Hot Seat Part 1 | What is a Christian? with Chris Schlotterbeck

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this message encourages you, challenges you,

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let's hear the message. And please let the Holy

Spirit work through everyone today. In Jesus'

name we pray. Amen. Amen. Also... Today is Chris

and Jess's 29th wedding anniversary. Thank you.

Thank you. Well, good morning, everybody. How's

everybody doing today? Good. Much better response.

Thank you very much. If you're joining us from

home, thank you for welcoming us into your space.

So many of you are wondering, what's up with

the orange chair? Well, this is our hot seat.

And you may remember a few months ago, we put

questions into the bulletins, and we asked a

simple one. If God was standing in front of you,

what would you ask him? And what we're going

to do for the month of August is we're going

to take your responses, and we're going to answer

them as a team of preachers and teachers to challenge

and transform your relationship with Jesus. Is

that okay? So you have created this series. The

two questions that I am going to answer today

were, how do I know if I did enough to get into

heaven? And how can I be more like Jesus? Two

valid questions that I'm sure many people want

to know and think. So I'm going to use three

simple parables from the Gospel of Matthew to

answer both of those questions and to challenge

us to move further in our relationship with Jesus.

Is that okay with you? Good. But I can't sit

down because I teach with my hands, so I'm going

to stand up to share. Here's the reality. Most

of us will spend our entire lives being evaluated.

From the time we're children and we start kindergarten,

we're graded in school. At work, we're evaluated

by performance reviews. Athletes are measured

by statistics. Businesses track profits. Social

media counts likes, followers, and views. Everywhere

we turn, someone or something is keeping score.

So the real question is not just the two that

you posed. what score actually matters? What

really matters in this life? Well, one day, every

single one of us will stand before Jesus. And

on that day, there won't be a resume, a bank

account, a trophy case, a social media profile.

There will be no excuses, comparisons, or even

questions. There will be simply you, me, and

Jesus. And in Matthew 25, Jesus gives one of

the most humbling pictures through three stories

in the entire Bible. See, Jesus was simply answering

a question, interestingly enough, that the disciples

posed to him. Tell us, teacher, when will all

this happen? What sign will signal your return

and the end of the world? Jesus then goes on

to describe for them a day when he's going to

return. The difference is, when Jesus returns,

he's not going to return as a baby in a manger.

He's going to return as King of Kings and Lord

of Lords. And these three parables all point

to this one idea that Jesus' followers should

be looking forward to that day. And not just

looking forward to it, living for that day and

be prepared for that day that he does return.

In Matthew 25, we're going to read these three

parables together. And it's important that we

read them together because they actually build

on one another. If we were to separate them out,

yes, we can discover their meaning. But when

we read them together, they build to challenge

us to grow. The first is the parable of the ten

bridesmaids. And in this story, Jesus isn't trying

to satisfy our curiosity about the future. He's

challenging his disciples and us to be ready.

Now please understand, in Jesus' day, bridesmaids

expected the bridegroom to come. And some of

you are thinking, well, what's with this imagery?

Well, the church is called in the Bible, the

bridesmaid. And Jesus is called the groom. Now

in Jesus' time, the brides would all gather at

the house of the bride, and then the groom would

come to that house to pick them up and take them

back to his father's house for the ceremony.

Now in this story, all ten bridesmaids looked

prepared on the outside, meaning they dressed

the part. But when the moment finally arrived,

only five were truly ready. So this first parable

invites us to ask a deeply personal question.

If Jesus returned today, would I be ready? Would

I be ready? Because we have to understand readiness

isn't about fear. These parables, they're not

about turn or burn. It's about faithfully following

Jesus every single day. And as we walk through

these parables, we'll discover what it looks

like to live prepared for Jesus' return, which

leads us to our first truth. A relationship with

Jesus requires personal responsibility. Personal

responsibility. Let's jump in. Matthew 25, verses

Matthew 25:1–4

1 through 4. And five were wise. The five who

were foolish didn't take enough oil for their

lambs, but the other five were wise enough to

take along extra oil. So we just read five of

the bridesmaids were ready. These bridesmaids

were prepared for the groom's return. They even

brought extra oil with them. And please understand

this oil simply represents a life that is genuinely

ready for Jesus. So when Jesus, the groom, arrived

to pick them up, they would be taken to the party.

They would be welcomed into God's kingdom. Then

Jesus describes the other five bridesmaids in

the story that were not living their lives prepared

for Jesus' return. In other words, they were

making excuses. Ah, he isn't coming today. I

have a schedule to follow. And this week, it's

just not a good time. I'm busy. I have to graduate

from school. I have to focus on my family. I'm

raising young children. I have to grow my business.

There's plenty of time for me to get ready. Or

maybe they were thinking, I'm a good person.

I go to church. I read my Bible every now and

then. I pray when there is a need. Again, all

excuses, if you will, that showed that these

five bridesmaids were not prepared. Paul challenges

us with these words in 2 Corinthians 13 5. Examine

yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test

yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ

is among you. If not, you have failed the test

of genuine faith. See, the difference between

the wise and the foolish wasn't that one group

expected the bridegroom and the other didn't.

All ten expected The bridegroom. The difference

was the one group prepared for his arrival or

his return, while the other assumed that they

had more time. See, Jesus isn't simply asking,

do you believe I'm coming? He's asking, will

I find you ready when I do come? Setting the

table for the next two, which leads us to our

second parable, the parable of the talents, which

is about faithfully following Jesus while waiting

for his return. And it follows immediately after

the parable of the ten bridesmaids because it

shifts then the focus from be ready, church,

to it's time to be faithful. The first parable

asks, will you be ready? The second parable asks,

What are you doing while you wait? Which leads

us to our second truth. God has entrusted every

one of us with talents. Let's jump in. Matthew

25, 14 through 18. Again, the kingdom of heaven

can be illustrated by the story of a man going

on a long trip. He called together his servants

and entrusted his money to them while he was

gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two

bags of silver to another, one bag of silver

to the last, dividing it in proportion to their

abilities. He then left on his trip. The servant

who received the five bags of silver began to

invest the money and earn five more. The servant

with two bags of silver also went to work and

earned two more. But the servant who received

one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and

hid the master's money. So in Jesus' time, a

talent was, of course, a measurement of money.

In today's world, one talent was the equivalent

of $15 ,000. So we just learned that to the first

servant, he gave $75 ,000. To the second, $30

,000. And to the third, $15 ,000. But he told

all of them. Hey, I'm leaving. Now some of you

are thinking, what's the symbolic meaning here?

Remember, Jesus returned to the Father, right?

He went away after he had risen. But then he

promised he's going to come again, just like

the master who promises to return. And when the

master returned, he wanted to see what they did

with the money. What did the master desire? He

desired that they invested the money, that they

would receive a gain on their investment while

he was away, that there would be more made. Now

the master gave different amounts, but every

servant received something valuable. Church,

God has uniquely given and entrusted each of

us with gifts. We all have gifts. opportunities,

relationships, resources, influence, and the

good news, because you are hearing it proclaimed

today. We have to guard against comparing our

assignments with someone else, right? We all

are uniquely created. We all have unique talents

and gifts and resources at our disposal. And

God has given each of us those talents to use

for his kingdom once we are in a relationship

with him. The faithful servants, right, they

didn't merely protect the money. They didn't

bury it in the ground. What did they do? They

invested it. They gave it away. They understood

that what was entrusted or given to them was

meant to produce more fruit. Faith is more than

believing. It's living it. And God calls for

us, if you're in a relationship with him, to

smile, to be positive, to serve, to love, to

give, to pray for others, to share our Jesus

stories, to give it away, to constantly be a

beacon of light to this world. See, if we play

it safe and we bury or we don't use our talents,

right, God has given us The idea that we're not

being faithful. We're not being entrusted with

what he has given us. Now James says it this

way in James chapter 2. So you see, faith by

James 2 · chapter mention

itself isn't enough unless it produces good deeds.

It is dead and useless. Now someone may argue

some people have faith, others have good deeds.

But I say, how can you show me your faith if

you don't have good deeds? I will show you my

faith by my good deeds. You say you have faith

for you believe there is one God. Good for you.

Even the demons believe this and they tremble

in terror. How foolish. Can't you see that faith

without good deeds is useless? So the challenge

here to see is that if we're in a relationship

with Jesus, yes, we believe he is the son of

God. We have entrusted him with our life. But

are there deeds coming out of our faith? Or are

we simply proclaiming that Jesus is Lord and

then living a different life through the week?

Which leads us to our third parable, the parable

of the sheep and the goats, where we'll spend

a majority of our time. So we just learned that

Jesus was teaching his followers to be ready,

the ten bridesmaids, to be faithful with the

talents that God had given them, the parable

of the talents. And Jesus sums it all up and

concludes these stories by teaching them to be

compassionate. To be compassionate. See, genuine

faith is revealed by the way we treat other people.

Especially those in need. And we're going to

learn that when Jesus returns, he's going to

gather together all the nations. That means everyone

in the world will be standing before him. And

we learn that he's going to separate the people

the way a shepherd separates the sheep from the

goats. Now, at first glance, the two groups look

very similar. They, in fact, occupied the same

fields. They lived alongside one another. But

the shepherd knew the difference. And that's

the heart of this passage that Jesus is trying

to get us to see. He isn't asking whether we

attended church, we read enough of the Bible,

or we claim to follow him. He's revealing to

us that genuine faith always leaves a legacy.

That you're leaving behind something else for

another person to follow. Why? Because a transformed

heart produces transformed actions. See, the

surprising question in this passage isn't, did

you believe? It's, How did your faith show up

in the way you treated other people? Because

the way we respond to those who are hungry, lonely,

hurting, forgotten, and vulnerable reveals something

much deeper. It reveals whether we've truly encountered

Jesus or not. And this morning, Jesus invites

us to examine our lives. Not to earn his love.

But to ask yourself a simple question as we jump

into this third and final parable, if someone

watched the way I treated people, would they

see Jesus in me? Which leads us to our third

truth. Our love for Jesus is revealed in how

we love others. Continuing in Matthew 25, verses

Matthew 25:32–36

32 to 36, all the nations, here it is, will be

gathered in his presence, meaning everyone will

stand before him. He will separate the people

as the shepherd separates the sheep from the

goats. He will place the sheep at his right and

the goats at his left. And please understand

that the right hand of God is the blessing of

God. All throughout the Bible, you see anytime

it's referred to the right hand, it's the blessing.

It's not against left -handers. We love left

-handers. Okay, they're great pitchers. But in

the Bible, the right hand of God is the blessing

of God. Then the king will say to those on his

right, come you who are blessed by my father,

inherit the kingdom prepared for you from this

creation of the world. For I was hungry and you

fed me. I was thirsty, you gave me a drink. I

was a stranger and you invited me into your home.

I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick

and you cared for me. I was in prison and you

visited me. And we have to understand that sheep

weren't serving to earn their salvation. I'm

not in any way saying that. They were serving

because their hearts had been changed. In fact,

they'd been transformed. And their compassion

was the evidence of their genuine faith. It's

real easy to say, hey, I love Jesus. In fact,

it's real easy to say, I love Jesus in today's

culture. Even Joe Rogan's going to church. You

know what I mean? Joe Rogan's a cool dude, and

I hope I see him in the kingdom one day. But

suddenly when these celebrities begin to say,

oh, I'm going to church. I love Jesus. It's real

easy to say I love Jesus. But it's harder to

demonstrate that love through compassion. See,

every act of kindness becomes an act of worship

when it's done for Jesus. Now, yesterday, as

you heard, was our backpack giveaway. Believe

it or not, that's the first backpack giveaway

I've been to in four years. Don't judge me. Okay?

I know it's our biggest outreach of the year.

I know we give away thousands of backpacks. But

that's typically when I'm on vacation. But this

year, I hadn't gone on vacation yet. I'm not

leaving until next Saturday. So I had the opportunity

to be a part. And I showed up early. And the

cool thing is, the first thing I had to do was

repair the plant wall. Because it had fallen

down that evening. So I was on a ladder fixing

a plant wall and quickly discovered it was 9

o 'clock. So I grabbed a cup of coffee, stepped

back, and watched. And the first thing I saw

was a line of people that wrapped all the way

around our building. In fact, that line began

at 6 a .m., I learned. But the interesting thing

about our line... wasn't that the people were

just standing out there doing nothing. We had

a whole team of greeters out there making eye

contact, introducing themselves, asking them

if they needed prayer, and just being Jesus to

everyone in the line. From that point, they got

to the front door. And to the front door, more

greeters greeted them, welcomed them to our community

of faith, and then gave them to another person

where they got a ticket and quickly came into

our auditorium where there was literally thousands

of backpacks laid out in these chairs. And every

child that came, more than 800 given away yesterday,

probably our largest single backpack giveaway

to give away that many backpacks to children.

And from this room, they would go out into the

cafe, not the cafeteria, Nolan, I corrected you

and I love you, but it's the cafe, where there

was literally thousands of books piled up on

tables. And by the end of the day, just about

every one of those books were gone. They moved

from the tables into the A -frame or our youth

room, where there was literally hundreds of shoes.

clothes, jackets, you name it, that room was

packed. And the interesting thing about the backpack

giveaway for me yesterday was everywhere I went,

I couldn't stop crying. I began crying when I

saw everybody coming in. I walked in here and

we had our last year's day of rest video playing

about the story of where Hub City came from through

20 years of existence. So I'd walk in here watching

kids getting backpacked, start crying again.

I'd end up in the room where people were getting

clothes and shoes. And I began to weep because

I realized we are taking the stuff that we don't

want or no longer use and people treat it as

treasure. There was literally families leaving

with boxes of clothes and shoes that would have

otherwise been discarded. And for them, it was

a treasure that would impact their life and their

kids' lives for this upcoming school year. I

then moved into the kids' worship room where

there was haircuts happening everywhere. I began

to cry again because literally a child was receiving

his first ever haircut. How did I know that?

Well, dad had to hold his hand and convince him

that his head wasn't going to get cut off. He

was literally screaming, I don't want to do this.

Dad was like, and he was speaking in Spanish,

of course, so I can't relay that to you. But

I'm sure he was saying, it's going to be okay.

It's just your hair. It's no big deal. And again,

I found myself crying because we had eight different

hairstylists. giving children literally haircuts,

some that received their first ever one. Yeah,

it was amazing. And then it didn't end there.

They went out that door into up by the house

where we had blow -ups. Oh, and did I mention

we gave away 1 ,200 hot dogs and water bottles

and bags of chips to every single person that

came. And I guess the biggest impact on my life

and being a part of this backpack giveaway was

everywhere I went, there was nothing but smiles.

Everyone was smiling and happy. And I'm telling

you that story because I am part of a community

of faith that is systematically making a difference

in the tri -state area. Because see, those backpacks,

and some of you are like, well, Chris, how many

backpacks do we collect? Nearly 1 ,200, okay?

And you say, we only gave away 830. Yes, but

there's elementary schools that are having back

-to -school night, and guess where our backpacks

are going? To back -to -school night. Did I mention

that there's a small... independent church down

on Jonathan Street that doesn't have many, many

people that go to it, wanted to do a backpack

giveaway next weekend. They showed up, served

along with us. We gave them 70 backpacks to take

with them so they can give them away next week.

So not only are we going to continue to reach

people and kids with their backpacks at the schools,

but those backpacks are going to help that church

make a difference for his kingdom where they

live. In other words, a relationship with Jesus

changes not only what we believe, but how we

love and how we serve. 1 John chapter 3 says

1 John 3 · chapter mention

it this way. We know what real love is because

Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought

to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

If someone has enough money to live well and

sees a brother or sister in need but shows no

compassion, How can God's love be in that person?

Dear children, let's not merely say that we love

each other. Let us show the truth by our actions.

In other words, the evidence of our love for

Jesus is seen in how we love other people, which

leads us to our next truth. Compassion begins

by seeing every person as someone loved by God,

as someone that Jesus loves. Notice Matthew 25,

35, and 36, for I was hungry. I was thirsty.

I was a stranger. I was naked. I was sick. I

was in prison. See, in this parable, Jesus points

us to ordinary acts of kindness. Did everyone

hear that? Ordinary acts of kindness. Not extraordinary

miracles. You know, and quite often, the church

At least the church in America that I found,

they want to lean towards the extraordinary miracles.

When is God going to heal the sick? When is God,

right, going to get rid of that cancer or fix

that torn ligament in a shoulder? I want to see

that happen. That's exciting. And don't get me

wrong, I love that. I believe in praying for

the sick. I believe in God meeting needs. I believe

in God moving mountains and allowing us to buy

a parking lot. I love all that through prayer.

But Jesus points out to his church ordinary acts

of kindness. See, kingdom living often looks

like noticing the people everyone else forgets.

Everyone else just walks by, if you will. Think

about the parable of the Good Samaritan. Many

people reference that story as one of the greatest

stories ever told. And in the story or the parable

of the Good Samaritan, what did the religious

people do? They walked on the other side. They

avoided the man that was beaten, lying in the

street, ready to die. They passed him by. But

it was the Samaritan man that came alongside

of him and walked through life with him. See,

compassion begins with paying attention. And

we need to pay attention everywhere we go every

single day that we're alive. It's been an encouraging

week for me. I received this email from Len and

Lisa Rona who lead our community dinner this

week. And I felt compelled to share it with you.

When we started the community dinner, it was

about making our building a space for the community.

In 2021, coming out of COVID, the dinner was

an opportunity for our church partners to connect

in a safe environment after being isolated and

separated. Then our church partners started inviting

friends, especially some who were food insecure.

Next, the recovery groups, Lasting Change, Wells

House, Grace House, and others started coming

to dinner and to church. Then there were people

from the public housing buildings. Then the homeless

community found out and many came to get a meal.

Most recently, organizations helping special

need adults have started to come and enjoy this

community dinner. The dinner has grown. We wondered,

okay, being honest, worried, how does it continue?

But God has provided resources in the form of

volunteers, free food, and reduced -cause food

that has allowed the dinner to grow from a couple

dozen meals to over 100 meals every single Thursday.

People at the dinner even take their food to

their family and neighbors who can't get to the

dinner. Many years ago, Chris talked about HTV

partners being in a circle, expanding out to

the community. I used to always cast vision to

our church when we were smaller. Hey church,

we're in a circle holding hands. But we don't

look at each other, we look out. Because out

is where the fruit is. That's where God wants

us to go and do the stuff. Gregory Boyle has

a similar concept of a circle of love that expands

until no one is outside of it. It seems like

God is bringing more people into the community

dinner, constantly expanding it to include people

who would be excluded otherwise. This is not

anything we're doing, but God using the community

dinner to bring more people into a loving community.

They went on to say, thank you for building a

community of faith where such things can happen.

We hope the community dinner looks a little like

the kingdom of heaven. What an incredible story

of what God is doing right in our midst. The

author of Hebrews says it this way in chapter

13. Keep on loving each other as brothers and

sisters. Don't forget to show hospitality to

strangers. For some who have done this have entertained

angels without realizing it. Remember those in

prison as if you were there yourself. Remember

also those being mistreated as if you felt their

pain in your own bodies. We are called to live

compassionate lives, which leads us to our fifth

and final truth. Faith is more than words. It's

action. It's action. Continuing Matthew 25, for

I was hungry, you fed me, I was thirsty, you

gave me a drink, I was a stranger. You invited

me in, I was naked, you gave me clothing, I was

sick, you cared for me, I was in prison, you

visited me. Notice, then these righteous ones

will reply, Lord, when did we ever see you hungry

and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something

to drink? Or a stranger? Or naked? or sick, or

in prison. And the king, Jesus, will say, I tell

you the truth, when you did it to one of the

least of these, my brothers and sisters, you

were doing it for me. See, the sheep and the

goats both knew about the king, just like the

bridesmaids, and just like the three individuals

that received the talents. But only one group,

the sheep, lived differently because of him,

meaning they were supernaturally changed from

the inside out. And in biblical times, sheep

and goats were almost indistinguishable in their

appearance. Now today, we think, how is that

even possible? But see, only the shepherds, right,

could tell the difference of their flocks. Though

they're outwardly similar, they're very different

animals. Jesus frequently compares his followers

to sheep, right? Why? Because they aren't intelligent

creatures. And it doesn't mean we're not smart.

It just means we don't use common sense and we're

selfish. And they need a shepherd's guidance

to survive the elements, protection, provision.

But goats, goats are a light sheep. Very independent.

In fact, unruly and destructive. The job of the

goat herder isn't to keep the goats from harm

or to keep them safe. It's to prevent them from

causing damage. So what Jesus is saying to us,

Right? He's saying, hey, who are you? Are you

in a relationship with me? Allow me to change

you from the inside out and your actions reflect

that? Or are you selfish and overconfident? Want

to control your own life out there destroying

people like many people in the world today because

of their selfish actions. Often causing more

harm and messes because they're not being empowered

by the Holy Spirit who's inside of them. See,

following Jesus is more than attending church

or knowing the Bible. Our faith should move our

hands and our feet and our hearts because the

Holy Spirit says it's time to serve, Matthew

10 tells us. And if you give even a cup of cold

water to one of the least of my followers, you

will surely be rewarded. And please notice, in

both of these instances, Jesus is challenging

his followers to take care of his people, the

church. Quite often these parables are taught,

yeah, you've got to be out there serving the

lost. Yes, we're called to do that. Yes, we're

called to give and serve and tell our stories.

But Jesus is saying, no, you need to serve your

community of faith first. And that's how Jesus

is going to view us when he returns. James 1,

27. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of

God the Father means caring for orphans and widows

in their distress and refusing to let the world

corrupt you. See, these parables do not teach

that we are saved by acts of compassion, right?

We are saved through responding to Jesus in faith.

See, Jesus is teaching us that our relationship

with him produces a life marked by grace. The

sheep are not accepted, right? or excuse me,

they are accepted because they served. The goats

are left out because they chose to ignore the

call. Compassion is the fruit of salvation, not

the root of it, which leads to our four simple

action steps to close. Daily, everyone say daily.

We need to daily follow Jesus. Not Sunday when

we play the part. But we need to daily follow

Jesus, and the first way to do that is we submit.

John 5, 24, I tell you the truth, those who listen

to my message and believe in God, who sent me,

have eternal life. They will never be condemned

for their sins, but they have already passed

from death over to Jesus and trust that his ways,

right, the shepherd's ways are much better than

ours. He then promises that he'll fill us with

the Holy Spirit, that we live a gospel -infected

life. That is submitting to God. But we have

to understand, church, we can be inspired by

God. We can receive revelation from God. We can

be motivated by God. But if we don't apply God

to our lives, it doesn't do any good. And I think

I can be best summed up with this. Does anybody

know what this is? It's a little deodorant, right?

A little deodorant. Many of you know what it

is. In the morning, we can believe in deodorant.

We can purchase deodorant. We can enjoy a deodorant

commercial. We can even enjoy different sticks

and sprays and balms. But truth is, if you don't

apply this deodorant, it's all irrelevant. You're

going to stink. Same goes with Jesus. We've got

to apply Jesus to our life. Ephesians chapter

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

2. God saved you by his grace when you believed

or applied Jesus to your life. And you can't

take credit for this. It's a gift from God. Salvation

is not a reward for the good things we have done.

So none of us can boast. So my question to you

this morning is, have you applied? Jesus to your

life. And we're going to pause and we're going

to pray a simple prayer. And this isn't to point

you out if you're new here. This is simply to

say this is something we do every single Sunday

at HTV because we believe people that are distant

and far from God are brought into our gatherings.

And we're going to pray a prayer together. And

we invite you, if you are distant, far from God,

don't know if you believe, are wondering if you

apply God to your life and Jesus to your life,

this is your opportunity. Let's pray. Jesus.

I'm broken. I'm worn out. I'm tired. I'm stressed.

Forgive me. Make me new. I believe you're God's

son. I believe you died for me. I believe you're

alive today. Make me new. Fill me with your spirit.

Empower me to serve others. In Jesus' name, amen.

So if you prayed that prayer for the first time,

see us, text us, stop by the Welcome Hub. We

want to give you some next steps. More importantly,

we want to get you baptized at the end of the

month. But this is also the first Sunday of the

month, and it's an opportunity for us to share

in communion together. Every first Sunday of

the month, as a community of faith, we share

communion together. If you do not get an element,

put one hand up. If you need gluten -free, put

two hands up. Our people will come around. Just

gently be quiet. If for those of you that have

your elements, just prepare your hearts. And

you say, well, Chris, why are you putting communion

here? Well, here's why. Because these parables

are a challenge to the church. Quite often, the

church gets so hyper -focused on praying the

prayer, which I pray every week. And after praying

that prayer, they don't say, okay, God, transform

me from the inside out. And these parables are

a simple reminder that when Jesus returns and

we stand before him, we have to be held accountable

for our actions after we believe. And unfortunately,

there's some believers who have become lukewarm.

In fact, Revelation tells us when Jesus was challenging

the church that the believers have grown less

passionate. They're not serving. They're not

giving. And Jesus warns them, no, come back to

me. Allow your life to be a reflection of Jesus

to others. So if that's you, seek forgiveness

through this communion. This is a supernatural

act of connecting with God. The broken bread

is a shed body that was broken for us on the

cross. And of course, the juice represents. His

blood for the forgiveness of sins. And Jesus

promises us when we turn to him, yes, we are

in relationship with him. But if you're already

in relationship with him and are questioning

whether you're walking out these truths, did

I do enough to get into heaven? And do I look

enough like Jesus? Say, God, forgive me and reveal

what it is that I'm not doing right. And he'll

do that. He'll convict you of your sin. He'll

show you people you need to serve. But you have

to have a willing heart, a soft heart, and be

willing to. On the night that it was betrayed,

Jesus took bread, he broke it, and gave it to

his disciples and said, take, eat, this is my

body, which is given for you. Eat it in remembrance

of me. Let's eat. Likewise, after supper, Jesus

took the cup of wine. He said, this is my blood,

which is shed for you and for many for their

forgiveness of sins. Drink it often, and when

you do, do it. In remembrance of me, let's drink.

God, we are so grateful for the gift of your

son. Cover us, God. Empower us. Inspire us to

continue to be the change that this world so

desperately needs. In Jesus' name. And we said

together. Now, step one. Daily submit. Daily

submit. Step two, see. For I was hungry, I was

thirsty, I was a stranger, I was naked, I was

sick, I was in prison. Every day that you start

your journey, simply ask, God, who are you placing

in front of me today? Who can I serve? How can

I serve? Who can I encourage? Look and see opportunities

that are in front of you. And then we serve.

For I was hungry, you fed. I was thirsty, you

gave me a drink. I was a stranger, you invited

me in. The naked you gave. I was sick. You cared.

I was in prison. You visited. I want to challenge

you. There shouldn't be a week that goes by that

we don't perform one intentional act of kindness.

Serve others. Open a door. Smile. Pray for. Whatever

opportunity you are given. Because that is what

makes a difference. As we serve, people see our

actions. And then as we serve, step four, we

share. For I am not ashamed of this good news

about Jesus. It is the power of God at work saving

everyone who believes. And you say, well, Chris,

I don't know enough of the Bible to share about

Jesus. Yes, you do. You do. Because if you're

in a relationship with Jesus, you know how you

were before Jesus. You know when you met Jesus.

And you know how your life is different now.

And if you say, well, my life's not really different

now, then I say to you, you might want to examine

that heart because you very well may be a goat.

And I don't want to be the person that stands

in front of Jesus thinking they're okay when

in reality, they're a goat. Matthew 10, seven

through eight, go and announce to them that the

kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise

the dead, cure those with leprosy, cast out demons,

give as freely. As you have received. Okay. I

want to be honest with you. I need to end this

gathering in approximately two minutes. But.

There's a but. I need to share a simple story

with you. That overwhelmingly convicted my heart

this week. That I read online. Okay. So you have

to promise me parents. And people sitting beside

parents. When I release, let the parents go get

their kids, okay? Or I'm going to be in trouble

with our kids' workers, and I love our kids'

workers. So I need to share this story with you

because it's going to overwhelm you with the

simplicity of what it means to serve someone.

I read this story on Wednesday night, and it

just impacted my life so much the rest of that

evening. I just buried my baby girl, and this

biker stood in the rain for three hours, and

I had no idea who he was. My daughter Emma was

seven years old. The church was packed with family

and friends and teachers and tiny classmates

who didn't understand why Emma wasn't coming

back. But through the window, I kept seeing him,

this massive man with gray beard and a leather

vest standing motionless in the downpour of rain,

never seeking shelter, never leaving, just standing

with his head bowed. while the rain poured off

of him. Emma died five days earlier. A drunk

driver ran a red light. They told me she was

gone instantly. They told me she didn't suffer.

They told me it was quick. Like that was supposed

to make it hurt less, it didn't. The funeral

was a blur. I remember the white casket that

was too small, the pink flowers because pink

was Emma's favorite color. I remember my wife,

Sarah, collapsed beside me, unable to stand.

But I kept looking at the biker in the rain.

After the service, after they closed the casket

for the last time, I walked outside. The rain

had slowed to a drizzle. The biker was still

there, soaking wet, shivering. Excuse me, I called

out. Were you here for Emma? He looked up. His

eyes were red. He'd been crying. Yes, sir, I'm

so sorry for your loss. Did you know my daughter?

He nodded slowly. Not well, but I knew her. How?

He took a shaky breath. Three months ago, I was

sitting on a bench outside the grocery store.

I just found out I had stage four cancer. Six

months to live, maybe less. I was sitting there

trying to decide if it was even worth fighting.

He wiped his eyes with his wet sleeve. Your daughter

walked up to me, this tiny girl with pigtails

and a backpack. She said, mister, you look sad.

You need a hug. My throat. My throat closed.

I told her, no, thank you, sweetie. Told her

she should go back to her mom, but she didn't

leave. She said, my teacher says hugs can heal

anything, even sad hearts. And before I could

say anything, she hugged me. She wrapped her

little arms around me and held on. Tears ran

down his face into his wet beard. Your wife came

running over apologizing and said, Emma doesn't,

Emma does that, hug strangers. But Emma looked

up at me and said, see, don't you feel better

now? He paused and the thing is, I did. For the

first time in days, I felt something other than

despair. This tiny girl who made her whole life,

who had her whole life ahead of her, showed more

kindness to a dying stranger than anyone had

shown me in years. I couldn't speak, could only

stand there while rain dripped from both of us.

She asked my name. I told her David. She said,

I'm Emma. I'm seven years old, and I think you

should fight, Mr. David. Because the world needs

more people in it, not less. David's voice cracked.

That was three months ago. I started chemo. I

started radiation. Every day when it got hard,

when I wanted to quit, I thought about Emma,

about this little girl. Who believed the world

needed me in it? He reached into his vest and

was shaking hands. He pulled out a waterlogged

piece of paper. Two weeks ago, I got my results.

The cancer's in remission. Doctors don't know

how. They call it a miracle. He looked at me

and said, I call it Emma. He unfolded the...

Paper carefully. It was a child's drawing. A

tall man with a beard standing next to a little

girl with pigtails. Hearts everywhere. At the

top in crayon it says Mr. David and Emma. Friends

forever. She drew this that day. Your wife took

a photo of us and Emma. And she drew it from

that picture. She gave it to me the next week

at the park. She wanted me to have something

to remind me that someone cared whether I lived

or died. I broke. sobbingly out of control. You

didn't know I managed. You didn't know I managed

to understand and learn about the accident. Not

until yesterday I saw the obituary, saw the picture.

He couldn't finish. I had to come. I had to pay

my respects to the little girl who saved my life.

I didn't feel right coming inside. Didn't know

you. Didn't want to intrude. So I stood out here.

I wanted Emma to know. Mr. David came that I

kept my promise to fight. I walked over and hugged

this stranger, this big rough -looking biker

who stood in the rain for three hours to honor

my seven -year -old daughter. Thank you, I whispered.

Thank you for telling me this. The story goes

on to talk about the family welcoming him in

and making him a part of their family all because

of a simple hug. And I want to challenge you.

That radically changed my life. We don't know

what people are going through. And tomorrow,

you're going to meet people that may have been

just given a death sentence. Are you going to

be the person that encourages them and hugs them?

Are you going to be the compassionate Jesus follower?

Or are you going to simply walk by with a schedule

that's too busy? focused on what you need and

what you want and not focused on the kingdom

of God. Be a difference maker and allow God to

use you to transform lives. Amen? All right,

parents, you got to go. Get your kids. Everyone

else stay seated. There's several words of knowledge

I got to share. You have pain in your left hip.

You have shoulder pain in your right shoulder

and you can't lift your arm. You have a fractured

shin. You have sinus blockages. You're struggling

with anxiety and depression. You've been given

the notice that you have breast cancer. And this

one's specific. There's a September 29th court

date that you're fearful of. If any of those

are you, our prayer to you, and by my right and

my left to pray for any need that you have, this

is going to be a great series. Invite your friends.

We're answering your questions. Amen? All right.

God bless you guys. Try to hurry to your cars.

I got to get more people in. I love you. Good

luck to the men of old