The Most Surprising Day of All

Welcome To The River. City Church podcast and a

message by our lead. Pastor Jason Powers our prayer

is that this message would Inspire and encourage you, build

your faith and point you to the life-changing love Jesus, may

you enjoy the goodness of God as you follow him today?

Hi everybody. Hey, listen.

Before we're going to do our, our confession, we're going to

do that in just a second, but before I have to, I have to say

something like to address something.

So first of all, Jesus loves you, that's the most important

and everything gets filtered through that.

Fortunately or, unfortunately, in certain moments, I get to be

his mouthpiece and I am less perfect than he is.

And so, last week we were talking about We're talking

about all kinds of and I made a comment that that was not

necessarily untrue but maybe could have been delicate.

Here's the thing about a stage here, it resists.

Nuance just utterly, right? Like cause you got to talk to a

lot of people so it's Hardy. So here's the deal last week.

We're talking about, we're kind of talking about marriage and

staying on the side and I talked about divorce boy, if there's a

subject that needs some Nuance, huh, right?

I spent about 14 seconds on it, right?

But not that you can't say everything that there is to say

about that, in that time, needless to say, I just didn't.

And so, so here's the idea, the idea that we kind of said last

week was like, man, if your marriage is in trouble, if

you're being abused, if you are being, you know, whatever, get

out like leave the Lord, didn't create you to be a punching bag

and it kind of left it like that.

And what that didn't do is leave a lot of context for a lot of

other really, really hard things in marriage aside, from raising

kids, being married is the hardest thing that I've ever

Ever done that. I'm continue to do it.

I have a really, really great wife, right?

It's even harder for her than it is for me because she doesn't

get to be married to herself. She has to be married to me,

right? So, here's the thing that I want

to say, here's where I think, sometimes we can look over the

time, right. I think maybe the church has

lost some of her moral voice and culture.

One of the reasons I think that comes from is I think it's not

enough for the church to say that's bad, don't do that,

right? Because underneath all of this

is in my heart is sin and left to my own devices that's in is

going to come out telling somebody to not sin it's you

might as well just sell them flap.

Your arms and fly to Tuscaloosa. Can't get there from here,

right? So here's what I want to say.

If you're married, if you are in a relationship and your today

going, it's harder than I think I can bear and navigate what I

want you to do. Like we talked about last week

is not give up hope, but I want you to know is there's help you

don't have to figure it out by yourself.

What I I promise you is as your church as his congregation.

We want to help you promises. I can make no judgment.

We don't judge. That's not what we do because

it's hard and because we all need help.

We will stand with you and we will walk with you.

We will my promises we will point to Jesus as Faithfully as

we can. And that may be difficult for

you and that may he may say some things that you don't want to

hear, but I promise you, I have seen it happen.

When people say I'm not quitting.

I'm going to fight for this and we're going to figure this out.

You can make it and we want to help hearing will you raise your

hand? This is Harry and Karen Taylor.

They are a part of caring. You can raise your hand to, as

well. They are part of our marriage

Ministry, they head up our marriage Ministry, there's help,

we can get you counseling, we can get talk to, we can send

you, we all kinds of things that we can do.

So if that's you, if you left last week, feeling beat up.

Listen, that's me. That's not the Kingdom, right?

Jesus will talk to you. Jesus will say things that will

feel like conviction. It may offend you and hurt your

feelings, whatever. But Jesus will lead you to life.

Okay. So if I if If I was in delicate

last week, and you walked out feeling beat up instead or

judged, instead of loved and encourage that's on me, please

forgive me for that, I'll do my best not to do that anymore.

Good, which brings us to our it seems like a good time for our

confession, right? Our confession as the church is

we are badly broken. Yes, you are Grace and peace to

you. You know, what made me think

about that this week, I had a guy who is a friend of mine

called me on the phone and just go.

Jason, I love you, you know, I love you, right?

Is it, hey, can you think about this?

And I did and he was right. And that's a faithful friend,

that's a trusted, that's a trusted brother.

So you can be that kind of brother to write in love, talk

to people. My brother face, a choice that

day, he made a choice and it paid off good.

That is what life is about the life that you're in right now is

a product of the choices that you've made.

Do you live here? Do you live somewhere else?

Do you work here or do you work somewhere else?

You go to college here and you go to college somewhere else, or

do not go to college at all. What do you do with your parents

relationship? What do you do with your

friends? How do you spend your time?

How do you spend your money? It reminds me of my favorite

poem by Robert Frost. I'm sure you've heard it was

studied, right? Two roads, diverged, in a yellow

wood. And sorry, I could not travel

both and be one. Traveler long, I stood and

looked down one as far as I could to where it bent in the

undergrowth. And some of that is and I took

the One Less Traveled by and that has made all the

difference, the decisions that we make lead us on paths and

those paths lead us directions and they get us somewhere.

So the questions are the question.

I have for you is what are the decisions that you've made in

your life that have been most impactful?

What are the things? What are the decisions?

The choices that you've made that have guided and shaped your

life? Here's another question.

Do you remember me? In those choices, or did you

wake up one day? And just realize that you had

made a choice that changed, everything.

And you felt stuck maybe or you feel caught or you felt lost

This is relevant and big because we have to make a choice.

What we do with Jesus's teaching in The Sermon on the Mount,

because it confronts us at every turn.

It confronts us with a reality that it's not, okay, to just

have it on the outside, it's not.

Okay. To just choose some good things

and go do those. Good things?

Jesus is Calling his invitation to us, is to be made good from

the inside out, and that's harder to work harder to do and

it's often Invisible often difficult to see.

So what do we do with the Sermon on the Mount?

When we read Jesus saying if you call a brother, if you tell a

brother, you fool, You've committed murder.

Do we have a choice to do? What do we do?

There we go. Jesus, you're just being crazy.

You're just being yet. Stop exaggerating Jesus, not

that bad or do we believe him and look at him, just go, that's

a big thing that I need to check in the question becomes.

If I harbored that on my heart, do I have pain and hurt and

wounds in my heart? Do try to do both, do you go?

Oh well I'll just tolerate a little bit of content in my

heart. I'll be mad at people.

I won't lie people. All be really kind of loud and

obnoxious and public spaces, but I'll go to church all, you know,

and we'll figure that Jesus Will Make A Deal me and Are you

making deals with Jesus? See, the problem is if we find

ourselves or if we believe we are, or if we feel like we are

in a position to negotiate with Jesus on the kingdom terms, that

means that we make some day. Are you ready?

That means if we're like Jesus like, hey, how about this?

Jesus, you give a little here and I'll give a little bit here,

and I'll get a little bit here. We may find, we may come to find

some day that Judgment day will be a surprise to many.

We may find that the choices that we have made come to bear

on Judgement Day and here's the deal, I say all the time, the

mortality rate for the human race continues to hover right

around 100 percent. And the uncomfortable truth is

on the day that we die on the day that we stand there and we

take our last breath, we will have chosen the choices of Our

Lives will have been made and we will stand and listen, you may

not believe in eternity and that's okay.

There are certain things that exist Our list of what we feel

about them and what we believe them.

But what so what I believe in what I'm pointing to and we

talked about him, scripture is on that day, when life ends, we

will have chosen. And so the question is, what do

we choose is a little scary the prospect of standing before God

one day and having it not go. Maybe the way that we think it

should or the way that we feel would.

Maybe it gets you a little uncomfortable, right?

So who's that for who are the people that are going to be

surprised? Now, here's the thing that I

want to tell you've got, we've got to settle this right up

front. You don't have to wonder, you

don't have to guess, you don't have to be biting your nails.

And the Heavenly line. There is a way that you can be

assured. That what is just not everybody

believes it. So how can we find that?

What are we going to find Jesus stood?

And remember, he's been talking from the beginning, right?

He started with repent and this idea of repentance is like to

turn around to walk a different way.

The very context of the word repentance means a direction

change. So Jesus said, change directions

because the kingdom is here. And so the And then becomes, if

you don't change directions, if there is no Direction, Change

whatsoever, what really has happened.

And so, Jesus is painting this big picture of life in the

Kingdom of life, where we discipline our discontent, where

we discipline, our anger, where we discipline our

self-righteousness, and we worship Him and we humble

ourselves, and we navigate, and we nurture, and we seek out and

we repair the relationships and Jesus stands before.

His disciples who had would have heard this, and they would have

been perplexed for sure. And Jesus says this enter

through the narrow gate for wide, is the gate and Broad is

the road that leads to destruction and many many enter

through it. But small is the gate and narrow

is the road that leads to life and only a few find it.

People are going to be surprised on Judgement Day or people that

take the path of least spiritual resistance.

Maybe the good news. Is that on that day?

That we stand. For Jesus, there's going to be a

big, huge wide open gate, and it's probably going to have big

like, curlicue metal like lots of good iron works right.

Apparently st. Peter's going to be there,

right? That's good.

This is what we're expecting and what we imagine is we're going

to come and we're gonna stand and we're going to have all of

our baggage with us. Right?

All of our insecurities, we're going to bring all these and we

go hey I'm going to need you. Jesus to accommodate all these

things right. Like I need to listen, I'm

afraid of people so I don't really like to have to get

involved with people, right? And the good news is on the

wide. Gay on The Wide road, is a whole

bunch of people that are walking going.

Yeah, me too, I'm insecure too. Let's hurry.

And let's get in and so, you just go good.

I can bring all of my stuff, all of my sin and all of my fear and

all of my Prejudice and hatred of my anger.

I can bring all of that because there's plenty of room through

the gate. And you know how I know we're

going to believe that because Jesus said the kingdom is here

and there's all kinds of Christians that do that now.

We're told is the path is Broadwell.

Paid lots of room. You can walk six, but six beside

right. Lots of room for us, to hold on

to our failures and our weaknesses, and our sins, and

our preferences in our things. Jesus said, but there's another

way a narrow road and it's like hidden like the big like the big

girls got like, blinking lights and flashing, signs and music,

right Thunder to write and draw on everybody.

And then you gotta leave that and you gotta go walking, you

got to go hon through the woods and you find there's this little

narrow path. You look like Even know.

That's a gate and it's stick and it's wood and it's like this

big, right? So you got to like narrow

through it. You just like, okay I'm just

gonna bring one insecurity all but it won't come.

It won't go and see your like so now you stand back and now you

got a choice. It's easier over there and you

read my Bible, I can do my quiet time, I can go to church, I do I

can go over there, that's one that lets me have some stuff,

but if I come here, I have to leave everything.

And so you make your choice and you go.

Yeah. So you leave your stuff and you,

oh my gosh. How am I going to live?

Without that, that it secures protected me and it's made me

look. So you just squeeze through the

Geitner, right? You're sucking, then you get

through, oh, and you give me like, oh, and you're looking

back. Like, oh my gosh, how am I ever

going to make that? And you turn around, you know

what? Jesus is right there.

Hey, let's go. Yeah, but Jesus almost like he's

like that. Let's go.

Come on, and you start walking and then you get to some, then

there's another person there. And there aren't a lot of people

read, says, Narrows the get rough.

You, or Any walking, fine. And another person.

And this is a person that, you know, they're they're bigger

than you, or they're better looking than you or whatever it

is, that makes you insecure. Whatever it is that makes you

feel like you're less than and you see him coming in.

You're like, Jesus hide me. And she's like, no, I'm proud of

you. Come on, you're mine.

You're with me and you like, oh God, if they see me there and

Kami, right? And she says, we live wide open

here. You're going to have to trust

me. The Kingdom of Heaven is at

hand. It's here.

It's now we can choose that and live that now and the only

reason, the only way we do that, That is because Jesus see the

crowded path where you bring all your stuff and you make all your

provision. I got got my wallet, I got all

my money, I had everything I need.

I can provide for myself, I got a good line of credit.

I got a good job, I got to do all that.

I got my sins, and I mean security.

So nobody takes advantage of you.

Nobody hurts me and everything's good.

The good news about that is, you don't even need Jesus for that.

So if you choose that, just go, you don't even need to be here

though on Sundays because you can carry all your stuff with

you through life. You can take all of your stuff.

But what Jesus said is give it Me what Jesus said is Follow Me

Jesus said, take the gate right? Take the narrow gate because on

the narrow gate, you're never alone and it's not like just a

map to get where you're going. You've got a guide on the guide

is well God himself, who loves you, who left eternity to come,

find you and it come chase you. And so, if you don't want to be

surprised on Judgement Day, the big question that we have to

ask, is what are you doing with Jesus?

Not what do you believe about Jesus?

What are you doing with Jesus? Because Jesus said, follow me,

So do we follow Jesus, or do we forget him.

We follow Jesus, or do we fight with him?

Do we follow Jesus, and we call them out.

Do we argue with him? Do we Heckle with him?

Here's the question. Now again, I'm not going to

assume that you're that you're a Jesus follower.

I don't, I don't make that assumption.

So if you're here and you're not a Christian and you haven't

been, then you are welcome here. This is a great place, you can

hear. And you can you can you know,

find what we're talking about and get the secret code words

and all that stuff. It'll be good, right?

But for those, if you are a Believer, if you've been to

believe even if you just been a believer, Jesus and a follower

of Jesus for 10 minutes. The question is how is Jesus

changed? You has there been any

different? Let's talk specifically based on

some of the Sermon on the Mount stuff.

Can you name anybody that used to be an enemy that is now

closed? Can you name somebody that you

used to keep at arm's length? And at arm's distance who you

have now loved and started to serve and built a relationship

with, if none. If there's nobody, we have to

ask the question. Jesus told us to love our

neighbors, to love our enemies and to go after, and he painted

the picture again, you know, of God, the father and the prodigal

son in Luke chapter, 16, he chasing after the Sun.

And if that's what God is like, and if we're following him, then

we should have some of that too. Who are the people?

Who don't know Jesus. That you have a burden for that

you care, deeply about you pray and love, and serve, and talk to

because Jesus is loving and serving and talking to and

inviting people as well. So the question is, what are we

doing with Jesus? Because believing in is not the

same as believing believing. Jesus means following him

because Jesus said my father in Knows what you need and he'll

provide all of that. My father in Heaven, takes care

of the flowers. My Father in Heaven, takes care

of the birds, won't he take care of you too.

And you go, yes, Jesus. He will do then, I want you to

go love that person that can do that Jesus.

Because that's dangerous. Jesus says, but you just told me

that you believe me that it was going to be safe.

I do, but that's the danger. You see?

Believing Jesus leads us the following him and it will lead

us to Gaspard sometimes and go and get it in the, you get it.

It's gonna be terrible and then you find out.

Oh my gosh. Once again, Jesus has come

through. What are you doing with Jesus?

Are you just believing in him or you following him?

Are you going where he goes? And this is a sobering thought.

This is a challenge to me. I have Back here, we can just

go. What am I doing?

Am I following you? Lord does my life look more like

you than it did back then and so now you start going okay well

how do I follow? What does that look like?

Is that sobering thought right? Well The Company You Keep

matters. I try to tell my kids this all

the time, right? Then that's one of the biggest

things about, you know, as they're kind of growing up, is,

man, the friends that you make matter, you become the friends

that you are not to remind myself.

Well, I should tell myself that as well, right?

Because Jesus talks about this as he goes.

And verse, 15, 13 says, watch out for false prophets.

They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly, they are

ferocious wolves. So the idea of a prophet is a

prophet is not a person who tells the Future, Okay?

A prophet is a person who speaks God's word, the kind of the

calling card of profit is thus, says, the Lord God says this.

So when a prophet speaks, it comes untrue.

And so, what Jesus is saying here, is that not everybody who

claims to speak Or God actually does speak for God.

Watch out for false prophets. Now, here's one of the times, I

love when Jesus like tries to make a point because Jesus is

typically pretty succinct, right?

He speaks his words and his and it comes through Jesus right

here just flat starts rambling. He says the same thing like 16

different ways. Ready notice the thing that he

says, what does he say by their fruit?

You will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from

thornbushes or figs from thistles likewise, every Good

tree Bears. Good fruit.

But a bad tree Bears. Bad fruit.

A good tree cannot bear, bad fruit and a bad tree.

Cannot bear. Good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good.

Fruit to come down and thrown into the fire.

Thus, by their fruit. You will recognize them.

What do you think? Jesus is main idea in this is

fruit. Fruit.

It's like you keep saying it didn't even sound like a word

anymore, right? Fruit fruit.

Fruit fruit, right? What does that mean?

well, this isn't just for profits.

People are going to be surprised on Judgement Day when they don't

evaluate based on fruit, but they evaluate based on something

else. Anything else volume, right.

That's a method that I use a lot, right?

Try to get you to believe me. I'm just going to talk louder.

Sometimes anger, right? I can get you angry and if I can

convince you that somebody else is the bad guy that I can make

you angry at them. And I can make you side with me

and I can make you get with me. But what Jesus said is that it's

not how many Bible verses a person memorizes, a person can

be Wicked thoroughly and decidedly Wicked.

In their heart and memorize every verse in this Bible.

And you wouldn't know a person can call everybody brother a

brother and they can have a Caleb sticker and a Jesus fish

on their car and they can wear all of Shirts and they can go

all the places and do all of the things.

But at the end of the day, it's not about that.

It's not about your shirt, it's not about the sticker on your

car, it's about what's in your heart, right?

So what is your life producing? What does you're like?

What is the fruit of your life look like?

And not only you, the people that you're listening to because

what Paul said is the fruit of the spirit, right?

The fruit of a fig tree is what. Good.

That was good. The first try to get in the try.

Another one. The fruit of a grapevine is the

fruit of the. Holy spirit is joy.

Peace patience. Kindness goodness, faithfulness.

Gentleness self-control all those things.

Now what does a great Vine have to do to produce grapes?

Nope. Do you know what a grapevine has

to do to produce grapes? Be planted in the ground and

stay healthy and it will just come out.

So when Paul says, the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace,

patience. Kindness goodness, faithfulness.

Gentleness self-control. He says, against these things,

there is no law. Here's what that means.

When we touched on this before, that means that as a follower of

Jesus, not only are you allowed, but you are supposed to love

everybody. You see in a way that other

people will go, you can't do that.

You've tracking and you know why we do that because that's what

Jesus did for you. See, we labor under this idea

that Jesus came to us and got us because we're so awesome.

But Jesus up there, right? Like, I'm I'm running away from

him. I'm rejecting him, right?

I'm you know, this world-class recreational chemist and

college, and I'm doing all of these things, right?

And I'm up there, like Jesus is just going, oh my gosh, the

Kingdom's, never going to happen without him.

That ain't it. Jesus is the kingdom and he

lovingly invites us. So here's what we need to do and

this is really relevant for us. And and again The internet age

means that you have access to every single person's thoughts.

That's not good. What that means is that you can

hear some really wonderful and beautiful and life-giving

Biblical teaching on the internet.

But also means that you can find some rank garbage.

And on the internet, it can be hard to tell the difference

because what we need to look at is the fruit of a leader.

Beware of hearing, a leader of listening to a leader who every

time you're done, you feel guilty, you feel ashamed, you

feel small, beware of a Christian leader who every time

they speak every time they talk to you, you feel afraid of

somebody. Like you have to dig in and

protect yourself from somebody. I can have it on good authority.

That Jesus is not afraid of anybody.

Jesus is not afraid of any movement, Jesus, not afraid of

any ideology. With the scripture tells me is

that Jesus has conquered, I've read the end of the book.

It says that he will reign once and for all.

So beware of these leaders that make you feel small that make

you feel powerless, because that's not what you said.

Now, listen, my hope. Is that, every time you come in

here, my hope is that every time you enter into this place you

feel conviction, my hope is it in your heart.

Every time. Jesus speaks something to you

that says give me that attitude. Stop.

Holding that grudge against those people.

That's not the path to the joy, that you need.

Your protection, isn't in a party or an election.

Your protection is in the Kingdom.

My hope, is that every single time you walk into this room and

hear my voice, you feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit?

Do you know why? I don't want to save you from

that. Do you know why?

Because when you feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, I

have really good news for you. Jesus loves you, and he cares

for you. And that thing that he's putting

his finger on, he wants to take away from From you.

Nobody gets angry that the doctor wants to take their

cancer away from them. Do they?

Oh no. Doc you can't have this.

This is mine and I love it. So know we're begging, get it.

Jesus is the same way. Hey, I can take that insecurity

from you and it will allow you to love your spouse better know.

Jesus. It's mine.

What are you talking about? My Hope Is that we will be

convicted, so then we can hear Jesus go.

If you'll give me that, I'll set you free, My Hope Is that we

would be that. So the question is the question

that we ask is. Who are the people helping you

find and follow Jesus? Are the deepest and closest

relationships in your life. People that are pointing you

rabidly to Jesus. Sang, follow him more, give him

your. Have you prayed about that?

Are you following? What are you doing?

Who are the people in your life? Are the people closest to you?

Making it more difficult or making it easier for you to

follow. Jesus are all the people in your

life on the wide Road or on the narrow road.

Because I know, I remember what I look at my kids, my kids

become their friends, their friend groups, I know that

because I did, now does this mean that we have to hide and

ricotta? Never talk to anybody?

That's outside Church. Absolutely.

Not. We just recognize and understand

what that is. They're not going to point us to

Jesus. It's our job to point them to

Jesus. It's our job to point them to

the life that he offers. And so, this is so crucial for

the internet age. Listen, here's the deal.

And I just, and I say this, kind of lightly, but also not if a

person has ever said the phrase, God told me that Any person has

ever said that about an election, about an idea about a

thought. God told me that good news, that

person has claimed to be a prophet, the Old Testament tells

us what to do with profits, instead of a prophet speaks for

me, if God says of a prophet speaks for me, it will come

true. So a person who says thus saith

the Lord, and that doesn't come true, that makes them a false

prophet, you know what the Old Testament tells us to do with

false prophets, Kill him. Take him outside of town and

throw rocks at them until they're dead.

Now we're under the New Covenant, we don't do that.

We don't kill that old. We don't don't do that.

But are you listening church? That person does not have

authority. If you continue to listen to the

people who claim to speak for God and don't you or walking

down the wide Road of people, who will say whatever it is that

you want to hear. Whatever it is that agrees with

you. What Jesus says comes true.

What Jesus says happens. And listen, it is.

Okay to go. Oh, remember that time where you

said the sunrise was going to be purple and it wasn't you said

God told me the sun. Yeah, so I love you.

We can play Canasta, but you're not the prophet in my life

anymore. You're not the one who gets to

tell me, because that's fine. I'm not mad at you.

I want you to listen. I want you to know I want to.

Let's figure that out because maybe someday God will use you.

But we've got to get close and we've got to get connected to

him. We have to have people in our

life who point us to the way and the truth, and the life that is

Jesus. So now he goes, this is again, I

told you this is a phrase that gives me nightmares.

Not everyone who says to me, Lord Lord will enter the kingdom

of heaven. Lord means boss, it is a, it is

a position, right? And so the idea is, if you go to

your work and your go, hey boss, I'm here for the day, boss.

Hey, boss, I'm here for the day and the boss goes.

Hey, I need you to go. Pick up that box and move it

over. There you go.

No. Why do you call me boss and not

do what I say? Why do you act like you're

submitting? But not submitting, they will

never enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who

does the will of my father, who is in heaven, will what's the

will of my Father in heaven? Love your enemies.

Pray for those who persecute you.

Like, why do it? I already read that.

Right? Many, will say, to me, on that

day. Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy

in your name? Didn't we drive out demons?

And in your name, perform many miracles, you know, it's

interesting, right? There is, they just said, didn't

we do? Didn't he didn't talk about love

joy, peace patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness self-control. Do you know why?

Because I would honestly, if I'm telling you the truth, right?

Maybe just once I would rather do a miracle than have patience.

Cuz if I could do Miracles, I wouldn't need patience, right?

But the Lord saying you're going to be late Lovejoy Pete?

Right? Didn't say that.

But didn't we do all this? And then this is the one.

Then I will tell them plainly. I never knew you away from me,

you evildoers. Now this can make me nervous.

I'm like oh my God, what if he doesn't know me, what if he

doesn't know the picture here is a people who have intentionally

and deliberately chosen to just make their life based on the

actions on the words, right? Because this is the world.

The World values you by your work, the work, the world

values, you by what your output is, right?

And so, listen in Revelation. Jesus talking to a church at a

place called Ephesus and he explains it.

Like this Revelation Chapter 2 starting in verse 12, the angel

Revelation 2 · chapter mention

of the Church of Ephesus. Write these are the words of him

who holds the Seven Stars in his right hand and walks among the

seven golden lampstands. Jesus, Here's Jesus, words to

the church in Ephesus. Are you ready?

Listen, I know your Deeds, your hard work, and your perseverance

and you're just like, amen. Yes, Lord, I know that.

You know, my Deeds, I know that, you know, Lord, you're welcome.

Lord, You're hard working person.

I know that you cannot tolerate, Wicked people.

And we listen, we're like, that's right here, the wicked

one. We little tolerate, anybody,

your, I know, that's right. Boy, you know, it look that you

have tested those who claim to be Apostles, but are not.

That's right. Lord, we listen and we judge, we

draw Fruit, you do that. You have persevere and endure,

hardships, for my name and you have not grown weary and he

goes, yes, Lord. Yet, I hold this against you.

I don't want that. That's the phrase that I don't

want to hear. So the Lord's word that you

didn't do enough to combat wickedness, tolerate to not

tolerate evil people. This is what I have against you.

You have forsaken. What I just wanted you to say

it, so I don't have to say it all the time. you've forsaken

love oh you're right doctrinally boy your Doctrine sweet and

nobody cares because you don't love Consider, how far you have

fallen repent and do the things that you did it first.

If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your

lampstand from its place. See the world loves to evaluate

and judge you based on your work based on what you do.

And Jesus says, yeah, really it comes down to about Love.

She belonging or being used by God is not the same thing as

belonging to him. God in the scripture, used a

donkey to speak to a King. He used demon-possessed people,

God is remarkably creative in all the ways that he can speak,

he does not need our work. Now, he invites us to share, he

invites us to serve. And I believe that when we

follow him and when we get him and His life gets in us.

I believe we will make work, we will do things.

He said in Ephesians 2:10, right?

Ephesians 2:10

He created you to do, good works.

But it is not the good works on which we stand.

Jesus said I never what new you. So the question is, are you

focused on being with Jesus or just working for him?

Do you work for him? As much as you spend time with

him? Do you spend time with him at

all? Jesus, Miss under Jesus.

Cautioned about misunderstanding the kingdom.

He talked about religion in terms of intimacy and talk in

terms of closets and hiddenness and rewards in secret.

Jesus said don't misunderstand the kingdom.

So how do we do that? Are you ready?

Because this is a warning and listen, the, the goal in this

Jesus is goal is not to scare at.

This is not one of those like Halloween things right where

we're trying to scare people into following Jesus, this isn't

that, but Jesus is faithful. And he is fair, and he tells us,

listen your choices matter. It's not like every choice is

the same. Not all roads lead to the same

Pace there. I know, we know that there

aren't all roads lead to the same place.

We know that one road goes, right.

One load goes left. Those are different.

That's Aaron. What?

Jesus saying he wants you to have all the information so that

you can choose. So what do we do?

Intentionally? Choose the way of Jesus.

Every day, you have to wake up and choose this and I have to

wake up every day and choose it. And there will be no inertia and

there will be no. I'm gonna have to wake up every

day and go. I'm going to choose this over

that because every voice in your head is going to say, get them

fight, back retaliate, you do you, it's your voice, your the

manual, all of those. And we're gonna have to listen,

and we got to choose every day and decide every day.

Where we follow Jesus or we do the other.

How do we do that before you activate contemplate?

You ready? This is a process before you

activate before you. Somebody sends a thing on

Facebook and you look at it and you know that is wrong.

I must bring Justice to this, right?

And so you sit down and you're ready to go before you activate

contemplate. Hmm.

Hmm. Have I prayed?

Before I fire that off. Have I prayed for that person?

Hi May write something very this time.

He's our Men's Ministry, right? Hi May write something on

Facebook that I look at it and go.

Well, that is not true. I must fix it.

The Lord is, have you prayed about your own heart?

Have you prayed for Jaime? Have you stopped and brought

High met before The Throne of God and said, Lord, I know that

you love High me and I thank you that you love High me and I

thank you that you sent him here even though he's just wrong all

the time about this. Lord I just helped him to be

right like me and you Jesus. Right.

Sorry. What did you give her sit in the

front row, bro. A second question is, have you

taken the plank out of your own eye?

Because you're about to crush someone for the speck of dust

and there, I have you taken time to go before the Lord and go

Lord. I'm going to be judged too.

Someday, your word says, to do unto others as I would have

them. Do unto me.

How would I like Jason to handle this?

Have I how I prayed have? I stopped?

How I considered do that first. Listen to what Jesus said?

John chapter 12. Jesus says, for I did, he's

John 12 · chapter mention

talking to in and you can find the story in context with the

pictures. Jesus is perspective.

Like I did not speak on my own, but the father who sent me

commanded me to say, all that I have spoken.

I know that his command leads to eternal life.

So whatever I say is just what the father has told me to say

you almost, get the picture of Jesus standing there, and

there's a Pharisee here, tell him all well, you're not

supposed to do that on the Sabbath and you're a lawbreaker

and you're going to hell and you're terrible in your

authorized. And Jesus is like fight him,

right? But in To do not Jesus.

I got his ears. Like tell me Father.

What you owe me to get them. I got some things I could say

no. Forgive love quiet.

Okay. And wait, have you prayed have

you contemplated? Have you considered if Jesus

needs to hear from the father before he speaks?

So do I, I can assure you before you activate contemplate, as you

contemplate. Evaluate ask yourself the

question. What fruit will this bear?

Now, this is where we have to be careful because I have convinced

myself that I am such a persuasive argue.

That all they need to do is hear my comp It's wisdom spoken

eloquently and surely their mind will change and then we will all

be on the same side. Said that almost never happens

like that. So if I do this, if I send this

post, what's going to happen more than likely, they're going

to respond back. Now we're in a war.

Now, we're fighting each other shooting missiles at each other.

What if we stopped is this a demonstration?

And my life is this what I'm about to type and put out there

is this love joy, peace, patience.

Kindness. What will it Inspire in them?

Lovejoy. Am I the kind of person that

inspires these good things. He's fruitful things than other

people. And if not, what does that say

about me is Jesus going to use me to Bear bad fruit in someone

else's life? I don't think so.

So what if it's up to me evaluate, how does this require

trust? Listen, Hebrews 11:6 says this

Hebrews 11:6

without faith. It is impossible to please.

God, listen, we listen for just a second because here's the

thing. You cannot be right enough to

make God pleased with you. You cannot not do enough good.

You because those who come to him

must believe that he is, and that he rewards that he is a

rewarder of those who seek him. What that means, is that if this

decision, if my response to this person doesn't require some

measure and aspect of faith in me, it may not be the right one.

And, you know why we require Faith.

Because I'm going to be like this, quivering wanting to

retaliate because of the sin in my life and Jesus says, just

don't do it. Stop giving voice to the sin in

your life and start giving voice to the humility in your life and

quivering because I just want to fight because my heart's not

yet, but guess what? The first time we do that, the

second time gets easier and the third time gets easier and the

fourth time gets easier. And then don't just ruminate

Activate, see how we've gone full circle.

Don't just activate contemplate, contemplate evaluate.

Now, once you've contemplated a new venue, evaluated, now, it's

time to get busy. Now, we've got things that we

can do right now. We've got to go because Jesus is

life, is the model Jesus didn't just send us a lectionary.

Jesus didn't just send us an elementary school primer.

Jesus didn't just send us a book.

God sent life, God sent a human and he showed us.

He showed us how to love. And for people, he showed us how

to deal with overtly religious people.

He showed us how to pray. He showed us everything that we

know for Life. Jesus is life is our example,

right? Listen to this, brings it all

together. John chapter 10, starting in

John 10 · chapter mention

verse 7. Jesus says this.

Very truly, I tell you. I am the gate, enter the narrow

gate, right? It's hidden.

It's out of the way. I am the gate.

All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the

sheep have not listen to them. I am the gate.

Whoever comes through me, will be saved.

They will come in and go out and find pasture.

The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I have

come that they may have life and have it to the full, all that

stuff that gets squeezed out. And the narrow gate is all the

stuff that's keeping you from the Abundant Life that God has

for you. All that stuff that Jesus wants

you to leave his stuff that keeps you from the Redemption

and the life that he has planned for you.

It's hard. It's a hard walk.

But here's the perspective for those who followed Jesus, may

live for 80 or 100 years, in really difficult seasons and

times, and you may feel like you don't have enough in this life

and people are against you. And then for eternity, you will

hear the voice of father that says come and enter your rest.

For the rest of Eternity, you will have nothing or you can

fight for your goodness and your piece right now and this this

will be the best of your experience for all of eternity.

So, get your way. Climb the mountain.

Climb the ladder fight to the top because death is coming.

And on that day, we will have chosen.

The invitation of the church is to choose the narrow way to help

people follow and walk the narrow way.

Life is hard. People will abandon you, people

will betray you and they will hurt you.

Good things will happen to bad, people and bad things will

happen to good people, but Jesus calls us to Eternity not to a

good day, not to a good week to an eternity.

And so my listen, I said at the beginning, I don't know where

you are. I don't know where you're where

you're coming from. I don't know if you're a Jesus

follower. What I know is.

Jesus didn't come and tell people to be good.

Jesus didn't come, and stay and say, stop come cussing, Jesus

came and said, follow me. And let me just tell you.

This Jesus is far more open and accommodating to our way

weaknesses and our failures than Christians often are That's why

we follow Jesus and not Christians.

That's why we follow Jesus. Because listen, I have a

brother. Name is Aaron.

He's been here spoken before my tell you secretly.

Don't tell him he's a pain in the butt.

That's my brother. And we used to fight like dogs,

you can't be a part of my family and not get my brother.

You can't be a part of the father's family and not get the

brothers and sisters. And in fact, that's what it's

about, that's what love looks like.

That's the way the narrow way, not a flashy gate, not lights,

not the helicopters, buzzing, and all that.

A narrow path of the garden with Jesus.

Father, I ask that you would help us find that. and when all

the things, That I want to inflict on this world.

Save the world from me, Jesus. I don't want to try to squeeze

my baggage to the gate. That's what confession is

confession says, I have a lot of baggage that I have tried to

carry down this road with you. I have defended my insecurities

rather than fought for freedom. So make us free today's

Juneteenth. What a beautiful reminder

Freedom the cost of freedom, but the goodness that comes Lord,

let us be free. Make us free.

May your church be an example. In this world.

May we love as you loved met. The people who were drawn to you

be drawn to us, and may, we look more and more like you every

day. For those in this room who

haven't followed you. But today are going.

I want that, I want eternity. I don't want to get, I don't

want to be surprised on that day and I don't want to hear.

Jesus say, I never knew you if that's you and this place you

just confess Jesus. I don't think that I know you,

but I want to and ask him. Jesus said, if you asked he will

come and just like that he begins to lead and he begins to

guide you. Pray this with me, if that's

you. Jesus, forgive me for my sins.

Every day. I'm going to need that.

And Lead Me in the way of righteousness and peace.

Make me part of your family as we trust in you, Jesus.

I ask these things in your name and for your glory.

Amen, thank you for joining us today.

River City Church is all about experiencing and expressing

God's love in our lives and community.

And we hope that you've been able to experience that today as

grateful. As I am.

That you spent this time listening in this morning, this

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May the Lord bless, and keep you in all Grace and peace.