Back To The Basics
by Kevin Allen
June 8, 2025 · Centerpointe Apostolic Church (Murfreesboro, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: John 10:9-10, Isaiah 53:6, 1 John 1:8, Isaiah 59:2, Proverbs 16:25, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 3:18, John 14:6, 1 Timothy 2:5, James 2:14-20, John 1:10-13, Colossians 2:13-14, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Acts 2, Acts 1, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 10:44-47, Galatians 5:24-25, Romans 6:4, Romans 8:9-11, Titus 2:11

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/kevin-allen--back-to-the-basics
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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Good times. Jude, the third verse of Jude says, "Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith." Everybody say, "Contend for the faith." That was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people having crept in unnoticed long ago were designated for this condemnation. ungodly people who pervert the grace of our Lord into sensuality and deny our only master in the Lord Jesus Christ. I played football for a few years when I was in high school way back in the early 90s back in the 1900s, right? Way back then before electricity and all that stuff. And I remember a few times when we didn't play well, the coach would come back to the practice and he would just bring a football and he would just look at us all and say, "This is the football." Like, "Okay." He said, "And the goal is to take this football and cross the goal line. If we can't do that, we can't win." And he was saying, "You know, because you guys played so bad, I feel like I have to go back to the basics and remind you of the things that sometimes we take for granted or we don't always think about." And today on this Pentecost Sunday, as I was praying about what the Lord had for his church today, I felt like it's a good time to go back to the basics on Pentecost Sunday.

So today, we're going to talk about the basics of salvation. Jesus, I love you so much. I'm thankful, Lord, for the word that you've given us to read and to discover what it is that you have for your church. I pray for the next few moments, Lord, that our hearts and our minds will be open and receptive to receive that anointed word. In Jesus name we pray and amen. The Bible teaches you and I that we are created to enjoy a personal relationship with God. One of my favorite things about God, outside of the fact that he purchased salvation for me, is that he's personal about it. He likes to live down in the weeds of our life. He likes to get down to where you and I are and to meet us and to and to be there to walk with us through all that life brings our way. And I'm a firm believer that you can never truly feel fulfilled outside of that relationship. There are other things that you can try to bring into your life and they may bring you some temporary relief or a moment of feeling like you are being fulfilled but in the long run you are never complete without Jesus. Amen. You may find other things but nothing feels like Jesus. John 10:9 says I am the door. These are redlettered words the red the words of Jesus.

If anyone enters by me he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and destroy. And I have come that you may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. If you want to have an abundant life, it's not about money. It's not about status. It's not about acquiring things. They're all well and good and they have their place and they're proper and you can keep them in context. But if you want to have an abundant life, you have to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the abundant life. This kind of lifestyle that is God has intended for you and I to have in our life. a life that is abundantly lived in him. But most people are still searching to find that real fulfillment in life because man has such a natural desire to follow after the flesh and what it is that we want. We live in a world that especially in a North American culture where it's all about you. Have it your way. Whatever you want, you know, be true to yourself or my personal favorite, be your own truth. What does that even mean? Be your own truth. There's only one truth. Isaiah 53:6, all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

1 John 1:8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Isaiah 59 and two says, "But your iniquities have separated you from God and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear you." Sin, ladies and gentlemen, breaks our relationship with God. It causes us to fear him and to try to live a life without him or away from him. And this is what led the psalmist to write so many times, don't hide your face from me. Because he knew and understood that in order for me to have a relationship with God, I got to I got to have that face shining radially upon my life. But to allow sin and iniquity to continue to control me causes there to be a separation from God and myself. So I have to address these issues. When our relationship with God is right, it it's great and it's perfect and it's peaceful. It doesn't mean it's problem free. But there is a peace and a hope that lives with me because God walks beside me through the ups and downs in life. But when my relationship isn't right, it leaves a void in my inner man. Because of that, I try to find other ways in which I can cope and deal with the pressures and stress that life brings me. I try to find happiness, but nothing brings lasting fulfillment.

Some people even try religion or try to try to live well or come from a Christian family or give up all their bad habits and they work real hard, but that's all trying to earn salvation. Ladies and gentlemen, you cannot earn salvation. He's already taken care of that at Calvary. He died on the cross to pay the penalty of sin. Something that you and I could not do on our own. It doesn't matter, Lord, how many times you try to live good and be good. It's not about that. It's about understanding what he has done and accepting it and applying it into my life. Proverbs 16:25 says, "There's a way that seems right in a man, but the end thereof is always or is the ways of death." Anything, listen to me. Anything concerning salvation and doctrine that starts with the statement I is starting in the wrong place. It has nothing to do with you. I'm not trying to offend you. I'm not trying to upset you. I'm not trying to hurt you. But it's nothing to do with you. Has everything to do with him. We have to start with him. Romans 3:23, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Not finding fulfillment and happiness in this life is only the beginning of where the sin problem is concerned. Because the real deal is there has to be a penalty paid for the sins because sin separates us.

There is an there's a there's that eternal separation that comes there. Eternal punishment is separation from God. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." So there's a solution for the problem that is there. It's not found in my efforts and it's not found in your efforts. It's not found in my good deeds. It's not in your good deeds. Instead, God came to earth as a man to bring us back to himself so we could have a second chance to be born again. Born again. John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but should have everlasting life. Romans 5:8. But God demonstrated his own love toward us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 1 Peter 3:18, "For Christ also suffered once for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring to us to God, put and being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the spirit." You know, all the world's major religions, they have the ability and they try to point to the way of the truth. But Jesus said, "I am the truth." You don't have to search any further. You just got to find Jesus. He is the truth. The truth was a person before it became a doctrine.

The truth was a person before it became a doctrine. And I wonder as the as the old preacher said, "Do you know him? Do you know Jesus?" I mean, do you know him? Do you really know him? Do you know what his voice sounds like? Do you know what it is to be led by him in your life? Do you know what it is to feel his presence around you? Do you know Jesus? John 14:6, Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and life. No one comes to the father except through me." First Timothy 2 and5, for there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. God has already done his part to restore our relationship. As I said earlier, it's not about your good works. It's not about your good deeds. I don't know about you, but that brings me comfort and peace because I haven't been that good. I haven't I've made my mistakes. I I've done things that I'm ashamed of. I've been involved in things that I had no business being involved with. But thanks be to God, he was able to look past those faults and failures and the things that I had gotten myself into. I'm thankful that that in spite of me, he still loved me. In spite of me, he looked past my failures. He didn't he didn't look for me to be qualified.

He said, "I will go. I will die. I will pay the penalty for you. What you can't do, I will do for you. I will take care of that. God will help you." But ladies and gentlemen, God will not force you. While having faith in God is important, faith alone is not enough, ladies and gentlemen. James 2 says this in verse 14. What does it profit my brethren if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body," what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, it does not have the works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. But do you want to know, oh foolish man, that faith without works is dead? You got to have faith, ladies and gentlemen. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. We know that faith is important. You got to have you got to have faith. But faith by itself is not enough. Faith is the beginning.

Faith is the start. Faith is how you as you as you start this process of salvation, basically all faith in God does is make the remedy for sin available to you. Follow me before you turn me off. I have enough faith to go to the doctor when I'm sick. I do. I have enough faith to go there. But if I don't take the prescribed medicine he gives me, faith alone did me nothing. I got to apply what the doctor gave me in my life to do. You know, it doesn't work. Maybe maybe another way to say this is the is we can be out on a hot sunny day and you say, "I'm worried about getting sunburned." I can say, "Well, here's some sunscreen. Let me give this. This will help you." And you say, "Thank you for the sunscreen. and I have faith that this sunscreen will keep me from being sunburnt. But if you don't apply it some point you got to squeeze it out the tube and put it on your body. So, to say faith alone, you no faith alone doesn't work. Faith causes you to move forward. Faith is the start. Faith is where you get there. At some point, you have to continue to move forward in that relationship and apply what he has given you further. You need to be growing. Faith by itself is not. It's a start, not the end.

Move you forward. Faith provides the ability for the plan of salvation to be accessible to us. John 1:10. He was in the world and the world was made through him and the world did not know him. He came to his own and his own did not receive him. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right. The right. He gave the right to become children. He didn't make them children. He gave them the right. Did you catch it? The right to become the children of God. to those who believe in his name, who were born not of the blood, not of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. This passage tells me three things. That we must receive the Lord into our lives, that we must take on his name, and that he will give us power to live for him. We believe this gospel, this cross became more than just a historical event, but it was the bridge that he came across to where you and I are. Sin separated us. The cross brought back an opportunity for you and I to get back to where we were supposed to be originally. Thank God for Calvary. Thank God for the cross. Thank God that he didn't leave us on our own. Thank God he didn't say that you're going to have to do the work.

Instead, he see you're not you're not able to cross. You're not able to span the gulf. So, I will do the hard work, but you still have to apply what I did to your life. At some point, you not only have to receive it, but you have to apply it. It's a life-changing message. Jesus blood shed on the cross has the power to cancel out our penalty of eternal death. Colossians 2:13, "And you being dead in your trespasses and uncircumcision of your flesh has made alive together with him, having forgiven all the trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." But ladies and gentlemen, we still haven't walked through the door yet. This is what he did for us. But what are we to do with what knowledge we've been given? We have to apply. We have to walk through the door of salvation. Not believing in what Jesus did for us, but applying what he did for us in our lives. The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is the gospel. That is the good news. The death, the burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15 verse number one. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which you also have received, and wherein you stand, by which also you are saved, if you keep in memory that what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain.

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. To obey the gospel, we must have the death, burial, and resurrection of the Holy Ghost inside of our lives. Now, stick with me. It's Pentecost Sunday, and it's important that we understand the significance of Pentecost Sunday. Now, no Bible theologian worth listening to or paying any attention to, no, no, no, no one who has studied the word of God is going to argue with the New Testament church started. The New Testament church started in Acts chapter 2. Now, let me just give you a little knowledge here for some that maybe don't understand this, but when you when you walk through the New Testament, you have the synoptic gospels, which is Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And then you have the Gospel book of John. So, those four make up the gospels that are there. And then you have the book of acts. And the book is the acts of who? The apostles. It's the only history book we have in the New Testament. That's the history book. So you have the life of Jesus Christ, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Then you have the book of Acts, which is the history book, the history account of what the disciples actually did.

The ones who walked with him, who talked with him, who seen what he did, who watched the miracles, and heard the signs, who were taught the lessons. That's the book of Acts. The rest of the New Testament outside the book of Revelations are letters written to churches or individuals. That's what it is there. That breaks down the New Testament. So you got the Gospel accounts, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. That the book of Acts, which is a history book. You got the book of Revelations at the end, which is book of Revelations. Everything else is either written through churches or individuals who are in the church. That's what we have. Now, why am I saying that? Because we need to be very careful about where we get our doctrine of salvation from. Because there are people who try to pull the doctrine of salvation from a letter that was written to a church that was already going. The reason we're excited about the day of Pentecost is because Acts 2 says, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come," important language there because there had been days of Pentecost before this. But there was something about this day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. It was the fulfillment of prophecy that Jesus had told them was coming to pass. In fact, Acts chapter 1, he said, "Go and tear you in Jerusalem till you be due with power from on high.

Cuz I told you I wasn't going to leave you alone. I'm going to send the comforter in my name. I want you to go there. I want you to wait and this is all going to come together in the process." And they went in Acts chapter 2. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all in one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind. And God poured out his spirit and they come out of that upper room speaking in tongues. It caused such a spectacle that those are looking around said, "What is this? What is this? What's going on? What I'm hearing people speaking my own native language and they're not Galilean. How are they speaking Galilean? What's going on?" To which Peter stood up and I'm going to get to him in the morning because he plays an important part important piece that God had already given him some keys to what was going to go on. And Peter said, "This is that this that you're hearing, this spectacle that you're witnessing is that that was prophesied long ago that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh." And the reason we're excited here today at Centerpoint Apostolic Church is because we're still celebrating what happened on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 because he continues to pour out his spirit time and time and time again.

It wasn't a one-time thing in Acts two just for that beginning of the church. And it wasn't just for missionaries to speak other languages when they got there. No sir. No sir. It was the evidence that God has filled you with his spirit. That he kept his promise. He kept his promise. Why? Because he's a promisekeeping God. Every time something new happened, God always signified it with fire going on. Praise God. Oh, I'm outside my notes, but I feel the Holy Ghost right now. He gives Moses the tabernacle plan. Very detailed, very specific. In fact, we have we have more about the tabernacle than we have about anything in scripture. How detailed and how intricate it all was. But as it came for the first time and they lay that sacrifice on the altar for the first time, there was divine fire from heaven that came down woo on the sacrifice. When Solomon finally builds the temple and after he slaughters them 10,000 lambs, that makes me tired thinking about it. They applied the blood to everything. He's slapping blood on everything around there. Finally comes time and Solomon gives that beautiful prayer and then what happens? Fire falls from heaven. Now tabernacle, fire falls from heaven signifying this is where my presence is going to dwell. I feel good right now. the tabernacle. This is where the fire is where it's signifying this. They just did it that once because he said, "This is where I'm going to dwell."

And then Solomon goes out and they bring his temple. What does God do? He drops down the fire in boom and says, "Now this is where I'm going to dwell." But on the day of Pentecost, clothe tongues as of a fire was on each one of them head. You know why? You know why? Because they said, "Now I'm not going to tabernacle in a building. Now I'm going to tabernacle inside of you." Woo. It's not about a building. It's not about this sheetrock. It's not No, he wants to live inside of you. You don't have to have a priest. You can go to the throne room yourself. He will fill you with his spirit. It's a promise that's for you and your children and all that are far, even as many as the Lord our God called. It's a promise that he still keeps. It's a promise that he wants to fill you with his spirit. And I promise you, when he does, you will speak in other tongues. It's gospel truth. I'll show you in scripture. Who do men say I am? He asked his disciples. Y'all okay. I have no idea how much more time I need, but we'll get there. Who do men say I am? Thou art Elijah, Jeremiah, one of the prophets. Okay. Okay. Okay. Who do you say I am? You've been seeing me. You've been walking with me.

You've seen what I've done. Who do you say I am? Peter says, "Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God." And he says, "Oo, I like what you answered. I like what you said. In fact, I like it so much I tell you what. I'm going to give you some keys." It wasn't a physical set of keys. Jesus didn't pull in out of his pocket and you know, here you go. Here's a set of keys. My donkeys walked around the corner. No, I wonder what it was about. It wasn't a physical set of keys. He said, "There's going to be a moment because you recognize who I am." Flesh and blood didn't reveal that to you. My father in heaven has told you something. So, you're going to get some keys. There's going to come a moment and you know what's going to be. It ain't going to hit you yet, Peter, because there's still some stuff you're going to struggle with. There going to be a part where you're going to deny me and it's going to be a whole thing. But look, I'm giving you some keys. And there'll come a moment one day when you're going to understand it's time to take the keys out and unlock what I'm telling you to unlock. And who was it that preached that pivotal message in Acts chapter 2 when they said, "What is this?"

It was in that moment that Peter said, "Oo, I got the answer to the question. I got a set of keys right here that I've been hanging on to for a long time." And he said, "This is that which has been prophesied." And he preached such a foundational message that he get down and said, "I'm so convicted to my core off what you're saying. What do I have to do?" Good question. I like good questions. I've been waiting to unlock the door. Then Peter said, verse 38, "Repent and be baptized everyone in the name of Jesus Christ from your sin. You shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Death, burial, resurrection. We see it here again. death, burial, and resurrection going on. And it goes past Acts chapter 2. It didn't stop there. I love the way that chapter ends because God's adding to the church daily, right? I mean, he preached the message and they got 3,000 people at the end of the message going on. That's a good day of preaching right there. That make any preacher feel a little puffed up. But it didn't stop there. In Acts chapter 8, the Samaritans have been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I got a I got a question for you guys. In fact, pull out my old handy dandy Bible here. Acts chapter 8. Now, Patrick, are you back there?

Patrick, you've been doing a good job. Everybody give tell Patrick he's doing a good job. Patrick, I have no idea where I'm going, so just hang on. Verse 14, chapter 8 of Acts. Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them who when they had come down prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet had fallen upon none of them, they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Now if it was only believing, these dudes were believing. There was no call for anybody to go anywhere. So, but maybe it was about believing in baptizing. But we have recorded here they've already been baptized and it was pretty pretty clear how they were baptized, right? Anybody confused about that? Yeah. It wasn't in the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. It was in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the only way there's ever any examples in this book that anybody's ever been baptized. If you have another example that you can show me scripturally, I'll be happy to. But there was none. There's none. No, there's none. Not one. Matter of fact, if you can give me an example in scripture, I'll tell you I'll eat the whole thing. Even the dictionary in the back, I'm confident in it because there's not one example that was ever done that way.

So, it's got to be more than faith because they believed. It's got to be more than baptism because they were already baptized in Jesus name. But yet, they still sent somebody because they were not yet complete. That's right. They were not. Verse 17. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw the through the laying on of hands, of course, he's trying to get money. He's trying to make things happen because he wants it and gets rebuked and things don't turn out so well for him. So, I bring this up for this point is that it takes more than faith. Faith is the beginning, but you got to apply. You got to apply what God's given you. You got to do something with you. There there's some action on our part. The action doesn't buy the salvation. It doesn't. It's applying what has already been done, what has already been paid for in my life. Acts 10, Peter preached the gospel to the Gentiles. And this was not easy thing because Gentiles were people he didn't associate with. So much so that he ends up having a dream. And in the dream, basically God says to him, "What I've called what I've called blessed, don't you call common. No, don't you you're not in the business of deciding who salvation is for and who it's not for." And then when he goes and he preaches at Cornelius's house, while he was preaching, the Holy Ghost falls on them.

Now, I love this moment or hit and time that's right here because let's go to this. Let's go to Acts chapter 10. You guys got your analog copy? You can turn over there, too. You see this? It says verse 44. While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision, who's those jokers? Who? The Jews. That's who they were. So the Jews, those are the circumcision, were astonished who believed as many came with Peter because the gift of the Holy Spirit was born poured out on the Gentiles. How did they know? How they know? How do they know they got the spirit? What were they convinced? Well, it says right here in verse 46, for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter said, "Can any man forbid water?" Because it's not just about being filled with the spirit. You also got to be baptized. Why? Ask about death, burial, and resurrection. Death, burial, and resurrection. They knew because they've been filled with the spirit because they heard them speak with tongues. The door of salvation has been open to the Gentiles. All these scriptures, we see Peter using the keys to the kingdom to open up the door of salvation to preach the gospel. Key number one, repentance. Key number two, baptism in Jesus name. Key number three, baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Death, burial, and resurrection, repentance. Baptism in Jesus name, Holy Spirit. These are the three steps that take us through the door of salvation into the relationship that God intended for us to have. When I repent, I apply the death of Jesus Christ in my life. Galatians 5:24. And those who are Christ have crucified the flesh, which are the passions and the desires. If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. When I'm baptized, I apply the burial of Christ in my life, making it effective in me. Romans 6 and4. Therefore, we are buried with him in baptism into death. Like that Christ was raised up from the dead to the glory of the father. Even so, we also should walk in the newness of life. What happened while ago when I baptized Landon is he was buried with baptism with Jesus. Right there. All those sins were washed and remitted right away from him. They ro washed away when I received the Holy Ghost. I applied the resurrection of Jesus Christ in my life. Romans 8:9. But you're not in the flesh but in the spirit. If indeed the spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he is not his. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin. But the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give you life into your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you.

Who dwells in you. Now, here's something to keep in mind, and I'm getting ready to bring this to a close because I feel like God's still wanting to do something today in this in this place on this Pentecost Sunday. And I'm doing real good. It's just now 1:00, so I'm still on track. I caught up. When you read the book of Acts, you need to understand that when you go from one chapter to the next, it wasn't one day to the next, but years passed by. But throughout this process, God's church was spreading. It was growing. We know this because it talks about this. We know that they faced a lot of severe persecution because at one point they were still all in Jerusalem. And that wasn't what he told them in Acts chapter 1. You should be my witnesses into Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and throughout the entire world. But they were still in Jerusalem. So all of a sudden, he sends this guy named Saul in there. He starts breaking up the party. And you I talked about this in prayer the other night in our in our in our in our prayer session that that Paul went in there and all of a sudden they got kicked out of Jerusalem because of persecution. Now what was going on? They were taking the gospel message with them. Now again, I know for most if you read through the Bible, you don't think about timelines, but it's good to understand the timelines in which things were written because as Acts is continuing to be written, then we see their conversion from Saul over to Paul on the road to Damascus and how the one that was persecuting the church becomes the forerunner of what was going on.

But Paul was not trying to establish a new form and formula for salvation. It had already been a set in Acts chapter 2. what was going on as you read through Romans and Galatians and Ephesians and Corinthians and Colossians. As you go through to read that, as these letters are being written to the church that was already existing, they weren't going back to the church to rewrite the formula for salvation. It was it was it was a reestablishment and re reaffirming of what was already been written. It was there for a reason, for a purpose. So, understanding the timelines, we don't go back and we don't, in fact, Paul talks about that. we don't go back and revisit foundational pieces. God forbid we don't go back to that. We don't those things are already established. We add on to it to continue the building process. So on this Pentecost Sunday, the death, burial, and resurrection is the gospel life-changing message of Jesus Christ. It is it is what God has for us. It is a door that is there for you and I to walk through for he has made a way for us to have that opportunity in our life. Now my question for you as I bring this to a close today is have you taken advantage of that opportunity? Because it's more than just a feeling. So many in mainstream Christianity, especially in North America, we are interesting how we have taken the grace message and made it something it has never been intended to be.

I'm thankful for God's grace in my life. I'm thankful that his mercy is new every morning. I'm thankful for the ability to be able to apply that to my life. But grace does not give me the liberty to continue to do anything that I feel like I should do. That's not what Paul told Titus. Titus 2:11 said, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us." Grace is a teacher, ladies and gentlemen. It's not a t-shirt to wear. It's not a bumper sticker that I put on, but grace is teaching me how to live soberly and righteously in this present world. How that I should be different this year than I was last year. It doesn't mean I'm mistake free. Doesn't mean I don't still have failures in my life, but I'm learning along the way. It's not just a get out of jail free card anytime I feel like I need a little bit better mood for me to be in because conviction has hit my life. No, grace is teaching me what happens is over time I don't fall in the same ditch I fell into last year. Yes. Amen. Yeah. that I don't keep reoccurring with the same thing over and over again because grace is showing me. In fact, here's how I've done it many times. Most of you know my answer when I talk about if you want to know grace is a higher law than the law ever was.

It's higher. You know what grace is? Grace points to Calvary and says that's the standard. A life or a life. Ladies and gentlemen, if you read the Bible and you come away from any other conclusion that your life or his life, that's what he asked. The deal is he went first. He went first. He said, 'I'll lay down my life for you. And all I ask in return is that any man who come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross. Yeah. Nobody in those times, nobody in those times was confused about a cross. It wasn't a piece of jewelry you wore around your neck or a sticker you had up in on your mirror. No, no, no. A cross was a symbol of death. Everybody understood if you got put on a cross, you died. That was the end result. So Jesus said, "If you want to come after me, you're going to die to you. I've already died to cover your sins. I've already done that. You can take what I've offered you and you can apply it to your life. But in the application process, in the application process, you die. You die. And if you get any other version than that, then you're getting a diluted, watered down version of what God has asked us to be." because he's an all-in God. He's an all-in God. What I mean by that is he cashed all in at Calvary.

And all he asked in return for you to receive that is for you to cash all in back. Thank you, Father. I don't belong to myself. I was purchased with a price. I am not my own. I'm not. Neither are you. We belong to him. Now, you may be wondering, how am I going to tie all this up today? Simply this way. Where are you in this process of salvation? Where are you? He's already paid the price. He's already written the prescription. I'm curious. Are you willing to do the application? Are you willing to say, "God, my life is not my own. It belongs to you. I'm so thankful for Calvary because he didn't purchase you for you to live any way you want to live. Ah, that's mainstream Christianity right now. It's not going to get me on TBNN and I'll get a lot of haters if somebody posts this on social media, but I'm telling you right now, I'm in the book. I'm in the book. And if you know, if you're going to if you're going to label me something, label me in the book. Okay? I don't have to defend this. It stands all by itself. But I promise you, you take this as a whole or you don't take it at all. Take the whole thing. Don't just take a piece. Don't just take a book. Just don't take a chapter.

Take the whole thing. He died. And one of the reasons we are celebrating today and one of the reasons we have hope is because it wasn't conditioned on me paying the price. It's conditioned on him. And all he asked me to do is to partner with him in this life to live. And when I do, it brings in more opportunity than I could have ever imagined for myself. His way is higher than my way. And his purpose for my life is the greatest purpose I could have. And I tell you, there is a there's a calling on every person who's listening to me in this room today. There's a calling on your life. It's a kingdom calling. Your kingdom calling may never have you behind a pullpit, but you have a kingdom call in your life. And part of that kingdom call is simply saying, "God, I'm going to walk through this door of salvation knowing on the other side I'm going to give my life to you. And whatever you call me to do, God, that's what I'm willing to do." And there's the greatest fulfillment fulfillment and passion and purpose on the other side of that beyond what you could ever imagine. Now, here's the deal. And I'm going to say this and I'm going to end. You can dismiss me and that's okay. You can dismiss me. You can walk out of here today.

You can say that, "Pastor Kevin, he's crazy. He's lost it. He's over complicated things. He's made it made it much harder than it is." I promise you, I gave you so much scripture. I gave you 25 scriptural references in the Bible on purpose today to tell you that this is the word of God. It is the word of God. If you will take the time to study this out, you will see that his simple request is this. Take what I did and apply it to your life. And when you do, you surrender over to me. to me. It's about surrendering your life. That's it. Plain and simple. It's about you taking the keys to your life and saying, "They belong to you. I am not my own. I belong to you, God. And when you do, you look, I'm 49 years old. I've been this my whole life. And I've had wonderful conversations with about every denominational pastor and preacher I could. And we we've had good times. And I'm not here to try to debate. I'm not. To me, the word of God stands by itself. It's there. I've seen too much in my life for you to come at me now and tell me I'm wrong. Now, if you want to tell me I'm wrong, that's fine. You're not going to hurt my feelings. Smile. I'll still even buy you lunch. It's okay.

I've seen too much in my life. There's been too many times I have seen God do the miraculous around me for me to think that this is any other thing what God has called us to be. Now, here's I'll say this. I promise this mean for real this time I'm actually ending not just preacher talk. I've watched as those who have really handed their life over to God. I've watched them flourish and I've watched them blossom and I've watched the kingdom grow because they were willing to be beyond themselves. And I've watched others and their relationship with God is all based off of hell prevention. And guys, if all you're doing is living for God so that you don't go to hell, I promise you, you are missing what God really intended for your life. It's not about health prevention. It's about kingdom growth. And that's what I'm about. That's what centerpoint's about. We're about growing the kingdom of God. So stand with me today. God, God, I love you so much. I'm so indebted to you, Lord Jesus, for the opportunities that you've given me. I'm so thankful, God, for the truth that is in your scripture. Lord, I pray today, God, if I have been offensive in any way, Lord, forgive me. And I pray that whoever is here who's been offended, Lord, that they would they would allow your mercy and your love and your presence to just rush into them right now.

But God, I know your desire is for a greater life. Your desire is that we have life abundantly. And the only way we have that abundant life is when we surrender all to you in the same way you surrendered all to us. God, I pray for a boldness today on this Pentecost Sunday, a boldness in this congregation, Lord, to embrace the life that you have for us. So right now in the name of Jesus, I take authority in this room and I rebuke every hindering spirit, every bit of fear, every bit of doubt be gone in the name of Jesus. And I release an atmosphere of praise and worship. I release right now in this place an opportunity for us to go into the very throne room and feel you close and to feel you near. So God, do what you do best. Take the broken, shattered pieces of our life and do something amazing with it today in Jesus' name. In Jesus name. Church, it's prayer time. These altars are open. If you need salvation today, I pray make a step forward. If you need healing in your body today, make a step forward. If you need a relationship mended today, make a step forward. Whatever you need, I would make a step forward. Allow God to be God today in this place in Jesus name.