New Life, New Community | Message Title: There Is A Crown | Pastor Bryan Powe

And I just thank you, Father God, for your grace,

your mercy, your love, and your son that you've

sent to die so that we could have life. We thank

you for life. We thank you for counting us and

considering us sons and daughters of yours. In

your precious name, I pray the name above all

names, y 'all say with me, Jesus. Amen, amen.

Well, love on the person next to you. And I do,

you know, today I'm on assignment to deliver

a message that I don't know how much your flesh

wants to hear this, but I know your spirit needs

to hear it. And so, you know, I truly do appreciate

our collective worship for singing songs that

really get our minds in the right space and our

hearts in the right space, right? Because I was

gonna wait to tell you the title of this message

until I read a few scriptures to it, but I think

I can say it up front. And it is encouragement,

it's meant to be encouraging. But it truly does

take an understanding for these words to be encouraging

But I'm speaking from the subject today of there

is a crown there is a crown and Anybody who's

been around church or are heard Especially any

teachings from from Paul, you know, he always

speaks about a crown And when he's talking about

this crown, he's not speaking about something

that you would receive on this side of heaven,

but it's something that you will receive as you

enter heaven. That, truthfully, there is a crown

waiting for you that this world cannot give,

this world cannot supply. But as believers, it's

what truly keeps us going on, is when you're

looking around and circumstances and people may

not be... Hmm, may not be doing what you think

they should be doing. That we're as a believer,

we're as people of God, where do we get the stirring?

Where do we get the joy? Where do we get the

exeal to want to stay true to what we know we

should be doing and how we should be living as

believers when circumstances around us just aren't

that encouraging to do so. Well Paul speaks of

there being a crown because his hope is is that

your valuing of God's reward at the end of it

all Will cause you to move forward through life

circumstances That you understand that there

are certain things. I need you to tell your neighbor

this looks a neighbor There are certain things

That this world cannot reward you for doing.

That there are, ask of us at times in our lives

as believers that this world does not have the

capacity to give you what is due you. And the

sooner you realize that as a believer, the more

you walk the walk of faith the way God will have

you to walk it. Because you realize that there's

nobody around me that can reward me for what

is actually do me. But that's okay because there's

a crown waiting on me. And even when horizontally

people can't appreciate what I'm doing, before

God, he sees me. He approves of what I'm doing.

He sees my fight as worth it. He sees the sacrifices

as sacrifices. You know, some people, you didn't

sacrifice what you thought was sacrificially,

should have been recognized. And they just don't

have the capacity to be able to deliver the appreciation,

do the level of sacrifice you personally felt.

And it's important for us to realize as believers

that even though they can't appreciate it, God

still sees it and he values it. And look at your

neighbor, tell them again, there is a crown.

And just to give you guys this a little bit more

on there, right? That Paul speaks of three different

types of crowns, a crown of righteousness, right?

for faithfulness, an imperishable crown. It speaks

towards self -discipline and preservation and

a crown of rejoicing. Speaking of people, one,

that there is a crown of rejoicing. You win a

soul towards God, that there is rejoicing in

heaven, that there is a celebration plan. No

one may have saw what you went through or how

you sacrificed in order for someone to stay in

love with God, but God saw. And there is a crown

waiting for you because you know you practice

the little patience, a little steadfastness,

a little long suffering that you was weeping

during the night. But when the lights turned

on, you woke up with a holy excitement about

the day. And nobody cared about your tears, but

God saw them. And he said, there is a crown.

And we can never forget that there is a crown.

It's amazing right because we're in graduation

season and so I don't know how many all been

to some graduations recently You know and it's

amazing right that that that you know in every

graduation I noticed there's this moment where

they're trying to get people to value ahead of

time won't they what they cannot receive Until

they spend some time getting there right that

that we get to this graduation moment Here we

are they're passing out the tassels They're putting

on the little satchels and all of a sudden you

realize maybe I should have paid a little bit

more attention in school because I didn't realize

that there was going to be a graduation. I didn't

really think about my whole family was gonna

be here and now your little nephews are asking

why do some people get the ropes and you didn't?

Well, there's There's nothing I can do today

to get a rope. I needed to treat day one in mind

of what graduation was going to look like. And

if I would have went into high school, ninth

grade, thinking about what graduation was going

to be, I would have treated day one differently.

Listen, when I was making the dumb decision,

y 'all wasn't around me. Now that they're awarding

people who made the right decision, all y 'all

looking. What happened? That oftentimes many

of us, I'm gonna talk about me, I wasn't one

of the Tassel brothers. I didn't get very many

accolades alongside my graduation. All my, all

my, all my appreciation came from my family,

not from my school of academic choice. And it

was funny, we were laughing about the other day,

you know, they were talking about playing the

graduation party, but of course I went to the

graduation, the rehearsal, and that's when it

hit me, I think I should have tried harder because

your brother is in the back of the line, you

know. And some of my friends, they didn't even

tell me they was working that hard. I'm looking

at them. We was, before we walked into the rehearsal

together, then they was giving out seat arrangements

based upon accolades. And that's when my friends

had a different section. Hey, how'd you get that?

Man, I maintained a 3 .5 since ninth grade. The

whole time? The whole time, you was... But what's

amazing is I was at several high school graduations.

they're motivating the kids to understand that

you're going to a whole new world and There's

going to be opportunities Check this out to make

permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances

and In the nice when you first get to college

you might be tempted to make a lot of temporary

decisions But once you graduate you're gonna

have some permanent situations and so don't get

too caught up in the Temporary choices Because

there is a crown at the end that you're going

to get And so as best as you can this is what

they say surround yourself with people That can

make sure that you don't make too many permanent

decisions in temporary situations. Why are you

saying this Pastor Brian? Because that is really

the essence of what Paul is saying to us in Galatians

6 is that as believers we sometimes forget about

the crown but collectively we can make sure that

we remember there is a crown. And so that individually,

we don't find ourselves making permanent decisions

based on temporary circumstances. That one of

the greatest benefits of godly community is they

understand the rewards that come at the end.

And even when we don't feel like it, Even when

we don't want to, we stay committed to what is

truly worth of the value. Y 'all rocking with

me? I think y 'all good, so I could just jump

right in here, right? Galatians 6 and 1 says

this, right? It says, brothers, if anyone is

caught in any transgression, You who are spiritual

should restore him in the spirit of gentleness

we talked about that last week So we're not going

deep in there since keep watch on yourselves

lease you to be tempted bear one another's burdens

and so fulfill the law of Christ for if anyone

thinks he is something when he is nothing he

deceives himself and Paul is really speaking

there of us operating in a spirit of humility

in order for us to stay in community that you

cannot be in community and maintain a prideful

outlook that in order for community to work we

must all be humble in how we approach others'

lives and how we look at our own lives. But let

each one test his own work and then in his reason

to boast will be in himself alone and not in

his neighbor. What is he saying there? He's saying

that If you objectively and transparently look

at your own life, you should be able to maintain

the humility to live with others. That people

who find it hard to be friendly are often people

who haven't objectively or transparently or clearly

looked at themselves. Because if you were to

really examine yourself or test your own work

You will find out that you should be thanking

God that someone's still talking to you Not thinking

you were too good to be around people who want

to talk to you That if you truly examine yourself

test your own work really look at you You should

find enough humility To be humble enough and

willing enough to Walk with others who may not

be perfect Y 'all rocking with me For each will

have to bear his own load right Let the one who

is taught the word share all good things with

the one who teaches. This is so good. And I'm

gonna say this so that you guys understand, and

I think it's important for you to see this, what

Paul is wanting them to see. Many people, they

hear this and they've heard this and they see

it one way, right? That they're saying, oh man,

whoever teaches right that you should be willing

to to be friendly or generous towards who has

taught you and people see this from a pulpit

um congregant perspective but you can't take

this passage out of context the context of this

passage is paul is saying this are guidelines

for how godly community works together And so

he's not speaking of pastor to congregant relationship.

He's speaking of from pew to pew relationship.

Y 'all gotta rock with me. Y 'all rocking with

pastor, right? And so when he's speaking of,

I'll read to you again, just in case some of

y 'all seem like y 'all missed it. Let the one

who is taught the word share all good things

with the one who teaches. What is he saying?

Let the one that has received something good

from God as a result of someone who shared that

good with them be willing to share from the good

they gained as a result of what they heard. Some

of y 'all really need to hear this. This is so

good right here. That Paul is wanting to, everything

he's saying here, is wanting to make sure that

we remain in impeccable, godly community. And

he's speaking of something that many people violate

that keeps godly community together. He's making

it very plain that if someone, not just the preacher,

but if someone Has come to you and has shared

the word with you in a way That it produced good

You should from the good that was produced so

some back That if someone gave you some life

-giving fruitful to your destiny Truth you should

share from what you got From how you apply what

they said Y 'all rocking with me now that he's

not talking. This is community. He's saying that

brothers and sisters The reason why it's so hard

for us to carry each other's burdens, because

we're also not willing to share each other's

blessing. That we're not really operating how

godly community is supposed to operate. That

it should be an ecosystem of not only sharing

burdens, but also sharing blessings. That if

someone came to you and said, you know what?

You shouldn't sell that house right now. That's

a bad idea. So you choose to apply what you gained

from that truth. This revel you you choose to

apply it. And it turns out it was the best thing

you could have did. Y 'all have to talk to me.

OK. It's already enough that we have crowds waiting.

in heaven so there's already a list of things

that you are never going to see the benefit of

this side of heaven but as a community we should

help each other stay doing good amongst each

other Because he gets he ends if some of y 'all

know where he ends he says don't get weary of

a Well -doing don't get weary of doing good because

he's saying yeah guys people grow weary because

we're not existing how we should That there should

be a Sharing amongst each other. I told y 'all

from the get -go. This may not be the one your

flesh wants to hear But I hope you understand

I'm not talking about you sowing to pass the

brine I'm talking about you appreciating that

top five I'm talking about you making sure that

the people who are part of your top five are

excited about being in your top five and Paul

is making it very clear that as they are sharing

what's good You should be willing to share from

what you gain from that good that many times

we grow weary in doing good because the people

we doing good for aren't sharing from the good

they got from the good you did. Is that all right

with y 'all? This is this is Paul, not Pastor

Brian. Don't get mad at me. Don't be upset with

me. This is the stuff the people wanted to tell

you that they told you it wasn't that they was

done talking to you. They was done with the lack

of appreciation from the talks. They had no problem

staying up to midnight one time two times three

times four times, but the fifth time My brother

has this brought any good Because I'm getting

tired can we talk I'm getting tired of these

midnight conversations and no understanding or

group participation in the good of the conversation.

Some y 'all reading it's like do I owe some fuck

some stuff all of us? Oh some folks some stuff

and some people owe us some stuff. We all know

everybody something We all are like, oh lord

You owe somebody some stuff some people owe you

some stuff there's some stuff you bear They should

be caring some stuff. They care and you should

be bearing. This is what he's trying to get us

to see He says, check this out. God is not mocked.

And I tell you, man, Galatians 6 on the onset,

if you don't continue to remember the context,

can seem like just a bunch of jumbled thoughts

from Paul. Paul goes straight out of telling

you, you should share the good things with those

who taught you good things. To do not be deceived.

God is not mocked. not mocked for whatever one

sows that will he also reap. Now, Paul in this

context, y 'all never say context, I know I said

it a hundred times because I need to keep y 'all

in context, he's still speaking about being willing

to bear one another's burdens. He's still wanting

us to grow in pursuing Godly community. Why am

I saying this? Because you have to appropriate

what type of seed and harvest time he's speaking

of. He's not speaking of your financial increase.

He's not saying keep doing good because the people

you do good for owe you a percentage. And the

more good you do, the percentage will stack up

and then here you go. You're super blessed because

you did all the good. No. Y 'all all right? What

he's wanting us to do as mature believers say

neighbor today you a mature believer As mature

believers he's wanting us to continue to remain

Excited about the work. That's a part of being

in godly community and he's wanting us to understand

that God is not mocked Whatever one sows they

shall also reap and he's speaking about seeds

of the flesh and seeds of the spirit That you

have to realize that if you see a brother or

sister a part of the faith family sowing seeds

of the flesh God is not mocked. They are going

to receive a harvest of the flesh and That should

be a reason why You're not okay with believers

doing things that aren't okay. Because God is

not mocked. It's not okay just to ignore somebody

doing something that they should not be doing.

Because God is not mocked. He won't be mocked.

That if you see a brother or sister in faith,

you of maturity should know there's going to

be a harvest to the things you're doing. You

may not realize right now that there's going

to be a harvest to the things you're doing But

as a mature believer, I know God is not mocked

there is going to be something of Not of good

that's going to come from the behavior you consistently

stick to And he's wanting to stir us up to realize

yes, you may not want to bear the burdens of

others, but because you're mature, you should

know, man, I cannot be okay watching my brother

and sister chart a course towards destruction.

There is no other way around this you will reap

What you sow you sow of the flesh you shall reap

of the flesh God will not be mocked get this

through your mature head if they look like they're

heading towards destruction Guess what's gonna

happen? And he's saying this to mature believers.

Why are you saying this Pastor Brian? Because

we should already have a balanced understanding

that yes, there is the grace of God. Yes, there

is repentance. Yes, there is a moment where God

can do the unimaginable miraculous thing in someone's

life. But how do we operate in community? We

don't operate community giving one another passes.

We don't operate in community taking the grace

of God for vain. We operate in community realizing

the urgency is matching the truthfulness that

God won't be mocked. Y 'all alright? Boy, sometimes

I don't know if y 'all gonna kick me out or fire

me after a message, but either way, This is the

truth He sows to his flesh will from the flesh

reap what church Y 'all be slow to read them

parts We'll say it again collectively for the

one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh

reap corruption But the one who sows To the spirit

will from the spirit read what church? So he's

saying listen With that understanding we should

have a tenacity a willingness a zeal and excitement

About not being dismissive But about being involved

with one another's lives That we should have

a love and a compassion For one another in such

a way that when I see you going in the wrong

direction I'm not going to put on rose -colored

glasses and act like you are going to end up

in a good place No, I'm going to take on the

the work of Christ and Make sure you understand

That first off you weren't designed to be able

to understand or do all this alone That there

are things that you can become blind to y 'all

alright When the Bible speaks about someone being

dead in sin is speaking about them not having

any type of emotional, physical, or mental understanding

to the actual weight of what they're doing. Like

you're dead in sin. That means that you are in

a perpetual cycle of sinning that you're unaware

of the actual harm of what you're doing. You're

dead. in sin, which means that you are even sensitive

to or aware of the ramifications or the harm

your activity is actually producing. And there

are there are believers who are actually dead

in sin. That they have. continue the behavior

for such length of time that they are unaware

of the harm the behavior is causing. And that

we as mature believers cannot be taking a perspective

that people are aware of the weight of what they're

doing. Because some people are actually dead

in sin. They're not fully aware of the ramifications.

Because they have become numb in the activity

Amen I'm just trying to find a supportive eye

in the house So you'd be like man, I just want

to go to a church where they talk about sin.

Well, hello Today's that day But understand this,

and this is the reason why it's so appropriate

to talk about this conversation in this way,

to talk about the subject of sin in this way,

because here is the truth. None of us were actually

made or designed to overcome it by ourselves.

And so we heard what not to do, but we weren't

taught how to get out of what we weren't doing.

That we actually took on bearing the weight ourselves,

not realizing that we were called to bear the

weight for one another. And so we got the reality

that sin is bad without the truth of how good

community is that helps you while you find yourself

weighed in it. That truthfully and godly community

we bear the weight for one another Sometimes

my hand be up by myself and I'll just be hoping

somebody else raises it with me and And realizing

that man some some of us are so burdened down.

Not because we, what's the best way to say this?

One of the things that I enjoy most about counseling,

and when I'm counseling somebody, is because

I have counseled a lot of people, I have a bearing

point on what is normal. And one of the greatest

moments that happened in any counseling session

I have with anybody is I have the ability to

tell them what is normal. They come in thinking,

I'm the only person on planet Earth that has

ever faced this, that is struggling with this,

that can't overcome this. They come in thinking

that I am failing because I haven't been able

to fix this on my own. I haven't been able to

overcome this on my own. And as they start to

talk, like a joy rises up in front of me. Because

I realize you don't realize how good you're doing

and they say what do you mean pastor? The people

that's doing really bad are the people that already

have they haven't even made it to this room yet

First of all, you are ahead of the game and the

fact you finally realize I shouldn't be carrying

this on my own Because there's a lot of brothers

and sisters. They are buried under the weight

of being alone in what that is. And here's the

problem. Then I get to the second part. And I

said, you know, it's amazing. And depending on

the situation, sometimes there's things in my

own personal life that actually I'd be like,

you know, boy, I've been trying to get over that

too. And they look back at me. What'd you say

pastor? What I said was, what you are going through

isn't unique. That there are cyclical issues.

That there are things that will hit your front

door every time God's trying to take you to another

place. And so some of the issues you think are

you issues? No, no, no, no, no, they're growth

issues Let me help you out every time God is

about to take my life to another level division

amongst those I love breaks out All the sudden

I'm very clear about what next is y 'all know

what that next phone call be I'm just tired of

such -and -such they always doing such -and -such

and the such -and -such of this and I have to

Understand that this is cyclical that the devil

is always trying to steal kill and destroy So

he's going to try to bring division anytime unity

is necessary So they walk into my office and

they said my mama's saying this and my grandma

attacking me now, too Which is she's never attacked

me. My wife is acting like this My kids is doing

this and I look right back at him. I said, but

what is God doing? Because there's certain battles

and I talked to the men about this on Thursday.

I said there's certain battles. You got to realize

Perseverance is the only answer Perseverance

is the only response. There's certain battles

that don't respond in the pivot They don't respond

in the change of plans that you got to be able

to discern what God is doing Y 'all rocking with

me they came in there trying to fix people you

can't fix nobody But God will give you the perseverance

to survive everybody And if we can lock in on

what God is doing They came here to try to figure

out how to overcome the issue and I'm like no

we gonna we gonna we gonna break the dust off

of what God is doing in this We just got to see

him clearly Y 'all rocking with me. But one of

the things that I love the most is for people

to really be able to have the right perspective

on what's going on. The majority of our issues

are perspective issues. And I can tell them,

you know, I hear what you're saying. And you're

right. Man, we don't want this. So we're gonna

pray about this. But I need you to hear this.

This ain't uncommon. Boy, I really wanted to

get to the end of this. Let me give you this

and we'll continue next week. That's all right

with y 'all? But I wanted to make something just

extremely clear so that you guys hear this. What

is the expectation of Christian community? It's

where burdens are carried, truth is practiced,

character is refined, and wounds are restored.

that when we speak of godly community, we should

be experiencing burdens being carried collectively.

That I don't feel the weight of the world is

simply on my shoulders, but I'm in this community

to where there's transparency, there's honesty,

and we're helping carry each other's weight.

Truth is practice, right? are looking to find

the truth and be truthful and apply truth to

our lives. Like what does God say about what's

happening here? It's where character is refined,

right? Where who you are consistently matters

and that people are there making sure that you're

remaining consistent in what you do. Making sure

that your name doesn't become evil spoken of.

Making sure that you're seeing beyond that temporary

circumstance and you're not making permanent

decisions in storms that are gonna go away. Reminding

you that there is a crown. I know your wife ain't

giving it to you right now, your husband ain't

giving it to you right now, your kids ain't giving

it to you right now, your boss ain't giving it

to you right now. Nobody's recognizing it. We're

not going to hear sit here and have a pity party

about who should be honoring you when God has

a crown for you But biblical community isn't

just celebration its shared responsibility Y

'all alright Because I think I can in this But

is it and let us not grow weary of doing good

For in due season we will reap if we do not give

up he's speaking of a commitment to sowing spiritual

seeds and Spiritual when he speaks of spiritual

seeds He's speaking of following the direction

of the spirit that every time the Holy Spirit

speaks to us and we respond to the direction

of the Spirit, we're sowing spiritual seeds.

That every time the Holy Spirit speaks and you

obey, a seed is being sown and a harvest is to

come. And so in biblical community, we drive

each other, we push each other to sow spiritual

seeds because we know God cannot be mocked. Whatsoever

a man sow, he shall also reap. And so I understand

that even when we don't know what to do, it doesn't

mean we don't have a seed we can plant. That

biblical community understands that listen man,

I know you were lost. I know you don't know what

to do, but it doesn't mean we don't have a seed

we can sow. That we can sow something of spiritual

significance and reach a spiritual Harvest. Look

at your neighbor. I ain't even had y 'all talk

to each other that much today. Say neighbor,

you may not always know what to do, but that

doesn't mean there isn't something good you can

sow. Right and biblical community drives you

it pushes you stirs you up to so good seeds They

just cuts me out forgive them why it's a good

seed They they stole it from me just give it

to him why it's a good seed No, I want to go

That sounds like a seed of the flesh and God

won't be mocked whatsoever you sow you shall

also reap that your sound like you're about to

go sow something of the flesh and I don't know

why you think you can sow something in the flesh

and not reap over a Harvest of the flesh It's

gonna feel good to what your feelings and your

flesh just know that the you sowed in the wrong

direction They don't deserve forgiveness. Well,

do you want a harvest of forgiveness or their

approval of what you do? I'm going so to see

And let us not grow weary of doing good foreign

deuce season we will reap if we do not give up

So then as we have opportunity Let us do good

So it's often, look at this, look at these words.

So as often, let us do good to who? Listen, as

often as you can, do good to everyone. And I

love this. I love this because then Paul keeps

talking. Especially to those who are of the household

of faith, which makes you have to think who was

the first everyone. He's not just talking about

doing good to those who do you good. He ain't

even talking about just doing good to people

who are on the same team as you He's not even

just speaking about those who share in your faith.

No, he's saying do good to everyone And just

unpack that because oftentimes people get saved

as a result of a spiritual seed being sown So

yeah, they may have been cussing you out and

they deserve to be cussed out But you who understand

that sowing seeds of the flesh is gonna reap

of the flesh You make a decision to sow a spiritual

seed and you say they cussed you out you say

my brother We really shouldn't converse with

each other on levels of language like that, you

know, you you go roaming on them You know what

I'm saying? You go you change your personality

some y 'all need on need a new look at them say

you need a new alter ego and It's the nice version

of you You know I'm saying that like if your

name is, you know, if your name is Bobby, there's

a version of you called Charles and sometimes

you gotta call on Charles. Somebody cuss you

out, Charles. I need you right now, Charles.

Listen, my brother, please. We do not have to

come to language as low as this, you know, and

give them an accent. Have fun with the righteous,

you know? What are you saying, Pastor Brian?

I'm saying that so you sow that spiritual seed

of forgiveness and you sow that spiritual seed

of patience and long suffering and that seed

that was sown into that unbeliever's life years

later, he sows, reaps a harvest of them giving

their lives to Christ as a result of the seed

you sowed. That's why it says everyone, we can't

take any interaction for granted. that we always

have an opportunity to so win. We always have

an opportunity to win people towards Christ and

it's in the interactions we have, the actions

we take, the words we take, our responses, but

just do it as best as you can. Just do good to

everybody. But please, please. There's some of

us that are in this church that are part of a

household of faith. Please do good to one another.

We need one another. We need to do good to one

another as often as we can. That's hilarious,

Lord Jesus. I'm packing up my stuff. But The

reality is we are in this world but not of this

world and I want to say this but I want you to

hear from the right context This isn't easy and

so we need to do good for one another understanding

that we have as believers picked up a mandate

that is large and so we need the encouragement

of one another we need the transparency of one

another we need to sow into one another because

it's not easy for anybody and I really hope and

pray that you're hearing the Spirit of God of

all of this and all of this. And if you have

been just facing life and life has seemed so

much to bear, I pray that you're hearing the

Spirit of God to realize for many of us, our

next step, isn't to simply gird ourselves up,

but to find others that will keep us up once

we get stirred up. That the truth of the matter

is we've forsaken the need of godly community.

We've underscored the value of it and we've treated

it like it was optional. when it's truthfully

critical that you find yourself surrounded by

people. And I tell people this, I'm not saying

to kick people out, but there are some people

you need to reorganize. I'm not kicking you out,

I'm just reorganizing because I realize. I've

been trying to do this by myself. Y 'all all

right? Well, hey, man. If you guys enjoyed service

today, give God some praise. I feel done. Mom,

you can close us out. I know. Come on up. You

know. Y 'all welcome Pastor Deborah to the stage.

She's gonna close us out. You close us out, mama.

Thank you. If there's anyone here today. She's

gonna bear my burden real quick, you know. If

there's anyone here today who's not born again

don't know Jesus is Lord of their lives. This

is an awesome opportunity for you God has been

waiting for this moment You made a decision that

I want to know God. I want a personal relationship

with him Well, God has been waiting for this

moment for you and it's very very simple God

says that if we just believe or accept the gift

of Jesus Christ Jesus came he died for us He

paid for our sins. And so therefore it leaves

a clear road and path to God where you can actually

hear from him. He'll talk to you. And again,

he just wants to express his genuine love towards

you. So if that's you today, if you'll raise

your hands wherever you are. And of course, those

who are online, if you will just type in the

chat that I want to be born again. I want to

be saved. I want to have this relationship with

God. Amen. And so we're just going to repeat

this prayer. If you would repeat after me, God,

thank you for the invitation to know you. I accept

the gift of Jesus Christ, his death. paying for

my sins. Thank you Lord for receiving me. Amen.

Amen. Praise God. Hallelujah. Again, for those

of you who didn't want to raise your hand, but

that's the confession that you made. If you will

please meet us in the room to your left as you

exit the first room. We'd like to tell you a

little bit more about the decision that you've

made. And for those of you who are online, if

you would also please type in the chat that I

made this decision. Someone from my church will

get in contact with you to again help you understand

the decision that you just made. And of course,

If you get born again, you need to be in a church.

We were just talking about community, the fact

that we need one another to keep each other strong,

to stir one another up. And so community starts

when you become a part of a church, of a local

church. And I'm saying a local church, but we

actually have members who are not. here in this

state, but if God has laid upon your heart to

join Revealing Truth Ministries, this is an awesome

opportunity for you and for us, because I believe

that you have something that God has put on the

inside of you that's good for this ministry and

the vision that God has called us to fulfill.

Also, I believe that we have something for you.

We can help you to make spiritual progress. Again,

you need community in order to live this life.

God did not intend for us to live it alone. So

do we have anyone who God has laid upon your

heart to join revealing truth ministries this

morning if you'll please raise your hands and

of course those who are online, please type that

in the chat and we'd like to get with you and

If you're making that decision First room to

your left. You'll find people there who will

greet you with open arms and Talk to you about

what that means. Amen All righty did and now

we'll receive this morning's offerings. Hope

you're excited about that Hey, man, the Bible

tells us that God wants a person who's willing

to do things not people who are forced into doing

things But it's I want to do this. This is my

desire this is a thing that I believe that God

wants me to participate in because you know God

is a generous God and he expects for his people

to emulate who he is. So you be generous. Generosity

comes from you personally. No one tells you how

to be generous. That is a personal decision between

you and God and the Holy Spirit. So we ask you

to please respond to the Spirit of God on the

inside of you knowing that God loves a cheerful

giver. He said that I'm willing to give so that

you may have to give. I'll multiply you so you

may have to give. He said in every good work

and charitable donation. Isn't that great? We

are learning about community. It doesn't mean

that you just bring it into the church. You bring

it into the church, of course, because we're,

you know, serving a lot of people, but you also

are sensitive to other people that are around

you. Every good work in charitable donation.

How many of you want to be in a place where,

you know, I actually can give into every, every

good work? Have you ever been in a position where

you wanted to be able to give to someone or into

something and you just didn't seem to have it?

Well, God said, I want you to bring you to a

place where you're able to fulfill that desire

that you have. Amen. Amen. So on the screens,

you'll find the different ways and methods that

you can give. Please take advantage of those.

And amen. If you need an envelope, there are

ushers in the aisles. They'll be happy to assist

you if that's how you're giving. Amen. Give you

opportunity And as you give if you'll stand to

your feet I want to give everyone opportunity

to do what God has put on their hearts to do.

Amen. And if you would please lift your hands

now and repeat after me. Now unto him that is

able to keep me from falling and present me faultless

before the presence of his glory with exceeding

joy to the only wise God our savior be glory

majesty, dominion, and power both now and forever.

Amen. Amen.