A Generous Life | John Challinor

Welcome to you. We are glad that we get to do

this together. Glad that we get to walk through

life. Those of you on the online community, wherever

you happen to be, however you happen to be hearing

this, we're just glad that we do life together.

Those of you in the room, welcome. If you are

new to this space or either our online spaces

or either of those locations, just extra special

welcome to you. Don't take it lightly that you

would step into an arena like this, a space like

this, where you go. I'm here because I'm trying

to figure something out. I'm here because I want

to know more about. I'm here because I just need

something in my life. Like that's a space that

as you enter, just know that we don't take that

lightly. Like that's a big deal to us. And so

we're just grateful for that. You notice how

things come back. You notice that? Like Pastor

Todd's got a stash. It's back. I saw him this

morning, and first thing I said is, must be November,

right? Like, here we go. And, you know, Aaron

Rodgers, he just keeps coming back. He's like

an old penny you can't get rid of. But hopefully

he continues to stay healthy and lead the Steelers

into good spaces in the future. Bradshaw right

here, I see it. I see it. And, you know, and

then there's songs. Some of you are like, wow,

that was a great new song. I got to let you know

that song is not new. And if you've been around

church for a while, you've been singing it for

a while. And here's what's beautiful. I don't

want to miss the moment of kind of what that

song means and how it really leans forward. And

here's what I mean. That years and years and

years ago, somebody decided that they were going

to take the gift that God had given them. And

that was the ability to write music, write song.

And they were going to put that song on paper

and essentially birth it into our time and our

space. What I also love is the person that wrote

it isn't the one that you know it recorded by

if you know that song. That there was another

group of people that went, you know what? We've

got, we like this song. We love what it's about.

Is that a Dodger shirt? Is that what I see back

there? Rocha, I see you. I see you. You're in

church today because you were praying hard last

night, let me tell you. Pastor Todd said it's

the worst day of the year after the Dodgers win.

So there you go. What were we talking about?

Songs. Okay, so there's, but here's what I love.

Another group of people recorded it, right? And

you may remember it for that. If you're old school

Heights family, you may remember being in the

event center in Prescott Valley, singing that

song on Easter, right? Like it depends on where

you've been on this journey. But here's what

I love. That people along the way were faithful

to take truth and take their lives and the creativity

and what God had given them. And they used it

for the kingdom, which still today, some of you

are going, that was new. Some of you are going,

man, I miss this song, right? Like wherever you

happen to be on that spectrum, somebody used

their gifts. And in using their gifts, they have

impacted a whole group of people. But here's

what the beauty of this is. When Jeannie Lee

Riddle, which none of you know, wrote that song

that is now very, very popular and has been for

a lot of years, when she wrote that song, she

was just using the gifts that God had given her.

She was just being faithful. What could God do

with your faithfulness? Like, what could God

do with you just going, God, you give me gifts,

you give me talents, you give me creativity,

you put me in a time and place and space, and

I'm just gonna be faithful there. You don't know

if in 20 years people are still talking about

what you did because you were just using your

gifts. It kind of leans into where we're heading

over the next little while with this idea of

a generous life. You know, if we took this mic

and we kind of handed it out and went, okay,

tell us what you want out of life. I highly doubt

that we would hear anybody go, I want to live

a stingy life. I want my life to be smaller.

than God intended it to be. I don't want to live

a life larger. I highly doubt that if we were

talking about your funeral and people standing

up and speaking at your funeral, that anybody

goes, what I really want them to say, you guys,

is they were just so greedy. Nobody wants that,

right? Because instinctively inside of us, we

know that we were built for more. Instinctively

inside of us, we know that God created us for

this life that is larger than what we are living

today. That he built us for this kingdom that

he is building and he wants to use your life.

But here's the thing, if you do not have a generous

soul, you will never have a generous life. The

outcome, and there's parts of this that we're

gonna build over the next weeks of what does

it look like to have a generous life? What does

it need? What are the building blocks, if you

like, that you need to have a generous life?

And here's what I would say. We're gonna spend

time in Luke chapter 10 all the way through Luke

Luke 10 · chapter mention Luke 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12 over the next weeks. These are the

words of Jesus, right? Like if you have an old

school Bible, they're in red. So if you are offended

over the next four weeks, You can be mad at Jesus

because they're his words. Like we're going to

leave it on Jesus. We're going to put it on him

this week. Right. And the idea of this generous

life is hopefully what happens is as we build

through this and we work towards what we call

Thanksgiving. Right. That what we get to is that

that God has designed you. He's designed me for

a generous life. Now we're in week one and in

week one, I need you to know something. We are.

launching today a New Heights vision. We got

a New Heights mission going on. Here's what we

are hoping for. By the end of today, by the end

of services today, we will have 144 people signed

up for this mission. What is the mission, you

ask? We are sending people, 144, we are sending

them off this afternoon to Northern Arizona.

Now, there are parameters to this mission. You

cannot take a car. Right there, 50 of you just

dropped out. The rest of you are like, well,

I'll just take an Uber. You cannot take an Uber.

You cannot take your bicycle. You are going to

use the two feet that God gave you, and you are

going to walk to the towns of northern Arizona.

When you happen to go, what's gonna happen is

you are going to declare a mission of God. That's

why you are going. Now, you also can't take any

money. So you can't take your wallet. You can't

take your credit cards. You can't take anything

that you would be able to purchase something

with. On top of that, this 144, you cannot take

your cell phone. We just lost 280 of you right

there. You're like, I'm out. You can't take your

cell phone. In fact, you can't take a bag with

extra clothes or any other supplies of any sort.

You can't take your backpack with your laptop.

No electronics can go with you on this trip.

It is a stinky mission, meaning you will wear

what is on your body and you will wear it for

the entire mission. As you go. And as you are

on this mission, you will also not be able to

take any shoes. If it is your choice, you could

take a pair of flip -flops. Okay, but they're

the cheap ones that you buy for like $1 .99.

Probably going to break, and at some point you

will be barefoot upon your journey. So what are

you going to do? You are going to go to each

town, each dwelling, if you like, of northern

Arizona. And you are going to go into a space.

And when you arrive, you're going to give a greeting.

And what you are trying to discern is, does the

peace of God rest on this place? If the peace

of God rests there, then what you're going to

do is go, hey, can I stay? Can I stay with you?

Will you provide lodging for me? Because I got

nowhere to stay. And then you're going to ask

him, well, you're already having me stay with

you. Can you just feed me too? And you're gonna

eat whatever they give you. Whatever they put

in front of you, that's what you're gonna eat.

Whether you like it or not, that's just what

you're gonna eat. That's what you get. Now, on

top of that, when you are there, you are there

to announce that Jesus is returning, that the

return of Jesus is coming. Now, we're in church.

That deserved at least a, yeah, that's happening.

Okay, all right. Just making sure we're still

Jesus people, okay? You're gonna announce that

Jesus is coming. You are going to heal whatever

sicknesses you find, whatever ailments, whatever

is broke in Jesus's name, you are gonna heal

those. And you are also going to announce that

the kingdom of heaven has come near, tell the

story of Jesus and that his return is coming.

You are going to do that. However, whatever house

you end up in first, do not move to another house.

You're gonna stay where you are for the entire

time. Now, if you go to a town and when you get

to the town, the town, you do not find peace,

you know, as you're figuring it out, you are

going to symbolically dust off your clothes that

are now stinky and sweaty because we live in

Northern Arizona. Symbolically to tell them judgment

and destruction is coming. Now, if this is something

you are interested in, you can go into the lobby

post service and there will be somebody to sign

you up. We need 144. Anybody want to go? You're

like, what are we even talking about anymore?

Right? Luke chapter 10, verse 1. After this,

Luke 10:1

the Lord, being Jesus, appointed 72 others and

sent them two by two ahead of him to every town

and place where he was about to go. He told them

the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are

few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,

to send out workers into his harvest field. Go,

I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.

Do not take a purse or a bag or sandals and do

not greet anyone on the road. When you enter

a house, first say peace to this house. If someone

who promotes peace is there, your peace will

rest on them. If not, it will return to you.

Stay there eating and drinking whatever they

give you. For the worker deserves his wages.

Do not move around from house to house. When

you enter a town and are welcomed, eat whatever

is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there

and tell them the kingdom of God has come near

to you. But when you enter a town and are not

welcome, go into its streets and say, even the

dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a

warning to you. Yet be sure of this, the kingdom

of God has come near. I tell you, it will be

more bearable on that day for Sodom than for

that town. Y 'all. This isn't a parable. I just

need to be clear. Parable being a story that

Jesus made up that had a point to it. That's

not what this is. This is 72 people that answered

the call of the mission you just refused. Right?

That's how extreme this is. I love that it starts

out in verse one. After this, the Lord appointed

72 others, 72 others. Okay, well, in scripture,

what's happened before this? Well, if you go

back one chapter, what you find is there's 12

and Jesus sends them out the exact same way.

In fact, he gives them a little more, like don't

take this, don't do that, a little more specific.

And he sends out 12. Why did he send out 12?

Well, before that, there was who? John the Baptist

that he sent out. And if you notice, it says

that he sent out 72 and then it goes 72 others

and sent them two by two ahead of him. Okay,

so what was John the Baptist? John the Baptist

was a forerunner for the person of Jesus. He

was sent out by God to what? To announce that

Jesus is here. The Messiah is here. 12 go out

and what do the 12 do? They are forerunners for

Jesus. They're on mission going, hey, the kingdom

of heaven has come near. We've seen the Messiah

and he's coming to you. Now he sends 72 and the

72 go out and what are they supposed to do? The

kingdom of heaven has come near. Jesus is on

his way. They're forerunners for the person of

Jesus. And what I find interesting is for you

and me, What we have been left here, the reason

you're still on planet Earth as a follower of

Jesus, you know what's interesting? Jesus could

save you and take you. That'd be a fascinating

service, huh? Okay, anybody wanna receive Jesus?

And this half the room doesn't, they're gone.

And the other half are like, well, I guess we

got left. But he doesn't do that. Jesus saves

you, puts you into family, why? Because you are

now a forerunner. For what? Jesus is returned.

He is coming back. Still nothing. Good. We're

going to keep going. He's coming back, right?

So you, your life is what? A forerunner, a witness

to that if he died on a cross and he saved me,

then guess what? If that's true, then what's

equally true is he's coming back. Why? Because

he said he's coming back. So you're a forerunner.

Your life has a distinct purpose that you have

been. You are here with a mission, a kingdom

mission that God has put you on. And just like

this 72 there to go ahead of him. He sent him

to every town and place where he was about to

go. He told them the harvest is plentiful, but

the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest,

therefore, to send out workers into the harvest

field. One of my favorite things about Global

Month, it reminds me, and hopefully it reminded

you, the world is really big and the mission

is really big. When you hear of countries that

it's only 5 % of the population know Jesus, we

got a lot to do, you guys. We got a mission in

front of us. The work is not done. And this verse

is still true, right? Like that God would raise

up his people to go, hey, I am here to work in

the harvest field of heaven. I'm here to work

in the kingdom mission. My life is not about

me. It's about what God is doing. And so he emphasized

that verse three, go, I am sending you out like

lambs amongst wolves. Maybe in our context, that's

like you're a poodle to a bobcat. Right? Like

that's kind of the feeling that you get. Now,

if you're Jesus, this is not a good PR plan.

Right? Your mission statement, right? You're

going to put this, you're going to brand it like

I'm sending you out like lambs amongst wolves,

a .k .a. you are weak, you are vulnerable, you

are in danger, and you're helpless, and they

could devour you. Go. You just read it and you

go, wait a minute. he's stripping out safety.

He's telling them ahead of time, hey, my goal

for you as you're going out, my goal for you

as you follow me is not that you would be safe.

My goal is not that you would build this whole

thing where you can just kind of hunker down

and make sure that you're safe, your family's

safe, and nothing can ever get in, right? He

intentionally tells them right up top, which

he might need a different PR plan. He definitely

needs HR, I'll tell you that, because they need

a policy about this. I'm sending you out like

lambs amongst wolves. Leon Morris has a quote

in his commentary where he said they were in

danger and they were helpless. That doesn't sound

very... Western, does it? That's what I signed

up. Be in danger and be helpless. No, no, no.

If we're going in danger, we're going to have

the biggest weapon. Right? But he takes their

weapons away. He goes, I know I'm sending you

into danger, but I'm also taking away your defense

mechanism. It is such an upside down kingdom

perspective that God would take away the thing,

right? Like, what is he doing here, Jesus? Like,

what's the plan? Well, the plan is, verse four,

do not take a purse. So don't take any money.

Don't take any way to kind of be self -reliant.

Don't take any way to pay your way. Or a bag,

meaning don't take any supplies. Don't pack any

food. Don't pack any extra clothes. Don't pack

anything you might need for this journey. And

sandals. Sandals is interesting because they

think that they, some say, no, they went barefoot.

Some say, no, they went in sandals, but those

sandals were likely to break just because of

the rigors of the travel and the walk and all

of that. So at some point they were going to

end up barefoot. That was part of the point in

going. And do not greet anyone on the road, which

if you're here and you're like, you know Jesus

a little bit and you're like, well, that doesn't

sound very Jesus -like. I thought he was kind

and gracious. He is. But the idea of not greeting

on the road is when they would go on the road,

what would happen is the greeting was long. And

so as they greeted somebody, they would get distracted

by what was in front of them. And he's going,

don't get distracted. In our context, it's leave

your cell phone at home. Because if you could

go out into the middle of nowhere and have your

cell phone and you're distracted from everything

that's there, right? He's going, don't get distracted.

What this is speaking to is the urgency of the

mission. You guys, there is an urgency to your

faith. There is an urgency to our life. There

is an urgency to the mission that God has put

in front of us. And we get so, and when I say

we, me, I can get so distracted by what? A simple

piece of whatever metal in my hand with glass

that lights up. And in the meantime, I miss the

kingdom mission that God has. And he's saying

the same thing. When you go down the road, don't

talk to him. Which we're like, well, that doesn't

sound very nice. Don't be distracted. Verse five,

when you enter a house, first say to the house,

or first say peace to this house. If someone

who promotes peace is there, your peace rule.

rest on them. If not, it will return to you.

Anybody else just feel like stress for them?

Like I just got, every time I teach this, I'm

just stressed for them. Why? Because they're

supposed to go to a house, right? Which was a

household of people and do the normal greeting,

like the peace greeting. And if the greeting

came back and it resonated with them, then they

were supposed to stay there. That sounds terrifying.

Like, hey, what's up? God be with you. I don't

know if I feel it or not. Am I supposed to stay

here or am I not? Can you imagine? Like, we'd

be such a mess. Like, I don't know if I'm supposed

to. I guess I'm supposed to ask you this. Can

I stay here? Verse 7, stay there. So if the peace

returns, stay there eating and drinking whatever

they give you. That's so stressful for these

early believers. You know why? Because they're

going to towns that are Samaritan villages and

towns. Now, who are the Samaritans? You pick

your worst enemy. That is who the Samaritans

were to these Jewish boys, right? And what does

that also multiply to? When you go into a house

and now you're staying there and they put food

on that table, you eat whatever is in front of

you. What is eating with a Samaritan? What are

you actually doing? You are building a relationship

and you are in fellowship with, you're saying

I'm in community with you. That was a huge no

and look down on. And Jesus is going, go do it.

Why? Because in Jesus's economy, in a kingdom

mission, there are no lines, you guys. There's

no lines. We keep creating lines as a church.

There are no lines. There are only people that

need Jesus. And it is our job. It is our job

to what? To go across lines and build relationships.

What's crazy in this sense is they would have

sat down with really rigid, strict religious

rules around what they could eat and dietary

options. And they're supposed to sit down and

eat what's ever in front of them. Now you're

violating your religious. Why? Because if you've

got rules to your religion that stop you from

taking the good news of Jesus and the kingdom

of Jesus to people, you have mixed up the whole

thing. Right? It's not about all these rules

and regulations. It's about you need Jesus and

I will go across this so that you find Jesus.

Why? Because he's coming back. Eternity's on

the line. You know that, right? Like eternity

is on the line. And so the mission really, really

matters. Stay there eating and drinking whatever

they give you for the worker deserves his wages.

Do not move around from house to house. I love

this one. This is like human nature at its finest.

So you go to the first place and you're like

super nervous, like, oh, the peace rested. And

you're like, yeah, I got a place to stay. And

then you look at the neighbor's house and you're

like, wow, that house is so much nicer than this

house. And their food is within the dietary restrictions.

He goes, don't move. Don't try and better your

comfort. Don't try and better your circumstances.

Don't let your eyes, look at, look at, don't

let your eyes go to all the things we're trying

to build and gain that make us feel comfortable

and safe and secure. He goes, don't do that.

Verse eight, when you enter a town and are welcome

to eat whatever is offered to you, they needed

to hear that twice. Heal the sick who are there.

and tell them the kingdom of God has come near

to you. But when you enter a town and you are

not welcome, go into its streets and say, even

the dust of your town, we wipe from our feet

as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this, the

kingdom of God has come near. I tell you, it

will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than

for that town. How? Like those of you that have

the biblical narrative, you know who Sodom is,

you know what happened to the town of Sodom,

right? Like how? That's absolutely terrifying.

That it will be more bearable for Sodom on that

day? All that does for me is it talks about the

importance of the mission that God has given

us. The level that he raises it to is vital.

Your life is so vital that your life is one that

is lived being given away. But you will only

live giving life away if you live a generous

life. So what is, Jesus, what are you doing?

What is this all about? What is the point of

all this? Well, He strips away security, right?

The things that made them safe, their community,

their swords, their people, their ethnicity.

He strips all of that away. Then he takes away

what? They could depend on money. So even if

I get there and it doesn't go well, well, I got

a credit card. He takes that away. There's no

dependability on themselves. Well, if nothing

else, I can look a certain way. No, you can't

because that was stripped away because all you

got is your stinky clothes. There's nothing that's

going to attract people to you because of the

way you look and especially the way you smell.

Well, at least I got sandals. No, you don't because

you broke them on the way and now you're barefoot

and it hurts. It's painful. There's a physical

toll to this. Jesus is stripping away everything.

everything that they can depend on, everything

that they would have had trust in. Think about

it, you guys. This is not so far -fetched. What

do we spend our lives trying to collect? Comfort

and safety. I can be self -reliant. I don't need

anybody. We spend our whole lives trying to build

this thing, and then when I got it all in place,

Then Jesus, I'll take up the mission. No, you

won't. Because you never learned how to trust

him. What was this whole thing about? That they

would trust him. Why? Because you will never

live a generous life if you don't trust everything

to God. You won't. Luke chapter 22. This came

Luke 22 · chapter mention

out of our teaching prep meeting on Tuesday this

week. Somebody said, hey, it reminds me of how

this ends. Luke 22, verse 35. Then Jesus asked

Luke 22:35

them, when I sent you without purse, bag, or

sandals, did you lack anything? Wait a minute.

When I stripped everything away. Did you lack

anything? What's the answer? Sorry, I can't hear

you. I'm kind of hard to hear. Still can't really

hear you. Hey, this is important. I need everybody

in this room to say nothing. Why is it important

that you say nothing? Because one thing for me

to read verses and it just gloss over you, it's

another thing for you to go, wait a minute, the

people that he sent out with nothing, the people

that he sent out vulnerable, like what? Poodles

to your bobcat. The people he sent out, they

respond, we lacked what? Nothing. Why is that

important? Because Psalm 23, verse one says,

the Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd,

therefore I lack nothing. So let me ask you,

the Lord is what? We lost about. 75 % of the

room. The Lord is my shepherd. Why is it important

that the Lord is your shepherd? Because therefore

you what? Like nothing. So stop trying to live

your life gaining everything. Stop trying to

give your life to have comfort, security, safety.

That's the point. The point of what he's getting

at is when you were out and you were vulnerable

and you had nothing and you thought you would

die, what did you lack? nothing. You lack nothing.

They had to learn to trust God and God alone.

I wonder how many of you God is just stripping

away right now. You know that friend that you

thought you'd always have? You don't have that

friend no more? Or maybe it was that nice house

that you thought would be like, when I get there.

And you don't have no more. Or maybe it's a car.

You've been saving up. I got this car, right?

And I got the car. And then this always happens.

You get the car, and then somebody hits it, like,

in the first week of having it. Like, it's inevitable

because God goes, it's not about the car, slugger.

Or maybe it's your kids. Like, you just got little

bubbles around your kids, you know? And you're

going to keep them as safe as you can. And so

you're creating all this. I'm not saying don't

keep your kids safe. Like, don't mistranslate

this. But it can easily become your focus where

you think you keep them safe. Here's what's really

interesting about safety, by the way. Later today,

you guys will go to sleep, hopefully. When you

close your eyes and go to sleep and you hit that

REM sleep, who's holding it all together? It

sure ain't you. Because you're unconscious. Your

snoring says so. Right? Isn't it interesting

that... I went to my itty bitty little lock on

my door and I latched it before I went to sleep.

I'll save. Your lock ain't doing nothing. The

God who's all powerful, who lacks nothing is

the one holding you. And until we learn to trust

that, we will not live a generous life. Why?

Because I'm collecting for me because I need

all these things. Instead, what God is trying

to teach them and trying to teach us is that

you can let go of all that stuff. Why? Because

he's got you. And when you learn that he's got

you, here's what happens. Next verse says this.

He said to them, but now if you don't have a

purse, take it. And also a bag. And if you don't

have a sword, sell. Sorry, now if you have a

purse, take it. And also a bag. If you don't

have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Wait,

wait, that's the opposite of what he told him

before. Why is he telling them now to take their

stuff? Because they've learned to what? Trust

him and not their stuff. And now what does their

stuff become? Their stuff becomes things that

he wants to use for the mission. He wants to

use to give away. Why? Because he knows he can

trust them because they trust him, not their

stuff. See how this works, right? What is God

doing in your world? He's maybe stirring up your

trust. Maybe he's taking some stuff away. Maybe

he's showing you today that you're building this

kingdom and trying to get this. When in reality,

what he wants to do is you trust him. And then

everything you have is about how can he get it

through you? Because that's what the generous

life is, is that I trust him so much I'm not

attached to stuff anymore. I had a moment this

week. I was actually preparing for this meeting.

I was in a coffee shop, barista comes up and

he goes, hey man, you drive that car out there?

I'm like, yeah, somebody just hit your car. And

it was such a beautiful moment because John of

20 years ago would have gone out there and been

so worked up about my car. And I got to walk

out there and I got to meet somebody. And I got

to just be kind. And it was such a moment for

me because I'm studying this where God goes,

you've learned, you've learned, you're in the

process of learning. Am I got this down? Not

even close, you guys. I'm an emotional wreck

on stuff. But in this instance, it was like,

God, it's just a car. It doesn't matter. You

know what part of that is? You'll live long enough.

You'll live long enough. And especially those

of you that are from Wisconsin or back that way,

you'll live long enough. And what do they all

do? They all rust. That's what they do. They

all become old. Nobody wants them anymore. And

yet we can get so sidetracked and distracted

to hold on, right? Look at this. One last thought

and then we're done. Back in chapter 10. Verse

16, whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever

rejects you rejects me, but whoever rejects me

rejects him who sent me. What that means is this,

when you go to somebody and you're like, hey,

can I pray for you? Because I just feel like

God told me and they go, no, don't take it personal.

When you share the gospel with somebody and they

get mad at you, don't worry about it. They didn't

get mad at you, they get mad at who? Hey God,

they get mad at Jesus. They're rejecting him,

not rejecting you. Don't take it so personal.

Verse 17, the 72 returned. Sorry, 72. How many

went out? 72. So not 71 came back. Jesus wasn't

like, we didn't like that guy anyways. All 72

came back. Why is this so important? God will

not lose what is his. He won't lose what's his.

You can trust him. 72 came back. And how did

they come back? With joy. And said, Lord, even

the demons, even demons submit to us in your

name. So they come back. Now think about it.

Humanize for a second. They went out on the mission

that all of you didn't sign up for. They went

out, right? Going, man, we don't have anything.

Everything's been taken away. This is scary.

We are vulnerable. We're in a space we don't

like. We're dependent on other people. And it

says that they came back with joy. They came

back with a spiritual fruit that they got to

experience. It doesn't make human sense. Verse

18, he replied, I, Jesus, saw Satan fall like

lightning from heaven. I have given you authority

to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome

all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm

you. However. Do not rejoice that the spirits

submit to you, but rejoice that your names are

written in heaven. You guys, creator God, heavenly

father who is perfect. the one that holds the

very stars, the one who is the essence of love,

knows your name. You are seen today. And your

name, those of you who have gone, man, my trust

is in Jesus. In spite of everything else, Jesus,

you gotta save me. Your name, your name, when

you put your trust in Jesus, your name is written

in heaven. So not only is it known, but in the

book of life that Revelation talks about, your

name is written into the book of life. So you

are known by God, but you are kept by God. Which

leads me to this. You should receive one of these

on your way in. What is this? Jesus says it's

a reminder. What is it a reminder of? Well, that

God showed up, that God took on human form. That

God went to a cross where he was mocked and he

was beaten and he was put to shame. And on that

cross, your very worst day, your very worst moment,

your worst sin that you try and bury as deep

as you possibly can because you can't believe

that you were the one that did it, that one,

it was put on him. And he chose to pay for your

sin. He chose to take your sin and bury it in

a grave. And when he rose from the dead, your

sin and your worst and your brokenness was left

in the grave. And what was raised out of that

grave was you with Jesus to newness of life.

That shame would not be your story. That grace

would be poured on you. And maybe just a word

on grace. That when you feel like you have done

something that's too much, you just go, there's

grace for that. How do you know? Because the

God who is infinite poured out so much grace

that it's like an ocean that you can't help but

drown in. That mercy, what is mercy? That the

God took mercy on you. That instead of putting

what you deserve on you, he withheld it and put

it on Jesus. That's what this is. Why? Why all

of that? so that your name, your name could be

written in heaven today. So what does it make

this moment? This isn't a sad moment of memory.

This isn't a moment when we get super reflected.

This is your own personal celebration party.

This is your own personal thank you. Thank you,

God, for showing up. Thank you, Jesus, for taking

my place. Thank you that because of that, my

name is written in heaven. Thank you, thank you,

thank you. I can't thank you enough for what

you've done because I don't deserve it. But our

trust has to be here if we're ever gonna live

a generous life. It has to be in the person of

Jesus. So here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna

pray for you and then we're gonna have a time

of reflection where you just get to thank God.

Thank God that your name is written in heaven

because of Jesus. And then we'll sing together.

God, we come before you. As a collective family,

we come before you. As ones you have rescued.

As ones you died for. As ones whose names are

written in heaven. God, I pray over anybody in

this room, anybody outside of this room, anybody

under the sound of this microphone that does

not cross screens, wherever, does not know you,

God, I pray that today is a day of rescue. I

pray today is the day that for the first time

in this reflection, they just go, Jesus, I give

you my life, save me. God, for those who have

declared, Jesus, I give you my life, save me.

For those that have put their trust in you, their

faith in you. God, we recognize that because

of your sacrifice, we, we, for all of eternity.

are written, our names are written in your book

of life. Our names are written in heaven and

we just say thank you. Thank you for being kind.

Thank you for being generous to us. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.