Providence and Purpose: Finding God in Your Story || Pastor Diego Mesa

Father, I thank you for the people that are here today. God.

It's no accidents and coincidence that they're here today. Lord,

I thank you for everything you're doing in the Kingdom

of God around the world. God, thank you. Your voice

is louder than it's ever been before. Your presence, God

is greater than it's ever been before. We recognize that

we are on the verge of the greatest revival that

has ever taken place, because revival is a merger of

darkness and light and they converge God, and there's great

darkness in this world. But the Church is becoming brighter

and their clashing now and it's going to create revival.

We as Patria want to be in the middle of it. God,

to see you move, and that's why we're here today

to grow in Jesus' name a man, when did it?

Pastor Fuego say, Hey, is that what he said? Hey?

I'm not a hape maybe a yo, but anyways, Hey,

let's stand on our feet for the reading of God's word.

Pastor Adam introduced a thought for us today as we

preach about the sounds of Christmas, and this has been

the text that we've been using as we preach about

the noise and the sound of Christmas. And it applies

to you. What kind of sound and noise will you

bring to this Christmas season this year? Will it be

a rejoicing or will it be a rejecting? Because everybody

in this world is making a noise around Christmas. It's

not always the same. And when he had said these things,

he went ahead, going into Jerusalem speaking of Jesus. And

when he drew near to beth Age and Bethany at

the mound that is called Oliv, he sent two of

his disciples, saying, go into the village in front of you,

where on entering you will find a cult. Say this

word with me, donkey. The word a cult is inferring

to a young donkey on which no one has ever sat.

Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you,

why are you untying it, you shall say, and let's

say it together. The Lord has need of it. And

then it goes on. So those who were sent went

away and found it. I love this just as he

had told them exactly. God, when he speaks to you,

it's gonna be accurate, and it's not gonna be an

embarrassment to you. He's pre arranging something and he's ahead.

He just needs you to move out. And as they

were untied the coat, its owner said for a second time,

why are you untying this colt? And he says this

the Lord said again, the Lord has need of it.

And they brought it to Jesus, throwing their cloaks on

the colt, and set Jesus on it. And as he

wrote along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As

he was drawing here already on the way down of

Mount Olives, the whole multitude of disciples Baby began rejoicing

and praising God with a loud voice for all the

works that they had seen, saying, blessed is the King

who comes in the name of the Lord, Peace in

heaven and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees,

there's always those in the crowd, said teacher, rebuke your disciples.

That's too loud. I don't know why it's necessary to

do all that. He answered, I tell you that if

these were silent, the very stones would cry out. You

may be seated. We used to say, there ain't no

rock gonna cry in my place. That was a noise

that was said at that particular time. Many years ago,

there was a television program called The American Inventor and

one of my favorite characters was on there. He was

a judge. His name was George Foreman, and it was

a great story thing where they'd bring inventions and then

they'd judge them and they decide if they're gonna invest

in them or would they make it in the market

or not. And if George liked something, he had this

classic line, I can use that. I can use that,

And there's hope for us when we read this story

about a donkey that Jesus sat on that he had

need of. And if Jesus needed a donkey, then there's

hope for us that Jesus can use you. And you

know what the name of another name for a donkey is,

how many of you know when we read the story

and the messages that have been given to us. The

first week passed around him talked about he talked about

Mary and the kind of faith that was exemplified. And

last week was a tremendous I was listening to it

on the bike and almost had to stop because it

overwhelmed me about the transitions that all of us are through. Transitions,

But will we be faithful in those transitions of Mary

and of Joseph in those things. But all these stories,

whether it's the Wise Man, or whether it's the Shepherds,

or whether it's Mary or whether it's Joseph, they are

all supporting actors. And the main actor in the story

is Jesus. And somehow we get it in reverse when

we think the donkey in us is the main focal

point of the actor in life rather than Jesus. How

many of you know Christmas, Jesus is the main actor

in Christmas. It's not your agnatic, it's you're not your

football games, it's not your Jack Daniels, it's not your

bread pudding or ribs or whatever it might be. How

many of you know it's not the Christmas carols, it's

Jesus is the reason for the season. And we could

get messed up in life if we reverse the role,

if we reverse the role. Now, I'm gonna read a

little bit today of what we're going to talk about,

because we're gonna introduce two characters and the noise that

they bring to Christmas, and we're going to learn a

little bit from that. And so I'm going to start

off in Luke the second chapter. It's a little lengthy,

but we'll dice it up in a few moments. There

was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This

man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel's consolation,

in other word, comfort, encouragement, and the Holy Spirit was

on him. Holy Spirit was on him. He had been

revealed to him, and had been revealed to him second

time by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death.

He wasn't going to die before he saw the Lord's Messiah,

his Savior. Guided third time by the Spirit, he entered

into the temple just that moment when the parents brought

in the child Jesus. This is Joseph and Mary to

perform for him what was customary under the law. He's

being dedicated. Okay, then it goes on. Simon took him

up in the arms. He held Jesus, he touched Jesus,

he heard Jesus. He looked into Jesus and said, now, Master,

you can dismiss your servant in peace. I have found

my peace as you promised, for my eyes have seen

your salvation. I've looked into the eyes of Jesus. You

have prepared it in the presence of all people. He

is a light of revelation to the gentiles, the glory

to all Israel. His father and mother, Mary and Joseph,

this teenage couple that probably were very nervous and overwhelmed,

were amazed at what was being said about him. Then

Simeon blessed them. This older gentleman blessed these teenagers, an

older generation blessed a younger generation. And Mary. Indeed, he said,

this child is destined. Remember these two words to cause

a fall and a rise. And we could say this

in all humanity in Israel, and a sign that will

be obsessed. And a sword will pierce your own sword.

The thoughts of many will be revealed. There was a

prophetess Anna, the second lady person in the story, a

daughter of for Now, the tribe of Asher. She was

well along in years, having lived with her husband seven

years after her marriage. Was a widow eighty four years.

She's around one hundred or either eighty four. She did

not leave. She did not leave. Remember this, She did

not leave the temple, serving God night and day, with

fasting and with prayers. At that very moment she came

up and began to thank God because she saw Jesus

to speak about him to all who are looking forward

to the redemption of Israel. Let's dice it up. Now.

What you and I got here is an eight day

year old Jesus in his humanity. He has always existed

eternally as God, but when he put on frail humanity

and was born. He's now eight days old. And Joseph

and Mary are abiding by their Jewish law that said

they were to be dedicated. So they walk in at

this moment and they're encountering an older man named Simeon

an older woman named Anna. In our church, we do

baby dedications. This year, we've had one hundred and twenty

one baby dedications. Why do we do baby dedications so

that parents can dress up their little kids in pretty

little outfits. No, it's far greater than that. When you

dedicate a child unto the Lord, you're saying, God, I

want your favor on this child. I want your blessing

on this child. I want your divine destiny on this child.

I want your provision on my child. I want my

child to know God all the days of his life,

serve God all the days of God, and love God.

That's pastor Adam right there, that's Nathan right there, and

that's Caleb right there. But that's what was happening right now.

So now we're a breakdown these five points very quickly,

very quickly, of the noise that Simeon and Adam brought

forth when they saw Jesus. The first one is, this

is the sound of the providence of God. I know

that's a big word. I know it's a word that

we don't often talk about. But in this story, you

see the providence of God. Is it a coincidence, happenstance,

random and chance that Jesus so happened to be at

the place where Simeon and annawre, that Simeon and Anima

just happened to walk in. If they were a day earlier,

if they were a day later, if they were hours

before or later, they would have missed Jesus. We see

the providence of God. What is the providence of God?

You say, it's God's arrangements in our lives. It's God's

orchestrating your life. It's God setting you up for something

in your life. It's the dna of God. It's the

fingerprint of God. It's the footprint of God. It's the

signs of God. Not everything in your life is the

providence of God. But there are some things that have

been pre arranged. There's some things that are gonna happen

in your life that you're not gonna have an explanation

for that. You're just gonna have to sit back and say,

WHOA wow, how is this happening? What's up with this?

This looks like God. I wasn't expecting to I just

prayed yesterday, and boom, the answer is here today. It

could be on a bus, it could be on a train,

it could be on an airplane. I hope that every

mayor how many married persons are in here today, I

hope that you saw the providence of God that brought

you to meet the person you are married to today.

If you can't, it's too late. I bless you now

with the providence of God. How many of you realize

that Diego wasn't the only person in Cindy's life. How

maybe realize that Cindy wasn't the person in Diego's life,

That if Diego was somewhere else, if Diego chose to

join the Marine Corps, he would have never met her.

If Diego became a sheriff, he would have never met her.

If Diego took his professional career as an athlete away,

he would have never met her. But it was the

providence of God that brought us together. It's important that

you acknowledge when these times come. The second thing is

is that you respond to why God set this up,

that you don't dismiss it, and you don't diminish it,

and you don't walk away and say, wait a minute,

this is nothing and blow it off. This is God

and he wants me to do something. He wants me

to witness to this person that's trying right next to me.

I want to go to sleep on the airplane, but

why is this person crying next to me? It's the

providence of God. When we walked on this property in

two thousand and five, it wouldn't have been built till

two thousand and seven, in which we would occupy it.

But I scoured with a team of all Rancho looking

for a minimum of thirty acres a maximum of forty acres,

and we looked at several properties on paper and then

physically we drove up on it. When I came up

on this thirty acres. There was this thing. It was

the only living thing that existed on this raw thirty acres.

It was this giant oak. Excuse me, this giant olive

tree that lived on God just watered it. It had

been here, I don't know how long, and we were

questioning what land should we buy. And I don't know

if you've ever been in that predicament, where this or that?

Or should I go here? Or shouldn't I go? God

give me direction, give me guidance, then the providence of God.

When I showed up there, I said, what the heck

is that? And I had to walk toward it to see,

and I said, oh my God, it's an olive tree.

I know what the olive means in the Bible. And

I said, this is a place of peace. God must

be bringing peace and telling me this is where it's at.

All of it is a sign of prosperity, because you

can't kill an olive tree through a doubt, through storm.

It will not die. And I said, we are called

abundant living. Prosperity represents the abundance of God. This will

be the home of Rancho Cucamonga of Patria, or abundant living.

It was the providence of God. After that, I didn't

need no confirmation. I didn't need to call nobody. I

didn't need to pray no more. I didn't need to

labor no more. God spoke to me. You're not an accident.

The providence of God has predestined you. Here's the second

thought I want to share with you is the fact

that the sound of evangelism their faith was resounding immediately.

One of the first people that God uses as a

woman to preach the gospel, Simeon, saw his salvation. And

so the noise of Christmas and the sound of Christmas

is about sharing our faith. And Pastor Adam masterfully told

us last week that the number one reason why people

come to church is because they were invited, and he

shared that fifteen to sixteen million Bibles are being bought

today by gen z. A young generation that have never

had a Bible, maybe never heard the Gospel before, are

now hungry and curious to know who Christ is. So

you and I are individuals that make us the sound.

And I want you to know that what was Is

it our conviction? Is it our joy? Is it our

delight that makes it that we can't keep it to ourselves.

I don't know about you. Have you ever shared something

that you really enjoyed, a recipe, a restaurant, a barber shop,

your favorite wine that you ran across. Don't act like

you've never drinkn no wine. Have you ever run across

something that you just had to share with something? Maybe

you watch a TV series on Netflix and you had

to just share it with someone. Do we share the

gospel as freely if we really believe there If we

don't believe there's a heaven, let's not share it. If

we don't believe that there's a hell, let's not share it.

If we don't believe in forgiveness, grace and love and

mercy and eternal life, let's not share it. But if

we do, you can't keep it to yourself. It's something

that you and I have to be willing to share,

and we delight to share with other people. I remember

when I was growing up on milk carton. When you

get a milk carton with milk in it, there was

on the backside missing children. It would list children that

were missing, god forbid, kidnapped, or abducted. Now we have

the Amber Alert, but how many of you know there

are still people missing. You are the milk carton now,

and you are the one that is supposed to be looking.

You are the one that's supposed to be searching. You

can't forget your neighbors and your coworkers, no matter how

wayward they are difficult, they are where they are. Look

at somebody and tell somebody you haven't always looked this

way some of you. God's not done with you yet.

The other day, I was putting up my Christmas tree

lights and I was wearing shorts. You know, it was warm,

and so I had a hundred dollars bill in my

pocket and was putting up those lights. And when I

was done, it was dark now, and I came in

and took my keys out of my pocket, took my

wallet out of my pocket, took my phone out of

the pocket, laid it where I did, and then I

couldn't find one hundred dollar bill. Now, how many of

you know if it's a one dollar bill, five and

ten and twenty, okay, fifty, But if it's a hundred,

how many of you know what a hundred is? Come on,

don't act like you don't know what a hundred is. Today,

Well it's dark, I got the flashlights. I want to

put pants on because it's cold now, and got a jacket.

And I'm scouring in dark the backyard looking for one

hundred dollar bill. And I see something very vaguely, and

I come up to it. It is my one hundred

dollar bill, but it's cut in half. Well, now it's on.

I'm looking for the other half of my hundred. I

couldn't find it. I couldn't wait for light to come up.

The next day, I got up and I'm back there

scar in the backyard. I looked at bushes and hedges.

Wait a minute, I think I heard that in the scripture,

going to the highways and the byways and the hedges

and the bushes and compel them to come into the

Kingdom of God. I didn't care if I got dirty.

I wiped away those spider webs, I wiped away that dirt.

I was out there putting effort and energy because this

wasn't a one dollar bill. This was one hundred dollar

bill that was lost, and I needed to connect it

to its God, to its maker, to its founder. I

needed it to be come come on, I'm preaching now

on a Sunday morning. I needed it to be complete,

it's worthless. The next day for my grandkids, I hired them,

sent them an altar. I have my suspicions with two labs,

how this got this way and where the other half is?

And I've been looking every day and I don't know

about you. I will touch the crap if it's in. Well,

you got to touch some crap in the world if

you want to get fine. What's missing. The third point

or the noise that I'd like to share is how

this elderly couple finished well. They finished well in their

old age. They were not inactive. They were active. They

were not declining, they were inclining. They were not decreasing,

they were increasing. They were not retiring, they were refiring.

These old people. I could speak from this now that

I look a certain way. Now I'm tired of old

people who don't do nothing in the Kingdom of God.

You don't know how valuable you are. There's a young

generation called Jesus, called Joseph and Mary. Three generations in

this story. And you have the lead in this story

now of older people blessing them. You have other You

have a old generation speaking into their life of encouragement.

You have an older generation modeling who God is. This

this young couple of trepidation, doesn't know what it is

to have a baby, doesn't know what it is to

own a home, doesn't know what it is to serve God.

But they will model it, and they will mentor it

and be of comfort to the next generation that needs

to see. Now, just tell me, not just preach to me,

show me who God is in your life that you've

lived these sixty seventy and eighty years with God. Let

me see the benefit and the fruit of it. People

are going to get old, doesn't mean they're going to

get old in Jesus. Everybody gets old, doesn't mean they're

gonna get old in their faith. So I see these

aged individuals that are that are just simply finishing well.

When I look at Simeon, the Bible says that he

held God, it just overwhelming. He held his Lord in

his hands, and he looked into his eyes and said,

I'm ready to go home. I have nothing to live

for now. I am so fulfilled. I am so complete

now because I've found my Jesus. Can I be so

strong to tell some of the older people, we can't

afford for you to die yet, because you've not seen Jesus.

You're not ready to die yet. You know you're ready

to die when you have found the peace of your life,

when you have found the salvation of your life. But

we can't have anybody slip into eternity who have not

touched him and held him, and heard him and felt him.

The oldest active boat that is still in our navy

fleet as a military boat was built and commissioned in

seventeen ninety seven. It's the US as Constitution. It's still afloat.

God forbidden that all the battleships are sunk. Tomorrow this

guy will be deployed. He may not move as fast

as the others, but he getting out in the old waters.

He may not be as strong and modern and hip

as all the other young boats, but he's ready for

active duty. He's ready to be commissioned. He's ready for

being as signed. How many of you want to be

like that as you get aged. God, give me a

mountain like Caleb. Give me a giant to slay. Oh, God,

give me a project that nobody else wants. God give

me something that my years of wisdom experience, heartache, brokenness, losses, failures,

commit as the life and hope the people. God, I

can't water my lawn all day. God, I can't watch

news all day. God, I can't play golf all day. God.

The third point, the fourth point, excuse me, is the

fact that they were both the sound of the Holy

Spirit in their lives. Sh The Holy Spirit is all

in there. How does this guy know when to show up?

He's got some insider information. He sit there drinking his

coffee and he's he feels some it's time Holy Spirit

guided him. Holy Spirit let him. Then you got this

woman who is full of the Holy Ghost. She's a prophetess.

That means she operates in the gifts of the Holy Ghost.

She fort she operates in the gift of knowledge. Wisdom

and the Word of wisdom were to knowledge and discernment

of spirit. Some people call themselves a prophet, but if

you don't operate in the gifts and they don't flow through,

you're not a prophet. It was all by the Holy Ghost.

This thing is happening in their lives. And here's what

I need to tell you. You don't have to be

a seminary graduate. You don't have to know all your

Bible for the Holy Spirit to use you. However, he's

gonna use you, and he'll amazingly use you on your

job so that you don't so that you don't blend in,

you just stand out. He'll use you in your home

when your forefathers have been failures as fathers. He'll use

you to impact a new generation by the Holy Spirit.

When you used to be in bondage to porn and addictions,

the Holy Spirit will deliver you and set you free,

and you'll walk away and turn from that lifestyle. The

Holy Spirit will guide and lead you. Here's what the

Bible says in John fourteen. Of all some attributes that

he brings, but the comforter, the counselor the helper, the intercessor,

the advocate, the strength, or the standby the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father will send in my name in my

place to represent me in the act on my behalf.

He's gonna teach you all things, because I don't know

all things. And he will cause you to recall because

I can't remember everything in my life. You want to

know what the Christian secret sauces, It's the Holy Ghost.

But you shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has

come upon you. Not by power, not by mine, but

by my spirit, Saith the Lord. I don't care what

your IQ is. Even the Mighty Superman needs the son,

spider Man needs his spider, the Hulk needs his radiation.

Iron Man needs that reactor. Let me hear what I'm

talking about. Green lanterns his ring. Christians need the Holy

Ghost or we're a bunch of buffoons who have lost

our purpose and are being kicked in the butt by

the devil and losing in all aspects of our lives.

Holy Ghost is all, is what it's about. The Holy

Spirit is you're Siri and your alexis when you don't

know Siri, alexis a holy Ghost. I don't know what

to do with this wife. I don't know what to

do with these rebellious children. I don't know what to

do with this ungodly boss. Holy Ghost, you tell me

what to do. You keep using Lexus and you keep

using shirit. We has add the Holy Ghost to that,

I mean, lovely Cindy. We watch. I don't know if

it's a sign of our age. We like to watch

Family Feud every night at seven o'clock. We're big fans

of Steve Harvey. And I was watching and this literally happened.

Watch this, look at this? Is it? Okay? Holy Spirit activate?

Oh no, debate, Holy Spirit Activate Activate Activate, all right.

Let's go eleven years. Has never happened before? Exactly? Holy

Spirit Activate, Holy Spirit Activate. I said, okay, activate, Come on,

you can do that next time. You don't have the

DMV Holy Spirit. How about the time you're sitting them

there taking a test you ain't studied for.

Holy Spirit hit it activate it activate home stup it

activate activate Activate, Come.

On, Holy Spirit activate activate all right, now, don't be stupid.

Now embarrass yourself.

In a public you study before your test. Don't be

not asking the Holy Spirit and you ain't studied. You

can ask him if you study, get yourself together. You're

looking for a make Holy Spirit activate activate and you

look all tore up and jacked up here. Oh no, no,

no no, Because here's what the Holy Spirit wants to

bring in our lives. It's it'll be on the screen.

You and I need to be controlled by the Holy Spirit,

because you and I have a flesh and we have

a big mouth. You need to be controlled. How many

of you haven't been saved all your life? You know

what it means to be under the influence. You need

to be counseled by the Holy Spirit how to handle

this thing? How do I walk in wisdom? You need

to be conditioned by the Holy Spirit, because I have

a lot of sin in my life and addictions and

bondages and anger, and I need to be commissioned by

the Holy Spirit. You send me, you guide me, You

annoyed me, and I need to be convicted by the

Holy Spirit. I don't want to go weeks and months

without repenting and getting away with things that I shouldn't

be doing. And the last point, and I'm done, is

the fact that you and I need to have the

sound of learning how to wait. Wait. We don't know

how long they waited. They could have been waiting as teenagers, twenties, thirties, forties, sixties,

seventy and eighties, but they waited for Jesus, and there's

no time clock. Some of us need to wait on

our prayers to be answered. Some of us need to

wait on the promise of God that He's given us.

Some of us need to wait on the plan that

God gave you for your life. The reality is this

is it seems as though we have no endurance and

no stick touitiveness and no tenacity and no diligence to wait.

I have a great example, and that's Pastor Fuego and Tiffany.

They waited on God and look at where they're at today.

I don't know their complete story, but I could promise you, sir,

there were other opportunities to abort, there were other opportunities

go another direction, but they said, no, gotta wait on something,

Gotta wait on God. I gotta just wait on God.

I just gotta wait on God. When I was in

Bible School, we had different programs that we were going

to study for to do that in ministry. So you know,

you wanted to go into music, so you study music.

You were going to go as a missionary. Study missionary,

You're going to go into youth. So that's what I

want to do. I was going to do a youth program.

And then I just felt God say no pastoring program.

I said, God, I'm not a pastor. I'm a youth pastor. God,

and so I took that. I didn't know that it

would take nine years from going to that cloor longer

before I would ever be a lead pastor. A senior

pastor job says, I will wait till my change comes.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

If God promised you a mate, then wait for that

godly mate, and don't act like don't act so desperate.

God told you to wait before you go into debt again.

Then wait. I don't care what super sale is out there,

and bargain. You and I have to have the ability

to wait. How many of you love a good waiter.

A waiter doesn't just sit in a corner. He's active.

And if you're waiting on the Lord, you're waiting on God.

In attendance, be where God has called you to be.

You're in activity, you're doing something by faith. You're in approval.

You want God's blessing in your life, and you're in attachment.

You're connecting and fellowshipping with him. There are many people

that are great starters. There are a lot of people

that are good triers and attempters, but there's not a

lot of people that will finish well. I end with

this story. Two thoughts is they waited and they saw

him the first time. You didn't see Jesus the first time,

but you can wait to see him the second time.

Because the Bible says he will descend with the shout

the voice of the archangel, the trumpet of God, and

those that are alive shall be caught up to meet

him in the air. Will you wait for Jesus to

come back or will you get lost in this world

and say I gave God six months. I gave God

three years. Now I'm back in the world. I'm back.

Are there any military people here today? Army, Navy, Marine Corps,

Air Force, Coast Guard. If I was your commander and

I told you, I know Pastor Garfield's an Army veteran.

If I told you to hold your position and to

stand your ground as a commander, is that optional? Do

you tell me? I don't feel like it. This is

not a convenient time. Now, any of you that are military.

If I gave you that command to hold your ground

and stand your ground or whatever it might be, and

you chose not to do it, do you realize that

you could be court martialed? And I looked it up

and there is a law. It's called ten USC. Eight

eighty five, Art. Eighty five, and it is desertion a

post and you will be court martialed. I don't want

to be court martialed. If God tells me to wait

and to stay doing until he comes back. I don't

want to be labeled as spiritual deserter because I walked

out on my wife, and I walked out on my husband,

I walked out on my God, and I walked out

on some other areas of my life. Father, I thank

you for this message today, and I thank you for

the sounds of Christmas that will be rejoicing in our lives. God,

we learn so much from the life of Simeon and Anna. God,

help us to under stand and acknowledge the providence of

God that it isn't just chance happening. Help us to

be more of a soul winner and not keep it

to ourselves. Help us God to live old and to

live right before you got and finish well. Help us

God to depend upon the Holy Spirit, and help us

to learn how to wait on you, O God, and

not be so impatient about everything. In Jesus' name, Amen,

I like to end with this. I'm going to ask

that nobody move, and I believe Pastor Aaron will come

and dismiss us in a few moments. Ask that you

stay to the very end, because life and death are

held in the balance, and your movement can disturb the

Holy Spirit for moving in someone's life. Remember what Simeon

said about Jesus two powerful things right now, Watch what

he said. Simeon says, Jesus will cause the fall of

some and the rise of others. Jesus, how you respond

to Jesus will cause you to deset and to go down,

or Us send and be exalted. Jesus for all humanity

is how you respond to him. Will you rise in

eternal life? Will you rise in heaven? Will you rise

and forgiveness or will you fall in condemnation and judgment?

All based on how you respond to Jesus Christ. Well,

I wish I knew that before I was saved, because

I thought it was my humanitarian efforts. I thought, if

I just don't, if I mind more good works than

bad works. I'm not perfect, but it's basically if I

do try to do better, then that's enough. No, that's

called working for your salvation. Today, I stand before you

to tell you that through Jesus Christ and how you

respond to him will either cause you to rise or

will cause you to fall. This moment is sacred, This

moment is somber. Right now, you've heard the Gospel today.

This may be the first time, or this may be

the one hundred times. But feel the conviction in your heart,

feel the uncomfortables, feel as though I'm talking, Feel the

providence of God right now, who prearranged you to be

in this room, setting you up. Don't diminish it, don't

dismiss it. If you're ready to acknowledge Him and him

alone as your Lord and as your savior. Or maybe

you just simply need to rededicate your life to the

Lord because you're not living for the Lord. Then when

I count through, you're gonna go like this, and you're

gonna be in a shame. I have been saved all

my life, and I was unashamed to live like a sinner.

I'm cussed in front of you. I fornicated in front

of you. I fight in front of you to come

to Jesus, because this is how he died on a cross,

lifted up and suspended. Your hand won't be the only hand.

One two you lift your hand for Jesus now, one

two three, raise your hand all across this auditorium. Say

this prayer with me and mean it from your heart.

Say dear Lord, Jesus, you know everything about me, and

you know who I am. I can't fool you, but

today I come just as I am, to say that

you are my Lord and Savior. I don't want to

fall to shame and guilt, judgment or condemnation. I want

to rise in forgiveness and salvation, having an eternal life.

So now I believe in you and I accept you.

Jesus is the Lord of my life. Amen.