WEBVTT
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Hey, we're gonna go ahead and start.
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And um I'd I I want to pray for us.
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And then I'm going to ask a few questions to Josh.
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Um I don't want to give it away.
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Let's just pray.
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Dear God, thank you so much for your love.
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Just thank you for just all that you do for us.
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Thank you for your son.
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And just just Lord, just thank you for the joy you put in our hearts.
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And Lord, help us be about sharing the gospel like we're talking about here, just as we go through our normal conversations.
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Lord, I love the stories of all the people that you're stirring in their hearts.
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In Jesus I pray.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Okay.
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Hello.
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Last uh Saturday, Joshua is move, or Josh is moving into an apartment, and he said he needed some help.
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So I went over to help, and we're doing this, and he says, I've been waiting.
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I got to tell you this story.
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And he started telling me the story.
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So I'm going to.
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Okay, so last week, Pastor was encouraging us about maybe some phrases that we would hear where people would hear the phrase and stiff arm us.
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So listen to this.
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Joshua shows up to work.
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He's working with a guy that first time there, right?
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And he comes up and tell us, he's listened to a podcast.
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Tell us a little bit about it.
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So I have a I have a guy, and it wasn't his first time there.
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He would he's been there longer than I have, but uh it was our first time actually working together.
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And uh tells me that he's listening to this podcast about money management and how if he sacrifices today and holds off on things, he can have better stuff in the future.
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And I was like, okay, it's money management, but I'm not gonna rain on your parade, whatever you think this is, by all means.
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So I walked away and God touched me and I got to thinking about it.
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I'm like, well, that's my life right there.
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I sacrificed everything just so I could have a better future with Christ.
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So I went back to him a few minutes later and I said, you know, I'm like, that reminds me of something in my life.
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And he was like, Really, what's that?
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And I was like, Again, you know, that's I sacrificed everything so I could have a better future with Christ.
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And he was like, I can see that.
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He's like, I understand that.
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So we're trying to work, and he kept coming up to me and wanting to talk.
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And one of the things he came up and asked me was the same thing that the pastor had told us about was the questions that people have for us.
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Well, what about the Bible?
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It's written by man, so that automatically cancels it out and makes it fallible because man's fallible, and I'll end it.
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No, like that's not how it works.
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So I pulled out my little Bible app that I have on my phone and I pulled up 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16, where I showed I showed him, I said, this, and again, going off what Pastor said, never to say, I believe.
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I said, This is what the Bible says about itself.
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And I said, All the word of God is divine or profitable for it profitable for reproach, for study, for knowledge.
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And I told him straight out, yes, man is fallible, but with God, God's spirit moving these people to write it, it's they're writing what God's telling them to write.
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It's not just their interpretation.
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They are literally God's spirit is moving in them to write exactly what God's telling them to write.
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Like, listen, I want this sentence, so you're gonna write this.
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And they say, okay, sure.
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And they write it.
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And I explained that to him, and he was thrilled because apparently, I don't know where he's been going or who else he's been talking to, but he's been asking this question for quite some time, and nobody could give him an answer.
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Nobody could.
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So I actually took the time to look it up.
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I even showed him, had him read it from the Bible so he didn't just take my word for it, so he had something to look at.
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And we ended up having a great conversation from that point on.
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We're still currently talking.
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He's uh he hasn't decided one way or the other, but the door is open.
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I've he was you know, he's kept it open, and I haven't pushed or prodded because I don't want to lose him.
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And so, yeah, that's thank you.
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So we're we're in it, we're in his apartment, and um he's just like less than 24 hours.
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The pastor challenged this, and I got that.
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Man, that was the first question last week.
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I got that question.
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And what was I and I I appreciate Joshua telling me this and coming up willing to share, but what really struck me is Joshua, while we were up in his apartment talking, he said, before I would have told him what I thought of everything.
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And this time it really wasn't about me, as this is what scripture says.
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And the guy even said, You told me this, the guy even said, Normally people want to argue with me or whatever, but this they you just told me what scripture, thank you.
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And so it opened a door.
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So that was I thought that was pretty cool, just a testimony of, and I will tell you this in the the last couple weeks have just been phenomenal with just people saying, Hey, I was here and I got to share the gospel.
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Hey, I was here and I got to share, and and um I'm Adam.
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I mean, it's like I'm a little jealous because like three or four times a day, he's like, Hey, I got to share the gospel today, or I got to pray with someone today.
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But um, and right now, Jerry's gonna come up.
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Come here, Jerry.
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Tonight, we're gonna take tonight to um we've had multiple people come to us and say, you know what?
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I'm ready to share the gospel.
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I just don't know exactly how to do it.
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Okay, so tonight we are going to uh Jerry was a part of the EE for years at First Baptist Church, and so uh he is going to share the gospel to me.
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He didn't want to just do it, so I'm gonna act like we're at a restaurant.
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He's gonna share the gospel.
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We got three or four other, listen, there's only one way to be saved, and that's realizing that Jesus died for my sins, okay?
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But there's ways to share it, and so Jerry right now is going to uh just so hopefully tonight you're gonna be like, you know what?
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I like that way, I'm gonna study that way and be prepared that way.
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But Jerry over these years has done EE, and so we are sitting at a restaurant.
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Now he told me to be nice to him, so we'll see.
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So we're sitting at a restaurant, and go ahead, Jerry, how would you share the gospel?
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Oh, I want to say this though.
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As we came into my office, as he came into my office and talked about this, he said, Matt, when I was doing EE, the gospel's on my mind all the time.
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I was sharing the gospel, asking the question a lot.
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It's been a while, and isn't this what we do sometimes?
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Jerry is like, you know, it's been a while.
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I've invited people to church, but I quit asking the gospel question.
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So he said the other day he was at his ear, ear, what'd you what's he called?
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The ear doctors not.
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I was at the audiologist.
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Okay.
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And the lady comes in, does things, they were talking about church, right?
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Well, I'd asked her where she went to church, and uh she told me she went to OK Church or Cowboy Church up north of Ambirn.
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And I said, Well, I'm sort of familiar with cowboy church.
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Uh how do you love it?
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I said, I don't see you got any boots on, and she said, No, I don't even have a pair of boots.
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And uh so we got talking, and I asked her, I said, Well, you know, Ariba McIntyre's sister is really involved with Cowboy Church, and she said, Really?
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And I said, Yeah, it's a it's a really working deal.
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And uh, so we got through at the test, and she was finished, and I said, Well, you know, you told me you go to the cowboy church.
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Oh, no, no, no.
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I want to add to what he told me in the office.
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She walked out, and he thought, you know what?
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I didn't share the gospel.
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You remember you told me that?
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So then she comes back in.
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So she comes back in, and we were about finished, and I said, Uh, Doctor, I had a question for you.
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Have you come to a place in your spiritual life where you know for certain that if you died today you'd go to heaven?
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And she said, Yes.
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And I said, Well, what would you tell him?
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And she said, I'd tell him that the Lord Jesus Christ is my personal savior.
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And I said, Well, thank you for sharing with me.
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So that was it's just on his mind.
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That's what if we all, if it's on our mind, our conversations, it changes what we're thinking as we share with someone.
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So go ahead.
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I'm sorry, Jerry, that was a great story as you're telling me.
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So go ahead.
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Well, I was gonna share one other thing before I before I shared with Matt.
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Uh I really have struggled all this week because of having not shared it in a long time and working on it.
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But last Wednesday night after church, I was meeting with some grief share people, and then I was leaving.
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And as I was leaving, I walked by, a homeless guy walked right by me and asked if I had any extra money, and I said, No, I don't really.
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And I didn't think about it.
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I walked on and I didn't get to my truck, and the Lord said, I gave you an opportunity.
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Brom Sunday, I'll tell you one other thing.
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Brom Sunday, and this is happening.
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I was standing in line waiting for my order, and the guy looks at me and he said, Uh, I bet your order is 666, isn't it?
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You got the magic number because he said, I got 665.
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Two seconds later, I thought I wasn't thinking quick enough.
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I could have said, Yeah, but I have 777 to override that.
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But let me get in here.
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Okay, Jerry wanted to sit down to do this.
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You can do it standing up, but we're sitting down at a restaurant.
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Jerry tried to back out of this twice because he said, I can share the gospel with someone at the restaurant, but now we're doing it in front of people.
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So uh I don't know if you noticed, but his hands are shaky and he can't even get anything on his phone.
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So he's got this.
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Matt, have you come to a place in your spiritual life?
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Well, you know for certain that if you died tonight, you'd go to heaven.
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I I think so.
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Well, let me uh let me just follow up with another question.
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My wife has always said, I always have a lot of questions.
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Let me ask you another question.
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Suppose you were to die tonight, and we don't like to think about death.
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Uh, but suppose you were to die tonight and you was to stand before God, and God doesn't say, Matt, Passmore, why should I let you into my heaven?
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What would you tell him?
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Well, I'm I'm pretty good.
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I try to be nice to everyone.
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Okay.
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Uh I understood that when you were younger, you went to church.
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What did the church teach you the way into heaven?
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I don't remember.
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Well, I understand that.
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As we get older, we have a tendency not to remember these younger things.
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But, Matt, when I heard your first comment, I thought I had some good news for you.
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In fact, the matter, I probably got the best good news you've heard in a long time.
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And that is that heaven is an absolutely free gift.
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For it says, For the wages of sin is death in our word, but the gift of God is eternal life in the Lord Jesus.
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And then in Ephesians, the second chapter, it says, For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.
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It is a gift of God, not of works, lest we should boast.
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Now, man, what's your idea of a gift?
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Uh like at Christmas, where someone gives me a Christmas gift.
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Okay.
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Um, what in getting a gift, what has to happen before you get that gift?
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Uh someone has to get something ready to give it to me.
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Okay.
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Let's suppose that you went to the store today and you bought Lisa a beautiful ring and you brought it home, and you said, Lisa, I've got this beautiful ring for you.
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But you can have it just as soon as you fix my dinner.
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Now, is that a gift?
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No, it's like uh why isn't it?
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Because uh she has to do something to receive it.
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Right.
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Somebody has to pay a price for you to get your gift, and because of that, let's in our life we have been kind of taught that we have to earn our own way.
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And in math in Proverbs, it says there is a way that seemeth right unto man.
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But in the end there, that's the way of death.
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And so while it seems right that we earn our way, when we look at what God says about man, he says that man is a sinner.
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He said, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.
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And then it says, For by faith, for by faith are you saved, for grace are you saved through faith.
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And not of yourselves, it's the gift.
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And then he says, For the wages of sin is death.
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And we know, I don't know about you, but I know that I'm not a I'm a sinner.
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I know that I've done things wrong, that I should have done, things I know I should have done right and I didn't, and things that I do wrong.
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And he said, in in Romans, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
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You know, and I told you early on that gift was free, but then he said that there's none righteous.
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God said that there's none righteous.
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I know about, I don't know about you, but I know that I'm not.
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But he also says in Matthew, be ye therefore perfect, even as your father in heaven is perfect.
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And I know Jerry Clark is not.
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And I don't know about Matt.
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I've never met a perfect person, and the only perfect one that I ever knew about that crucified him.
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So I've never been there.
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Matthew said we had to be perfect.
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And John 3.16 said, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
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Then it says, He who believes, he who believes in the Son has life.
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And he who does not believe does not have life.
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John 9, six Psalms 9:16 also says the Lord is known by the judgment he executeth.
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Now I told you I had some good news for you, and I told you heaven's a free gift.
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I also told you that according to the word, we are sinners.
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And we know that we're not perfect.
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So God, in the ends of time back, God looked down and saw that man was not going to be perfect.
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And there had to be, there's a verse over there, and I can't remember them right where it says with the scripture right now, but it says that there is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood.
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And Jesus looked down, or God looked down, and knew that we were going to need help.
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First John chapter 1, verse 1, said, and the word, and if you look at the word, it's capitalized.
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And it said, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us.
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And then if you go to John 1.14, it said, and that word, the same capitalized, became flesh, and he dwelt among us.
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So we know that Jesus came.
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We know that God provided a way that we get to know him personally.
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There's a scripture, I guess two of my very favorite scriptures, and I'm going to read this one to both of these two of you, because in Isaiah 53, 6, it says, all we like sheep have gone astray.
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And Matt, growing up, I raised sheep, so I know what he's talking about.
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I have to raise sheep.
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It says, and we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him, on Jesus, the iniquity of us all.
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Let me give you an hold up.
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You know, let's let's suppose this is you, and this is God.
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God is saying, I've made Jesus to be sinned for you.
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So he's covered, he covered Jerry Clark because of I needed that sacrifice.
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But then there's another verse that says, For he made him.
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God made Jesus.
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And I'm going to put it personally there, God made Jesus to be sin for Jerry, that Jerry might become the righteousness of God in him.
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So God made Jesus to be sin for me.
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You know, and I told you that heaven was a free gift.
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That man is a sinner and he cannot earn his way into heaven, that he has to have a sacrifice.
00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:20.880
God in himself became man and lived on this earth.
00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:24.640
So he might provide that sacrifice for sins.
00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:27.519
No matter all that I've shared with you.
00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:30.480
Does that make sense to you?
00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:31.599
Yes.
00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:35.359
Well, if it makes sense to you, I got one other question.
00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:38.000
And that is question, how do you get that?
00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:43.680
You know, in Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, it says, For by grace are ye saved through faith.
00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:46.240
That not of yourselves, it is the faith.
00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:53.440
God even provides the faith for you that you might have the belief in Him.
00:18:53.759 --> 00:19:05.920
And then in Romans 10, 9 and 10, it says, basically, if you'll believe in your heart the Lord Jesus and confess with your mouth that he is the Lord Christ, that you can be saved.
00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:10.559
Matt, would you like to be saved tonight and receive that free gift?
00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:12.400
Yes.
00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:13.920
Okay, thank you.
00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:21.599
So and here's the cool thing I like that and Jerry's phone was messing up.
00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:22.880
He says, Can I use my phone?
00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:23.359
Yeah.
00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:25.039
But it's not a secret.
00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:25.759
You know what I'm saying?
00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:26.480
Let them see it.
00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:28.240
Like Josh pulled out and showed them.
00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:28.960
Thank you, Jerry.
00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:29.440
Good job.
00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:30.880
Good, good, good.
00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:38.799
And um what what I love about Jerry's testimony or how he shared that is he was prepared.
00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:39.599
You know what I'm saying?
00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:43.279
If we're gonna share the gospel, we gotta be prepared to be able to do it.
00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:46.799
Now, can there be a question we get stuck on that we don't know the answer to?
00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:47.440
Yes.
00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:50.240
Hey, I'll get back with you and get back with them, you know.
00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:53.680
Um, okay, another one I'd like I I got a video I want to show you, Bobby.
00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:54.400
Hold on just a second.
00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:55.279
We're gonna show a video.
00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:57.039
This is called the Three Circles.
00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:07.119
The guy that wrote this, that came up with this, he moved to a place in Florida that was uh, I think it was Florida, that was a pretty secular area.
00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:13.440
And he said he would go up and ask the question, hey, if you were going to die tonight and you're standing before God, what would you say?
00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:16.720
And he he said people would say, I don't even believe there's a God.
00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:17.920
I don't even believe there's heaven.
00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:18.720
Like, I'm not scared.
00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:19.359
You know what I'm saying?
00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:20.079
Type deal.
00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:25.519
So he had to kind of in a way come up with a different way to start the conversation.
00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:32.160
And so he kind of, this is something he they they've taught it before, where you can pull out a napkin and draw this.
00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:34.079
So, Bobby, can we play that?
00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:41.200
If you turn on the television or look at your Facebook feed, it's very clear that we live in a broken world.
00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:45.440
There's a lot of death, a lot of disease and suffering.
00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:53.680
But we also see traces of beauty, like the beauty of a sunset or the laugh of a child.
00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:58.960
And that's because God's design was perfect when he made it.
00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:02.960
There was no death or disease or suffering.
00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:13.680
But starting with the very first people, we as humans chose to go our own way and leave God's perfect design.
00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:15.759
And that's called sin.
00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:22.720
And sin is what led to brokenness in our world and us and sinfulness.
00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:27.359
Well, we don't like to be in brokenness, this state that we're born in.
00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:29.359
So we try to get out.
00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:37.119
So for some, they try to get out on their own by climbing the ladder of success at work or school, thinking that'll get them out.
00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:44.240
Others try to get out themselves by doing good things or being religious and going to church and helping people.
00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:48.640
And while those are great things, they don't get us out of brokenness.
00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:57.759
Some try to drown out the brokenness with drugs and alcohol or attempts at suicide or maybe even relationships.
00:21:57.839 --> 00:21:59.759
And these attempts to get out of brokenness are.
00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:03.839
End up snapping us back in like a bungee cord.
00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:09.119
But God loved us so much, He didn't want us to stay in brokenness.
00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:12.799
So He did for us what we could not do for ourselves.
00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:14.880
He provided the only way out.
00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:18.720
And that is through His Son, Jesus.
00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:27.359
You see, Jesus came down into our world and allowed Himself to be killed on a cross, taking on our sin.
00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:31.599
And three days later, He rose from the dead.
00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:49.759
And he declared that if anyone would turn from their way and surrender to Him and believe that Jesus came and died on the cross and rose from the dead and would be willing to make Him their King or their Lord, that they would be forgiven and made new.
00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:57.599
And would then be able to experience God's perfect design for their life.
00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:04.000
And I want to ask you, which of these two would you say you're in?
00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:05.759
Are you still in brokenness?
00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:11.200
Or have you repented and believed in Jesus and are now back in his design?
00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:13.359
Okay, you're in brokenness.
00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:16.160
Well, which one of these two do you want to be in?
00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:17.920
Okay, great.
00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:28.799
Well, is there anything that keeps you from turning from your way and believing in the gospel of Jesus and making him your Lord, your King?
00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:30.319
Okay, great.
00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:35.119
You know, when I chose to make this decision, I prayed a simple prayer, very similar to this picture.
00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:43.839
I just told God that I'm sorry for my sin, that I left your design, and for the ways that I've tried to get out of brokenness on my own.
00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:47.519
I'm ready to turn from my way and surrender to you.
00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:55.920
And I believe that this is true, and I want to make you my Lord so I can become new and experience your design for my life.
00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:58.160
Is that something you'd like to do?
00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:01.680
And then just pray with them.
00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:05.759
So this is the three circles gospel presentation.
00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:16.000
Okay, and that that again, the guy that even wrote this would tell you this is the beginning, and the Lord works through this, and then there's scripture that follows.
00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:19.039
You know, I've heard people say this, well, where's the scripture in it?
00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:29.359
Well, this is talking sin, and it's the gospel as they get in, realize, hey, I'm a sinful person, this leads to scripture.
00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:30.079
You know what I'm saying?
00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:34.480
Salvation comes through Christ alone, you know, and that but that's the picture of it.
00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:43.200
Um he said there, that's something I've uh over the years, have you ever heard, and we used to say this a lot.
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:48.799
I remember when I was in a kid, I prayed the prayer.
00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:53.119
You know, some I, you know, the salvation, I prayed the prayer.
00:24:53.359 --> 00:25:00.000
And um, you know, over the years I was convicted a little bit by that because it's not the prayer that saves, it's the condition of the heart.
00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:06.319
And so over the years, you know, a lot of times there's a prayer in the back of the track that they can say or read.
00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:08.480
And um, over the time it was a lot.
00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:14.720
I would say three words, the little kid would say three words, and I would say three words, and and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:21.920
Listen, but the Lord kind of convicted me because it's not about what they pray, it's about what's going on in their life.
00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:23.279
And what do I mean by that?
00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:24.240
It's amazing.
00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:32.319
The last little bit of my children's when I was doing children's ministry, I would have a little girl, little boy, and I would say, now, do you want to give your life to Christ?
00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:33.119
Do you want to follow him?
00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:34.480
And we talk about their prayer.
00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:39.279
And I'd say, well, you just need to tell him what you're wanting to do, and what is it?
00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:52.720
And I'm gonna tell you, some of these little kids, it was just a powerful prayer of Lord, I am so sorry, I'm sinful, and they list their sins and they said, and I know Jesus came and he died for me, and thank you for that.
00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:54.559
Will you come and to be my Lord?
00:25:54.720 --> 00:26:02.319
And I'm talking when they're done, tears are coming down your eye because that's them and what the Lord is doing in their life right then.
00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:06.559
And so I think a part of the prayer is not the part that saves them.
00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:09.839
It's the idea of I'm ready to give my life to Christ and ask him to save it.
00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:12.880
And so, so that's a piece some people say, where do I go next?
00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:20.480
Because we didn't demonstrate well, Jerry, but the part of the prayer is the idea of I need Jesus that I can't do it on my own.
00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:27.680
Okay, another way I want to I want to, and then Pastor's gonna do one more or a couple more, and then we're gonna use this time to answer some questions.
00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:33.839
But if you have your Bibles, I we're at a big student event one time, and I'll never forget this.
00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:38.559
Kids were going, uh, or you can just jot notes down, but we're gonna be in uh Romans.
00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:44.000
Um, I'll never forget, you know, when you're with students, it's like, how do you share the gospel?
00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:48.079
And they're always trying to do hip cool, you know, get attention and all that.
00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:52.640
And this guy goes, he said, I will always just use the Roman road.
00:26:53.119 --> 00:27:01.920
Because I can almost read all the verses in the Roman Road, and I don't even have to explain anything because it's that self-explanatory.
00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:02.480
Okay?
00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:04.240
So here we go.
00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:06.480
So I would like to just read it to you, okay?
00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:08.400
So Romans 3.23.
00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:11.599
I mean, I think we start with this, the same question.
00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:21.920
You know, someone's struggling with uh their walk with the Lord, they're just making bad choices, you know, and the same question, you could ask the same question Jerry asked.
00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:25.359
And then we get into this Romans 3.23.
00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:31.279
The Bible says, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:36.160
And as I as I talk to a student, the next question is, have you ever sinned?
00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:41.200
Now I will tell you this if they say they have not sinned, they don't need Jesus.
00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:42.400
You know what I mean?
00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:43.119
That was our deal.
00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:47.839
If a kid does not realize they're a sinner, they gotta realize what sin is first.
00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:51.920
And as adults, usually they're like, oh yeah, I mess up.
00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:59.200
And then it's funny that I brought my Bible that I this was the Bible I got in high school when that guy was teaching.
00:27:59.359 --> 00:28:06.400
And so when I got back to my room, then it tells me right there by that to go to Romans 6.
00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:08.960
I have it right next to Romans 3.23.
00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:10.799
It tells me to go to Romans 6.
00:28:10.880 --> 00:28:13.119
So it tells me exactly what to do in my Bible.
00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:15.359
See it off, see the little circle right there?
00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:22.079
Then Romans 6.23 says this, for the wages of sin is death.
00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:28.559
So before that we said we all sinned, and then we see it says the wage of sin is death.
00:28:28.799 --> 00:28:32.079
Now, I could even say with an adult, what is a wage?
00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:35.839
Well, it's something I deserve after I've what?
00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:36.960
Done something.
00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:40.799
So it says here, because of our sin we deserve to die.
00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:50.319
But we don't want to stop there, we'll keep reading, because then it says, But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:28:51.279 --> 00:28:53.039
And like Jerry said, it's a gift.
00:28:53.200 --> 00:28:54.640
God's given it to us.
00:28:56.720 --> 00:29:00.319
And then my arrow says, or my deal then says, go to Romans 5.
00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:02.559
So now we're going to go to Romans 5, 8.
00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:11.519
But God demonstrated his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
00:29:12.720 --> 00:29:16.079
Even as a sinner, Christ died for me.
00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:18.880
And then it tells me to go to Romans 10.
00:29:19.119 --> 00:29:24.000
So then I would go to Romans 10, 13.
00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:26.640
And it says this.
00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:32.640
For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:40.799
And then my thing says to go to, then I go to uh Romans 10 9 and 10.
00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:51.039
And then it says this if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.
00:29:51.279 --> 00:29:59.279
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:08.079
And then I think after just reading that scripture, the idea of, I mean, if you read that, it's pretty much you need Jesus.
00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:21.680
And then the great thing about that, if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, I think there's a piece that you explain in the confession or the belief that Jesus died for you.
00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:33.279
And then I will say this there's been times that I've been going through this and just sharing it, and you can see the Lord working.
00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:39.119
They ain't listening to a word I'm saying, but they're wanting to get to the part of I need Jesus.
00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:40.319
You know what I'm saying?
00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:53.759
When the Lord is stirring, and so um then at that point, depending on where they're answering questions, are you ready to confess right there?
00:30:54.640 --> 00:30:59.839
And I would I would like to say this.
00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:02.720
My numbers lately, it was funny.
00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:05.759
I saw Jerry, this is why I thought of Jerry to do this.
00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:17.759
We used to have the uh was I think it was the every Tuesday, people came in and um we would counsel them and help them, just people off the streets.
00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:25.359
But in order to get or receive a gift or you know, financially help them, they had to listen to the gospel.
00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:36.799
And um, you know, a lot of times as you share the gospel, I would like to say every time you get to the point of ready to share the, you know, ready to say the prayer, they're like, I'm all in.
00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:39.599
But a lot of times they just cut it off right there.
00:31:39.839 --> 00:31:46.480
And um one thing I've learned just recently though is if they cut me off right there, like they're not interested.
00:31:46.720 --> 00:31:47.680
I still want to say this.
00:31:47.839 --> 00:31:49.519
Hey, can I just pray for you?
00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:52.319
You know, and just pray for them right there.
00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:53.200
You know, stop.
00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:56.319
The Lord's maybe working.
00:31:57.119 --> 00:32:00.480
And um, there's been a few times after that prayer, they're like, well, you know what?
00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:01.680
Can I ask you some more questions?
00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:04.079
There's been other times as soon as we pray, they're ready to leave.
00:32:04.319 --> 00:32:04.960
But you know what?
00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:08.559
I I think it goes back to the idea, like Pastor said last week.
00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:12.799
We are not the one that saves them.
00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:20.160
The Lord saves them, we're just sharing.
00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:24.880
And Adam keeps as he's texting me, he's like, Man, I got to share it again.
00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:27.359
I think someone else is gonna reap.
00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:30.799
Maybe the chance of saying it, but he did he was faithful.
00:32:30.880 --> 00:32:32.319
So, Pastor, if you want to come.
00:32:35.680 --> 00:32:39.359
Thank you, uh, you guys, for sharing this morning this evening.
00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:41.839
It's great to uh have y'all get excited.
00:32:41.920 --> 00:32:43.839
Matt and I are excited every morning.
00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:54.319
Almost we're getting texts from people, hey, I shared this today, and hey, I met this person shared this today, and it's exciting to see everybody um just buy in and getting excited.
00:32:54.400 --> 00:33:04.960
We talked last week about living in the tension of am I supposed to share or not with this person and embracing that intention and starting to dive into that to share.
00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:10.400
Uh, those were several different ways that you we modeled tonight how to be saved.
00:33:10.559 --> 00:33:12.960
Uh I'll give you two more just for fun.
00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:17.680
And the point is there are so many ways to be prepared.
00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:30.960
But if you think about every one of these, what uh Jerry modeled with the EE, what you've read online as you've been doing those classes, the three circles that you saw, uh the ones we've talked about, they all have the same elements.
00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:32.160
We're all sinners.
00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:34.240
Romans rode, we're all sinners.
00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:35.839
Wages of sin is death.
00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:40.799
The gift of God is a salvation through his eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:33:41.119 --> 00:33:43.839
God demonstrates love towards us while we're yet sinners.
00:33:43.920 --> 00:33:44.880
Christ died for us.
00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:48.240
And so he is the gift of salvation.
00:33:48.480 --> 00:33:52.079
Uh, and so every one of those goes in that same pattern.
00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:56.559
Uh, a number of years ago, Southern Baptists created another one.
00:33:56.640 --> 00:34:00.720
I guess some people felt like uh EE needed to be updated or something.
00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:02.480
How many of you ever took faith training?
00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:04.160
Did anybody hear faith training?
00:34:04.400 --> 00:34:05.359
Take faith training.
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:07.119
And so here's what they taught you to do.
00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:10.159
It's similar to the three circles, but the gimmick was on your hand.
00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:12.880
F-A-I-T-H, right?
00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:13.840
Everybody's got that?
00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:15.599
F-A-I-T-H.
00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:17.599
And so F is forgiveness.
00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:22.719
And so, as Jerry talked with uh Matt about, we all need to be forgiven.
00:34:22.880 --> 00:34:24.159
We all know that we've sinned.
00:34:24.239 --> 00:34:25.920
We all know that need to be forgiven.
00:34:26.079 --> 00:34:30.880
If we're adults, you know there's stuff you've done you need to be forgiven for.
00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:33.039
It's not real hard to understand that.
00:34:33.199 --> 00:34:36.079
And you can't forgive yourself, you can't fix your own sin.
00:34:36.239 --> 00:34:38.320
But God has made a way of forgiveness.
00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:38.880
F.
00:34:39.119 --> 00:34:46.480
A, forgiveness is available to everyone who would uh turn to Jesus to be saved.
00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:47.920
It's I impossible.
00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:49.679
It's impossible to forgive yourself.
00:34:49.760 --> 00:34:54.000
It's impossible to create a means of getting rid of your sin.
00:34:54.159 --> 00:34:56.079
You need forgiveness, it's available to you.
00:34:56.159 --> 00:34:58.159
It's impossible for you to do it yourself.
00:34:58.400 --> 00:34:59.599
Well, then how do I do that?
00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:01.119
How can I be forgiven?
00:35:01.440 --> 00:35:03.440
T is turn, it's repent.
00:35:03.599 --> 00:35:04.960
That's what that word repent is.
00:35:05.039 --> 00:35:17.039
It means turn from, just like in the three circles, from the things that you're trying to do to fix yourself or to be worthy or whatever, and you turn to Jesus and make a choice of faith to place your faith in him.
00:35:17.360 --> 00:35:23.360
And a lot of times we'll say in church life, faith is forsaking all, I trust him.
00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:27.039
And so that's how you turn to Jesus.
00:35:27.280 --> 00:35:30.400
And heaven is the promise of salvation.
00:35:30.559 --> 00:35:36.079
We have a relationship with him, we can never be separated from him, and when we die, we'll spend an eternity in heaven.
00:35:36.239 --> 00:35:37.519
And so there's a way to do that.
00:35:37.679 --> 00:35:40.239
There's another method that people use called the net.
00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:41.679
How many have you ever heard of the net?
00:35:41.840 --> 00:35:42.880
You ever heard of the net?
00:35:43.280 --> 00:35:47.039
And the idea is this is the net change in my life.
00:35:47.199 --> 00:35:53.119
And so you share who you were before you met Jesus, you share your testimony, how you met Jesus.
00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:55.199
This is a testimony-based thing.
00:35:55.440 --> 00:36:02.880
You share how God has impacted your life now because you've trusted him as your savior.
00:36:03.039 --> 00:36:06.079
And then you ask someone, has there been a point in your life where you've done that?
00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:08.239
And so there's a lot of these ways to do that.
00:36:08.320 --> 00:36:11.280
So what we're trying to illustrate is preparation.
00:36:11.360 --> 00:36:12.480
That's what Matt told you.
00:36:12.639 --> 00:36:13.280
Be prepared.
00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:14.239
Prepare yourself.
00:36:14.400 --> 00:36:15.280
You can do that.
00:36:15.440 --> 00:36:23.280
And so there's a lot of ways to do that, but you need to have in your mind when God presents you an open door, you need to be able to dive through it.
00:36:23.360 --> 00:36:24.960
And it's all really simple.
00:36:25.119 --> 00:36:29.280
The Romans wrote: you probably most of you know those verses already.
00:36:29.599 --> 00:36:31.039
For the wages of sin is death.
00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:32.239
Everybody, I mean, come on.
00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:34.239
You've been in church, you know that verse, right?
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:39.599
You can do a lot of these with just John 3.16 and 3.17.
00:36:40.480 --> 00:36:45.280
For God so loved the world, he gave his only son, whosoever believes in him will never perish, but have everlasting life.
00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:46.239
Why do we perish?
00:36:46.400 --> 00:36:47.599
We perish because of sin.
00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:49.599
Sin broke the world, broke us.
00:36:49.840 --> 00:36:51.679
Sin's got to be judged, right?
00:36:51.840 --> 00:36:53.039
God judges sin.
00:36:53.360 --> 00:36:54.000
17.
00:36:54.559 --> 00:37:02.719
Jesus did not come into the world to contemn the world because the world was already condemned, but that the world through him might be saved, right?
00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:04.719
We're already condemned in our sin.
00:37:04.960 --> 00:37:07.440
But God so loved us, he made a way of salvation.
00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:11.840
He sent his son to die on the cross for us, but that the world through him might be saved.
00:37:12.079 --> 00:37:13.199
And what does that mean?
00:37:13.360 --> 00:37:14.639
He died for us on the cross.
00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:18.960
How much does it mean that Jesus loves you so much that he took your punishment on the cross?
00:37:19.519 --> 00:37:23.519
That's that substitution that Jerry was talking about in that EE thing.
00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:27.519
And then you go to uh, well, how do you accept that forgiveness?
00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:29.199
How do you receive the forgiveness of God?
00:37:29.280 --> 00:37:37.039
For God so loved the world, he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him will never perish, but have everlasting life.
00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:40.880
And so you place your faith in Jesus Christ and trust what he did for you on the cross.
00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:43.840
I mean, you don't have to memorize 47 scriptures.
00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:48.559
I mean, it's cool if you got them and you should have them, but you don't have to have all of them.
00:37:48.800 --> 00:37:55.599
You can have a few and do it quickly and really rely on Scripture to share the gospel.
00:37:55.679 --> 00:38:01.599
And so the important thing is you have in your mind a way that you have done some practice with.
00:38:01.840 --> 00:38:06.800
So when God opens the door, you can step right in and you're ready to roll.
00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:08.239
Does that make sense?
00:38:08.480 --> 00:38:08.800
All right.
00:38:11.199 --> 00:38:13.360
You guys have been doing good question time.
00:38:14.719 --> 00:38:16.079
That's a good question.
00:38:16.239 --> 00:38:26.960
Uh I think what he is saying there is not that his salvation covers his family, but that with his salvation, it enters into the conversation in his family.
00:38:27.199 --> 00:38:33.519
And so I think what you have to make clear is that every person has to be saved on their own.
00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:36.639
Uh every person has to make that choice.
00:38:36.800 --> 00:38:52.559
And so what I think he's introducing there to the Philippian jailer, that's the jailer, um, is that this idea when you get saved, you give your life to him, you have brought the gospel into your home, and now you can bring it to them.
00:38:52.639 --> 00:38:57.599
And they, in fact, went back to his house as the story unfolds, and that's what happened.
00:38:57.760 --> 00:39:01.039
Paul shared with his family, and his family got saved.
00:39:01.119 --> 00:39:02.800
And we see that in church.
00:39:02.960 --> 00:39:15.920
Uh we have we've had a number of testimonies in our church where one of the members of the family is saved, and then the rest of the family starts coming and they get involved, and you see them baptized one after the other.
00:39:16.079 --> 00:39:19.760
And so it is very much a real experience that happens.
00:39:19.840 --> 00:39:22.159
And you can share with that question.
00:39:22.320 --> 00:39:24.480
Hey, that happens in our church all the time.
00:39:24.719 --> 00:39:25.199
Right?
00:39:25.360 --> 00:39:26.639
So that's a good word.
00:39:26.719 --> 00:39:27.679
Uh, that's a good thing.
00:39:27.840 --> 00:39:29.039
But every person has to do that.
00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:32.320
Now, sometimes you will get this question.
00:39:33.119 --> 00:39:47.840
Uh someone has a loved one, it may be a recent thing that you just bump into and they say, Are you telling me that my mom, my brother, my friend, my coach, my uh child, my whoever went to hell.
00:39:48.159 --> 00:39:51.039
And so you will get that question at times.
00:39:51.280 --> 00:39:52.239
Y'all with me?
00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:55.920
When you bring that up and they'll say, Do you tell me they went to hell?
00:39:56.239 --> 00:40:05.280
And what you what I will usually tell them is this I will say, Listen, I have no idea, and you really don't either.
00:40:07.360 --> 00:40:17.920
Uh, because it is something that happens personally between a person and and Jesus when they give their lives to Christ.
00:40:18.400 --> 00:40:23.920
And you don't know every moment, every time, whatever in their life when that may have happened.
00:40:24.159 --> 00:40:33.840
And so what you do know is that God loved them, and you do know that there were opportunities, and that's all we know, and that's all I know for my family, and that's all I know for your family.
00:40:34.000 --> 00:40:36.480
And so that's really not a question for you.
00:40:36.639 --> 00:40:41.840
The question for you is, are you gonna go to heaven or not?
00:40:42.000 --> 00:40:43.679
And you just kind of worked through that.
00:40:43.840 --> 00:40:54.239
I had a uh when I first became a pastor, uh, I was on staff at my home church, and one of the longtime pastors who was on our staff, really a great leader.
00:40:54.480 --> 00:40:58.239
He was on there for pastoral experience and all that for young guys like me.
00:40:58.400 --> 00:41:00.079
He was incredible, Joe Jernigan.
00:41:00.159 --> 00:41:00.880
I love Joe.
00:41:01.039 --> 00:41:08.880
And so Joe taught me a lot of stuff, and uh, so I was doing my first funeral service where we weren't sure about that person's spiritual condition.
00:41:09.039 --> 00:41:15.280
And so the first time, it's never comfortable, but when you're a brand new pastor and you're trying to figure out how to do that, it's really difficult.
00:41:15.519 --> 00:41:17.360
And so I went to Joe, like I did often.
00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:18.800
I said, Joe, would I do this?
00:41:18.880 --> 00:41:21.840
And he said, Here's what you do, Greg, here's the rule.
00:41:22.320 --> 00:41:29.519
Um, number one, you never preach someone into heaven, is the way pastors would say that.
00:41:29.840 --> 00:41:39.519
You don't manufacture some salvation testimony for them trying to minister to the family or make it less painful.
00:41:39.679 --> 00:41:44.159
You can say nice things about them, you can encourage them, you don't make them sound perfect.
00:41:44.400 --> 00:41:52.480
You can share the gospel without creating or bootstrapping some testimony that nobody knows for that person.
00:41:52.880 --> 00:42:05.039
You talk about how nice they are, and you talk about what their family means to them, and you say in times like this we're confronted with the frailty of life, and we are all acknowledged that all of us are going to be here in one day.
00:42:05.280 --> 00:42:08.960
And here's what the Bible says about this, and then you share the gospel.
00:42:09.119 --> 00:42:11.119
You don't preach someone into heaven.
00:42:11.280 --> 00:42:15.360
And he said the other side of that is you also don't preach them into hell.
00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:18.000
You don't know you weren't there.
00:42:18.159 --> 00:42:22.159
There could have been any number of times when they could have given their life to Christ.
00:42:22.239 --> 00:42:26.559
And so you don't artificially send them to hell either.
00:42:26.719 --> 00:42:30.639
You do the same thing and you just give the explanation of what the gospel is.
00:42:30.719 --> 00:42:31.760
Does that make sense?
00:42:32.000 --> 00:42:35.840
I thought it was incredible advice and it's been very helpful to me throughout my ministry.
00:42:36.079 --> 00:42:40.559
Pastor Joe was awesome, and I love Joe Jernigan for what he taught us.
00:42:40.719 --> 00:42:48.320
And so I think when you get that moment, if you have that in your mind, the answer is you don't know, and they probably don't know either.
00:42:49.199 --> 00:43:06.880
You know, if they push you and they say, well, they were so-and-so, and they said they weren't, and they were going to reject and all that, then you just stick with the gospel and you say, Look, I don't want to be disrespectful to your family member or friend or whoever it is, but what I can tell you is that this is the truth of Scripture.
00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:10.880
And that Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
00:43:11.039 --> 00:43:13.840
No man comes to the Father but by me.
00:43:14.159 --> 00:43:17.519
And so the question for you is your life.
00:43:17.760 --> 00:43:25.679
You can't do anything about anybody else's, and you can't do anything anybody else's that has moved on to eternity, but you can deal with your life.
00:43:25.760 --> 00:43:26.880
And where will you be?
00:43:26.960 --> 00:43:30.000
And have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior?
00:43:30.320 --> 00:43:30.719
Yeah.
00:43:31.199 --> 00:43:36.719
She's shared a testimony that she had a friend recently who had a son died, and she had the same, she did the same thing.
00:43:36.800 --> 00:43:38.320
She was prepared to share that with him.
00:43:38.480 --> 00:43:39.039
That was good.
00:43:39.119 --> 00:43:40.000
That was a good word.
00:43:40.159 --> 00:43:43.039
And so I think that's how you approach that if you get that question.
00:43:44.320 --> 00:43:44.719
That's good.
00:43:45.599 --> 00:43:45.840
Yeah.
00:43:46.880 --> 00:43:48.159
Others, you have any other questions?
00:43:49.760 --> 00:43:51.360
You guys have been doing great with questions.
00:43:52.000 --> 00:43:56.559
Uh just uh one more thing I appreciate about Jerry's uh sharing.
00:43:56.719 --> 00:43:59.360
He shared from Isaiah 53.
00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:01.760
In his testimony.
00:44:01.840 --> 00:44:04.239
I think that you said that was your one of your wife's favorite.
00:44:04.480 --> 00:44:04.719
Yeah.
00:44:04.880 --> 00:44:08.480
And so I'm preaching on Isaiah 53 on Sunday.
00:44:08.559 --> 00:44:11.920
So there's a little bit of a kind of a thing there.
00:44:12.079 --> 00:44:15.760
So they get a little inside baseball as we get started.
00:44:16.800 --> 00:44:26.880
One other thing I want to just kind of walk with you through is the sinner's prayer part of that.
00:44:27.039 --> 00:44:32.400
You hear a lot of discussion about that, and Matt talked about that some, and I just kind of want to reiterate that.
00:44:33.119 --> 00:44:45.039
What you're doing is you are trying to help them say what their understanding and decision is.
00:44:45.599 --> 00:44:45.920
Okay?
00:44:46.480 --> 00:44:56.079
You're trying to get them to articulate that so that they have ownership and they, in their minds, understand what they're doing.
00:44:56.639 --> 00:45:01.199
There is no magic word to the sinner's prayer.
00:45:01.280 --> 00:45:04.400
It is not some spiritual incantation.
00:45:05.039 --> 00:45:11.199
There is not some specific words that you're supposed to say or anything like that.
00:45:11.360 --> 00:45:22.400
And it's very important that we understand that there's a lot of discussion on the internet and places and all this kind of stuff, and you got people railing on, you know, the sinner's prayer and easy believism and all this other kind.
00:45:22.960 --> 00:45:25.360
That's all just ridiculous conversation.
00:45:25.599 --> 00:45:27.760
That is not what the sinner's prayer is.
00:45:27.840 --> 00:45:31.599
It's not, that's not what anybody means when they're talking about the sinner's prayer.
00:45:32.320 --> 00:45:37.840
Someone asks you the question, how do I give my life to Christ?
00:45:38.000 --> 00:45:39.679
How do I get saved?
00:45:41.280 --> 00:45:44.960
What you're trying to do is walk them through that.
00:45:45.199 --> 00:45:48.079
They are not theologians, most likely.
00:45:49.199 --> 00:45:54.719
Sometimes they may are trying to figure out and understand what you're explaining to them.
00:45:54.960 --> 00:45:58.000
You do not have to be a theologian to get saved.
00:45:58.239 --> 00:46:07.440
You just need to know you're a sinner and you need to know that Jesus loves you so much that he died for your sins, and you repent of your sins and you give him your life.
00:46:07.599 --> 00:46:08.000
That's it.
00:46:08.079 --> 00:46:08.719
That's all there is.
00:46:08.880 --> 00:46:10.159
That's the theology.
00:46:10.400 --> 00:46:12.239
It's not magic words.
00:46:12.480 --> 00:46:14.000
You're not trying to make it easier.
00:46:14.159 --> 00:46:16.880
You don't want to put words in their mouth and that kind of a deal.
00:46:17.039 --> 00:46:20.639
Again, I will model that at times on Sundays.
00:46:21.440 --> 00:46:30.079
And so what I will usually do is say, tell them, look, I'm going to give you a prompt, and I'll tell them this isn't there's no magic to these words.
00:46:30.320 --> 00:46:31.360
This is your heart.
00:46:31.440 --> 00:46:39.199
You're having this conversation with Jesus where you're telling him you're sorry for your sin, you believe he died and rose again for you, and you're trusting him as your savior.
00:46:39.280 --> 00:46:40.000
That's what you're doing.
00:46:40.159 --> 00:46:41.840
And so it's just your words.
00:46:42.079 --> 00:46:47.280
And so I will tell them you can say it out loud or you can say it in your heart.
00:46:47.519 --> 00:46:49.920
Either way, God hears you, right?
00:46:50.239 --> 00:46:55.440
And so just tell him you understand what sin is and you're a sinner in your heart.
00:46:55.519 --> 00:46:58.880
And like Matt said, sometimes kids will run the whole list, right?
00:46:59.440 --> 00:47:03.119
You know, but that person can, you know, I know I'm a sinner.
00:47:03.360 --> 00:47:05.920
If it's meaningful, that's good enough.
00:47:06.079 --> 00:47:10.079
If they want to list some or say they understand it, fine, tell the Lord that.
00:47:11.199 --> 00:47:11.840
He wants to hear that.
00:47:12.000 --> 00:47:13.199
Tell him in your words.
00:47:13.360 --> 00:47:16.960
And then I'll say, I want you to tell him that you're sorry for your sin.
00:47:17.199 --> 00:47:20.000
Apologize to him for him, ask for his forgiveness.
00:47:20.159 --> 00:47:25.679
And then I'll tell him, tell him you know, you understand that Jesus loved you so much.
00:47:26.000 --> 00:47:28.559
He died on the cross for your sins and rose again.
00:47:28.800 --> 00:47:33.760
Just in your words, tell him what that means to you and what you've learned.
00:47:34.719 --> 00:47:37.920
And now tell him you are giving your life to him.
00:47:38.159 --> 00:47:41.519
It's now his life to do with it whatever he designs.
00:47:42.000 --> 00:47:43.519
And just let them say that.
00:47:43.679 --> 00:47:46.559
You you, you know, it's just a simple, easy way.
00:47:46.639 --> 00:48:00.000
But what you're trying to do is help a person give voice to in their hearts and minds this decision that they're making for the first time they've made this decision in their life.
00:48:00.239 --> 00:48:01.280
Does that make sense?
00:48:01.519 --> 00:48:04.079
And so that's what you're trying to help them walk through.
00:48:04.239 --> 00:48:10.639
You're not trying to give them some specific words or some incantation or something that's magic or spiritual whatever.
00:48:10.800 --> 00:48:12.000
It's not that kind of a deal.
00:48:12.079 --> 00:48:16.320
These are not Hail Marys and you gotta say them all this time and repeat this thing.
00:48:16.480 --> 00:48:18.480
It's not that kind of a deal, right?
00:48:18.719 --> 00:48:24.400
You're just helping them give their own voice to this decision that they're making.
00:48:24.559 --> 00:48:25.679
Does that make sense?
00:48:26.159 --> 00:48:27.599
And it's very simple.
00:48:27.920 --> 00:48:31.440
You may just track along with however you got there.
00:48:32.000 --> 00:48:39.679
If you use the Roman road and that's what popped into your head when you're talking to this person, then just have them pray each one of those.
00:48:40.320 --> 00:48:41.679
Wages of sin is death.
00:48:41.840 --> 00:48:42.960
I know I sin.
00:48:44.800 --> 00:48:46.000
Salvation is your gift.
00:48:46.159 --> 00:48:47.440
Lord, thank you for that gift.
00:48:47.760 --> 00:48:49.119
God demonstrates love for us.
00:48:49.199 --> 00:48:51.039
And why were you at sinners Christ died for us?
00:48:51.199 --> 00:48:52.719
Tell them that Christ had died for you.
00:48:52.960 --> 00:48:57.360
If you confess through the mouth of Jesus the Lord and believe in your heart, God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved.
00:48:57.440 --> 00:49:04.719
So, okay, let's tell him that you believe that he lived and died for you and rose again, and then tell him, You are the Lord of my life.
00:49:04.880 --> 00:49:05.920
I give my life to you.
00:49:06.079 --> 00:49:08.239
Just track that however you did it.
00:49:08.320 --> 00:49:09.280
It's very simple.
00:49:09.440 --> 00:49:12.239
And so that's what you want to do is walk through that.
00:49:12.639 --> 00:49:21.679
But keep in your mind what you're trying to do is help them give voice to this decision that they're making.
00:49:21.840 --> 00:49:24.480
And so that's what you want to help them do.
00:49:24.800 --> 00:49:28.639
Uh, as we uh move core closing time, two things I want to do.
00:49:28.719 --> 00:49:32.400
I want to say thank y'all for uh being here.
00:49:32.559 --> 00:49:33.679
Thank you for diving in.
00:49:33.840 --> 00:49:37.039
Thank you for sharing testimonies like we've had almost every week.
00:49:37.280 --> 00:49:41.679
Thank you for sharing with us when you have opportunities to share.
00:49:41.840 --> 00:49:50.960
It's incredibly encouraging to know that's happening in our church, and it allows us to pray for y'all as you are ministering to people in that process.
00:49:51.199 --> 00:49:59.519
I want you to go into your Sunday school classes or choir or you know, people that you teach Sunday school with or whatever it is that you do.
00:49:59.760 --> 00:50:03.360
I want you to go in and start sharing those testimonies.
00:50:04.159 --> 00:50:15.360
What we need to do is take this stirring that we have, and then we need to poke around in our church and get other people to be doing the same thing.
00:50:15.599 --> 00:50:16.880
Does that make sense?
00:50:17.199 --> 00:50:28.960
Because the church really grows and evangelism will really happen when the church is involved in that process, when our people are the ones doing that, right?
00:50:29.599 --> 00:50:36.159
We are not ever going to baptize 200 people based on my preaching.
00:50:37.039 --> 00:50:39.840
I mean, I've been preaching a long time, that's never happened.
00:50:40.000 --> 00:50:42.639
I don't expect it to begin, right?
00:50:43.039 --> 00:50:44.800
Maybe I should, but I don't.
00:50:45.039 --> 00:50:46.480
That's not how it works.
00:50:46.800 --> 00:50:50.159
Jesus said, I will build my church.
00:50:50.400 --> 00:51:00.639
And we know through Ephesians 4 and all these other scriptures how he builds his church, and he builds his church through the people in the church growing and flourishing spiritually.
00:51:00.800 --> 00:51:03.119
That's where the fruit comes from.
00:51:03.360 --> 00:51:11.360
And so what we want to do is really move this discussion through our church.
00:51:11.519 --> 00:51:14.000
Okay, so I would really love it.
00:51:14.239 --> 00:51:27.280
And the way that you guys share with us, go in and share with your Sunday school group or your men's group or your women's group or people you teach Sunday school with or whoever it is, share it with them what's happening.
00:51:27.519 --> 00:51:30.480
Tell them to embrace that tension.
00:51:30.639 --> 00:51:37.039
Get them to sign up for the course and do that if they need to, or share with them the Romans Road or whatever.
00:51:37.199 --> 00:51:40.400
Uh, I mean, there's all kinds of training stuff that we have.
00:51:40.559 --> 00:51:51.199
But what happens is when we encourage that, the collective we encourage that around the church, that's when it really starts to move through the church.
00:51:51.360 --> 00:51:52.079
Y'all with me?
00:51:52.159 --> 00:51:53.199
Does that make sense?
00:51:53.440 --> 00:51:54.400
Will you do that?
00:51:54.719 --> 00:51:57.920
You do that for us, share it with your classes, share it with the people you're around.
00:51:58.079 --> 00:52:01.679
When you get these opportunities, share it with them, encourage them to be a part of it.
00:52:01.920 --> 00:52:10.880
Encourage them to embrace that tension and to step in and start to share in those moments and invite people to church and all that.
00:52:11.039 --> 00:52:12.159
That's really important.
00:52:12.320 --> 00:52:16.559
Now, what we'd like to do is give y'all a little bit of time to finish that course.
00:52:16.719 --> 00:52:22.320
And so those of you who have been here every week, you know, remind us you've been here every week.
00:52:22.480 --> 00:52:35.519
We know most of you have, and then the ones that finish the course, when we get into September, uh, we want to have a Sunday night where we come together, we have dinner together, and we want to celebrate with you guys and give you a blessing for having done this and being a part of it.
00:52:35.599 --> 00:52:37.519
So this is the first time we've ever done it this way.
00:52:37.599 --> 00:52:41.679
So we want to give a little bit of time for people to finish the course and that sort of deal.
00:52:41.840 --> 00:52:46.400
And then we'd like to really be a blessing to y'all and get you together for a dinner on a Sunday night.
00:52:46.480 --> 00:52:48.079
So we'll probably do that in September.
00:52:48.239 --> 00:52:48.880
Is that good?
00:52:49.119 --> 00:52:50.000
So watch for that.
00:52:50.159 --> 00:52:51.039
Yes, ma'am.
00:52:51.280 --> 00:52:53.360
Yeah, that's a great question.
00:52:53.760 --> 00:52:57.679
If somebody gets saved, somebody says, yes, I want to be saved.
00:52:57.920 --> 00:53:04.400
All right, so like for me, about half the time I have to pick myself up off the floor because I'm in shock that they did.
00:53:04.480 --> 00:53:08.239
Like I shouldn't be that way, but you know, really?
00:53:08.559 --> 00:53:09.840
Are you sure?
00:53:10.480 --> 00:53:13.199
Like you really want to do, you really understood this?
00:53:14.159 --> 00:53:22.880
You know, so when you get through that, you you you you pray with that, and then you want to be positive, and then you do want to have some idea about how to follow up.
00:53:23.039 --> 00:53:23.360
Okay.
00:53:23.840 --> 00:53:34.159
Some people keep, you know, some New Testament Bibles in their car, they keep some tracks in their car, you know, or in their purse or whatever, and they have something quickly that you can hand them.
00:53:34.320 --> 00:53:35.440
There's a great book.
00:53:35.519 --> 00:53:37.039
I've got a few of them in my office.
00:53:37.199 --> 00:53:41.280
I didn't bring them here, but uh, we can help you get a stack of those.
00:53:41.440 --> 00:53:42.159
Uh, Dr.
00:53:42.239 --> 00:53:43.679
Rogers wrote a little booklet.
00:53:43.760 --> 00:53:52.480
It's real simple, it'd fit in a purse or Bible or whatever, and it's called a no-so salvation, and it just walks them through what happened.
00:53:52.639 --> 00:53:55.679
Scripture's just affirming in a simple way what happened.
00:53:55.920 --> 00:53:59.440
Really simple, you know, this size.
00:53:59.599 --> 00:54:02.400
I mean, it's not a book, it's a booklet.
00:54:02.480 --> 00:54:05.039
Uh, but some version of something like that.
00:54:05.199 --> 00:54:07.519
Ask them if they have a Bible.
00:54:07.840 --> 00:54:12.079
If they don't have a Bible, offer to get them a Bible.
00:54:12.400 --> 00:54:12.880
Right?
00:54:14.639 --> 00:54:18.639
If you can get their phone number, it is helpful to get their phone number.
00:54:18.800 --> 00:54:28.719
The way I would do that is say, look, uh, if you'll give me your phone number, I can give that to my church, and they sell all those numbers and they make a lot of money on that.
00:54:28.800 --> 00:54:30.639
So it'd be really good if you would.
00:54:30.880 --> 00:54:32.239
No, I'm kidding.
00:54:32.559 --> 00:54:33.760
I'm kidding.
00:54:35.280 --> 00:54:38.719
But you say, if you wouldn't mind, I would love to pray for you.
00:54:38.880 --> 00:54:41.199
I would love to check on you in a day or two.
00:54:41.360 --> 00:54:45.440
I would love to be available to answer questions or encourage you.
00:54:45.599 --> 00:54:47.920
Would you mind if we swap phone numbers?
00:54:48.159 --> 00:54:49.599
That's a good way to do that.
00:54:49.760 --> 00:54:53.199
Make it a serving type of thing.
00:54:53.360 --> 00:54:55.920
Like I want to be able to be a blessing to you.
00:54:56.159 --> 00:54:57.199
I want to check on you.
00:54:57.280 --> 00:54:58.400
I'd like to pray for you.
00:54:58.639 --> 00:54:59.920
Can I do that?
00:55:00.239 --> 00:55:04.000
And then I think there are two things that you want to do.
00:55:04.159 --> 00:55:08.079
Uh, you want to first just encourage them.
00:55:08.480 --> 00:55:14.480
Listen, this is awesome that you make this decision and you've started this journey with Jesus.
00:55:14.559 --> 00:55:18.400
And I want you to know it's a lifelong learning journey.
00:55:18.639 --> 00:55:21.280
You do not have to know everything right now.
00:55:21.440 --> 00:55:28.000
You don't have to, you know, give all your stuff away or whatever kind of stuff.
00:55:28.079 --> 00:55:29.679
You don't you don't have to do all that.
00:55:29.760 --> 00:55:31.199
Don't be overwhelmed.
00:55:31.360 --> 00:55:38.880
What you want to do is start learning to get to know Jesus better and start in that relationship with him.
00:55:39.119 --> 00:55:42.480
And we do that through prayer and Bible study.
00:55:42.960 --> 00:55:47.679
And so I can help you know how to start to study.
00:55:47.840 --> 00:55:48.880
I can read with you.
00:55:49.039 --> 00:55:54.320
I can give you something, a book that you can follow along with, I can help you with those things.
00:55:54.480 --> 00:55:55.679
But it's very simple.
00:55:55.840 --> 00:55:58.079
It's not homework, it's not hard.
00:55:58.239 --> 00:56:03.599
It will bless you to start reading scripture and learning more about it, and then you want to pray.
00:56:03.760 --> 00:56:18.960
And I would encourage you if you get a little legal pad or something, and just jot down some prayer requests that you have so that you remember and you give those to the Lord and you just ask him to teach you and you ask him to do this, and that's as about as simple a relationship thing as you can get, right?
00:56:19.119 --> 00:56:20.719
You just want to encourage that.
00:56:20.880 --> 00:56:25.440
Uh, where they start that relationship in a positive way and not overwhelmed.
00:56:25.760 --> 00:56:36.079
Second thing you want to tell them is you want to get involved in a Bible preaching, Bible-believing church.
00:56:37.280 --> 00:56:48.480
When you get saved, the Lord becomes your heavenly father, you're adopted into his family, and that means you got a whole bunch of brothers and sisters, and they're going to love you because Jesus loves you.
00:56:48.559 --> 00:56:50.639
And he's bonded us together.
00:56:50.880 --> 00:57:00.079
And you can come to my church, or if it's somebody done live near, or whatever, you go, I will help you find one wherever you're comfortable.
00:57:00.400 --> 00:57:02.800
And there's a lot of great churches in our area.
00:57:02.960 --> 00:57:19.519
Uh, churches are all different because people have different personalities, but if they're preaching Jesus and they're preaching the word of God, teaching the word of God, what you want to do is you want to get involved there because you want people to help you grow and answer your questions and pray for you.
00:57:19.679 --> 00:57:26.719
And you want to start to serve and be a part of that family and have ownership as well.
00:57:27.119 --> 00:57:28.719
That makes it your family.
00:57:28.800 --> 00:57:30.800
And so you want to get involved in a church.
00:57:31.039 --> 00:57:32.639
Would you like to come to ours?
00:57:32.880 --> 00:57:36.079
Would you like to visit ours just to see what it's like?
00:57:36.320 --> 00:57:39.679
Um, you know, I can help you find another one, whatever.
00:57:39.920 --> 00:57:42.079
So I think those are the things that you want to do.
00:57:42.159 --> 00:57:44.000
If you can get their number, great.
00:57:44.239 --> 00:57:47.920
You want to take sort of the boogeyman and unknown thing out of this.
00:57:48.079 --> 00:57:52.880
Don't get overwhelmed, just start learning, start growing in the Lord, that kind of thing.
00:57:53.119 --> 00:57:55.599
Uh, and then you want to encourage them to get a Bible.
00:57:55.760 --> 00:57:59.199
If they don't have a Bible, offer to help them get a Bible.
00:57:59.440 --> 00:58:02.639
And uh, and then you want to encourage them to get in a church.
00:58:02.719 --> 00:58:03.920
That's kind of the plan.
00:58:04.000 --> 00:58:04.960
Does that make sense?
00:58:05.199 --> 00:58:10.960
If you have a little booklet that you keep, like the Adrian, if you want to get that, or I'm telling you what's really good.
00:58:11.119 --> 00:58:24.880
I know that people have opinions about whatever, but uh I've sp I had a long time where I just picked up at every flea market when I ran across a two-dollar copy of the purpose-driven life.
00:58:25.360 --> 00:58:29.519
I I pick those up and keep them in a truck and give them to people.
00:58:30.079 --> 00:58:36.400
Because it's very much effective for a person who is starting from scratch.
00:58:37.360 --> 00:58:44.960
And so it's a very easy read, it gets them into word, it gets them in that direction, and you know, you're just looking for something simple like that.
00:58:45.280 --> 00:58:45.920
Does that help?
00:58:46.000 --> 00:58:46.719
That's a great question.
00:58:46.880 --> 00:58:48.159
Thank you for asking that.
00:58:48.719 --> 00:58:49.519
That good?
00:58:49.679 --> 00:58:50.639
Any questions about that?
00:58:50.880 --> 00:58:52.000
Yeah, I want to do that.
00:58:52.239 --> 00:59:02.079
Um I do think you want to get them, you want to try to get them in the word and in church.
00:59:03.679 --> 00:59:06.239
Those are very, very important for how we grow.
00:59:06.320 --> 00:59:12.159
We talk about triangles here all the time, and I won't put you through all that, but that's basically what you're doing.
00:59:12.639 --> 00:59:18.079
If you remember what I said, getting a reading scripture, prayer, that's the relationship leg of your triangle.
00:59:18.320 --> 00:59:20.400
Prayer, Bible study, faith choices.
00:59:21.039 --> 00:59:24.639
I do think it's important to tell them not to be overwhelmed and get started.
00:59:24.960 --> 00:59:30.239
If you want to talk to them about where to read, how to read, here's what I would suggest.
00:59:30.480 --> 00:59:33.119
There are two suggestions that I've used a lot.
00:59:33.360 --> 00:59:33.679
Okay.
00:59:34.239 --> 00:59:38.800
The first one is uh start with the Gospel of John.
00:59:39.679 --> 00:59:42.960
They can read the Gospel of John, it's very readable.
00:59:43.440 --> 00:59:45.519
You can any of the Gospels will work.
00:59:45.679 --> 00:59:46.559
They're all fine.
00:59:46.719 --> 00:59:51.440
I mean, it's like God wrote all four of them, so it's not like it's hard to pick between them.
00:59:51.679 --> 00:59:53.280
But John seems to work.
00:59:53.360 --> 01:00:03.280
It talks a lot about the love of Jesus, and the pictures of Jesus are really good because it's pictures like um, you know, the conversation with Nicodemus and stuff like that.
01:00:03.440 --> 01:00:05.840
So there's really good pictures of Jesus in there.
01:00:06.079 --> 01:00:09.840
Don't tell them not to get overwhelmed, just read one chapter a day.
01:00:10.079 --> 01:00:12.239
It's important that you do the discipline of it.
01:00:12.320 --> 01:00:14.239
If they want to read more, have at it.
01:00:14.320 --> 01:00:20.559
But just do, you know, one a day, one chapter a day, and just get in the habit and read, jot down notes.
01:00:20.800 --> 01:00:24.800
We just swap phone numbers, text me if you got questions, whatever.
01:00:24.960 --> 01:00:26.159
So you just go through John.
01:00:26.800 --> 01:00:36.320
Uh, I think now what you want to tell people is do not go to Instagram or TikTok for your spiritual questions.
01:00:37.039 --> 01:00:48.800
I think you have to say that in our world today because that's where everybody's getting their information, and it's just rampant lunacy on TikTok.
01:00:49.760 --> 01:01:01.840
Every nincompoop that has a goofy idea goes on there, and you know, they call themselves pastors and all kinds of stuff, and they're just lunatics.
01:01:02.159 --> 01:01:05.360
And so that's what everybody's used to doing in our culture.
01:01:05.519 --> 01:01:07.760
You may not be, but everybody else is.
01:01:08.239 --> 01:01:24.960
And so you just tell them, read the word, text me, or when you go to that church, introduce yourself to the pastor, tell them you got saved, um, and you know, get somebody's phone number on staff and ask them.
01:01:25.199 --> 01:01:28.559
Ask a real person who walks with Jesus.
01:01:28.800 --> 01:01:30.719
Do not Google this stuff.
01:01:31.199 --> 01:01:32.239
That's exactly right.
01:01:32.320 --> 01:01:33.280
That's what she's saying.
01:01:33.360 --> 01:01:36.559
Don't start in Genesis, that's not great.
01:01:36.800 --> 01:01:40.000
Uh, and don't just tell them to read it and not give them a plan.
01:01:40.159 --> 01:01:41.920
So John is a good plan.
01:01:42.079 --> 01:01:44.639
Here's the second plan that I would tell you.
01:01:44.880 --> 01:01:48.960
Uh, Philippians is a great book.
01:01:49.679 --> 01:01:57.679
It's only four chapters, it's like five pages you can accomplish reading that book.
01:01:57.920 --> 01:02:09.440
Uh every chapter has multiple, what I would call, power verses that we quote all the time in the Christian life.
01:02:09.599 --> 01:02:14.639
Every single chapter has incredible verses in it.
01:02:14.800 --> 01:02:22.159
I mean, you know, chapter one, he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day returns.
01:02:22.320 --> 01:02:27.519
Uh chapter one, uh, to live is Christ, to die is gain.
01:02:27.679 --> 01:02:35.199
Chapter two, do nothing through selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself.
01:02:35.360 --> 01:02:39.280
Have this mind uh in you which was in Christ Jesus.
01:02:39.519 --> 01:02:40.880
You got the whole gospel there.
01:02:41.199 --> 01:02:48.079
He thought it not robbery to be equal to God, but he stepped out of heaven, he humbled himself, became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.
01:02:48.239 --> 01:02:51.760
You have in there work out your faith with fear and trembling.
01:02:52.000 --> 01:02:56.480
You get my God shall supply all your needs through his riches and glory.
01:02:56.639 --> 01:02:58.639
I can do all things through Christ, he strengthens me.
01:02:58.719 --> 01:03:00.239
I mean, I can go on and on and on.
01:03:00.400 --> 01:03:03.920
Every one of those chapters has these incredible power verses.
01:03:04.079 --> 01:03:05.840
It is not hard to read.
01:03:06.079 --> 01:03:07.519
It is not hard to read.
01:03:07.760 --> 01:03:11.679
If they're reading, what I will tell them sometimes is here's what I want you to do.
01:03:12.000 --> 01:03:16.639
I want you to break Philippians into seven verses.
01:03:17.760 --> 01:03:24.639
So I want you to take ten minutes, and on day one, just read the first seven verses over and over and over and over and over.
01:03:25.199 --> 01:03:30.159
Next day, do the next seven verses, do it over and over and over and over and over and over.
01:03:30.320 --> 01:03:31.679
And you just you break it down.
01:03:31.840 --> 01:03:38.159
If you break it, it breaks down incredibly well into seven verse chunks, and those are bite-sized pieces, and they can walk through that.
01:03:38.239 --> 01:03:43.039
You can tell them to read one chapter a day, and in four days, you got everything you need.
01:03:43.119 --> 01:03:48.800
You got the gospel, you got what God does in our life, you got all this incredible stuff in Philippians.
01:03:48.880 --> 01:03:50.639
So Philippians is a good verse.
01:03:50.880 --> 01:03:52.320
Do not send them to Galatians.
01:03:52.400 --> 01:03:56.159
I don't care how much you love Galatians, do not send them to Galatians, it's too hard.
01:03:56.320 --> 01:03:58.079
Do not send them to Ephesians.
01:03:58.239 --> 01:03:58.960
It's too hard.
01:03:59.039 --> 01:04:05.519
There's too much stuff in there, it's too broad a structure to go through the book and all that kind of business.
01:04:05.679 --> 01:04:06.719
I love Ephesians.
01:04:06.800 --> 01:04:08.159
I absolutely love Ephesians.
01:04:08.239 --> 01:04:10.559
That is not what you give to a first brand of Christian.
01:04:10.639 --> 01:04:11.599
I just wouldn't do that.
01:04:11.840 --> 01:04:12.960
Philippians is easy.
01:04:13.039 --> 01:04:14.239
Anybody can read Philippians.
01:04:14.320 --> 01:04:15.280
You can give to a kid.
01:04:15.440 --> 01:04:17.599
A fifth grader can leave, can read Philippians.
01:04:17.679 --> 01:04:18.400
It's not hard.
01:04:18.800 --> 01:04:20.559
John, anybody can read John.
01:04:20.639 --> 01:04:22.239
If you can read John, you can read John.
01:04:22.320 --> 01:04:24.960
That'd be my suggestion of two books to go to.
01:04:25.360 --> 01:04:27.760
Um and start them on a plan.
01:04:27.920 --> 01:04:29.280
Start them on a plan.
01:04:30.719 --> 01:04:31.360
Good?
01:04:32.480 --> 01:04:33.360
That's great.
01:04:33.679 --> 01:04:34.320
All right.
01:04:34.800 --> 01:04:41.599
We will uh check in with us if you hadn't heard from us a couple of weeks about when we want to do the uh we want to do the dinner together.
01:04:41.760 --> 01:04:46.800
And so we want to do that, so we'll have dinner here and we'll bring everybody and come hang out and do that.
01:04:46.960 --> 01:04:54.320
So we want to give some people time to finish the course because we're trying to really encourage everybody to finish things when we go through it.
01:04:54.559 --> 01:05:03.119
One thing as we close in prayer, um, we got a text from Pastor Joel in England on Monday.
01:05:03.440 --> 01:05:15.199
They started VBS at one of their churches this week, and uh a mission team that was supposed to come in and help through a series of events got jammed up and couldn't get there.
01:05:15.440 --> 01:05:20.559
So they had a VBS that they were counting on help with that they don't have.
01:05:20.639 --> 01:05:31.039
And so they have been scrambling around doing that, and since we are partners with them, he texted us and said, Will you pray for us this week as we are doing vacation Bible school?
01:05:31.280 --> 01:05:33.440
And so I prayed for Joel that day.
01:05:33.599 --> 01:05:45.039
Uh Pastor Dave put that on the prayer list for our prayer requests, our prayer force for every day, and then every event we have this week, we are praying for Pastor Joel and our partners in ministry.
01:05:45.119 --> 01:05:47.440
So, yesterday at Business Luncheon, we pray for them.
01:05:47.519 --> 01:05:48.960
So, tonight that's what we're gonna do.
01:05:49.039 --> 01:05:49.920
We're gonna pray for them.
01:05:50.079 --> 01:05:53.039
Tomorrow at 60 plus, you guys will pray for them again.
01:05:53.199 --> 01:05:56.400
And so we're praying for them as our as our partners in ministry.
01:05:56.480 --> 01:05:57.760
So, will you do that with me?
01:05:58.000 --> 01:05:59.840
So, for our closing prayer tonight, we're gonna pray for the ministry.
01:06:00.159 --> 01:06:03.599
Pray for Pastor Joel and for the VBS going on in London.
01:06:03.840 --> 01:06:08.800
Lord, we thank you for uh we do thank you for a brother in Christ and a partner in ministry.
01:06:08.960 --> 01:06:17.599
We thank you for the relationship that we've built with uh Pastor Joel and Stone Baptist and Ainsford Baptist over these several years.
01:06:17.840 --> 01:06:27.519
And uh some of the people here have been uh and we've prayed for them and we've done ministry with them and we've even done vacation Bible school with them.
01:06:27.679 --> 01:06:29.840
And so, Lord, we know how to how to pray.
01:06:30.000 --> 01:06:31.760
We do vacation Bible school here.
01:06:31.920 --> 01:06:37.440
We're praying for our students tonight, doing vacation Bible school at First Baptist Radcliffe.
01:06:37.519 --> 01:06:38.400
So we know how to do this.
01:06:38.559 --> 01:06:49.440
So, Lord, we come to you with all of that knowledge and all of that passion and love for VBS and all of that heart for souls to be saved and for boys and girls to come to know Jesus as their Savior.
01:06:49.679 --> 01:06:53.199
And so, Father, tonight we are praying for that vacation Bible school.
01:06:53.440 --> 01:06:55.920
Father, we pray that you will expand their hands.
01:06:56.079 --> 01:07:04.880
We pray you'll give energy to the people who are serving and who are probably doing more than they signed up to do because they thought they had more help that couldn't get there.
01:07:05.039 --> 01:07:07.679
And so, Father, we pray that you'll sustain them.
01:07:07.840 --> 01:07:10.320
We pray that you'll bring more people to come and help.
01:07:10.480 --> 01:07:19.599
We pray that what Satan would mean for evil in interrupting this VBS plan that you will use for good.
01:07:19.679 --> 01:07:22.719
And so turn it around to something mighty.
01:07:23.039 --> 01:07:37.119
Take what didn't look like it was gonna go right and put your thumbprint on it supernaturally and do something that only you can receive credit for that can only be defined by your work.
01:07:37.440 --> 01:07:41.440
And everyone will know that God stepped in and moved.
01:07:41.599 --> 01:07:44.239
We pray for boys and girls to be saved.
01:07:44.480 --> 01:07:56.960
We pray for workers to, as they're sharing Jesus and they're loving on these kids, for you to speak into their lives and turn them on to a passion for evangelism and speak to their heart through the things that they're teaching.
01:07:57.119 --> 01:08:18.960
We pray that you'll do something in that church that will stir the heart of the church and strengthen their faith to see you're at work there because what they thought starting out was not going to be great turned out to be a blessing because you stepped in in the midst of their church and you did what only you can do.
01:08:19.279 --> 01:08:22.399
And so, Father, we pray for them as they work.
01:08:22.560 --> 01:08:30.800
I pray you'll sustain Pastor Joel as he's trying to lead the network and his two churches and all the things that are happening there.
01:08:31.119 --> 01:08:36.880
And Father, I just pray for your blessings there, and we pray for souls to be saved.
01:08:37.199 --> 01:08:46.640
We've talked about in here how your word commands us that we are to pray for an effective open door for the preaching of the gospel.
01:08:46.880 --> 01:08:57.520
And we pray for that with these boys and girls, with their families, with other people who may be involved in the ambit of this whole VBS going on there.
01:08:57.760 --> 01:09:09.439
Father, we pray that you'll step in and show people that you did demonstrate your love towards us while we're yet sinners, and you sent Christ to die for us.
01:09:09.920 --> 01:09:11.119
Lord, that's our prayer.
01:09:11.279 --> 01:09:15.039
We pray that for our brothers and sisters in Christ in London.
01:09:15.359 --> 01:09:17.279
In the name of Jesus, we pray this.
01:09:17.359 --> 01:09:23.920
And everybody said, Hey, thank you again for y'all being here and taking this journey with us, and thank you for sharing with us.
01:09:24.159 --> 01:09:25.760
We want to keep hearing those stories.
00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:02.000
Hey, we're gonna go ahead and start.
00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:05.280
And um I'd I I want to pray for us.
00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:11.039
And then I'm going to ask a few questions to Josh.
00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:14.160
Um I don't want to give it away.
00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:14.880
Let's just pray.
00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:17.039
Dear God, thank you so much for your love.
00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:20.160
Just thank you for just all that you do for us.
00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:21.359
Thank you for your son.
00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:25.920
And just just Lord, just thank you for the joy you put in our hearts.
00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:32.960
And Lord, help us be about sharing the gospel like we're talking about here, just as we go through our normal conversations.
00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:36.479
Lord, I love the stories of all the people that you're stirring in their hearts.
00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:37.679
In Jesus I pray.
00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:38.479
Amen.
00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:39.039
Amen.
00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:39.359
Okay.
00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:40.399
Hello.
00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:48.479
Last uh Saturday, Joshua is move, or Josh is moving into an apartment, and he said he needed some help.
00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:51.600
So I went over to help, and we're doing this, and he says, I've been waiting.
00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:52.880
I got to tell you this story.
00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:54.479
And he started telling me the story.
00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:55.840
So I'm going to.
00:00:56.079 --> 00:01:05.280
Okay, so last week, Pastor was encouraging us about maybe some phrases that we would hear where people would hear the phrase and stiff arm us.
00:01:05.359 --> 00:01:06.000
So listen to this.
00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:08.159
Joshua shows up to work.
00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:14.400
He's working with a guy that first time there, right?
00:01:14.799 --> 00:01:18.799
And he comes up and tell us, he's listened to a podcast.
00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:20.159
Tell us a little bit about it.
00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:25.040
So I have a I have a guy, and it wasn't his first time there.
00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:29.680
He would he's been there longer than I have, but uh it was our first time actually working together.
00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:40.879
And uh tells me that he's listening to this podcast about money management and how if he sacrifices today and holds off on things, he can have better stuff in the future.
00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:50.159
And I was like, okay, it's money management, but I'm not gonna rain on your parade, whatever you think this is, by all means.
00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:56.000
So I walked away and God touched me and I got to thinking about it.
00:01:56.079 --> 00:01:59.359
I'm like, well, that's my life right there.
00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:03.040
I sacrificed everything just so I could have a better future with Christ.
00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:09.520
So I went back to him a few minutes later and I said, you know, I'm like, that reminds me of something in my life.
00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:11.039
And he was like, Really, what's that?
00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:17.840
And I was like, Again, you know, that's I sacrificed everything so I could have a better future with Christ.
00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:21.599
And he was like, I can see that.
00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:23.439
He's like, I understand that.
00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:29.120
So we're trying to work, and he kept coming up to me and wanting to talk.
00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:37.120
And one of the things he came up and asked me was the same thing that the pastor had told us about was the questions that people have for us.
00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:38.879
Well, what about the Bible?
00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:44.960
It's written by man, so that automatically cancels it out and makes it fallible because man's fallible, and I'll end it.
00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:48.240
No, like that's not how it works.
00:02:48.879 --> 00:03:05.520
So I pulled out my little Bible app that I have on my phone and I pulled up 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16, where I showed I showed him, I said, this, and again, going off what Pastor said, never to say, I believe.
00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:08.719
I said, This is what the Bible says about itself.
00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:26.080
And I said, All the word of God is divine or profitable for it profitable for reproach, for study, for knowledge.
00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:42.560
And I told him straight out, yes, man is fallible, but with God, God's spirit moving these people to write it, it's they're writing what God's telling them to write.
00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:44.639
It's not just their interpretation.
00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:50.159
They are literally God's spirit is moving in them to write exactly what God's telling them to write.
00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:54.639
Like, listen, I want this sentence, so you're gonna write this.
00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:56.479
And they say, okay, sure.
00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:57.840
And they write it.
00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:11.439
And I explained that to him, and he was thrilled because apparently, I don't know where he's been going or who else he's been talking to, but he's been asking this question for quite some time, and nobody could give him an answer.
00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:12.719
Nobody could.
00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:15.520
So I actually took the time to look it up.
00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:22.240
I even showed him, had him read it from the Bible so he didn't just take my word for it, so he had something to look at.
00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:27.600
And we ended up having a great conversation from that point on.
00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:29.839
We're still currently talking.
00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:36.639
He's uh he hasn't decided one way or the other, but the door is open.
00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:42.639
I've he was you know, he's kept it open, and I haven't pushed or prodded because I don't want to lose him.
00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:45.759
And so, yeah, that's thank you.
00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:54.079
So we're we're in it, we're in his apartment, and um he's just like less than 24 hours.
00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:57.360
The pastor challenged this, and I got that.
00:04:57.519 --> 00:04:59.759
Man, that was the first question last week.
00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:00.959
I got that question.
00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:15.040
And what was I and I I appreciate Joshua telling me this and coming up willing to share, but what really struck me is Joshua, while we were up in his apartment talking, he said, before I would have told him what I thought of everything.
00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:19.439
And this time it really wasn't about me, as this is what scripture says.
00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:27.120
And the guy even said, You told me this, the guy even said, Normally people want to argue with me or whatever, but this they you just told me what scripture, thank you.
00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:28.240
And so it opened a door.
00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:40.800
So that was I thought that was pretty cool, just a testimony of, and I will tell you this in the the last couple weeks have just been phenomenal with just people saying, Hey, I was here and I got to share the gospel.
00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:45.839
Hey, I was here and I got to share, and and um I'm Adam.
00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:56.240
I mean, it's like I'm a little jealous because like three or four times a day, he's like, Hey, I got to share the gospel today, or I got to pray with someone today.
00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:59.360
But um, and right now, Jerry's gonna come up.
00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:00.319
Come here, Jerry.
00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:07.600
Tonight, we're gonna take tonight to um we've had multiple people come to us and say, you know what?
00:06:07.759 --> 00:06:09.120
I'm ready to share the gospel.
00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:11.360
I just don't know exactly how to do it.
00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:24.639
Okay, so tonight we are going to uh Jerry was a part of the EE for years at First Baptist Church, and so uh he is going to share the gospel to me.
00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:28.240
He didn't want to just do it, so I'm gonna act like we're at a restaurant.
00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:29.600
He's gonna share the gospel.
00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:37.439
We got three or four other, listen, there's only one way to be saved, and that's realizing that Jesus died for my sins, okay?
00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:45.279
But there's ways to share it, and so Jerry right now is going to uh just so hopefully tonight you're gonna be like, you know what?
00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:48.319
I like that way, I'm gonna study that way and be prepared that way.
00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:52.959
But Jerry over these years has done EE, and so we are sitting at a restaurant.
00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:56.000
Now he told me to be nice to him, so we'll see.
00:06:56.160 --> 00:07:00.720
So we're sitting at a restaurant, and go ahead, Jerry, how would you share the gospel?
00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:02.800
Oh, I want to say this though.
00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:11.279
As we came into my office, as he came into my office and talked about this, he said, Matt, when I was doing EE, the gospel's on my mind all the time.
00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:13.519
I was sharing the gospel, asking the question a lot.
00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:16.560
It's been a while, and isn't this what we do sometimes?
00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:18.079
Jerry is like, you know, it's been a while.
00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:22.000
I've invited people to church, but I quit asking the gospel question.
00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:26.399
So he said the other day he was at his ear, ear, what'd you what's he called?
00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:27.279
The ear doctors not.
00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:28.720
I was at the audiologist.
00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:29.279
Okay.
00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:34.720
And the lady comes in, does things, they were talking about church, right?
00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:42.160
Well, I'd asked her where she went to church, and uh she told me she went to OK Church or Cowboy Church up north of Ambirn.
00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:45.519
And I said, Well, I'm sort of familiar with cowboy church.
00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:47.120
Uh how do you love it?
00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:51.600
I said, I don't see you got any boots on, and she said, No, I don't even have a pair of boots.
00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:59.040
And uh so we got talking, and I asked her, I said, Well, you know, Ariba McIntyre's sister is really involved with Cowboy Church, and she said, Really?
00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:02.000
And I said, Yeah, it's a it's a really working deal.
00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:10.240
And uh, so we got through at the test, and she was finished, and I said, Well, you know, you told me you go to the cowboy church.
00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:11.040
Oh, no, no, no.
00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:13.759
I want to add to what he told me in the office.
00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:16.800
She walked out, and he thought, you know what?
00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:18.240
I didn't share the gospel.
00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:19.199
You remember you told me that?
00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:21.040
So then she comes back in.
00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:30.079
So she comes back in, and we were about finished, and I said, Uh, Doctor, I had a question for you.
00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:36.799
Have you come to a place in your spiritual life where you know for certain that if you died today you'd go to heaven?
00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:38.080
And she said, Yes.
00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:39.600
And I said, Well, what would you tell him?
00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:43.759
And she said, I'd tell him that the Lord Jesus Christ is my personal savior.
00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:46.320
And I said, Well, thank you for sharing with me.
00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:48.159
So that was it's just on his mind.
00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:53.840
That's what if we all, if it's on our mind, our conversations, it changes what we're thinking as we share with someone.
00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:54.399
So go ahead.
00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:56.639
I'm sorry, Jerry, that was a great story as you're telling me.
00:08:56.799 --> 00:08:57.600
So go ahead.
00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:03.679
Well, I was gonna share one other thing before I before I shared with Matt.
00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:10.559
Uh I really have struggled all this week because of having not shared it in a long time and working on it.
00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:17.039
But last Wednesday night after church, I was meeting with some grief share people, and then I was leaving.
00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:28.799
And as I was leaving, I walked by, a homeless guy walked right by me and asked if I had any extra money, and I said, No, I don't really.
00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:30.080
And I didn't think about it.
00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:35.759
I walked on and I didn't get to my truck, and the Lord said, I gave you an opportunity.
00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:40.000
Brom Sunday, I'll tell you one other thing.
00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:42.480
Brom Sunday, and this is happening.
00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:50.159
I was standing in line waiting for my order, and the guy looks at me and he said, Uh, I bet your order is 666, isn't it?
00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:53.200
You got the magic number because he said, I got 665.
00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:59.200
Two seconds later, I thought I wasn't thinking quick enough.
00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:06.639
I could have said, Yeah, but I have 777 to override that.
00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:08.960
But let me get in here.
00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:12.240
Okay, Jerry wanted to sit down to do this.
00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:15.840
You can do it standing up, but we're sitting down at a restaurant.
00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:24.159
Jerry tried to back out of this twice because he said, I can share the gospel with someone at the restaurant, but now we're doing it in front of people.
00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:29.360
So uh I don't know if you noticed, but his hands are shaky and he can't even get anything on his phone.
00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:31.360
So he's got this.
00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:35.360
Matt, have you come to a place in your spiritual life?
00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:39.919
Well, you know for certain that if you died tonight, you'd go to heaven.
00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:41.759
I I think so.
00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:46.639
Well, let me uh let me just follow up with another question.
00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:49.840
My wife has always said, I always have a lot of questions.
00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:51.519
Let me ask you another question.
00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:55.679
Suppose you were to die tonight, and we don't like to think about death.
00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:05.840
Uh, but suppose you were to die tonight and you was to stand before God, and God doesn't say, Matt, Passmore, why should I let you into my heaven?
00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:07.200
What would you tell him?
00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:10.559
Well, I'm I'm pretty good.
00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:13.200
I try to be nice to everyone.
00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:15.279
Okay.
00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:22.799
Uh I understood that when you were younger, you went to church.
00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:26.080
What did the church teach you the way into heaven?
00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:27.840
I don't remember.
00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:30.240
Well, I understand that.
00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:34.080
As we get older, we have a tendency not to remember these younger things.
00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:40.399
But, Matt, when I heard your first comment, I thought I had some good news for you.
00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:44.879
In fact, the matter, I probably got the best good news you've heard in a long time.
00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:49.440
And that is that heaven is an absolutely free gift.
00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:57.679
For it says, For the wages of sin is death in our word, but the gift of God is eternal life in the Lord Jesus.
00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:05.600
And then in Ephesians, the second chapter, it says, For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.
00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:09.440
It is a gift of God, not of works, lest we should boast.
00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:12.399
Now, man, what's your idea of a gift?
00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:17.840
Uh like at Christmas, where someone gives me a Christmas gift.
00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:18.399
Okay.
00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:28.559
Um, what in getting a gift, what has to happen before you get that gift?
00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:33.120
Uh someone has to get something ready to give it to me.
00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:33.759
Okay.
00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:46.960
Let's suppose that you went to the store today and you bought Lisa a beautiful ring and you brought it home, and you said, Lisa, I've got this beautiful ring for you.
00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:51.200
But you can have it just as soon as you fix my dinner.
00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:53.840
Now, is that a gift?
00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:56.720
No, it's like uh why isn't it?
00:12:57.120 --> 00:12:59.279
Because uh she has to do something to receive it.
00:12:59.519 --> 00:12:59.840
Right.
00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:12.000
Somebody has to pay a price for you to get your gift, and because of that, let's in our life we have been kind of taught that we have to earn our own way.
00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:18.480
And in math in Proverbs, it says there is a way that seemeth right unto man.
00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:21.759
But in the end there, that's the way of death.
00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:30.000
And so while it seems right that we earn our way, when we look at what God says about man, he says that man is a sinner.
00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:36.799
He said, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.
00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:45.919
And then it says, For by faith, for by faith are you saved, for grace are you saved through faith.
00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:48.559
And not of yourselves, it's the gift.
00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:53.919
And then he says, For the wages of sin is death.
00:13:55.759 --> 00:14:01.120
And we know, I don't know about you, but I know that I'm not a I'm a sinner.
00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:09.759
I know that I've done things wrong, that I should have done, things I know I should have done right and I didn't, and things that I do wrong.
00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:17.519
And he said, in in Romans, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:26.320
You know, and I told you early on that gift was free, but then he said that there's none righteous.
00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:28.480
God said that there's none righteous.
00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:31.919
I know about, I don't know about you, but I know that I'm not.
00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:39.440
But he also says in Matthew, be ye therefore perfect, even as your father in heaven is perfect.
00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:41.840
And I know Jerry Clark is not.
00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:43.840
And I don't know about Matt.
00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:49.440
I've never met a perfect person, and the only perfect one that I ever knew about that crucified him.
00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:51.759
So I've never been there.
00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:54.799
Matthew said we had to be perfect.
00:14:55.120 --> 00:15:06.720
And John 3.16 said, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:15.120
Then it says, He who believes, he who believes in the Son has life.
00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:18.720
And he who does not believe does not have life.
00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:26.399
John 9, six Psalms 9:16 also says the Lord is known by the judgment he executeth.
00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:32.960
Now I told you I had some good news for you, and I told you heaven's a free gift.
00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:39.039
I also told you that according to the word, we are sinners.
00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:41.840
And we know that we're not perfect.
00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:51.919
So God, in the ends of time back, God looked down and saw that man was not going to be perfect.
00:15:52.240 --> 00:16:04.320
And there had to be, there's a verse over there, and I can't remember them right where it says with the scripture right now, but it says that there is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood.
00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:11.919
And Jesus looked down, or God looked down, and knew that we were going to need help.
00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:20.080
First John chapter 1, verse 1, said, and the word, and if you look at the word, it's capitalized.
00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:25.039
And it said, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us.
00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:35.279
And then if you go to John 1.14, it said, and that word, the same capitalized, became flesh, and he dwelt among us.
00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:38.879
So we know that Jesus came.
00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:46.080
We know that God provided a way that we get to know him personally.
00:16:47.200 --> 00:17:02.720
There's a scripture, I guess two of my very favorite scriptures, and I'm going to read this one to both of these two of you, because in Isaiah 53, 6, it says, all we like sheep have gone astray.
00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:06.400
And Matt, growing up, I raised sheep, so I know what he's talking about.
00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:08.079
I have to raise sheep.
00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:17.440
It says, and we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him, on Jesus, the iniquity of us all.
00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:19.279
Let me give you an hold up.
00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:24.319
You know, let's let's suppose this is you, and this is God.
00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:31.359
God is saying, I've made Jesus to be sinned for you.
00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:38.079
So he's covered, he covered Jerry Clark because of I needed that sacrifice.
00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:42.319
But then there's another verse that says, For he made him.
00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:45.200
God made Jesus.
00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:57.440
And I'm going to put it personally there, God made Jesus to be sin for Jerry, that Jerry might become the righteousness of God in him.
00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:02.160
So God made Jesus to be sin for me.
00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:07.279
You know, and I told you that heaven was a free gift.
00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:14.640
That man is a sinner and he cannot earn his way into heaven, that he has to have a sacrifice.
00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:20.880
God in himself became man and lived on this earth.
00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:24.640
So he might provide that sacrifice for sins.
00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:27.519
No matter all that I've shared with you.
00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:30.480
Does that make sense to you?
00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:31.599
Yes.
00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:35.359
Well, if it makes sense to you, I got one other question.
00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:38.000
And that is question, how do you get that?
00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:43.680
You know, in Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, it says, For by grace are ye saved through faith.
00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:46.240
That not of yourselves, it is the faith.
00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:53.440
God even provides the faith for you that you might have the belief in Him.
00:18:53.759 --> 00:19:05.920
And then in Romans 10, 9 and 10, it says, basically, if you'll believe in your heart the Lord Jesus and confess with your mouth that he is the Lord Christ, that you can be saved.
00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:10.559
Matt, would you like to be saved tonight and receive that free gift?
00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:12.400
Yes.
00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:13.920
Okay, thank you.
00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:21.599
So and here's the cool thing I like that and Jerry's phone was messing up.
00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:22.880
He says, Can I use my phone?
00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:23.359
Yeah.
00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:25.039
But it's not a secret.
00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:25.759
You know what I'm saying?
00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:26.480
Let them see it.
00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:28.240
Like Josh pulled out and showed them.
00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:28.960
Thank you, Jerry.
00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:29.440
Good job.
00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:30.880
Good, good, good.
00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:38.799
And um what what I love about Jerry's testimony or how he shared that is he was prepared.
00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:39.599
You know what I'm saying?
00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:43.279
If we're gonna share the gospel, we gotta be prepared to be able to do it.
00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:46.799
Now, can there be a question we get stuck on that we don't know the answer to?
00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:47.440
Yes.
00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:50.240
Hey, I'll get back with you and get back with them, you know.
00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:53.680
Um, okay, another one I'd like I I got a video I want to show you, Bobby.
00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:54.400
Hold on just a second.
00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:55.279
We're gonna show a video.
00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:57.039
This is called the Three Circles.
00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:07.119
The guy that wrote this, that came up with this, he moved to a place in Florida that was uh, I think it was Florida, that was a pretty secular area.
00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:13.440
And he said he would go up and ask the question, hey, if you were going to die tonight and you're standing before God, what would you say?
00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:16.720
And he he said people would say, I don't even believe there's a God.
00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:17.920
I don't even believe there's heaven.
00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:18.720
Like, I'm not scared.
00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:19.359
You know what I'm saying?
00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:20.079
Type deal.
00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:25.519
So he had to kind of in a way come up with a different way to start the conversation.
00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:32.160
And so he kind of, this is something he they they've taught it before, where you can pull out a napkin and draw this.
00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:34.079
So, Bobby, can we play that?
00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:41.200
If you turn on the television or look at your Facebook feed, it's very clear that we live in a broken world.
00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:45.440
There's a lot of death, a lot of disease and suffering.
00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:53.680
But we also see traces of beauty, like the beauty of a sunset or the laugh of a child.
00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:58.960
And that's because God's design was perfect when he made it.
00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:02.960
There was no death or disease or suffering.
00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:13.680
But starting with the very first people, we as humans chose to go our own way and leave God's perfect design.
00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:15.759
And that's called sin.
00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:22.720
And sin is what led to brokenness in our world and us and sinfulness.
00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:27.359
Well, we don't like to be in brokenness, this state that we're born in.
00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:29.359
So we try to get out.
00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:37.119
So for some, they try to get out on their own by climbing the ladder of success at work or school, thinking that'll get them out.
00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:44.240
Others try to get out themselves by doing good things or being religious and going to church and helping people.
00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:48.640
And while those are great things, they don't get us out of brokenness.
00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:57.759
Some try to drown out the brokenness with drugs and alcohol or attempts at suicide or maybe even relationships.
00:21:57.839 --> 00:21:59.759
And these attempts to get out of brokenness are.
00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:03.839
End up snapping us back in like a bungee cord.
00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:09.119
But God loved us so much, He didn't want us to stay in brokenness.
00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:12.799
So He did for us what we could not do for ourselves.
00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:14.880
He provided the only way out.
00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:18.720
And that is through His Son, Jesus.
00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:27.359
You see, Jesus came down into our world and allowed Himself to be killed on a cross, taking on our sin.
00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:31.599
And three days later, He rose from the dead.
00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:49.759
And he declared that if anyone would turn from their way and surrender to Him and believe that Jesus came and died on the cross and rose from the dead and would be willing to make Him their King or their Lord, that they would be forgiven and made new.
00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:57.599
And would then be able to experience God's perfect design for their life.
00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:04.000
And I want to ask you, which of these two would you say you're in?
00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:05.759
Are you still in brokenness?
00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:11.200
Or have you repented and believed in Jesus and are now back in his design?
00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:13.359
Okay, you're in brokenness.
00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:16.160
Well, which one of these two do you want to be in?
00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:17.920
Okay, great.
00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:28.799
Well, is there anything that keeps you from turning from your way and believing in the gospel of Jesus and making him your Lord, your King?
00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:30.319
Okay, great.
00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:35.119
You know, when I chose to make this decision, I prayed a simple prayer, very similar to this picture.
00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:43.839
I just told God that I'm sorry for my sin, that I left your design, and for the ways that I've tried to get out of brokenness on my own.
00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:47.519
I'm ready to turn from my way and surrender to you.
00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:55.920
And I believe that this is true, and I want to make you my Lord so I can become new and experience your design for my life.
00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:58.160
Is that something you'd like to do?
00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:01.680
And then just pray with them.
00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:05.759
So this is the three circles gospel presentation.
00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:16.000
Okay, and that that again, the guy that even wrote this would tell you this is the beginning, and the Lord works through this, and then there's scripture that follows.
00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:19.039
You know, I've heard people say this, well, where's the scripture in it?
00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:29.359
Well, this is talking sin, and it's the gospel as they get in, realize, hey, I'm a sinful person, this leads to scripture.
00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:30.079
You know what I'm saying?
00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:34.480
Salvation comes through Christ alone, you know, and that but that's the picture of it.
00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:43.200
Um he said there, that's something I've uh over the years, have you ever heard, and we used to say this a lot.
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:48.799
I remember when I was in a kid, I prayed the prayer.
00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:53.119
You know, some I, you know, the salvation, I prayed the prayer.
00:24:53.359 --> 00:25:00.000
And um, you know, over the years I was convicted a little bit by that because it's not the prayer that saves, it's the condition of the heart.
00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:06.319
And so over the years, you know, a lot of times there's a prayer in the back of the track that they can say or read.
00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:08.480
And um, over the time it was a lot.
00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:14.720
I would say three words, the little kid would say three words, and I would say three words, and and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:21.920
Listen, but the Lord kind of convicted me because it's not about what they pray, it's about what's going on in their life.
00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:23.279
And what do I mean by that?
00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:24.240
It's amazing.
00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:32.319
The last little bit of my children's when I was doing children's ministry, I would have a little girl, little boy, and I would say, now, do you want to give your life to Christ?
00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:33.119
Do you want to follow him?
00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:34.480
And we talk about their prayer.
00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:39.279
And I'd say, well, you just need to tell him what you're wanting to do, and what is it?
00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:52.720
And I'm gonna tell you, some of these little kids, it was just a powerful prayer of Lord, I am so sorry, I'm sinful, and they list their sins and they said, and I know Jesus came and he died for me, and thank you for that.
00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:54.559
Will you come and to be my Lord?
00:25:54.720 --> 00:26:02.319
And I'm talking when they're done, tears are coming down your eye because that's them and what the Lord is doing in their life right then.
00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:06.559
And so I think a part of the prayer is not the part that saves them.
00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:09.839
It's the idea of I'm ready to give my life to Christ and ask him to save it.
00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:12.880
And so, so that's a piece some people say, where do I go next?
00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:20.480
Because we didn't demonstrate well, Jerry, but the part of the prayer is the idea of I need Jesus that I can't do it on my own.
00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:27.680
Okay, another way I want to I want to, and then Pastor's gonna do one more or a couple more, and then we're gonna use this time to answer some questions.
00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:33.839
But if you have your Bibles, I we're at a big student event one time, and I'll never forget this.
00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:38.559
Kids were going, uh, or you can just jot notes down, but we're gonna be in uh Romans.
00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:44.000
Um, I'll never forget, you know, when you're with students, it's like, how do you share the gospel?
00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:48.079
And they're always trying to do hip cool, you know, get attention and all that.
00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:52.640
And this guy goes, he said, I will always just use the Roman road.
00:26:53.119 --> 00:27:01.920
Because I can almost read all the verses in the Roman Road, and I don't even have to explain anything because it's that self-explanatory.
00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:02.480
Okay?
00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:04.240
So here we go.
00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:06.480
So I would like to just read it to you, okay?
00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:08.400
So Romans 3.23.
00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:11.599
I mean, I think we start with this, the same question.
00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:21.920
You know, someone's struggling with uh their walk with the Lord, they're just making bad choices, you know, and the same question, you could ask the same question Jerry asked.
00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:25.359
And then we get into this Romans 3.23.
00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:31.279
The Bible says, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:36.160
And as I as I talk to a student, the next question is, have you ever sinned?
00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:41.200
Now I will tell you this if they say they have not sinned, they don't need Jesus.
00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:42.400
You know what I mean?
00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:43.119
That was our deal.
00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:47.839
If a kid does not realize they're a sinner, they gotta realize what sin is first.
00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:51.920
And as adults, usually they're like, oh yeah, I mess up.
00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:59.200
And then it's funny that I brought my Bible that I this was the Bible I got in high school when that guy was teaching.
00:27:59.359 --> 00:28:06.400
And so when I got back to my room, then it tells me right there by that to go to Romans 6.
00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:08.960
I have it right next to Romans 3.23.
00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:10.799
It tells me to go to Romans 6.
00:28:10.880 --> 00:28:13.119
So it tells me exactly what to do in my Bible.
00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:15.359
See it off, see the little circle right there?
00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:22.079
Then Romans 6.23 says this, for the wages of sin is death.
00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:28.559
So before that we said we all sinned, and then we see it says the wage of sin is death.
00:28:28.799 --> 00:28:32.079
Now, I could even say with an adult, what is a wage?
00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:35.839
Well, it's something I deserve after I've what?
00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:36.960
Done something.
00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:40.799
So it says here, because of our sin we deserve to die.
00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:50.319
But we don't want to stop there, we'll keep reading, because then it says, But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:28:51.279 --> 00:28:53.039
And like Jerry said, it's a gift.
00:28:53.200 --> 00:28:54.640
God's given it to us.
00:28:56.720 --> 00:29:00.319
And then my arrow says, or my deal then says, go to Romans 5.
00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:02.559
So now we're going to go to Romans 5, 8.
00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:11.519
But God demonstrated his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
00:29:12.720 --> 00:29:16.079
Even as a sinner, Christ died for me.
00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:18.880
And then it tells me to go to Romans 10.
00:29:19.119 --> 00:29:24.000
So then I would go to Romans 10, 13.
00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:26.640
And it says this.
00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:32.640
For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:40.799
And then my thing says to go to, then I go to uh Romans 10 9 and 10.
00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:51.039
And then it says this if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.
00:29:51.279 --> 00:29:59.279
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:08.079
And then I think after just reading that scripture, the idea of, I mean, if you read that, it's pretty much you need Jesus.
00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:21.680
And then the great thing about that, if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, I think there's a piece that you explain in the confession or the belief that Jesus died for you.
00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:33.279
And then I will say this there's been times that I've been going through this and just sharing it, and you can see the Lord working.
00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:39.119
They ain't listening to a word I'm saying, but they're wanting to get to the part of I need Jesus.
00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:40.319
You know what I'm saying?
00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:53.759
When the Lord is stirring, and so um then at that point, depending on where they're answering questions, are you ready to confess right there?
00:30:54.640 --> 00:30:59.839
And I would I would like to say this.
00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:02.720
My numbers lately, it was funny.
00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:05.759
I saw Jerry, this is why I thought of Jerry to do this.
00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:17.759
We used to have the uh was I think it was the every Tuesday, people came in and um we would counsel them and help them, just people off the streets.
00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:25.359
But in order to get or receive a gift or you know, financially help them, they had to listen to the gospel.
00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:36.799
And um, you know, a lot of times as you share the gospel, I would like to say every time you get to the point of ready to share the, you know, ready to say the prayer, they're like, I'm all in.
00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:39.599
But a lot of times they just cut it off right there.
00:31:39.839 --> 00:31:46.480
And um one thing I've learned just recently though is if they cut me off right there, like they're not interested.
00:31:46.720 --> 00:31:47.680
I still want to say this.
00:31:47.839 --> 00:31:49.519
Hey, can I just pray for you?
00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:52.319
You know, and just pray for them right there.
00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:53.200
You know, stop.
00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:56.319
The Lord's maybe working.
00:31:57.119 --> 00:32:00.480
And um, there's been a few times after that prayer, they're like, well, you know what?
00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:01.680
Can I ask you some more questions?
00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:04.079
There's been other times as soon as we pray, they're ready to leave.
00:32:04.319 --> 00:32:04.960
But you know what?
00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:08.559
I I think it goes back to the idea, like Pastor said last week.
00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:12.799
We are not the one that saves them.
00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:20.160
The Lord saves them, we're just sharing.
00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:24.880
And Adam keeps as he's texting me, he's like, Man, I got to share it again.
00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:27.359
I think someone else is gonna reap.
00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:30.799
Maybe the chance of saying it, but he did he was faithful.
00:32:30.880 --> 00:32:32.319
So, Pastor, if you want to come.
00:32:35.680 --> 00:32:39.359
Thank you, uh, you guys, for sharing this morning this evening.
00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:41.839
It's great to uh have y'all get excited.
00:32:41.920 --> 00:32:43.839
Matt and I are excited every morning.
00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:54.319
Almost we're getting texts from people, hey, I shared this today, and hey, I met this person shared this today, and it's exciting to see everybody um just buy in and getting excited.
00:32:54.400 --> 00:33:04.960
We talked last week about living in the tension of am I supposed to share or not with this person and embracing that intention and starting to dive into that to share.
00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:10.400
Uh, those were several different ways that you we modeled tonight how to be saved.
00:33:10.559 --> 00:33:12.960
Uh I'll give you two more just for fun.
00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:17.680
And the point is there are so many ways to be prepared.
00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:30.960
But if you think about every one of these, what uh Jerry modeled with the EE, what you've read online as you've been doing those classes, the three circles that you saw, uh the ones we've talked about, they all have the same elements.
00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:32.160
We're all sinners.
00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:34.240
Romans rode, we're all sinners.
00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:35.839
Wages of sin is death.
00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:40.799
The gift of God is a salvation through his eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:33:41.119 --> 00:33:43.839
God demonstrates love towards us while we're yet sinners.
00:33:43.920 --> 00:33:44.880
Christ died for us.
00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:48.240
And so he is the gift of salvation.
00:33:48.480 --> 00:33:52.079
Uh, and so every one of those goes in that same pattern.
00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:56.559
Uh, a number of years ago, Southern Baptists created another one.
00:33:56.640 --> 00:34:00.720
I guess some people felt like uh EE needed to be updated or something.
00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:02.480
How many of you ever took faith training?
00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:04.160
Did anybody hear faith training?
00:34:04.400 --> 00:34:05.359
Take faith training.
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:07.119
And so here's what they taught you to do.
00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:10.159
It's similar to the three circles, but the gimmick was on your hand.
00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:12.880
F-A-I-T-H, right?
00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:13.840
Everybody's got that?
00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:15.599
F-A-I-T-H.
00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:17.599
And so F is forgiveness.
00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:22.719
And so, as Jerry talked with uh Matt about, we all need to be forgiven.
00:34:22.880 --> 00:34:24.159
We all know that we've sinned.
00:34:24.239 --> 00:34:25.920
We all know that need to be forgiven.
00:34:26.079 --> 00:34:30.880
If we're adults, you know there's stuff you've done you need to be forgiven for.
00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:33.039
It's not real hard to understand that.
00:34:33.199 --> 00:34:36.079
And you can't forgive yourself, you can't fix your own sin.
00:34:36.239 --> 00:34:38.320
But God has made a way of forgiveness.
00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:38.880
F.
00:34:39.119 --> 00:34:46.480
A, forgiveness is available to everyone who would uh turn to Jesus to be saved.
00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:47.920
It's I impossible.
00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:49.679
It's impossible to forgive yourself.
00:34:49.760 --> 00:34:54.000
It's impossible to create a means of getting rid of your sin.
00:34:54.159 --> 00:34:56.079
You need forgiveness, it's available to you.
00:34:56.159 --> 00:34:58.159
It's impossible for you to do it yourself.
00:34:58.400 --> 00:34:59.599
Well, then how do I do that?
00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:01.119
How can I be forgiven?
00:35:01.440 --> 00:35:03.440
T is turn, it's repent.
00:35:03.599 --> 00:35:04.960
That's what that word repent is.
00:35:05.039 --> 00:35:17.039
It means turn from, just like in the three circles, from the things that you're trying to do to fix yourself or to be worthy or whatever, and you turn to Jesus and make a choice of faith to place your faith in him.
00:35:17.360 --> 00:35:23.360
And a lot of times we'll say in church life, faith is forsaking all, I trust him.
00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:27.039
And so that's how you turn to Jesus.
00:35:27.280 --> 00:35:30.400
And heaven is the promise of salvation.
00:35:30.559 --> 00:35:36.079
We have a relationship with him, we can never be separated from him, and when we die, we'll spend an eternity in heaven.
00:35:36.239 --> 00:35:37.519
And so there's a way to do that.
00:35:37.679 --> 00:35:40.239
There's another method that people use called the net.
00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:41.679
How many have you ever heard of the net?
00:35:41.840 --> 00:35:42.880
You ever heard of the net?
00:35:43.280 --> 00:35:47.039
And the idea is this is the net change in my life.
00:35:47.199 --> 00:35:53.119
And so you share who you were before you met Jesus, you share your testimony, how you met Jesus.
00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:55.199
This is a testimony-based thing.
00:35:55.440 --> 00:36:02.880
You share how God has impacted your life now because you've trusted him as your savior.
00:36:03.039 --> 00:36:06.079
And then you ask someone, has there been a point in your life where you've done that?
00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:08.239
And so there's a lot of these ways to do that.
00:36:08.320 --> 00:36:11.280
So what we're trying to illustrate is preparation.
00:36:11.360 --> 00:36:12.480
That's what Matt told you.
00:36:12.639 --> 00:36:13.280
Be prepared.
00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:14.239
Prepare yourself.
00:36:14.400 --> 00:36:15.280
You can do that.
00:36:15.440 --> 00:36:23.280
And so there's a lot of ways to do that, but you need to have in your mind when God presents you an open door, you need to be able to dive through it.
00:36:23.360 --> 00:36:24.960
And it's all really simple.
00:36:25.119 --> 00:36:29.280
The Romans wrote: you probably most of you know those verses already.
00:36:29.599 --> 00:36:31.039
For the wages of sin is death.
00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:32.239
Everybody, I mean, come on.
00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:34.239
You've been in church, you know that verse, right?
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:39.599
You can do a lot of these with just John 3.16 and 3.17.
00:36:40.480 --> 00:36:45.280
For God so loved the world, he gave his only son, whosoever believes in him will never perish, but have everlasting life.
00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:46.239
Why do we perish?
00:36:46.400 --> 00:36:47.599
We perish because of sin.
00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:49.599
Sin broke the world, broke us.
00:36:49.840 --> 00:36:51.679
Sin's got to be judged, right?
00:36:51.840 --> 00:36:53.039
God judges sin.
00:36:53.360 --> 00:36:54.000
17.
00:36:54.559 --> 00:37:02.719
Jesus did not come into the world to contemn the world because the world was already condemned, but that the world through him might be saved, right?
00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:04.719
We're already condemned in our sin.
00:37:04.960 --> 00:37:07.440
But God so loved us, he made a way of salvation.
00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:11.840
He sent his son to die on the cross for us, but that the world through him might be saved.
00:37:12.079 --> 00:37:13.199
And what does that mean?
00:37:13.360 --> 00:37:14.639
He died for us on the cross.
00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:18.960
How much does it mean that Jesus loves you so much that he took your punishment on the cross?
00:37:19.519 --> 00:37:23.519
That's that substitution that Jerry was talking about in that EE thing.
00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:27.519
And then you go to uh, well, how do you accept that forgiveness?
00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:29.199
How do you receive the forgiveness of God?
00:37:29.280 --> 00:37:37.039
For God so loved the world, he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him will never perish, but have everlasting life.
00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:40.880
And so you place your faith in Jesus Christ and trust what he did for you on the cross.
00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:43.840
I mean, you don't have to memorize 47 scriptures.
00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:48.559
I mean, it's cool if you got them and you should have them, but you don't have to have all of them.
00:37:48.800 --> 00:37:55.599
You can have a few and do it quickly and really rely on Scripture to share the gospel.
00:37:55.679 --> 00:38:01.599
And so the important thing is you have in your mind a way that you have done some practice with.
00:38:01.840 --> 00:38:06.800
So when God opens the door, you can step right in and you're ready to roll.
00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:08.239
Does that make sense?
00:38:08.480 --> 00:38:08.800
All right.
00:38:11.199 --> 00:38:13.360
You guys have been doing good question time.
00:38:14.719 --> 00:38:16.079
That's a good question.
00:38:16.239 --> 00:38:26.960
Uh I think what he is saying there is not that his salvation covers his family, but that with his salvation, it enters into the conversation in his family.
00:38:27.199 --> 00:38:33.519
And so I think what you have to make clear is that every person has to be saved on their own.
00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:36.639
Uh every person has to make that choice.
00:38:36.800 --> 00:38:52.559
And so what I think he's introducing there to the Philippian jailer, that's the jailer, um, is that this idea when you get saved, you give your life to him, you have brought the gospel into your home, and now you can bring it to them.
00:38:52.639 --> 00:38:57.599
And they, in fact, went back to his house as the story unfolds, and that's what happened.
00:38:57.760 --> 00:39:01.039
Paul shared with his family, and his family got saved.
00:39:01.119 --> 00:39:02.800
And we see that in church.
00:39:02.960 --> 00:39:15.920
Uh we have we've had a number of testimonies in our church where one of the members of the family is saved, and then the rest of the family starts coming and they get involved, and you see them baptized one after the other.
00:39:16.079 --> 00:39:19.760
And so it is very much a real experience that happens.
00:39:19.840 --> 00:39:22.159
And you can share with that question.
00:39:22.320 --> 00:39:24.480
Hey, that happens in our church all the time.
00:39:24.719 --> 00:39:25.199
Right?
00:39:25.360 --> 00:39:26.639
So that's a good word.
00:39:26.719 --> 00:39:27.679
Uh, that's a good thing.
00:39:27.840 --> 00:39:29.039
But every person has to do that.
00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:32.320
Now, sometimes you will get this question.
00:39:33.119 --> 00:39:47.840
Uh someone has a loved one, it may be a recent thing that you just bump into and they say, Are you telling me that my mom, my brother, my friend, my coach, my uh child, my whoever went to hell.
00:39:48.159 --> 00:39:51.039
And so you will get that question at times.
00:39:51.280 --> 00:39:52.239
Y'all with me?
00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:55.920
When you bring that up and they'll say, Do you tell me they went to hell?
00:39:56.239 --> 00:40:05.280
And what you what I will usually tell them is this I will say, Listen, I have no idea, and you really don't either.
00:40:07.360 --> 00:40:17.920
Uh, because it is something that happens personally between a person and and Jesus when they give their lives to Christ.
00:40:18.400 --> 00:40:23.920
And you don't know every moment, every time, whatever in their life when that may have happened.
00:40:24.159 --> 00:40:33.840
And so what you do know is that God loved them, and you do know that there were opportunities, and that's all we know, and that's all I know for my family, and that's all I know for your family.
00:40:34.000 --> 00:40:36.480
And so that's really not a question for you.
00:40:36.639 --> 00:40:41.840
The question for you is, are you gonna go to heaven or not?
00:40:42.000 --> 00:40:43.679
And you just kind of worked through that.
00:40:43.840 --> 00:40:54.239
I had a uh when I first became a pastor, uh, I was on staff at my home church, and one of the longtime pastors who was on our staff, really a great leader.
00:40:54.480 --> 00:40:58.239
He was on there for pastoral experience and all that for young guys like me.
00:40:58.400 --> 00:41:00.079
He was incredible, Joe Jernigan.
00:41:00.159 --> 00:41:00.880
I love Joe.
00:41:01.039 --> 00:41:08.880
And so Joe taught me a lot of stuff, and uh, so I was doing my first funeral service where we weren't sure about that person's spiritual condition.
00:41:09.039 --> 00:41:15.280
And so the first time, it's never comfortable, but when you're a brand new pastor and you're trying to figure out how to do that, it's really difficult.
00:41:15.519 --> 00:41:17.360
And so I went to Joe, like I did often.
00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:18.800
I said, Joe, would I do this?
00:41:18.880 --> 00:41:21.840
And he said, Here's what you do, Greg, here's the rule.
00:41:22.320 --> 00:41:29.519
Um, number one, you never preach someone into heaven, is the way pastors would say that.
00:41:29.840 --> 00:41:39.519
You don't manufacture some salvation testimony for them trying to minister to the family or make it less painful.
00:41:39.679 --> 00:41:44.159
You can say nice things about them, you can encourage them, you don't make them sound perfect.
00:41:44.400 --> 00:41:52.480
You can share the gospel without creating or bootstrapping some testimony that nobody knows for that person.
00:41:52.880 --> 00:42:05.039
You talk about how nice they are, and you talk about what their family means to them, and you say in times like this we're confronted with the frailty of life, and we are all acknowledged that all of us are going to be here in one day.
00:42:05.280 --> 00:42:08.960
And here's what the Bible says about this, and then you share the gospel.
00:42:09.119 --> 00:42:11.119
You don't preach someone into heaven.
00:42:11.280 --> 00:42:15.360
And he said the other side of that is you also don't preach them into hell.
00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:18.000
You don't know you weren't there.
00:42:18.159 --> 00:42:22.159
There could have been any number of times when they could have given their life to Christ.
00:42:22.239 --> 00:42:26.559
And so you don't artificially send them to hell either.
00:42:26.719 --> 00:42:30.639
You do the same thing and you just give the explanation of what the gospel is.
00:42:30.719 --> 00:42:31.760
Does that make sense?
00:42:32.000 --> 00:42:35.840
I thought it was incredible advice and it's been very helpful to me throughout my ministry.
00:42:36.079 --> 00:42:40.559
Pastor Joe was awesome, and I love Joe Jernigan for what he taught us.
00:42:40.719 --> 00:42:48.320
And so I think when you get that moment, if you have that in your mind, the answer is you don't know, and they probably don't know either.
00:42:49.199 --> 00:43:06.880
You know, if they push you and they say, well, they were so-and-so, and they said they weren't, and they were going to reject and all that, then you just stick with the gospel and you say, Look, I don't want to be disrespectful to your family member or friend or whoever it is, but what I can tell you is that this is the truth of Scripture.
00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:10.880
And that Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
00:43:11.039 --> 00:43:13.840
No man comes to the Father but by me.
00:43:14.159 --> 00:43:17.519
And so the question for you is your life.
00:43:17.760 --> 00:43:25.679
You can't do anything about anybody else's, and you can't do anything anybody else's that has moved on to eternity, but you can deal with your life.
00:43:25.760 --> 00:43:26.880
And where will you be?
00:43:26.960 --> 00:43:30.000
And have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior?
00:43:30.320 --> 00:43:30.719
Yeah.
00:43:31.199 --> 00:43:36.719
She's shared a testimony that she had a friend recently who had a son died, and she had the same, she did the same thing.
00:43:36.800 --> 00:43:38.320
She was prepared to share that with him.
00:43:38.480 --> 00:43:39.039
That was good.
00:43:39.119 --> 00:43:40.000
That was a good word.
00:43:40.159 --> 00:43:43.039
And so I think that's how you approach that if you get that question.
00:43:44.320 --> 00:43:44.719
That's good.
00:43:45.599 --> 00:43:45.840
Yeah.
00:43:46.880 --> 00:43:48.159
Others, you have any other questions?
00:43:49.760 --> 00:43:51.360
You guys have been doing great with questions.
00:43:52.000 --> 00:43:56.559
Uh just uh one more thing I appreciate about Jerry's uh sharing.
00:43:56.719 --> 00:43:59.360
He shared from Isaiah 53.
00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:01.760
In his testimony.
00:44:01.840 --> 00:44:04.239
I think that you said that was your one of your wife's favorite.
00:44:04.480 --> 00:44:04.719
Yeah.
00:44:04.880 --> 00:44:08.480
And so I'm preaching on Isaiah 53 on Sunday.
00:44:08.559 --> 00:44:11.920
So there's a little bit of a kind of a thing there.
00:44:12.079 --> 00:44:15.760
So they get a little inside baseball as we get started.
00:44:16.800 --> 00:44:26.880
One other thing I want to just kind of walk with you through is the sinner's prayer part of that.
00:44:27.039 --> 00:44:32.400
You hear a lot of discussion about that, and Matt talked about that some, and I just kind of want to reiterate that.
00:44:33.119 --> 00:44:45.039
What you're doing is you are trying to help them say what their understanding and decision is.
00:44:45.599 --> 00:44:45.920
Okay?
00:44:46.480 --> 00:44:56.079
You're trying to get them to articulate that so that they have ownership and they, in their minds, understand what they're doing.
00:44:56.639 --> 00:45:01.199
There is no magic word to the sinner's prayer.
00:45:01.280 --> 00:45:04.400
It is not some spiritual incantation.
00:45:05.039 --> 00:45:11.199
There is not some specific words that you're supposed to say or anything like that.
00:45:11.360 --> 00:45:22.400
And it's very important that we understand that there's a lot of discussion on the internet and places and all this kind of stuff, and you got people railing on, you know, the sinner's prayer and easy believism and all this other kind.
00:45:22.960 --> 00:45:25.360
That's all just ridiculous conversation.
00:45:25.599 --> 00:45:27.760
That is not what the sinner's prayer is.
00:45:27.840 --> 00:45:31.599
It's not, that's not what anybody means when they're talking about the sinner's prayer.
00:45:32.320 --> 00:45:37.840
Someone asks you the question, how do I give my life to Christ?
00:45:38.000 --> 00:45:39.679
How do I get saved?
00:45:41.280 --> 00:45:44.960
What you're trying to do is walk them through that.
00:45:45.199 --> 00:45:48.079
They are not theologians, most likely.
00:45:49.199 --> 00:45:54.719
Sometimes they may are trying to figure out and understand what you're explaining to them.
00:45:54.960 --> 00:45:58.000
You do not have to be a theologian to get saved.
00:45:58.239 --> 00:46:07.440
You just need to know you're a sinner and you need to know that Jesus loves you so much that he died for your sins, and you repent of your sins and you give him your life.
00:46:07.599 --> 00:46:08.000
That's it.
00:46:08.079 --> 00:46:08.719
That's all there is.
00:46:08.880 --> 00:46:10.159
That's the theology.
00:46:10.400 --> 00:46:12.239
It's not magic words.
00:46:12.480 --> 00:46:14.000
You're not trying to make it easier.
00:46:14.159 --> 00:46:16.880
You don't want to put words in their mouth and that kind of a deal.
00:46:17.039 --> 00:46:20.639
Again, I will model that at times on Sundays.
00:46:21.440 --> 00:46:30.079
And so what I will usually do is say, tell them, look, I'm going to give you a prompt, and I'll tell them this isn't there's no magic to these words.
00:46:30.320 --> 00:46:31.360
This is your heart.
00:46:31.440 --> 00:46:39.199
You're having this conversation with Jesus where you're telling him you're sorry for your sin, you believe he died and rose again for you, and you're trusting him as your savior.
00:46:39.280 --> 00:46:40.000
That's what you're doing.
00:46:40.159 --> 00:46:41.840
And so it's just your words.
00:46:42.079 --> 00:46:47.280
And so I will tell them you can say it out loud or you can say it in your heart.
00:46:47.519 --> 00:46:49.920
Either way, God hears you, right?
00:46:50.239 --> 00:46:55.440
And so just tell him you understand what sin is and you're a sinner in your heart.
00:46:55.519 --> 00:46:58.880
And like Matt said, sometimes kids will run the whole list, right?
00:46:59.440 --> 00:47:03.119
You know, but that person can, you know, I know I'm a sinner.
00:47:03.360 --> 00:47:05.920
If it's meaningful, that's good enough.
00:47:06.079 --> 00:47:10.079
If they want to list some or say they understand it, fine, tell the Lord that.
00:47:11.199 --> 00:47:11.840
He wants to hear that.
00:47:12.000 --> 00:47:13.199
Tell him in your words.
00:47:13.360 --> 00:47:16.960
And then I'll say, I want you to tell him that you're sorry for your sin.
00:47:17.199 --> 00:47:20.000
Apologize to him for him, ask for his forgiveness.
00:47:20.159 --> 00:47:25.679
And then I'll tell him, tell him you know, you understand that Jesus loved you so much.
00:47:26.000 --> 00:47:28.559
He died on the cross for your sins and rose again.
00:47:28.800 --> 00:47:33.760
Just in your words, tell him what that means to you and what you've learned.
00:47:34.719 --> 00:47:37.920
And now tell him you are giving your life to him.
00:47:38.159 --> 00:47:41.519
It's now his life to do with it whatever he designs.
00:47:42.000 --> 00:47:43.519
And just let them say that.
00:47:43.679 --> 00:47:46.559
You you, you know, it's just a simple, easy way.
00:47:46.639 --> 00:48:00.000
But what you're trying to do is help a person give voice to in their hearts and minds this decision that they're making for the first time they've made this decision in their life.
00:48:00.239 --> 00:48:01.280
Does that make sense?
00:48:01.519 --> 00:48:04.079
And so that's what you're trying to help them walk through.
00:48:04.239 --> 00:48:10.639
You're not trying to give them some specific words or some incantation or something that's magic or spiritual whatever.
00:48:10.800 --> 00:48:12.000
It's not that kind of a deal.
00:48:12.079 --> 00:48:16.320
These are not Hail Marys and you gotta say them all this time and repeat this thing.
00:48:16.480 --> 00:48:18.480
It's not that kind of a deal, right?
00:48:18.719 --> 00:48:24.400
You're just helping them give their own voice to this decision that they're making.
00:48:24.559 --> 00:48:25.679
Does that make sense?
00:48:26.159 --> 00:48:27.599
And it's very simple.
00:48:27.920 --> 00:48:31.440
You may just track along with however you got there.
00:48:32.000 --> 00:48:39.679
If you use the Roman road and that's what popped into your head when you're talking to this person, then just have them pray each one of those.
00:48:40.320 --> 00:48:41.679
Wages of sin is death.
00:48:41.840 --> 00:48:42.960
I know I sin.
00:48:44.800 --> 00:48:46.000
Salvation is your gift.
00:48:46.159 --> 00:48:47.440
Lord, thank you for that gift.
00:48:47.760 --> 00:48:49.119
God demonstrates love for us.
00:48:49.199 --> 00:48:51.039
And why were you at sinners Christ died for us?
00:48:51.199 --> 00:48:52.719
Tell them that Christ had died for you.
00:48:52.960 --> 00:48:57.360
If you confess through the mouth of Jesus the Lord and believe in your heart, God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved.
00:48:57.440 --> 00:49:04.719
So, okay, let's tell him that you believe that he lived and died for you and rose again, and then tell him, You are the Lord of my life.
00:49:04.880 --> 00:49:05.920
I give my life to you.
00:49:06.079 --> 00:49:08.239
Just track that however you did it.
00:49:08.320 --> 00:49:09.280
It's very simple.
00:49:09.440 --> 00:49:12.239
And so that's what you want to do is walk through that.
00:49:12.639 --> 00:49:21.679
But keep in your mind what you're trying to do is help them give voice to this decision that they're making.
00:49:21.840 --> 00:49:24.480
And so that's what you want to help them do.
00:49:24.800 --> 00:49:28.639
Uh, as we uh move core closing time, two things I want to do.
00:49:28.719 --> 00:49:32.400
I want to say thank y'all for uh being here.
00:49:32.559 --> 00:49:33.679
Thank you for diving in.
00:49:33.840 --> 00:49:37.039
Thank you for sharing testimonies like we've had almost every week.
00:49:37.280 --> 00:49:41.679
Thank you for sharing with us when you have opportunities to share.
00:49:41.840 --> 00:49:50.960
It's incredibly encouraging to know that's happening in our church, and it allows us to pray for y'all as you are ministering to people in that process.
00:49:51.199 --> 00:49:59.519
I want you to go into your Sunday school classes or choir or you know, people that you teach Sunday school with or whatever it is that you do.
00:49:59.760 --> 00:50:03.360
I want you to go in and start sharing those testimonies.
00:50:04.159 --> 00:50:15.360
What we need to do is take this stirring that we have, and then we need to poke around in our church and get other people to be doing the same thing.
00:50:15.599 --> 00:50:16.880
Does that make sense?
00:50:17.199 --> 00:50:28.960
Because the church really grows and evangelism will really happen when the church is involved in that process, when our people are the ones doing that, right?
00:50:29.599 --> 00:50:36.159
We are not ever going to baptize 200 people based on my preaching.
00:50:37.039 --> 00:50:39.840
I mean, I've been preaching a long time, that's never happened.
00:50:40.000 --> 00:50:42.639
I don't expect it to begin, right?
00:50:43.039 --> 00:50:44.800
Maybe I should, but I don't.
00:50:45.039 --> 00:50:46.480
That's not how it works.
00:50:46.800 --> 00:50:50.159
Jesus said, I will build my church.
00:50:50.400 --> 00:51:00.639
And we know through Ephesians 4 and all these other scriptures how he builds his church, and he builds his church through the people in the church growing and flourishing spiritually.
00:51:00.800 --> 00:51:03.119
That's where the fruit comes from.
00:51:03.360 --> 00:51:11.360
And so what we want to do is really move this discussion through our church.
00:51:11.519 --> 00:51:14.000
Okay, so I would really love it.
00:51:14.239 --> 00:51:27.280
And the way that you guys share with us, go in and share with your Sunday school group or your men's group or your women's group or people you teach Sunday school with or whoever it is, share it with them what's happening.
00:51:27.519 --> 00:51:30.480
Tell them to embrace that tension.
00:51:30.639 --> 00:51:37.039
Get them to sign up for the course and do that if they need to, or share with them the Romans Road or whatever.
00:51:37.199 --> 00:51:40.400
Uh, I mean, there's all kinds of training stuff that we have.
00:51:40.559 --> 00:51:51.199
But what happens is when we encourage that, the collective we encourage that around the church, that's when it really starts to move through the church.
00:51:51.360 --> 00:51:52.079
Y'all with me?
00:51:52.159 --> 00:51:53.199
Does that make sense?
00:51:53.440 --> 00:51:54.400
Will you do that?
00:51:54.719 --> 00:51:57.920
You do that for us, share it with your classes, share it with the people you're around.
00:51:58.079 --> 00:52:01.679
When you get these opportunities, share it with them, encourage them to be a part of it.
00:52:01.920 --> 00:52:10.880
Encourage them to embrace that tension and to step in and start to share in those moments and invite people to church and all that.
00:52:11.039 --> 00:52:12.159
That's really important.
00:52:12.320 --> 00:52:16.559
Now, what we'd like to do is give y'all a little bit of time to finish that course.
00:52:16.719 --> 00:52:22.320
And so those of you who have been here every week, you know, remind us you've been here every week.
00:52:22.480 --> 00:52:35.519
We know most of you have, and then the ones that finish the course, when we get into September, uh, we want to have a Sunday night where we come together, we have dinner together, and we want to celebrate with you guys and give you a blessing for having done this and being a part of it.
00:52:35.599 --> 00:52:37.519
So this is the first time we've ever done it this way.
00:52:37.599 --> 00:52:41.679
So we want to give a little bit of time for people to finish the course and that sort of deal.
00:52:41.840 --> 00:52:46.400
And then we'd like to really be a blessing to y'all and get you together for a dinner on a Sunday night.
00:52:46.480 --> 00:52:48.079
So we'll probably do that in September.
00:52:48.239 --> 00:52:48.880
Is that good?
00:52:49.119 --> 00:52:50.000
So watch for that.
00:52:50.159 --> 00:52:51.039
Yes, ma'am.
00:52:51.280 --> 00:52:53.360
Yeah, that's a great question.
00:52:53.760 --> 00:52:57.679
If somebody gets saved, somebody says, yes, I want to be saved.
00:52:57.920 --> 00:53:04.400
All right, so like for me, about half the time I have to pick myself up off the floor because I'm in shock that they did.
00:53:04.480 --> 00:53:08.239
Like I shouldn't be that way, but you know, really?
00:53:08.559 --> 00:53:09.840
Are you sure?
00:53:10.480 --> 00:53:13.199
Like you really want to do, you really understood this?
00:53:14.159 --> 00:53:22.880
You know, so when you get through that, you you you you pray with that, and then you want to be positive, and then you do want to have some idea about how to follow up.
00:53:23.039 --> 00:53:23.360
Okay.
00:53:23.840 --> 00:53:34.159
Some people keep, you know, some New Testament Bibles in their car, they keep some tracks in their car, you know, or in their purse or whatever, and they have something quickly that you can hand them.
00:53:34.320 --> 00:53:35.440
There's a great book.
00:53:35.519 --> 00:53:37.039
I've got a few of them in my office.
00:53:37.199 --> 00:53:41.280
I didn't bring them here, but uh, we can help you get a stack of those.
00:53:41.440 --> 00:53:42.159
Uh, Dr.
00:53:42.239 --> 00:53:43.679
Rogers wrote a little booklet.
00:53:43.760 --> 00:53:52.480
It's real simple, it'd fit in a purse or Bible or whatever, and it's called a no-so salvation, and it just walks them through what happened.
00:53:52.639 --> 00:53:55.679
Scripture's just affirming in a simple way what happened.
00:53:55.920 --> 00:53:59.440
Really simple, you know, this size.
00:53:59.599 --> 00:54:02.400
I mean, it's not a book, it's a booklet.
00:54:02.480 --> 00:54:05.039
Uh, but some version of something like that.
00:54:05.199 --> 00:54:07.519
Ask them if they have a Bible.
00:54:07.840 --> 00:54:12.079
If they don't have a Bible, offer to get them a Bible.
00:54:12.400 --> 00:54:12.880
Right?
00:54:14.639 --> 00:54:18.639
If you can get their phone number, it is helpful to get their phone number.
00:54:18.800 --> 00:54:28.719
The way I would do that is say, look, uh, if you'll give me your phone number, I can give that to my church, and they sell all those numbers and they make a lot of money on that.
00:54:28.800 --> 00:54:30.639
So it'd be really good if you would.
00:54:30.880 --> 00:54:32.239
No, I'm kidding.
00:54:32.559 --> 00:54:33.760
I'm kidding.
00:54:35.280 --> 00:54:38.719
But you say, if you wouldn't mind, I would love to pray for you.
00:54:38.880 --> 00:54:41.199
I would love to check on you in a day or two.
00:54:41.360 --> 00:54:45.440
I would love to be available to answer questions or encourage you.
00:54:45.599 --> 00:54:47.920
Would you mind if we swap phone numbers?
00:54:48.159 --> 00:54:49.599
That's a good way to do that.
00:54:49.760 --> 00:54:53.199
Make it a serving type of thing.
00:54:53.360 --> 00:54:55.920
Like I want to be able to be a blessing to you.
00:54:56.159 --> 00:54:57.199
I want to check on you.
00:54:57.280 --> 00:54:58.400
I'd like to pray for you.
00:54:58.639 --> 00:54:59.920
Can I do that?
00:55:00.239 --> 00:55:04.000
And then I think there are two things that you want to do.
00:55:04.159 --> 00:55:08.079
Uh, you want to first just encourage them.
00:55:08.480 --> 00:55:14.480
Listen, this is awesome that you make this decision and you've started this journey with Jesus.
00:55:14.559 --> 00:55:18.400
And I want you to know it's a lifelong learning journey.
00:55:18.639 --> 00:55:21.280
You do not have to know everything right now.
00:55:21.440 --> 00:55:28.000
You don't have to, you know, give all your stuff away or whatever kind of stuff.
00:55:28.079 --> 00:55:29.679
You don't you don't have to do all that.
00:55:29.760 --> 00:55:31.199
Don't be overwhelmed.
00:55:31.360 --> 00:55:38.880
What you want to do is start learning to get to know Jesus better and start in that relationship with him.
00:55:39.119 --> 00:55:42.480
And we do that through prayer and Bible study.
00:55:42.960 --> 00:55:47.679
And so I can help you know how to start to study.
00:55:47.840 --> 00:55:48.880
I can read with you.
00:55:49.039 --> 00:55:54.320
I can give you something, a book that you can follow along with, I can help you with those things.
00:55:54.480 --> 00:55:55.679
But it's very simple.
00:55:55.840 --> 00:55:58.079
It's not homework, it's not hard.
00:55:58.239 --> 00:56:03.599
It will bless you to start reading scripture and learning more about it, and then you want to pray.
00:56:03.760 --> 00:56:18.960
And I would encourage you if you get a little legal pad or something, and just jot down some prayer requests that you have so that you remember and you give those to the Lord and you just ask him to teach you and you ask him to do this, and that's as about as simple a relationship thing as you can get, right?
00:56:19.119 --> 00:56:20.719
You just want to encourage that.
00:56:20.880 --> 00:56:25.440
Uh, where they start that relationship in a positive way and not overwhelmed.
00:56:25.760 --> 00:56:36.079
Second thing you want to tell them is you want to get involved in a Bible preaching, Bible-believing church.
00:56:37.280 --> 00:56:48.480
When you get saved, the Lord becomes your heavenly father, you're adopted into his family, and that means you got a whole bunch of brothers and sisters, and they're going to love you because Jesus loves you.
00:56:48.559 --> 00:56:50.639
And he's bonded us together.
00:56:50.880 --> 00:57:00.079
And you can come to my church, or if it's somebody done live near, or whatever, you go, I will help you find one wherever you're comfortable.
00:57:00.400 --> 00:57:02.800
And there's a lot of great churches in our area.
00:57:02.960 --> 00:57:19.519
Uh, churches are all different because people have different personalities, but if they're preaching Jesus and they're preaching the word of God, teaching the word of God, what you want to do is you want to get involved there because you want people to help you grow and answer your questions and pray for you.
00:57:19.679 --> 00:57:26.719
And you want to start to serve and be a part of that family and have ownership as well.
00:57:27.119 --> 00:57:28.719
That makes it your family.
00:57:28.800 --> 00:57:30.800
And so you want to get involved in a church.
00:57:31.039 --> 00:57:32.639
Would you like to come to ours?
00:57:32.880 --> 00:57:36.079
Would you like to visit ours just to see what it's like?
00:57:36.320 --> 00:57:39.679
Um, you know, I can help you find another one, whatever.
00:57:39.920 --> 00:57:42.079
So I think those are the things that you want to do.
00:57:42.159 --> 00:57:44.000
If you can get their number, great.
00:57:44.239 --> 00:57:47.920
You want to take sort of the boogeyman and unknown thing out of this.
00:57:48.079 --> 00:57:52.880
Don't get overwhelmed, just start learning, start growing in the Lord, that kind of thing.
00:57:53.119 --> 00:57:55.599
Uh, and then you want to encourage them to get a Bible.
00:57:55.760 --> 00:57:59.199
If they don't have a Bible, offer to help them get a Bible.
00:57:59.440 --> 00:58:02.639
And uh, and then you want to encourage them to get in a church.
00:58:02.719 --> 00:58:03.920
That's kind of the plan.
00:58:04.000 --> 00:58:04.960
Does that make sense?
00:58:05.199 --> 00:58:10.960
If you have a little booklet that you keep, like the Adrian, if you want to get that, or I'm telling you what's really good.
00:58:11.119 --> 00:58:24.880
I know that people have opinions about whatever, but uh I've sp I had a long time where I just picked up at every flea market when I ran across a two-dollar copy of the purpose-driven life.
00:58:25.360 --> 00:58:29.519
I I pick those up and keep them in a truck and give them to people.
00:58:30.079 --> 00:58:36.400
Because it's very much effective for a person who is starting from scratch.
00:58:37.360 --> 00:58:44.960
And so it's a very easy read, it gets them into word, it gets them in that direction, and you know, you're just looking for something simple like that.
00:58:45.280 --> 00:58:45.920
Does that help?
00:58:46.000 --> 00:58:46.719
That's a great question.
00:58:46.880 --> 00:58:48.159
Thank you for asking that.
00:58:48.719 --> 00:58:49.519
That good?
00:58:49.679 --> 00:58:50.639
Any questions about that?
00:58:50.880 --> 00:58:52.000
Yeah, I want to do that.
00:58:52.239 --> 00:59:02.079
Um I do think you want to get them, you want to try to get them in the word and in church.
00:59:03.679 --> 00:59:06.239
Those are very, very important for how we grow.
00:59:06.320 --> 00:59:12.159
We talk about triangles here all the time, and I won't put you through all that, but that's basically what you're doing.
00:59:12.639 --> 00:59:18.079
If you remember what I said, getting a reading scripture, prayer, that's the relationship leg of your triangle.
00:59:18.320 --> 00:59:20.400
Prayer, Bible study, faith choices.
00:59:21.039 --> 00:59:24.639
I do think it's important to tell them not to be overwhelmed and get started.
00:59:24.960 --> 00:59:30.239
If you want to talk to them about where to read, how to read, here's what I would suggest.
00:59:30.480 --> 00:59:33.119
There are two suggestions that I've used a lot.
00:59:33.360 --> 00:59:33.679
Okay.
00:59:34.239 --> 00:59:38.800
The first one is uh start with the Gospel of John.
00:59:39.679 --> 00:59:42.960
They can read the Gospel of John, it's very readable.
00:59:43.440 --> 00:59:45.519
You can any of the Gospels will work.
00:59:45.679 --> 00:59:46.559
They're all fine.
00:59:46.719 --> 00:59:51.440
I mean, it's like God wrote all four of them, so it's not like it's hard to pick between them.
00:59:51.679 --> 00:59:53.280
But John seems to work.
00:59:53.360 --> 01:00:03.280
It talks a lot about the love of Jesus, and the pictures of Jesus are really good because it's pictures like um, you know, the conversation with Nicodemus and stuff like that.
01:00:03.440 --> 01:00:05.840
So there's really good pictures of Jesus in there.
01:00:06.079 --> 01:00:09.840
Don't tell them not to get overwhelmed, just read one chapter a day.
01:00:10.079 --> 01:00:12.239
It's important that you do the discipline of it.
01:00:12.320 --> 01:00:14.239
If they want to read more, have at it.
01:00:14.320 --> 01:00:20.559
But just do, you know, one a day, one chapter a day, and just get in the habit and read, jot down notes.
01:00:20.800 --> 01:00:24.800
We just swap phone numbers, text me if you got questions, whatever.
01:00:24.960 --> 01:00:26.159
So you just go through John.
01:00:26.800 --> 01:00:36.320
Uh, I think now what you want to tell people is do not go to Instagram or TikTok for your spiritual questions.
01:00:37.039 --> 01:00:48.800
I think you have to say that in our world today because that's where everybody's getting their information, and it's just rampant lunacy on TikTok.
01:00:49.760 --> 01:01:01.840
Every nincompoop that has a goofy idea goes on there, and you know, they call themselves pastors and all kinds of stuff, and they're just lunatics.
01:01:02.159 --> 01:01:05.360
And so that's what everybody's used to doing in our culture.
01:01:05.519 --> 01:01:07.760
You may not be, but everybody else is.
01:01:08.239 --> 01:01:24.960
And so you just tell them, read the word, text me, or when you go to that church, introduce yourself to the pastor, tell them you got saved, um, and you know, get somebody's phone number on staff and ask them.
01:01:25.199 --> 01:01:28.559
Ask a real person who walks with Jesus.
01:01:28.800 --> 01:01:30.719
Do not Google this stuff.
01:01:31.199 --> 01:01:32.239
That's exactly right.
01:01:32.320 --> 01:01:33.280
That's what she's saying.
01:01:33.360 --> 01:01:36.559
Don't start in Genesis, that's not great.
01:01:36.800 --> 01:01:40.000
Uh, and don't just tell them to read it and not give them a plan.
01:01:40.159 --> 01:01:41.920
So John is a good plan.
01:01:42.079 --> 01:01:44.639
Here's the second plan that I would tell you.
01:01:44.880 --> 01:01:48.960
Uh, Philippians is a great book.
01:01:49.679 --> 01:01:57.679
It's only four chapters, it's like five pages you can accomplish reading that book.
01:01:57.920 --> 01:02:09.440
Uh every chapter has multiple, what I would call, power verses that we quote all the time in the Christian life.
01:02:09.599 --> 01:02:14.639
Every single chapter has incredible verses in it.
01:02:14.800 --> 01:02:22.159
I mean, you know, chapter one, he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day returns.
01:02:22.320 --> 01:02:27.519
Uh chapter one, uh, to live is Christ, to die is gain.
01:02:27.679 --> 01:02:35.199
Chapter two, do nothing through selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself.
01:02:35.360 --> 01:02:39.280
Have this mind uh in you which was in Christ Jesus.
01:02:39.519 --> 01:02:40.880
You got the whole gospel there.
01:02:41.199 --> 01:02:48.079
He thought it not robbery to be equal to God, but he stepped out of heaven, he humbled himself, became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.
01:02:48.239 --> 01:02:51.760
You have in there work out your faith with fear and trembling.
01:02:52.000 --> 01:02:56.480
You get my God shall supply all your needs through his riches and glory.
01:02:56.639 --> 01:02:58.639
I can do all things through Christ, he strengthens me.
01:02:58.719 --> 01:03:00.239
I mean, I can go on and on and on.
01:03:00.400 --> 01:03:03.920
Every one of those chapters has these incredible power verses.
01:03:04.079 --> 01:03:05.840
It is not hard to read.
01:03:06.079 --> 01:03:07.519
It is not hard to read.
01:03:07.760 --> 01:03:11.679
If they're reading, what I will tell them sometimes is here's what I want you to do.
01:03:12.000 --> 01:03:16.639
I want you to break Philippians into seven verses.
01:03:17.760 --> 01:03:24.639
So I want you to take ten minutes, and on day one, just read the first seven verses over and over and over and over and over.
01:03:25.199 --> 01:03:30.159
Next day, do the next seven verses, do it over and over and over and over and over and over.
01:03:30.320 --> 01:03:31.679
And you just you break it down.
01:03:31.840 --> 01:03:38.159
If you break it, it breaks down incredibly well into seven verse chunks, and those are bite-sized pieces, and they can walk through that.
01:03:38.239 --> 01:03:43.039
You can tell them to read one chapter a day, and in four days, you got everything you need.
01:03:43.119 --> 01:03:48.800
You got the gospel, you got what God does in our life, you got all this incredible stuff in Philippians.
01:03:48.880 --> 01:03:50.639
So Philippians is a good verse.
01:03:50.880 --> 01:03:52.320
Do not send them to Galatians.
01:03:52.400 --> 01:03:56.159
I don't care how much you love Galatians, do not send them to Galatians, it's too hard.
01:03:56.320 --> 01:03:58.079
Do not send them to Ephesians.
01:03:58.239 --> 01:03:58.960
It's too hard.
01:03:59.039 --> 01:04:05.519
There's too much stuff in there, it's too broad a structure to go through the book and all that kind of business.
01:04:05.679 --> 01:04:06.719
I love Ephesians.
01:04:06.800 --> 01:04:08.159
I absolutely love Ephesians.
01:04:08.239 --> 01:04:10.559
That is not what you give to a first brand of Christian.
01:04:10.639 --> 01:04:11.599
I just wouldn't do that.
01:04:11.840 --> 01:04:12.960
Philippians is easy.
01:04:13.039 --> 01:04:14.239
Anybody can read Philippians.
01:04:14.320 --> 01:04:15.280
You can give to a kid.
01:04:15.440 --> 01:04:17.599
A fifth grader can leave, can read Philippians.
01:04:17.679 --> 01:04:18.400
It's not hard.
01:04:18.800 --> 01:04:20.559
John, anybody can read John.
01:04:20.639 --> 01:04:22.239
If you can read John, you can read John.
01:04:22.320 --> 01:04:24.960
That'd be my suggestion of two books to go to.
01:04:25.360 --> 01:04:27.760
Um and start them on a plan.
01:04:27.920 --> 01:04:29.280
Start them on a plan.
01:04:30.719 --> 01:04:31.360
Good?
01:04:32.480 --> 01:04:33.360
That's great.
01:04:33.679 --> 01:04:34.320
All right.
01:04:34.800 --> 01:04:41.599
We will uh check in with us if you hadn't heard from us a couple of weeks about when we want to do the uh we want to do the dinner together.
01:04:41.760 --> 01:04:46.800
And so we want to do that, so we'll have dinner here and we'll bring everybody and come hang out and do that.
01:04:46.960 --> 01:04:54.320
So we want to give some people time to finish the course because we're trying to really encourage everybody to finish things when we go through it.
01:04:54.559 --> 01:05:03.119
One thing as we close in prayer, um, we got a text from Pastor Joel in England on Monday.
01:05:03.440 --> 01:05:15.199
They started VBS at one of their churches this week, and uh a mission team that was supposed to come in and help through a series of events got jammed up and couldn't get there.
01:05:15.440 --> 01:05:20.559
So they had a VBS that they were counting on help with that they don't have.
01:05:20.639 --> 01:05:31.039
And so they have been scrambling around doing that, and since we are partners with them, he texted us and said, Will you pray for us this week as we are doing vacation Bible school?
01:05:31.280 --> 01:05:33.440
And so I prayed for Joel that day.
01:05:33.599 --> 01:05:45.039
Uh Pastor Dave put that on the prayer list for our prayer requests, our prayer force for every day, and then every event we have this week, we are praying for Pastor Joel and our partners in ministry.
01:05:45.119 --> 01:05:47.440
So, yesterday at Business Luncheon, we pray for them.
01:05:47.519 --> 01:05:48.960
So, tonight that's what we're gonna do.
01:05:49.039 --> 01:05:49.920
We're gonna pray for them.
01:05:50.079 --> 01:05:53.039
Tomorrow at 60 plus, you guys will pray for them again.
01:05:53.199 --> 01:05:56.400
And so we're praying for them as our as our partners in ministry.
01:05:56.480 --> 01:05:57.760
So, will you do that with me?
01:05:58.000 --> 01:05:59.840
So, for our closing prayer tonight, we're gonna pray for the ministry.
01:06:00.159 --> 01:06:03.599
Pray for Pastor Joel and for the VBS going on in London.
01:06:03.840 --> 01:06:08.800
Lord, we thank you for uh we do thank you for a brother in Christ and a partner in ministry.
01:06:08.960 --> 01:06:17.599
We thank you for the relationship that we've built with uh Pastor Joel and Stone Baptist and Ainsford Baptist over these several years.
01:06:17.840 --> 01:06:27.519
And uh some of the people here have been uh and we've prayed for them and we've done ministry with them and we've even done vacation Bible school with them.
01:06:27.679 --> 01:06:29.840
And so, Lord, we know how to how to pray.
01:06:30.000 --> 01:06:31.760
We do vacation Bible school here.
01:06:31.920 --> 01:06:37.440
We're praying for our students tonight, doing vacation Bible school at First Baptist Radcliffe.
01:06:37.519 --> 01:06:38.400
So we know how to do this.
01:06:38.559 --> 01:06:49.440
So, Lord, we come to you with all of that knowledge and all of that passion and love for VBS and all of that heart for souls to be saved and for boys and girls to come to know Jesus as their Savior.
01:06:49.679 --> 01:06:53.199
And so, Father, tonight we are praying for that vacation Bible school.
01:06:53.440 --> 01:06:55.920
Father, we pray that you will expand their hands.
01:06:56.079 --> 01:07:04.880
We pray you'll give energy to the people who are serving and who are probably doing more than they signed up to do because they thought they had more help that couldn't get there.
01:07:05.039 --> 01:07:07.679
And so, Father, we pray that you'll sustain them.
01:07:07.840 --> 01:07:10.320
We pray that you'll bring more people to come and help.
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We pray that what Satan would mean for evil in interrupting this VBS plan that you will use for good.
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And so turn it around to something mighty.
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Take what didn't look like it was gonna go right and put your thumbprint on it supernaturally and do something that only you can receive credit for that can only be defined by your work.
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And everyone will know that God stepped in and moved.
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We pray for boys and girls to be saved.
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We pray for workers to, as they're sharing Jesus and they're loving on these kids, for you to speak into their lives and turn them on to a passion for evangelism and speak to their heart through the things that they're teaching.
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We pray that you'll do something in that church that will stir the heart of the church and strengthen their faith to see you're at work there because what they thought starting out was not going to be great turned out to be a blessing because you stepped in in the midst of their church and you did what only you can do.
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And so, Father, we pray for them as they work.
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I pray you'll sustain Pastor Joel as he's trying to lead the network and his two churches and all the things that are happening there.
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And Father, I just pray for your blessings there, and we pray for souls to be saved.
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We've talked about in here how your word commands us that we are to pray for an effective open door for the preaching of the gospel.
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And we pray for that with these boys and girls, with their families, with other people who may be involved in the ambit of this whole VBS going on there.
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Father, we pray that you'll step in and show people that you did demonstrate your love towards us while we're yet sinners, and you sent Christ to die for us.
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Lord, that's our prayer.
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We pray that for our brothers and sisters in Christ in London.
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In the name of Jesus, we pray this.
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And everybody said, Hey, thank you again for y'all being here and taking this journey with us, and thank you for sharing with us.
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We want to keep hearing those stories.
