Awe and Wonder Part 3

Sin — we have been in a series I started a couple of Sundays ago, talking about the all and wonder of God. And it's such a huge subject. I originally just had some thoughts I was putting together for a Sunday sermon. But as I began to dig into this subject on the all and wonder God, I realized it was much more than I could fit into — and probably much more than you would have appreciated to be in one sermon. So I decided to spread it out across three. And I'm hoping today that we can kind of wrap things up, as we talk about the all and wonder of God's purpose today. You know, when I think about God's love, in in the depth and the breadth and the height — it's it's unbelievable. It almost makes my little small brain seem like it's going to short-circuit a little bit, when I begin to to try to comprehend the goodness of his love and what that love means. And if you were to kind of throw a net over the essence of Christianity, the only word that I believe that would fit would be the word love. Love is is a word that often we stick in, or when we're talking about relationships, it's it's kind of the tap root, so to speak, of how relationships are formed and what they're based on. And an intimate relationship cannot survive if love is not the core motivation behind it. Because there will be hardships. There will be circumstances that won't always go the way you want it to. But love has a way of overriding those things and making it better. And without love, Christianity would simply be reduced to nothing more than just a bunch of legal action, desire to force conformity, to try to establish what would be simply another religion. But that was not Jesus Christ's intention. In fact, he came to to try to put to write that culture that was already developed. In fact, when he showed up, he was so counter culture and his speech and the way he thought, and the things he brought out of light, and was trying to open the eyes of the religious elite, to the point that they had made things so difficult, so stringent, so strict, so based out of the legal of the law, that they had lost the relationship by whom the law was given to. And they made it seemingly impossible there.

See, to me, I don't feel like you have to dig very far in the scriptures to confirm that love is there. John 3 16 — probably hands down the most famous passage of scripture: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Paul, writing to the church in Rome, in chapter 5 verse 8, says: But God demonstrates his own love toward us, that and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The apostle John gets involved too, in First John chapter 4 verse number 16. It says: And we have known and believed the love of God has for us. God is love. And he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. This is merely, merely the tip of the spear of all that is in this wonderful book, when it comes to the subject of God and love. In fact, to know God you have to love. And you cannot know love without God, for God is love. So the things and the understanding we have must be rooted out of a relationship with God.

To me, the most captivating quality of this divine love was not its abstraction, ladies and gentlemen, but it was its humanness. It was that we could identify with it. It wasn't the great God there that spoke the world into existence. As I said just a few minutes ago, oftentimes if we think of it in that context, it's so big, it's so — it's so massive. It's it's it's beyond comprehension. That's not what it was about. Instead, he came and demonstrated, and did, and and sacrificed, and gave, so that you and I could identify with our humanity what love is. God did not love us as though we were in places in it, and we were just simply like things that he collected, like expensive art or classical music. In fact, the great apostle Paul interjects a human perspective into God's love, when I feel like he he simply grabs what I would say would be the raw reality of Calvary, and he brings it down into something that is more palpable for you and I to understand, when in Romans 5 60 says: For when we were still without strength, and due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. Yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates his love towards us — listen to this — in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than, having been justified by his blood, then we shall be saved from the wrath through him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, much more, having been reconciled, we should be saved by his life. And not only that, but also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who we have received the reconciliation. God's love transcends words. It was his choice of blood, his choice of agonizing pain, his choice of unthinkable disdain of humiliation and sacrifice, that told the story of love. His instance and insistence upon this reprehensible saga of Gal Gotha a cemented his desire, and shows us his his longing had always been for relationship with you and I, with man. The simple invitation to Thomas — to put his fingers and run across the the nail scars in his hands, to thrust his hand and his side — was showing something that you and I could identify, and we could desire to have that intimate relationship with him. Thomas, Thomas, don't don't be put back because of your question. And said: Thomas, come in. I invite you, is what he's saying. For whatever you need, Thomas, I'm here. Oh, to see the humanity that was there — that he is reaching out. His desire was to demonstrate this love. Who could deny the depth of God's love for us after that?

To me, it was yet the more. There's so much more to God's love than sacrificial acts. And while we take comfort in God expressing his deep love for you and I at Calvary — I'm so thankful for Calvary. I'm thankful for the cross. I'm thankful for what it represents. I'm so thankful for that hope that it gives you and I, that I don't have to just settle with life as norm, the way man thinks it is. But God has desired — yet he had created, he had put in motion, and set things far beyond that I can even think or imagine, hope and dream — not just for me, but for you also. Why? Because he loved us. Oh, the all and the wonder of God's purpose, and his love in our life. To understand the strength of his commitment: the emotion of love may fuel relationship, but it was the commitment that validates his intentions. Through emotion we witnessed it played out in our world. How many of us — you and I — we see it around our lives every day: individuals who have given vows; spouses who have said: I'll give my life to you, for better for worse. Yet they cheat. They reject their bonds. They reject their vows. Parents say they love their children, but abandon them, or subject them to emotional or psychological or sexual abuse. Adult children who say they love their mom and dad, yet never call, never check, never never never see if there's anything that they could do, or even try to communicate with them. We seem to be obsessed with the emotion of love, but we invalidate the feeling by refusing to act on it. We act like God by promising our love, but we act like the devil when we renege on our promise. It was Charles Spurgeon who said — and I quote: You never hear Jesus say in palace judgment and Pilate's judgment hall, one word that would let you imagine that he was sorry that he had undertaken so costly a sacrifice for you and I. When his hands are pierced, when he is — when he is parched with fever, when his tongue dried up like a shard of pottery, when his whole body is dissolved into dust and death — you never hear a groan or a streak that looks like Jesus is going to go back on his commitment. And to me, one of the most intriguing features of the incarnation was God's ability to feel what he created humans to feel. To think about that for a minute: the writer Hebrews opens up a window for you and I to have this understanding, in in chapter 4 verse 15, when he says: For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but was in all points tempted like you and I, yet without sin. He doesn't set off in some distant realm, far away where he can't experience what you and I — no. Instead he said: I'll bridge the gap across the span that you you cannot do. But I'll go. I'll come over, and I will walk where you have walked. I will sit where you have set. I will experience what you have experienced. I'll see the happy, the joy. And I'll also experience the loss, and the pain, and the suffering. Yes, he was tempted, but without sin. He experienced all these things. Why? Why, ladies and gentlemen, did he do this? I can sum it up in one word. It was love. It was love. It was more than a word that tried to push out an emotional response. Instead, it was a commitment at the highest level of a God who's seen the loss of relationship. To follow in that verse in Hebrews, it's especially — if you take it to its logical end — we understand that it is a reciprocal conclusion: if God can feel what we feel, it means that we can feel what God feels, at least as far as humanly possible. Thus, when it dawned on him — and I'm speaking as a human — that he was about to be beaten until he looked like a piece of meat in a butcher shop, that he was going to have that crown of thorns brutally placed on his head, when he was going to be pierced and gourd in his side, he must have thought, at least at some point, to retreat or flee. It seems like that is only a human logical response to what he was about to face. And this is where the measure of strength, and his commitment and devotion, shone so brightly. No pain, no suffering, no humiliation, no loss, would make him reconsider his decision, that he had to do what he did to save mankind. His feelings were human, but his commitment was divine. And we must never, ever lose sight of the all and the wonder of a God who said: I'll endure all I have to endure to save you, to prove to you that my love has no end.

Your relationship with Jesus Christ has a solid foundation, ladies and gentlemen. Lamentations three says it: that warranty automatically renews every morning. Fresh mercy every morning. No matter what I got myself into yesterday, I have an automatic renewal of subscription today, that if I find myself falling short, I can reach out and cry out to a God who is manifested, who has demonstrated, who has proved, who has shown without any measure, any doubt: that I will do anything to reach you where you are. Oh, the all in the wonder of God's love and purpose for you and I. It is more than we can comprehend. That relationship is a relationship that we can count on. His commitment was pushed to the limit, but it didn't break. His patience with us never runs out, despite our faults and our weaknesses. There's no mention of our sins. Romans 8 verse 35 says: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? Shall distress, the persecutions, or famine, or neckiness, or peril, or sword? As it was written: For your sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. That all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded — oh, Paul's writing this, is a man who understood, it was beginning to to scratch the surface on how much God loved him — I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, no things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Oh, to understand, to have comprehension of the security of this relationship. It will be severely tested.

Even when Jesus was calling his disciples from the shore of Galilee — the crucifixion was in the past. They had wandered away. They had scattered. But yet he's constantly trying to to bring them back. And we see and witness this awkward encounter in John chapter 20 21. He knew that he had to do this. He had to go back. He had to reach out. Because there was one he knew he had much more to do, that needed to understand how much he loved him. Peter had all but walked away, in disgrace and discussed, because he had popped his mouth off and said: Lord, I'll never deny you. There'll never be a moment. I'm willing to die for you. I'll stand and do everything I can. No, Peter. No, Peter. The enemy has decided to sift you like we know, Peter. There's going to come a moment you're going to deny me. There's no way, Lord. However, tonight — listen to me, Peter — there's going to come a moment when you're going to face circumstances that are beyond your control. And then Peter did something that would be no different than you and I. For many times, and my failures, haven't went back and said: God, I am so embarrassed by my lack of commitment and devotion for you. God, I'm so sorry that I stumbled one more time and fell down in that hole. God, I'm sorry that I have not lived the way that I'm supposed to live. But just like Peter, I met one more time with a savior who says: Come and sit beside me. I met one more time with love and mercy that is there, for a God who who is determined to do whatever he can to save you and I. Oh, the all in the wonder of his love and purpose for us.

We see in chapter 21 verse 17, as Peter's there — no doubt he's embarrassed, no doubt the awkwardness of this moment — as he's there, and and the Lord has prepared breakfast for him, when he asked in this question in verse 17: Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Oh, these words, they tear me up every time. Maybe it's just me. Maybe maybe maybe it's just me. But I feel like there's more than just me in the room that can identify with these words, when he says: Do you love me? Oh God, you know I love you. You know I love you. You know I want to commit everything I can to you. You know where my heart is. You know where my mind is. In this moment Peter was grieved, and he said to him the third time: Do you love me? And he said to him: Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you. And Jesus said to him: Feed my sheep. Peter, don't walk away. Oh, I'm reaching for somebody right now in this congregation, that you would feel disqualified because of your past mistakes and failures. But I'm telling you, there's a love. There's a love that's beyond comprehension. Oh, the all and the wonder of his love and purpose. I had a place I'm going in this message, but I feel strongly to stay here for just a minute, to let somebody know: you have not messed up beyond what God can still do in your life. He has a plan and a purpose and a point. The reason you were created was was to bring about his kingdom through you, to to do mighty mighty works through you. And don't feel like you're disqualified, when God is simply saying here — asking this question one more time, using this pastor today — when he says: Do you still love him, feeding my sheep. Not only did Jesus continue his relationship with Simon as though he had never been interrupted. He affirmed the seemingly incompetent disciple, that he was going to play a major role in the days to come. The promise of security needs to resonate within you and I. That the latter end is still here, ladies and gentlemen. We have a charge. We have a job. We have something we're to do. We're not just to sit around and talk about great things that happen on the mission field. And I'm so excited to hear those reports. But I'm telling you, the latter day is here. There's going to be a great revival. But he's got to have men and women who are willing to accept and understand the call that God has placed on you. You may never stand in this pulpit, but that doesn't make you any less called than me. God has a plan and a purpose. He had created you from the very beginning. And if you can understand the love and the purpose he has for you, and be willing to say: Here I am, God. Whatever you need me to do, I'm willing to go.

It is not you that have to qualify yourself. It is he who qualifies you. In our more introspective moments, we often ask ourselves the question: Why? What lies at the core of this relationship between God and us? Is it love? God loved us in our original form, before we were contaminated with sin. He conceived the blueprint, and created us to be according to his specifications. But sin sabotaged the work. If mankind was now ruined, ugly, vile, and repulsive, God's love must have been turned off. Is it that way, you think? But you would be so wrong. Again I go to Romans 8 and Romans 5 and 8: But God demonstrated his love towards us, and while we were still sinners, Christ died. In whom human reasoning tells us that we are unlovable. We were ugly. We were grotesque. We are prototypes of what was going on in the garden. In fact, the very word "sin" translated means missing the mark, or to air. How could our perfect God love imperfect people who have missed the mark? And the key, ladies and gentlemen, to this conundrum in our life, is that God did not love us for what we were, but what we could become. And this truth routes our relationship with him into limitless futures. I'll say it again: He didn't love you because of where you were. He loved you because of what you could become through him. He's seen past the mistakes, and passed the failures, and passed those shortcomings, and passed all the little subtle idiosyncrasies that you think disqualify you from ever becoming anything great. Listen to me: He understood full well all that you were going to face in your life. He looked past those things. His love looked past those things, and said: Yes, there is someone. There's a man. There's a woman that I can use for my kingdom. There's a man, there's a woman, who I have purpose for. There's a man, there's a woman, who I'm going to use to reach others in this world, to show my love through you.

John 1 12 says: But as many received him, he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name. That word "right" comes from the Greek word exousia, which we also get the word for authority. God has enabled you and I to get back something that the enemy has stolen, as a son, as a daughter, in a relationship with him. And it gets even better, because Jesus said this in John 10 and 10: The thief cometh but to steal, and the keel, and to destroy. But I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly. Oh, ladies and gentlemen, if you ever get a full comprehension and understanding, that we are not merely made to restore into our former status, but God made our relationship stronger than it ever was before. Some of you want to go back to the Garden of Eden. I'm going to tell you right now, you're going to miss out on something. Because God has something even better planned in the Garden of Eden. There's something more for you. Don't you settle for something that's less. Don't you think, just because sins in the world and sins in your life, that you have become disqualified. But he has come to give you an abundant life. But that abundant life only comes when you tap into the love, and you tap into the understanding that God has a plan and a purpose. It's not your plan. It's not your purpose. But it's his plan, and it's his purpose. And when you are willing to set aside your plan for his plan, he'll lead you into an abundant life that will let you live in a way that you can overcome every obstacle and everything you face. It doesn't matter what the enemy tries to do. It doesn't matter what comes against you. You are victorious in him.

The depth of God's love and the strength of his commitment make the human divine relationship secure. But when we begin to understand the glory of God's purpose, we are overwhelmed with the qualities of the relationship. So I want to talk to you about a few qualities that come — a few of the reasons why the all and wonder of God is so amazing. The first thing that's important to understand is: God does not call people to simply fill a seat. There is no scripture that calls you to be a pew setter. There's no verse that I can go to and say that this is the will of God, that you come in and you sit in a chair on a weekly basis and have somebody scream at you. It's not there. But he's called you and I into a life of discipleship. You've heard me say this before, if you've been around here any length of time — especially those who who call me pastor — the God has a ministry for everyone. That your ministry starts in when God begins to work in your life. His desire is to fill you with his Spirit. But in that moment, that's not the end result. That's not all he has. And instead, that's the beginning of what he's trying to do. We — we even in the apostolic world — we can put so much emphasis — and please understand my heart when I say what I'm saying right now. Please don't misquote me. You need the infilling of the Holy Ghost, evidence of speaking in tongues, in your life. You need to be baptized in Jesus' name. There is a doctrinal path that points to salvation. You need those things. But I'm afraid sometimes we put so much emphasis on that, as if that is the final end goal, and that's all you have to do. And ladies and gentlemen, that is the beginning. That is the start. That is the bare bone minimum requirement. But it's from that moment forward, empowered with that Spirit, that he will equip, he will give you, he will open, he will do, he can move, he can operate, he can begin, the gifts will be poured out. He'll be used in the miraculous. Why? Because that's always been his desire.

These things were not just for the disciples. But it was the disciples who were full of that Spirit that God used and operated through. And we have a promise that greater things than these you and I are going to do. But it's only going to come when we begin to plug in and understand the all and the wonder of the love and the purpose that God has for our life. It's not to sit on the sidelines, but it's for you and I to be involved — for you and I to understand there's some place I'm going to fit in the kingdom. And when I get there, I'm going to do miraculous things for the kingdom.

Someone has said that God may have loved us as he found us, but he loves us too much to let us stay that way. I believe that true. Out of the starting gates of the new birth, we are spiritual newborns. But babies that don't grow have problems. Peter says in First Peter two and two: And newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. If a baby doesn't grow, something's wrong. It could be SIDS. It could be failure to thrive. It could be a growth hormone deficiency. It could be all these different kinds of syndromes. A list could go on and on and on, they have to prevent babies from growing as they should. I need you to understand this. I need you to comprehend this little sentence I'm fixing to come out of my mind: that you and I were created for unrest growth. There's no limit to it. There's not a moment when you stop. There should never be be be the mindset that you're plateauing off, because God has you where he wants you to be. No, ladies and gentlemen, that is not how our God operates. You were created for unrestrained growth. The only limitation that it's placed on that is the limitation that you and I put on it ourselves. Ancient Chinese women were subject to that horrifying tradition of foot binding, because they thought that beautiful women had to have tiny feet. I guess they ever considered that if you happen to be six and a half feet tall, and you wear a size five, that the wind might blow you over. So they bound up little girls' feet to keep them a certain size. But what they did was create something that the the — those those ladies, they couldn't walk. It it deformed the bones and the feet, and then — and thankfully, a couple hundred years ago, was actually outlawed, because of what I was doing. Because all they did was create someone who could only sit and just look pretty. We were not created to sit and look pretty. We were created for so much more. I'm thankful for what God has done for us. I'm thankful for this beautiful building we're in. But we were not created to sit and look pretty. We were created to plug in to the kingdom of God. We were created to reach out to each one of the lost and surround us. We were created not to be pew sitters, but to be engaged, to be discipled, to understand that I should be growing in my walk with God every day. Continual growth and faith and character and the knowledge of Jesus Christ is each of our expected metamorphosis in our life. It's what we should be doing. The apostle Peter says it best this way: II Peter, first chapter 1 verse 5: But also for this very reason, given all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, into knowledge self-control, and to self-control perseverance, into perseverance godliness, and the godliness brotherly kindness, into brotherly kindness love. There's a progression, ladies and gentlemen. There's a progression, ladies and gentlemen. To my guest, for just a minute: you have permission to stick your fingers in your ear for 30 seconds while I really hammer on the church. Listen to me, church: When new people come in, there's a progression. It's laid out in the scriptures. I shall read it again to you: To your faith comes virtue. To virtue comes knowledge. To knowledge, self-control. Self-control, perseverance. Perseverance, godliness. Do you understand where godliness is in the progression? Will you please let me pastor, and you just worry about getting the brotherly love?

Paul said it, and I feel like these go together: II Corinthians 3 18: But we all, with unveiled face, beholden as a mirror of the glory of the Lord, and being transformed the same image from glory to glory. See, each each new season, each new opportunity, brings with it a new weight that comes in. And you — there's some parts of glory that you can't bear. You're not mature enough in your walk with God. You can't comprehend it. God can't put those things on it, because to do so would be detrimental to you. It would be crippling to your walk. It's much more than you can sustain. And this makes logical sense in the natural: You don't go over here to the gym and automatically put 450 pounds on the bench press and hop under and say: Go ahead, drop it on my chest. Instead, if you're like me, you're like: Please just let me start with the 45 pound bar, and we'll go from there. The same thing happens in the spiritual: there's a progression from glory to glory. And some of you understand this principle. That's why God's been working to you. But some of you haven't. And you wonder: God, why am I not having the miraculous in my life? I'll tell you why: because you're not spiritually growing the way you should. And God's not going to take you there yet, because to do so would be detrimental to your walk. But I promise you this, ladies and gentlemen: If you will be relentless in your pursuit of him, God asking every day: Lord, tell me, and show me, and and reveal yourself to me in new ways. Let me have a deeper commitment and a deeper love for you today than I did yesterday. He will continue to take you from glory to glory, to glory. But it's a progression, because even this progression ties back into what Peter was talking about, because you got to start there with faith. And faith diverts you, virtue to knowledge, knowledge of self-control, self-growth and perseverance, perseverance to God. It is godliness. Where is he trying to get us to? Brotherly kindness. Have you ever thought about that? That was one of the highest levels God's trying to get you to, is brotherly kindness.

See, the all and the wonder of God's purpose can be seen in our partnership with him, when God is placed front and center. We see this in in the book of Ephesians. Paul, writing to the church at Ephesus, said this in chapter two verse four: But God, who was rich in mercy, because of his great love to which he loved us — even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. And raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. It was a partnership. Sitting together with Jesus is an outstanding image of the relationship that he desires to have with you and I. But God was not appealing to our vanity or to our pride. Instead, he was positioning us for an assignment. Oh, the sons of thunder misunderstood when they had mama come in, and mama tried to make the sales pitch to Jesus on: Hey, can one of them said on the left, and one of them said on the right? And Jesus is saying: You don't have any idea what you're asking for. Because he understood, to do so was to put yourself in a position that you are not yet ready for. So our relationship with him, as we grow — the all and the wonder — that he's going to take us to places that we can never imagine. But we have to be ready to be positioned in that place. Not for vanity. Not for glory. But instead of understanding the weight of the ministry he's placing us in. And perhaps the most astounding aspect of our relationship with God is that he would partner with you and I. He's not leaving us by herself. But everywhere we go, he goes with us. And it's one thing for God to love us and care for us. But to bring us on board — that staggers me. That boggles my mind. I can't believe it. God, out of all the people, you would call me? And of all the other people out there, that are much smarter and better looking and well equipped — but God, yet you chose me. You chose me to be a part of your kingdom. Oh, ladies and gentlemen, I wish more people would understand the fact that God has something very special for you. Not to be a pew dweller. Not to be just sitting on a seat. But to engage with him in ministry.

Mark 16 verse 20: And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. That phrase "working with them" is translated from the Greek word center rose, the word we get synergy from. It's a classic example of a man partnering with God. And I can't think of a better way that we partner with God. In fact, I feel that it is the primary way we partner with God, is when we pray. You think about the incident that occurred with Peter, was cast into prison, in Acts chapter 12, verse 5: Peter therefore kept in prison, but in constant prayer was offered to God by the church. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm telling you: the most impactful thing that you and I will ever do is when we engage with God in prayer. To me, I see this in Acts chapter 12, when we see this exciting account of angels and prison bars and sleeping guards. But it's clear that God delivered Peter from prison as a result of the church praying. How many of us have lost loved ones, have friends, have people that we're concerned about, have people that we worry about, have people that are in circumstances and situations that are seemingly so beyond control? I'm going to tell you what: If you want to — you want to change the the outcome of that situation — go to prayer. Go to prayer. Go to prayer. Because prayer can do anything that God can do. And God can do everything. God will not complete his work unilaterally. He has empowered the church to wage spiritual warfare and prayer. The great Ian Bounds is quoted as saying this: Without God, man cannot. And without man, God will not. We have to understand the importance of prayer in our life. It's not optional. It's not something we do occasionally. It's not a once a month incident. But it's something that has to be a part of your life every day. And those who understand the importance of a prayer life every day understand the power that comes in their prayer life. And they're the kind of people who see mountains moved. We sing about it. We shout about it. But I'm going to tell you: if that wants to be a reality in your life every day, you're going to have to learn to become a person of prayer. Every time you hear of a prayer that was answered, you should be reminded that someone took his or her prayer time seriously. The greatest incentive to engage in prevailing prayer is that we have to be recruited by God, and we are partnered with him to do exploits for his namesake.

Oh, the awe and the wonder of God's purpose is seen in our mission. What is the mission of the church? The simple question explodes into an overabundance of meanings, and different views and understandings, with varying degrees of passion. But I prefer to stick to the words of Jesus on his account, in Luke chapter 19 verse 10: For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Acts chapter 1 verse number 8: But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses. What was the Holy Ghost for? What was it for, church? Was it for you to speak in tongues? What was the Holy Ghost for? Was it to be be something that goes around just being a miraculous healer? Is that what it was for? No. It was to be a witness. Why? Because there's something that happens when you get out and talk about what God has done for you. When you didn't explain that: Hey, I was lost. I was far away. I was mean as a junkyard dog. I was going through circumstances and situations that were beyond my reach. But God, but God, but God, who's rich in mercy, reached down to where I was at, pulled me back out of the muck in the mire, and established his Spirit inside of me. And now I have overcoming power in my life. Oh, to be his witness. Evangelism remains the primary mission of the church. Although there are many arms, let's support it and make it effective. But the most important thing for you and I to remember is that evangelism is not a corporate initiative for the church. But it is a personal mission for each church member. Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 18 says this: Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, as he has committed to us the world of reconciliation. Now then, we are — what are we? Somebody say it out loud. What are we? Ambassadors. Turn to your neighbor and say: Hello, Mr., Miss Ambassador. Yeah, we are ambassadors. Some of you need to set up a little bit straighter right now, you know, adjust yourself a little bit. Because: Hey, I'm not just old flunky. I mean, I may not be able to spell potato, but I'm an ambassador. We are ambassadors. Think about what I'm saying right now: we are ambassadors. In fact, the girl Webster says an ambassador is a minister of the highest rank. Whoo. Look at your neighbor again, say: Hello, Mr., Mr. Master. Yeah, listen to this: A minister of the highest strength, employed by the one prince or state at the court or another, to manage the concerns of his own prince or state, and representing the dignity and the power of his sovereign. We are ambassadors. I'm not just a funky. I'm not just a fly by that. I'm just not some has-been. I'm not just something that I dreamed up in my own mind. But the word of God says I'm an ambassador. I'm representing the Most High. Oh, the most powerful tool of evangelism is giving our witness over, and then and living a life dedicated to Jesus. Our mission, therefore, consists of more of what we do, but it is how we live. Ladies and gentlemen, it's not about me wearing a t-shirt, or having a bumper sticker. I'm not against those things. If that's what you won't, have them all. But I'm telling you, it's how we live every day. Our interactions everywhere we go: on the job site, at the workplace, at home with our family, wherever we are. How we live determines who it is we are living for. And we are called to be ambassadors.

To me, this goes right at the central practice of the mission. It's relationship. And without relationship, the mission miscarries. But with the relationship, you and I are complete. Colossians 2 and 10 says: You are complete in him. Oh, 2 9 says the fullness of the God had dwelt in him bodily. But two in 10 says: You're complete. You're complete. You're not lacking for nothing. Why? Because you got Jesus. You may think you're lacking. You may feel — you may still think that there's a few things you haven't got figured out. But I'm telling you — listen to me, ladies and gentlemen — if you got Jesus, you got everything you need. If your mindset is: I'm going to live my life the best way I can to, according to my knowledge, according to my comprehension in this moment. And God, I know you're going to keep me, revealing, revealing yourself each and every day. You're going to take me from glory, from glory. But my job, my mission, my my my dedication has to be this, simply: God, I live today for you. And anything you have for me to do, that's what I'm going to do. I understand: I am representing you. I am an ambassador. I will be the witness. And when that's your mindset, ladies and gentlemen, you are an unstoppable force.

As they get ready to close, I have to leave you with this: The all and wonder of God's purpose is seen in our destiny. Where's all this headed? Where are we going? We cannot know for sure, but we can know enough to be assured that the eternal future is there with Jesus, if we want it. Ephesians 5 27. Ephesians 5 27 says this: That he might present her — in case you don't know, the "her" is the church, right here, okay? — That he may present her to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Look, I'm not going to drag this out. When I say we're getting ready, and we're getting ready, and I've got about 60 seconds before I'm going to close. Because God wants to do something here. He wants to do something here. I have laid out the mission. I have laid out all that he is desiring for you. And that is for for for you to simply buy into this: He is God, and he desires for you to be a part of his kingdom. Not to be someone on the sidelines. Not to be someone in the backgrounds. But to be someone on the front, right there, and all that's going on. You see the beauty of this relationship. And I don't know if you believe this, but I can't think of anything more beautiful than being in a relationship with the creator of the universe — the God who spoke all this into existence. He's given you and I the possibility. And this, I don't even think we can fully comprehend or imagine what is available to us. Even John the revelator, he begins to describe these awesome scenes in the book of Revelations. Now, there's some crazy scary stuff in the book of Revelations, I'll tell you that. But there's also some beautiful, beautiful — good southern word — beautiful things that John writes about, as it begins to show what's coming, what's coming for you and I. He tells of a glorious city. He he talks about triumphing over Satan. He talks about a state of perpetual bliss, and a partnership with Jesus Christ that stretches out forever. And all of this glory, it's our destiny. And it unfolds to us as a coefficient of a holy relationship with Jesus Christ. The relationship under the new covenant is a trajectory that literally has no endpoint. For we start here, but he points us into eternity. For there is no end. Revelation 22 verse 12 says — and my last verse for us — and behold: I'm coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to give everyone to according to his work. I'm the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are those who do his commands, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates of the city. I mean, think about this. Think about it. It seems like all was lost in the garden. The enemy shows up and begins us to call into question: Did God really tell you everything? I'm gonna explain this to you, ladies and gentlemen: what he was doing was causing them to reconsider the all and wonder of God. For he simply said this: You too can be like God. Instead of them maintaining their awe struckness with the fact that he was coming in the cool of the morning, in the evening, that everything they needed — that all the wisdom and all the relationship, he was there. But he called for a moment in the question. That's why you cannot lose sight of this. It's so important that you maintain your all and wonder of God. But to keep it where it needs to be is also to understand he has a divine purpose and a plan for your life. His love has afforded something that you could not purchase yourself. But because of Calvary, because of what he was willing to do, because he was willing to make a sacrifice and look past every failure, every shortcoming, everything that you in your mind says disqualifies you — he says: No, I'll die anyway. And gives the opportunity that is out of this world, that you and I can become ambassadors, that you and I have the ability to say: God has not just been good to me, but his goodness is for you too. For that Holy Spirit that he fills us with is to be a witness. The Holy Spirit is to be there to bring you into a relationship, to bring you into a partnership, that is not short on power or ability to change any circumstance or situation. So as I end — somebody here today needed to know that you have not been disqualified from your mistakes, your failures, and your shortcomings. Somebody here needs to know that your ministry that you are trying to start is much bigger than what you're giving it credit for. Somebody here needs to know that his desire is to take you from glory, to glory, to glory, as you grow in your walk with him. Somebody here needs to know — her to know — that the infill of the Holy Ghost is the beginning of the greatest adventure you'll ever go on in your life.

Will you bow your heads to me? God, you were here, and you were moving in this place in a real and miraculous way. Lord, I have delivered this word to your church, to your people. Lord, I pray now that you would take over and do what you do best. God, that you reveal yourself afresh and anew to those that are here. Let them know your desire is to partner with them, to bring them into into a newness of life that is the kingdom of God. To show them that you have great plans for them — plans beyond anything they could ever dream or imagine. That God, you'll walk with them through the process, through the highs and the lows. But it all works together for good, to them that are called according to your purpose. So Lord, I pray, as this altar is open now, Lord, that you would bring those, you would lead those, you would — you would you would pull at those, God, who need to settle some things in their life, to make some changes, bring them into a new walk. Reveal yourself to them anew. In Jesus' name, and amen. Church, this altar is open. I feel it's important to make a call today. If you need a life change, come down. Allow God to do a work in you that only he can do. If you need some clarification for your ministry today, I invite you to come down, and allow God to reveal himself to you afresh and anew. For some of you, it's time to activate that call that he placed on you a long time ago. You feel like you've been disqualified. That is not true. The calling of God is without repentance. And who he calls, he will qualify. It's prayer time, church. It's prayer time.