← ArchiveWhat is Church?Sunday, March 26, 2017DateMarch 26, 2017Speaker—TextJohn 17Passages in this sermonJohn 170:30Luke 1814:10Acts 4:1219:00Ephesians 220:13Isaiah 631:231 Peter 133:49TranscriptClick any line to jump there.0:00For more information, visit www.fema.org If you have your Bibles with you, please open God's Word to John chapter 17.0:30We are continuing our series on what we call the road to redemption. That from here on out we are walking through the Gospel of John towards the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and the resurrection on Easter. And what a marvelous day that is in the life of the Christian.0:59What a momentous occasion that is in the history of the world that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for sinners. And yet the Lamb, behold, as though slain, is standing in heaven right now. Today we will look at Jesus praying that before he died on the cross for our sins that he took time to pray over us.1:20And so the message this morning is entitled The Savior's Prayer. It's a wonderful thing when you get to go to your favorite sporting event and watch someone that you admire use their talents and gifts in an amazing way. Some of you go to Bryant-Denny Stadium and watch Jalen Hurts throw.1:47We didn't throw much this year, but he ran for touchdowns and just see the splendor and the talent that is on that field. To see these 330-pound men that look like they're slow as molasses and then when you see them at their pro day, you realize they run twice as fast as you do. That's a scary place to be. Or to go to a musical and just hear talents. We've been to several off-Broadway shows that travel around and to hear the talents that God has given someone and for them to use that or to sit by a skilled musician.2:15And what wonder that creates in us to spend time with someone that we look towards and say, wow, look at the talent that they have. And even deeper, sometimes you have the chance to meet one of your heroes. I remember that we went to Subway. We were living in Baton Rouge at the time and we were ordering probably a foot-long sandwich.2:42I was, you know, I switch it up. And I noticed that there was this man behind me that walked in with maroon pants on, jogging pants with like house slippers. And it said MSU. And I was thinking, you know what, that looks like Mississippi State. For those of you who don't know, that's where I graduated from. So living in enemy territory, anything I can grab onto this maroon. And let me just say this. Some of you who think you're wearing crimson, it just warms my heart when you're not, you're wearing maroon.3:11Let's let that sink in. That's subversive. Bulldogs wore. And I look and I begin to think, you know what, he looks like Will Clark. You know, the former major league player that played at San Francisco Giants, which Casey's family grew up there. And he was an idol of mine. You know, I grew up playing baseball and I was left-handed. So I idolized Will Clark, who said, some say he had the smoothest swing that anyone's ever seen, and King Griffey.3:37Those two men left-handed, I'm like, if that's, you know, when I grew up, I'm going to be like them. And then I realized my major league career was ended in fifth grade. When we started going from coach's pitch to kid's pitch, they started hitting me with the ball because I was the only one left-handed on the team. I told my dad, I'm out. This whole hitting with the ball, I'll hit it with the bat, but when they start hitting me, I'm done. But I got to see him, and we talked a little bit.4:06It wasn't a major life-altering conversation, but I remember thinking, he eats at Subway. You know, he has millions of dollars in the bank, and he's buying a footlong like I am. And unfortunately, we were first, since I didn't get to see what he ordered, because I would have asked, I would have said, look, order for me what he's ordering. Apparently, it worked in his life. And, you know, some of you have had that experience where you've seen this person you idolize, and hopefully for you, it's a great experience.4:29I've had friends that they've met, they're heroes, celebrities, and in real life, they're just horrible people. And what you see on TV and what they are in real life is a disappointment. But it's another level when you get to meet that person personally, face-to-face. And yet, we see this in our lives. It's one thing to know someone face-to-face, but when you get to hear someone pray, there's something deeper about that experience.4:57When you hear someone pray, it reveals their heart. You hear their inner struggles. You see the joys of their soul. So this morning, when we open up John chapter 17, you are not only seeing Jesus face-to-face in the living Word of God, but we are hearing a prayer of our Savior. You are hearing His heart. You are seeing the things that give Christ joy.5:27And in that, those things should touch our lives in turn. So begin reading in verse 6 with me in John 17. And we're going to key on four words over and over again in this passage. I'm going to read first verses 6 through 10, and we will pause, and then we'll read the concluding of that later in the service today. But these four words I want you to key on because Jesus prays these words over and over. The word given or gave. The word kept or keep.5:57The word world, which is used over 14 times. And then the word word. So listen as Jesus prays for those words that occur over and over again. Jesus says, Lord, I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word.6:24Now they have known that all things which you have given me are from you. For I have given to them the words which you have given me. And they have received them and have known surely that I have come forth from you. And they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those you have given me. For they are yours. And all mine are yours. And yours are mine.6:54And I am glorified in them. Father, we have read the life-changing word of God. And Lord, may we not be hearers only, but may we be doers. So open our hearts. Stir them for your affection and for your glory. Open our minds to know you more. And Lord, open our hands that we would be willing to serve you in our life. And we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. First, I want you to know this in God's word this morning.7:23Simply as Jesus prays that you are given. You are given. And we are going to look at Jesus' prayer for the disciples. But the extension of this is ultimately for anyone who would follow Christ. Now, we must remember this, that Jesus, very shortly after this prayer, is walking a short road to the cross, to the Roman means of crucifixion. So Jesus spends time and prays, Lord, I have not lost any that you have given.7:51And so we ask the question, why would God give Jesus Christ these men? Surely, it would have been easier for Jesus to do this by himself. Which reminds me, God doesn't need us. It's easier for God to do it on his own. It's easier for Jesus if he didn't have 12 men. If Jesus didn't have one man that's chopping off the ear of people that are trying to arrest him.8:22Or if one man is not jumping out of the boat, sinking in the water, thinking, I have to rescue you again. Or when Jesus is praying and he's in agony and he tells his disciples, pray with me, that he walks back to them and they are falling asleep. Surely, it would be easier for Christ to do this solo. And yet, he says, Lord, you have given them to me. Yet, this reveals something about the nature of God.8:52I believe that God is reminding the disciples that they have worth and value. That they have worth and value. And I just want to share this with you, that you have eternal worth and value in Jesus Christ. That we see that in verse 6, you have given me. So, it's important to remember that Jesus is reiterating to the disciples shortly, as we're going to see in a little while when we read the conclusion of the scripture. That for those who love Christ, you will be hated by the world.9:22It's not a both and. Jesus doesn't say, if you follow me, you know what? It might be difficult. You know what? If you follow me, you might get your feelings hurt. Jesus says, if you love me, you will be hated by the world. And so, Jesus takes time to remind the disciples, look, Lord, they're hearing this prayer. You have given them to me. They have infinite value and infinite worth.9:49I'm reminded in scripture that we are made in the image of God to reflect his glory. That we all carry with us the mark of our eternal God. And I'm thankful that God does not give bad gifts. I remember one of the greatest joys of getting married. One of, I didn't say the greatest. One of the greatest joys that I had before we got married was registering for gifts. They gave us this little wand and I could just shoot anything in the store.10:19And we spent hours picking out things that we wanted. And we always had one or two people. Some of you who have married recently. You always had one or two people that will walk up to us and say, you know what? I saw your registry. But what do you really want? I said, you've seen it. We did the work. It's easy. And we always had the person that said, you know what? I believe they want this fine china that looks like a duck.10:47Or something that's floral. Right? Because, you know, I love flowers, apparently. That this would be befitting of a pastor in your standing. And I look at that and say, really? You got this from the flea market. You don't even know what it is. And so we all have the person in our lives that give bad gifts. And maybe you're like, I'm not going to call you out. Maybe you're that person. But I'm thankful that our Savior does not give bad gifts.11:16He doesn't make us where we're broken. God makes us with the mark of eternity. And I think by Jesus saying, Lord, you have given them to me, that he's reminding the disciples that they have worth and they have value. Because we need to hear that. Because if the world is hating us, then what we will hear is not you are loved and you are valued. What you will hear is you are not valued. You are not worth. You will hear if you just conform to the world's standards, then you will be accepted.11:46And God reminds us, if we are created in the image of God, we bear that mark. You are loved and you are loved and you have value in the creator. And God wants you to find your worth in him. And so then if God has cemented in his self, in his nature, our value, why do we so desperately seek the world's approval?12:13Why do we become a different animal at work and we say things that is not becoming of someone who calls himself a believer in Christ Jesus? Why do we do things at school and look at things on the computer or share things on Instagram or repeat jokes that we know that when the Holy Spirit hears that come out of our mouth, he cringes and he grieves?12:40We do so because we are trying to find our worth in the one place that we cannot find it. God has given you to Christ to know that you are his. Verse 6, Jesus says, You have given me them out of the world that they may know that they were yours. You have given them to me. I just want to speak over you and pray over you today that know that God has given you to Christ.13:06Now what we're going to see is it is your personal freedom whether you accept or reject the truth of Jesus. But God has given us over to him to say he is your perfect Savior. So we find our worth in Christ. Seek him. Find your value there. Because if we find our value in Christ, when the world says you are nothing, we can say, you know what? I really didn't ask your opinion because I don't want it anyway.13:36Because I find my value and my strength in the God who made me in his image. We are given to Christ. We are also given not only to find our worth there, but we are given to Christ, I believe, to see the standard that God has set for us. The disciples weren't only given to Christ to find that he was a teacher. Now I would argue that if Jesus was only a teacher, he was the best teacher the world has ever known.14:04But we see this episode in Luke 18 that a rich man, and by the way, you are him. If you live in America, you are the rich man. We are it. He comes up to Jesus and says, good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus rebuts his question with another question. He says, why do you call me good?14:31That's a strange question to ask a good teacher. And I think what God is doing there, what Jesus is doing there is to ask this man, are you calling me good because you want something? Are you calling me good because only God is good? And why we are given to Christ is this. In Jesus Christ, we see the standard for our lives. You see, before Christ, we had an excuse called the law. And in the law, no one could measure up.15:02So God made a way for his people, the Jews, that when they would sin and when they would fall short, that they could present sacrifices every time they had sinned. And so when you would sin, you would go to the temple and it would require, your sin would require the death of an animal. Because God is reminding us that sin equals death and to be redeemed, something has to die. Now you might be saying, well, hold on, pastor, I'm a vegetarian. I don't, nothing's dying here.15:30But in the spiritual realm, that's what it takes. For me to sin, I have forfeited my life and for me to regain my life, I have to say Jesus forfeited his for mine. And then in Christ, we see the perfect example. That no longer do we have to come present offerings daily at the temple, but that we can say in Jesus Christ, he is the standard. Here is the problem with Jesus as the standard for us, not for him. If Jesus is the perfect standard and you are standing beside the Son of God,15:58what does it make your life look like? It reminds us by giving us to Christ that we all have fallen short. Because if we're honest, many of us don't want to live by the standard that God has set for us in Christ. We want to live by our own standards. That's why many of us think that we're good. Because some of you didn't steal today from the supermarket, so you feel like you're good.16:24Many of you are here in body and mind, and so you feel like you're good. Some of you are here in body only, and we're thankful for that. Some of you think because you're not Hitler, or Mussolini, or whoever we have categorized, and we all have that category, don't we? We all have the person in our life that we say, you know, God, I'm not so bad because of that person.16:49And yet God says to us, but I have sent my Son, Jesus Christ, to show you that none is good. And before we say, well, I don't want to be judged by God, how dare him? Jesus himself says that he has not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved. You see, when we walk into the light of Jesus Christ, and we are given to him, we don't have to have Christ condemn him.17:18We see our faults. That's why God's word very clearly says to us, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And we have two ways to respond in our nature. The first is to say, how dare Jesus point out my sin? Who does he think he is, God or something? Jesus says, yes, I am. But if we in humility say, God, I see my sin because you have given me the standard17:44by which men should live by, and his name is Jesus. And God, I repent in dust and ashes. I need Christ. He offers you freely salvation. The disciples were given to see their worth. They were given to see the standard. And they were also given not only to see the standard, but to see the perfect Savior of Jesus Christ. You see, in verse 7 and verse 8 here,18:13Jesus prays, Now they have known that all things which you have given me are from you. So why did God put the disciples in the life of Christ? Why did God give the disciples to see the standard of what he wants for them, and then the Son of God? That they, verse 7, that they may know. And then verse 8 repeats that refrain, You see, we are given to Jesus Christ that you may know that he is the Son of God.18:38And the Bible repeats the refrain often in Scripture, Acts 4.12, There is only one name under heaven by which men can be saved,19:05and that name is Jesus Christ. It's not enough for us to say, God, thank you for what you've done for me. We must say it is in the name of Jesus, the Son of God, I believe. Because many believe in God, But when you use the name of Christ, there is the division in our lives. So do you believe? I know our response is going to be,19:35But I'm in church, of course I believe. How foolish for us to think that because we are here listening, that we believe. That is exactly what the world wants. And how do I know that? Because in a different church in Mississippi, for years I sat back there in that section, and I heard over and over again the name of Jesus Christ. And it wasn't until God opened up my heart that I realized that God died for me. And then I realized that I was given to Christ,20:03that I may know He is my Savior. You have been given to your heavenly Father. Ephesians 2 says this, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love for us, that while we were dead in our trespasses, has made us alive in Christ Jesus. It is by grace you have been saved. And so this morning, when Christ prays over us, we ask, Lord, have I accepted the gift of salvation?20:33We are given to Christ to see our worth, to see the standard by which we are called to live, in which we fall short, and to say, Lord, I have seen the perfect Savior. Let me follow Him. Let me seek Him. Do you find value in the cross of Jesus today? Oh, what a glorious truth that is. But Jesus' prayer does not end there. Look at verse 11 as we pick up. It's not enough to say,21:03God save me, hallelujah. I'm glad that's over with. Jesus now prays this over His disciples. Verse 11, Now I am no longer in the world. So we have this preposition, in the world, of the world, into the world, that Jesus is reminding His disciples verbally that He is one day soon going to die and descend back into heaven. And He said, Well, Pastor, do you really believe that happened? Absolutely. I would not be here standing on God's Word21:32if I did not believe that Jesus died and rose again. And if I believe a lie, I am most pitied among all men. But I know what Christ has done in my life. I know it is real. Verse 11, But those are in the world, and I have come to you. Holy Father, keep through your name those who you have given me, that they may be one as we are. Verse 12, While I was with them in the world,22:02I kept them in your name. Those whom you gave me, I have kept, and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, Judas, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to you that these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. You sense the theme in the prayer of Christ,22:32this priestly prayer. Verse 15, I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. And for their sakes,23:01I sanctify myself, that they may also be sanctified by the truth. Oftentimes, as humans, we are hard-headed and hard-hearted. Some of us take once, twice, or three times to hear something before we get it. Thankfully, Jesus gives it to us 14 times here. This idea that in Christ, now we live differently, not as the world standard. So let's unpack this. You see, if we are given Christ, and now in salvation,23:30we find our worth and our values, then when we give our life to Christ, we now are given different values. So if I find my value in Christ, I now have given different values. That behold, in Christ, he makes all things new. That Christ has given me a bitter taste for sin. He's transformed my mind and given me a new life. Men, we heard the same thing at the men's breakfast this morning. That we have been born again in Jesus Christ.23:58And so what does that look like to be in the world and not yet out of the world or of the world? You see, Jesus commands us that there should be a sharp break in our former life. That if I have put my faith in Jesus, I am no longer, as verse 11 says, in the world, I am out of the world. That we live a life that the world says,24:28why do you do what you do? Why aren't you living the American dream? Because I'm living the dream that God has for me. Why don't you do this anymore? And why do you spend so much time with your family? Because I want to live as Christ. But why do you worship regularly? Don't you know that Sunday's your only off day? Why don't you just rest? Why don't you just take a day for yourself?24:56Because I value worshiping my Savior. And that we should now live a life of difference and sharp demarcation. And so I just take this time to encourage you this way. If you look at your life and there has never been a change, if you are still living the same before you professed Christ as Jesus Christ, maybe you didn't profess Him as Lord and Savior. Maybe you stood up and said,25:25Jesus, I know who you are. But you never took time to say, Jesus, you are Lord. And you will radically transform my life. This is what the power of Christ does in us. You see, to live out of the world means a separation of values, not geography. A separation of values, not geography. God doesn't call us, if we are living for Christ, to run away. And to live now out of the world25:54doesn't mean that God firstly just wants you to be weird. Sometimes as Christians, we just like to be weird. We're going to wear different T-shirts. And we're going to wear armbands. And we're going to listen to music that the world might not understand. And we're going to speak in lingo. And the world says, that's just weird. God hasn't called us just to be weird. If we are being weird for weird's sake, we are being persecuted,26:23not for righteousness, but because we're weird. And you don't get any heavenly crowns for being weird. I see nothing in Scripture that says, Josh, if you just dress funny and speak funny, you'll get a heavenly crown. And so we must be very careful in our lives not to exchange the culture for the world for the culture of a church. Because a church culture is still not necessarily Christ. God has called us to live out of the world26:53that we do not pursue our desires, that we do not pursue our pleasures, that we do not pursue everything that pops into our minds, that we say, God, I will live now for you and live differently. So are you living for the sake of Jesus Christ? It's not about a church culture. It is about taking up our cross daily and living for Him. But it does require that we live and value righteousness in His name.27:21You see, I think what Scripture reminds us right now that we cannot be of the world. There is no such thing as a worldly Christian. There is no such thing as a worldly Christian. You know what Scripture calls a worldly Christian? A person who's lost. And you say, Pastor, how can you say that? How can you look at me and say that I'm lost? Because if I am not producing fruits of repentance in my life,27:51God's Word looks at you and says you do not know and you do not live what you say. And for that, you are not a follower of Christ. How do I know that? Because I lived it. I lived the church culture. And yet I was as dark as dark could be in my life. And yet when I heard the truth that, Josh, to be in me, you have been called out of the world. It opened my mind. It opened my heart28:21to a new image of the gospel. And thank goodness Jesus saved me. We are not called out to be in the world, but we're called out of it. But that doesn't give us reason to run away. Look at what Jesus says here. He says, and I have now called you into the world. Verse 18. Jesus says, he prays over his disciples that you sent me into the world. I also have sent them into the world. So we must be very careful not to replace church culture28:50for Christ. And we must be very careful not to remove ourselves from the world. Because if we remove ourselves from the world and put ourselves in a Christ-centered bubble, not only is that not biblical, but that is exactly against the prayer of Christ for his disciples. Let that sink in. That if I remove myself from the world and form my church bubble where there are no one that needs Christ, there's no one that's struggling,29:20that's struggling, I have only surrounded myself by people who talk about Jesus, and I will hear nothing of the sort, anything else, I am living a life that is counter to the prayer of my Savior. Because Jesus has sent us into the world. So I challenge you to live a life that is radically different. Now do not mishear what I'm saying. God has not called you to live it up, to let any sin29:49that entices you, to let that envelop you that way you would live as the world. We're called out of the world, but we are called to live into the world that they might see God's grace. So some of you today, I believe that God is calling you to get back into the world, that you've given up, that you said, you know what, if we just had Mayberry back, this world would be a different place. And you know where the road to Mayberry leads? If we all were30:19black and white again, and there was one cop car in the city, and all the roads were dusty, you know where that road would lead without Jesus Christ? It would lead us to hell. And so Mayberry is not the answer. Jesus Christ is the answer. And I believe that there are many of us right now that God is saying, you know what, you have given up and you have run away from the world because that is easy. And yet, I sent my son to go into the world30:48and they killed him. Are you willing to go into the world? David and James would say, you know what, we are willing to go into Dominican, not knowing what we're getting into. David even said it, I'm white collar and they gave me and God said, here's a hammer, trust me. And a hammer in the hands of a willing believer is masterfully used by the carpenter. And we should be31:18praying this morning, God, how will you send us? As Isaiah 6, Lord, here am I, send me. May we be sent. You are given to Christ, you are sent. And lastly, we will end here this morning. You are kept. You are kept. Verse 6, I have manifested your name to the men whom I have given to you out of the world. They were yours. You have given them to me and they have kept31:47your word. Look at verse 12 what Jesus prays. While I was with them in the world, I have kept them in your name. Look at verse 15. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. I want you to know that if you put your faith in Jesus Christ and are sent on mission, that we live missionally for him, that you are in the safety32:17of the almighty. And the safest place to be in the world is in the will of God. Now before some of you said, you know what, I'm going to join the church, I'm going to put my faith in Christ and my life is going to be roses. I want you to listen to what Jesus speaks over his disciples. Here's how the disciples ended their life. You ready? Peter, crucified upside down. Andrew, crucified. Doubting Thomas,32:46Doubting Thomas, pierced by spears and died. Philip, arrested and cruelly killed. Matthew, stabbed to death in Ethiopia. Bartholomew, martyred. James, clubbed to death. Simon, killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god. Matthias, burned to death. John, oh you know what, he lived a natural, died a natural death in exile after he was boiled. May we not think that God's protection means an easy road.33:15Because God's protection for his son Jesus Christ meant that he would die a brutal death on the cross. But I want to remind you of this, that if you have put your life in the palm of the Almighty, that Jesus prays this. He said, Lord, not one of the disciples that you have given me has been lost. God will not lose us and he will not lose you. I'm reminded of this truth33:44that in Christ we are kept secure. 1 Peter 1, 3, I love what Peter says. Peter, the man who denied Christ three times, says this at the end of the New Testament. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Christ who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us, that is, new birth, again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Listen to these words. to an inheritance34:13to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed on the last day. I want you to know that if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ or if he is moving you to put your faith in him today, that you will not be lost. You will not34:42be lost. God does not lose his children. This is how Jim Elliot, a missionary that died for the sake of Jesus, said, he is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. So maybe this morning God is reminding you, you know what, you've been comfortable for way too long. That you have been sitting here or you've been sitting home doing your work35:10and not the Savior's work. That God says, I have given you to my son that you would see the standard to live by. That you would live as one sent by God to the world. Remember that God's grace has come to you and to me because it is going to someone else. that the world would see. And I just want to remind you quickly that soon we're going to have Easter service and family day. And studies show35:39that eight out of ten people if they are invited by someone they know to a worship service will come. And we say, well, my neighbors, they don't like church. Have you invited them? Have you taken the time to say, you know what, I don't care if you don't like me or not. You know what, God's word actually says you don't realize it but you probably hate me not because of the way I speak but because of the way I live for Christ because I have different values. And you know what, even if you hate me it's okay because I was an enemy36:08towards God too. But I want to invite you to worship with us to family day to Easter. And I want to invite you to the one person who can save you. His name is Jesus. That we would say, God, you have sent us into the world. It is time for us not to run away from the world but to be as a fireman and say, Lord, if that building is burning down, I'm going to run into it. And we have people in our community and in this church and in our homes36:38that the fires of hell are at their door. And shame on us if we see the flames and do not run into it and instead that we run away. I want to leave you with this story. Back in 1830, George Wilson was convicted of robbing the U.S. mail and was sentenced to death in 1830. He had some high-profile friends and so they petitioned the president, Andrew Jackson, at that time to give him a pardon.37:07You know, presidents can pardon turkeys and they can also pardon people. And Andrew Jackson, not knowing Mr. Wilson here, pardoned the man. And the man was so hard-hearted that he refused the pardon. And so his friends petitioned the Supreme Court. They said, look, the president has saved his life. He's going to be hung soon. Force him to be free. And listen to the chief justice,37:36John Marshall. Here's what he wrote. A pardon is an act of grace proceeding from the power entrusted with the execution of the laws. But delivery is not completed without acceptance. It may then be rejected by the person to whom it is tendered and we have no power in a court to force it upon him. The chief justice looked at George Wilson and said, you have been pardoned, but we do not have power38:05as the court to force that freedom and salvation upon you. And in the same way for us, you are given to Christ to see your perfect Savior. But God will not force his salvation upon you. And for some, the pardon is too late. That there are some that say, you know what? I have tomorrow. I'll deal with God tomorrow. Not knowing that we are not guaranteed tomorrow. I don't say that38:37to scare you. It's between your heart and the Lord, but he desires that no man perish, but that all come to saving knowledge through his Son. He has pardoned you. Will you accept that this morning? His word clearly says that his Son was given for you. That his blood was shed for you for the remission of sins. So I invite you now to say, Lord, I have sinned. I see in Christ the perfect example. Lord, I have fallen short,39:06but I know he died for me. And I believe that he is who he says he is. I believe that he died on the cross for my sins and that he rose again. That in Jesus, I have new birth. I have freedom. Maybe you're here this morning and you have put your faith in Jesus, but you have been too comfortable for too long. That you've gravitated to living by the church culture and away from the world and God has called you into the world to be a light.39:35And maybe you need to spend some time in your seat or here at the altar and say, Lord, I'm sorry. I've been running away from the world and I should be running to them because they need you as I need you daily. The same grace that saved us is the same grace that sustains us every day. And maybe God is calling you right now to get uncomfortable and live a right radical life for Him. He changes our values, not our geography. And this morning also40:06during our time of response, I'll invite our praise team up. We have just a special time. I had a gentleman that came up before church and said, you know what? I just don't feel well and I would like the church to pray over me and anoint me with oil. So during this time of response, I'm going to ask Shane here to sit where you are and our ordained men, our elders, I want you to come up during the time of response. And we will have counselors here. If you need to talk to someone, our counselors will be here on the sides. And I'm going to be here down front ministering to a brother. James says,40:36James says, if anyone is sick, call the elders and the prayer of faith will raise a sick man up and if he has sins in his life, he will be forgiven and he will be restored in the name of Jesus Christ. And we're going to do that. There's nothing special about the oil we're going to anoint him with, but we want to do what God's word has commanded. In scripture, the oil reminds us of his spirit, which I believe is poured forth out on every one of us. So we're going to do that this morning. How will you respond41:05to the grace of Christ? He so freely invites you in. Let's pray. Father God,← Previous in What is Church?Sunday, March 19, 2017More sermons on John →
