Road Trip (Week 2): The Road to Blessing

well what's up thanks so much for watching Central online we are in week two of our series road trip last week was an awesome kickoff and we're continuing the series this week looking at the life of Jesus well hey if you've yet to hear our brand new remix of our central life song welcome home you can look for it on iTunes Spotify google play wherever you stream music you can find it there it's an awesome remix you've got to hear it but for now let's get ready for Central online [Music] central and thanks for starting your week with us my name is shir that's all see [Music] clean now it's [Music] at the core of who is there [Music] as it's uh [Music] is to bring jeez [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] yeah fall in [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] what's up welcome to Central online my name is Chloe I'm a worship leader at Central live and this is your first time watching I want you to do that Central's a place where it's okay to not be okay that means you can come as you are you belong we are so glad that you're here our experience is about an hour long and right afterwards or during the experience I want to encourage you to go to Central online TV slash welcome you can fill out a short form let us know a little bit more about who you are and when we do we have a three central live original song that we want to send you this week now let's continue with our experience people have a lot of misconceptions about serving on a team here at Central but none of them are true none of them for instance people think we're all great at giving directions or then we never miss a moment or that we're all baby whisperers or that we're all good at latte art or that we can all rock out a guitar or they were young at heart or that were good listeners or now we know how to turn up the volume or that we can fix anything or that our smile lights up a room or that we reach people all over the world online join the team and see for yourself visit central online TV slash join the team my name is Cody I'm born and raised in Las Vegas I was born into playing soccer and it's been a big part of my life as a kid my family wasn't really going to church my family was starting to like move further and further apart like like not like location-wise but like love was kind of her just kind of separating there was a video they brought it to our lunch and they had a video of insomnia all my friends are excited about it in the meal when at first I was like shy and I didn't really want to I don't really know anyone and then as soon as I got into my group and everything and we all got to know each other I was fine when ignited Rewa says to pull out our phones if we made the commitment turn on our flash and just seen everyone's light up just just filled my heart my friend was standing right next to me and we put our arms over each other and we prayed that prayer together as soon as I said those words my whole life changed I got baptized on December 4th and since that Sunday my parents my grandparents from all my cousin's have been coming every single Sunday I'm very grateful for central it just brought my whole family together and it's brought faith to my family happiness to my family joy to my family positivity everything and I want to be that role model for somebody else [Music] I can't reach one day soon what can what can I ask you [Music] holy Oh [Music] what can I [Music] what completes me [Music] Oh Oh so [Music] this [Music] Rison that's me [Music] what can [Music] [Applause] [Music] holy Oh can [Music] [Applause] but No what says me Oh [Applause] [Music] [Music] it's Columbus Day [Music] Oh No there's no [Music] the [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] my [Music] what Oh [Music] what says me only [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Applause] John 3:16 says for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will find ever lasting life and you noticed the verse doesn't say that God kind of loved the world or he just loved the world it says that he so loved the world that He gave His one and only son to us first and the only thing I know to compare this to is the love that I have for my kids as a father I don't kind of love them I don't just love them I so love my kids that I would do anything for them God his love for us is so great that He gave His one and only Son so we could find eternal life and we've come to the time in our experience where we have the privilege and the opportunity to give back to God as an act of worship for the great thing that he has done for us that he set us free through His Son Jesus by giving back of our tithes and our offerings and I want to challenge you if you're here today and you have yet to take a step forward to become a generosity rock star if you love this place if you call this place home I want to ask you to step up and become a generosity rock star it's really simple $20 or more weekly reoccurring online makes you a generosity rock star it's really easy to sign up you can do it online you can find someone from our generosity rock star team you can call the church you can do so through the envelope and the seat back in front of you but take the step to become a rock star so others lives can experience the hope that comes from knowing Jesus and maybe for some of you you are too you are rock stars around here we have hundreds of kids leaving for student camp over the next couple weeks we're still short of our goal to help send them to camp so maybe you would consider sponsoring a student to experience the hope of Jesus this summer but whatever you decide in your own heart to do I just want to thank you central family for being a generous people for helping those who are far from God experienced a second chance in Him would you pray let's ask God to bless these resources right now god I want to thank you for your one and only Son Jesus thank you for not kind of loving us for not just loving us God but so loving us enough that you would send your son to die on a cross on our behalf so God right now it is our honor it is our privilege to give back to you God because you have done so much for us so I pray that you would take these resources and God just as your word says which you open the floodgates of heaven on our lives as we trust in you in this area but I pray that it wouldn't in there I pray that because of a gift that's given here today or online that somebody's life would be changed for eternity because of that gift so God let us not forget what we're doing and who we're giving these gifts to it's all about you for it's in your name we pray and everyone said amen if you're a guest with us I don't want you to feel any pressure or obligation to give and for those of you who didn't come prepared to give today I want you to know the best and the easiest way to give here at Central is online you can simply go to our website central online TV slash give if you'd like to give by credit or debit card find someone from our generosity rock star team wearing a red shirt at the end of our experience you can get by cheque or cash here in a moment and are offering trays or you can simply call the church and give a gift over the phone but thank you in advance for the difference these gifts are gonna make I'm gonna invite our Usher's to pass the trays right now and we're going to continue to sing together and worship Him [Music] walkies how about now thief but she will me waiting for things to come No for you have never failed me you still since Crete is your feet face [Music] your hands this is my conference you've never zoo [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] this promise [Music] [Music] [Music] so you'll never fail me [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] he promises [Music] great is your faithfulness faithfulness [Music] this [Applause] [Music] [Music] never will forget that you've never failed me and I never will you want to take a moment today and stop and pray for you as a church I believe seated all throughout this room or people who are asking God to move mountains in their lives but maybe they have yet to see those mountains be moved in fact we as a team every Saturday we gather on this stage and we take time to pray for each other and just listening to the conversation today the amount of people that are hurting I gotta believe that all over this church there are people struggling maybe for some of you you're struggling with a sickness and you're asking God to heal you of your sickness maybe for some of you you're struggling with an addiction no matter how hard you try you just can't seem to break the addiction maybe for others of you you're struggling financially you've lost your job your home your vehicle maybe for others of you you're just struggling in your marriage right now our relationship with somebody I know where you're at but if you need a pair today I want you to know we had here at Central are committed to pray for you and your family so wherever you're at if you would just boldly slip your hand in the air if you need prayer today I want to pray for you with the central family to join along hands are going up all over the room right now just lift them up like a central family if you're near somebody lifting their hand up I just want you to reach your hand up towards them you can put it on their shoulder just stretch a hand out towards them let's pray on behalf there's situation that God would just intervene and move a mountain in their life would you join me God today we bring our struggles to you we bring our hearts to you we believe that you are a good god that if you are the one that commands the universe you're strong enough to look at our situation and know the way out God when we're in it it just feels so hard to break through whatever that circumstances and so Jesus I just pray Lord for these individuals were bold enough to say god we need your help that you would come in this room today that you would just intervene on our behalf God your word says that we can pray on behalf of our brothers and sisters Lord and favor of our circumstances so God today we lift these problems to you I ask that you and move mountains in our lives give us your home give us your future see you know you move the mountains can you make with this entire sea to me [Music] see [Music] well [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] all right good to see you guys today welcome everybody we want to say a special shout out and welcome to each of our central family locations to Summerlin and sunrise Mountain Southern Highlands Kingman to those joining us in different prison facilities and our partnership with God behind bars and those watching online thank you guys for being with us today it's give it up for him well we're continuing on this teaching series called road trip going on a journey with Jesus we're doing some stops along the way moving through the life of Jesus and last week we looked at the temptation of Jesus just as he was sort of beginning his public ministry today I want to talk to you about the road to blessing the road to blessing now we use the word blessed or blessed or blessing in a lot of different ways you know sometimes before people pray they'll say somebody say say the blessing you know and somebody will say a prayer or or we use the word blessed a lot when people sneeze just kind of gross right bless you back when Lori and I we we first got married I remember we were sitting there and and she sneezed multiple times because she's a multiple sneezer how many of you are multiple sneezers you don't I'm talking about there's never just one sneeze there's like three four or more right it's also a whole machine-gun thing going on here so she used sneeze and and then the end into that moment she I could tell she was a little bit annoyed standing there sitting there and I just looking at me and I said what and she said aren't you gonna say bless you I'm like no cuz I don't know about you but like I grew up in a home where we didn't say bless you when somebody sneezed we got Purell out and got out of the room that's what we did we're like you're on your own now man just don't get me sick so she grew up in a home where everybody said bless you so when she sees she expected me to say bless you and because I've learned that you can be right or you can be happy in a marriage I now say bless you on a regular basis when she sneezes very important to her but she'll even do which I bless people in public she's that person you know like we'll be at a restaurant and somebody sneezes at the table behind us and she's like bless you it's like a drive-by blessing so we use bless you a lot when people sneeze well we we use bless your heart especially in the south my mother would always say Oh bless your heart you know which is kind of code for like you're not so smart are you so she would throw that around we see the hashtag blessed all over the place you know you see people I got a new car blessed right you know my coffees the right temperature blessed right you know in a great relationship blessed you know I got this new thing I'm blessed we see that all over the place but what does it mean from a biblical standpoint to be blessed well to be blessed is literally from a biblical standpoint to have God's divine favor working in your life to be blessed is to have God's divine favor working in your life now how many of you like to be blessed like that's everybody or it should be some guys just waking up what happened trust me you want to be blessed I mean who wouldn't want God's divine favor and blessing working in their life even if you don't believe in God you got to admit if there is a God it would be nice to have his divine favor working in your life right who wouldn't want that and yet when it comes to our face we are already blessed if you're a believer today when you place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ you were blessed with forgiveness you're blessed with the hope of eternal life you're you're blessed with God's Spirit that came to dwell within you your breasts with flirting's and family and the church community you know you're blessed in so many ways already as in my pack turn to the person next to you and just say I'm blessed I'm blessed so we're already blessed in so many ways but are the things we can do to position ourselves to be even more blessed are the things that we can do to put ourselves in a position where God will bless us even more I believe there are and I want to talk to you today about how we can position ourselves to experience even more of God's divine favor working in our hearts and in our lives and so we've been in this journey with Jesus we're looking at multiple stops that he made on the road and this week we're looking at a stop he makes where he encounters a guy named Nicodemus John chapter three we're gonna begin in verse one and just a moment we'll bring it up on the screens you can follow along on your mile Bible or mobile device if you'd like John chapter 3 but Nicodemus when Jesus encounters Nicodemus Jesus implies to him that God wants to do more than just sort of bless your life on the fringes he a lot of people when it comes to God's blessing they kind of want God to bless their thing right this is my thing I'm living my life I'm party and I'm doing my deal and God blessed me bless this bless this bless that basically give me more money give me more stuff you know give me more romance give me more love and we want God to bless our old life and I want to suggest you today that God doesn't want to partially bless our old life God wants to bless us with a whole new kind of life one that's God empowered and God purposed and fueled from the inside out and that's part of the message Jesus is gonna communicate to Nicodemus so check it out John chapter 3 beginning in verse 1 when we get to the read word read it out loud here with me here's what we see John 3 verse 1 it says there was a man named Nicodemus a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee and after dark one evening he came to speak with Jesus rabbi he said we all know that God has sent you to teach us your miraculous signs are what evidence that God is with you so here's Nicodemus he comes to Jesus at night now Nicodemus it says he was a religious leader he says he was a Pharisee which was a class of the religious leaders of the time and Nicodemus was a very successful guy I mean he had clout he had popularity if you could imagine a senator who's also a Harvard professor who's also a pastor then you start to kind of put the picture together of who Nicodemus would have been in fact when Jesus talks to Nicodemus in John chapter 3 it's quite likely that Jesus is interacting with the most accomplished person that he's interacted with today Nicodemus is high up the ladder in that part of the ancient world but he still comes to seek out Jesus now he comes at night and he probably comes at night because it would have damaged his reputation to go see Jesus during the day he want people gossiping about you see Nicodemus the teacher of Israel talking to Jesus so he goes in he sees him at night Jesus was already beginning to make some enemies there already you know conversations and rumblings going on about Jesus and so Nicodemus comes at a private time and I think one of the things we learn as we look through the whole story of Nicodemus life is his heart was still open here was a guy who had given his whole life to understanding deep truths in the Bible who had dedicated his whole life to education and learning who had accomplished all these credentials and who had all this influence and clout but he was still hungry for God in his life and willing to come up to somebody who had no credentials from a cultural standpoint had no degrees from a cultural standpoint and seek him out because I think he sensed God was moving in working in this person's life so one of the first qualities on the road to being blessed and more blessed is simply this stay hungry stay hungry Nicodemus stayed hungry you know sports seasons are shifting right now hockey season's over if you're a hockey fan that was amazing the Vegas Golden Knights incredible all the way up into the Stanley Cup Finals unbelievable I'm just so proud of them and and thrilled for the job they did this season amazing and so hockey season is over now basketball season is now open the Golden State Warriors man did that Maine made history again right the the - Pete it's amazing you know like what they pulled off and accomplished all we have is baseball now so we'll we'll manage with baseball but that's that's gotten me to start thinking about football because it's just around the corner you know so did you say Chiefs not the Chiefs I can promise you that so I'm kind of a two-timer now I'm dating multiple teams I'm that guy now I'm sort of cheering for the Raiders you know obviously and and and I'm a lifelong Cowboys fan you know I don't want to I don't want my dad turning over in the grave you know I got a honor your parents what the Bible says honor your parents so so I'm cheerful so here's what I started doing I pulled up on Google recently I googled this what's Ezekiel Elliott doing in the offseason now Ezekiel Elliott is the star running back for the Dallas Cowboys he came into kit came out in after camp last year he was a little heavier people said he wasn't quite as hungry he didn't train quite as hard in the offseason he had a lot of legal issues he didn't have a great year now the Cowboys in general have only won two playoff games in over 20 years so I'm like I'm hungry man we need a win you know we did so I'm like what's the zekiel Elliott doing man tell me he's not like it Cabo with his feet up I want to see this brother working out and I found him on a video a YouTube video in the gym and you know what it said under the said Ezekiel Elliott in the offseason Zeke is hungry and I watched him do his leg presses and I'm like yeah yeah that's what I'm talking about right there yes because here's what I know come on sports fans how you train in the offseason has everything to do with how you play in the season right how you prepare in the offseason gives you the edge that you're gonna need in the season you got to stay hungry and I think the same is true in our spiritual lives look we go through different seasons in life often we're hungry for God when we're going through difficult things in our lives you you know relationships falling apart or family dynamics are going on or you get laid off at work you face health challenges and so in your desperation you cry out to God and you reach out to God and that's awesome he's the one we should be reaching out to but I want to suggest that even if you're in a comfortable season this is the perfect time to stay hungry in fact the habits you maintain in a comfortable season will determine your success in handling a difficult season the habits you maintain in the offseason in other words will have a huge impact on how you play in the season you know in the offseason it's like hey you're off you can relax some of you are in that season right now in your life things are good things are calm for the first time the dramas turned down in your life I believe that this person is in the room the dramas turned down in your life the financial pressure may be a little less right now in your life things feel pretty calm in your life it's surprising when you think about it you're finally at this place in your life and the tendency for us when God has blessed us in many ways in our lives is if we're not careful we can take our eyes off God and the God that we focused on to get to the place of blessing becomes the very god that we take our eyes off of now because we get distracted by all the other things going on it's what the Israelites did again and again God would bless them provide for them they would get comfortable and then they would just drift and turn their hearts from God so even if you're comfortable right now you got to stay hungry because if you stay hungry it keeps seeking God stay hungry spiritually it will prepare you for the inevitable difficult season that you'll be in again aren't you glad you came to church because we all go through seasons comfortable seasons and difficult seasons it'll prepare you for that season one of my favorite passages in the Bible is a passage where Jesus is talking about prayer and seeking God and here's what he says Matthew 7:7 lots of red words here so help me out he says keep on what asking and you will receive what you asked for keep on seeking and you will find keep on knocking and the door will be open to you for everyone who asks receives everyone who seeks finds and to everyone who knocks the door will be opened so it's almost like Jesus is giving us permission to nag God right he's like asking keep like this could literally be translated to ask and keep on asking seek keep on seeking knock keep on knockin God will respond as you do so he's saying like don't give up keep going it's like my son remember I remember while back you know years ago he he came in and and he wanted tortellini he loves tortellini and I'll never forget this he walked in and he said a dad will you make me tortellini of mamma's out of town and dad was tired I'm like look son you had tortellini the last two nights I'm not gonna make it again you feel me I'm not gonna make it again like oh good go go do something else right just you know bugger off go do something a few minutes later my phone starts ringing and I picked my phone up and I answer it and it's Ethan calling me from the other room and when I answer the phone this is what I hear tortellini tortellini I'm like you seriously calling me right now begging for tortellini I'm like don't do that again I hang the phone up I set it down I don't want I don't want to do it I want to do the dishes I don't have to go through the prep work like I just don't want to do then he comes crawling into the room on his hands and knees tortellini tortellini and he just flat wore me down he got me to a place where I finally said if I make you tortellini will you never asked for tortellini again and he said I'll never ask you for tortellini again tonight it just wore me down now he's a little older now we've taught him how to make tortellini on his own so I might go make your own tortellini bro and then do the dishes when you're done but it reminded me of that story Jesus is saying look ask and keep asking see keep seeking not keep knocking I don't know what you're praying for in your life I don't know where you hope God will bless you in your life but I want to encourage you to stay hungry around that area maybe for some of you are praying that you'll know more of God that God will soften your heart and fill you with his love and his joy and his peace and look you may have prayed for that but nothing really happened well don't stop Jesus is saying keep asking keep seeking keep praying maybe you're praying for your kids right now maybe one of them have gone off the road maybe they're wrestling with addiction or any number of things in their life and it's breaking your heart Jesus is saying keep praying for them keep asking keep seeking keep knocking maybe you're praying for work right now for financial provision in your life and and maybe you know money didn't didn't all of a sudden show up in the bank account but that doesn't mean you give up look don't give up on God just because things didn't work out on your timetable don't give up on God just because he didn't show up when you thought he should show up Jesus is saying keep seeking keep asking keep knocking stay hungry because God will respond one of the greatest ways God will often respond as he begins to change our heart as we seek Him I think back to some of my early prayers and as a follower of Jesus and I'm really thankful today that God didn't answer those prayers of yesterday right because those prayers when I looked back I didn't see it at the time but I look back now I realized some of those prayers were pretty selfish prayers and if God had I wouldn't have framed him up that way at the time but I see it now and if God had answered those prayers in the way that I had originally prayed them it would have led to a whole lot more heartache for me in my life God withholding those things in my life actually served as a point of blessing me in my life even when I couldn't see it so I don't know where you're at today but I believe with all my heart that God can still do miracles I believe he can still show up and surprise us I believe he can still come blow our minds by doing things in unexpected ways in unexpected places at unexpected times he's the god of the miraculous and so sometimes you just got to remember when it's hard and difficult you got to stay hungry when it's good and calm you got to stay hungry Jesus didn't just come to partially bless your old life he came to bless you with a whole new kind of life stay hungry spiritually some of you are being tested right now you're going through it right now listen where you're being tested is often where God's preparing to bless you where you're being tested is often where God is preparing to bless you so don't give up don't check out don't quit stay hungry here's another principle if another quality if you want to position yourself for more blessing in your heart and life and that's not only to stay hungry but to stay humble stay humble the humble heart before God now I think back in my life there's been a lot of times where I've been humbled I just listed off a few few humbling moments for me I remember when I was a kid working for my dad my dad did air conditioning and refrigeration and we were on a construction site and I drove a forklift through a wall on accident in an Albertsons that was humbling I can remember recently when the air conditioning guy came over Laurie had told me the a/c wasn't working I called the air conditioner repair guy he comes over and he looks around he goes when's the last time you changed your filters and I'm like look man my dad owned a refrigeration company I grew up around all this it's not the filters and sure enough I was that guy all he had to do was change the filters and the air conditioning system work perfectly I couldn't even look the guy in the eye some of you are in this field right now and I apologize on behalf of all people like me I was so humbled right I'm like I grew up around this stuff I am an idiot I can remember walking out one weekend at Central and I fell off the stage like right off the stage and I had this glass table that I used to teach from a lifetime ago and it fell with me and shattered all over the floor thankfully a video was playing so I jumped up on the stage just as the lights came up and hoped that nobody could see the glass that was on the floor as I walked around and act like nothing happened very humbling of course then there was this moment a couple years ago right here on the platform at Central let's bring this up on video so you can just experience it or for some of you reliving his resurrection for the forgiveness and the new life that all of us can take hold of so hub grata excuse me I've gratitude that was breakfast and give thanks keeping it real around here at Centro a little too real alright number two live you don't have to fear our team will capture that on video and make me watch that again and again and again and again and again well humble yourself or be humbled right we all have humbling moments Nicodemus is about to have a humbling moment so he comes to Jesus he actually tries to butter him up a little bit he calls a master or rabbi teacher you know very respectful word for somebody who doesn't have any credentials like he does and then he says we know that God has sent you to teach us which who's us well the implication is the religious leaders and commentators note that throughout this conversation with Jesus Nicodemus basically kind of has this this posture like I'm gonna I can give you some legitimacy Jesus you help me I help you I can help you I can do some things for you and Jesus almost immediately just shuts it down here's the first thing he says to him John chapter 3 verse 3 look at this help me on the read word he says jesus replied I tell you the truth unless you are what born again you see that born again you cannot see the kingdom of God it's kind of like Jesus was saying you know what Nick we're good I don't need anything from you but what you actually need comes from God and you'll never see the kingdom of heaven unless you're born again now this would have been a shocking statement to Nicodemus so Nicodemus would have been this Jewish religious leader as I mentioned powerful prominent a lot of influence and impact he would have used the word born-again maybe periodically they talked about new Jewish converts as those who were newborns they might even use the word born-again but at his core Nicodemus felt like he would inherit the kingdom of God because of his first natural birth because he was Jewish and Jesus says no no you must be born again this is where we get the phrase born again you know you hear it around people say I'm a again Christian or you know people will you know pray and ask Christ into their heart and say you know I've been born again this is where we get it this conversation that Jesus is having with Nicodemus and Nicodemus would have never thought he probably would have been offended by the idea that a morally educated religious expert who's given his whole life and training to all of these things would need to be born again spiritually in fact it was kind of like Jesus was saying everything you've worked your whole life for Nicodemus isn't enough you have to be born again and so it kind of goes right into questioning Jesus and what he means check this out John chapter 3 beginning in verse 4 what do you mean exclaimed Nicodemus how can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again jesus replied I assure you no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the spirit remember that we'll come back to it water in the spirit humans can reproduce only human life but the Holy One Spirit gives birth to spirit shall life the Holy Spirit gives birth to spirit of life so don't be surprised when I say you must be born again so Jesus Rick you know Nicodemus is like well how do you go back in the water like what are you talking about and Jesus is speaking metaphorically here he says you've got to be born again are you think about birth and all that it means I can remember you know when our children were born many of you our parents our grandparents you remember those birthing moments they're very significant for you I remember when both of our kids were born I was in the room now before that I remember going to birthing classes anybody remember birthing classes having to go to the classes and you know help your partner breathe and all of that and Lori was getting ready I remember when our first child came our Hospital had this birthing class that you went to and so we went and a lot of my friends that were the same age had gone to the same hospital and already gone through the birthing class and they had all asked me they say hey have you seen the video oh my I don't know I don't know we show them out they're like oh you just wait wait you see a video so we go in and it's in the end of the birthing class they they had us watch this sort of live birth on video like the whole thing on the woman's face was covered and that was about it and it was like you know get ready right now I'm a little squeamish anyway and I can remember watching this whole thing on video and lorry reaching over and grabbing my hand and she says are you okay I'm thinking like shouldn't I be saying that for you but you're you're saying that for me in this moment the video was a little too much information I mean I'm just I'm thinking about my dad come on man think about our dads and granddad's they didn't have to go through all this as men they just sat outside in the hallway and waited till it was over somebody just came in and said it's a boy awesome no I was it was amazing being being a part of it so the day comes we go to the hospital Laurie has a really long labor for our first daughter Emma and it was amazing and you know I got to cut the umbilical cords of both of our kids that was awesome with Ethan when he was born the doctor actually said do you want to give birth you know do you want to deliver this baby I'm ever looking at him and thinking like no I'm a pastor I'll play in my lane you're a doctor you play in your lane right all good and I looked up at Laurie I could see it in her eyes like oh yes you're gonna do this you want to do this okay so he got me all fitted out and he actually put his hands underneath my hands and I got to deliver Ethan when he was born which I remind him of on a regular basis when he's being ornery I'm like your mother may have brought you into this world but I delivered you right here don't forget it first is an amazing thing when you think about it moms have a role the most of the role dad's however all doctors have a role but the person in the birth process that seems to me that have the least kind of role in the whole thing our babies they just kind of show up and when they show up it's it's messy and they don't like it very much and it's often loud and there's lots of yelling and screaming and they're thinking like what is going on and yet that's the picture Jesus uses for spiritual birth and the implications are significant because the implications are these what does a baby bring to birth what a baby brings to the birthing process is helplessness the helpless and what we bring to the spiritual birth process is helplessness we come with our sin and our shame and our brokenness and our failure we come with faith and hope but we have nothing to offer God we don't come and stand on our background or our degrees or our accomplishments you've got to be born again to experience spiritual rebirth that comes when you come to God in faith and you place your trust in Christ and it's about what God does in your heart as you bring your helplessness to him the beautiful thing about that is at the foot of the cross we're all equal we all come the same way as sinners in need of salvation as people in need of God's hope and that means it doesn't matter what your income is it doesn't matter you know how much you know it doesn't matter how many degrees you have it's not so important the color of your skin your race your background where you're at in society at the foot of the cross we're all equal God loves us and he's sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us and at the foot of the cross you bring your helplessness God brings to help you bring your sin God brings the salvation you bring your shame God brings his spirit you bring your gunk God brings his glory right you you show up just like a newborn shows up with very little to offer and God does his work and it's humbling so I Ephesians says this visions chapter 2 it's by grace that you've been saved and this is a gift of God not of yourselves so that no one can boast so that no one can boast so we've got to stay hungry we've got to stay humble in our lives and thirdly we've got to stay faithful we've got to stay faithful look at this Galatians chapter 5 beginning in verse 24 says this those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there since we are living by the spirit let us what follow the spirits leading in every part of our lives let's follow the spirits leave got to stay humble stir we got to stay faithful to position our self for more blessing I've got two pairs of shoes up here with me this is my son's shoes when he was born look at that this is my son's shoe at 14 14 people now when it comes to natural life the only way he got there was by tortellini and a lot of Pizza you know some love and a natural process just kicked in and he grew right spiritually the way we grow is it requires some effort you become a follower of Jesus through faith in Him and trust in him but you grow in your spiritual life through positioning yourself by doing certain things and we just read in Galatians you've got to follow the spirit in your life Jesus says you got to be born of water and of spirit waters a reference to baptism many of you have been baptized we had a huge baptism week here a few weeks ago you don't have to wait for that you could be baptized any time around here at Central just let one of our team know we'd love to baptize you but baptism pictures being washed by Jesus and it also pictures going under the water and rising up dying to the old self and rising to walk in a new life and then we're born by the spirit Galatians says we've got to follow the spirit God's Spirit will show up and work in your life you might be in a place where you know you're in a hurry and you're rushed and all of a sudden you start a conversation with somebody and you sense that you just need to stay in that conversation for a minute God's spirits prompting you to stay in that conversation follow the spirits leading right maybe you're in a place where you know you've got anger or heard in your life and you're trying to hang on to that but God keeps trying to lead you to let go and to forgive follow the spirits leading maybe there's a certain Club and if you go to this club you know it leads to some really not healthy stuff but you want to go to the club and your friends are going to the club and you're almost at the club and you're walking in the club and everything in you says don't go so you turn around you go nope you know what I'm gonna follow the spirits leading in my life what happens when you do every time you and I we follow the spirits leading we start to grow maybe you're strapped financially but you feel a pull in your heart to be generous and so you choose to be generous even though things are tight what are you doing you're following the spirits leading you're growing it's stretching you but you're growing and when we grow into all that God has for us as people we position ourselves to be blessed by him in greater and greater ways Jesus doesn't just want to partially bless your old life he wants to bless you with a whole new kind of life so stay hungry stay humble and stay faithful in your life no Nicodemus would have left this encounter with Jesus with probably a lot of questions this is where Jesus makes his famous statement that God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life and so in the midst of this conversation we don't really know how Nicodemus felt after it was over he only shows up two other times in the Gospel accounts one other time Nicodemus stands up and defends Jesus in front of a group of the religious leaders and the next time we see Nicodemus fascinating at the end of John's Gospel Jesus has been crucified and nailed to a cross and you just read this little line it says a man named Joseph of Arimathea and a man named Nicodemus came to the cross took Jesus body down off the cross prepared his body for burial and placed him in a tomb it was Nicodemus the teacher of Israel the one with all the degrees and all the credentials who came to a place of faith and trust in his life who came to a place where he was willing to go to the cross and risk his reputation and take Jesus body down and place him in the tomb and he believed that Christ rose from that tomb just like he rose in his own heart so friends he's a great model for all of us to stay humble stay hungry stay faithful position ourselves for God to bless us listen the way you handle the comfortable season has everything to do with how you'll handle the difficult season if you're being tested right now look God often tests you in the place where he's preparing to bless you let God move and work in that situation stay hungry stay faithful stay focused maybe you're here today and you've never crossed that line of faith if that's where you're at in your life I'd love to give you an opportunity just to become a follower of Jesus today and to reach out to him so if you'd like to be a follower of Jesus you can repeat this simple prayer after me and ask God to move in your life what everybody please bow your heads and close your eyes just repeat after me dear God I thank you for loving me thank you for sending Jesus into the world I place my faith and my trust in him I pray that you'll forgive me of my sins pray you'll give me the gift of eternal life help me face all the challenges I'm up against God I surrender my life to you in Christ's name friends with every head bowed and every eye closed if that's your prayer today I just want to ask you wherever you're at to just slip your hand in the air just acknowledge that you're gonna follow God today in your life it's reach out to him slip your hand in the air got to thank you for each person here today and particularly for those reaching out to you I pray you'll fill their heart with your love and your purpose fill them with your spirit in your power god I pray you'll move in their life in ways that will surprise them we thank you for Jesus and all that he means for the hope of new life that we can all experience we ask these things in his name amen listen if you made a spiritual commitment in your life today I just want to say congratulations let's put our hands together for all those who made spiritual commitments we're excited for you we'd love to put a resource in your hands called the new beginnings journal and after service is over if you just go to the new beginnings area across our locations you can grab one of these journals doesn't cost you anything but could be really helpful on your spiritual journey and so right now let's put our hands together for our location pastors as they come out and share a few final thoughts well hey have you prayed that prayer today I want to say congratulations it's the best decision that you'll ever make and here at Central we're committed to helping you take next steps and we have a resource called a new beginnings journal that we want to send you this week so go to central online that TV slashed welcome fill out that short form make sure you click the box I raised my hand when you do we want to send you a digital copy of this it'll help you take some next steps as you begin to follow Jesus well hey thanks so much for watching this weekend make sure you tune in next weekend from now until then hang on to Romans 8 if God is for us who could be against us thanks for watching

Channel: Central Church

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Id: lqz9xXZrrNM

Length: 65min 57sec (3957 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 10 2018