Romans 5 | Clayton Hentzel

What up Crossing family? It is so good to see you guys.

I want to take just a little bit of time here on the front end

and just be praying for our churches, all across this

region. As we've been kind of going

through some interesting, whether our kit cut campus

didn't have power on Thursday and so AJ Furman, you know,

moved them into the lobby, was unloading, generators it.

So that way he can run fans, because they also didn't have

air conditioning. He's going to preach the sermon

he stepped off a Is pickup truck Rift.

A six-inch hole in his pants. Preach my sermon and cowboy

boots and shorts like a true redneck.

God bless him there with us today and then our Jacksonville

campus, doesn't have power or Internet.

So they're traveling to Pike County and they're watching

online. And then I think some of them

are joining us from the lobby. It's just a bit of a mess.

I know that we're not the only church impact and I also know

that there's different people in our region who are Got a lot

more than limbs that they got to figure out.

So I just want to spend a little bit of time, praying on the

front. It would you guys join me?

God, I'm just asking that today. You'd be with all the churches

in our region who are trying to point people to you.

Now, that you would make a way for people who are far from you

to be found in, you got them also, just asking that you be

with all the people who have a lot of work, but they still have

to get done to try and get their business or to get their home up

and fully functioning. Gotta pray that this would be an

opportunity for Christians to be the very best behavior and use

this dark moment as an opportunity to be a light got.

Also, just ask you beautiful, all the people who are joining

us at all of our different locations and watching online

God, that you would stir our hearts to in your name.

I pray. Amen.

Today, I'm going to be talking to you from one of the top three

chapters in all of scripture. In my opinion, like, if you were

doing a Mount Rushmore of best, Ders, Romans 5 is on it.

I mean, you've got Romans 8, which I'm going to be talking

about our own well, which I'll be doing in a couple of weeks

and you've got second Corinthians chapter 5, which is

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

a Humdinger. I mean, it's great.

I don't Humdinger means, I hope that's okay.

And it really is, it's a top-three.

Romans 5 is a fantastic chunk of scripture.

In fact, if I'm not careful, if I just read it, and you guys are

getting experience that this week is, you guys are doing your

devotion. It can be emotional when you

read it, it just has that kind of power.

And my hope is that today you will have a defining moment,

take place in your life that it would draw you further along in

your intimate, personal relationship, with Jesus Christ.

That the trajectory of your life, would be altered that your

commitment to Christ will and his mission would be deepened

and your love for God would increase and before we jump all

the way into that. I'm Do a specific.

Shout out to those of you here at 4th Street, to those of you

joining us in Macomb and Kirksville.

Those of you hanging out with Crystal fever that 929.

And those of you in Pike, County, and Hannibal, and Lima,

and Mount Sterling and Keokuk and Monmouth and Jacksonville.

But I want to say a special word to those of you who are joining

us from the crossing inside. Something was happening, as I

was writing this message and you guys were just on my heart and

so, you know, the rest of you guys can kind of just listen in,

but I just want to talk to you to those of you.

Who are part of the crossing family, in are crossing inside

Ministry, I want to remind you, that it is not over.

Some of you who are listening to this message, who are in jail

right now. One day, you are going to get

out and I want you to use your time on the inside to devote

yourself to the teachings of Jesus.

So that you're prepared to make a difference.

When you get the opportunity to live on the outside, I want you

to use this season to fast forward your spiritual growth,

So, that way, you will be prepared to point people to

Jesus, not just on the inside but you'll be ready to

transition to being a Difference Maker for him on the outside.

And to those of you who are part of the crossing inside, and you

are never getting out. I want you to hear me.

There are so mates and those on your block who were dealing with

extreme emotional, psychological, spiritual pain,

and confusion. And I want you to be digging

deep in God's word, so that you can be an Example to follow and

you can be equipped to be their Pastor.

Your reputation should be the best among your fellow inmates.

And the guards I want you to give God a good name and

reputation inside the prison and jail walls.

And I want you to know that while you do that, as a

Crossing, all across this region, we remain in your corner

and we are rooting for you. And to those of you who are

watching online from wherever you are watching, And for

whatever reason you are watching, whether you're sick,

or you're traveling with sports, or whatever it is, maybe you're

just outside of our region and you haven't found a church home

yet. We are so glad that you are

making time for Jesus today at the very beginning of the sermon

series. We kind of talked about the book

of Romans and we broke it down into three big chunks.

That chapters 1 through 8 are Pillars of Truth where we learn,

how God can be trusted and that we can build our life.

Around it. And then in chapters 9 through

11, what it looks like to trust God, when others don't, some of

you feel like that's the reality you're living in your trying to

follow God. But the people around, you

aren't how do we do that. Chapters 9, through 11 are going

to talk about it? And then chapters 12 through 16,

we're going to talk about being noticeable, neighbors neighbors

that make a difference that show up in ways in other people's

lives to point people to Jesus. And in chapter 1 we learn that

God can be trusted because his gospel True.

The gospel tells us that we are all sinners.

But that Jesus is a good savior. You and I are jacked up.

Turn to your neighbor. Say you're jacked up.

You are telling the truth. Okay, nobody, okay, nobody gets

it, right, nobody has it, right? We are jacked up messed up,

sinful people, but Jesus is a mighty Savior and our Salvation

is not based on us, our salvation, In is based on him,

that is the good news, but the good news comes after the bad

news, we're jacked up. But God can uncheck yep,

whatever that looks like chapter.

Till we learned that God can be trusted because his patience and

his kindness lead us to repentance because God has been

patient and kind with us you and I must be patient and kind with

others with the hopes that they too will.

I'll come to repentance in other words, our strategy to helping

people come and do a relationship with Jesus Christ

should match. God, strategy, for helping us

come into an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

You got to ask yourself, why would you have a different

strategy than God strategy to get people to God?

So as Christians, this is tough news, it's not bad news, it's

tough news, you and I have to work at being patient and kind.

Quick gut check the people were described you right now, what

they do, this is one of the most patient and kind people I know,

then you get an F for failure. Okay, we need to have God

strategy. If we want to get people to God,

chapter 3, God can be trusted because he is faithful.

When we are not. He provided a way that we could

not you and I cannot fix this. You and I cannot make things

right. Therefore, we can't boast in.

Ourselves about how awesome we are.

We can only boast about how awesome God is because God's,

the one who made away in chapter 4, we learned that God can be

trusted because he justifies us through faith, then he forgives

and covers our sins, and never counts our sins against us.

How good is your god? Now you're ready for Romans

Romans 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5. Therefore versus one since we

have our one and two since we have been justified through

faith, we have peace with God through our Lord.

Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by faith into

this grace, in which we now stand.

And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

Therefore, since we have been Justified, I'd Through faith.

Now when, if you've come to The Crossing for a long time, you

probably know this. If you haven't, we're just going

to fill you in. Anytime, you read the word

justified in scripture, the easiest way to understand that

word is this? Excuse my penmanship?

is just As if I had never sinned, if you look at all the

wet word, read words, I just felt Justified doo-doo-doo-doo

doo-doo-doo-doo okay. Just as if I had never sent

because of Jesus death on the cross and Resurrection from the

grave you and I have been Justified our slate has been

wiped clean as if it never happened.

Some of you, you have kids, when they come in, from a long

weekend. Like, for just celebrate

Memorial Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and they trashed

her whole house, right? And then someone goes about your

house cleaning, it all up, as if it never happened.

High schoolers. When your parents said that they

could trust you and you went out of town and they went out of

town for a weekend because you're not the kind of person

who throw party. But you threw a party and then

you cleaned up as if it never happened.

That is what God went about and did on your behalf when it came

to your sin, he made it as if it had never happened.

Now, how many of you guys are English people like, you know,

you were good at English in school, not like speaking

English, you know like English classes.

Yeah. Because we need to pay attention

to the tenses in here. I didn't figure Our we attracted

the crowd of people that are challenging all.

Yeah, we love English majors, and if you're an English major,

I'm glad you're here. Don't email me.

I don't read. Good.

Okay, right, slow. I don't read fast.

Okay. So if you're not an English

major, you got to pay attention to the tenses in the scripture

because the tenses are intense, those little joke for the Nerds,

okay? Because when you read through

this, what you're going to find out is that there are past tense

actions that have present tense power.

It's already happened. It's already taken place but it

has power in my present reality. Look at what happens here.

Therefore, since we have been Justified, that means I am

justified because of something that has taken place.

I am forgiven and I take hold of this justification by having

faith in what Jesus Christ did on my behalf.

You step into this reality of being justified, when you start

an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ,

you begin this relationship. When you really believe that God

made you loved you and sent his son Jesus to make things, right.

On your behalf and then you turn away from your sinful behavior

of you being in charge and you start and living for yourself.

And you start, or you decide to start living for Jesus, you make

him the Lord of your life. He's the one who's in control.

This leads you to wanting to be obedient in the area of baptism

and all of the ways that Jesus calls us to live.

And when you get baptized, when Your obedient area of baptism.

When you are being baptized, you experienced the washing away of

your sins, you model, the death burial and resurrection of Jesus

Christ. You also live out the example

that Jesus did when Jesus himself was baptized and you are

doing what he commanded his followers to do, which was to be

baptized. How can you call yourself a

follower of Jesus if you're not going to follow?

The commands and the teachings of Jesus, that this is just part

of what it means to be a Christian.

And when this happens, we become Justified and that makes us at

and with this happens through faith.

And we end up with at peace with God, there is no longer any War.

Once we were enemies with God, now he has made peace between us

and God through Jesus. And but hear me just because we

are at peace does not mean we will not face discipline.

Some of you might be gone. Well, if I'm at peace with God,

why is there this thing that I'm having to navigate?

Because God is disciplining you? Well, why is God disciplining

you? Well, I'm glad you asked ready.

Look what it says in Proverbs 3:11-12.

Proverbs 3:11–12

My son do not despise the Lord's.

Everybody say this word? Discipline and do not resent his

rebuke. Because the Lord say this next

word, disciplines those, he Oh God.

Disciplines you because he loves you.

That's why Paris parents. You know this when you love your

kid, you care about how they're going to turn out and when

they're doing things that are going to make them turn out the

way they shouldn't turn out. You discipline them.

How many of you how many of you are?

Perfect. Yeah, I saw a couple husband's

trying to raise their wife's hand.

She keeps telling me. She is.

Yeah, but that, but it, but she's not right.

That's just not how it works. So if we're not perfect, that

means we're going to do things. We shouldn't do.

And when we do things, we shouldn't do.

God is going to discipline us? He's going to correct us.

He's going to try and make us and mold us more into His Image.

We are at peace with God, but we are not excused from God's

discipline because God loves us. And wants what's best for us.

Now as God we finds us and Moses into His Image.

He does something even better than this, he keeps because keep

going the text. Therefore since we have been

justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord,

Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access here.

It is by faith again into his into this grace in which we now

stand. And we boast in the hope of the

glory of God. This Grace this space that Paul

is referring to is this new Justified reality?

It is a state of peace between us and God this grace is a room

that we enter through Jesus Christ.

He is our refuge, our Firm Foundation.

Jesus is the door into this space of Grace here.

God invites us into the intimate settings of his kingdom.

How do I explain this? How many of you Have friends

that you don't let in the house you meet him in the driveway.

Like you see him, you see him coming down the gravel road for

those of you who are country bumpkins, you you see?

Okay, well, I think that's Billy's Truck.

Come on, honey, Billy's here and you meet him outside.

Oh, good to see you. Billy glad you're here.

Oh, wish wish you could stay longer but we gotta do some

stuff and they never, they don't even know what the inside of

your house. Looks like they're their mailbox

friends, like that will just talk at the mailbox.

Then you have some people that you let come in.

To the house into the like the living room.

Like oh yeah you can come in God you're here.

Yes you get him. Something nice to you know to

drink or eat. You know you're super glad

they're there but there's a small subset of people.

Hang with me that you would let you use your master bathroom.

But you let them walk into your house into your bedroom, where

all the clothes are not put away, by the way and use your

restroom. I don't have any friends that

are that close. They've never been, like,

Clayton Hughes the master, right?

There'd always be like, nope, you can go when you go home,

that's when you can go here is what here is what God is doing.

He's inviting you into this space of Grace.

How close do you have to be to use the Stir, bad bathroom

family. There I'll be okay.

This isn't in the sermon. There are four bathrooms in my

house. There are four people that live

in my house. All four of us, use my bathroom.

I wake up in the morning because I'm a man.

I go kids pooping on it on his iPad.

She's in my space of Grace. Soon.

As he gets done, the seat. Doesn't even get a chance to

cool down. Next kid comes in And then, of

course, I'll be using the restroom of my wife will come in

to start doing her makeup and hair.

And she's like, I cannot believe you're in here Mike.

We married each other. This is ours.

He has one. He has one.

This is for other people. I don't know who that, but I

want to use God. Invites you into the space of

Grace, okay. You will not forget Romans 5 now

because we have experienced this piece, this results in the big

things of life being. Taken care of.

All that's left are the little things.

Because we are at peace with God, all that's left are little

things now, I'm not saying that little things aren't real

things, I'm not saying that little things aren't hard

things, and I'm not saying that little things aren't hurtful

things, but in the grand scheme of things, God has Justified you

purified. You saved you from your sin made

a place for you. In heaven to spend eternity.

He solved your eternity but yes there's still some stuff that

you and I are going to have to navigate here in the physical

realities of life. But we have we tend to have such

an upside-down view of the things of God.

Here's what God saying. I've paid off your house but you

still have to vacuum. Like there's still some stuff

you're going to have to navigate in the realities of life and we

are. So upside down.

When it comes to this kind of stuff, we make the spiritual

reality small and we make the physical realities big.

That's why it's so hard for us to live out.

God's plan and God's purpose. For our lives.

We spend and save like this world is all that matters

instead of God's Eternal Kingdom.

We navigate stress and hardship with our eyes focused on

physical realities and not the spiritual ones, but because I am

at peace with God. And my in heaven, is my future

home. I can be more generous.

I can be more forgiving. I can be more dependent on him

and less dependent on myself. Then Paul goes on and he takes

us Down a pretty interesting Road.

Romans chapter 3, 5 3 through 5, not only.

Romans 3 · chapter mention

So but we also glory in our, if I say that word sufferings I

don't make any sense, he unpacks it because we know that

suffering produces perseverance. This patient endurance,

perseverance produces character and character, produces

everybody say this, hope and hope does not put us to shame

because God's love has been poured out into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Hear me just because we have this Firm Foundation.

This is State of Grace. This Justified reality does not

mean that we won't have hardships.

Christians might suffer more. Not only do we have to navigate

the general hardships of life, but Christians suffer because of

Satan and persecution, Christians have to navigate

doubts about God, and how can life be so hard if God is so

good. They end up rethinking things,

wrestling through spiritual and physical realities.

It's not the atheist, but the Christian who has to ask, why

God, why did this happen? What about all the things you

promised? Why is life so hard?

What about all of my unanswered prayers?

Shins will supper, I want to absolve you of the idea that

once you come into a relationship with Jesus Christ,

life becomes easy. And that the evidence in your

life that God is in your life, is that your life is pain free?

I want you to be absolved of that reality to be a Christian

might mean, not only do you suffer.

It might mean you suffer more and he says we suppose we're

supposed to Rejoice. I mean rejoicing in Hope is one

thing, but rejoicing in our suffering that don't make no

sense. But he says, look at what

suffering does suffering produces.

It produces inside of you and me, this perseverance, this

patients, the ability for you and I to Bear up underneath,

whatever comes along, believing that God will come through, or

get them through. We're going to get more into

this into Romans chapter 8 but I'm willing to wager that all

Romans 8 · chapter mention

across this region at all of our different campuses and probably

every single row. There are some of you who can go

you've been through hard things, how many of you have suffered

And how many of you can say, God got you through it, produces

something in US, it writes Our Testimony, it increases, our

story. Why should I rejoice in

suffering while I'll tell you a couple of reasons, one Jesus

suffered, the one who never sinned.

Who never did anything wrong? Still suffered.

So that means that well I might suffer to check this out.

Gods are Jesus suffering created a path?

To find an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ

for you. And for me, maybe our suffering

could do the same. What I'm saying is maybe some of

you should consider staying in your difficult marriage.

Some of you, when you navigate your difficult diagnosis, you

should be prepared to suffer. To point people that God is

still good. Even when the medical answers,

aren't those of you navigating financial hardship, dealing with

beaten being misunderstood, some of us should suffer while we

love our enemies. Why?

Because when Jesus suffered, and made a way for other people to

find Jesus and how we suffer gives other people an

opportunity to come to him as well.

The sermon you were looking for, hang on this suffering, produces

something else in us. A proven character suffering and

trials reveal character much like storms, reveal the quality

of the workmanship on a home, I wrote this before the storms so

if your house got blown over or there's a tree limb in your

living room sorry about your Builder.

Okay, what happens is when we go through the trials in the

hardships of life, it reveals our faith and our dependence on

God you guys know this there's a difference between have you how

many of you have heard marriage advice from people who've never

been married? Then they cute like us.

I've never I've never heard somebody so dumb right and then

you get marriage of you here. Marriage advice from engaged

people, we will never be like that.

Like we've looked at my mom and dad and we've looked at his mom

and dad and we're never gonna be that.

Until he folds the towel one time wrong.

And you are your mom? Okay.

That's exactly how long it takes, right.

And then there's people who've been married a really long time

and you know the quality of that kind of advice.

Like there's just different. They have a different level

security. They've been married long

enough, you know, when you first got married, you had that fight

and you're like, oh my goodness. I think we're going to get a

divorce and then now you've been married so long and you

fighting, like, she's going to talk to me in a month or two.

Like she's too old to date. She ain't going anywhere like

we're just I'm not. Whoa, I'm not talking about me,

I've just I I wouldn't do that. Okay, I've been trained.

Okay, you know, you don't know how much I have to vacuum at

home just to be able to have these sermon moments with you.

Okay, my suffering, produces a way for you to come to Faith,

okay? I got was full Laundry the other

year and anyhow, I'll get okay, there's a difference.

People who've been through some stuff in their marriage.

Have some stuff to say, their characters been revealed and

refined over time. And that's what happens in your

faith. It just because you're going

through the hardships of life doesn't mean your life isn't

getting better or more refined more into the image of God, take

the fights of the people who are just dating take the fight to

those who are engaged, take the fight to those who are still on.

Their Honeymoon and then look at what's happening inside of a

marriage. That's been through some stuff.

Which advice do you want? Who do you want counseling?

You I want the people who've been through it.

Notice like to sleep on the couch, the floor, and outside.

Like the people have been through all the phases of

marriage, I want those people to speak into it, and this

suffering purifies us because it takes the things that we've

been, depending, upon away, this proven character produces hope,

because after you've Been through some things and you come

out the other side, you have more help about getting through

the things that lie ahead. Furthermore, Our Hope in the

glory of Heaven becomes even more real to us as our victories

increase. So does Our Hope in a god who's

never once lost a battle, we have a confidence as we go

through life and he says, therefore we will not be put to

shame. Hear me Crossing family.

We will not be put to shame. We will not be disappointed.

Even though you might be mocked for your faith ridiculed for

your faith, your hope is solidly based, Thinking Noah.

No was told by God to build an ark and what Noah started,

building the ark and everybody around and what's a narc it's

about what's a boat it's something that floats on big

bodies of water. Why do you need that?

Because it's going to rain what's rain?

Water is going to come down from heaven.

It's going to fill everything around us.

Day after day. Week after week, month after

month, year after year, Noah was living out his hope in God, that

one day, the rains were going to come and people were going to

need a boat. And it looked like he was the

biggest fool up until it started to rain.

His Hope was not put to shame and neither will yours.

Now I'm ready to preach my sermon.

The next three verses in my opinion, are the best.

Three verses to answer the question?

How do I know that? God loves me.

If you want to know how to bookmark, these three verses.

If you're looking for your tattoo verse Romans, 5:8 is a is

a top three tattoo verse How do I know that?

God loves me. You might be going to Clayton

already. Got the John 3:16 tattoo.

John 3:16

That's why God gave you two arms.

Okay, two arms, two legs, two eyelids.

I don't care because John 3:16 tells us that God loves us and

John 3:16

how he loves us. But these verses show us what

was going on behind the scenes because it tells us about when

God was loving us. Romans 5 verse 6.

Romans 5:6

You see at just the right time when we were still powerless

Christ died for the everybody say that ungodly.

Very rarely. Will anyone die for a righteous

person though? For a good person.

Someone might possibly Dare To Die.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this while we

were still sinners Christ died for us.

You see when we were powerless when we were weak, when we were

without strength, when we were helpless, who did Christ die for

he died for the ungodly. Look at how different God is

from you and me, there's some of you are going.

Well, I would, I would jump in front of a bus and save my wife.

Good for you. There's some of you moms you

were gone. Well I would jump in front of a

bus for my little grandbaby. Well good for you.

Very rarely will someone died for a good person or a righteous

person but none of us. Not one of us would die for the

ungodly. Not one of us, would take the

place of those who harmed us, divorced us, abused us.

Those on death row. But there was someone who was

willing to die for the weak and the wicked.

You see how good is our God? Our God is so good.

He made the first move when we were at our worst.

Our God was at his best. That's how good he is.

That's why we gather. That's why we worship.

That's why we praise. That's why we give that's why we

invite. That's why we serve because he's

just that good and you might be going.

Clayton, I'm pretty good. I'm cool because you love win,

everybody. Say when we love, when we love,

when we love, when others love us back, we love when they do

what we want them to do. We love when they care about our

needs. We love when they care about our

once. We love when we love after

everybody say, after we love after they prove themselves

worthy, we love. After a grand gesture, We love

after they've made things right? We love after they prioritized

us. You might be going to Clayton.

I love while I would agree with you.

You love while I love while. I love wild things are going.

Okay, I love wild. Things are going my way.

I love while they are on good behavior while they're in good

standing, while they're loving us back.

But do you see how good our God is that while we were still

Sinners? That's when he made the move, if

you want to know how good God is, is he loved you while you

were still rebelling, still enemies, still running away,

still pushing away, still being stingy, still being greedy,

still being hateful and hurtful still lying and cheating and

gossiping he loved you while you were still Till lusting still

abusing still being two-faced to still being hypocritical.

God, so our God loves you. How do I know he loves you that

God, demonstrated his love for us in this that while we were

still sinning, He sent Jesus to die on the cross.

For my sins, he took my punishment made it as though I

never sinned. Brought me into a Justified

reality in a state of grace. That's how good our God is.

God, can be trusted. because he was at his very best when you

and I were at our very worst God can be trusted because you and I

will not face the wrath of God, that we deserve for our sins

because Jesus has already done that in my place.

You see it? Just the right time.

When we were still powerless. Christ died for the ungodly.

Very rarely, will anyone die for a righteous person though?

For a good person. Someone might possibly dare to

die, but God demonstrates his own love for us in this while we

were still sinners Christ died for us and I don't know how you

ever get over that, we're moving to a time of decision.

We serve a God who made the first move.

Therefore as Christians, we need to be people who make the first

move, but I want to clear some stuff up specifically to those

of you who've never started an intimate personal relationship

with Jesus Christ. And Jennifer nice relationship.

I made all the first moves I asked her out.

I held her hand, I gave her a kiss.

She did not get down on one knee and asked me to marry her.

She's not that stupid. The reason the reason we got

married is I wore down to be honest with you that's what I

and manipulation. Okay, I got sighs.

Okay, there's no, what yet I'm a doll.

All of the moves, her moves have always been a response to my

moves. And today, if you're wanting to

start an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ,

I want you to know, you are not making the first move, God has

been making all of the first moves and you are simply

responding to the greatest first moves of all time.

Don't believe me. Here's what I'm saying.

God wanted you. And so he made the first move

and he created you. The Bible says that he knit you

together in your mother's womb, which means that he had a plan

and a purpose for your life. Before you were you he was

thinking about you and it was his thinking about you that

caused him to create you. God made the first move in,

making you before you drew your first breath.

Before, you could speak before, you can say your first cuss

word, he sent his son, Jesus to die, on the cross, to pay for

the cuss word, you hadn't even said yet.

That's how good he is. And before you get even show up

for church and sing your first worship song before, you could

raise your hand, and pray, your first prayer before you ever had

any intention. To draw your heart back to him,

he had already made all the moves, And somehow you show up

for church. And you think to yourself, well,

I got to get this figured out and I got to get this, right?

And my got to stop doing this and I got a dial this back and I

got to start doing this more and then I can start my relationship

with Jesus, but don't you get it?

While you were still Sinners, that's all he needed to know.

Is that you needed him, and he had already made a way.

He's not waiting for you to get things, right?

He already sent his son Jesus because you couldn't get them,

right? He doesn't need you to get your

act together because he knows, you can't get your act together

without the Holy Spirit, who he will send to, you upon your

baptism where he will put in you the power.

You need to accomplish the things.

Has he calls you too? He's not waiting for you to get

it wrong because he's already paid for it.

He's not waiting for you to get it right, because he doesn't

expect it. He's just waiting for you.

And that's the only response you could possibly give him.

Is you? Here I am all jacked up and

messed up and whatever word you want to put in.

And God goes. Yeah.

I've been waiting for this moment.

Since before I made you. and if you're here today, and you've

never started an intimate personal relationship with Jesus

Christ, Don't put it off. And just a few moments, there's

too many people around you. Stay in and saying and some are

going to come to the steps and pray.

There's me somebody over by the Baptist.

Who would love a chance to talk with you about what that looks

like. Don't put it off.

But there's some of you you're going not yet.

Not today. Not now.

And I just want you to know. He's still going to be waiting

on you and so will this church? He's still going to be rooting

for you. So this church, The only

difference is going to be. How much more pain and hurt and

sorrow and frustration? Are you going to experience

between now and then because there's nothing that you can fix

or do to get you into a better spot because the spot you need

to be in to find. Jesus is the spot where you

recognize your Center? Don't put it off.

To those of you who already have a relationship with Jesus

Christ, remember that? I like you.

And you kind of like me because what I'm going to say to you

now, you're like I did not see this coming.

This is the part of the sermon. You're going to go.

I didn't like that part. I liked the first part.

But if we serve a God who made the first moves, and that means

that we need to be Christians who make the first move.

Have a troubled marriage. I want you to love them. while

they're still being a bad spouse just like, God did Have a kid

Who's acting out of pocket? I want you to love them while

they're out of pocket because that's how God moved for you.

Have a boss, A co-worker and employee who's giving you fits.

I want you to love them while they give you fits because

that's how God moved for. You have somebody who harmed you

hurt you betrayed you I want you to love them while because

that's how God moved for you. If we are going to be people who

have been impacted by the first move of God, then we have to be

people who make the first move on behalf of God.

God, in other people's lives. You're like I like the first

part of the sermon when it was like man, God's awesome and I

can still be jacked up. But if we really love God, we

should want to model what he did in our life for others.

You're going to Clayton, I don't have that kind of strength.

You don't need to have that kind of strength, he's your strength.

Clean. I don't I don't have that kind

of energy. He'll be your energy.

I don't have that kind of hope he'll be the hope, but I'm going

to ask you to do. If you're a Christian, is it

come down here and get down on your knees and ask God to help

you write a better story. A story that recognizes that

while you were still a sinner Christ died for you, a story

that's asking God to give you the strength to love the people

around you while they're still sinning.

To love until God releases you. To love until God redeems.

The situation. Would you stand with me?

God, my prayer in this moment. I feel like I pray all the time,

but it's just because it's the prayer I want answered.

Gotta I want you to do something that only you can do in this

room. I want you to do something that

only you can do that. Only, you can take the credit

for God I'm asking you to make it incredibly clear for every

person in here, exactly what it is that they are supposed to do

and God that you would give them the courage and the strength to

walk it out. Do something in this Church?

Father, do something in me. That only you get the credit for

You know my pray. Amen.

You know my pray. Amen.