, it could be envy, it could be any of those kind of things.
00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:05.279
It could be lust, it could be those things that you want to get from something else or someone else.
00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:08.639
You want it to desire it with your eyes.
00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:12.560
I wonder if that's the case with Eve and with Adam.
00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:18.000
It was it desirable to the eyes, and then the enticement, it'll also make you feel good right now.
00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:22.319
Not just that, but then it says the pride of life.
00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:29.839
So if it's not something that makes you feel good right now, maybe it's something that entices the with when you look at it, maybe it's something even deeper.
00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:34.959
Maybe it's something that's the pride, the very thing that you get power from.
00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:46.160
And I wonder if that's something that we where we can, on the face of something else, we look pious, but really we're striving after something else that has nothing to do with God.
00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:51.120
Has to do with our name or something that we establish that is not from God.
00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:53.519
It has to be with me.
00:06:53.519 --> 00:07:00.879
And it becomes my ego and it becomes my small idol of my own direction and my own life.
00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:05.680
And I can tell by the silence that no one deals with this at all.
00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:11.120
I'm the first to tell you, man, this is a struggle.
00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:13.439
All of us have to battle this out every day.
00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:18.079
All of us have to choose to pick up our cross and follow Jesus every day.
00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:27.199
All of us, as we've been talking about, have to be open to the Holy Spirit's work in our life every day so that we don't give this foothold back to the enemy.
00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:31.040
Friends, let's be those that go after the heart of God.
00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:40.319
In 1 John 2, 17, it says, And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:42.319
Someone say amen to that.
00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:46.000
And so what I love about that is that he gives us the warning on the front end.
00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:49.120
He says, if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:54.240
And he says, Listen, these things are how he's gonna get you, and he gives you the rundown of how it's gonna do.
00:07:54.240 --> 00:08:01.920
It's got how it's gonna make you look how it's gonna make you feel and what it's gonna look good and the power that comes from it, the pride that you get out of it.
00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:08.240
And so the Lord help us because it all comes down to our decisions and the decisions that we make.
00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:14.079
And we know this because all of us make decisions and all of us have lived with our own bad decisions.
00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:22.240
But I can tell you, friends, as someone who God redeemed who broke me out of a ridiculous spiral that was brought on by my own decisions.
00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:25.680
And when I came to God with it, I wanted to come in parts.
00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:26.959
How many people know what I'm talking about?
00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:28.319
I only wanted to give them one section.
00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:30.000
I didn't want to give them the whole thing.
00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:31.839
Is that being too transparent?
00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:32.559
Is that too real?
00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:33.679
I'm so sorry for you.
00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:36.240
I came and I was like, oh God, yes.
00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:39.519
I mean, the part that everybody can see, that's the part I really want to fix.
00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:45.120
The other part, I'm totally fine with keeping a secret from everybody else and totally just dealing myself.
00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:59.759
Or we can come to the scripture as it talks about and when we're singing those prayers to God, Lord, I give you my heart, I give you my soul.
00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:05.120
We're not talking about a part, we're not talking about a section, we're talking about the whole thing.
00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:09.759
So, friends, when we're talking about temptation today, we start breaking it down back to us.
00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:18.960
It's gonna be about our decisions and what we do with God, how we deal with God, how we're willing to open up our whole life.
00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:21.279
He's a God that knows everything about you anyway.
00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:26.240
Somehow we think by protecting God from our mess, it's not a thing, friends.
00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:30.559
He knows all the parts, the evil, dark parts.
00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:35.279
He knows all the parts so we can give all of it to God.
00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:37.279
We can give all of it to God.
00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:38.720
Someone say amen to that.
00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:43.519
Today I have a friend that's gonna join me and help me up here and share a little bit with us.
00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:45.519
Please welcome to the stage, Gage Lees.
00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:46.960
He comes to join us today.
00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:50.559
Give me a microphone.
00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:54.399
I got away without a microphone, Gage.
00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:57.039
He's gowing.
00:09:57.039 --> 00:09:58.799
Hey, man.
00:09:58.799 --> 00:09:59.759
What's up, dude?
00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:00.879
Glad you're here.
00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:06.960
So, uh, as you notice, I've asked a few friends to come join us and have this conversation up here.
00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:10.879
Gage, uh, I met you because I'm neighbors with your parents.
00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:12.639
And that's we met some years ago.
00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:16.320
That was an interesting shift from when I met you there to how you are today.
00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:17.919
Oh, talk about it, dude.
00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:23.279
That was uh, I was in some deep and terrible places in my life, and I was just running and gunning.
00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:25.120
So I worked on the road, I traveled a lot.
00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:31.840
Whenever I'd come home, coincidentally, right, as I'm getting out of the car, going to my folks' place, he'd be pulling in.
00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:35.120
So we'd usually chop it up for like 15, 20 minutes at a time.
00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:43.440
And you know, I'm telling him all these crazy stories of the places I was going and the things I was doing, and we got to have a good relationship with each other.
00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:54.559
So whenever my wife and I decided that we really wanted to start investing our time and our energy into a community and a church, my mom was like, Hey, well, why don't you try Jay's church?
00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:55.919
I was like, Who's Jay?
00:10:55.919 --> 00:10:58.879
She goes, The neighbor with the tattoos, like you're always talking to him.
00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:01.840
I was like, I'm never going to his church.
00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:03.840
He knows everything about me.
00:11:03.840 --> 00:11:05.679
There's no way I'm going there.
00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:14.639
So my wife and I, we came, and this was the first place where we genuinely felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in worship and in the service.
00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:16.639
And so this has been our home ever since.
00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:17.440
Praise God, man.
00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:18.320
Yeah, Lord be praised.
00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:20.240
Praise God, the Lord be praised.
00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:22.639
I will say I'm I'm I'm so thankful.
00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:24.960
I would hear these conversations from my side.
00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:26.799
And I thought Gage is amazing straight off.
00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:29.600
Like we just clicked really well, had a lot in common.
00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:30.879
And he's telling me stories.
00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:32.159
I'm like, that's interesting.
00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:33.759
You know, to be here with like big eyes.
00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:34.960
Like, that's really weird.
00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:39.360
And I had told him right out the gates that I was a pastor, but he totally like woof, like how you know.
00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:40.879
I was like, oh yeah, Pastor Church.
00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:42.000
He's like, great, great.
00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:43.519
Totally ignored it.
00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:45.679
So it's really a fun process later.
00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:49.840
But man, such a blessing to have you guys with us to see you guys make commitment of commitment to faith.
00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:51.840
You know, Janae is up here using her gift for God today.
00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:52.080
Amen.
00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:53.200
Can it be there with you guys?
00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:58.000
You is you said yes to God, followed in baptism, dedicated your kids to Christ, man.
00:11:58.000 --> 00:11:58.720
Praise the Lord.
00:11:58.720 --> 00:11:59.200
That's it.
00:11:59.200 --> 00:11:59.519
That's it.
00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:01.519
Give all the Lord all the praise and all the glory.
00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:02.480
A new creation.
00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:02.960
I love it.
00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:06.080
I love that so, so, so very much.
00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:06.960
Amen.
00:12:06.960 --> 00:12:08.799
All right.
00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:11.039
So the question today, it's a really easy one.
00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:12.960
I'm sure you have all the answers.
00:12:12.960 --> 00:12:15.840
How do you overcome temptation?
00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:21.840
So I don't know about you guys if you guys knew today was going to be on temptation, but I did.
00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:25.440
And um you want to talk about issues.
00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:27.919
Uh Lord be praised, right?
00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:34.799
That whenever we put our faith and our trust in him, that we are redeemed, that we are renewed, that his mercies are new every morning.
00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:35.120
Amen.
00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:37.679
Because all of us deal with temptation every day.
00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:51.600
And whatever kind of temptation you deal with, the thing that we can find solace in, the thing that we can find hope in is the fact that Jesus Christ not only experienced but overcame every one of those temptations.
00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:54.960
And that same spirit of Christ dwells within us.
00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:55.440
Amen.
00:12:55.440 --> 00:13:09.039
And so the scripture tells us that we have in us the ability to overcome these temptations, and that God won't allow these temptations into your life if it's not something that through Him you can find the strength to overcome.
00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:10.879
So, Lord, be praised to that.
00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:16.240
I experienced a lot of things in life that led me down some pretty windy roads.
00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:22.799
Uh, and all places that I don't find any uh, you know, there's nothing for me to boast in.
00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:31.200
It's nothing that I can share with my friends today where like I'm proud of it or I'm grateful that you know I experienced it.
00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:42.480
Aside from the fact that through my renewing, through letting go of these things and finding a new way, I can now glorify and raise up the name of Jesus.
00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:42.960
Amen.
00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:49.360
Because it's only through him that I was able to find salvation from these terrible dark places in my life.
00:13:49.360 --> 00:14:00.320
In the scriptures, it tells us that all of us you know, all of us have these different temptations, and they're they're uh they're different for every individual.
00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:04.799
And some things that you may find as a temptation, I don't, right?
00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:15.679
But because they're so individual to us, as we surrender to Christ, as we live this life, I found that there were places in my life that I didn't recognize as a temptation.
00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:21.840
Things that I didn't recognize as bad for me until I started giving my life more and more to him.
00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:29.039
So as I'm acknowledging these things and the Holy Spirit is working in me, giving me conviction, I now had a choice, right?
00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:34.960
And for a long time I didn't flee from the temptation, I fled from the feeling.
00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:55.039
And uh Lord be praised that He He started to grip me from other areas of my life, and He allowed me to take this darkness that I held within me and to bring it to people around me who helped pull me from this place through encouragement, through guidance, through counsel, through wisdom.
00:14:55.039 --> 00:15:06.879
Um it wasn't until I started bringing these places that I I tried to keep in the dark to the light that they were really starting to get uprooted from out of my life.
00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:13.200
So let it be an encouragement to you guys that if you have something that you're going through, understand that you're not alone.
00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:20.320
There are countless people in this room that love you and that want to see more of Jesus in and through your life.
00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:20.720
Amen.
00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:23.200
And that we all want to get there together.
00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:24.960
If you're struggling, reach out.
00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:26.080
Somebody's here for you.
00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:28.080
You just have to make yourself available.
00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:39.279
Um so as I started to do these things and I'm surrendering to God and I'm starting to Jay remembers I went to his house one day in tears and shambles, like, man, dude, I'm struggling with this, and I don't know what to do anymore.
00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:42.080
And it's starting to affect the intimate places of my life.
00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:49.519
And at that moment, God started to work on it in a deep and profound way.
00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:55.360
And it was so difficult because, like you were saying, man, I'd I'd give God pieces.
00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:59.120
I would say, Hey, here's this big thing that I struggle with so hard.
00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:00.559
And he'd start to work on it.
00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:01.759
And then I have all these other things.
00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:04.240
I'm like, no, no, God, you know about that, but that's not that bad.
00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:07.200
Like, we we don't gotta deal with that right now, maybe a later thing.
00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:10.080
Um, but all those things compounded, right?
00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:15.279
We're we're called to live a life after Christ, not a life partially after Christ, and then the rest for the world.
00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:23.120
Um, Lord be praised that this community and a deep and intimate relationship with him has pulled me away from all those things.
00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:31.440
Um so first it was acknowledging, second, it was bringing those things to the light, and then third, just like you said, do decisions.
00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:32.480
Decisions.
00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:40.000
As I started to step away from those things and flee from the temptation, just because we flee doesn't mean that it's not gonna eventually be there in some kind of way.
00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:44.399
Sometimes those things will be in your path and you have to make a choice.
00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:51.360
And let me just encourage you that you have the strength within you to make the right choice, and that there are people encouraging you along the way.
00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:52.159
Amen.
00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:52.720
Amen.
00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:53.120
Amen.
00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:54.000
That's right, man.
00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:55.279
Praise the Lord.
00:16:55.279 --> 00:17:09.119
Gage, you and I were talking about um recently this this idea and this concept of not just being the one that that it goes with temptation, but we lead others into temptation.
00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:20.000
And you and I both, part of our story in our brokenness was that we were kind of the pied piper of of broken toys, and that we all were running towards chaos and encouraging others to do the same.
00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:29.039
The scripture that was here, Luke 17, says, and he said to his disciples, Temptation to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come.
00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:37.599
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea, that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:43.599
You and I both were part of those people that encouraged other people to along with us in our chaos and our mess.
00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:46.079
And I know we've both talked about that.
00:17:46.079 --> 00:18:04.480
Man, what I love about your story is what I've got to experience too, was that because I just brought all those things to Christ, even my guilt about feeling about those things to Christ, God was able to use that to see many of those people that I helped lead astray to come back to God or to come to God for the very first time.
00:18:04.480 --> 00:18:06.000
You have experienced that too.
00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:11.119
Can you share a little bit about what it feels like to have somebody who you've seen be in the darkness come to Christ?
00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:12.160
Yeah, man.
00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:14.480
Uh uh Lord forgive me, you know.
00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:19.599
The the life that that I lived was definitely that Pied Piper of broken toys, dude.
00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:29.839
Uh yeah, and I I watched some of these people that I drew into these places go down a pit and like a place that they weren't able to pull themselves out of.
00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:37.440
And knowing that I took them there at the time, I was like, well, man, it sucks that he wasn't strong enough to stay out of that.
00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:45.920
Um and now looking back, dude, my heart, my heart broke when I first came to Christ, and I started to see the the wake that I left behind me.
00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:57.680
But man, seeing the goodness and the faithfulness of God and him working through my testimony, just the the change in my life and not wanting to let go of those friends, but loving on them instead.
00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:02.559
God is so good.
00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:03.759
Yes, he is.
00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:07.200
Yes, he is.
00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:13.039
There's no place that anybody is that God can't reach them.
00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:32.240
So watching them come and then experiencing that peace, that joy, and the transformation power that is found in Jesus has been nothing short of life-changing and such a blessing.
00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:33.279
Thank you, Jesus.
00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:34.319
Thank you, Jesus.
00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:35.839
Thank you, Jesus.
00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:37.519
Thank you, Jesus.
00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:42.400
I know our prayer has been both of us, we pray this all the time, and I pray many of us pray this.
00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:44.960
We pray it over our friends, family that don't know Jesus.
00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:45.119
Yeah.
00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:47.119
Because we pray no satisfaction.
00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:51.519
It's not that they wouldn't experience blessing or good things or anything like that, but they would not be satisfied.
00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:54.240
But those things would be hollow until they come to Jesus Christ.
00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:54.720
Amen.
00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:57.440
And friends, I tell you this: that God is after the prodigal.
00:19:57.440 --> 00:19:59.519
You're looking at one, you're looking at two.
00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:03.279
He will reach anyone anywhere they can be redeemed and know Jesus' name.
00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:04.799
Amen.
00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:08.960
Let's say it together: freedom over temptation.
00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:11.440
Freedom over temptation.
00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:12.559
Thanks, Case.
00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:13.359
Love you, bud.
00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:15.279
Got it much.
00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:16.160
Thank you.
00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:17.680
Got it.
00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:20.880
Can you uh please welcome to the stage, Pastor Celeste?
00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:22.480
She comes today to help us.
00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:33.039
You know, we see ourselves very much here at Cornerstone as people following after Jesus.
00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:40.400
You'll often see us use this imagery of Christ walking through his disciples because that's how we view ourselves, as people who haven't arrived anywhere yet.
00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:42.079
We're still following Jesus.
00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:46.319
And so our ambition is to be more like Jesus.
00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:51.279
It's why we do what we do, why we love God, why we make disciples, why we reach the world.
00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:53.440
It's why we want to live in community with each other.
00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:54.640
It's why we do life groups.
00:20:54.640 --> 00:21:02.880
It's not because we need one more thing to do, it's because we want to be intentional, to build that community, to connect, to grow, to serve.
00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:11.200
It's why we do the things we do them with commitment, community, with communication, competence, creativity, compassion, celebration.
00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:16.160
It's why we do these things because we want to be those after the heart of God.
00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:24.640
We talked about what it means to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the other things will be added to us.
00:21:24.640 --> 00:21:31.920
And so we started out this journey talking about issues with this concept of peace over anxiety.
00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:32.799
Say with me.
00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:35.279
Peace over anxiety.
00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:45.519
We talked about how so many times it's our own decisions that bring about this anxiety that we were never supposed to have, but that true and lasting peace is only found in Jesus Christ.
00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:49.119
And so our peace comes from him who he is, the Prince of Peace.
00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:54.400
And so we believe that he can give us peace that goes past any situation that we're in.
00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:59.119
We also asked and prayed in the second week for God to give us direction over chaos.
00:21:59.119 --> 00:21:59.839
Say that with me.
00:21:59.839 --> 00:22:02.559
Direction over chaos.
00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:08.720
The reason is we talked about praying first before we made big life choices.
00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:12.559
And not after we've made decisions for God to bless them.
00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:21.920
So asking for God for his direction, his insight, and his leading as we talk about illuminating our path where we're supposed to go.
00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:24.400
And we know that he's not going to always give us the biggest picture.
00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:26.160
It's going to be one step at a time.
00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:33.519
And so we talked about that so we don't live in the chaos that comes from just living for the moment or living after fleeting things.
00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:36.160
And we talked about mastery over money.
00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:37.200
Say that with me.
00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:39.359
Mastery over money.
00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:52.160
We talked about how we're called to be those that are masters over money and it not to enslave us, not to be those who have are mastered by money, but instead that we can use it for God as good stewards of all that he's given us.
00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:56.079
This past week we talked about victory over unforgiveness.
00:22:56.079 --> 00:22:57.119
Say it with me.
00:22:57.119 --> 00:22:59.920
Victory over unforgiveness.
00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:15.119
And in doing so, we got to hear from Celeste and from the scripture about these things about how God can take a difficult situation and how he can be the one that gives us victory, that we can be free, that we can forgive, and we can live as unto God in this way.
00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:20.480
Today we finish this series talking about freedom from temptation.
00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:21.440
Say it with me.
00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:23.920
Freedom from temptation.
00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:31.920
And in doing so, we're looking to the scripture, seeing that God is doing this, he can do it, and he will do it in your story.
00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:32.640
Amen?
00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:34.400
So let's say amen to that.
00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:43.200
So as we look to the scripture and continue in here, what we start to look after is understanding that we are people that are in need of a savior.
00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:47.279
And so it could be going to come and take a look at how Jesus Himself was tempted.
00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:50.000
If you have your Bible, we're going to be looking at Matthew 4 today.
00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.079
And so let's ask you to read, if you would, from starting with verse 3.
00:23:55.279 --> 00:24:02.000
And the tempter came and said to him, If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.
00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:09.839
But he answered, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:12.559
Okay, so we're picking up here with Jesus.
00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:15.759
He's gone and separated himself, preparing himself for ministry.
00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:24.079
He's gone into the desert, into the wilderness, it says in the scripture, and being someone who is fasting and praying, and he's doing so as unto God.
00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:36.480
And as he does these things, he it's at the very end of this time of fasting when he's physically weak, when he has gone through a lot of trying times and walking these things out, that this is when the tempter comes.
00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:42.160
How many people would realize that it's it's sometimes your lowest point whenever you're tempted the greatest to make the biggest mistakes?
00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:47.119
Sometimes it's in the wake of your greatest moments that you're tempted to make big mistakes.
00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:53.359
It's in the come down from something really positive that sometimes those things will come as well.
00:24:53.359 --> 00:24:53.839
Why?
00:24:53.839 --> 00:24:57.680
Because the enemy wants to take every advantage to take you out.
00:24:57.680 --> 00:24:59.519
He wants to take you out.
00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:02.079
And so, because of this, this is where he comes to Jesus as well.
00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:07.119
He didn't come to Jesus in his fullness of being strong and then having eaten and all these things.
00:25:07.119 --> 00:25:07.440
No.
00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:11.519
He comes to him in weakness at the very end of his time there.
00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:15.200
Physically weak, but spiritually strong.
00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:23.119
And so Jesus starts to respond to Satan, respond to this, and he's and he starts to take into account that it's saying, what is Satan using?
00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:37.039
He's using this very idea of holiness or piousness, or what do I know about God that you know about God that will somehow move you away from the real alignment, what you're supposed to do in following after God.
00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:43.519
How many people know that you can get so mixed up in trying to be right about God that you can actually mess up in following God?
00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:47.359
That's what fake piety is, it's fake holiness.
00:25:47.359 --> 00:25:51.519
That's exactly what Jesus was talking to the people in his day, the religious leaders, about.
00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:54.720
And so as Satan comes, he's trying the old tactics.
00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:56.160
It's not a new idea.
00:25:56.160 --> 00:26:00.240
These are old tactics that he uses on us even today.
00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:01.440
And so what does he do?
00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:02.960
He comes to Jesus.
00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:06.880
He comes to Jesus, he's like, hey, prove you're the son of God.
00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:09.920
One, Jesus didn't have to prove anything to anybody, by the way.
00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:13.279
Two, the point was he's like, prove it to me.
00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:14.319
Oh, prove it.
00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:15.119
Come and do this.
00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:18.079
He's tempting him, he's egging him on.
00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:19.440
And we see what he says.
00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:22.400
He says, It is written, man shall not live by bread alone.
00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:24.640
He turning it back to the Lord.
00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:26.319
He's turning it back to the Lord.
00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:30.799
Whenever you're coming in a spiritual attack, realize it's not a physical one, it's a spiritual one.
00:26:30.799 --> 00:26:32.640
The weapon is spiritual as well.
00:26:32.640 --> 00:26:36.079
So we go back with the weapon, which is the word of God.
00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:38.240
And that's the first thing that Jesus does here.
00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:43.359
It's the first thing that speaks to us is that when we're tempted, use the word of God.
00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:44.640
Someone say amen to that.
00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:47.920
Let's continue in uh forward in verse 5 and 6, please.
00:26:48.160 --> 00:27:05.680
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, He will command his angels concerning you, and on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
00:27:06.160 --> 00:27:06.640
Exactly.
00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:08.880
Continues there in his answer, verse 7.
00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:14.559
Jesus said to him, Again, it is written, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.
00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:18.319
So we see that next piece about what he's saying is saying this very thing.
00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:25.519
It's like, oh, if you're if you are so close, if you are the Son of God the way you're saying, then you can go and do these things and you can cast yourself down.
00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:28.079
You can't even hit the ground, he won't let you.
00:27:28.079 --> 00:27:30.160
Now that was probably true.
00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:36.079
And that Jesus would, if he would decide to jump from the highest spot, that he wouldn't probably fit because God would look out for him.
00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:38.240
But he's not testing God in these things.
00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:41.599
Friends, God does things all the time that looks out for you.
00:27:41.599 --> 00:27:44.799
Probably things you don't even realize that he's doing for you.
00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:46.319
And I'm so thankful for that.
00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:52.240
Man, there's probably 10 things God did on my way to the office that I'm like, God, I'm so thankful that you're looking out for me.
00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:56.240
But if I wanted to go and tempt him, that's a different story.
00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:58.559
And so he's saying, Don't do that.
00:27:58.559 --> 00:27:59.839
Don't go and tempt these things.
00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:03.599
God makes it very clear, Aries, that he's saying, Hey, try me in this, test this out.
00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:10.720
But in these things where he's like, test this, means whether I'll do things for you, friends, don't get caught up in that kind of that kind of disagreement.
00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:12.720
Because that's not where you want to be.
00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:16.000
Well, if if God really loved me, then he would have done this.
00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:16.880
Says who?
00:28:16.880 --> 00:28:18.400
Says you.
00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:21.440
Are you the holy judge we should be listening to?
00:28:21.440 --> 00:28:23.279
Am I?
00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:26.559
No, I think he is.
00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:30.880
And so we don't want to be caught up in this stuff if if this, then this.
00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:37.680
Friends, go after God and his righteousness and all the other things that will come to you.
00:28:37.680 --> 00:28:38.480
Amen.
00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:41.759
Let's continue forward as uh in verse eight.
00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:48.480
Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:54.079
And he said to him, All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.
00:28:54.079 --> 00:29:02.240
Then Jesus said to him, Be gone, Satan, for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.
00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:03.920
Someone say amen to that.
00:29:03.920 --> 00:29:05.759
Be gone.
00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:06.880
Repeat it with me.
00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:08.240
Be gone.
00:29:08.240 --> 00:29:09.200
I love this.
00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:10.240
What does it say?
00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:16.720
It says in 1 John what we read first, he'll go and tempt you with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life.
00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:18.720
It's this very thing about these things.
00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:20.559
He does the same thing with Jesus.
00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:24.480
He goes and tempts him with his flesh, he tempts him with what he wants to say he is.
00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:25.839
Are you really the son of God?
00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:26.880
Then you'll do these things.
00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:28.799
Are you the one that will do this?
00:29:28.799 --> 00:29:31.440
Then he's tempting him in every one of these areas.
00:29:31.440 --> 00:29:32.559
But what does he say?
00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:34.319
He says, be gone.
00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:35.440
And I love that.
00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:39.440
Friends, you can take authority over spiritual attack in your home.
00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:42.480
You can take authority and spiritual attack in your mind.
00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:44.960
You can do that with your children as you pray over them.
00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:52.799
You can say, No, in the name of Jesus Christ, we stand against anything that's not of Jesus right now and command it to be gone in Jesus' name.
00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:53.279
Why?
00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:58.079
Because you're aligning with what Jesus said, with his words, with his authority.
00:29:58.079 --> 00:29:59.359
It's not a your authority.
00:29:59.359 --> 00:30:02.640
You're not saying in the name of Jay, no, no, that ain't doing nothing.
00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:04.559
That's in the book of hesitations.
00:30:04.559 --> 00:30:05.119
You know what I mean?
00:30:05.119 --> 00:30:06.400
That's not a thing.
00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:12.559
So don't get caught up in some ridiculous thing, thinking fill in your name according to Celeste, according to Gage.
00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:13.519
No, no, no, no.
00:30:13.519 --> 00:30:14.319
No, no, no.
00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:18.559
In the name of Jesus Christ, be gone in Jesus' name.
00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:22.480
And so, friends, this is where we start getting down to brass tacks.
00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:29.359
We can start getting down to the base layers of this stuff about battling this out and be obedient to God.
00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:32.160
I can tell you this that none of us is perfect.
00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:32.880
We all know that.
00:30:32.880 --> 00:30:34.559
We all fall short of the glory of God.
00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:39.680
But then there is Celeste, who's very close to Jesus, and then I'm way, way back after that.
00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:43.680
But I wanted to ask her today, Celeste, how do you overcome temptation?
00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:47.359
Well, I thought I would just share a story with you about my own life.
00:30:47.359 --> 00:30:50.799
That way, um, maybe it'll relate to somebody here.
00:30:50.799 --> 00:31:00.319
Um whenever somebody comes to me now and they say, Oh, you're just so so kind and so sweet, I'm like, oh, if you only knew.
00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:06.960
Um, when I was late teens, early 20s, um man, I was sarcastic.
00:31:06.960 --> 00:31:12.400
And I have to say that I really had really good comebacks to everybody.
00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:23.680
Um, I was dealing with things in my own life that the only way for me to deal with it was for me to push everything away from anyone looking at me and point it to somebody else.
00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:34.079
So what I would do was if somebody was say something, I'd I'd just come back with a really smart Alec remark, and then everybody would be laughing at that person because of what I said.
00:31:34.079 --> 00:31:44.640
And I did it a lot, and um it just felt good because tempted because sin feels good for a season, and it would just feel good, and then I'm like, oh good, nobody's looking at me.
00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:48.480
I pointed it all in that direction, and I would just do it all the time.
00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:52.720
This was before we had YouTube videos and little shorts.
00:31:52.720 --> 00:32:00.960
You can see it on those videos now, but this was back then when you had to come up with them yourself, and I was like, Man, I am pretty good at cutting people down.
00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:05.279
Um, I was the oldest, I had all brothers, so I was quick, witty.
00:32:05.279 --> 00:32:08.960
I I could just say it and then not even care and just walk away.
00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:35.200
And one day um I actually offended a very close friend of mine's husband because of something I said, and she came to me and um she was really hurt and she said, you know, you really hurt my husband's feelings by something that you said, and it pierced my heart so bad, like, oh my gosh, what am I doing by just being sarcastic to people all the time?
00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:38.000
Like, my my goal is really not to hurt people.
00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:45.759
I was just trying to get everybody to not look at what I was doing and point it to somebody else, and it really opened my eyes at that moment.
00:32:45.759 --> 00:32:51.200
From then on, it took everything within me to not be sarcastic.
00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:55.839
So something would happen, and I would just like I was like, I had a good one.
00:32:55.839 --> 00:33:01.599
And sometimes I would even write it down, like, I'm so good, I can't tell anybody.
00:33:01.599 --> 00:33:09.359
Um, and it was a constant battle in my life to just watch what you say, watch what you say, watch what you say.
00:33:09.359 --> 00:33:15.119
And scripture even talks about the tongue being one of the hardest things in your life to tame.
00:33:15.119 --> 00:33:18.319
Yeah, and it was for me, it was very hard for me.
00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:26.960
And um, I would hear people say things to justify why they are sarcastic, they'll say things like, Um, oh, that's just how I am.
00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:32.160
I want to encourage you that I know your creator, and I'm pretty sure he didn't make you like that.
00:33:32.160 --> 00:33:34.880
So you've got to work on it.
00:33:34.880 --> 00:33:38.000
Um, it does hurt people, it does offend people.
00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:42.799
And man, I tell you, I got some in my own house who are pretty witty.
00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:47.039
And when they say things, I kind of chuckle, and then I'm like, Don't be like your mom.
00:33:47.039 --> 00:33:49.039
Don't be like your mom.
00:33:49.039 --> 00:33:51.519
Shut it down.
00:33:51.519 --> 00:33:59.200
Um, because I don't want you to offend somebody that's very close to you and then have to deal with it in that regard.
00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:07.759
Um, about it probably a year ago, Jay and I were talking in the living room, and he asked me, like, what's one of the hardest things that you would say?
00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:11.280
Um it just takes everything within you to not do.
00:34:11.280 --> 00:34:14.400
And I was like, to say what I want to say.
00:34:14.400 --> 00:34:16.239
And he was like, Really?
00:34:16.239 --> 00:34:18.639
And I was like, Oh, you have no idea.
00:34:18.639 --> 00:34:23.599
But it's a constant battle, and it's not like every moment.
00:34:23.599 --> 00:34:26.400
I don't want you guys to look over there and be like, I wonder what she's thinking.
00:34:26.400 --> 00:34:28.480
It's not that, it's not like that.
00:34:28.480 --> 00:34:36.719
But there are moments when I'm just like, maybe there's an offense and I want to justify why I feel the way I feel.
00:34:36.719 --> 00:34:38.639
And God's like, be silent.
00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:40.639
You don't get to say nothing.
00:34:40.639 --> 00:34:42.800
You just let me fight for you.
00:34:42.800 --> 00:34:48.159
Maybe it's I see something and I want to get involved in it and settle it.
00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:50.079
Not your time.
00:34:50.079 --> 00:34:52.239
You be quiet, you let me deal with that.
00:34:52.239 --> 00:34:55.119
Maybe I see something and I'm like, why did they offend them?
00:34:55.119 --> 00:34:57.440
Oh, I'm gonna stand up for them, I'm gonna say something.
00:34:57.440 --> 00:34:58.960
Uh, not your time.
00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:00.239
You don't say anything.
00:35:00.239 --> 00:35:05.760
Those are the moments when I have to just be like, all right, I'm gonna write it down.
00:35:05.760 --> 00:35:07.920
Um, and I'm just gonna give it to God.
00:35:07.920 --> 00:35:12.000
And so I just want to encourage you, everybody has temptation, everybody does.
00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:17.840
And if you walk out of here thinking, well, I'm not really tempted at anything, you you really need to look at your life.
00:35:17.840 --> 00:35:21.599
There are things that you are being tempted with, and everybody's different.
00:35:21.599 --> 00:35:23.599
And for me, it is this tongue.
00:35:23.599 --> 00:35:34.239
And so I told God, I'm like, I'm gonna work hard to just be uplifting and encouraging and ask people about where they are in life and try not to cut people down.
00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:38.159
And so, right now I have to work on it in the car when I'm driving.
00:35:38.159 --> 00:35:42.239
Because other drivers are crazy, and I want to tell them how crazy they are.
00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:48.400
I know they can't hear me, but I tell them in the car, and I have to learn to just be like, don't say nothing.
00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:50.239
Don't even say it at all.
00:35:50.400 --> 00:35:51.599
Don't even say it.
00:35:51.599 --> 00:36:01.760
Um, so I I want to encourage you to find that area in your life that you're being tempted in and really, really allow God just to work on it.
00:36:01.760 --> 00:36:05.920
And it will be a process, it will not happen overnight for most of you.
00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:11.840
Very rarely does it happen overnight, but it's a constant day after day after day.
00:36:11.840 --> 00:36:17.519
I'm gonna lay everything down and I'm gonna pick up his cross only, and that's the way I'm gonna walk.
00:36:17.519 --> 00:36:19.920
And so I want to encourage you with that this morning.
00:36:20.239 --> 00:36:20.639
Amen.
00:36:20.639 --> 00:36:22.079
Say amen to that.
00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:23.039
Amen.
00:36:23.039 --> 00:36:25.760
Freedom from temptation.
00:36:25.760 --> 00:36:26.639
Say it with me.
00:36:26.639 --> 00:36:29.360
Freedom from temptation.
00:36:29.360 --> 00:36:35.280
You know, looking back to Matthew 6, we we go to the prayer that we've been looking at as a reference for us.
00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:37.840
It's the Lord's prayer as he teaches us to pray.
00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:44.320
And it says in verse 13, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
00:36:44.320 --> 00:36:46.880
You know, we go back to what we've been talking about.
00:36:46.880 --> 00:36:47.920
What does it say here?
00:36:47.920 --> 00:36:49.440
Lead us, right?
00:36:49.440 --> 00:36:51.679
So we're following Jesus.
00:36:51.679 --> 00:36:57.440
So the prayer is, Lord, don't lead us into temptation, like by the ways of places where I fall short.
00:36:57.440 --> 00:36:59.599
Lord, I ask that you don't lead me there.
00:36:59.599 --> 00:37:05.280
But not just that, but also deliver us from our mess and from our mistake.
00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:10.480
And we see over and over and over in the narrative where he'll leave the 99 and go after the one.
00:37:10.480 --> 00:37:14.880
How he'll go and he'll it's the prodigal son, and he's looking for the sun on the horizon.
00:37:14.880 --> 00:37:17.199
Friends, that's what he wants for you.
00:37:17.199 --> 00:37:26.159
Whenever it talks about all of those parables, going and tearing apart the house to find the lost coin, going into the field and selling everything for the field of value.
00:37:26.159 --> 00:37:26.719
Why?
00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:29.039
Because that's how he feels about you.
00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:33.599
He loves you like that, he values you like that.
00:37:33.599 --> 00:37:35.760
And so he wants you to thrive.
00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:40.639
He doesn't want to lead you into destruction, he doesn't want to have to see you suffer.
00:37:40.639 --> 00:37:44.079
He wants you to cry out, deliver me from this.
00:37:44.079 --> 00:37:52.000
Lead us, deliver us, that we would see God working in our everyday.
00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:54.639
Matthew 7, verse 12 says it like this.
00:37:54.639 --> 00:38:00.159
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets.
00:38:00.159 --> 00:38:01.119
We talk about this.
00:38:01.119 --> 00:38:03.119
This is the golden rule.
00:38:03.119 --> 00:38:18.239
And so if we start to really think about our decisions in dealing with others, our temptation in dealing with others, it really starts back to this same thing about what we talked about in respecting each other and loving each other, forgiving each other, it goes back to how we treat each other.
00:38:18.239 --> 00:38:23.679
It goes back to our intentions towards each other, which is a heart issue.
00:38:23.679 --> 00:38:27.199
If we don't feel good enough about ourselves, then we have to try to clamor.
00:38:27.199 --> 00:38:31.360
Like Celeste said, she felt like she needed to push the attention off of her to others.
00:38:31.360 --> 00:38:35.039
Other people feel like they have to tear people down so that they can be elevated.
00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:36.480
Friends, that's not true.
00:38:36.480 --> 00:38:42.800
God can elevate you without you tearing anybody down because he values you and you can walk in that way.
00:38:42.800 --> 00:38:46.800
You can treat other people the way you want to be treated and see something happen in your life.
00:38:46.800 --> 00:38:51.760
And I can tell you, as we start to apply these things, man, it is what we hear.
00:38:51.760 --> 00:38:55.679
It's that we are obedient to what He's calling us to do.
00:38:55.679 --> 00:38:57.840
We know it's not easy.
00:38:57.840 --> 00:39:00.880
The scripture tells us so, Matthew 7, verse 13.
00:39:00.880 --> 00:39:01.840
Could you read that for us?
00:39:02.159 --> 00:39:07.599
Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction.
00:39:07.599 --> 00:39:10.159
And those who enter by it are many.
00:39:10.159 --> 00:39:17.280
For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
00:39:18.239 --> 00:39:23.119
Early followers of Jesus called themselves followers of the way.
00:39:23.119 --> 00:39:27.119
The reason is because they were following the way of Jesus.
00:39:27.119 --> 00:39:29.119
And it's a very specific path.
00:39:29.119 --> 00:39:31.679
It's the narrow path, the narrow gate.
00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:32.320
Why?
00:39:32.320 --> 00:39:35.760
Because we have to be willing to go where he's leading us to go.
00:39:35.760 --> 00:39:40.079
That's what we started with these ideas of dealing with our anxiety and direction.
00:39:40.079 --> 00:39:42.159
It's all these pieces come together.
00:39:42.159 --> 00:39:45.440
None of them are separate, all of them are intertwined.
00:39:45.440 --> 00:39:49.360
That we would be those that deal with our issues.
00:39:49.360 --> 00:39:52.559
That we don't be, we don't, we don't just say, oh, I can't change it.
00:39:52.559 --> 00:39:53.440
It's how I am.
00:39:53.440 --> 00:39:55.119
Man, I would love to say that.
00:39:55.119 --> 00:39:58.320
But I tell you, if I said that, I would never be doing this.
00:39:58.320 --> 00:40:02.320
Because I had she's saying, Oh man, I don't want you to be like your mom.
00:40:02.320 --> 00:40:04.480
I look at my children and be like, be like your mom.
00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:07.280
Because I know, like, I'm venomous, man.
00:40:07.280 --> 00:40:11.679
Like, it is like see, you, it's like a stretch of your imagination to think of Celeste like that.
00:40:11.679 --> 00:40:14.880
I don't think it would take you very hard to think about me like this.
00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:17.840
Some of you might think that now, now, you know.
00:40:17.840 --> 00:40:23.119
But man, God, but for God, we would all be a disaster, just destruction.
00:40:23.119 --> 00:40:26.719
And we know that none of us are perfect, all of us are going after him.
00:40:26.719 --> 00:40:30.079
I love what the scripture says to us, 1 Corinthians 10 13.
00:40:30.079 --> 00:40:33.280
No temptation is overtaking you and is not common to man.
00:40:33.280 --> 00:40:38.400
God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.
00:40:38.400 --> 00:40:44.960
But with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it.
00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:46.239
Friends, I love this.
00:40:46.239 --> 00:40:50.559
It says that God has already built an escape hatch into every temptation that's there.
00:40:50.559 --> 00:40:58.559
And so what we have to understand is we have to be the people wise enough to use the escape hatch when it's there and not die with the problem that we're in.
00:40:58.559 --> 00:41:01.599
And I can tell you that's harder than it sounds.
00:41:01.599 --> 00:41:04.320
Because there's so many of us that are like, there's no way out.
00:41:04.320 --> 00:41:08.559
It's like, no, God has clearly showed us there is a way out from this temptation.
00:41:08.559 --> 00:41:15.519
And he's given us clearly the ability to do it, but it's not in our own power, it's in his power.
00:41:15.519 --> 00:41:18.239
We have to come to him with whatever we have.
00:41:18.239 --> 00:41:24.960
1 Corinthians 10 14 says, My therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
00:41:24.960 --> 00:41:28.719
We talked about what we make the Lord of our lives, the things we worship.
00:41:28.719 --> 00:41:31.840
We talked about it in money as well, the things we trade our money for.
00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:38.480
Friends, that we wouldn't have these idols in our life that we live after, that instead we would flee from those things.
00:41:38.480 --> 00:41:41.119
And attached to that is all our destruction.
00:41:41.119 --> 00:41:44.800
It's all our temptation, it's all the other things that would do it.
00:41:44.800 --> 00:41:47.519
So we need to flee from that.
00:41:47.519 --> 00:41:49.679
Someone say, flee from destruction.
00:41:49.679 --> 00:41:58.159
Today we want to give a couple of things that I think that would really help us just as a way to put fill in the blanks of how it applies to you.
00:41:58.159 --> 00:42:02.800
But as we're talking about freedom from temptation, we first have to have a mind of Christ.
00:42:02.800 --> 00:42:04.960
We know this, we're aware of it.
00:42:04.960 --> 00:42:06.400
We need to have his mentality.
00:42:06.400 --> 00:42:08.719
It comes from spending time with God.
00:42:08.719 --> 00:42:14.400
Spend time with God, and you spend time in his word, it's gonna speak to you, it's gonna give you his perspective.
00:42:14.400 --> 00:42:18.559
If you have his perspective, it's gonna give you the escape hatch to get out of your temptation.
00:42:18.559 --> 00:42:20.880
And all these things are tied together.
00:42:20.880 --> 00:42:23.440
So first and foremost, we have to have that mind of Christ.
00:42:23.440 --> 00:42:28.079
If we're not in his mindset, then everything is on the table as far as what choices we'll make.
00:42:28.079 --> 00:42:30.400
We can make all sorts of disastrous choices.
00:42:30.400 --> 00:42:34.960
But if we're following the way, it's very specific.
00:42:34.960 --> 00:42:36.480
It's very narrow.
00:42:36.480 --> 00:42:37.199
Why?
00:42:37.199 --> 00:42:39.280
Because Jesus is leading us there.
00:42:39.280 --> 00:42:42.159
So we need to walk where he's leading us to go.
00:42:42.159 --> 00:42:45.280
And when we do that, it changes everything for us.
00:42:45.280 --> 00:42:48.239
So the first thing is that we have to have the mind of Christ.
00:42:48.239 --> 00:42:54.079
The second thing I think is a helpful thing for us in fighting temptation is your location.
00:42:54.079 --> 00:42:57.119
Why are you there?
00:42:57.119 --> 00:42:59.599
Why are you there?
00:42:59.599 --> 00:43:04.559
And not just that, would you be cool with Jesus being beside you there?
00:43:04.559 --> 00:43:14.000
And see, I could tell you there was a drama we did when we were students way back in the day.
00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:17.360
Celeste was like a national drama person, like you gotta know.
00:43:17.360 --> 00:43:18.239
She's got scales, man.
00:43:18.239 --> 00:43:20.000
She's got a whole bunch of stuff.
00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:26.400
We did this skit, and the idea was that Jesus was following the person, much like the issues box that we had the video of.
00:43:26.400 --> 00:43:31.119
Jesus would follow the person, and the person didn't want Jesus to follow them everywhere they were going.
00:43:31.119 --> 00:43:33.760
They didn't want Jesus to follow them everywhere they were going.
00:43:33.760 --> 00:43:36.159
And so they're trying to keep Jesus back.
00:43:36.159 --> 00:43:40.880
And Jesus kept trying to follow them, like, no, Jesus, like, I really had a great time on Sunday.
00:43:40.880 --> 00:43:41.760
It was so good, man.
00:43:41.760 --> 00:43:43.519
A really good time reading my Bible this morning.
00:43:43.519 --> 00:43:44.960
I need you to stay here.
00:43:44.960 --> 00:43:47.039
And then Jesus would just follow them.
00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:51.119
And they're like, no, I said, Jesus, stay here.
00:43:51.119 --> 00:43:55.760
And they nailed him to the cross.
00:43:55.760 --> 00:44:05.519
Where are you going that you can't take Jesus with you?
00:44:05.519 --> 00:44:09.840
Here's the thing: Jesus is already there with you, anyways.
00:44:09.840 --> 00:44:13.199
So it's not whether or not Jesus is with you.
00:44:13.199 --> 00:44:14.079
Jesus is there.
00:44:14.079 --> 00:44:15.679
Is what are you doing there?
00:44:15.679 --> 00:44:17.519
What are you doing there?
00:44:17.519 --> 00:44:19.440
And I don't have to fill it in too much.
00:44:19.440 --> 00:44:20.239
It could be anywhere.
00:44:20.239 --> 00:44:25.679
It could be, man, if you're someone who deals with all sorts of alcoholism and other problems, what are you doing at the bar?
00:44:25.679 --> 00:44:35.039
If you're going to be somebody who's going and doing these things and you're looking for a Christian relationship that's one that's after God and a marriage that honors him, what are you doing at the club?
00:44:35.039 --> 00:44:39.519
If you're going to be doing these things, then what are you doing at that party late at night?
00:44:39.519 --> 00:44:43.199
Why is it after midnight and you're not home taking care of what you need to take care of?
00:44:43.199 --> 00:44:45.440
Do I need to get in your business more than this?
00:44:45.440 --> 00:44:48.159
Or am I just reciting to you all the excuses I made?
00:44:48.159 --> 00:44:56.800
Friends, we're in it together.
00:44:56.800 --> 00:44:59.679
The Lord help us.
00:44:59.679 --> 00:45:02.239
Watch where you're going.
00:45:02.239 --> 00:45:06.639
Not just that, but temptation so often happens out of habit.
00:45:06.639 --> 00:45:10.719
Temptation many times comes as a reprieve, an escape.
00:45:10.719 --> 00:45:12.320
It's not God escape.
00:45:12.320 --> 00:45:14.639
It's our own escape hatch that we try to make an escape.
00:45:14.639 --> 00:45:15.760
That's why it's substance.
00:45:15.760 --> 00:45:17.599
That's why it's a relationship it shouldn't be.
00:45:17.599 --> 00:45:18.639
It's why it's porn.
00:45:18.639 --> 00:45:19.280
It's why it's this.
00:45:19.280 --> 00:45:20.079
It's why it's that.
00:45:20.079 --> 00:45:25.119
You fill in the gaps, but it becomes a habit that's triggered by something.
00:45:25.119 --> 00:45:30.480
And so we have to be those that go to God, and that's why it talks about in scripture is giving these things over to God.
00:45:30.480 --> 00:45:31.519
I love what Gage said.
00:45:31.519 --> 00:45:34.719
He brought it to the light and it allowed him to deal with it.
00:45:34.719 --> 00:45:35.519
Why?
00:45:35.519 --> 00:45:38.239
Because then we can bring it to the light, and God is like, I see it.
00:45:38.239 --> 00:45:39.199
We all see it.
00:45:39.199 --> 00:45:40.559
We already knew it was there.
00:45:40.559 --> 00:45:41.760
Deal with it.
00:45:41.760 --> 00:45:45.119
And it starts to change the habit and what we're doing.
00:45:45.119 --> 00:45:50.320
It starts to change the habit of why we start to do the thing that tempts us to go that direction.
00:45:50.320 --> 00:45:55.039
And then we have to do this last thing, which is we have to take action.
00:45:55.039 --> 00:45:58.800
We have to take action to change our temptation.
00:45:58.800 --> 00:46:02.960
And the reason is because it might not be able to change every single circumstance.
00:46:02.960 --> 00:46:10.000
Maybe there's somebody at work, and that's the person that triggers you, and it's something that they say, and you want to react the way Celeste wanted to react when she was younger.
00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:10.960
You want to say something.
00:46:10.960 --> 00:46:16.000
Maybe you can't take that person out of your life, but you can change your attitude towards that person.
00:46:16.000 --> 00:46:18.320
And so what you're doing is you're starting to change.
00:46:18.320 --> 00:46:23.039
Maybe you can't change the circumstances, but you can change your heart as you go into those circumstances.
00:46:23.039 --> 00:46:25.280
And that's why it starts with the mind of Christ.
00:46:25.280 --> 00:46:30.000
That's why it starts to talk about these things and not just that, but the actions you take.
00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:34.800
If you say, you pre-decide, as we were talking about, you pre-decide to forgive.
00:46:34.800 --> 00:46:38.719
If you pre-decide, you know, I'm not doing that today, actually.
00:46:38.719 --> 00:46:40.719
I'm not having that drink one more.
00:46:40.719 --> 00:46:42.159
I'm not doing that thing one more.
00:46:42.159 --> 00:46:44.159
I'm not picking up my phone and looking at that thing.
00:46:44.159 --> 00:46:46.400
I'm not gonna write that thing that's ugly to someone.
00:46:46.400 --> 00:46:48.559
I'm not gonna say that thing that's ugly to someone.
00:46:48.559 --> 00:46:50.880
I'm gonna stop talking to people in my car in traffic.
00:46:50.880 --> 00:46:53.199
Whatever it is that your thing is.
00:46:53.199 --> 00:46:58.079
I'm not blaming her, I'm talking to me.
00:46:58.079 --> 00:47:07.039
That we need to take action so that we can be free of temptation.
00:47:07.039 --> 00:47:10.159
Friends, the backside of this is it's all blessing.
00:47:10.159 --> 00:47:15.280
It's all blessing that comes from God because God wants to bless us.
00:47:15.280 --> 00:47:18.320
He's not trying to tell us all these things to give you a bunch of rules.
00:47:18.320 --> 00:47:19.360
That's not how it works.
00:47:19.360 --> 00:47:24.800
He wants you to thrive, he wants you to do well, he wants you to live blessed.
00:47:24.800 --> 00:47:29.760
And so we want to be those that live with freedom from temptation.
00:47:29.760 --> 00:47:33.519
Say one more time Freedom from temptation.
00:47:33.519 --> 00:47:39.119
Today, as we come to this altar, we do so thanking the Lord for all that he's done and through our lives.
00:47:39.119 --> 00:47:44.000
Thanking the Lord for how he's the one that has already overcome all these things on our behalf.
00:47:44.000 --> 00:47:47.039
And so we can be free of temptation.
00:47:47.039 --> 00:47:49.280
We can be free of our issues.
00:47:49.280 --> 00:47:54.800
We can see God work in our story and change everything for us.
00:47:54.800 --> 00:47:58.559
Maybe you're here today, you've never made a decision to follow Jesus.
00:47:58.559 --> 00:48:02.559
You have to answer the question of have you embraced Jesus?
00:48:02.559 --> 00:48:05.760
Every single one of us has to answer that question.
00:48:05.760 --> 00:48:08.159
None of us can answer it for anyone else.
00:48:08.159 --> 00:48:11.679
We have to answer it for ourselves of have you embraced Jesus.
00:48:11.679 --> 00:48:15.920
And hearing it here today, you understand that all of us are in need of a savior.
00:48:15.920 --> 00:48:16.960
None of us is perfect.
00:48:16.960 --> 00:48:19.039
All of us are in need of forgiveness.
00:48:19.039 --> 00:48:21.760
We're in need of someone who can do this on our behalf.
00:48:21.760 --> 00:48:23.519
And so that's who Jesus is.
00:48:23.519 --> 00:48:25.679
We can't earn our way into God's grace.
00:48:25.679 --> 00:48:28.320
We can't buy our way in, we can't be a good enough person.
00:48:28.320 --> 00:48:29.760
It's just not possible.
00:48:29.760 --> 00:48:35.920
So we needed a savior who could come and become that holy sacrifice from a holy God.
00:48:35.920 --> 00:48:37.599
And that's who Jesus is for us.
00:48:37.599 --> 00:48:39.199
He is the only way.
00:48:39.199 --> 00:48:41.440
And that's what we talk about living the way.
00:48:41.440 --> 00:48:43.599
We're living the way of Jesus.
00:48:43.599 --> 00:48:48.079
It's the most hardcore thing you could do is live for Jesus because it's the hardest thing to do.
00:48:48.079 --> 00:48:52.159
But we don't do it in our own power, we do it in his power.
00:48:52.159 --> 00:48:54.880
And we do it empowered by the Spirit of God.
00:48:54.880 --> 00:48:59.920
All that's made possible because of the work of the cross and what Jesus has done for us.
00:48:59.920 --> 00:49:06.480
Jesus took all of my sin and all of my brokenness and all of my shame, and he died upon the cross for me.
00:49:06.480 --> 00:49:09.039
He did all of that for you as well.
00:49:09.039 --> 00:49:10.480
He did all of that for you.
00:49:10.480 --> 00:49:21.039
He loves you that much that he would go and abandon heaven and glory, come down in the form of creation, and suffer for things he didn't do, suffer for things you did.
00:49:21.039 --> 00:49:23.679
But he loves you that much that he would do it.
00:49:23.679 --> 00:49:28.239
He would even go to his death to pay for sin once and for all for all people.
00:49:28.239 --> 00:49:30.800
Because he loves you so much.
00:49:30.800 --> 00:49:43.199
He writes to the church at Rome, he says this, because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
00:49:43.199 --> 00:49:50.000
For with the heart one believes and is justified, with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
00:49:50.000 --> 00:49:52.159
Friends, today is your day.
00:49:52.159 --> 00:49:58.480
It's your opportunity to say yes to Jesus, to invite him into your heart and life.
00:49:58.480 --> 00:50:04.079
I'm asking you if you're here in the room today, if you just stand to your feet right where you're at, as Christians are praying, heads are bowed.
00:50:04.079 --> 00:50:11.760
Friends, if you're online with us today, let me encourage you to stop, take a moment, make a decision that'll change your life.
00:50:11.760 --> 00:50:13.599
Say yes to Jesus.
00:50:13.599 --> 00:50:16.639
Heads are bowed here in the room.
00:50:16.639 --> 00:50:18.400
If that's you, you say, Pastor, that's me.
00:50:18.400 --> 00:50:23.199
I just want to be included in this decision today to say yes to Jesus.
00:50:23.199 --> 00:50:28.400
Maybe it's for the very first time, or maybe you've lived for Christ in the past but haven't been living for him.
00:50:28.400 --> 00:50:30.159
You need to recommit your life to him.
00:50:30.159 --> 00:50:32.159
As Christians are praying, heads are bowed.
00:50:32.159 --> 00:50:34.480
If that's you, you just want to raise your hand right here and say, Pastor, that's me.
00:50:34.480 --> 00:50:35.920
I just want to be included in this prayer today.
00:50:35.920 --> 00:50:39.199
I want to ask Christ into my heart and life, make a decision for God.
00:50:39.199 --> 00:50:42.320
See a hand that's here, others, another hand that's there.
00:50:42.320 --> 00:50:47.840
We see hands that are here, friends, the balcony as well, friends online as well, making a decision for God.
00:50:47.840 --> 00:50:49.119
Thank you, Lord.
00:50:49.119 --> 00:50:50.400
Thank you, Lord.
00:50:50.400 --> 00:50:54.320
I'm gonna ask if you would, if everyone would pray this prayer out loud after me.
00:50:54.320 --> 00:50:57.039
Lord, thank you for loving me.
00:50:57.039 --> 00:51:01.119
Thank you for sending Jesus.
00:51:01.119 --> 00:51:05.840
I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins.
00:51:05.840 --> 00:51:10.960
I believe he rose again.
00:51:10.960 --> 00:51:14.239
Forgive me of my sins.
00:51:14.239 --> 00:51:17.440
I surrender my life to you.
00:51:17.440 --> 00:51:20.480
In Christ's name I pray.
00:51:20.480 --> 00:51:21.440
Amen.
00:51:21.440 --> 00:51:22.000
Amen.
00:51:22.000 --> 00:51:25.280
Friends, we rejoice with you that made a decision for Christ today.
00:51:25.280 --> 00:51:26.960
Praise the Lord.
00:51:26.960 --> 00:51:34.400
Hey, if that was you and there were a few hands in here today, take a moment, take a QR, uh snap of this QR code and follow it.
00:51:34.400 --> 00:51:38.639
You want to be able to uh put some materials into your hands to be successful in living after God.
00:51:38.639 --> 00:51:40.719
Friends, if you're online, message us.
00:51:40.719 --> 00:51:43.679
We want you to get connected and follow after God together.
00:51:43.679 --> 00:51:44.480
Amen.
00:51:44.480 --> 00:51:58.480
Today we have this opportunity during this next song, which is to open up this altar and just have this opportunity to come to God with all that we have, with our brokenness, and to thank him because he's the one that makes us victorious over our issues.
00:51:58.480 --> 00:52:09.679
And so we give all these things over to him, and we come to this altar asking for an empowerment by the Spirit of God that we will overcome these temptations and live free in the name of Jesus Christ.
00:52:09.679 --> 00:52:11.920
Lord, we thank you so much for this word.
00:52:11.920 --> 00:52:14.800
We thank you, Lord, as we come to this altar, we do with open hearts.
00:52:14.800 --> 00:52:19.360
Lord, for every person that comes, Lord, we pray, Lord, you would empower them by your spirit.
00:52:19.360 --> 00:52:24.880
Lord, that they would see victory over temptation, victory over places where they just need a touch.
00:52:24.880 --> 00:52:36.159
Lord, for anyone, for any reason they're coming forward, Lord, that you would meet them here today, Lord, for healing, for for relationships, for anything we've covered during this time, Lord, that all these issues, you care about them.
00:52:36.159 --> 00:52:38.159
And so, Lord, we bring these things to you.
00:52:38.159 --> 00:52:40.079
We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ.
00:52:40.079 --> 00:52:40.800
Amen.
00:52:41.119 --> 00:52:47.119
Following the second service, we are having an all-uh volunteer team, surf team luncheon.
00:52:47.119 --> 00:52:51.360
So if you are a part of this first service, I hope that you come back right after second service.
00:52:51.360 --> 00:52:53.280
It's going to be in the multi-purpose building.
00:52:53.280 --> 00:52:56.719
But we are looking forward to gathering together with you today.
00:52:56.960 --> 00:52:57.360
Amen.
00:52:57.360 --> 00:53:00.639
Before we go, we want to pray this blessing over us.
00:53:00.639 --> 00:53:07.199
The Lord bless you and keep you.
00:53:07.199 --> 00:53:12.320
Lord, make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
00:53:12.320 --> 00:53:16.719
Lord, lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
00:53:16.719 --> 00:53:20.400
Lord, we pray a blessing upon your church, your people.
00:53:20.400 --> 00:53:26.000
Lord, you empower us by your Spirit to live your love out to those around us.
00:53:26.000 --> 00:53:28.960
We pray this in the powerful name that is Jesus Christ.
00:53:28.960 --> 00:53:29.840
Amen.
00:53:29.840 --> 00:53:30.480
Amen.
00:53:30.480 --> 00:53:31.039
Know this.
00:53:31.039 --> 00:53:32.800
We love you very much here at Cornerstone.
00:53:32.800 --> 00:53:34.480
God bless you and have a great week.