This is Expensive | Pastor Adrian Vega | Overflow Church

Man, is there some faith in the room today?

Is there some faith in the room this morning?

Man, I don't know if there's fa is there faith in the room today.

Do you believe that God is able today?

Because if you believe that God is able today, man, you be clapping different, you be worshiping different today.

Man, who are we to deny what God has done?

This is a work of faith, and sometimes we forget where our faith is landing on.

Man, my Bible tells me, I don't know what your version tells you, but my Bible tells me, man, that there were walls in Jericho that came tumbling down.

And if God could do it then, then He could do it now.

I don't care what the obstacle is, man, God will pull it down.

Do you believe that today?

Maybe you're looking at a Red Sea in front of you and an army behind you, but God still splits the sea.

Do you believe that this morning?

Let's get faith in the room today.

Let's get some faith in the room today.

God is here to meet you.

God is here to meet you today.

Maybe you're in a midnight hour and everything seems down.

Man, everything seems against you, but I service a God that opens prison doors at midnight.

I don't know about you guys, but my God still opens prison doors.

I don't know what's got you locked down, I don't know what's got you down and out, but what I believe is that God still opens the prison doors of your mind, God still opens the prison doors of your heart today.

So, what are you gonna choose to believe this morning?

Where are you landing your faith this morning?

And we came in this place to worship God and let us worship the Lord, let us bring him an offering today.

Can we lift up an offering to our God today?

The King of Kings and the Lord of ones.

I didn't come for a show, I didn't come to see a spectacle, I came to worship the Lord this morning.

Man, I'll tell you what, I don't know if your week has been like my week, but let me tell you, man, there's been moments I felt like I was going through hell and high water, but God still is on the throne.

God is more than able.

I came with the praise on my lips because I know that my God is able today.

Because if you serve that God that you'll be worshiping today, you'll be clapping today, you'll be shouting today, you might be running today in the room.

Let's get faith in the room today, because God abide in the faith of his people! And I believe that God is in the room this morning! I believe God is trying to meet you this morning.

Come on, Jesus, come on, Jesus! Come on, Jesus, come on, elevate faith in the room, Jesus! Oh see brokenness in the room today, my god! See brokenness in the room that you're trying to heal, see restoration that you're trying to bring in the room today, my god! Oh see healing you're trying to bring in the room this morning, my god! Oh my god, in the name of Jesus! I cast on the brushes! I cast off the brushes! I cast out in the name of Jesus! Oh my god, I'm bringing my came today, my god! I'm trying to keep you from an encounter with Jesus today! But I believe that God came to encounter us this morning! I came for an encounter this morning! I came from a bible this morning! I came for an awakening this morning! I came to an explosion the most high God today! I give you awakening in the room today! What's the fuck happens one last time?

What the fuck can I happen to have it?

Close your eyes, let me know what I can out of what's going on here today.

What can I tell you?

God is in the room this morning! God is in the room to meet you this morning! Can I find right now in the name of Jesus, mother?

We're gonna shoot me up in this room! I fight down the man of the water! I think it's the speaker, what's the lady?

I think it's a speaker today.

I think it's a daddy with us to speak over, I'm gonna just give it a fighting for that.

I think that I think it's a speaking to it.

I think it's a speaker.

I think it's a speaker host in this burger, it's Jesus my name today.

I come against the spinner and a host today.

I come against the spin of spinach, I spin up the watch, and Jesus today, my god And I speak white now, my God, but you're moving in the space today.

But you're moving in a horse today, my god! You're gonna do a hard work today, and I can fight the sons of the kid in the room! I can fight the sons of the kid in the room today! And do a work in us! Do a work in me today, Lord God! Oh Lord, today we did the world, we did the honor today! Oh god, this didn't have to be my story today! This didn't have to be my story today! Oh my god, you are bigger and you are greater today, God And I thank you today, Lord God! I thank you because you still need us today, Lord God! You were faithful then, and you'll be faithful now, you are faithful then, and you'll be faithful now, you are faithful then, and you'll be faithful now, man.

Lord God, we give you worship today, Lord God.

We give you glory this morning.

Man, I thank you today, Lord God, because you're moving in this room today.

I'm not stopping at six, I'm I'm I'm going all the way in.

You know, the walls of Jericho didn't just come tumbling down, but he said, Man, you gotta keep walking and you gotta keep walking.

And man, I don't know why I'm telling you this, but this is for somebody this morning.

I don't know, man.

Somewhere along the way you stop walking, somewhere along the way you stop believing that the walls that separate you can come down.

But can I tell you, God said, Man, don't stop at six.

Man, it's on that seventh go around, it's on the seventh go around that the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.

Man, and I'm believing today there's things that have been separating you from an experience from the Lord.

There's walls that have been separating you from breakthrough, and I pray right now in the name of Jesus that those walls come tumbling down today in your life, in your mind, in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name.

Man, come on, can we get a hallelujah in the room this morning?

Man, I don't know about you guys.

I ain't kinda play today.

I came to have some church this morning.

Man, I believe that the Spirit of God is in the room today.

Do you guys believe that today?

Man, let's go.

Well, if you believe that, everybody say amen.

All right, you can say hi to a few people around you as you're seating.

Hallelujah, hallelujah.

Man, I'm almost out of breath.

Got my pants all going crazy.

Hallelujah.

Let's go.

You know, sometimes you can't stop pressing.

Man, there's there's power in the pressing.

Everybody say there's power in the pressing.

Man, don't stop halfway, man.

Let's get the breakthrough that we've been believing for.

Man, I believe there's breakthrough for somebody in the room this morning.

I'll tell you what, I'm sweating through my cap today.

Come on now.

Hallelujah.

I'm trying to calm myself down.

We ain't even started yet.

But I love it because God already started.

Amen.

You know, there's moments where you're praying stuff all week long and it meets you here in the room because here's where faith begins to move.

Do you believe that today?

Man, God says that, man, there's something that happens when two or more gather together in the room.

And he shows up in the midst of them.

And there's faith in the room this morning.

I'll tell you what, man.

I wasn't even joking, man.

This week's been some hell and high water, but I'll tell you what, man, there's expectation to get in the room today.

I had expectation to get in the room today.

Because I said, man, if there's this much opposition this week, there must be something breaking on Sunday.

There's some walls breaking on Sunday.

There's some seas that you're about to split on Sunday today.

Man, I'm just thinking about, you know, the the paralyzed, the paralytic man that that his friends uh were looking for Jesus to come and bring a healing.

And at some point, man, the friends got to the roof.

And what happened?

They didn't stop in the crowd.

They said, No, no, no, I can get a little closer.

And they got to the roof, and it was a roof dividing them from Jesus.

And they began to break the roof open.

Man, sometimes we got to be determined in our faith to believe is God God or He's not.

I believe His word or I don't.

I don't pick and choose, I believe it all.

And if God is God and if God is sovereign, then He will meet us.

And when I break through that wall, man, that healing is mine.

I love it because Jesus' simple response was, Man, your faith has made you well.

What was the faith?

The faith was in a determination to believe.

Hey man, if I go a little bit further, he can meet me.

Somebody got into the room and said, Man, God, if I could get a little bit further today, would you meet me today?

And I believe that God came to meet some people in restoration this morning.

Man, I kept hearing a word of restoration on my heart, man.

This week.

God is here to restore some things today.

Hallelujah.

Amen.

Come on.

I don't want to lose my voice.

I just started.

Well, guys, good morning in the morning.

All right.

We're getting this thing going.

And we're excited to have you guys in the room today, man.

If you're visiting us for the first time, I mean we're glad you're in the room.

As you can see, we get we get a little wild out here because we love Jesus, okay?

I can't apologize for that.

I'm here to experience Jesus.

And we pray, man, and I know that, man, finding a church home is hard, it's challenging.

But man, I pray that the moment you walked in, you feel the presence of God.

I pray that the moment you walked in, man, you feel like your family in the room because that's how I look at you, your family.

Amen.

Man, I gotta hit some notes here, but I'm I'm fired up today.

Um man, I just wanted to let you guys know.

Uh man, I'm excited because uh man, we we were able to start uh posting our messages on Spotify and Podcast over the last week.

So we already got a couple out there.

Uh man, find us on Spotify, find us on podcasts, and and start sharing the message of the gospel.

Um that's the point, right?

We're we're we're called here to spread the message.

If it stays in the room, then we're missing.

Man, everyone here is a fisherman that God is commissioned.

Hey, go out and spread the good news, man.

And I'm God didn't say you had to be a preacher, God said go and spread the news.

Hey, man, share a message with somebody.

Tell somebody Jesus loves you.

You don't know what to say.

Hey, come to church with me.

We get a little crazy out here, but get in the room and something gonna happen.

Because that's what I believe when faith comes together, something happens.

Man, I'd like to share the best thing I heard this weekend.

I mean, it was a testimony, and I'll tell you what, this testimony got me fired up, man.

Pastor Michelle shared this thing with me, and I was like, Man, send that to my phone.

And I listened to this thing like four or five times, and I want to share it briefly.

Uh, but it was a testimony that she shared, and it was this pastor who was sharing this incredible testimony, and uh he's like, Man, I, you know, I uh kind of oversee a group of churches in in a territory, and uh man, there was this little church in a village, and uh at some point they reached out to me and uh you know they had lost their pastor, and so I went out there to just see how they're doing.

It was a small church, maybe six or seven people, and uh, you know, just kind of asking them some questions to see how they're doing.

And at some point one of the guys, you know, I he said they didn't have a lot to say, but one of the guys came and he said, Here are the keys to the church.

But if you can find somebody, then we we surely appreciate it.

And the the pastor leaves and said it and then the next morning I get a phone call.

And it was one of the ladies that were at the church that night that they met.

And he said, Hey Pastor Man, I I pray that you're looking for for somebody that could help us.

Go through whatever list you gotta go through, but if you can't find anybody, I'm willing.

And he said, Really?

And he said, Yes, I'm willing.

And he said, You know what, why don't you meet me this week?

And so a couple days later, the lady goes over to the office where the pastor meets, and the pastor sits her down and he begins to ask her some questions like, hey man, what well have you studied?

I mean, do you have a degree like in theology?

And she's like, No, I don't.

And she begins to look for something in her purse, and he's like, Okay, well, have you have you done like you know, did some like a teaching at the church, maybe Sunday school?

And he said, No, I haven't.

And she's still digging in her church in her purse.

And he said, Okay, uh, have you done any kind of leading in the church?

And I said, No, I haven't, I haven't.

Uh and she looks like I haven't, and all of that stuff.

And she's still digging in her bag, and he's like, This lady's like beyond not qualified, right?

And at some point she she pulls out a piece of paper and she puts it on his desk, and she says, I don't got any of the things that you asked me, but this is what I got.

And he grabs the paper and he reads it.

And the front of the paper said that she had got diagnosed with cancer.

And on the other side of that same paper, it said that miraculously the cancer disappeared.

And he immediately understood what this lady was trying to tell him.

Hey, man, I don't have those degrees, but the same God that healed me, man, if he could use me, man, that he can use me because if he can heal a cancer, he could use someone like me.

And I believe he can use me for revival, I believe he can use me for something.

So, man, if you give me a shot, man, we'll go out there and we'll give it our best.

And immediately he was filled with faith.

And he gives her the keys and he says, You know what?

Go for it.

In six months she went back to school, and God's beginning to do some things at that little church.

He says, Man, six months had gone by and I kind of lost track of the lady and the church.

And one day I get a phone call.

And it's the lady.

He said, Man, I I need some help.

I don't know if I did this thing right.

And so immediately he's like, Oh man, here we go.

Now we about to go through it.

Uh and he's thinking the worst, like, oh my god, we were getting sued or something.

And and he's like, Well, what happened?

And she's like, Well, I'm just, I want to call because I'm not sure.

And he's like, Oh man, just let me know what happened.

He's like, Well, she's like, Well, it wasn't bad.

And he's like, What do you say?

Well, what's going on?

Tell me, explain to me what's going on.

And so the lady says, Man, I was invited by one of the priests down the road.

He at the Catholic Church, they they invited me.

He heard about my testimony, and he invited me to go and share at the Catholic church down the road.

And he said, Oh, go do it.

He said, No, I already did it.

I'm gonna I'm gonna call you because I did it.

And then he's like, Well, what happened?

He said, Well, I get to the room and and they finish and they they do communion, and then he calls me.

The priest calls my name and he said, Hey, you know, she she's serving at a local church down the road, but I wanted to share her testimony of how God healed her from cancer.

So this lady gets up and she begins to share her testimony.

She says, No, I get up and the guy just leaves.

And I'm like, Okay.

And she said, Man, I just began to testify of how God healed my cancer.

And all of a sudden, man, I just see I feel the presence of God fill the room, and and everybody's just weeping.

And at some point I say, Hey, I don't know about you.

And I just felt the spirit come upon me.

He said, If you need healing in the room, come to the front, God's gonna heal you today.

And then people began to stand up and rush the front, and she said, Man, I didn't really know what to do, but I just began to lay hands on people, and people just started falling left and right, and it looked like a huge mess was going on, but but I just kept doing what God kept telling me to do.

He's like, uh-huh.

And she said, Then all of a sudden, I just saw the spirit say, It's time for salvation.

So she she looks out in the room, she said, Jesus wants to bring salvation to the room.

If you want to be saved today, I want you to get up on your feet and get to the front.

She said, Man, everybody came to the front.

And he just said, Man, I just began to cry.

Why?

Because, man, when we're willing to say yes to Jesus, it's not about your qualification, man.

It's not about what you know, what you don't know.

It's simply saying, Man, God, I am able today.

And I got stirred up because, man, sometimes that's how we step into every situation of life.

We just simply say, sure, I'll go out there.

I'm willing.

And I just challenge you today.

Man, sometimes we we we forget where God brought us from.

Sometimes we forget what God took us out of.

I'll tell you today, man, this should not be my life.

This should not be my life.

My marriage probably should have ended 20 years ago.

This should not be my life.

But man, when I surrender my life to the hands of a big God, He changed my life.

And my simple and reasonable response was, yes, Lord, I'm willing.

Whatever you want, I'm willing.

I'm not gifted enough, I might not be talented enough, but I'm willing today.

Man, I challenge you guys, man.

Remember what God pulled you out of.

Because I'll tell you, man, I can look around the room, man.

You didn't have this, didn't have to be your story today.

But you're in the room, and in the room is where change happens.

Amen.

Man, I'm running away behind, but we gotta keep going.

Guys, we've been in a series, man, over the last several months called Follow Me the Way.

Everybody say follow me.

Everybody say follow me.

That's it.

We're here to follow Jesus today, okay?

And we've been building precept over precept.

And we've been inviting God to show us, man, how to be faith or how to live a life that is faith forward and spirit-led.

And how do I live a life that's filled with faith?

And how do I allow Jesus?

How do I allow the Holy Spirit to lead me in everyday life?

And this has been around the scripture in Psalms 119-105 that says the word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

And I truly believe that He is a lamp.

And He's lighting a path, and that path takes us right back to Jesus.

And some of you guys, God is trying to light that a little brighter.

Okay?

He said, Look, you got a little lost.

I'm trying to help you out, okay?

Guys, follow the light.

Amen.

Let's pray and we're gonna get into it today.

Man, Lord God, we just thank you this morning.

I thank you that you're already moving in the room.

I thank you today that your presence is already, Lord God, working on the hearts of everyone here today.

And I pray right now, Lord God, that I would simply be a vessel and a vehicle that you could use and work through today, God.

Lord God, not my words, but your words today.

We pray right now, let the manifest presence of God meet us.

Let your word today, Lord God, uh, Lord God, be a heat-seeking missile that tracks us down throughout the week and reminds us of what you're saying.

In Jesus' name, we pray.

Amen.

Man, guys, so I'm uh first of all, but this is about to be a heavy word today.

Um God, you know, Jesus, he got no breaks, he got no chills, okay?

Jesus be coming for you, okay?

Um, and I was trying to really frame this idea of what God has been teaching us through the word and how he's been really uh talking about, and we've been talking in the in the uh idea of the Sermon on the Mountain and the Beatitudes, and God is here to do a hard work, right?

It's inside out, right?

God is doing something on the inside of us that we're gonna be able to project outside what is the right thing, amen.

So I was thinking of a story I can tie these things together, this idea.

And I literally came to inside out.

You guys seen that cartoon inside out?

Don't act like you haven't.

Come on now, okay?

You you've seen it.

Trust me, I've seen it, okay?

Um crazy.

It's crazy.

Anyways, but there's a main character, just to give you the gist, because some of you guys are like, I've never seen a cartoon in my life.

Okay, for those guys out there.

Uh so in this this movie, uh, there's a character, her name is Riley, and uh, she's a young girl and and they're moving, and um it's really talking about this this transition in her life and her family and how she's managing the emotions that go around leaving the familiar things to the unfamiliar things.

And um man, I the the what I want to paint is this picture of uh there's this inner work, and everything is that the movie has revolved around is what's happening on the inside of her.

And you got this, I love it, it's like a headquarters, it's called Central Hub, and all the emotions that are moving in her life are kind of all trying to get out of the controls of her life.

And you know, they have emotions like joy, uh, sadness, anger, fear, disgust.

All of them are trying to get their hands on the wheel of her life.

And what happens, man, uh at some moments she can spring to anger because anger's trying to get the wheel, or she becomes afraid because fear grabs the wheel.

But the reality of it isn't, and why this movie is it kind of speaks at this a little bit because essentially that's what's happening.

We allow so many things to enter into our heart.

We allow so many exterior things to become the influence of our life that everything is trying to take the wheel.

We allow different things, we allow the sin nature of life to take the wheel of our heart.

And and there's this moment, and and I love this uh analogy because uh like in the movie, there's this train that's that's kind of just circling around, and it's called the mind train.

How many of you know sometimes like your thoughts can take you on a whole thing?

It's the mind train where your thoughts just kind of race and they take you in a different direction.

And all of this matters why, because man, this is real in the sense that hey man, we're allowing things to come in and contaminate our heart.

Why?

Because we're looking at things, we're hearing things, and it's building.

A framework around how we see life or how we're doing life.

And what God is inviting us to say is, hey man, if you would let me in, I can get the controls.

I can step in and get the controls.

And I can show you how to manage these things.

Why?

Because, man, but the Holy Spirit gets at the helm.

And he helps you understand, hey, man, sometimes fear is gonna come.

But man, the word of God tells me, man, I don't have to let fear have its way because, man, he is with me.

He doesn't have power over my life.

And hey, sometimes I get upset.

But God says, hey, man, you got to give that to me and reconcile.

And we talked about that last week.

And we got to surrender anger.

And all of these different things, man, God is trying to remind us, hey, man, the work that I'm trying to do, it starts right here, but you have to invite me in.

And at some point, your faith has to begin to build the right walls and how we guard our heart, how we guard our eyes, our ears.

These are gateways to our life.

Amen.

So here we are in the heart of the Sermon on the Mount, where again, Jesus is defining the radical counter-cultural nature of God's kingdom.

It shifts the focus from merely following external religious rules to cultivating an inner transformation of the heart.

And what do I liken this to is, hey man, Jesus said, hey, I'm not here for professional Christians.

I'm here for people that are truly seeking me in spirit and in truth.

People that are being transformed by my word, not just doing right things, not just getting into church.

Man, thank you, gee.

Oh, he's so good.

Amen.

Yes, Lord.

And we know all the right words.

But our heart is far from him.

Everything that we do is counterculture to what we do on a Sunday.

But it looks right, it looks good.

We check the moral box.

And Jesus comes to combat this and said, Hey, it's not about those things.

I'm not here for rituals, I'm here for transformation.

And I love this quote that I read.

It says, Jesus said, The kingdom of God is within.

And I only say what I hear the Father saying, and I only do what I see the Father doing.

Therefore, it is something we experience, articulate, and do.

The kingdom of God is already here, but not yet fully realized.

What does that mean?

The word of God has already been launched.

God has already spoken.

The word of God says, Man, the words that I speak will not return void.

What does that mean?

Hey man, his word is trying to find fulfillment in your life.

And in different seasons of your life, that word comes around almost like a boomerang.

And it will hit you.

And it will hit you, and it will hit you until it gets on the inside of you.

That word will find fulfillment.

It's seeking a fulfillment in your life.

But I love this idea because what is it saying?

Hey man, the kingdom is an experience.

We're here to articulate it and we're here to do it.

And in Romans 8:19, I'm gonna read this from the New King James Version.

Romans 8:19

It says, For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God.

What does that mean?

All of creation is waiting to see the kingdom of God manifest in our life.

Why?

Because this is how that message spreads.

This is how we begin to change the world around us.

Because we become carriers of the Word of God.

We become carriers of the kingdom.

Our character is transformed in such a way that people can't help but not notice.

Man, there's something different about you.

Man, I don't know what it is, but man, I get around you and man, I can you can, you know, like I just want to share some things with you.

And I'm going through some things with you.

Man, I and at some point I'll tell you what, I've been in my lifetime, I feel like I've just become, you know, like, you know, what do they call like the the the bar uh counselor, you know, like I just sit there and people just start spilling the beans.

And I'm like, praise, you know, I'll tell them, praise the Lord.

I'm just like, okay, cool.

Because, you know, it's maybe at a work thing or whatever.

And I'm just like, okay, cool.

And I just began to speak life.

But why do they come to me?

Because they say, man, there's light on this guy.

There's something about this guy got something.

You got something.

People see the something that you got.

We have to become the expression of his kingdom to a hurting world.

We have to become the expression of his kingdom to a hurting world.

So we're gonna dive into the message.

I gotta compress.

We might not get this whole thing.

Is it looking at time right now?

Alright, here we go.

Matthew 5, 27 through 30.

And the word of God said it.

I'm reading from the New Living Translation.

You have heard the commandment say, You must not commit adultery.

And we're going through the Beatitudes, and Jesus coming heavy today.

Uh, you must not commit adultery.

And again, we we go, we talked about this last week, but in the beginning he says, you have heard.

Everybody say, You have heard.

What does this mean?

He's drawing from the understanding that most of everyone that's listening to Jesus on the mountain has has heard in some way, shape, or form from a synagogue leader.

They've heard because man, their parents or or or somebody in their family has shared the word.

Why?

Because a lot of the learning in that time was centered around leaning in and really just listening, memorizing the word.

So he's reminding them, hey, I know you already heard this.

Jesus is coming for some people today, I'll tell you what.

I don't believe in the idea that there's hard truths.

I believe that truth is simply truth.

It's hard because it doesn't fit our narrative.

That's oh, that's a hard truth.

That's not a hard truth, it's just truth.

It's a tough pill to swallow because you don't want it doesn't fit your narrative of what you want to do.

So, on this issue of adultery that Jesus is talking about, he's about to take it a little bit deeper today.

It's the seventh commandment.

And remember, the Ten Commandments is what establishes a foundational covenant, providing God's people with a clear moral, religious, and social framework for community living.

And you can find that in Exodus chapter 20, verse 14.

Exodus 20:14

It says, You shall not commit adultery.

And what does that really mean?

What Jesus is talking about, you're breaking a vow by committing adultery.

It is the act of breaking the sacred promise made during marriage.

Trust and faithfulness is broken.

What does this mean?

Man, the vow, it asks people to stay loyal and true to their chosen partner.

It's a physical act.

In basic terms, it means that you're cheating on your spouse with another person.

What is the definition of a marriage covenant?

It's a sacred lifelong union forged through a solemn oath before God.

Unlike a legal contract based on conditional performance, a covenant is an unconditional exchange of persons, creating a spiritual, one-flesh fusion that mirrors God's unfailing love and Christ's devotion to the church.

So why is this a big deal?

What's a big deal?

Because, I mean, don't be doing that.

But it's another big deal.

Because the marriage is a type and shadow of God's communion with the church.

So he's saying, hey, as I'm committed to the church, be committed to your spouse.

Why?

Because he says, hey, man, if you easily break that covenant, how would you not hold covenant with me?

This is about covenant.

And basically the law is the baseline.

It's just, hey, don't do this.

Don't do this part.

But in 28 it says, but I say, everybody say, but I say.

Anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery in his heart.

And again, by Jesus saying, but I say is asserting his authority over the scripture.

Again, he's bringing a now word to the people.

Going back a couple weeks, in this moment, we're on the sermon on the mount.

He's on top, and his disciples are the closest ones to him.

Why?

Because he's trying to inject them with his DNA.

He needs them to understand.

Hey man, all of this matters because this is the character work.

So he's doubling down in this moment on the hard work that he just talked about a few verses before.

Why?

Because he came to restore us from the inside out.

The kingdom is about the center.

It's so funny.

I was thinking about this idea, and I was thinking, remember back in the day of the commercial with the Tootsie Pop?

You know, don't lie, you've never seen a commercial in your life.

Everybody out there, I never was a Tootsie Pop.

Anyways, there was a commercial back in the day.

And it was a Tootsie Pop, and there was something in the center of that Tootsie Pop.

And essentially, Jesus is like, hey man, I need to get to the center.

But for some, it is a hard shell that's keeping me from the center.

And he's trying to break that hard shell because what's at the center is what matters.

So Jesus in this moment is pulling back the curtain on this idea.

Why?

Because immoral actions begin with immoral thoughts.

Immoral thoughts are evil.

You can't address sin by only dealing with external actions.

That's just called behavior change, behavior modification.

So I make it look good on the outside, but on the inside is all broken.

And we think that's okay.

But Jesus is like, no, no, no, no, no, no.

That's great.

I think you think that it looks good because you look good on the outside.

But what I'm seeing in the work that I'm trying to do is happening on the inside of you because I see the brokenness you're hiding from everyone else.

And the word goes on.

It says, anyone who even looks, what does that mean?

Man, a continual gazing, a coveting, objectifying.

And I know that Jesus in this in many references are talking to men, but it's it's for everybody.

Everybody say it's for me too.

I mean, not for you.

I mean, that's on you, but however, it could be for you too, okay?

What do you talk about?

But what happens when we're doing this?

And it says when we're looking with lust, what is that?

A strong desire.

It's a sinful lust turns a God-given desire into an idol.

It reduces another person to an object for self-gratification and places personal pleasure above obedience to God.

What does that mean?

No, God has given us a desire in our heart, right?

Part of that is for Him.

Man, there's a desire for our Heavenly Father.

And then there's a desire that God gives us for our spouse.

So desire is not bad.

But what happens?

Man, it becomes polluted by the things that we put in top of that.

And the things that we begin to, again, your eye gates, your ear gates, what are you listening to?

What are you watching?

And all these things start coming and it begins to pollute.

And we move into the space where we live the self-life.

And this is what God is coming to combat is the self-life.

The self, the me, the I.

We're called to live the surrendered life.

It's about Him.

And when we do this, or when we're living this life, or we're doing these things, God is saying, Hey man, you already committed adultery with that person in your heart.

It's a little heavy.

Got real quiet in the room.

Can you hear a pin drop?

But what happens?

And we're reading Hebrews 4, 12, in the Amplified.

Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12, in the Amplified.

Hebrews 4:12

It says, For the Word of God is a living and active.

Man, how many of the Word of God is just not a static book that we're trying to read?

I remember somebody said this one time, I was listening to like this interview, and like, well, I've read this thing cover to cover.

I don't get it.

Well, because you're trying to read a book.

You're not saying, hey God, I want to experience the spirit behind the word.

Because it tells me in Hebrew that this word is living and active.

And it's full of power.

I love this in the Amplified.

It says, making it operative, energizing, and effective.

That means when I read his word, there's something about the word that gets on the inside of me and can't help but change or transform me.

It's active, it's effective, it challenges the reader.

It goes on, it says, It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and the spirit.

The completeness of a person.

Because the word comes in and it's trying to divide.

Hey man, what is truth and what is the lie?

And that's what the word comes to do.

And it goes on and says, and both joints and marrow.

The deepest parts of your nature.

God said, again, he's trying to get to the inside.

The word is here to begin to do a work on the inside of us.

And the last part says, exposing and judging the very thoughts.

Or by say thoughts and intentions of the heart.

That's why he's saying, hey, man, if you're looking, what is that creating?

A thought.

And God said, hey, I'm judging that thought.

And I'm already counting that as an act.

And the intentions of your heart.

So almost like the analogy I gave you in that movie, what happens?

The mind train starts moving.

And I'll tell you what, once that train is going, it's hard to stop the train.

That's why God is saying, yo, derail the train.

Derail the train.

That's taking you in the wrong direction.

That's making you think on things that you should not be thinking on.

God did not come to pacify sin.

God did not come to pacify our sin, but to confront it.

You know, it's always challenging because when God tries to confront sin, you know, I hear things like, well, you know, the Lord knows my heart.

I was like, what does that even mean?

Yeah, he knows your heart, and what does he say about your heart?

Hey, I'm judging the thoughts and intentions of that heart.

He doesn't make exceptions because he's like, Well, you know, you've been through a tough time.

He said, Man, surrender the tough time to me.

And let me heal you and let me restore you.

But we try to put it like a backpack.

Nah man, like, you know, God knows, you know, what I'm going through, so you know, we'll get there.

But we don't want to let it go.

We don't want to let go.

And God is saying, hey, man, unless you surrender this thing, this thing is judging you.

Wow.

We alright?

Everybody's good?

All right.

Verse 29.

So, everybody say so.

If your eye, even your good eye, I guess, you know, not the lazy eye, right?

I don't know, the good eye.

Very specific there, the good eye, okay?

We're not trying to judge that thing there.

Even your good eye causes you to lust.

It says, gouge it out and throw it away.

It is better for you to lose one part of your body than your whole body be thrown into hell.

Everybody say that heavy.

It is heavy.

So what are we talking about here?

Clearly, they're like, hey, don't get rid of the bad eye, get the good eye, okay?

They're all in there.

But it says, if your eye, even your good eye, causes you to lust, gouge it out.

There's a work that God is trying to infer by this.

Man, one theologian wrote it this way: it says, in today's world, pornography is a huge stumbling block to moral purity.

And a clear example of the kind of sin that Jesus warned us about.

Jesus wants his disciples to be so radical for moral purity that they're willing to cut off anything that draws them to sin.

So, what does that mean?

God is not looking for your personal mutilation.

Okay, I don't want to be like one eye church.

Like, yo, why has everybody got like one eye at that church?

Like, I don't get it.

Please don't do that.

Don't do that.

But what Jesus is saying is, hey man, what are you willing to do?

To keep your heart pure.

What decisions are you willing to make to keep purity important in your life?

Man, sometimes it's taking radical, painful steps to remove things that tempt you from doing something wrong.

What are the things that you need to probably cut out today?

Because God's coming for somebody today.

I'll tell you, long time ago, I said, man, social media is not my friend.

Cut.

Don't ask me what's going on.

I would not even know.

And I'm okay with that.

You know what I know?

Man, the sun still shines on my life.

And God is still good.

And you know, at the end of the day, what I know is, hey, man, I'm trying everything I can to protect the morality of my heart.

Why?

Because let me tell you, stop me trying to creep.

Like, you know what?

It's crazy because social media, they find you.

Stop me finding you.

Keep it real.

You see, like you do, right?

Natane knows what's up.

Stuff just be popping up, and you're like, oh, that can we get that?

I don't know what that is.

But what happened?

But what happened?

Man, don't think there's no demonic algorithms out there trying to get you.

Why?

Because, man, it's the mind train.

He's just trying to get you on the train.

Because it's it's seeds that the enemy comes and let me drop that here.

But you didn't address the seed.

So what happens over time?

What does that seed do?

It grows.

And you know what?

Sometimes you don't got to water the seed for it to grow.

Sometimes, man, that seed don't even have to be connected to anything to grow.

You don't believe me.

Man, you could go to my house, man.

I remember I cut a tree down.

I think like a year ago, two years ago, and I still got half of it is laying by my trash can area.

And you know what?

It's not connected to anything.

I don't water it, it's just sitting there.

But you know what?

Branches are growing.

Why?

Because the seed is there.

And what happens?

The enemy comes and he plants seeds in your mind.

He plants seeds in your heart.

And you're like, oh, I'm not, I'm not watering, I'm not entertaining any of that stuff.

But what happens?

Little by little, you compromise on what you're watching.

You compromise a little bit over here, you compromise a little over there.

And it's little by little.

You the enemy is not a raging bull coming at you.

Yo, he he's sneaky.

I don't know why I said it so hyped.

He's sneaky.

I don't know.

But but he is sneaky.

And he he coming on the creep and he will find you.

That's why God is challenging us.

Hey man, you gotta protect.

What are you willing to cut off?

What media subscriptions do you need to stop today?

It's taking your money, anyways.

What friends do you need to stop hanging out with?

Sometimes it's not even you.

Sometimes you just get in a room and but they are contaminated.

And you put yourself in vicinity.

Where you already know, probably the Holy Spirit was like, Yeah, we gotta go.

Exit left.

Exit left.

Back up, back up.

But you know, we're all but you know, they're my friends.

We go back and you begin to make excuses for relationships that gotta say, man, you gotta cut those relationships off.

Remember one time I was listening to this message, and this pastor said it's so funny.

He said, Man, when are we gonna stop wasting conferences telling people to keep your pants up and your skirts down?

Instead of how do we expand the kingdom of God?

In Job chapter 31, verse 1, in the New Living Translation, verse 1, it says, I made a covenant with my eyes.

Job 31:1

Not to look with lust at a young woman.

And I love that idea.

Job is saying, Hey man, I made a covenant with myself and the Lord.

Hey man, I'm gonna guard my heart, I'm gonna guard my eyes.

And sometimes we need to, hey God, I want to guard my heart, I want to guard my eyes.

And you know what I do?

I invite Holy Spirit to help me.

And and he's gonna say, Hey, hey, hey, you turn the TV off, hey, uh change the channel, hey.

And what happens?

It's about a moral diligence that we take.

Like, man, I I there's not a movie that I watch that I haven't first.

Like, yo, what's in the movie?

And I will absolutely be like, yo, give me the like the guide of what's happening in that movie.

And if there's something that I'm like, mm-hmm I don't need that.

I don't care how good the movie is.

You know, we get the oh no, but I'll fast forward, oh no, but I'll look away.

Hey man, one glimpse, that's all it takes, is a C.

Snapshot.

It's a C in Proverbs chapter 4, verse 25 in the Amplified.

Proverbs 4:25

It says, let your eyes look directly ahead toward the path of moral courage.

I love that idea.

It says, hey man, it takes moral courage.

It takes moral courage to say, hey man, this is not for me.

It takes moral courage to say, hey man, this got me.

Hey, it takes moral courage to cut some things off or cut people off.

It takes moral courage.

But it says, and look, or I'm sorry, and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.

Toward the path of integrity.

I love that in the Amplified.

Toward the path of integrity.

Guard your eye gates.

That's what Jesus is challenging every listener today, then, forevermore.

Hey man, you gotta guard your heart.

How do you guard your heart?

By guarding your eyes.

And if the eye is causing you to sin, hey man, what are you willing to do about it?

Everybody say, I gotta make some hard decisions.

And I love that.

Maybe someone's don't have me.

Cool.

He's not done.

Alright?

So what does he say in verse 30 says, and if your hand, everybody say your hand.

Even your stronger hand.

Don't be cutting off your weak hand, okay?

Your stronger hand, okay?

You know what I'm talking about.

If your stronger hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.

It is better for you to lose one part of your body than your whole body be thrown into hell.

Again, Jesus doubles down on the previous thought.

And I read this during my study, and it says, No half measures.

The stronger hand represents things that feel useful, natural, or dear to us.

If it's a habit or a relationship or a possession causes us to fall, we cannot just manage it.

We must break away from it entirely.

So what is he saying?

Hey, there's some things that we're seeing, but there's things that we're doing.

That's why he's somebody, hey man, if you're doing something, man, that's causing you to sin, then you need to cut off your right hand, your stronger hand.

What is that?

Hey man, the thing that you're the most comfortable with.

You need to cut that thing off.

Some of us are tempted by the lust of our eye.

That's why he says, cut your right eye out.

And some of us are tempted by greater ambition or power.

And that's why he's talking about your hands.

Why hands talk about ability?

Sometimes our ambition becomes the lust.

Enough is not enough.

More is not more.

There's more to the more.

We start stepping on people, we start, you know, doing things out of greed and power.

And Jesus said, hey man, then you're doing it for the wrong reasons.

And it's better to cut your hand off.

Why?

Because the enemy is here to tempt us, and however, he can tempt us.

The point is that we're all tempted to stumble and sin.

Sin prevents us from gaining the benefits of Jesus' kingdom.

Again, he's here to reform here so that we can transform people out here.

We have to evaluate the cost of sin in our life.

He's not causing, again, calling us to physical mutilation.

Remember, sin is a matter of the heart, not merely the eyes and the hands.

Instead, he's calling for a radical approach to avoiding sin.

What are we willing to do?

Because something will be lost and it will be costly.

He's saying, hey, the hand or you?

Because I'll tell you what, judgment day is coming for everybody.

The clock is ticking.

Literally, I'm looking at the clock.

It's ticking against me.

But what happens?

Just like that, life is ticking.

And some people may be in the rad like I am right now, and I'm trying to hurry.

But what happens?

Hey man, you might be in some overtime that God said, Hey, I'm gonna get you a little bit of extra time trying to get this thing worked out.

But what happens?

Then at some point the clock will stop.

And God said, Are you willing to lose your hand today or all of it tomorrow?

One eye, it's all good.

Verse 31.

You have heard that the law says again, this is another portion.

You have heard again, conveying the message that you're hearing and truth, you're hearing the word of God.

A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.

But I say, doubling down authority, that a man who divorces his wife, unless he has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery.

And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

Now, uh I want to expand on this idea that he's sharing because he's more specifically, or this verse more specifically is speaking to the era that he's in in that time and context where people were uh divorcing, kind of they're wilding out on some divorce out there.

So they're just finding whatever reason to divorce their wife.

However, in that time, man, a woman's like standing was dependent on the man.

So essentially, like in the word it says that, hey man, the the woman will leave her mother and father and cling to her husband.

Why?

Because that becomes a covering for her life, and back in the day, like that was how we got sustained.

The man is gone, I'm out there by myself.

Everybody's like, man, thank God that women can do everything now.

Good for you guys.

Women live.

But but what happens back in the day wasn't that way.

So Jesus is like, hey man, you're leaving these ladies out here for what?

You're wilding out.

This is about covering and truly understanding the covenant of marriage.

So with that in mind, Jesus again, he's asserting authority and he's to demonstrate God's true and original intent in marriage.

In this case, God means for marriage to be for life as always.

Rather than agreeing that marriages can or should be dissolved for petty reasons as they were in that day.

So he said, hey, hey, you just can't be gone freestyle.

Jesus describes divorce motivated by something less than sexual immorality to be invalid.

So he was saying, hey man, unless there's some moral thing that was broken, I mean, you you don't have any right to just divorce your wife.

Or it's considered him because they were just getting a little certificate of divorce and keep moving.

And she's like, hey, hey, hey, we need to stop that.

But the primary point is that Jesus is addressing what?

And broken traditions of that day.

And that a man may not legitimately divorce his wife unless she violates the marriage through adultery or some other sexual immorality.

So Jesus is really just addressing, hey man, if you're gonna do it, man, let it be for something that is meaningful or purposeful.

And that's on both sides.

Even though, like back in that day, the women could not divorce the man, the man could only divorce the woman.

It's terrible, right?

Praise God.

We're delivered.

Everybody's delivered.

What happened?

Marriage was never meant to be disposable.

That is the truth.

But a commitment to love, honor, and remain faithful.

Jesus confronts a culture that treated covenant casually and reminds us that God takes our commitments seriously.

As we come to a close, in these passages, Jesus has been challenging us to understand God's kingdom is not about learning how to hide sin better.

By outward demonstration.

Coming up, man, I was broken.

Coming up, man, I was bound.

Uh, man, when I was a teenager, bound in pornography, bound in all of it.

And it wasn't until Jesus set me free.

But I'll tell you what, I was to show up on Sunday and I knew all the songs.

I would show up and everybody say, Oh man, they tell my mom, Oh, you got such a good son.

And I'm like, Yeah, I am a good son, thank you.

Um, and I could say all the hallelujahs and I did all the right things.

I was the envy of all my friends' parents because I was well-mannered.

My dad was in the Marines, and so in everyone's eye, you know what I was?

That's a good kid.

That's a good guy.

But what Jesus saw was brokenness.

He saw, man, this there's a lot going on here, and that's why, and I've shared my testimony many a times, man.

But man, there's a moment that I came before the presence of the Lord and I surrendered my life to Jesus, and I tell you, I remember like clearest day as yesterday.

And what happened in that moment, the healing, the feeling that God gave me, I said, Yo, I'm in.

I'm in.

You got me the rest of my days.

That's what I'm saying.

Sometimes we forget where we came from, sometimes we forget the work that Jesus did.

Because then after the work is done, it's like, oh, well, you know, let me see what I could do for you, Jesus.

Let me see I can fit you in my schedule, Jesus.

Man, no, no, Jesus.

You my life is your schedule.

Whatever you need, here I am.

Because I didn't have to be here.

It's about allowing Jesus to change us from the inside out.

Because what starts in the heart will eventually show up in an outward expression.

No one sets out to be unfaithful, but there's so many seeds that are growing in the backyard of your mind.

And at some point it just happens.

What we allow through our eye gates eventually shapes our actions.

So Jesus invites us not just to stop doing it, but by letting him transform the place where it starts in our heart.

And that's why we have to come and we do this.

This is the act of surrender, man.

God, I need you to transform my life.

I'm broken.

I'm broke.

You know, sometimes we gotta get real with Jesus.

I'm broken.

I'm broken, God.

I am broken.

Man, I pray this every day.

Why?

Because every day I need my savior.

Every day, man.

I don't care how good I did today, man.

I failed somewhere along the line.

So tomorrow I wake and say, God, man, I'm in need of a savior.

Man, thank you for resurrection, life that meets me today, God.

And I pray I can get it a little bit better today.

God is here to transform our heart.

And sometimes transformation requires radical cuts.

Cut the access, cut the habit, cut the relationship, cut the doorway.

Because there are some things that you cannot that are that you cannot keep feeding and expect to keep walking in freedom.

Amen.

The wolf that you feed will always win.

The wolf that you feed will always win.

What are you willing to surrender so you can become more like him today?

I'm gonna give you three last points here.

I'm trying to wrap up.

I'm sorry, I'm a little bit over this morning, but you guys get it some stuff today.

Okay, okay, okay.

I believe that God is speaking today.

Number one, sin starts before the action.

Sin starts before the action.

What you do on the outside is often a reflection of what has already been cultivated on the inside.

Jesus addresses the heart because transformation starts here.

Number two, guard what you give access to.

What we continually allow through our eyes, mind, through relationships and habits can become a doorway to sin.

Man, I remember one time it was like a hurricane.

Like literally it was a hurricane, not like a few minutes.

It was like an actual hurricane was like you know happening.

And I remember like I thought, like, man, I want to see what's going on outside.

You know, I'm that guy.

Um, so uh I remember at some point I I went to open the door and it was like, I mean, some hardcore wind coming.

And I remember, man, I cracked the door open and I had to like literally brace myself because the wind was pushing the door, and then I had to like fight to get the door back closed.

That's what sin does, man.

The moment you give it a little bit, man, the enemy's trying to rush in, and we have to fight to get that thing closed.

Kingdom living, number three, kingdom living requires radical surrender.

Jesus isn't asking how close can I get to sin?

He's asking, what are you willing to surrender to become more like him?

We want to walk the line.

Man, I think I think if I'm I'm here, I'm gonna be okay.

I'll tell you what, man, you keep walking that type rope, it only takes one misstep.

And I'm out.

Gotta say, hey man, just get away.

Get away from the edge.

Get away from the edge.

Come in the middle where I'm at.

As we're closing, everybody can stand to their feet.

Let's lock in these last few moments.

Thank you for your patience this morning.

I believe God is speaking to somebody.

I want to create a moment for prayer.

Everybody just close your eyes.

If we can lift up our hands.

Man, I believe that God is speaking in the room today.

I believe that He's speaking to hearts right now.

Man, my prayers that nobody's gonna leave this place bound.

Nobody's gonna leave this place with doors open.

Man, I pray that doors are being closed in the name of Jesus today.

Jesus didn't bring this word to condemn us, he brought this word to transform us.

Today, don't just ask God to change a behavior, ask him to change your heart.

Ask him to reveal what you've allowed through your eyes, what you've entertained in your mind, and what you've held on to.

And Jesus is asking you, would you surrender that today?

Would you surrender that today?

I need people to make a decision right now.

Man, am I gonna keep holding on to this or am I going to surrender this thing today?

And if there's somebody here today that needs to cut something off, then I invite you, man.

Cut the habit, cut the relationship, cut every opportunity that we're giving to sing.

Close the doors.

Today, with eyes closed, man, I want to invite you.

If that's you today, man, if you're saying, man, agent, uh, Pastor Man, can you pray for me today?

Man, Pastor, I need some prayer, man.

I'm believing for God to do some things in my life to change and transform my life.

Then I want to invite you to the front and we want to pray with you up front.

If that's you, I invite you to come up.

We open this up.

Amen.

Amen.

Who else?

There's more.

There's more.

Who else is in the room?

Who else is in the room and says, Man, I'm not leaving this place the same.

Come on, come on.

I'm the connoisseur one.

Man, now is the time of salvation, guys.

Two, three, don't let it pass you by today.

Don't let it pass you by today.

Man, in Jesus' name, let's begin to pray.

Let's begin to pray.

Let's begin to pray.

I need everybody just open up your mouth and begin to give God glory today.

Begin to pray and invite Jesus into the room, into your heart right now.

I believe right now Jesus is moving in this space.

I believe that Jesus is working in this space today.

Right now, in the name of Jesus, we begin to speak today, Lord God.

That you're moving, you're healing, you're restoring today, Lord God.

I break right now in the name of Jesus every chain today, Lord God.

We break right now and we speak renewal and refreshing.

We speak salvation today, Lord God.

In the name of Jesus today, Lord God.

I pray right now, Lord God, your word says, Lord God, he who began a good work in you will not finish until the day of his return.

And I pray right now in the name of Jesus that lives would be transformed right now, Lord God.

Lord God, that you're renewing every heart and every mind today, Lord God.

I pray right now that every chain is broken, Lord God, every tether is broken in the name of Jesus.

The word of God says, Lord God, that he has come to set the captives free today.

Every captive mine, let it be open today, in the name of Jesus, Lord God.

I break open the prison doors today, Lord God.

And we speak right now, Lord God, healing, restoration, and renewal right now in the name of Jesus.

Healing, renewal, and restoration in the name of Jesus.

Healing, renewal, and restoration in the name of Jesus.

We declare that this year is the good and acceptable year of God's favor today, God.

We invite you to move today, Lord God.

Maybe you're in the room today, and you said that I don't know the Jesus that this pastor's been talking about.

I need to know this Jesus.

Is that true and if you're in the right place?

Maybe you're in the room and say, I've been away from the Lord and I just want to rededicate my life.

You're in the right room today.

And Jesus says in Luke 9, 23, if anyone wants to follow me, deny yourself.

Following Jesus begins with surrender, it begins with a decision.

The Bible says in Romans 10 13, whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

I believe that today.

If you're ready to surrender your heart or your life to the Lord, man, I want to invite you to the free gift of salvation this morning.

If that's you today, I want you to lift up your hands wherever you are.

We want to pray with you.

And we're going to pray together.

If that's you in the room, lift up your hands today.

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you, Lord.

You don't earn this, you just receive it.

Isn't that beautiful?

Let's pray this prayer together.

Father God.

Everybody, Father God, I come to you in Jesus' name.

I confess my sin.

I need your grace.

I believe Jesus died for me, rose again, forgave me, and made me new.

Be Lord of my life today.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.