What's Next? - Part 1 - Pastor Chris Hodges

hi everyone in action church I'm Chris hottest at Church of the Highlands in Sweet Home Alabama and I can't tell you what an honor it is to bring God's Word to you today via video I'm also grateful for your pastors Justin and Stephanie they are dear friends and godly leaders and you're blessed to have them there in your church today I'm gonna share from my new book what's next and I'll really pray that this message speaks to your life today so let's open up our hearts to God's Word and go to the message [Music] [Music] welcome to church today we're so glad that you guys have joined us and you're along for the ride what an honor it is to bring this message into your church today I really am honored that you even allowed me to be a part of your worship experience today all of us here at Highlands want to say a big hello to you come on we really are thrilled that we are a part of your worship experience today and today we're going to talk a little bit about an important step in your spiritual journey hopefully and I know you have had an amazing Easter Sunday and it is the most attended Sunday or weekend of the year and thousands upon thousands hundreds of thousands of people would have come to faith in Christ Jesus and we celebrate all of that and today we want to continue the journey what a lot of people don't realize is that you know that choosing Jesus is not the end it's only the beginning and that God has a whole lot for us and we want to make sure you you know what those steps are in fact I wrote a book that just came out a few days ago that I'm very excited about that simply answers the question here it is right here on the screen and that is what's next so what else what else is there for me what what what what does God have for me and what I've discovered is is that a lot of people are very unsure about the journey in fact so there's somewhere in the in the journey of faith either either far from God or close to God but you're somewhere on this continuum and most people don't know where to go next in fact when you talk to most people they would say life life is actually pretty confusing right now and years ago I heard a funny story by my friend John Maxwell that I want to read to you just just because it's so funny now I'll just tell you upfront it's not theologically correct it's just funny so anyways I'm reading it I don't know why I'm reading I'm reading it just cuz it's funny but it's entitled this it's inside of this it's entitled life explained how many how many you like to have life explained to you everybody everybody i okay okay all right here here goes on the first date and this is right off the bat you'll see where it's theologically incorrect on the first day God created the dog where there you go and and he said sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes the Ender walks past and dog for this if you'll do that go barking people I'll give you a life span of twenty years and the dog said man that's a long time to be barking at people how about I only live ten years and I'll give you back the other ten and God agreed on the second day God created the monkey and he said entertain people and do monkey tricks make people laugh and for this I'll give you a 20 year lifespan and a monkey said man monkey tricks for 20 years that's that's a long time how about I'll do what the dog did I only live 10 years and I'll give you back 10 and and God agreed on the third day God created the cow and he said you're gonna go to the field with the farmer and you're gonna work all day long and you go slave under the Sun and you're gonna have calves and you're gonna produce milk and for this I will give you a lifespan of 60 years if the cow said that's a terrible life to be living for 60 years how about I'll live 20 years and I'll give you back the other 40 and God agreed and then on the next day God created man and he said eat sleep play and enjoy yourself and for this I'll give you a life span of 20 years in the man said what only 20 years could you possibly give me my 20 the 40 of the cow gave you back the 10 the monkey gave you back and the 10 the dog gave you back and let's make it 80 years and God agreed so that is why for the first 20 years you eat sleep play and enjoy yourself you guys see where this is going don't you right for the next 40 years we slave Under the Sun to support our family for the next 10 years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren and for the last ten years you sit on the front porch and you bark at everybody who goes by all right all right let's get to work here we go we're gonna open God's Word to a very famous passage of Scripture that most people know the King James version of it word simply says this where there is no vision people perish I'm going to show it to you in the message paraphrase and it says it this way so that people can't see what God is doing so if you don't have a clear path for your life if you don't know where to go watch what happens they stumble all over themselves and I would like to submit to you that's really the condition of humanity today and that as people are stumbling and I don't think they're stumbling listen to me because there's a bad devil and they're making bad choices and because problems are happening around them I think it's because they don't know what to do they don't know what's next for their life but when they attend to what God reveals so if you understood what God's clear pathway was watch this they are this is the most blessed and I know that's where you want to go and that's where I would love to see you go that you're at a place in your life where you can say my life's not perfect but I'm on a pathway and I'm growing and I know what God's plan is and here's what I know if you know what it is you're gonna stay on track you're gonna do well now if you don't know watch this now if you don't know God's vision for your life you're in danger of settling for an earthly counterfeit so the devil doesn't come up with a different plan he comes up with one that almost looks like God's plan but it's a counterfeit and his plan is something like this know me find fame discover a platform and get out there and make a dollar like I just if I could just kind of be famous make life all about me and I've got news for you life's not all about us that find fame a lot of people are convinced that if I could just be famous if I could be noticed and that's why I honestly you see the social media trends growing everybody's trying to get out there and get their face shown discover their own platform that supports themselves just to make a dollar and I promise you this if you follow this earthly counterfeit you're gonna end up with a miserable life but God has something so much better for you can I hear a good Amen everybody all right he really does he really does and it really is one of the things I try to show in the book is that God has always had this plan so it's been a it's been in effect since the Old Testament in fact I can find the earliest place where God has shown this four-step plan for people's lives as early as Exodus chapter 6 and it all throughout the Bible God keeps saying in different kinds of ways and I just want to see you do this and then this and then this and this I look and then in the next section of Scripture same thing then Jesus came to Planet Earth and gave his life and paid for sins and the last thing he says is I would love to see the church get back to and people of faith getting back to these four things and then you see it all throughout the New Testament well I want to just show you one of those today and I want to show it to you it happens to be a prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus and by the way an apostle is just a church planter II when he he would go plant churches and he would pray for them and lead them and train them and guide them and then in Ephesians he prays this prayer I think it's interesting in fact I would even entitle another alternate title for this message today my prayer for you this is what I would hope this is it would be my prayer for you as well and Paul says I keep asking that the god of our Lord Jesus Christ the glorious father give you watch this the spirit of wisdom and revelation let me break that down for you let me I just wish you could see this I wish I wish you could you would have this aha moment where you realized this is God's plan for your life so that you may and he starts naming them you're gonna see for them I would love for you to see how important it is to know him and it uses the word here and I'm not trying to get real deep in the Greek language the original language of the New Testament but he uses this word by here ganache CO and it means it's it's an intimate term it's it's the same word that's used but it says Adam knew Eve and they had a baby it's it's more it's not a note here it's a note here I I don't just know him I know him he's I'm in relationship I wish you could see how important it is that that's your first step in the journey me goes on it says this and then he says then I'm praying that the eyes of your heart be enlightened let me just point out to you your heart doesn't have eyes your head does but pulses know they were actually you're not looking through these you're looking through this you're not looking at what you see you're looking at what has happened to you in your life you're looking through the filter of your heart eyes and that's why we're all seeing the same thing right now but we're all seeing it differently based on what's happened to us up to this point so you're looking at through a filter and he goes here's here's the second step in your journey and that is your heart eyes the the message says it this way your heart eyes need to be focused and clear we got we got to get your heart eyes cleared up because you're seeing stuff the wrong way because you don't see things as they are you see things as you are you see things through the lens of the things that have happened to you up to this point then once you do that so I want you to know God real really well get close to him once you get your heart eyes clear then you can know the hope to what she has called you you need to realize that you have a calling but watch this but you can't ever get to this if you don't do this you're never gonna see tomorrow if you don't settle yesterday you're never gonna know that there's there's a calling the watch watch look at my eyes and hear this but you have you have a calling and when you find your calling hope is attached to it so the way you get hope hope is hope is found in the fact that I know my life matters and that I have a calling for my life are you following this everybody this is huge this is huge but then once you know that then you get this final phrase which honestly it's the most difficult to understand but it's really it's the most rewarding in the whole one he says and then you're a part of this inheritance you're a part of you're part of this glorious the message says this glorious way of living that's attached to a group of people like like I'm gonna put you in a bunch of people that does something that brings your life to meaning these are the four steps for every person's life and I really believe that God has them for you and here you are the weekend after Easter and maybe you made a decision for the Lord maybe you just checked out for the first time and now you've come a second time and maybe you made you been a Christian your whole life and you feel stuck like you're in the same place I don't know where to go next I'm gonna help you with these four we're gonna break them down one of the time here's the first one and that is we just simply call it no God no God we want you to get to the place where you're not following a religion but you're in a relationship now this is my story because I grew up in church and I thought I thought the goal of church was to go to church and that the goal of Christianity was just to please God so I didn't like church I just went because I didn't want to go to hell I ain't stupid you know I'm saying like I I just didn't want to go to hell but I never knew god I knew religion and I knew my church really well and I really found myself with after 15 years of perfect church of 10 it's miserable and I fell far from God and I showed up actually in a church similar to what you probably experienced today with all this life-giving worship and people really giving their hearts to Jesus and I thought wow I'm missing something I went back home to my bedroom after after that church service and I got in the Bible and I found this verse this is the verse that I came actually got converted and I came to faith in Jesus Christ by reading and it is says that not everyone who says Lord is going to go to heaven which that was the problem because that was my plan ha ha that's how I was going to get there they told me just say Lord call him your Lord you're going to heaven well Jesus comes along and says not everyone who does that is going to go there but he who does the will of my father who is in heaven in fact they're going to be many people on that day who are going to hear get a prophesy drive out demons and do miracles and by the way that just could be any list read your Bible get baptized go to church a lot it could be any religious list jesus says there's just gonna be a lot of people who show up in heaven one day who have done this list he's gonna tell them watch this I tell them plainly away from me because I never and there's the word again you thought I was looking for church attendance I was looking for your heart you thought I was looking for all those things I don't know I wasn't looking for relationship religion I was looking for relationship are you following everybody and honestly there's a lot of people who are choosing to be away from God because of those reasons recently I was on an airplane ride and all great preacher stories happened on airplanes by the way and I was traveling back from my hometown to Baton Rouge I had gone on the Southwest Airlines flight out of New Orleans back to Birmingham and when I got on the plane of course Southwest you don't get to choose who you sit next to it's open seating which I absolutely hate but anyway they I was sitting down Tammy's on one side had this dreaded empty seat next to me and this girl comes on the plane I mean she comes on high-fiving everybody party and dancing and you know she had spent all weekend on Bourbon Street you know like you get this tail like that's where she'd be see ya coming to hi-5 and everybody sure enough I'm praying Lord Jesus God if you love me please know plop right there next to me you know and so so she turns to me the first thing she says she goes what do you do for a living I said well I'm a pastor she says well duh we're all passengers I said no no like a pastor of a church and her next line was well I don't like Christians well I need the kind she was raised around like slots decided to play along I said well yeah me too that's why I had to start my own church she goes I don't understand and I explained to her what I just explained to you that there's a whole brand of Christianity out there that'll tell you all the rules and tell you all the things you need to do all the things you should be doing right all the things you're doing wrong and that's not Christianity now that's the fruit of Christianity is that our lives are changing and we're doing the all these things she goes well I don't what do I do she goes I've never heard this before in my whole life in fact the plane landed in Birmingham comes Oh like a 40-minute flight and I was getting out she was going on a Nashville I'm actually standing up I'm walking out of it out of the plane I said hi Tonya see you later she goes what do I do if I want more and I don't know why I just trust it surrender now my sister Carol's right here on the front row she's my personal assistant and she could tell you the day the next Monday after after she I was on the plane with her I had a Sunday she actually ended up watching our service life online and she emailed me the next day Carol got the email and she says man I've realized now that Christianity is not what I thought it was that there's a whole different thing and her salutation was I'm ready to surrender anyway so I called her and led her to Jesus and Tonya gave her life to Jesus they met everybody pretty cool so we've got three other steps to take but let me make sure you understand this if you're trying to get closer to God let me just give you two there's many and I'll write about a bunch of them in the book believe you to in fact for all these I'll give you the four things and I'll give you two steps today all right and the first is look it's just surrender like surrender what I mean is let go of the control of your life and give your life to Jesus that that's what salvation is if I were to give you salvation in a word it's the word surrender you let go you come into a relationship with him by giving him everything because that's what he did for you first he gave everything for you he surrendered his life to you you surrender your life to him that is Christianity and then if you've done that here's my here's my next encouragement to you let that private decision you've made now go public make your relationship with God public and the Bible says the way you do that is through water baptism for a lot of you churches today you're baptizing people today a lot of churches have water baptism after Easter Sunday and if it's not today your church will tell you win you can be water baptized but water baptism doesn't save you it just lets the rest of the world know I'm a Christian it's the wedding band of Christianity I belong to Jesus and I'm gonna let everybody know him one of the myths and I'm gonna move on is that your faith is supposed to stay private no it's not Jesus said let your light shine let everybody know the difference that God has made in you amen everybody here's the second one and that is once you know God remember now we're going to get our heart hearts all cleared up and all the pollution and all the junk in the Hertz and we simply caught this and we call it fine freedom fine freedom now what a lot of people don't know about fine freedom is they think that you find freedom you settle all your issues of your past and the things that have happened to you by just you and God you're gonna pray about it you're gonna read about it and I'm here to tell you that's not God's plan God has a plan that a lot of people miss and it's the reason why a lot of people never find freedom and by the way remember if you don't find freedom you can't get to your calling and you can't get to that glorious way of living because you're trapped by the past and there's some of you here today or that are in that condition you're still wondering why good things aren't happening is because you've not settled the things of the past yet and God has a system he has a plan for that and it's found in James chapter 5 verse 16 where it says confess your sins watch this not to God so you do confess your sins to God to get forgiveness but but there's a different result if you want to find freedom confess your sins not to God but to each other and pray for each other that you might be healed and God says if you really want to get past your past you're gonna have to come into an accountable relationship with other people by the way I like to say it is is that you go to God for forgiveness but you go to God's people for healing if you really want to be free you've got to let somebody know let me tell you let me take the mask off and tell you what's going on in my life and it's so important what a lot of people don't realize is that and they don't realize this because they were hurt by people in the first place so their problems come from people and now God's saying yeah you're going to go to people I don't think so that's what hurt me in the first place but it's a trap and you don't need to let that happen and all of us have secrets and we all have issues and we all have hurts and we all have wounds and until you get to the place readings say consump can I'll let you see what's going on can I tell you what I really feel can I tell you where I'm really tempted let me tell you where I really feel vulnerable and listen to me your life would be so much better with godly people around you in fact for a bunch of you who gave your life to Jesus at Easter you need to realize that one of the most important decisions you now make are the friends that you choose because those friends give you accountability and safety years ago in 2006 my wife Tammy and I went with John Maxwell over to China for the China launch of equip which trains now six million leaders around the world in Christian leaders we were on this large trip to China and I had to come back a day early from the rest of the group there about 25 of us in this group and we all decided on what was my last day there second to last day that we were going to go to the Great Wall of China so when you when you go places like that you started work in a little bit of fun you know and so anyway I had like half a day I needed to get to the airport and so we were climbing the Great Wall of China we're coming out as a group they're gonna stay longer I'm leaving and and and since I'm separating from the group I decide just to get in a cab right there they had them lined up right there just waiting just like they would at an airport and I went and got in the cab put our luggage into the cab taming our heading to the airport to come back home and the little missionary Chinese missionary that was hosting us is running toward the cab going back to Korea Specter creates come on you no no don't no no you have to come see them bike and if anybody knows me i late for nothing you know I'm saying like bro you messing with my margin now I'm getting to the airport I can't come see nothing no Pastor Chris I insist you come you come come on out and come see comes and I was so aggravated I I took my luggage out Tammy got out and I told the cab going we'll catch a different one I got out my brother what is the deal he said Oh Pastor Chris that wasn't a real cab that was fake cab say what's fake cab he says oh that's where they bring you out into the countryside and they take all your money and they beat you to death and you die I like oh my goodness that's fake cab I got you know and how many y'all know this guy became my new best friend right you know but what he had he had a viewpoint of my life that I could not see and thank God that I wasn't the only person looking at my life are y'all following me and you don't need to be the only person looking at your life you've got blind spots you've got areas of your life that you're vulnerable and you don't even know it and so how do you solve that let me give you two steps I promise you the first is get in a group get in a group and if your church has small groups get in a small group so have time make time these things are critical these aren't this isn't for luxury this is for necessity that you have to have somebody else that you trust that you're building relationship with that knows what you're going through and people that you can talk to and share with and get prayer with and I promise you just trust me this is God's spiritual journey for your life you need to be in some kind of close relationship that's what the Bible over and over says don't give up meeting together as some of you get in the habit of doing and I'm gonna encourage everybody else watching get in a group get into Sunday School class get in a small group your church has and if they don't have that get it get find some of the Christians and meet regularly and here's the second step and that is simply be honest and be transparent so take the mask off and say what's really going on have somebody know where you're tempted have someone know where you feel vulnerable and I promise you you're going to find yourself finding freedom in fact I'll close with this and that is that the the the major step of freedom is is just in revealing that it's there in the first place like confession if you confess it you're half way past the Battle of the healing that's God's gonna bring to your life Amen everybody so we're gonna know God we're gonna get close to him we're gonna follow him we're gonna know him personally we're gonna find freedom you can't move on you'll never know the hook to which he has called you until you find freedom but what you do here's what you're gonna realize like finally if reading it was like wiping the smudge off of dirty glasses and all the senate's like wow I see what my life is all about again we simply call it discover purpose discover purpose and it is my joy to tell every single one of you every one of you that God has a significant meaningful purpose for your life that if you ever found it you would you would you would be like a bird flying and a fish swimming you'd be like I am living what I was called to do listen to me don't let the devil lie to you and tell you that your life does not matter that only some people's lives matter I'll never be as popular or it's important as that's a lie from the pit of hell itself you have you're at you're a piece of God's big puzzle and and it's important that every single one of you discover what it is and they give you two versus one in the old one in the need someone thirty nine all the days ordained for you you have ordained days we're written in God's book before one of them ever came to be your life is so intentional by God there is a book in heaven with your name on it the life of Chris Hodges now I don't know about you but I've added a few chapters God never wanted to be in my book I realize that but no matter what chapters you add the last chapter still fits he can still get you from where you are to what he has for your life here's one of my favorite verses in the entire New Testament and that is that we are God's workmanship so you were specially crafted that literally means it was like an artist up against an easel you every little detail created in Christ Jesus not just exist not to live not to go on vacations not just to spend money not just that kiss not just have a job no no to do good works so your life you have something in your life that you're supposed to do that does good works which God prepared in advance for you to do and the day you discover that is the day you find real happiness let me say it this way happiness is not found when your life goes perfect happiness is found whenever you don't know what your purpose in life is I'm telling you when you had that kind of clarity it kind of the problems now become mere distractions because you have your eyes fixed on something else and I'm telling you the best way to pass for you I'm telling you I'm very serious about this the best way to pass for you is to help you know your purpose you think oh no solve my problems here's the problem with problems you won't get another one tomorrow if we saw that one today but your purpose becomes this focus of your life I'm telling you that'll keep you going can I hear a good amen everybody it's really important at pastor Craig Groeschel tell me this story years ago about this dog this this dog track this greyhound racing dog track in Florida and as the story as the story goes I don't know if you know what that is there's like a like a track like a horse racing track but on the interior rail of the track they have to put a mechanical rabbit to get the dogs to chase it and then they bet on the dogs right I've never been to it but I've seen it on Bugs Bunny anyway but uh so but as the story goes when they they release the rabbit first along the rail and then they that the dogs go well halfway around the first turn the the mechanical rabbit had a malfunction and exploded and wires in fur when everywhere and as the story goes the dogs now not having anything to chase didn't know what to do so they say that one of the dogs just sat down and just took a nap right there on the track another dog got so confused without having something to chase that actually ran through the railing of the track and broke some ribs another one just turned to the crowd and just started barking them and here's the point if you don't have something to chase you'll take a nap hurt yourself or barked at everybody else you're gonna do it every time and that's what a lot of people's lives look like no no we're gonna have something we're going to chase how do you do that here's two steps I promised you and that is you've got to discover your god-given gifts and passions so you have gifts and passions you have you have god-given and that's what I've highlighted in yellow that God has unique abilities the biblical word for it is a Karass it's where we get the word charismatic and the word charismatic is not what you think it is it's not a wild person in church a charismatic is just someone who knows what their spiritual gift is their unique place in the body of Christ some of you are uniquely gifted to spend time with kids say Chris how do you know if it's Maya Karras how do you know if it's my gift because it's easy for you than it is for others it's easier it's never totally easy all these have to be developed and but it's easier it's easy for me to sit on this Dejan speak to thousands of people it's not hard my wife Tammy hates but she tells me every Sunday now don't don't call me up there now don't I don't Liam don't call me up and I was laying over next to her and worship and saying you gonna come pray with me today come on girl come on up here and she's like I got to go to the bathroom just Shirley right what do they have to cheat that no grace for it my wife has the grace for other things that I could ask her all the time how do you do that how do you have patience for that I'll understand she goes well that's just not hard what is that you are specially crafted you have a divine enablement by God that when you do it two things happen it's easier for you than most and it makes a difference in eternity like it can be used for huge purposes and you've got to discover there well how do you discover that well for here at Highlands we have what we call a growth track we have a set of classes that people can go through and I'm sure your church has something similar but start by joining the church getting you're getting into the leadership systems that they've created go to the classes attend to things such you can discover what it is and get moving toward your purpose in life unfortunately 87 percent of the body of Christ doesn't even know what it there's is can you imagine that if we are the body of Christ and 87 percent of my body didn't know what it was I mean I'm probably in a wheelchair right now probably dead and maybe that's why the church isn't as vibrant as the church should be is simply because the people don't know what their purpose what part of the body they are come on everybody discover it and then another sounds so simple but then just start growing realize you're not going to be perfect at it right away and can I just say when you write this down I want you to add this to your notes if you're a note-taker all the godly people on earth take notes all right everything and that is this is the most exciting part of my Christian walk too right now is that I'm growing so I'm I'm not where I want to be but thank God I'm not where I used to be either I'm growing and the best part of Christianity is when you know you're growing to that which God has called you to do we're gonna know God get close to him heart relationship make that relationship with God public we're gonna find freedom you can't find tomorrow to you settle yesterday and you're never going to get healed unless you involves godly people in the process you need a group we're gonna discover our purpose we're going to find out the unique thing that I'm on planet earth to do so that you ready for this the ultimate purpose of your life isn't to get hung up in any of those things it's to get to this fourth step in your spiritual journey and that is together we are making a difference this is the purpose of your life in fact can I add this word to it for you no takers make an eternal difference make a difference in a way where what you did showed up in heaven and this is the most exciting part this is why we have a college Highlands College we train students to make an eternal difference we're doing something that matters on the vast majority of our lives not on this side it's on the other side this earth is they miss it it's here and gone tomorrow and we get this short window of time to do all that we can to make an eternal difference and now this is a sobering ending to my message but just you need to take it in because there's a day where you're gonna stand before the Lord and you're going to be judged really first of all on that very first point did you know him and you can't answer well I went to church a lot and I sang a lot and I read my Bible lot those weren't the right answers it's that I knew him remember he's looking for a relationship but once you're in heaven Christians are now in heaven most Christians don't realize there's now another judgment and it's called the judgment seat of Christ and here's a verse that talks about it and on the Judgment Day now this is not that heaven in hell judgment this is the heaven we're all in heaven judgment it's a reward judgment Firewatch this is gonna reveal what kind of life you led no birds there's gonna be a moment in heaven after it's all over now you're in heaven all right you get there by the grace of Jesus but it'll say all right let's talk about your life now now I gave you I gave you 70 80 90 years or whatever it is and I gave you I let you live in a certain part of time in the history I gave you I gave you the most the part of history that had the most technology and the abilities and I gave you I gave you a talents and gifts and I gave you breath in your lungs and I gave you a great church gave you all that incredible good look come on everybody right here there's gave you all this what what did you do with it and the Bible says that the fire is going to show if your work has any value and if your work I love this word survives in other words if your life's work shows up in heaven you're gonna receive a reward from Jesus himself you ready for this and one of the last verses of the Bible you go to the end of your Bible one of the last things your Bible says Jesus says and behold I'm coming quickly and I'm bringing my rewards with me he's so excited to reward you appllo dead am I on the Greek to give you back every minute every prayer every tear every time you swept the floor every time you served a widow every time you did something that mattered I'm gonna pay I'm gonna pay you back so what do we do what do we do this is the only goal of your life and that is we make a difference with our time so make a difference with your time I would encourage every one of you you want to grow in God here's your next step serve so don't just don't just worship one serve a service come to a service for you you're in the children's ministry you're in the parking lot you're you're a greeter at the door you're on the worship team but serve just make a difference with your time and then make a difference with your resources and and and I'm not just talking about your money but your money that's a part where we look I don't use this for myself I tithe and then I give us generously as I can to make a difference for eternity and even in places where I go after church when I'm at restaurants I'm gonna bless people and I must serve people will make a difference here's what I'm gonna close with when you do that when you do that that's where real joy and fulfillment comes you know several years ago I was bringing my kids to our favorite restaurant in well it's their favorite restaurant it's PF Changs my kids called Chang's all right so and we're at PF Changs and I have five kids so when we sit there at the table you know this there's large quantities of food if you know anything about PF Changs they serve it family-style big bowls and there's just there's rice and noodles flying everywhere and kids are eating and and and I'm doing the math of the money that they're spending right now and so anyway I'm we're eating having havin a good time the server who was serving us that day was kind of frantic a little like not honest doing a great job and I'm usually by the way the one that's like a glass is empty over here you know like I'm a little unfortunately can be a little impatient and demanding I don't know what got over me that day don't think too much of me because I usually get it wrong but I was like I don't know I was in a kind of a patient mood and just like so what she came by I knew she was in a hurry she's kind of spilling as she's filling glasses I'm like look don't worry about us I know you got a lot of tables just think of us laughs don't worry about it and she just looked at me like wow that's that's nice and I thought sure was and so anyway I don't know I just don't think much of me because I don't normally get it right but anyway but second times she came around I could just tell she hadn't like anxiety ever since somebody just has nervousness on their face and I said are you okay and she looked at me like well you're not supposed to ask that you know and I said look I'm a pastor and I'm gonna be praying for you and you could you could tell like a little tear popped out and she's scurried off to go to another table well I'm all in at this point right I I've already I've already made the big leap into this world so so when we're leaving I decide to leave what I call a honking tip right and so for you people from more sophisticated States than Alabama that's it that's an extremely generous gratuity all right so anyway there you go we just call it a honking tip hearing anybody service so high so I left but again don't think too much of me but but so much so that she came back she oh I think you made a mistake and I said no no that's for you and she said why I said to let you know God loves you and she said you have no idea how much this means and I was thinking I think I kind of do and I remember leaving there thinking you know that's what Christians are supposed to do we're supposed to help others but I remember also how it made me feel because I thought you know there there was the four billion women on the earth probably somewhere around there right and there was one of God's little princesses needing just somebody just to show her some love and be generous to her and all he needed was was one of his servants one of his strong servants of the Most High God nards he just needed he just made it just needed a responsive obedient Christian to be his hands and feed but also remember thing and you know wow this this is what life's all about else kind of like who else would you have me send me to Lord but you know you know cuz is it to me and I say that because this is where your fulfillment and life is going to come from every Church every location I want you to bow your heads in prayer right there where you are god I'm praying for every person and every person who came to church today God that you're going to help them grow they're gonna help them take their next steps in their spiritual journey that no one stays stuck no one is unclear God for those who are far from you they're gonna come into a close relationship for those that are hurting and have barriers God that you're going to help them find real freedom God you're gonna have every person see the specific purpose that you have for their life so that we can be a church who's making a difference in every city and every home and in every office place and every school cover out there being your hands and feet making a difference and father we thank you that you made it clear help us God give us the courage and the boldness to take our next steps and we give you all the praise in Jesus name with every head bowed and every eye still closed I want to give you that opportunity that opportunity to know God we can't find freedom we can't discover our purpose we can't make a difference without first knowing God and that only comes to a relationship to accepting His Son Jesus the Bible is real clear the Bible is real clear that there's only one way to the Father and that's through Jesus and so right now what what I would like to to invite you to be a part of us is surrendering your life and accepting Jesus into your life right now if that's you that wants to surrender and accept Jesus or maybe maybe you've already done this you've already accepted Jesus into your life in the past but for whatever reason you didn't give full surrender you didn't give full control over to him and so if that's you right now wanting to come into a relationship with God the Father right where you're at right now as a sign of fate please raise your hand right now so I can pray for you I'll see you I'll see you ma'am I see you is there anyone else I don't want to rush this moment is there anyone else who wants to accept Jesus into their life I'll see you in the back Stadium seating ma'am I'll see you right here yes yes put down your hands say this in your heart as I as I say it out loud father God I need you I'm a sinner in desperate need of a savior I confess with my mouth and I believe in my heart that Jesus you are Lord come into my life make me different allow me to experience what it is that you would have me to to experience all of you a fullness of a life of fulfillment a life of purpose and that on that day when my my time on this earth has expired that I would see you face to face and I would thank you for giving it all so that I could come into a relationship with you and right now I pray for everyone else in this room Lord and everybody watching online I pray God that that something would would happen God within us Lord that that your Holy Spirit would prompt us prompt us to take our next steps Lord that we would join a small group that we would join action steps today father god that we would truly truly find freedom Lord that we would truly find the design that you've created us for God finding the gifts and the talents that you've given us and putting them to use so that we can make a difference so you would get all the glory we thank you Lord for what you did today and for the lives that are forever different because they experience you we love you and the name of Jesus Christ we pray amen come on let's give it up for the dozens of hands that were raised today man what a moment [Music]

Channel: Action Church

Views: 2,936

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Id: 9T7VBU5uqlQ

Length: 41min 14sec (2474 seconds)

Published: Wed May 01 2019