Encounter

Let me just say we are in a vein of the Holy Ghost right now. We are in a vein of the anointing that God already began weeks ago before we ever stepped foot and before the calendar turned to today. God was already operating. God was already moving. God was already orchestrating all these different parts to bring us to this one simple word encounter. To bring us to a moment and a place where he could bring us into a moment of encounter with his presence. where every pain, physical, mental, SPIRITUAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, COULD BE MET WHERE HE WAS. WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN AND HEARD a miracle in the house right now. WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE TRANSFORMATION THAT ONLY COMES WHEN WE ENCOUNTER THE ALMIGHTY GOD. OH, some are not believing me right now. I DON'T CARE WHAT PROBLEM. I DON'T CARE WHAT SITUATION.

IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW HOPELESS IN YOUR OWN MIND it may be. It doesn't matter what I DONE YESTERDAY. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT I'VE DONE THIS MORNING. IT DOESN'T MATTER THE MISTAKES I WILL MAKE TOMORROW. ALL I KNOW IS THAT IN THIS MOMENT, GOD HAS ORCHESTRATED A TIME FOR AN ENCOUNTER WITH HIM TO BRING TRANSFORMATION. To bring transformation TO SITUATIONS, TO BRING transformation to people's lives, TO BRING TRANSFORMATION INTO HOMES, TO BRING transformation This is an encounter. God, I need transformation in my life. I need transformation God THAT I CANNOT CREATE ON MY OWN. HALLELUJAH. I need transformation, God. That only comes with just a moment in your presence. God, I need you. Come on. Will you pray with me right now? Lord Jesus, I need you. God has already You've already met some of us here. You've already met us in this moment.

Lord Jesus, I pray. God, those of us that have not yet responded to your drawing and your calling, God, help our hearts to hear and receive right now, Lord Jesus, our need for transformation. Oh Jesus. Oh Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus. God's not done yet. Some may see this is circumstance or happen stance that you just walked in the door today because every battle you've been facing told you to stay home to watch online. We welcome you. Everything about our battle, our plight, our strife says there's other places to be. But God has a transformation for everyone in this room. We say it oftent times in church culture. I've been guilty of it many times myself. And we almost pay lip service to the idea that you don't have to leave here the same way you came in. We say it. We declare it.

And what probably began as a statement of faith over time has become run-of-the-mill lip service. It's what we expect to hear when we come into the house of God. It doesn't take much Bible knowledge to know that Christians believe their God can do amazing things. It doesn't take a doctorate degree to figure that out. But there's something different that happens when we orchestrate a time where God meets and we join him and we have an encounter with him. We all need transformation. We need it. But we have we have a flaw as human beings. Our flaw is this. That is a many many ma ma major capable things that we have that we can do amazing things as human beings. As capable are as we are about doing those things all human beings are selfish. It's our nature. There's there's a sinful selfish nature that's there.

That's why as pastor has said many times that's why we have to teach our children to share. We have to teach our children to play nice. We have to teach our children to be polite, obey the law and other such things. The Bible even is very clear and says the Lord looks down in Psalms 14:2. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. But they've all turned aside, and together they have become corrupt. There is none that does good. Not even one. We're flawed. We're broken. There's not an unbroken person in this room. Look to your left, everybody. Look at the person to your left. Now look at the person to your right. Are they broken? It's simple question. Are they broken? Y'all can tell me. Are they broken? What about the person on the other side? Are they Are they broken?

What about the person in the middle broken? Y'all could be seated. Give me just a few minutes because I believe God is not done yet. Some of us have yet to experience this encounter with God. Thank you, brother Herb. Thank you, worship team, for leading us into the vein of the spirit. The word clearly declares that every human being has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Even the most spiritual person, you know, the person that prays harder than anybody else, they've sinned and fallen short. Every person in this room has fallen short of the glory of God. Before any of us can really take a step toward being like Jesus, we have to realize and accept how lost we really are. ISAIAH 53:6 SAYS THIS, "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.

As a result of our thinking and OUR ACTIONS, WE OFTEN GIVE THE IMPRESSION TO GOD that we know best, which leads to the creation of an unfillable hole inside of us. We feel empty and unfilled. Many will try to fill this hole with relationships and material possessions, work, achievements, and hobbies. WHEN THESE FAIL TO FULFILL US, WE THEN move to try to comfort ourselves with alcohol and drugs and food and other vices. Look around. If ever there was a time when it is visible to the naked eye how desperate and how broken humanity is and how much in need of a transformation every person is just look at the news. Open your social media. No, don't. Not right now. It is pretty obvious that as a people we are lost and confused and everywhere we look people are hurting.

People are broken and people are seeking something that's going to lead to a change in their circumstance. Every person needs a renovation. In the end, WE ARE POWERLESS TO FIX OURSELVES. I'm reminded of the first house Andrea and I bought. You talk about some nightmares that still 20 plus years later that still torment me. You know, you ever step into a house thinking you bought one thing and the minute you step in, you realize it is not where you want to be? Mainly because the floor gave out and you're now in your crawl space. Anybody ever have that experience? That first house, it was oh man, it was it was brutal. But I remember we paid $30,000 or $35,000 for this house. It was 1,700 square feet. I was like, "Yeah." And then I got into it. There's a reason it only cost $35,000. It needed work that I could not see.

In 1 Corinthians 6, the Apostle Paul is speaking and and some of these verses, guys, I didn't give them, so don't look to the screen. If it's not there, it's not their fault. It's mine. 1 Corinthians 6, the Apostle Paul is speaking. And he states in verse 9, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, be not deceived, neither fornicators, idoltors, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, verse 10, nor covetous, drunkers, revelers, extortioners, none of them shall inherit the kingdom of God." And verse 11 says, "And such were some of you." I love the past tense there. Can Can my English teacher come out for just a minute? The value of past tense. The value of past tense says that something changed that circumstance because what is now became a were.

WHAT WAS ARE some of you became a were some of you. Something changed FOR THEM. AND PAUL MAKES IT VERY VERY CLEAR HERE. PAUL WANTED IT ABUNDANTLY so that there were things wrong in their houses. There were some depleted floors. There was some brokenness there. There were problems THAT THEY HAD TO FACE. BUT HE IS ALSO very clear in stating that a difference, a transformation was made in their lives. And that difference and transformation was not a result of their own abilities. It was not something that they woke up one MORNING AND SAID, "YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT GOING TO DRINK ANYMORE. Come on. IT'S NOT LIKE THEY WOKE UP ONE DAY AND SAID, "I'M NOT GOING TO DO THOSE THINGS ANYMORE." BUT SOMETHING CHANGED IN THEIR LIFE. SOMETHING CAUSED A TRANSFORMATION. IT WASN'T SOMETHING THEY CREATED. IT WASN'T SOMETHING THEY MANUFACTURED.

IT WASN'T THEIR INTELLIGENCE OR THEIR EDUCATION. IT WASN'T THEIR TRADITIONS OR THEIR SACRED COWS. WE ARE NOT CHANGED BY THOSE THINGS. I'm gonna go ahead and let you in on the secret. It was one thing. One thing that made the difference and inspired A TRANSFORMATION THAT TOOK THEM FROM ARE SOME OF YOU TO WERE SOME of you. One thing, one thing and that was the spirit of God. Coming into contact with the individual and being allowed to work. Essentially, it was an encounter that brought them a transformation. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THEY COULD HAVE DONE ON THEIR OWN. THEY COULD NOT HAVE ABANDONED THAT BEHIND ON THEIR OWN. BUT THEY HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH A GOD THAT ORDAINED THEM. THEY HAD AN AN ENCOUNTER WITH A GOD THAT LOVED THEM.

AND LET ME JUST PAUSE FOR A MOMENT BEFORE I GO A STEP FURTHER AND SAY THERE IS STILL AN OPPORTUNITY IN THIS HOUSE TODAY TO HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH A GOD THAT LOVES YOU. It was the only solution and that was to bring in that master craftsman. Their house was broken. It was dilapidated. It was falling in. But they found a man that died on a cross. They found a man that three days later rose again. They found a man that ascended into heaven and said, "Just wait. I'm coming back in a different form, but I'm coming back." And they and just a few days later on the day of Pentecost, they were had that opportunity to experience that. The only way for the transformation of a circumstance or a situation to occur is to allow Jesus to come in. Oh, I do that. No, no, no, no. There's a there's another part of this.

I can't just say, "Hey, come to my house." And then make him stay in the living room and sit on the couch. That's not what a craftsman's going to be able to do. Y'all know I love I'm not really that I love, but I'm a painter. And I go into restaurants and I could tell that they had the dishroom guys paint the paint the dining room. Why? Because I know my craft and I look and I see those things. I have to allow God, if I want him to change my life, I have to allow him to be that master craftsman that will come in and survey all the damage and all the brokenness and survey the situation. I must then after HE DOES IT, I'VE GOT TO SUBMIT TO him everything that I am. Because if I don't submit to the craftsman, I know it's there. I KNOW I'M BROKEN. I know I'm defeated. All those things.

But if I don't submit to the craftsman, if I don't allow him to reside there for a while, if I don't allow myself to encounter his skill to see what he really wants to create out of the dilapidated, brokenness of my soul. John 10:10 says this, "The thief does not come except to steal, to kill, and destroy." But Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life." Wait, wait, wait, hold on, hold on, hold on. The thief is coming to steal. I don't want an encounter with the thief, but Jesus is coming in to change my life through an encounter with him. Wait, what? What do you mean change my life? That I might have life and that I might have it more abundantly. Let let me read that from the amplified version, if you'll indulge me for a moment. The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy.

But I came I came that they may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance to the full till it overflows. Let me tell you today, it's that transformative encounter WITH THE MASTER CRAFTSMAN THAT'S GOING TO BRING A LIFE OF ENJOYMENT AND FULFILLMENT. IS EVERYTHING GOING TO BE PERFECT? ABSOLUTELY NOT. THE CRAFTSMAN'S GOING TO WANT TO TEAR DOWN WALLS. HE'S GOING TO WANT TO OPEN UP DOORS. HE'S GOING TO CLEAR OUT JUNK. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FUN. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASY. BUT I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY LIFE TILL IT OVERFLOWS. JESUS HAS A BETTER WAY. A way to live for us that is radically different than what we are used to. Infinitely. Not just different, but infinitely better than what I have when I'm outside of his plan and his will. Infinitely better.

John 3:17 says this, "For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge." This is also from the Amplified. God did not send a son into the world in order to judge or to reject or to condemn to pass sentence on the world. But that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through him. Everybody say it with me. Encounter. That's what's just described. An encounter. an encounter that brings transformation. I don't want my LIFE TO BE THE SAME WAY IT WAS. I don't want to pay lip SERVICE TO THE CHRISTIAN ADAGE. I DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE HERE THE SAME WAY I CAME IN. I WANT GOD TO CHANGE ME. I WANT AN ENCOUNTER WITH HIM THAT ALTERS MY FUTURE, THAT ALTERS MY CIRCUMSTANCE. He came to rescue us. He came to offer us a fresh start, to offer us that transformation. But here's where it gets challenging. We have to be willing.

I could stop right there. We We have to be willing. We have to be willing to let him change us from the inside out. Y'all know pastor and pastor Sam's thing for the church has not been worried too much about what goes on on the outside, have they of this building? The the renovation, the restoration, the remodel. It's centered primarily where internal because things work from the inside out. That's where change and transformation occurs. It doesn't matter if you put a pretty coat of PAINT ON THE OUTSIDE IF YOU WALK THROUGH THE DOOR AND YOU'RE IN the crawl space. Sorry, I'm a little still a little disturbed by that. It haunts my dreams. I wasn't kidding. First time I ever got shocked was in that house. It was crazy. You ever seen a 250lb dude fly off a ladder? Not because he jumped and tried to be Superman.

But he's come to offer us a transformation, but we have to be willing to allow it from the inside out. Here's where it gets really tough. We have to Y'all forgive me. Y'all cover the kids' ears. I'm about to say a bad word. You ready? We have to be willing to submit to his complete renovation. When we encounter the craftsman, we have to submit to his skill, to his plan, because there's a transformation of my circumstance. There's a transformation of my situation. All of that's there waiting. He has open hands ready to give. But if I'm over there saying, "Nah, you ain't getting the keys. You can only work when I'm here. You staying in the living room, buddy." Y'all laugh and snicker a little bit. But we want God in our homes, but we don't always want God to see where we truly live.

Because let's be real, when you've been to houses that are not yours, the cleanest house you'll ever or cleanest spot in there is going to be the living room. ask them to see their bedroom, see how quickly you get shut down. Because we don't want people to see where we live, just like we don't want God to see where we live. And that's where transformation really has to happen. He's the master craftsman. He won't be satisfied with just throwing up a couple of new furnishings and a fresh coat of paint. He wants an encounter with you. He wants an encounter with me that is situationaling. He wants an encounter. He He He doesn't want a a wave as you go by. HE HE DOESN'T WANT YOUR SUNDAY 5 TO 10 MINUTE ALTAR CALL TIME. HE DOESN'T WANT HE WANTS AN ENCOUNTER. HE WANTS A MOMENT LIKE SEVERAL WERE HAVING UP HERE JUST A FEW MOMENTS AGO.

HE WANTS A TIME WHERE YOU GIVE HIM COMPLETE CONTROL AND SURRENDER because there's a transformation that is awaiting you. again. He's going to want to knock down those walls. It's not going to be fun. He just simply wants to transform the life we live. How how crazy is that to think about? That's all he wants to give us a better life. You mean you want me to give this junk that I've been a part of, these things I've done, these things I've held back. You want me to give you that, God, so you can give me a better life? Somebody would call that get God getting a bad deal. That's the kind of deal you see on marketplace. You jump on it. He simply wants to transform us. He simply wants us to live our life differently than we did six months ago. Oh, brother Vandy, I'm going to tell you, like, I've been serving God a long time. Well, praise him.

Bless your little heart. The reality is is you can serve God a long time, but if you never grow and you never develop and you never change from day to day, it We want that first transformation where we feel clean and we get that condition I ALWAYS CALL PERMA SMILE WHEN THE POWER OF GOD FALLS UPON US AND WE CAN'T STOP SMILING FOR 3 DAYS. WE WE GO TO THE RESTAURANT AND WE'RE like why are you smiling? I DON'T KNOW. I JUST WANT A CHEESEBURGER. We get that CONDITION AND WE LOVE THAT MOMENT. BUT WE FORGET THAT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE GOD HAS FOR US IN THE ENCOUNTERS THAT WE HAVE WITH HIM. HE WANTS MORE THAN OUR INITIAL SALVATION EXPERIENCE. He has a better plan. He has a progression for us. We want to live the same life. And well, hallelujah. Bless God. I made it. I'm saved. Thank you, Jesus. Great.

But what about today being different than yesterday? What about today? Hey, I step into God's plan for my life today and stop worrying about the plan that I had yesterday. Notice the change. God's plan today, the plan I had yesterday. I've got to let that go and have an encounter with God that brings to a transformative experience in my life. We must be transformed. If we're going to do the things that he has called each and every one of us to do, we must have an encounter with him. And yes, it is challenging. And yes, it is painful at times. The things we have to let go of, but it's worth it. It's a song we used to sing back in the day. I I know I'm I turned 46 this year. I got old. There was a song we used to sing back in the day when I was a youth pastor. It was, "It's going to be worth it all. It's going to be worth it all.

It's going to be worth it all. Some beautiful happy day." What if today is that beautiful happy day that we've been singing about? What if today is a day that made yesterday worth it? That made where I was at and what I've gone through to this moment where I had an ENCOUNTER WITH GOD. THAT THIS IS THAT SOME BEAUTIFUL happy day. that God changes my trajectory and my direction, every transformation is accomplished through discomfort. Think about it. Every one of them, it's accomplished through surrender, through submission. And just the simple understanding, here's the simplest part of it all is that if I can come into an encounter with God, if I can somehow when I wake up in the morning encounter a loving God, It doesn't matter what stage of my walk with God I'm in. It doesn't matter if I'm new.

If I've never experienced the full joy of being filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. That doesn't matter at this moment. What simply matters is that if I can surrender myself and yield myself to an encounter with God, THAT IS THE TIME THAT GOD CAN HEAL SOMETHING I'VE BEEN BATTLING WITH FOR weeks and weeks and weeks. THAT IS THE TIME THAT GOD CAN DELIVER ME FROM THINGS THAT HAVE HELD ME BOUND. THIS IS THE TIME THAT THE DEPRESSION AND THE ANXIETY THAT HAS BEEN WEIGHING HEAVY ON MY MIND CAN FINALLY HAVE SOME PEACE SPEAKING INTO MY LIFE. IF I CAN GET TO AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD, that's what these can change. Ultimately, there must be an encounter today. If today's challenge and circumstance is going to be altered, I love the parallels of those words. I know they're spelled differently, but altar and an altar.

That at an encounter with God at an altar, things can be altered. I know. I know. I know it sounds so simple, but if I can get to a moment where I just say, "God, it's just me and you. Will you sit with me a while? God, I I hit my knees before you, Lord Jesus. I surrender myself before you when I lay myself on the altar. God can alter my trajectory. He can alter my pain. He can alter my mental challenges. He can alter my family situation. He can alter anything if I just remember that I have to have an encounter with him. I'm hurrying. Psalm 16:11 says, "In your presence there's fullness of joy. David also wrote in Psalms 27:4, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after THAT I MAY DWELL IN THE HOUSE OR IN AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD ALL THE DAYS OF my life." Amen. There's fullness of joy.

GOD, I'D SAY ONLY THING I DESIRE AS THE HEART. PSALMS 42:es 1 and two, AS A HEART PENTTH FOR THE WATER, SO MY SOUL PENTTH AFTER THEE. MY SOUL THIRSTS FOR GOD, FOR THE LIVING GOD, WHEN I SHALL COME AND APPEAR BEFORE HIM, WHEN I HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH HIM, MY SOUL LONGS FOR HIM. OH, here here THIS IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ENCOUNTER. Psalm 63. Psalm 63. Some of y'all are seeing me turn in my actual Bible and not just on my notes. Y'all know it's about to get real. Psalms 63:1. Oh God, thou art my God. Early will I seek thee. My soul thirsteth for thee. My flesh longeth FOR THEE IN A DRY AND THIRSTY LAND and where no water is TO SEE THY POWER AND THY GLORY. So as I have seen there in the sanctuary because thy loving KINDNESS IS BETTER than life. It's better than life. My lips SHALL PRAISE THEE. THUS WILL I BLESS THEE WHILE I LIVE.

I WILL LIFT UP MY HANDS IN THY NAME. My soul, my soul shall be satisfied and with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful LIPS WHEN I REMEMBER thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches because thou hast been my help. You've been there. You've been there. Therefore, in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice in your presence, in my encounter with you. My soul followeth hard after thee. Thy right hand it UPHOLDS ME WHEN I AM IN AN ENCOUNTER WITH YOU. PEACE, JOY, LIFE, HAPPINESS, CELEBRATION, EXCITEMENT, HUNGERING, thirsting after the things of God. Looking for his dwelling place. Psalms 84. Psalms, Exodus 33 says, "My presence will go with you and I will give you rest." Moses in Exodus 33 uh:es 18-23 seeks to see the glory of God. Psalms 105:4, "Seek the Lord and his strength.

Seek his face continually." When we choose to encounter him in our weakness, uh, in our brokenness, AND IN OUR JOY, TRANSFORMATION OCCURS. WHEN I HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER HIM, HE'S GOING TO BE THERE. WHEN I DESIRE HIM, HE'S GOING TO BRING PEACE. OH, THAT'S A WORD THAT SO OFTEN WE STRUGGLE TO FIND IN THIS WORLD. IF WE WANT PEACE, UH, WE HAVE TO HAVE AN encounter with God. WE SAY WE WANT PEACE. WE SAY WE WANT DELIVERANCE. WE SAY WE WANT THESE THINGS, BUT ALL WE DO IS COME IN AND DO THE SAME THING DAY AFTER DAY. I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF AN ENCOUNTER. OH, I wish somebody would hear it today because transformation only occurs when we encounter him. An encounter, let's be clear on our definition, is not a flyby. It's not a patty cake. An encounter means intentional interaction. That's right.

Every bit of pain, every bit of heartache, every bit of problems and circumstances and situations, every bit of it. Think about it. When you come into the presence of a God, in the presence of the Lord. In the presence of the Lord. That's where I'll find everything that I need. When we seek his face, he'll draw near to us in the presence of a holy God. The reason we're battling the same things and fighting the same struggles and running up against the same walls is because we don't have that encounter on A DAYTO-DAY BASIS WITH A GOD THAT IS SAYING, "COME UNTO ME ALL YE THAT ARE HUNGER. All ye THAT ARE HEAVY LADEN. I WILL GIVE YOU REST. I will bring transformation to you. I will bring peace to you. Romans 12 1 and two.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies living sacrifice holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. When I present myself to him and I become the sacrifice, when I bring myself into an encounter with God, verse two says, "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed." You know, the number one battle people fight in this world today, it is not physical. The number one battle fought in our society today occurs here. It occurs right here between these two big old things and behind this thing. The biggest battle we fight is right there. And the Bible IS VERY CLEAR THAT IF WE WANT TRANSFORMATION TO OCCUR, WE'VE GOT TO COME INTO AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD WHERE WE'RE SURRENDERED and yielded. AND THEN GOD WILL COME IN AND transform that mind. I WANT TO TRANSFORM MINE.

I WANT TO TRANSFORM CIRCUMSTANCE. I WANT THE THINGS THAT ARE TORMENTING ME TO BE SILENCED UNDER THE PEACE THAT PASSES all understanding. Y'all watch this? Y'all see that big old sign over there? I forgot what scripture was on there until I walked in this morning. Y'all could read along with me right there if you want to, especially this side. 2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, wait, wait, wait, wait. In encounter with Christ, he is a new creature. Hallelujah. Okay. Hold, hold, hold, hold up. Did it say a new man right there? No. What does that mean? That mean God, when I encounter him, God changes my DNA to become something beyond what I can imagine on my own. HE DIDN'T SAY IN THIS SCRIPTURE, HE DIDN'T SAY, "OH, I'M A new man." No, he says THAT OTHER PLACES. WHY WOULD HE NOT SAY IT THERE?

BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT STANDS OUT ABOUT THIS. I'M A NEW CREATURE, WHICH MEANS I'M MADE IN THE IMAGE AND THE GLORY OF GOD. AND THERE'S NO WORDS THAT CAN EXPLAIN AND DESCRIBE THAT WHEN I ENCOUNTER GOD, WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO FOR ME, HOW HE'S GOING TO CHANGE my circumstance and my life. Musicians, come. I promise I'm hurrying. Moses encounters God on Mount Si. Y'all remember how the people described him when he came down? His face was so bright because he had been in an encounter with God that the people couldn't even look at him. It hurt him because there was such a glory of God that that just exuded from him. He had been an encounter with God so much so that God's image had imprinted on him. God's image had made its way on to Moses.

So when Moses walked down the mountain with the law and the tablets, the people were not seeing Moses. They were seeing the imprint of someone that had had an encounter with God unlike anything they had ever seen. You think coming into AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD DOESN'T LEAVE A LASTING IMPACT OR DOESN'T DOESN'T become visible to those around you. Moses is A PERFECT EXAMPLE. IF I WANT MY FAMILY TO SEE GOD, IF I WANT MY LOVED ONES THAT HAVE NOT YET TURNED THEIR EYES TOWARD HIM TO SEE GOD, I'VE GOT TO BE IN AN ENCOUNTER WITH HIM. WELL, somebody will get that later. Even the disciples when they sat there and Jesus revealed himself to them in Luke 24, they said their hearts were set on fire within them. Their hearts burned within them. There was a yearning inside them while they were having an encounter with God.

In that moment, there was a desire inside of them. They said, "I want more." There was a burning of desire within their hearts. Then we know a guy named Saul. You talk about a transformation doing what he thought was right. The Bible already told us there's none that does good because there's nobody in this room that does good. Because the Bible says there's none that does good. We think we're doing good hopefully, but when God is the benchmark for what is good, we can never attain that. When the Bible says, "Lord, you are good," it identifies and defines what good is. That's what we strive toward. But Paul thought or Saul thought he was doing good. And on the road to Damascus, a great light shined down from heaven. That great light, great light changed its circumstance.

He said, "Who art thou?" If you ever need an understanding of who God is, there is no clear than right here. Because Paul says, "Who art thou, Lord?" And the voice that came from heaven said, "I am Jesus who now persecuted." He had an encounter that changed his life. I tell you, it didn't just change his life. It changed a world. A literal world. Because Paul, Saul at the time, decided that he was willing enough to have an encounter with God no matter what it cost him professionally, personally, etc. You don't think Paul was shunned after this experience by the same people that he was in those councils with? You better believe it. It cost him something. But man, the encounter changed a world. The known world at that time was impacted because one person one one one person said I don't care about my time. I don't care what it costs me.

I am going to have an encounter with God. BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW HIM. And when he changes my life, maybe if I'm blessed enough AND LUCKY ENOUGH, HE'LL ALLOW ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPACT someone else. BUT I HAVE TO have an encounter with God. An encounter doesn't follow rules and regulations. It doesn't follow expectations. What it comes from is a desire within the heart of an individual that says, "I'm not waiting. I'm not stopping. I'M GOING TO FIND ME A PLACE AND I'M GOING TO SURRENDER MYSELF. I'M GOING TO FALL DOWN BEFORE HIM BECAUSE I'VE GOT TO HAVE AN ENCOUNTER. BECAUSE I NEED TRANSFORMATION IN MY LIFE. Some of y'all under the sound of my voice today. You've been here trying to figure out and piece everything that's happened together in this service. Stand with me.

You've been trying to piece it all together and make some rational ideas and thoughts in your mind, rationalize it, understand it. But there's nothing to understand other than simply this. If I can get into the presence of God and have an encounter with him, my circumstance will change. It's that simple. When I decide that an encounter with him is more important than staying planted where I'm at. WHEN I DECIDE THAT AN ENCOUNTER WITH HIM IS MORE VALUABLE TO ME THAN WHO'S SITTING BESIDE ME, WHAT'S GOING ON UP FRONT, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE BACK, WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY BASEMENT, WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY LIVING ROOM. BUT WHEN I DECIDE, NO MATTER WHERE AND WHEN I AM, THAT I'VE GOT TO HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD, it's transformative. It is transformative. And God operates. God operates in whatever situation you surrender to him. He operates in that.

When you say, "God, I don't care what time it is. I don't care who hears me. AND THIS IS NOT JUST FOR A CHURCH. THIS IS IN MY own bedrooms. This is in MY LIVING ROOM. THIS is in my kitchen. THIS IS ON THE BACKYARD WHILE I'M CUTTING GRASS. This is in my car ON THE WAY TO WORK. I'VE GOT TO HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH HIM. Thank you. I know some of you guys are beginning to FEEL THE DRAWING OF GOD TO AN ENCOUNTER with him. I wish others if you don't IF YOU DON'T FEEL THAT RIGHT NOW, would you just slip a hand up to heaven? That's all I'm asking is just say, "God, God, meet me here. God, meet me here. Meet me here. I may not understand it all. I MAY NOT HAVE A FULL grasp of everything that's going on, but God, as simple as this, God, meet me here, God. There's things coming my way.

There's battles I'm fighting right now, God, that I just need you near me. You've never lost, Lord Jesus. You've made promises and I believe them. But God, I've got to have an encounter with you. Oh Lord, though I'm weak and weary, lead me here. Meet me here. Meet me here. Meet me here, Jesus. Meet us here, Lord Jesus. Jesus God, meet us. Meet us. Lord, I'm not asking everybody to come to the front. This may not be that for you, but what I am asking you to do all over this place. You don't know what tomorrow holds, but God does. So, where you're at, would you just begin to talk to him and say, "God, meet me. God, meet me." If you need to hit your knees in a in a row of chairs, you do that. If you need to find a corner of this room, you find you a corner of this room.

But before you WALK OUT OF THIS PLACE TODAY, YOU NEED TO HAVE AN encounter that goes beyond anything you've experienced for a while. Lord Jesus, meet us here. Meet us. Meet us, God. Meet us. My soul, you deserve my everything, my life and my soul. I surrender. I surrender. And I surrender. I surrender. I surrender. I surrender the Lord. And I surrender. I surrender all Jesus. And I surrender. I surrender to Jesus. I surrender. I surrender to you. I just want you, Jesus. And I just want you. I just want you Jesus. Second Corinthians chapter 3 verses 16- 18. Keep praying, but hear the word right now. But when oneself turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

Now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom and we all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed in the same image from one degree of glory to another. The veil is removed when we encounter the Lord. And that's where transformation happens. Where we transform from our brokenness, from our shattered shells that we reside in into a more beautiful image of what God has ordained for us to be. When we behold the glory of the Lord, we're being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. Say it like this. When I encounter God, I step out of where I'm at into a new dimension and a new level of where God's taken me. I step out of my filth. I step out of my brokenness. And I begin to see a little clearer the direction God has.

And all begins with an encounter that can happen anywhere, any moment, any day that I lift up and I say to God, "God, here I am. Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus, I thank you, Lord Jesus, for your presence that has come down to have an encounter with us today. God, I thank you, Lord Jesus, for the greatness and the majesty that you bring to our lives. that transformative power of your presence, God, that we have access to no matter where, no matter when, no matter how we call upon your name because you're just as close as the mention of your name, Jesus, we thank you, praise you, magnify you, God.