How to Make Positive Changes in Your Life | Sandals Church

what we want you to be is a truly physically emotionally and spiritually fit person good morning I want to welcome everybody it's good to be back from Australia thank you so much for sending my family and I there we had a wonderful wonderful time for our 20th anniversary here at sounds Church I have some good news anybody remember how much money we tried to raise in December $500,000 man some of you were visiting to you I go oh my gosh I'm in the wrong place that's okay we don't want your money we're glad you're here but our goal was to raise a half a million extra dollars you know what extra means extra over and above the budget sandals Church requires about a four hundred thousand dollars a month at least to make everything work there I do you think you got bill problems I got a bill problems so that's about that's about what it takes so we wanted to race an extra half a million dollars in the month of December you want to guess what we did we raised a million extra dollars [Music] that's you guys and right now Jesus is saying thank you for that golf clap so but listen up man you know a lot of people focus a lot of attention on Tammy and I and the sacrifices that we've made to make sandals Church happen but the reality is it's not just our sacrifices many of you said no to vacations extra trips bonuses gifts your own savings account some of you worked extra hours sandals Church is the result of thousands of people who sacrifice and believe in what we're doing and because of you we're going to start our third location in Riverside that's our Palm Avenue campus we're gonna start a new location in banning right and we're starting a location in San Bernardino and that's all because of what you guys did so thank you so much let's give ourselves a hand we appreciate everything that you've done so if you're a visitor today don't panic we're not going to talk about money well we are but it's not your money okay we're going to talk about how to make positive changes in your life does anybody in here need help making wait for it negative changes does anybody in here is like you know I need to gain some weight or just I need to be fatter in 2018 how about this guy's any married guys I need to be more offensive to my wife I need to I need to work on saying the wrong thing right I mean nobody needs help I need to tick people more people off at work this year that's my goal in 2018 is to be less invited to parties none of us need help doing negative things we do that on our own right this morning I didn't wake up loving Jesus I woke up loving my pillow anybody with me I was like oh oh I love you I don't know what it is about the bed that's so great in the morning it's just like oh this is wonderful but I work here so I came how they make positive changes in your life and that's what we're gonna talk about today and we're gonna look at an individual who had one opportunity one opportunity to change his life for the better forever and he missed it he missed it and I just want to be honest with you we don't get that many opportunities to change our lives we just don't they don't come around every day they don't happen all the time and so we got to be careful that when we have an opportunity to make a positive change that we do it otherwise 2018 can be worse than 2017 so let's begin with a word of Prayer and let's ask God to help us make some good changes today in our marriages and our friendships at work in our personal lives okay if we're single and you got a broken picker let's pray that we pick from a different field in 2018 no more rotten fruit let's pray Heavenly Father help us today to make positive changes in our life whether we're a Christian we're a skeptic God whether an atheist speak to us today so we could have a better life God that's why you came you love us and you came to die for us not only so that we could go to heaven but so that we don't have to live on hell on earth and so father speak to us today we pray in Jesus name Amen so how to make a positive change in your life number one write this down find a teacher worth following something like I don't need a teacher you if you just thought that you really need a teacher now why is that if you could have fixed it guess what you would have done it always cracks me up when married couples don't want to go to count we're gonna solve this problem on our own well who created the problem you two knuckleheads see that's why they don't let me do counseling you don't want to come to me I'm like you're both morons that's $50 find a teacher worth following find one find one I mean some of you go to the gym for the first time have you seen gym equipment it looks like torture devices one of my favorite websites is to watch people who don't know how to use equipment but try it it's hilarious man play have falling off stuff hurting themselves and you know why cuz they wouldn't ask for an instructor look if you're a high school student front ciders and you're an algebra for the eighth year me maybe it's time you hire an assistant right we all need coaches we all need advisors we all need teachers so if you're not a Christian might I suggest Jesus so I don't care if you're 90 years old you are nothing in terms of maturity age and experience compared to the Alpha the Omega the beginning and the end that's who he is find a teacher worth following some of us have followed the wrong teachers and I mean even teachers have to admit there are bad teachers out there okay many of us have encountered a teacher that shouldn't be babysitting cats you do get the irony there you don't do anything when you watch a cat they watch you so in mark chapter 10 we encountered this story where a young man who happens to be rich and we don't know that from the Gospel of Mark but the Gospel of Luke and Matthew give us some more details mark just simply says he's a man Luke says he's a ruler and Matthew says he's a kid he's a kid he's a young guy and he has to question and so this is what happened as Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem a man came running up to him why you got to catch Jesus when you can when you read the Bible's the Bible's the Bible when you read the Bible is always missing it's like being a parent and having your kids in target you lose them it's ok this is a real place I know you lost your kids I lost mine the disciples they read the Bible they lose Jesus where I I don't know he's gone so I'm back it's ok we can all laugh and have a good time today right ok Claude's gone we're gonna make it so gonna be ok it's gonna be ok so he runs up to Jesus right he runs up to Jesus and Circle this he kneels down isn't it amazing if you call yourself a Christian isn't it amazing how much more worshipful non-believers are than us like if you're a Christian during worship you're like and then like you bring your friend who's never been to church in their life there's an imitation they crawl forward and pass out on the front they must have needed Church it's always amazing how in the Bible non-believers and even demon-possessed people know who Jesus is and it's the religious churchgoers who are confused so if you've been a Christian for a long time pay attention oftentimes we call Jesus one thing but we live in a way that doesn't acknowledge who we say he is so running up to him he kneels down he asked him good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life right that's the question so some people believe that there's no there's no eternal life you you you you live you die your brain ceases to function and that's it that's what scientists tell us right there's nothing after death and these are the same people who this week thought a 91 year old woman was dead she was declared dead by three doctors they sent her to the morgue and the mortician came and found the body bag moving yeah we got to love science whoops not so dead that's like my greatest fear keep managing cold you're next to dead people it's awful anyways side note good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life he says why do you call me good why do you call me good and and I I don't have the time to spend on this that I want to and and and one of the things that would encourage many of you to change this year is quit resisting the debrief to start listening it's not that complicated like a sixth grader can help you figure out how to download it maybe even a first grader find somebody if they're little just like do you know how to do this and they can help you do it but in the debrief we're gonna spend a lot of time on this because Jesus is really making a statement that's much bigger than we have to make here but but here's the point a lot of us called Jesus things that we don't actually act like he is many of you call yourselves Christians you call Jesus Lord but that's not what you mean and so Jesus says why do you call me why do you call me a good teacher he says only God underlines only God is truly good single ladies write that down he's a good guy only God is truly good what that means is you don't know him yet right wait I mean are any of us truly good true I mean truly good good all the time good in the morning good in the evening good when we're alone none of us are truly good so Tammy and I we were in New Zealand with our family or kids we're in we're in new zealand auckland i never been there in my life listen there's a reason they call Alice Australia Down Under basically in the ancient world a met Mars that's where you lived seriously it was like not a complimentary term down under that's where you are you're away from everything so we're in New Zealand it's about 10 o'clock at night we're in a city called Auckland's very you know not on a large city barely barely bigger than you know we were started moreno valley' it's and that's their largest city and we're walking on the pier and i'm with my family it's 10 o'clock at night and I hear these words are you Pastor Matt Brown and I want to be honest with you let me off you go that's so cool to get recognized my immediate my immediate response is oh god what was that what am i doing why is that how many of you been on vacation with your family but whose idea was this you know what we need to do to relax let's all trap ourselves together for an extended period of time and it will be fun like riding your home everybody has their own rooms you go to your own corners on vacation there's like a bathroom one room one car it's a miracle children don't die all over the world on vacation like you think you have a great marriage go on vacation it's you again ah yeah so this is like you know like like like day 9 of the vacation and my immediate response is what was I doing what were we saying what was happening I could care less about this person that's like pastor mad I'm like what am i doing why cuz I'm an idiot and I do stupid things and I get upset and we went home that night time in our laying in bed and I was like thank God we were acting normal you know cuz here's what I want to say pastor Matt is that you yes we were just discussing Leviticus and the Hebrew meaning of the context of the ancient book written by the Jews would you like to come and join us as we reflect on the goodness of Scripture let me tell you this is why I believe sandals church and I don't just believe this it's actually we're actually in a magazine so it's actually true not just on the internet it's in an actual magazine this is why I believe that sandals is one of the fastest growing churches in the United States because I tell you I'm not good like a like I'm an idiot I do stupid things all the time like I know I need Jesus and so does my wife like we both agree that's true it's true Jesus says why do you call me good underlying this only God is truly good and guess what that means you're not and here's the problem do you know when I've ever done a funeral and somebody said that person went to hell never never but Jesus says narrow is the road that leads to life and there are a few that find it everybody thinks they're good but what we mean by good is not as bad as someone else that's what we really mean like everybody has a crazy uncle weird aunt a bad brother sister and so we're constantly comparing ourselves to them Jesus tells us you're using the wrong standard you were created in God's image and you were to compare yourself to his integrity whoops that's the problem so find a teacher that's worth following listen our current culture is experimenting with your one and only life do you realize this this is an experiment many of you are college students and you're going to school and when you take history classes you take all kinds of studies of the history of America the history of the world they are incredibly critical and negative of all the horrific decisions people who are dead made and do you know why that is it is incredibly easy to criticize people's lives that existed before us but here's my question what on earth are we doing now that the next generation is gonna go what was wrong with you it's easy to criticize dead people it's hard to be real with yourself and our current culture is experimenting we say stupid things you can be whatever you want to be no you can't I want to be a butterfly no yeah right how about this and don't try not to laugh I want to be a professional athlete I said try not to laugh ok literally pick pick a sport you pick any sport you want to in the world that exists and I'm not good enough it's true and even if I maybe could have been good enough years ago it's not happening now because I'm I'm near death it's true my son makes fun of me hey Dad come do this no you know you get to that age how many people were there where you just learned I'm a watcher now my son's like you're a chicken I'm like no I'm just a lot smarter than you it's true that's how you know you're aging you become a watcher that's like your exercise yeah that looks it looks fun but listen to me our current culture is experimenting and this if you're a millennial listen ups so is this guy in the story he's a rich young ruler but you've been told you can be whatever you want to be man there are so many decisions that young people have to make we wonder why they're depressed and discouraged for most of human history you never prayed about a career you just did what your mom and dad did a lot of the names that we have many of us from different cultural backgrounds our names simply meant what we did I had a professor in college dr. Marlar you know his name meant poop scooper so what they did it's a crappy life but it was theirs okay my grandma and grandpa they've been married 72 years yeah you want to know why my grandpa married Flo she's the only girl in this town what do you do you go with the flow 72 years I I asked him I said did you fall in love right away he said no she was mean but again there was one girl right think about that for most human history you know you were lucky if you didn't have to marry like your sister or cousin nowadays we got a pic and then we're all lost we need computers to help us holy right we send kids to college and it's like farmer's boy menu ah so I hate farmers boy if your parents and you want to stay together don't go to that menu in and out it's the only safe place one two three okay so the current culture is experimenting with your one and only life and and let me just tell you this I don't care how smart your professor is they don't know what the consequences of what their teaching is they don't we don't know we don't know God knows and he sent you a road map and here's the problem people say stupid things well I've been studying I've been on the Internet can you imagine if you got on a flight you fly Southwest and they come over the thing we're sorry but our captain was unable to make it but we do have a passenger who read up on the internet all night long they've been studying how many of you getting on that flight it's just buttons yeah do you know what they are ready Matt it matters whoever's flying your your-your-your plane matters and we live in this world all roads lead to the same shot hop don't think don't try that just pick a road go home yeah cuz not all roads lead to the same place so the current culture is experimenting with your one and only life Jesus Christ came to offer you eternal life so pick a teacher worth following I'm gonna give you the end of John 10:10 but the beginning of John 10:10 Jesus says this that the thief came to steal kill and destroy you know what he's saying not everybody who wants you to follow them is healthy for you to follow I don't know if you're aware of this but some people have an agenda right they have an agenda some people care more about the numbers of their followers on Twitter than actually tweeting the truth you got to be careful who you follow Jesus says look not everybody's safe he said but I came so that they can have a real and eternal life more in better life than they ever dreamed of follow Jesus so how do you pick a church listen what Paul says he says follow my example as I follow Christ look come to sandals church as long as I preach Jesus and when I stop go somewhere else because ultimately all I'm passing on to you is the information that I'm learning from scripture from the Bible okay I'm just like you for some of you I'm a little ahead some of you I'm a little behind but we're talking about Jesus who is lightyears ahead and that's who we're following next you want to make a positive change in your life don't be afraid to be a beginner don't be everybody's got to learn sometime you want to stay dumb as a Christian listen to me and try to pretend you know everything that's why a lot of you don't want to go in small group or community group because you don't want to be exposed you don't want people to find out you don't know some of you thought obadiah is an infection so it's a book Wow didn't know that that's okay don't be afraid to be a beginner look what Jesus says but to answer your question you know the commandment some of you don't know the commandments and if you're not a Christian I'm gonna give you the list that's so offensive we can't have it on public property in America here's the list don't murder that might be helpful to put up in public places some of you didn't know oh not supposed to kill people yeah it's in the Ten Commandments good place to start you must not commit adultery some of you don't know what that is it doesn't mean being that a really good adult no it was funny it means don't have sex with someone you're not married to that's what it means you must not steal that's helpful we could share that around Riverside how about this you must not testify falsely don't don't lie you must not cheat anyone that's like good information honor your father and mother something like I'm not gonna be a Christian that's too hard and the teacher teacher the man replied he says I've obeyed all these Commandments since I was young let me translate this I'm not a beginner Jesus I already know what I need to know and let me tell you something this is how most people pick a religion they pick a religion that agrees with what they already believe let me ask you this why do you want to worship a God who thinks like you do if that's true what you really want to worship is yourself the God of the Bible says this my ways aren't all your ways my thoughts aren't your thoughts my ways and thoughts are as high as the heavens are above the earth this is what God says you had no idea what I think and some of you know that as you read the scriptures like well I don't agree with that well heavens not a democracy it's not there's gonna be a lot of disappointed Americans well I thought we got a vote so don't be afraid to be a beginner here's what I love about beginners beginners don't have to know everything some of you are in education your teachers here's here's that here's the greatest dilemma in American education today when a child comes into school at kindergarten they asked too many questions do you know what happens every single year as the child grows in American education they ask less and less and less and less and then in high school the average student asks zero questions that's why when your kids come home and they have homework and you say what are you supposed to do they go because they didn't ask any questions it's sad and guys how many of you are men Renne we're worse we're statistically worse ladies you know this if you're lost they ask him not loss I'm Gandalf I find my way ladies it's why you're so much smarter than us statistically women ask more questions dudes are like I know like that's not your like yeah but I know it okay beginners don't have to know everything next beginners aren't afraid to ask questions they're not you know the little kids will wear you out with questions why why why why why and what do we do wow what an inquisitive mind you're gonna grow up to be a fantastic adult no way gosh interesting this week spend some time in mark you know what Mark chapter 9 is about Jesus says this unless you become like a child you will not inherit the kingdom of God you want to make a positive change in life become like a child do you know what all children do that adults don't do they grow oh you're sick it's like a Jesus wizard no I was just observing things you ever seen an infant and then seen that infant two weeks later like thank God we don't shed skin as human beings gonna be gross but you got to buy new outfits because the younger they are what the faster they grow it's amazing next beginners have a heart to help people who are also learning they do I'm gonna bet and this might be offensive but it's meant to be I'm gonna bet if you don't serve in a ministry at sandals Church you've been a Christian for a long time we have to arm-wrestle people who've been a Christian their whole life to serve when when new people come to sandals church they're like wait a minute I can drop my kid off for free and we can be alone for an hour every week man if I was atheist I'd go to church I would I'd be the most religious atheist on earth where are your kids not here they're learning about Jesus and we're learning how not to kill them but you know what you see when you're a beginner you don't mind helping people like when you're at the gym you like yeah I don't know how to use that machine either come here hope you're not looking an idiot you go like this you ever seen that at the gym someone's just staring at a piece of equipment and you know what everybody that's been working at all laughing but a beginner is like yeah come here you do this okay if you've been a Christian for a long time would you do me a favor Circle this next verse and pray about it this week listen to what Hebrews 10 32 says think back on those early days when you first learned about Jesus why would the Bible ask us to do that because no matter how long you follow Jesus you're still his kid you're still learning and some of you need to go back there's just something about children man kids are better at saying I'm sorry I was wrong kids are better at sharing when they're hurt kids are better at making up kids akid x' are better at accepting people who are different they are there's something about being a child that helps us follow Jesus and Jesus says unless you become like a child you're not going to get into heaven next except that real change is hard to do if your old circle this gets worse so we go to Australia New Zealand you know that they drive on the wrong side of the road I went up to the Hertz counter anybody ever rented a car originally by renting a car they always try to sell you insurance and I'm like you're not gonna scam me I'm smarter than you we go we go to rent the car the guy says would you like insurance I said every dollar of it that you have I want the insurance that if I bring you back a piece of aluminum foil you say g'day mate that's what that's what I want and what's funny is the guy behind the counter thinks he's ripping me off anybody ever tried to drive on the other side of the road listen I've been driving for 30 years for 30 years do you know how much thinking I do when I Drive same amount you do very little very little the entire trip every time we go to get in the car my kids are laughing because I'm on the wrong side ah try to make a turn windshield wipers every time my kids are in the back driving down the road try to look in your rear-view mirror I'm looking outside there's not over here it's over there try to parallel park we always knew where the curb was let me tell you that my kids this creep give a roundabouts to three lanes oh it's a miracle we didn't kill anybody you know why real listen to me real change is hard and the longer you're alive the longer you've been doing something the harder it is to change why that's why Jesus has become a kid cuz kids haven't been doing nothing I always cracks me up with kids right things in yearbooks oh my gosh I can't believe how long we've known each other a month right it's like young love oh my gosh it's so serious it's our ninth day I love it when I meet a young couple how long you guys been dating Oh three months yeah tell me now I've been together like eight thousand months look real change is hard to do and the older you get the more stubborn you become you know what that means the less Christian you're becoming it just does well I was raised show me that verse show me that verse where Jesus says be as dumb as your parents were and just so you know I'm a parent I'm just as dumb as my parents word of my kids I tell him I'm preparing you for therapy except that real change is hard to do looking at the man Jesus felt genuine love for him hear it listen to me Jesus really cares about this guy and he really cares about you he felt genuine love for the man he says there's still the one thing you have not done go and sell all your possessions and give money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven then come and follow me and it always cracks me up when I preach this sermon I got a college campus man everybody's ready to follow Jesus yeah I'm coming Jesus absolutely you can have it all including my debt so listen to me if you're young and poor this is verse doesn't make any sense but if you've worked hard you've done the right thing you've made good decisions and you have some money this verse is really really hard it is listen to what it says and the man's face fell and he went away circle the word sad now we all want to criticize this guy but the truth is every single day we all struggle with loving something more than God which by the way is one of the commandments Jesus didn't mention when he said you know the commandments you know the one he didn't mention thou shalt have no other gods before me and that includes money that includes things he was sad because he had a lot of stuff write this down if I want to change something I have to be willing to change everything now if you're new to sandals don't freak out but let me tell you where Jesus is gonna lead you at some point he's not gonna ask for a lot he's going to ask for it all and we don't we're not honest with people when we don't tell them that we don't need to call for them to give it up all of it immediately but we need to warn them it's coming and why does Jesus ask for everything from you because he gave up everything for you and if you're married and struggling here's how you heal your marriage you don't change some things you have to change everything I hear all the time people say well marriage is 50/50 you know what that means you kill each other on the half-filled you know what marriage is 100 hundred you're both dying to your CEL for the sake of the marriage that's what a great marriage is if you're single and you're looking to date somebody don't date somebody that tinkers with Jesus date somebody that's all-in with Jesus and join them join them that's the best life the best relationship is with a person who's willing to give up everything for the sake of the relationship not in an abusive coercive cultish way but that's what love does what real love does is it dies to self for the sake of love that's what it is and if you're a parent that's what raising a children a child is is teaching them to deny themselves you don't have to teach them to be all about themselves they're born that way you've heard me say no parents ever said repeat after me say mine now say it louder now throw yourself on the floor and act like you're being tortured or set on fire so let me ask you this question so a lot of us read this story and we say all this poor idiot and we put ourselves in the seat of Jesus you need to read the story and put yourself in the shoes of the rich young ruler so here's my question what's the one thing in 2018 that Jesus would call you to give up to follow him now this answer is kind of tricky because the real answer is everything but the specific area is he wants to start with something so even if the guy gives up everything sells all the money that he has follows Jesus is he perfect no he's just begun a relationship with Jesus the starting point for this rich dude was his money it wasn't the ending point and this is why modern Christianity has so tweaked people because we act like everything is done in us the moment we got saved listen to me it just started it just started the work that God wants to do and you just started so what's the one thing Jesus wants to change about my life in 2018 next if you want to make a positive change you got to be willing to leave what you know you know what the problem is a lot of us think we know more than we do all the time my family and I we went to an entertainment show at the Sydney Opera House and I got I got to be honest with you on the one point it was deeply entertaining on the other side he was deeply offensive right in the middle of the show in front of my children one of the acts was a stand-up comedian from America he was funny and in the middle of his routine he just put on blast the Bible he just ripped it for no reason whatsoever it was so offensive I was sitting next to my daughter Kennedy she said dad do you want to leave we paid $500 to see this show now here's the sad thing this is what the guy said in front of all kinds of people he said real books have bibliographies I want you to spell the word bibliography in your mind what word does it begin with the Bible is a bibliography it is the source it is he doesn't even know what he's talking about and it's so sad that what he's gonna do is attack the Bible rather than change his life and that's the truth if he was being honest what he would say is man the Bible's got a really a lot of really really hard stuff in it and I don't want to do it cuz I don't believe it but instead of saying that what he does is he attacks the book why because the book attacks us and let me just say this to you you ever wondered why Christianity is the only religion that everybody picks on you ever wondered there's a reason because Christianity is the only religion where the master said let them let him jesus said love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that's why he's safe even for those who hate him pretty incredible right be ready to leave what you know Jesus looked around and said to his disciples underlying these words how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God you see I'm not rich how many of you been Disneyland raise your hands you've been Disneyland yeah you spent $85 on that soda listen to me did you know that if you can afford a ticket to Disneyland you are in the top five percent of income earners in the world and I don't even addressing those of you who have a pass Jesus looked around and he said to his disciples how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God now if you really are rich you better circle this verse you need to circle this first and pray about it and this amazed them but jesus said again dear children it is very hard to enter the kingdom of God in fact it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich person to enter the kingdom of God what's a camel the largest animal in Israel what's a needle the smallest tool used in a home what is he saying it's impossible why because it's really really hard to leave what you know and when you have a lot it's harder to leave it is next you got to trust the process anybody worked out for three days and quit I went to the gym that's just a load of bull it hurts I don't know whatever he's talking about feel great 2018 you got to trust the process some of you I went to church once people always tell me I went to church once his ridiculous didn't work we're in Australia I made our kids watch one of my favorite movies from the 80s Crocodile Dundee anybody I love that movie I forgot about some of the scenes in it because you watch movies differently when you're a parent then when you're a kid same thing with music this is my favorite song ago God turn it off turn on but we watched the movie one of my favorite scenes is when Crocodile Dundee leaves the outback of Australia and goes in New York City and sees a TV and this is what he says he says yeah mate I saw I saw one of those once and he turns it on and I Love Lucy comes on he goes yep same thing and that's the way some people are at church look my grandma came to sandals Church three times we've had a church for 20 years three times she came in silence search every single time she came I preached on sex it's like this is not fair I said grandma I love you I promise you I'm not weird I said III don't know why when you come every time I'm talking about sex it's embarrassing for me my grandma's so sweet she said honey if I didn't know anything about sex you wouldn't be here hashtag TMI okay trust the process he says he looked at them intently he said humanly speaking it's impossible the disciples are astounded writing your notes they were gonna give up they're gonna quit they're gonna give in look some of you are trying to do the impossible I got great news for you with God all things are possible with God you some of you don't realize this but you were you are sitting in a miracle of God you were sitting in a miracle of God sandals Church did not start as a mega church it started as a mega dream why is sandals Church here because all things are possible with God all things glacial 6:9 and let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season we will what reap if we don't give up listen to me over time if you eat good and exercise you're gonna be healthier yeah I tried it for three days it's baloney no that's what you're eating stop that okay look I know some of you are battling addictions some of you are fighting for your marriage and let me just say this if you're ready to give up on your marriage if you give up on your marriage all you're doing is taking your current problems and gonna you're gonna bring them into the next you know why that is I've learned a special secret in life wherever you go there you are there you are it doesn't matter if you play musical chairs every time you sit in a seat it's still you sitting in the seat so learn about it now last point if you want to make a positive change in your life remind yourself daily of their rewards marriage is hard but if you work through it you know you know what the positives are you get a loving healthy stable relationship for you and your family you got to remind yourself you gotta remind yourself if you're raising kids anybody raising kids one day they'll go away if you keep working keep working I remember when Tammy Iowa I just can't ever imagine wanting you to go now I can imagine we're sad but go right listen to me don't give up look I know it's not easy to be a Christian but it is worth it it's worth it then Peter began to speak up he says we've given up everything to follow you he said I want you to notice here this is so important that Jesus doesn't belittle Peter like what do we do - if your parents weren't our kids are like I tried so hard today your are today sorry today when I was the kid we walked both school school both ways with no shoes and the snow up hell I want you to notice Jesus doesn't do that Peter began to speak up he says hey we've given up everything to follow you Circle this word Jesus says what yes yes you did and I assure you that's a promise that everyone who's given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property for my sake and for the good news will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses brothers sisters mothers children and property oh and along the persecution get that too this annoy says and in the world to come that person will have eternal life eternal life this is what Jesus Christ promises to those who follow him he says but many who were the greatest now will be the least important then so maybe you need to get off Instagram and get off Facebook being envious of everybody who has everything now and you need to get into God's book and you need to remind yourself that one day everything's gonna be flipping is going to be upside-down and Jesus says this but many who are the greatest now will be the least important then and those who seem the least important now will be the greatest then some of you are discouraged because you feel like nobody notices God notices God's watching and God will reward you you can never lose sight of the reward when you're trying to make a positive change look if you're battling for sobriety I I can't imagine how difficult that is but do you know what happens when you become sober you just won yourself back you're not a slave anymore you're free and that's what happens when we battle our addictions when we battle our desires what happens when we when we eat well and we exercise and we take care of our bodies listen to me we get to enjoy our families longer we get to live healthier and in turn we get to be happier people when we do the right things Jesus wants to lead you into the right things so the best thing you can do in 2018 is give your life to Jesus at the end of the service you're gonna have an opportunity to do that some of you you need to give your life to Jesus some of you need to say I don't know a thing about Jesus but I want to learn more and listen you can be an atheist in a 10 Sandals church we love you and you don't believe me we have to the Bible says right some of you are lonely and you're looking for community and the number one change you need to make is get in community like well everybody hates me we don't get to we have to love you it sits in the like over and over and over again it's in the Bible so I don't know what the changes you need to make to start a relationship with Jesus or to investigate what that would look like what does it mean to become a Christian some of you need to take the workshops what are you doing I'm a Christian what does it mean I don't know that's what the workshops are for what does it mean to be a Christian what are we trying to do at Sandals church take those take their free take it make a positive change let's pray Heavenly Father God thank you for these amazing people and God I know that you love every single one through Jesus just like you loved the rich man but the problem is Lord we have to respond to your love and the tragedy of this story God is the rich man walked away from an invitation to be loved by you forever god I pray that we wouldn't do that that we would make a change in our relationships and our finances Lord with our health that we would make positive changes in God that you would reveal that to us we pray in Jesus name Amen [Music] you

Channel: Sandals Church

Views: 14,873

Rating: 4.9313307 out of 5

Keywords: how to make positive change, sandals church, pastor matt brown

Id: jInUH621qMo

Length: 50min 56sec (3056 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 16 2018