In The Way - Steven Mencia

For some reason this morning.

But I get the honor and privilege, if I've not had the honor and privilege of meeting you, I'm Pastor Steven.

I am our Celebration Everywhere pastor.

And so for those of you who watch online each and every week, you tune in from all over the world.

Man, I'm grateful for you.

I'm thankful that you're watching.

I'm thankful that you take time out of your Sunday to log on to YouTube, to be in the chat, and to engage with the gospel being preached in Jacksonville, Florida.

Can we just welcome everyone who's watching online this morning?

We love you so much.

We're grateful for you.

And uh and being the dad to our beautiful little girls, Winnie and Colette.

And um, I am tired.

So we're gonna honor uh the Timberlakes man.

There are there are no two greater people with integrity that lead the way that they do than Pastors Tim and Jen Timberlake.

I think we kind of, I think we can sometimes forget um just how grateful we should be for the leadership that we have here at Celebration Church.

I get the the privilege of traveling sometimes with PT.

And I gotta tell you, there's no place like home.

There's no place like home, and we have it special here.

Um so if you if you wouldn't mind, can we just honor our senior leadership, Pastors Tim and Jen Timberlay?

Thank you so much for letting me share the pulpit with you.

Uh I love them dearly.

They have been a covering and um just such a gift to our family.

And yeah, we just love them so much, and we're grateful to be a part of what God's doing here together at Celebration Church.

And so we're gonna uh pick up in Acts chapter 9 this morning.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

We've been in a series called Carried by the Wind.

Uh we've been in the book of Acts actually since before I was saved.

And we uh I'm kidding.

I'm kidding.

I've been saved longer than that.

Um but we uh picked up or we followed off last week, uh, Acts chapter 8, where Pastor Tim talked about Philip and the eunuch, right?

Acts 8 · chapter mention

An incredible word from Pastor Tim.

And um, you know, we pick up on Acts chapter 9, there's like this stark contrast in the narrative that Luke is writing about the early church, where it shifts from an encouraging story about transformation, salvation for the Ethiopian eunuch, and Philip bringing the word of Jesus to him and the gospel story going forth to a stark contrast about a man named Saul who would one day become the man who wrote 13 letters in your Bible in the New Testament.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Now, I do want to start by saying there's something for you this morning.

I know a lot of times it feels like we're swimming upstream to get to church.

And life can be difficult, life's expensive, life is hard, life is all the things.

And I just want you to know that the Lord is with you.

He's here, the King of glory is here this morning.

And he wants to meet you, he wants to have an encounter with you, he wants to know you, he wants to walk with you.

The word of God does not return void.

And as long as the word of God goes forth, I believe there's something for you here this morning.

Amen?

Alright, enough about you.

So last week we talked about Philip and the eunuch, Philip's boldness and the eunuch's humility and this beautiful tapestry of the story of salvation, the gospel being spread all over the ends of the earth.

And then this morning, Pastor Tim asked if I could talk about the murderer.

So that's fun.

We get to talk about that this morning.

But uh stand with me for the reading of God's word if you're able to.

Acts chapter 9.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Verses 1 through 3 is what we're gonna read today.

Acts chapter 9, verses 1 through 3.

Acts 9:1–3

When you there, say there.

If you need a second, say, hold up.

There's always a few.

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the way, everyone say, I'm in the way.

Men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

And now, as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.

And so we pick up on a story about a man named Saul who would once be Saul, but for now he's still breathing murderous threats to Christians and Jewish believers all over the world.

And we pick up on the middle of his story.

And there's a stark contrast with darkness and light, because in Acts chapter 8, again, we see this high of Philip being led by the Spirit to an obscure place to bring the good news of Jesus to an Ethiopian eunuch.

Acts 8 · chapter mention

And now in Acts chapter 9, but Saul is now being led by what we would say is flesh to an obscure place to stop the spread of that very same gospel.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

And so, what I would ask you here this morning, if Saul were to show up in this room, would he find you worthy enough to take back to Jerusalem?

Are you in the way?

Look at your neighbor and say, I'm in the way.

Look at your second choice and say, I'm in the way.

I'm in the way, I'm in the way, I'm in the way.

Let's pray together.

Would you stretch your hands?

This morning, Lord, we love you.

God, we thank you that we get to open your word this morning.

That let it cut us this morning.

Let it let it sharpen us this morning, Lord.

You are the great surgeon, the great physician, Lord.

Would you do what only you can do in our hearts this morning?

Right now, I just pray that the word would cut through flesh this morning, that you would operate on us and show us if there's any offensive way in us, that you would remind us that you're the way, the truth, and the life.

And the only way to the Father is through you, Jesus.

And so, Lord, we love you, we thank you for what you're gonna do in this place.

In Jesus' mighty name we pray.

And everybody said, Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

You can be seated.

So, Pastor Tim texted me a few days ago and told me I'd be reading verses one through three.

And I was like, Well, can you give me verse four?

You know, because that's really where things kind of pick up.

Otherwise, we're just talking about a guy who kills people.

Um, and so he said no.

And uh we're gonna talk about verses one through three.

And if I'm being completely honest, you know, I I funny enough, I kind of felt like this tension a little bit that uh we tend to gloss over the hard parts of Scripture.

We don't like the word persecution, and mostly because we don't like to think that it could happen to us.

Friend, let me let me tell you something.

There are brothers and sisters all over the world in the faith that are being persecuted for the very gospel that you worship on Sunday morning.

And we just kind of gloss over stories like Saul, and as the present-day reader, it's easy to move kind of past the beginning stages of Saul.

We kind of we read like this, we're like, Z, you ever read like that?

You just got and we kind of skim through the narrative that is highly important because here's the reality.

We have the uh the privilege of reading Jesus into the story and knowing what's on the way.

You know who didn't know Saul would be a believer?

Everyone.

There wasn't a single person in antiquity that thought Saul, the man who was persecuting Christians and Jewish believers, the man who was who was advocating for the death of Stephen, the martyrdom of Stephen, or Paul, Saul stood there and said, Yeah, that's a good job.

We are gonna stone Stephen, the man who is advocating for the death of Christians.

No way this guy could be saved.

And sometimes we we can read scripture and we kind of read past that part, but let me let me tell y'all something real quick.

There is a real threat to the Christian faith.

People do not like Jesus.

And if you belong to him, you think they're gonna like you?

Say, I'm in the way.

We tend to forget the dangerous nature of the truth that we profess.

That Jesus is Lord, that he's the incarnate word of God, that he built his throne on a cross that was made for you and I, but he got in the way.

He took sin on his shoulders, he took the keys from hell.

That is not a popular statement outside of church.

It's easy to come in here and sing King of Glory, you know, bring revival.

Why don't you do that in Iran?

Go over to Syria and start worshiping the Lord.

Throw on some elevation worship while you're over there.

But we don't like persecution.

We don't like talking about persecution.

We forget that there are nations full of souls that want nothing more than for this room to be empty.

They want nothing more than for this room to not only be empty, but for the gospel to stop spreading.

And then yet we come to church and we have a nice little time in church, like everything's fine.

We pull into the parking lot and we're driving our car.

I need you.

Or whatever.

You guys only listen to worship, I know that, but we pull to the parking lot and we're like, oh yeah, it's gonna be a good day in church.

And you know, we're definitely not upset that the parking guy put us way in the back and we have to walk really far.

When we come through the building, everyone's smiling, it's very well lit, and we're a little tired, so we're like, you know what?

Maybe I'll get that Java chip rappuccino after all.

And we go to the loft and we and we go in and we say, hi everybody, and we get our coffee and things are good, and we walk in the sanctuary and we look for our usher friends, and we're like, You got me the same seats, right?

God forbid I sit in a different seat on Sunday.

And uh, you know, that guy better not be sitting in my seat.

That's my seat.

I've been sitting here for three weeks, that's my seat.

And so you sit down and you brought your neighbor, right?

Come on, you brought your neighbor, praise God, but then you're upset because Pastor Tim ain't here, it's that loud Hispanic dude that you don't like, and you're like, what is going on?

The one time I bring my friend, and we got this dude.

And before worship even starts, it's about you.

Oh, but I'm in the way.

Yeah, no, I belong to the way.

Yeah, yeah, I belong to the way.

It's about, man, I love Jesus.

I belong to the way, but you don't look nothing like it.

When was the last time your faith cost you something?

Because listen to me, we get insulated about bearing the cost of Christ a lot of times.

We forget that there is a cost to carrying the cross.

When was the last time your faith costed you comfort?

That you sacrificed comfort in the name of the gospel?

When was the last time you sacrificed security in the name of the gospel?

When was the last time that faith costed you anything?

Ooh, don't talk about persecution, yuck.

But saw! But saw.

Now listen, I'm I'm inmate number one when it comes to comfort.

I love comfort.

I'm an air-conditioned evangelist.

Alright?

The Lord sends me where there's HVAC systems.

But we can be shielded by cold auditoriums, hot coffee, and a brand new Bible that ain't been opened in months.

But we say, I'm in the way.

Would Paul take any of us back to Jerusalem?

Would we be worthy of being in the way of being found guilty of being in the way?

Or when you say, There's nobody here that's a threat.

I'll go back along.

My prayer is that you and I would find ourselves in the way, the way of Jesus, in the way, the truth, and the life in the King's name.

We would be found belonging to the way.

I'm in the way.

I don't care what's going on around me, I'm in the way.

I don't care what the enemy's whispering in my ear, I'm in the way.

I don't care what that website's telling me to do at night, I'm in the way.

I don't care if that friend is making me angry, I'm in the way, I'm in the way, I'm in the way.

Everyone say, I'm in the way.

Be careful.

You start saying, I'm in the way.

You belong to the way.

There's people that don't like the way.

But I'm in the way.

You know, football season's around the corner.

And uh typical Jags fans.

I'm kidding, I'm I'm one of them.

I love them, but they hurt me.

Um, football season.

So right now it's called training camp, and teams all over the country, all 32 teams, are game planning for their opponents that they play this season, right?

And they're and they're looking for inconsistencies in footage, they're looking for uh movements, they're looking for certain patterns that their opponents might use to try and beat them, right?

All in the name of victory.

Can I tell you something?

You know who the team is not looking for in film?

You know who they're not studying?

John in section 4 row B.

There isn't a single team in the NFL that is studying a fan to get a competitive edge.

But church is full of fans.

Saul was not looking for fans of the gospel, he's looking for followers of Jesus.

Were you a follower or are you a fan?

The shame would be is that church is full of fans who make it about me and mine and what I can get from Jesus, and we ain't following the one who called us.

I'm in the way.

Everyone say, I'm in the way.

Saul was looking for those that were devoted to the way, that were devoted to the spread of the gospel, they were devoted in sharing the good news, they were devoted in the ways of Jesus.

Anyone belonging to the way.

So, my question to you this morning, are you in the way?

Not when things are good, not when everything lines up perfectly.

Are you in the way?

If Saul would have come knock at your door, are you in the way still?

You got more month than money, are you in the way?

You're feeling lonely and that text comes through at midnight, you in the way?

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

We don't like persecution.

We don't, we don't like you know, the reality of being persecuted in our country is is a far-off idea.

Right?

We don't like talking about persecution.

Let me let me let me clarify some things.

Persecution is not you getting the wrong order at a restaurant.

Okay?

It's not you getting a flat tire on your way to work.

The devil don't care that much.

Oh, Satan just took out my tire.

No, you ain't changed them in three years.

Persecution is not a coworker giving you a stern look because you've done playing the same worship song 16 times.

That is not persecution.

Persecution is a man who is willing to go to the capital city, get extradition papers, walk 135 miles on his two feet to a town called Damascus looking to get you and your family chained up and walk you personally back to Jerusalem so you can be tried and eventually convicted and maybe even killed.

That is persecution.

Can your faith stand that?

Are you in the way?

We want Jesus to sit next to us in a beach chair and kick our feet up with the scriptures.

He ain't looking for people like that.

He's only looking for people on good behavior.

He's looking for followers of the way.

What a privilege it would be to be found belonging to the way.

I'm in the way.

Everyone say, I'm in the way.

Be careful.

Careful.

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

You want to be a problem towards the kingdom of darkness, right?

Raise your hand.

Ooh, alright, good.

You're in the way.

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

The kingdom of darkness better game plan for me because I'm in the way.

That demon that lives next door to me better start game planning for me because I'm in the way.

Enemy better shut that mouth of his because I don't care what he's got to say to me.

I'm in the way.

It don't matter what politics is saying, it don't matter what the world is saying, it doesn't matter how much they hate me.

I don't have to look like the world because I'm in the way.

Everyone say I'm in the way.

Be careful.

Be careful.

It's in his name that's the way.

He's the way, the truth, and the life.

Friend, the evidence of your profession of faith cannot simply exist at church.

If the greatest expression of your statement, I'm in the way, exists on a Sunday, you ain't in the way.

If your greatest expression of faith is how many Christian podcasts you subscribe to, you ain't in the way.

How many messages you listen to, you ain't in the way.

How little you cuss, you ain't in the way.

And some of you ain't even cussing that little.

You cussing a lot.

I'm in the way.

Saul wasn't concerned with good manners.

He wanted to find anyone belonging to the way who had a life dedicated to the way of Jesus.

Does your life reflect the profession that you made of being in the way?

Because if you are in the way, you say, yes, I'm in the way, then hell or high water, I'm in the way.

In the highs and the lows, I'm in the way.

It doesn't matter what my bank account says, it doesn't matter what my friend says, it doesn't matter what people are saying on Facebook.

It doesn't matter what the world looks like.

It doesn't matter how many rumors of wars are happening.

It doesn't matter what the president is saying.

It doesn't matter what your neighbor is saying.

It doesn't matter what your family is saying.

It doesn't matter what the world is telling you.

I'm in the way.

Everyone say I'm in the way.

Ooh, but Saul don't like the way.

Not yet, at least, since PT didn't give me verse four.

I'm in the way.

And that tension exists, you know, in our faith where this is what the enemy likes to do.

And when I say the enemy, this is not just like the other team.

We kind of make light of it sometimes.

This is Satan.

This is Lucifer.

This is the kingdom of darkness.

We don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities, right?

There is a real spiritual war happening, and both sides want you.

And what's funny is the kingdom of light never has to convince you.

You ever wonder that?

The kingdom of darkness is always looking to convince you that they're the good guys.

Yeah, eat the apple.

Who cares?

Yeah.

Text them back.

It's only midnight.

It's only once, God grace, cover you, right?

It's just once.

You sure you in the way?

Your life looks like this?

You sure you're in the way in the season of life that you're in?

You sure you're in the way?

You sure you want to stay in the way?

Y'all ever heard those chirps before?

Okay, is it just her?

Him?

Sorry.

My bad dog.

I did not look down.

If you're ever looking for a reason to stay in the way, let me make it very plain for you.

On a cross, many, many years ago, should have been you and I.

Sin should have had its claim, death should have had its sting.

Sickness should have bound us to have its origin.

We should have been bound to an eternity of damnation.

But the way got in the way.

So if the way got in the way on the cross and I'm made clean, then I better find myself in the way.

The only excuse you ever need to remain in the way is that the way got in the way for you.

Jesus didn't just save us from the cross.

Hear me.

He didn't just convince the judge not to get anyone on the cross.

He got on the cross.

He set up his throne on a cross.

The king of glory took your place.

My place for me.

He got in the way of sin so that you and I could experience freedom.

And if that ain't enough to get in the way, then the name of Jesus ain't never gonna be enough.

I'm in the way.

Everyone say I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

Careful.

You start saying I'm in the way, you might have to stay the whole service.

You might have to stay for the part we talk about giving.

Careful, you start saying you're in the way, you might have to let an altar call or two disrupt your Sunday afternoon.

You start saying you're in the way, you might have to start declining some idols that are calling your name at home.

You start saying you're in the way, you might have to start praying for people on the street.

You start saying you're in the way, you might have to start preaching to people in public.

You might have to actually start living it out.

Careful by saying I'm in the way.

I wonder, is there anybody here that says I'm in the way?

Oh, I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

But saw you don't like the way.

Not yet.

I'm in the way.

John chapter 15, verse 20.

John 15:20

John chapter 15, verses 20 and 21.

John 15:20

This is Jesus.

If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.

There's that P word.

Ya.

If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also, they will Treat you this way because of my I was gonna say, I know what's up there.

They will treat you this way because of my name.

The name of Jesus.

The name of Jesus.

How often are we throwing around that name?

We lift up the name of Jesus on Sunday, but don't talk about him at all during the week.

The name of Jesus, they will persecute you because they will persecute me because of my name.

The name of Jesus.

Do you belong to the way?

What name do you belong to?

Is it the name of money?

Is it the name of lust?

Bitterness, anger, unforgiveness.

What name?

What way?

I really am looking to like get hated this week.

Just profess the name of Jesus.

We don't want to do that.

We don't want to do that, right?

We cannot desire to be liked more than the desire to please God.

It will not work.

If your desire to be liked by everyone is greater than your desire to please God, that will lead your life.

And you won't be in the way.

You may not even be close to the way.

We cannot desire to be liked more than we desire to please God.

And some of us want to be in the way, but we want to be liked by the world.

It's oil and water, it will never mix.

I am in the way.

Well, Pastor, I love Jesus and everybody loves me.

That ain't the flex you think it is.

The truth will set you free, but it will also make you a target.

And we don't like Target.

We like shopping at Target.

We don't like Target.

We don't like being a Target.

We don't like being persecuted.

We like the comfy, easy beach resort Jesus that's gonna give me what I want, when I ask for it, and how I ask for it.

That ain't the way.

Saul is not concerned with lukewarm Christians.

Saul is not concerned with people who post scriptures out of context on Facebook.

You know who you are.

Delete Facebook.

Well, how will I know when everyone's birthday is?

Talk to them.

We don't like persecution.

We don't like being a target.

We we don't no, you know who else didn't like it?

Saul.

Saul didn't like the way.

The devil don't like the way, lust don't like the way, bitterness don't like the way.

You know a good sign that you're in the way?

You wanna know what a good sign is?

Your flesh is screaming.

It is begging you for relief.

Y'all know when we do the fast at the beginning of the year?

Because I know that's the only time everybody in this room fasts.

You know when we do the fast at the beginning of the year, 21 days y'all talking about?

Y'all know what I'm talking about?

All right.

We do the fast, day three, you're hungry.

Dog, you ain't never wanted Burger King in your life.

But you want to be a king today.

You're hungry and you can feel it.

It's your flesh, it's screaming.

You want to know if you're in the way?

Lust is screaming.

Let me out.

Bitterness is screaming.

Let me at them.

Unforgiveness is screaming.

Get mad at them.

The websites have never been louder, but you deny it because I'm in the way.

No, no, no.

I'm not tempted by that no more, I'm in the way.

I don't need to pick that up again, I'm in the way.

I don't need to be bitter, I'm in the way.

I don't need to grab those crystals and see what's time of the month and the stars are gonna move, and it's Jupiter on this side of the planet.

I'm in the way.

Turn your neighbor and say, I'm in the way.

Oh, Saul don't like the way.

He don't like the way.

The devil don't like the way.

You're in the way.

What about your circumstance?

Come on, you've been praying for God to send you a honey.

And not the kind from bees.

I gotta stick to my notes, man.

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

Oh, I'm in the way.

I don't want to everyone leave the way.

I'm in the way.

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters of the synagogues at Damascus.

So if he found any belonging to the way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

You know what's crazy about this story?

Saul thought he was right.

I only got a minute and a half.

Can we stay here for a little bit?

Is that cool?

PTA here.

He ain't gonna be mad at me until Monday, so he thought he was right.

Saul believed his endeavor was holy.

He was doing it for God.

John chapter 16, verse 2.

John 16:2

This is the night before the crucifixion, and Jesus is talking to his disciples, and he's warning them of all the things.

And what he says in verse 2, he says, The hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.

Ain't that something?

The same Jesus that Philip brings the good news to the eunuch with is the same Jesus that Saul is persecuting his people for.

It's the same Jesus, same multiple Jesus.

Which means the most important definition you ever give in your life is how you define the King of Glory.

Who is Jesus to you?

The problem is we got a lot of Christians walking around that couldn't pick Jesus out of a lineup.

How you define Jesus will determine the direction of your life.

Saul was a Pharisee, he was well studied, he had influence, he studied under a man named Gamelel, I think.

That's what it's gonna be today.

Uh it's Gamelel.

And he was a well-known, uh, influential religious leader.

He studied under him, he believed that there was a God of Israel, he just didn't believe that the Messiah was Jesus.

That's the only thing.

And it created in him a murderous ambition to remove the good news of Jesus.

All in the name of God.

You know why people don't like Jesus?

Because we don't look nothing like him.

I wonder how fast the gospel would spread if those who belong to the way actually look like it.

I'm in the way.

But I'm treating waiters like garbage.

I'm in the way, but the other six days of the week, I'm acting like a hellion.

I'm in the way, but I'm in a different bed every night.

We'll leave it there.

I'm in the way, I'm in the way, I'm in the way.

Let me tell you something.

Carrying a Bible doesn't make you any more of a believer than wearing Nikes makes you a runner.

Oh, but Pastor, I'm in the way.

I don't know why I do that voice when I talk about people like that.

I'm in the way, Pastor.

I'm in the way, I'm in the way, I'm in the way.

And we want to walk around and say, well, I'm in the way, we look nothing like the way.

Winnie, our oldest daughter, uh, has recently learned that she can use her free will to lie.

And uh it's a new thing.

We're workshopping.

You know, you're at that stage where they they realize like they don't actually have to tell you.

The truth is actually very funny and also infuriating.

Um and so sometimes she'll she'll like walk away from me.

I'll be in the kitchen or something, she'll go over to my wife, and she'll be like, hey mommy, uh daddy said I could have four cookies before bed.

My wife's looking at me like, did you say that?

Daddy said, I don't have to go to school today.

Dad said I don't have to.

Well, sweetie, just because you think dad said that he didn't say that.

We got a lot of Christians walking around saying, God said that never said nothing.

How dangerous is it to say we belong to the way and we acting like hell.

Let me pass to you for just a second.

You ready?

If you want to break up with them, break up with them.

Stop saying that God told me to leave you.

Just tell them you don't like the way they smell.

We gotta stop using God as this invisibility cloak of responsibility and pointing up to him and giving him blame.

But God told me to leave that church.

No, you don't like about us talking about tithing.

Just say you're offended.

Well, God told me to start a podcast.

No, nobody gave you a mic and they're only$20 on Amazon.

We gotta stop saying God told me and using that as a license to act like hell.

God didn't tell you nothing.

What would it look like if our fruit spoke for us?

What would it look like if Joy announced the voice of God in your life and not you?

We say and God said, but we look nothing like him.

Oh, but I'm in the way.

Everyone say, I'm in the way.

Be careful.

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

Imagine getting married, and you and the person you're marrying have completely different different definitions of uh marriage.

Your spouse.

Don't get ahead of it yet.

Hold on.

Your spouse believes that there is a faithful covenant that we make.

That we are to be faithful, that we are to be stern in the conviction of the covenant that we are making to one another today that I am yours and you are mine, and outside of that there is nothing.

And then you think you can cheat once a week.

How long do you think that marriage is gonna last?

90 days.

Friend, let me tell you something.

This ring means you made a covenant, it don't mean you're keeping it.

The covenant that Jesus makes with us, there needs to be faithfulness.

We cannot say that I belong to Jesus, but our life looks nothing like we belong to Jesus.

Oh, I'm in the way, but I'm fooling around over here.

Oh, I'm in the way, but I'm checking out the world.

I'm in the way, but I'm checking out this text.

I'm in the way, but I'm checking this out over here.

I'm entertaining the idols.

You either are in the way or you are out the way.

There are no in-betweens.

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

I'm not concerned about the perception of others.

I'm in the way.

I don't need validation from that person who don't know my name.

I'm in the way.

I don't need to be liked by everybody.

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

But if you can't define the way, you got a wrong definition about the way.

We got, listen to me, when we talk about Jesus as the big guy, hear me.

Do you know how cavalier it is to describe the king of glory, the one who took his life for you, gave his life as a sacrifice, the sacrificial lamb, the suffering servant, and we're calling him big guy?

It will lead you to a cavalier relationship with him when you call on him, when you need something.

Jesus is not some magic genie you're talking to.

He is a person, he is the resurrected king, he is the Alpha, the Omega, the one who was and is and is to come.

He's the beginning and not the end, he's the He is the Alpha, the Omega, he's Jesus.

He's the one who gave his life on that cursed tree for you and for me.

If the definition of Jesus starts anywhere outside of the cross, we've missed it.

Jesus is the Messiah, the one who gave his life for us.

He is the incarnate word, he is God made flesh.

That's who we belong to.

Not some fictitious character that we think about occasionally.

The way is narrow.

And the only way to the Father is through him.

There is no other way.

Hear me, there is no other way.

Stop looking.

Every other outlet that you can find is not the way.

Numbing that pain is not the way.

Finding it in the bed sheets ain't the way.

Treating people like it's ain't the way.

Crystals, signs, astrology, all this other mumbo jumbo you use in the horoscope you got on your phone.

It's not the way.

There is one way.

And I pray that this room, this church, these people, that we would be in the way.

So let me ask you, are you in the way?

What about when life don't go the way you want it to?

Are you in the way?

What about when things around you are crumbling?

Are you in the way?

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

And the only, the only thing we need to use as a reason for being in the way is that Jesus got in the way for us.

That cross had our name on it.

But he got in the way.

And you're hearing all this this morning, and I believe that there's some people here that you feel like you've done too much to belong in the way.

And shame has kept you from believing that you belong in the way.

No man, my laundry list is too long.

My sin's too great.

I've missed it too much.

I haven't spent enough time with Jesus.

I barely call on him.

I've treated people too poorly.

I've sinned too much.

I've got too much debt to pay.

There's no way I can belong in the way.

And then verse 3 says that now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly, Jesus didn't wait for Saul to get his act together.

Suddenly, suddenly, in a moment, suddenly.

Suddenly.

He didn't wait for Saul to shorten the list.

He didn't wait for Saul to clean himself up.

Suddenly.

It don't matter how much sin you got in your life, suddenly.

It don't matter what your past looks like, suddenly.

It don't matter what your weekend looks like, suddenly.

It don't matter how how you've lived, suddenly.

It don't matter what you've said, what you've done, nothing disqualifies you from the love of Jesus.

Suddenly.

That don't mean you could go back to doing whatever you want.

We got to change direction, but there's a suddenly.

Saul was looking for those who belong to the way.

And on the way, he encounters the way.

Friend, you just need an encounter with the way.

I don't care how Christian you think you are, you need an encounter with the way.

It don't matter how many songs of worship you praise to, you need an encounter from the way.

It don't matter how good you think you've been this week, how bad you think you've got it, how up and down you think your life has been, the laundry list that you got, you need an encounter from the way.

And his name is Jesus.

I said his name is Jesus.

He's the name above every other name.

He's the name above money.

He's the name above every idol.

He's the name above finances.

He's the name of unblust.

He's the name of a bitterness.

He's the name above the world.

He's the name above everything that is convincing you that it's worthy.

It's the name of Jesus.

I'm in the way.

I wonder, is there anybody in this room that would say I'm in the way?

I don't know.

I need to know if there's about 10 or 15 people in here that would say, I'm in the way.

That if Saul were to come into this sanctuary, if he were to look for people to bring back to Jerusalem, if Saul were to stay the same when he found this room, would he look around and say, Wow, there's no one here belonging to the way?

Or would he see a room filled with people who look like the way?

Say I'm the way.

Say I'm in the way.

I'm in the way, I'm in the way, I'm in the way.

I'm in the way.

Nothing else matters.

I'm in the way.

I don't need nothing else.

I'm in the way.

We can't be close to the way, we can't be near the way, we can't be on the way.

We gotta be in the way.

We gotta be in the word.

This is the only reliable document on earth that has everything you need to know about the good Lord Jesus.

Start reading it.

I'm in the way.

You got questions about the way?

Open the book.

You're frustrated with the way, open the book.

You're annoyed with the way, open the book.

You need some comfort and courage in the way, open the book.

There's everything you ever need to know is in this book because it's about the way.

For a moment, I want you to just bow your heads.

I want you to take a moment with the Lord.

This is a moment between you and Him.

This is not a moment between you and me.

What's kept you from being in the way?

What's kept you from the way?

What's kept you from the way?

I want you to get on your mind.

What's kept you from the way?

For some of you in this room, it's shame.

You feel like the things that you've done in your life have disqualified you from belonging to Jesus.

And if the enemy keeps reminding you of that day.

That moment.

If that's you, I want you to stand to your feet.

Shame has kept you bound.

But not today.

If that's you, I want you to stand to your feet.

Maybe you're in this room and you've fallen away a little bit.

You've left the way.

You've questioned the way.

Maybe you're upset at the way.

That's you, I want you to stand to your feet.

The Lord loves you so much.

He loves you so much.

He loves you and He watches you as you hurt in pain alone.

He loves you.

He loves you.

He loves you.

He loves you.

He loves you so much that He got in the way.

He loves you.

I want all of us to stretch our hands, including those that are standing up.

Stretch your hands.

I know you're tired, I know you're hungry, I know you're ready to go.

Let the flesh scream.

Let the flesh scream all at once.

Even if there's not a lot of space in front of you, once you get You need.

If you ever want to know the posture of the way, this is it.

Submitted, surrendered to Jesus.

This is the way.

This is the way.

Every time you think you got it all planned and figured out, this is the way.

This is the way.

This is the posture of approaching the cross.

This is the way.

Lord, right now we come before you and we say thank you.

Come on, just begin to thank him.

Thank him, just thank him.

Lord, thank you for sparing our lives.

Thank you for getting up on the cross willingly.

Thank you for dying for us.

Thank you for willingly giving your life for us.

God, we should have been on that cross, but you took our place.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus, that you're the King of glory.

Thank you that you're the resurrected king, that the tomb is empty, that everything is beneath your feet.

Right now, for anyone in this room that feels like Shame is preventing them from belonging to the way right now, would you crucify that in them?

Would you get down in the sand and draw a line and remind them that anyone who has no sin cast the first stone?

Shame cannot exist here, Lord.

You have completely and utterly destroyed the name of Shame.

For anyone in this room that has allowed Shame to prevent them from being in the way right now, we bind it in the name of Jesus.

Any pride in the room, pride that has convinced you that you have to do it alone, that you have to have it all figured out, that you have to make a way.

We lay it at your feet, Lord, have your way.

We give you the steering wheel of life.

For those of us that have gone off the beaten path, that have denied the way, that have fallen away, that have not listened or been led by you recently, Lord, we invite you into our hearts.

We thank you, Jesus, that this is the posture that we get to fight from.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus.

You're the name above every name.

Right now we submit every decree, every petition, every prayer.

We lay it at your feet.

The greatest place our desire can exist is at your feet.

Lord, have your way.

Have your way in our lives, have your way in our hearts, have your way in our minds, have your way in our spirit, have your way in our finances, have your way in our homes, have your way in our future.

Jesus, we are yours.

Forgive us for the times that we tried to find another way.

Forgive us for the times that we've tried to be the way maker in our own lives.

You've made a way, and from this posture we will live.

Jesus, we love you, we honor you, we magnify your holy name because it's in your precious name.

It's because of your precious name, it's in your name that we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.