Jesus and Blue Balloons | Clayton Hentzel

Crossing Nation. It is so good to see each and

every single. One of you turn to your

neighbor. Say something nice.

Like you look great today. Oh, good for you.

All right. Turn to your second favorite

neighbor. And tell them what your favorite

color is. What's your favorite color?

All right. Now, say it with me all of our

locations. Help me out and saying what this

color is for those of the people at all of our locations you

might wrestle with being color blind, this balloon is blue.

You nailed it, during this sermon series we were discussing

all kinds of topics. We were talking about the

reliability of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The evidence for a Creator in Genesis 1 through 11 the

reliability. Of the Bible.

We talked about the historical record surrounding the

appearance and life of Jesus Christ.

We explored the philosophical Arguments for the existence of

God and came to. What many of us would say, is

The Logical conclusion, that there must be a god, that is

revealed to us in the Bible. We examined the alternative

World Views that exist around us.

And we put them underneath the microscope and we found them.

One thing if God is real, if Jesus is Alive and If the Bible

is true that has massive implications for how we see

ourselves and how we live our lives.

This sermon series was born out of an Evangelistic heart.

We wanted to give you answers to questions that people, you care

about people who might be atheists, people who might be

Skeptics and give them the necessary information to help

them. Start their faith walk with the

Lord. And I'm I'm asking you to

celebrate with me that during this sermon, series 123 people

have decided to get baptized, isn't that incredible?

And so this sermon series didn't just though come from an

Evangelistic place that also came from a pastoral heart.

I know many people who have a faith that at times need.

Strengthened a faith that at times needs reaffirmed a faith

that at times needs, solidified here at the Crossing. first

talked about this, a bunch Weeks that's for everybody on this

spiritual Spectrum, we are committed to everybody no matter

where they're at, on their spiritual journey, to those who

hate God, don't believe in God. And to those who were around,

when God made the world, where you are here, for all the people

in between, and we are committed to help people discover God.

And we're also committed to help those who are in Christ grow and

their intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

And if over this Sermon series, you missed any of the weeks and

you want to catch up or maybe there's a sermon that you're

going, you know what? My friend needs to hear this.

One of the easiest ways, people ask this sometimes and so here's

the easiest way for you to watch our sermons and when you miss

them or to share a sermon. If you want to give it to

somebody, you go to the cross that go to YouTube, Type in one

crossing, that's the handle, but we're called The Crossing, it'll

look at have our logo and you'll always have all access to all of

the different sermons that we are pushing out.

I want to welcome all of our different locations.

Those of you joining online, those of you who are part of our

inside family, and I want to tell you stay connected this

summer, we know what's about to happen.

Everybody comes to church from Easter until Mother's Day and

then when Mom goes back to her church, everybody starts doing

whatever they want. And we want to tell you that we

believe this summer could be one of the best seasons for your

spiritual growth. In fact, next weekend, we are

going to be giving you something and starting something at our

church. Church.

And then the following weekend, we are going to launch it

everywhere. And if you will go on this,

spiritual journey with us. I believe that.

By the end of the summer, you will be in a place in your

relationship with God that you never thought you would be, but

we can't do that work for you. That's a decision that you have

to make, but we are incredibly excited about it and hope that

will be nourishing to your soul and to your relationships.

But what I want to do is I want to talk to you more about my

blue balloon. Because this sermon series is,

for those of you who are keeping track of cultural issues, this

sermon is for those of you who are paying attention to

politics, this sermon is for those of you who are parents and

you are worried about the world that your kids are experiencing

and you're worried about what they might be learning in

school. This sermon is for those of you

who are teachers, who are concerned about what you might

be asked to teach in the Many years and if your conscience

will allow you to do. So this sermon is for those of

you who are mourning, the direction that our world is

taking this sermon is for those of you who are grandparents and

what an opportunity to be able to connect understand and

possibly correct the worldview of your grandchildren.

This sermon is for those of you who are deeply committed to your

face and you want to leave a spiritual Legacy.

This sermon is for those of you who feel like the target, Of who

you're supposed to be, how you're supposed to live, what

words you're supposed to say keeps moving.

And so you're trying to figure out how are you supposed to

navigate this world? Because it keeps shifting week

after week. Then some of you right now are

thinking, is he going where I think he's going?

No. And there's some of you who are

going, is he going where I think he's going?

And you're really excited about that.

There's some of your going, is he going where I think he's

going and you're incredibly concerned about that.

Well, here's the news. We are going there.

Just not today. In September we are going to

take a deep dive into a sermon series right now.

I'm calling a Hot Topic but you know, for anybody who didn't

shop at that bad store over the top of their head.

So We're going to come up with a better name but we are going to

be taking a meaningful deep caring.

Look at culture wars, we are going to be talking about the

value of Life about gender about sexuality and the Christian

response but that's not today. Today like I told you guys is

about my blue. Balloon, John chapter, 14 had

records. These words, Jesus answered.

I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father, except through me, this is an

exclusive claim. The only way to get to God is

through Jesus, if you really know me that's Jesus, you will

know my father as well from now on, you do know him and have

seen him. Look at the claims, that Jesus

is making right out of the gate. Jesus is saying to know, Jesus

is to know the truth. If you want to know truth, you

must know Jesus. He's making another claim.

If you know the truth, you will know Jesus.

And if, you know Jesus, you will know God.

Pilot who was the Roman governor of Judea was in a conversation

with Jesus? Right before he sentenced Jesus

to death by crucifixion. And Jesus said these words to

him, you say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born

and came into the world is to testify to the truth.

Everyone on the side of Truth. Listens to me, can you be on the

side of Truth? Ruth and not be in a right

relationship with Jesus. Jesus is making a compelling

argument here that if you want to be on the side of what is

true. If you want to be on the side of

what is right, then you get there by listening to Jesus.

Not CNN. Not Fox News, not Twitter, not

Instagram. You don't get there by listening

to the right preacher or attending the right school or

taking the right HR training. You get to the site of Truth, by

listening to Jesus. And the good news is there is no

barrier to you being able to listen to Jesus.

All you need is a willing heart that has been empowered by the

Holy Spirit, which you After you get baptized look at how the

Holy Spirit helps us in our understanding of God, which our

understanding of God is our understanding of Jesus.

And our understanding of Jesus is our understanding of Truth.

Let me show to you first Corinthians chapter 2.

1 Corinthians 2 · chapter mention

However, as it is written. What no eye has seen?

What? No ear has heard.

And what? No human mind has conceived.

The things God has prepared for those.

Those who love him. Remember God loves everybody.

And God's love for everybody, never changes.

But God has something in store something that you and I can't

fathom something that you and I can understand if we love him

now. Let's keep going.

These things God has revealed to us by his spirit.

Not a four-year degree, not a two-year certificate.

Nope, he revealed these things by his Spirit.

How do we get the Holy Spirit? After we get baptized the spirit

searches all things, even the Deep things of god.

Let's keep going for. Who knows a person's thoughts,

except their own Spirit within them.

Let me explain that one right now, there are thoughts going

through your head. That if the person sitting next

to you heard they wouldn't sit next to you.

In that, in that amazing. We all have friends because they

don't really know us. Because if you've met people

with no filter, like no filter and to think that those people

still have a filter, right? You guys have an opinion on how

I look, you think about it. You have opinion about other

people drive, you have opinions on everything, and some of those

opinions, most of those opinions.

You keep a lockdown. Those of you who are married.

Husbands, you know how to just go.

What? Okay.

So who knows your thoughts? Only you can know your thoughts.

Now, watch this. In the same way.

No one knows the thoughts of God except the spirit of God.

So the spirit of God, understands the thoughts of God.

Now, watch what the spirit of God does keep going.

Whatever we have received is not the spirit of the world but the

spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has

freely given us the spirit of God reveals to you.

And I the mind of God, you cannot understand.

God, without the Holy Spirit, you cannot have the Holy Spirit

unless you're in a right relationship with him.

You don't have a right relationship with him or you

don't begin a right relationship with him until you're beating in

the area of baptism, who is from God, so that we may understand

what God has freely. Lee given us your understanding

of your your place with God is revealed to you by the Holy

Spirit. Now let's keep going.

This is what we speak. Not in art words taught to us by

human wisdom but in words taught by the Holy Spirit, explaining

spiritual realities with Spirit taught words.

Forgiveness is a spirit taught word.

We're able to forgive because God is our model of forgiveness.

Love is a spirit taught word because we love because he first

loved us. Let's keep going.

The person without the spirit does not accept the things that

come from the spirit of God, but considers them foolishness and

cannot understand them because they are discerned only through

the spirit. Some of us are getting in

arguments about spiritual things with somebody who doesn't have

the spirit, which They can't understand spiritual truths

because their minds have not been transformed by the spirit

of God. We are trying to have a cultural

argument with somebody instead of a spiritual conversation.

Once their mind has been made right spiritually then you can

have a discussion about issues of the world.

Some of us are trying to make the world Republican.

Instead of Christians, some of us are trying to make the world

Democrats instead of Christians, and we are having a cultural War

instead of a christ-like. Conversation.

Pilots response to Jesus is truth claim.

Is probably one of the most famous challenges that everybody

has faced at some point in their life.

After Jesus said this, this is what pilot said.

What is truth Jesus says, anybody who is on the side of

Truth listens to me and Pilots response is what is truth?

Well, it's answer that question. What is truth?

Truth can be broken down into three main categories.

Those of you who ever took an ethics class, you probably spend

a little bit of time here. The first one is objective

truth. Objective truth is true, whether

you believe it or not. An objective truth.

Doesn't care about your feelings objective.

Truth, just spits facts. An objective truth.

This. Is a balloon.

Now, there's another category to truth.

This one is called subjective. Truth subjective truth can be

true for you, but is not necessarily true for me.

A subjective truth is something that's true for me, but might

not be true for you. The best balloons are blue

balloons. That's a subjective truth

because I am the subject of the truth.

You can have a favorite balloon and your answer can be true to.

You have objective truth, doesn't care about your

feelings. It weighs its puts its weight on

everybody subjective truth is dependent upon you, the subject

and you can have a truth and I can have a truth.

We can all have truths and these truths And be in conflict with

one another and still be true. I have a favorite color,

balloon, and you have a favorite color balloon.

Everything's fine. Then there is situational

truths. These are true and lots of

areas. But not every area.

A situational truth would be, you should give people balloons.

That's a situational truth. When someone gets married, you

get my balloon. They have a baby.

You give him a balloon. It's their birthday.

Happy birthday. Here's a balloon.

Did you just get a promotion at work balloons?

We should be balloon. Giving people.

However, not every situation should have balloons.

I heard your dad died. I heard you lost your job.

Right. Heard your mother-in-law died.

Okay, here's balloons. Like these there's there's

certain situations and you might be going.

Sometimes Clayton jokes situationally would have been

funny in my car but not during a church service.

That's a situational truth because it was funny.

It was a subjective truth. It was too funny to you.

Or is an objective truth? Clayton's.

Never not funny. Truth claims fall into these

three categories. Now, hear me culture?

Is created. By which truths you put in which

categories. That is how culture is created.

Imagine what happens when a group of people don't like wear

a suit, certain truth claim gets put, or they want to move a

truth claim from one category to another category.

You have more than likely heard people talk about my truth.

Well, my truth is a subjective truth, but we are living in a

world where people are elevating subjective, truths into

objective categories. That what is true for me?

Must be true for you. What is true for me?

You have to live by my truth is law or my truths are becoming

laws and then which group do you allow to make the laws about

their subjective claims to create objective realities?

This is how culture works. And any time people start moving

one, truth claim from one category to another category you

are going to have culture wars Because these, these big issues.

We're cultures created around certain truths living in certain

categories. Now let's get spiritual.

Jesus's Central truth claim that he was pushing forward was not

that he was some great teacher, although he was not that he was

a miracle worker although he was not that he was a Divine Miracle

Worker, although he was Jesus's Central claim was that he was

the son of God sent by the love of God to redeem, the people of

God to creep to bring them to the home of God.

Look what it says in Matthew chapter 16 when Jesus came to

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

the region of caesarea. Philippi those of you going to

Israel will be there and he asked his disciples.

Who do people say the son of man is Jesus is talking about

himself here. Let's keep going in the text.

They replied some say, John, the Baptist others say Elijah and

still others, say Jeremiah or one of the prophets Jesus here

are all the different ways that people view you.

These are their truth claims. They think you're John the

Baptist. They think you're one of the

prophets. So Jesus keeps going, okay, but

what about you? He asked, who do you say that?

I am and Simon Peter answered. You are the Messiah, the Son of

the Living God. So that's his answer.

Peter says, you are the Messiah. You are the Son of God.

Was he right? Let's find out.

Because the next verse gives us the answer to the test.

Jesus, replied blessed. Are you Simon son of Jonah?

For this was not revealed to you by Flesh and Blood.

Hold on a second. Where was this?

Truth revealed But by my Father in heaven to know, the truth is

to know Jesus to know. Jesus is to know God, you can't

know the truth without knowing god and without knowing Jesus,

Peter recognizes the truth. Jesus reaffirms, the truth,

because God revealed the truth. That, this is who Jesus is now

question. What kind of Truth claim is

this? Is this a situational claim?

Did Jesus come to earth live, a perfect life?

He'll people preach, fantastic messages and down across to

usher in a situational Kingdom. A situational, gospel

situational, Grace situational, hope situational healing.

Was that the thrust of Jesus's message?

Or did Jesus die on a cross? So that we would follow him in

all areas of our life. Presidential candidates were a

year away for a year and a half away from it, being even

stupider than his now. And you'll be hard-pressed to

find a presidential candidate that does not believe in God.

And you'll be hard-pressed to find a candidate.

Who will not say something along these lines.

My faith is A Private Matter. And I will not bring my private

faith into public life. Situationally.

I'm going to allow God to be the god of my heart, but not my

decision, making not my rule and management of the future of our

country. And when they make that claim,

what they do is they satisfy weak-minded religious people who

think that a person who claims to at least know, God is somehow

a perk but then they satisfy everybody who doesn't want a

religious leader to go. Well, at least he's not going to

impose his face. I just have a personal faith.

When I'm at home with my family, I'm going to follow Jesus but

when I'm leading the government, I'm going to do.

Whatever I am not going to bring my faith into it.

Well what's the point in having a faith?

If it's not going to influence the decisions, you make, how you

respond to people, how you love people, how you care for people?

What good is a faith, that doesn't transform.

You doesn't cause you to sacrifice or submit to it.

What? Good is a fake that has no

business in your public life, because Jesus did not preach a

gospel, follow me and tell nobody about it.

It follow me and don't show anybody what it means to be like

me. Now before you guys get all

Republican or Democrat. Listen, we're just here to talk

about my blue balloon. Stay the course now What people

end up doing is they treat God like ketchup.

Ketchup is great. On some things just not

everything ketchup is good on a dog.

It's good on a burger. It's good on scrambled eggs.

Is anybody scrambles their eggs and put some ketchup on it?

Praise God for you, take the weekend off, you don't have to

tie this weekend, God bless you. How many of you?

How many of you get down with some scrub, with some ketchup on

your hash browns? Mashed potatoes?

Isn't that weird hash browns? Yeah fries.

Yeah, mashed potatoes? No.

Yeah. I get it here in that the truth,

though, we'll put, we'll put ketchup on all those things, but

not our corn on, the cob not our Fruit Loops, there's just

certain places where we want ketchup in.

There's some places we don't and while we get frustrated with our

plank, I looking at the world doing the same thing, we do it

all the time in our own life. I want you to be the god of my

prayer life, just not my financial life.

Okay, you guys have to dive. You can be the, you can be the

god of my problems, but you can't be the guy.

God of my sex life. You can't be the god of my

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

Just the god of my Sunday. Deep down inside many of us

functionally operate and just want a Jesus, whose good

situationally I want to do what I want and when the situation

gets out of hand, I want to call in rescue Jesus.

And so we get frustrated in World culturally who's living

situation Ali when spiritually. We situationally handcuffed

ourselves because when you take God, out of every situation, you

create a mess in every one of those situations because of God

is not the one directing your paths, you are responsible for

the outcome of your paths. Well, maybe Jesus came and he

died on the cross for a subjective truth that it would

just be true for you. And you can have your faith in

Jesus and I can have mine. You can have your faith in Jesus

and I can be a Buddhist. I can follow Islam.

I can be an atheist and we can all live in Perfect Harmony,

because Jesus is good for you. He's It's not good for me.

I just don't know how I feel about it.

And so people are completely okay with you.

Having a subjective Faith with Jesus.

Yeah, you can believe Jesus. I just believe something

different. Well, these two things cannot be

true. Jesus cannot be the way the

truth, the life, the only way to the father and at the same time

there be another way to the father.

You are not believing the same things.

The truth of the claim is based on how you feel about it, is it

true for you? Or is Jesus.

Making an objective truth claim? That I am the Son of God.

Everything that has been created was made by me and for me, and

through me and it doesn't matter what you think about it.

It doesn't matter what you believe about it, because

nothing can change. Who I am your thoughts, your

feelings, your belief doesn't remove me from the throne

because I sit here because of who I am not, because of who you

think I am. In fact you can make up your

mind now or you can kneel later is what it says that there will

come a day where every tongue will declare On Bended Knee.

That Jesus is the Christ, is Jesus making an objective claim

that this is true regardless of how you feel about it.

That you must submit. You must follow, you must obey.

It appears to me. That the statements and John 14,

Jesus is making an objective claim.

So how do people deal with this fundamental question about Jesus

creates culture what category you put Jesus in creates

culture? Well, how does this happen?

and what happens when people have Jesus in different

categories, it creates culture clashes Because culture does

four things at least four things.

First thing culture does, its culture speaks culture

communicates, commute culture tells us what we value and are

the beliefs of a group of people.

It helps you read and understand the people around you, what's

important to them? You can tell what a school

values by where they spend their money on Sports programs or

research facilities. Fast food restaurants, tell you

something about a culture that what people value, they value

mediocre food fast because they're super busy.

No one likes to cook after a long day of work, it tells you

something, but you go to another country and you won't see as

many drive-thrus because that culture values, something

different, SUV's, and minivans, and electric cars, tell us

something about our culture, our holidays speak about what we

value. As people Mother's Day, Father's

Day Veterans, Day, Memorial Day, tell you what?

Eric ins want to esteem culture? Doesn't just speak though,

culture sinks It makes us feel at home.

It gives us a sense of peace that makes you feel safe.

Those of you who've traveled outside of the US, or even for

those of you who travel to another city and things are no

longer on your terms, you're in a different bed, you're dealing

with language barriers, you're dealing with food challenges

Transportation storage, because anybody who's ever traveled

outside the country has a transportation story and you

probably felt out of sync when you were overseas.

Because you were out of your culture.

After a long trip, you get home and you get in your bed, the bed

that you don't care about or all that much anytime, but after

you've been gone for like seven days, you get in your own bed

and you go culture sinks. Do you feel at home?

There are certain areas of your life where you feel at home and

culture. And some of the culture crashes

that are happening is people are moving us.

They're changing our bed. They're changing the thermostat

in the house and your own. This feels out of sync culture,

doesn't just sync, it spreads culture is viral for decades.

You could you can see what was happening on the east coast and

on the west coast and know what would be on our door in the next

ten years. But now, in the age of social

media, what happens out, there is here.

Every presidential campaign begins with the desire for a

culture that spreads a grassroot campaign with enough power that

spreads fast enough to land them in the white house.

It's not just politically though.

We see it in language, in fashion, in music, and in

design, Culture spreads. the most importantly, culture

shapes. We care about what our kids are

exposed to what they're taught in school because we know that

they will eventually be shaped by it.

We know that deep down inside what our kids are exposed to

matters. It shapes us.

So while we have the ability to shape culture, more often than

not culture shapes you and me, husbands, come here.

You didn't know, your house was outdated until culture told your

wife that it was And so you're taking perfectly functioning

cabinets. Countertops sinks faucets and

tile out of a house. Not because they've lost their

youthfulness. But because culturally your wife

has been indoctrinated. And now you are suffering the

consequences. And today we fight now, okay,

okay. This is so imagine how Jesus the

son of God. Savior of the world as a

situational. Truth impacts how the world

would speak and think and value. Think of how they would feel out

of place with a group of people who see, Jesus as the Son of God

as an objective truth. So what are Christians to do?

How are we to respond? What is our path forward?

You see the values, you see, culture shifting around us, what

do we do? And there are some good

Christian people, what they're going to do is they're going to

reject it. We're going to pick a fight,

they're going to get hostile. There's going to be a war, not

on my watch, and there are definite places where Christians

should push back, as often as necessary.

And as long, As necessary, we should be completely against

slavery. Sex trafficking proliferation of

pornography the abuse of the vulnerable cannot and should not

be tolerated or allowed their areas were Christians should

fight back and say no, this will not happen.

There's some Christians, in response to the cultural

challenges, they're going to say, you know what, we're going

to do, we're going to receive it and some of your like nope,

listen to me. Sometimes the best Christian

response to culture is to receive it.

Some would say that, that is exactly what Paul is doing in

1st Corinthians chapter 9. Listen to what the Apostle Paul

says, though, I am free and belong to no one I have made

myself a slave to everyone, why twenties many people as

possible. I took my freedom and I embodied

the culture of a slave to win as many people as possible.

Let's keep going to the Jews. I became like a Jew to win the

Jews to those under the law. I became like one under the law,

though. I myself am not under the law.

So as to win those under the law, let's keep going to those

not having the law. I became like one not having the

law though, I am not free from God's law but I'm under Christ's

law. So as to Windows not having the

law, let's keep going to the week.

I embody the culture of the week to win the week, I have become

all. Things to all people, so that by

all possible means. I might save some Paul saying

I'm going to step into culture. I'm going to be in those places.

And I'm going to do it. To blend in.

And to win the opportunity to have a conversation.

If culture is about lifted trucks, then I'm going to lift

the Toyota Avalon. If culture is all about country

music, then get ready for some foot-stomping worship songs.

If culture is about khakis and polos, then get out the iron

because we're about to pull eat some stuff.

This is not about compromise. This is not about silencing your

beliefs, but building a bridge to express your beliefs to a

culture. You want to win.

Some people say no, the Christian response is to

retreat. We're not going to fight and

we're definitely not going to receive.

We are not going to blend in. We are going to withdraw

completely from culture in an effort to pursue Holiness to

protect their family from the ways of the world.

They're going to pull way back. They might be doing this in

private schools or in homeschooling you might do this

in removing technology pieces and their life and they'll never

be the cool. Hip couple that's up to speed on

the latest binge worthy Netflix show.

All of these approaches have strong biblical arguments, but

they also have devastating potential pitfalls.

To those who reject culture, they may never have the loving

voice, that others need to hear. To those who receive culture,

they may never live out a Full Gospel distinctiveness to those

who retreat? They will struggle to live out

the Great Commission. I think there's a better way.

That we should function as a royal priesthood.

This is what it says in First Peter, but you are a chosen

people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special

possession. That you may declare the Praises

of him who called you out of Darkness into his wonderful

light. Let's keep going.

Once you were not a people but now you are the people of God.

He fashioned. You he bought you.

He brought you in. He made you into who you are.

Once you had Not received Mercy, but now you have received Mercy

in its service to King Jesus. You and I, we become a royal,

priesthood are royalty. We belong to him and then we are

priests. What a priest?

Do priests do. One thing really stinking?

Well, they connect to God to future.

People of God, they live in the tension in between they are

constantly reaching out and grabbing ahold and drinking

deeply from the word of God. And from the spirit of God and

contextualizing it to the people that God is trying to reach

later Paul. Paul says that we are to be

ambassadors for King. Jesus later in this very chapter

Peter calls, us, aliens, and strangers in this world, too

many of us are trying to take back our country.

This world is not ours. This country is not ours.

This is not our kingdom. Our kingdom is in the Heavenly

Realms. It is a spiritual reality, and

nobody can take it from us. We are to be way more concerned

about God's kingdom than our Earthly realities.

But we are to be concerned with taking the Earthly realities and

surrendering them, and using them to draw people in to the

spiritual realities of Christ. While we live in it, We love the

people in it. This is not our home.

This is not our kingdom and what we choose to do as a royal

priesthood is stand in the Gap. Connecting people.

We speak truth but we do it in love, we seek justice but we

understand Mercy, we expect transformation, but we preach

Grace, and when you do this, To those who choose to live in the

tension of being wholly in a stained World, while declaring

the goodness of God, the supremacy of Jesus and the

transformative power of the Holy Spirit to a broken and hurting

world around us, we will take arrows from both sides.

We will be aliens and strangers in this world to the religious

Elites, they will call a soft on Doctrine and the world will call

us old-fashioned to the religious Elites.

We will be called conformists into the world, they'll call us

out of touch. However, it will be in these

very moments where we embrace the royal priesthood where we

stand in the Gap, then we preach.

And we point people to Jesus where we talk about the goodness

of God, and we are continually reaching out to his people.

It is in those moments. Once that you and I just might

be the most, like, Jesus, who was crucified by the religious

Elites and the world that God was trying to reach.

I hope you'll join me in that as we move to this time a decision.

So what do you say to that kind of Jesus?

What kind of Truth claim are you ready to make today?

Some of you you've been living with the situational Jesus with

the situational King. And that God doesn't save.

Some of you've been living with a subjective truth claim when it

comes to Jesus, it's just good for me, but it's not good for my

family, it's not good. For my co-workers, they can keep

believing what they believe but that's not what Jesus believes.

You and I must come to a place. We're willing to make the

objective truth, playing that Jesus is the Christ, the son of

the Living God. And I want him as my Lord and my

savior. The people of God have always

been faced with this challenge, Eve was lured away from God in

the garden, after the rescue of the Israelites and the

Deliverance of those. In the promised land, Joshua

reclaimed to the people. You must trust God, take him at

his word, know the truth, cling to the truth.

And here's Joshua, he looks out at the people who are in the

promised land and he makes this incredible declaration.

Those of you grown up in church, you've heard it your whole life.

See if this sounds situational subjective or objective.

This what he says now, fear the lord and serve him with all

faithfulness, throw away the gods of your ancestors.

That were there were worshipped beyond the Euphrates river and

in Egypt and serve the Lord. But if serving the lord seems

undesirable to you then choose for yourselves this day whom you

will serve whether the god of your ancestors who serve beyond

the MRI or Euphrates or the gods of the amorites in whose land

you are now living. But as for me, And my house.

We will serve the Lord. And the future of your family.

And the future of your life. And the future of the culture,

wars that lie ahead and the future of your salvation.

Lays at the answer to that question, who will you serve?

If you were here today? And King Jesus is not your king.

Don't put it off. You can start an intimate

personal relationship with him today.

And just a few moments of people around, you're going to stand

and begin singing. And some people are going to

come up to the steps and start praying and you can go right

over to the baptistry and you can spend some time talking with

somebody about how to begin that relationship to the rest of you

in here. The Christians.

What culture works coming? But the only way we're going to

solve these issues if with a heart with a spirit with a mind

with a mouth with behavior that has been surrendered and

purified through the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Would you join me in that mission?

Would you stand with me? Heavenly father.

Thank you for today. Thank you for this church.

I love him so much and got a I can't even fathom how much you

love them. And God I pray that you would do

a work and every single person, whether here in this room or

watching online to draw them closer to you, you know, my

pray. Amen.