Oh, Behave || Pastor Diego Mesa

Welcome to the Lesse Podcast. Here at LESSE we seek the loss, teach

the found, and send the disciples. We truly hope you're encouraged by this

week's message. Father, thank you for the next few moments. As we

dive into your word, we lean a little bit forward to get ready to

hear from you, and we value the Gospel, the Good News, and

the Bible that we preach from. In Jesus name, Amen, I'm gonna

read two kind of translations of the same scripture. So I'm gonna ask that

you stand on your feet and we're gonna read God's word together. And it's

said in the SV version, if I delay, you may know how you

ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the

Living God, a pillar, a buttress of truth. And then this TPT

says, but if I am delayed in coming, you'll already have these instructions

on how to conduct the affairs of the Church of the Living God, his

very household and the supporting pillar and firm foundation of the truth, you may

be seated. I just simply want to title this message, oh behave.

I don't know if you've ever watched an Austin Powers movie. He would say

it, probably a little differently than I'm saying it. He'd say something like,

oh, you know, like oh, behave or something like that.

And I want to talk about how Paul wrote to his protege, a young

pastor in a big city and in a mega church of the time called Ephesus,

and he was experiencing just like every church he was experiencingle And sometimes trouble

is not an indication of the devil. Sometimes trouble is not an indication that

you're doing wrong. But then sometimes it can be something that needs to be

addressed. And so Paul, the spiritual father, the old protege, is

now ministering, writing this letter in prison to his spiritual son Timothy to address

order, protocol, conduct, manners or mannerisms or behavior in the church.

Now, some of us would look at that and say, is that really

essential that we know how to behave in the church? Come on, isn't

that obvious that we know how to behave in the church. No, because

then Paul would not have had to write this letter not only to the Christians

in emphesis, but a progressive revelation that we get today that sometimes we need

to know how to behave in the church. You know, I don't know

about you. I went to the DMV, and how many of you know

there is a protocol and conduct to going to the DMB. You better bring

your information or they're gonna slap you silly and you're gonna be out the exidor

they show no mercy. So whatever it is that you've got to bring proof

of insurance, proof of address, whatever it is. And then you walk

up to the first person they ask you if you have an appointment. They

ask you for your name, and then they tell you go over here and

wait in this line. And you're go in there and waiting that line,

and then they tell you to sit down and wait for your number to be

called. How many of you know, no matter who you are, you

can't shore change the system. Now, I know you haven't been saved all

your life. So I'm sure that none of you were ever You ever misbehave

at a bar or a party. And how many of you know if you

misbehaved at a bar, they escorted you out. You can't go on a

job, you can't exercise in your gym, you can't go to a Dodger

game or whatever. Laker game. Unless you recognize there's rules, there's rule.

You ak stone drunk, they're gonna they're gonna ask you to leave.

You run on the field, they're gonna ask you to leave. You get

into a fight with someone else, they're gonna ask you to leave. Now,

now those are extremes, but I want you to recognize Paul was talking

to Timothy to give some guidelines along those lines. So to introduce this,

I just want to show you some examples of misbehavior in the church that existed

two thousand years ago, but even might exist today. Here's the first example.

We're going to get an act. It says, but Peter said to

Antonias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and

keep back part of the price of the land for yourself while it remained?

Was it not your own? And after it was sold? Was it not

in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart?

You have not lied to men but to God. Then Antonia's hearing these words,

fell down and breathed as last. So great fear came on all those

who heard these things that didn't happen outside the church, that happened right in

the middle of the church, that somebody was misbehaving in the church and God

dealt with it. How many of you recognize that if that happened today,

not not literally today, but in today's church, we probably would reverence God

a whole lot more. We'd probably fear God a whole lot more. We'd

probably honored God a whole lot more. We probably really, really, really

believe that God was alive. And we'll talk about it in the months to

come. It's amazing that that situation revolved around money. You don't think God

takes how we handle money very seriously. Let's move on to the next example.

Now, Eli was very old and he heard everything his sons did to

all Israel and how they lay with women who assembled at the door of the

tabernacle in the mean this happened in the church. Eli had two sons,

Haphane and Phineas. That we're getting it on with the women in the church.

God dealt with that, But that was going on in the church.

Misbehavior by antoniasis of fire, relying to the Holy Spirit saying one thing but

doing the opposite, and misbehavior of immorality or sexual impurity, or using one's

authority wrongly here's the third example. This one's huge. It is actually reported

that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as it is

not even named among the gentiles, meaning the sinners, the heathen, don't

even do this. That a man has his father's wife, he banging her.

Wake up to step mom, and that a man has his father's wife,

and you are puffed up. You love him, you pray for him,

you welcome him, you high five him. You're puffed up and are

not rather mourning over what he's doing. That he who has done this deed

might be taken away from among you, for I, indeed, as absent

in the body, but present in the spirit, have already judged, and

as though I were present, as excuse me, as though we're present him

with who has done this deed, basically saying throw him out of the church.

I know we don't do things like that, We would never do things

like that, or maybe we should do things And I'm not saying that it

shouldn't go through counsel and it and go through you know, spiritual oversight,

and there shouldn't be prayer. But we have to value what God calls the

church, the body of Christ, and we you and I I don't know

that have always been taught how to behave within the church. So here are

some modern day misbehavioral thinking within the church. Now. I'm just launching some

thoughts here. I don't feel People say I don't feel nothing when I go

to church. I don't feel nothing when I go to church. Well,

tell me what you're supposed to feel when you go to church. Tell me

what you're supposed to feel. But that can lead to a misbehavior, a

misjudgment, or call you out of the place, or be critical. I

don't feel nothing in that church. Things are changing, well, I think

vision constantly is evolving. Things should get better, and so there should be

some level of change. Not in principles, we don't change the structure of

the Bible. But styles come and go. For an example, Pastor Adam

and Pastor Nathan don't preach like Pastor Diego. That's okay, that is just

the style. What you would be concerned about is that they don't preach the

gospel anymore. That's what would make us decide whether we want to move in

the future or not or whatever that might be. The next thing is,

I don't I don't feel I don't feel fed. Well, you know what,

don't you know how to feed yourself? You're the average person today comes

to church about once every three every three weeks, so they're being fed once

every three weeks. And so we got to realize when people use excuses like

that, the reality is they're not feeding themselves. And there's a whole lot

of other people that are enjoying that meal, of that sermon that was delivered,

And why is it that you don't like it? How many of you

know that in the natural there are picky eaters. I mean, you could

have somebody who worked six hours to prepare the most fabulous five course meal,

and there'll be somebody that doesn't always too salt, it was just a little

too spicy, there wasn't enough garlic, there was too much garlic. And

inevitably that sometimes that sometimes exists, and that God is leading me into a

new season. These are just terminologies that people use. With that in mind,

I want to launch some thoughts for you today. There are some obvious

misbehaviors within people's personal lives, like sexual immorality or idle worship, or lying

or cheating or being a drunkard or a hater, a violation of scriptures,

jealousies, outbursts of wrath, wrath, and gossiping. Those would be obvious

misbehaviors, but I wanted to direct a message toward the behavior that exists within

the church that you and I ought to have. And you'll understand what I

mean in a few moments. Misbehaving in the church could look like this,

I'd rather I'd rather watch church than participate in church. It leads to a

misbehavior. I'd rather watch church than participate in church. I want to be

amused when I come to church. I want to be entertained when I come

to church, rather than I want to participate when I come to church.

I want to do something when I come to church. I want to feel

a sense of obligation when I come to church. It's not just you sit

back, you just get back mentality. That is what we do at the

movie theater. When you go to a movie theater, you are there to

be entertained. You are there to sit there and watch. You don't have

to participate. And that movie theater mindset often enters into the church, where

people just feel that they get to sit and watch and they don't have to

participate. That is a misbehavior within the church. The problem is is that

when you don't participate, then it means my church and not your church.

You have no skin in the game because you just simply watch the church instead

of participate in the church. Or you can watch other people, serve,

take care of your ninety nine children, work a full time job, and

volunteer. They are the ones who have to watch the pure cars. They're

the ones who have to hand you the bulletin, They're the ones who have

to give you communion. They're the ones who have to pick up the trash

after and you just get to come to church. That's an unhealthy church,

and that's a misbehavior when we just come to church to watch it rather than

to participate in it. The second thing is I'd rather grade the church than

grow the church. I'd rather grade the church like a movie. I'm gonna

rate it GPG, PG thirteen or whatever. I'm gonna rate it one start

a five star, I'm gonna yelp it, or I'm gonna rotten tomato it.

So you be and I become now the critics of the church. You

come to church with folded arms, ready to take notes, Daniel is Two

Animals or whatever his name is that sings those songs. And that pastor Mexico,

I don't know what his name is. He don't smile, and he

challenges me too much. I like I like his son Adam, I really

like him. He's good. But and so we come to church to grade

it rather than to grow it. My job is to improve the church and

better the church with my gifts and my talent. You're either part of the

demolition crew or the construction crew. I have this saying, don't tell me

where to move the furniture if you didn't buy the furniture. I should say

it again, but I'm gonna move on. We do not need professional Robert

Ebert's or Leonard Moulton's, which are professional critics that can only see the things

we don't. You don't think that our beautiful staff sees the things that go

wrong. We'll go into meetings all week long to improve. Why did that

screen go out during praise and workship? You think we didn't see that?

You think we don't get Oh that carpet that was here is We're getting really

nasty. You don't think that we knew that? He just look us a

couple of times, you know, a couple of months to save one hundred

and fifty thousand dollars to do the carpet. This projectors out. We borrowed

it from Pomona one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to buy a new one.

So we will go back and let us be the critics to say the lines

were too long, or the air conditioner needs to be improved or whatever.

But it's amazing how people feel this sense and obligation and privilege or permission to

do something like that. I hope you're enjoying this. I am but behaving

in the church. How many of you know you wouldn't let anybody come into

your house. Let's say I came into your house, sat on your couch

and just kicked up my shoes. How many of you hear what I'm talking

about on your tabletop? And I said, you know what, you got

anything need? It's okay. I'll help myself and I go over there,

make me a ham sandwich. Just bring it on into the living room.

Let me hear what I'm talking about. A little bit dripped mustard dripped on

it. I get your precious you know Lennen. Thing that your Grandmamma gave

you, that's been passed down, your quill, your family quill with everyone

and your family names on it, dating backs in seventeen seventy six when you

came on the Maybe I don't know anyways, I just wipe it with my

mouth. How many of you are gonna let me do that? Look at

look at a bunch of liars. How many of you are gonna let me

do that? Come on, don't act like you've been saved though old in

Jesus. Now I'm gonna pray for you. Ain't praying for me. You'll

pray for me afterwards, and you'll repent afterwards what you did to me.

But you're you're telling me to hit the road. Jack. Don't you come

back? No more, no more, no more, no more. But

yet we tolerate and let everything be done in the House of God. So

I'm not talking about let's start policing it, let's get really mean. I'm

just telling you to do it for yourself and understand if these things are true

or not. Next, I'd rather go to church. I'd rather church be

an event and an activity than a process. You know, you people rather

go to a baseball game, a football game, a basketball game, because

it's an event. But church is not an event. You know, let's

just have a let's just have a big event. Well, here's what we're

gonna say. Then what after we have a big event? Then what after

we have the day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit falls and we speak in

tongues and we dance and we party. Now, what are we supposed to

do? Go into all the world and preach the gospel. We've got to

come out of the upper room and we've got to go now, live out

this Pentecost by being a great father and a great husband, and a great

employee employer and sharing our faith. But the church has often become nothing more

than events and activities rather than processes of relationships, processes of discipleship, processes

of fellowship, and processes of being known. That's what the church is all

about. It's not about an event. It's about discipleship, it's about relationships,

it's about community. It's about a big church growing smaller where you could

be known. That's what it's really all about. And that's why you heard

Pastor John and all our pastors and leaders will tell you that discipleship is not

done in rows. It is done in circles. Events inspire you. Processes

of discipleship transform you. There's a difference. Inspiration can only last you for

a moment. Transformation is a lifetime. God never wanted us to be just

simply inspired. He wanted us to be transformed. So you go to church

not just to have an event and an activity. You go to church so

that I could be discipled. So let's do this. Okay, this is

wonderful now that we do not have fixed seeding here, guys like this.

So you guys are sitting in rows right now. You're sitting in rows right

now. Okay, here's what I'm gonna tell you, all things being equal,

you don't know him, He don't know you. Where does he work?

How much does he make a living? Does he married? Does he

have kids? Does she have a past? Does she have a mommy?

Does she have any victories? Does she You don't know that? On Suddain,

you know you don't know that, But watch do something very for it.

Quickly, grab your chairs and make a circle. Grab your chairs and

make a circle. Here we go as quickly as you can. This is

why we don't have fixed seating anymore so that we could do this. See

see now, what's happening in this circle? You are forced to look at

each other. Now, you're not forced to look at each other here.

He just come and go and they don't. You're incognito. Nobody knows you

here. Have to be accountable to nobody. They don't know. He needs

to know your business. But you start doing this and you have to start

talking to one another. You have to start looking at one another. You

have to start touching one another. You have to start caring for one another.

You have to start praying for one another. That's why we've got to

make this large church small. And you've got to get involved in an interest

group. Thank you, guys, you could go back. I know that

was really hard for some of you. So that's what behavior looks like.

Ask somebody next year, as I transition in the next one, ask someone

next to you, who are you? Ask somebody who are you? The

church is not about I do or I did I do feel his presence,

but about I do or I don't feel his presence. It's about do you

bring his presence? Stop depending on Daniel, the band, the worship,

the exorder, the pastor to bring the presence you ought to have been in

the presence of Christ, and we only add and the corporate presence of all

of our lights coming together, all the salt coming together causes a bonfire of

God's glory to fall. But often in church we want someone else to bring

the presence of God rather than us bringing the presence of God. The question

is can I even discern the presence of God in the church. It's a

tough question ask because most people would judge the presence of God or the quality

of the service based upon the music, the lights. We used to have

a fog machine. We don't have it no more and broken we couldn't afford

it. But moving right along now I'm just choking. Was there uh,

you know, extended worship? Was there a shout? Was there a dance?

Did the did a lady run across the stage and file out under the

Holy Spirit? Was did they speak in tongues? Did the preacher? Did

he get loud and animated and started and started to hoop lah up here ha

ha ha. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm starting to feel something something

about ready to halp but break through this. But come on, oh,

my God, I'm that church, that service was so anointed. No,

No, that's not how you judge the presence of God. Believe me,

I know what I'm talking about. I can make that up and full ninety

percent of this church every Sunday morning. And I don't I don't mean anything

bad by that. And I'm not saying I want to you to go out

and judge other people. But we've not been taught how to discern the presence

of God. Sampson knew not when the presence of God had left him,

And that tells me somebody that was so used by God doesn't recognize it.

Is it possible that I don't even recognize what is the truly the anointing of

God? What is the presence of God that we would judge it by?

So I want you to recognize. I have a few thoughts that I would

love to share with you about discerning the presence of God. It goes something

like this, Was I changed in that service? Was I convicted in that

service? Was I challenged in that service? The presence of God will always

want to bring change in your life, will always want to bring conviction into

your life, and want to bring challenge the presence of God is not just

an emotion a feeling. Ye Daniel sang an amazing song. You won't leave

here like you came in Jesus name bound, tormented, oppressed, sick and

lame. You won't leave here the same way you came. That's the sign

of the presence of God. But there are people who come to church religiously

every single week, not in this church, in other churches, but are

still in lame, sick, oppressed, angry, upset. That's a sign.

It's a clear sign. And you could say, oh, that service

was anointed and I was blessed, well, not enough, and you didn't

let it in. As they begin to close. Now the thought is this,

I'd rather choose in church what I like and what I don't like,

rather than what Jesus lies and what Jesus wants. I want my favorite speaker.

Could somebody tell me if Pastor Diego is speaking this weekend or not?

Hello, this is DM forty three. I'm even afraid to give you my

name. I'm just calling front office a LFC. Is Pastor Diego in town

and gonna be preaching this week? No click? But now it's actually the

other way around. It's pastor Adam gonna be preaching. No click, they

won't be there. But people are choosing church based on what they like rather

than judgy. Church based upon when God likes and when God wants. So

it's not about my favorite speaker or your favorite speaker. It's not about my

Sunday of the month that I'm going to come. Like I said once three

weeks. Have you ever thought that maybe Jesus wants you to come every week?

It's not about the kinds of messages I like. I only like those

breakthrough God's gonna do for me, miracle kind of I don't like that getting

your business stuff. Don't talk about sex and don't talk about money, preacher,

you know. And I like certain kind of music. And boy,

I remember when that church used to play gospel. Now they don't play I

don't even know what the heck they're playing now. And people want things they

like. I think we ought to have this ministry in the church. Well

that's your passionate ministry. It may not be everything that the church would like

to do in the area of vision, but let me ask you. Our

marriages being changed, as altar calls being taken, are people getting healed as

people being set free by the by the world of God. Why why would

you judge the effectiveness of the ministry based upon your passion and want the ministry

to conform completely to that one passion or that one like I choose a church

based upon me liking or don't liking it, rather than if God likes it.

That's why. That's why not again, that's why people come to church

late and they leave early. That's why people don't they leave before the altar

call. That's why people feel it's their right to date. People within the

church go from Tom, Dick and Harry and then move on to Sally,

Charlemagne and Sheila, and don't realize that after you broke up with them,

they can't see you again. So then they got to leave their church while

you sit there as a happy camper and look for your next next prospect.

A protocol on how to date within the church. If that's serious, then

you need to go to one of the pastors and elders and say, I

want to make myself accountable. I'm interested in this young lady, and I

want to make you accountable to me in that area. And these are shepherds

of their souls so that everything is done according to First Corinthians fourteen forty decently

and in order. And that's why the Bible says, don't let your good

be evil spoken of. We don't want no players in this church. These

are your brothers and sisters in the Lord. This is not your harem.

I need to move on. Sorry. We need to know how to behave

in the church. We need to know how to behave in the church when

it comes to borrowing and soliciting for our businesses within the church. This is

not a free space where I could just simply go to everybody who I think

looks good, saw the car they drove up in, and just tell them

my hardship every single week. Or you know what, this is a great

prospect that I can build my network and I'm just gonna solicit people for my

bad. This is the house of God, this is a family. Go

do that outside of the church. You don't. You don't know how many

times people have come to me and say, Pastor, I got an idea,

I got into God idea on how to pay off the church's debt.

I say, really, how much money? Oh are you gonna give me?

Oh? No, no, no, no, no, no,

no, I'm not gonna give you no money. But if you but if

you could have people buy this product, and you know what, then we

build this pyramid scheme and you know and then and then we could pay off

the church. And I'll say, no, thank you. That's not the

idea that we're gonna do here. We've got to protect the integrity of this

ministry and not bringing those things. Last of all, I'd rather misbehaving in

the church. I'd rather be a tumbleweed Christian than a planet loyal Christian.

Before there was ever a Playboy Bunny or a Hugh Efner, there were Christians

blowing in and blowing out of churches, Easter Bunny Christians, frog Christians,

hippity hoppity hippity hoppity in and out. I remember, and I'm not talking

about members of this church that would love to go visit another church or your

family invite you or something. No, listen, go enjoy that. I'm

talking about people that don't have a home church. I don't. I don't

every night I go home to my home and my bed. I don't just

say I'm just gonna drive in whatever wherever the Lord leads me. I'm a

knock on the door, and I'm gonna sleep there that night. Tomorrow I'm

gonna show up at nine o'clock in that office because that's my place of work

and my job. I don't just show up at Federal Express and just say,

you know, I like to work for you today. And so it

is with the church. It's not a tumbleweed. You come in and you

come out. So this guy comes to me not a little bit ago,

and he meets me out here in the in the fishing village. It's amazing

what happens out in the fishing village. But he comes to me and he

tells me he's a prophet. And I said, well, okay, and

he says, I got a word for you, and he starts telling me

this this word uh, and it's they're they're never they're never encouragement words.

You're doing a great job. God is proud of you. They're always rebuking

words, judgment words. Dog said, if you don't straighten up this church

in your life, the wrath of God is gonna come down and it will

be shattered and be called ikeabob, hear the word of the Lord. And

I look at it. Oh, thank you so much for sharing that.

I just preached my heart out for two services and I needed to hear that.

I look at them and say, I got a board, and my

board will rebuke me. I got elders on the staff, and they'll rebuke

me. I got a wife. And don't you be fooled by that little

five foot two white woman, because she is a strong minded woman and she'll

raise her finger at me in a heartbeat. So so I got a lot

of accountability, and I pray every day and I try to hear from God.

I may not be perfect. So I just say, let me ask

you one questions if you allow me to can I can I ask you where

you go to church? What I pray? And the Lord leads me every

week to go to it church. I said, who's your pastor that you

submit or I don't have a pastor? I said, sir, thank you

so much. May the Lord take a liking to you. Don't let the

door hitch on the way out. Now that may sound unloving and it may

sound harsh, but the reality is that's misbehavior within the church at least in

his gift and how he administered that to me. Prophecy is for edification,

exhortation, and comfort. I was not edified, surely was not encouraged and

uplifted by what was given to me. I like to close with this thought,

here's the truth, and I'm gonna read it. Try to read it

off. If not, I'll read it from my notes. People who don't

play by the rules blame you and take it out on you because of their

personal unhappiness and problems and personal issues they have. Usually ninety nine percent of

people that are upset with us about how we do church, it relates to

this. They've got personal problems in their life and they're going to take it

out on you. It really doesn't have anything to do with you. It

just has to do with the fact that I got fired. I can't get

along with my wife. You know, they're sin in my life, and

so you are right in front of me, and I'm gonna take it out

take it out on you. I'd like to end with some examples that are

on your screen, things that you may have not known about. There is

no left hand usage allowed in water in polo, if you're left handed,

you have to learn how to hit it with your right hand. Next,

tennis players must wear all white, especially at Wimbledon. At Wimbledon next,

players can't tuck in their jerseys. Players can't jockeys have to meet weight requirements.

Amidextrous pitchers have to pick pick the one arm they're gonna pitch with for

that whole game. They can't switch hair, can't be on the back of

a gymnast. Neck boxers have to keep their mouthguards in Denim is not allowed

in the PGA tour. Inhalers are off limits. You can't twork. You

shouldn't have to do it in church neither, but you can't turk. Put

a lot of torquing going on in church. I can't work after an NFL

touchdown. They can't spike social media. You'll never see in an NFL game,

a baseball game, or a football game, in the game or on

the bench, people with cell phones in their hands. But how many times

have I seen members with cell phones in their hand? They're Latte, mocha,

chocolte. Let's move on before you get mad at me. Is there

anymore? I think that's it. If these natural rules exist, then what

are the rules. I'm a senior in high school, I run across country,

and I'm I'm the captain, and I've been the captain for a few

years now. I'm the fastest guy in the school. The fact, one

of the fastest guys in league. I don't lose races. But we had

a rule, the at least the coach did the school, I don't know,

and he said this, if you don't go to school the day of

a race, then don't show up for the race because I won't let you

run. But because I think I'm all that and a bag of chips,

I decide not to go to school that day. But I love to run,

and so I showed up to run that day and he looked at me

and he said, you are not running today. And I remember it in

my haughtiness, looking at him in his face and saying, basically, do

you know who I am? Do you know how many points I'm going to

score today? Do you know that we possibly can lose without me being in

the race. And I'll never forget it because it was a point. And

I saw him twenty five years later and thanked him for that that I needed

to be humbled that day, and I needed to change my arrogant pride and

become a person of character. And I recognize that I'm not that important,

and that all the rules apply to everyone. God loves his church and he

loves us. And here's what I know. When you play by the rules,

you get to benefit the joy of the game. And that's what God

wants us to do. The safety of the church, the protection of the

church, the provisions of the church, the fellowship, the conania of the

church, the beautiful corporate anointing that can come when we're in the church.

Father, I thank you so much for a simple message that teaches us how

to act, think, talk, treat one another within the church. We

pray in the name of Jesus thanking you for this information that we will now

apply more in our lives. We even share it with others. Oh God.

But we value the House of God as much as you value the House

of God, and we want to do everything decently in order and make sure

that we honor the house as much as you honor the House, because life

and ministry and hope goes from here. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen,

we're about ready to leave this church right now, and I just want

to encourage you today. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and

Savior. Here's an amazing opportunity to give your heart to him. Here's what

I want you to recognize. We are all going to die. But for

Christians you will only die once. For non Christians, you will die twice.

I've heard people say I don't know if they're really being honest, because

I've seen at that moment people act differently. I've heard people say I'm not

afraid to die. Well, that's what you say until you're about ready to

die. I've seen people right before with seconds to live on the electric trayer,

and I don't care how bad they were to the bone, they scream

like a little girl. Because everyone has this natural fear of death. But

let's play it out. Let's just say you don't fear death. Well,

you may not fear this first death, but I promise you you will fear

the second death. Because the first death only is seconds and moments of pain

and then it's gone. The second death is an eternal death. There's no

relief from the pain and the separation and the torment and the damnation and the

punishment of that death. I want you to today to be a person that

only has to experience a one time death and then you pass on into glory

kind of thing. Or maybe maybe Jesus will come back and we don't even

have to experience that death because we'll be raptured. But the reality is this

is that we don't want anybody to have to experience the second death because that

death is eternally painful. You come to Jesus, you acknowledge I need a

savior. I repent on my sins, and I believe he died on the

cross. That saves you from that second death. It turns God from being

a wrathful God to a loving God. That's what you and I want to

experience. If you're ready to give your life to Christ, or you want

to rededicate your life to the Lord. You say, I'm writing the offensive

compromise in and out, up and down, then I want you to think

about rededicating your life to the Lord. Or last of all, you're born

again. You love God. But the reality is is you're not filled with

the Holy Spirit. You're born of the spirit, but you're not filled with

the spirit. You've never released like we talked about in that Book of Acts.

Your heavenly gift for any of these three things, I'm gonna ask you

to raise your hand high, and we're gonna pray for you. Here we

go one two, one two three, Raise your hand wherever you are all

across this auditorium. I'm gonna pray with you, and then I think Pastor

John will come and give you some closing thoughts. Say, Dear Jesus,

I repent on my sins. I love you with all my heart. I

recognize I need you. You're the only one that can save my soul and

rescue me from eternal death. And I turn to you now with all my

soul, with all my heart, and with all my strength and us name.

Come on, let's thank God for everybody that's shed that prayer. We

really hope you enjoyed the message, and if you said yes to Jesus,

we just want to say congratulations and give you a free devotional to help you

walk out your faith. Click the link in the description or head over to

grow dot Faith to download your devotional. Oh and be sure to subscribe and

share this podcast with your friends. Thanks for listening to ALSC podcasts, and

I hope you tune in again.