Sit Down | Pastor Scott Thomas

Welcome to Free Life Chapel, where we

help you discover and live the free life

in Christ. My name is Bria, and I want

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let's get into what you've been waiting

for. Check out this message.

>> We are going to hit something today. A

topic that I just uh it it was in my

heart and I just got to talk to you cuz

we family and we're going to go here

today. We're going to we're going to

lean into this. If you have your Bible,

wave it at me. Where are the Bible

carriers? The Bible bear. LOOK AT THE

BIBLES. LET'S GO, SOMEBODY. Even people

on the balcony brought Bibles. I'm

loving that.

Um, open your Bibles to the book of

Matthew. The book of Matthew, chapter

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

16.

Matthew, chapter 16. For those of you

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

who don't have your Bibles, you're good.

We love you, too. We're going to put

some verses on the screen for you. But

our goal this year is to lean into and

become familiar with our Bible. Uh, this

is my Bible. It's a message written to

me from God on how to live my life. And

we want to become familiar with this.

Matthew chapter 16, verses 24 and 25.

Matthew 16:24

Uh, it check this out. Here's what it

says. If anyone would come after me,

let him deny himself and take up his

cross and follow me. For whoever would

save his life will lose it,

>> but whoever loses his life

will find it.

>> Confessions of a pastor.

These are the most conflicting

difficult

verses I think I can identify personally

for me. These are the most difficult

conflicting verses in the Bible in my

opinion. They sting.

This is I'm I'm just talking me. You you

might have your own. These right here,

they they hit different. They hit

different because

the Bible's telling us, "Deny yourself,

take up your cross, and follow me."

These are Jesus's works. Scott, pick up

your cross, follow me.

If you try to save your life, you're

going to lose it. If you are willing to

lose your life for my sake, then you're

going to find it. The reason the this is

so challenging and uncomfortable for me

is it's very telling. It throws a mirror

in my face and quite honestly it it

calls it calls me out. It I'm not

talking about you. I'm talking about me

because I see a lot of areas and ways

that I compromise my faith in Jesus.

>> Yeah.

>> Now, maybe you got it all together. You

and your halo just sit right there and

glow and just go ahead and blind the

rest of us. But I'm just saying there's

there's some of us that that that we've

we've compromised carrying the cross

like like we have we we've in following

him there's been some challenges that we

have. We've we've chosen social comfort

over biblical conviction.

>> Can can anybody relate with me or am I

just maybe just preaching to me today?

Okay. Good. Good. I'm I'm glad I'm glad

to glad to hear that because because

this is this is very in yourrface.

In fact, let me just ask you, what kind

of compromises have you made in your

walk with Jesus?

Netflix over DVOS and prayer.

Uh um um maybe avoided telling someone

the truth because you didn't want that

awkward feeling in the room of I told

them really what I thought,

>> right?

I I prioritized work and family

activities

over church on the weekend.

Like, where have I backed up on Jesus?

Where did I lay the cross down and walk

away from it? Jesus said, "Pick it up

and follow me." My My heart I don't know

about yours, my heart gravitates towards

compromise.

>> Yeah. I the most natural thing I do is

make excuses.

>> I'll have you know we can make some good

excuses. Yeah, you're right. Right. It's

like the girl who you know the guy's

really after her wants to take her out

like what are you doing on Friday night?

She don't want nothing to do with him.

I'm washing my hair.

What are you doing Saturday night?

Drying it. Like you know like I I don't

like like we we can make some excuses.

But you know what excuses are, right?

Excuses.

Excuses are simply alibis to make us

feel good about living in mediocrity.

>> That's good.

>> We make them. We deflect. But the truth

is, we're still stuck in the same place

we were. And it didn't make things any

better. Oh, I got the pressure off of

me. But the truth is, even though the

excuse seemed to hit, it didn't really

advance my life any

pig and a chicken that were walking past

a homeless shelter. And the chicken

looks over at the pig and says, "We

ought to go in there and give them

breakfast."

And the pig looks back at the chicken

and says, "Yeah, for you it's a

contribution.

For me, it requires total commitment.

There's just a little bit of difference

between both of us supplying breakfast

today. Can I tell you something? I'm not

here calling you porky. I'm not saying

that you are a pig. That's not how God

looks at you. But what I am telling you

is Jesus does not want your eggs.

>> Jesus wants allin.

Come out of the stands. Put on the

jersey. Get on the court. Let's play the

game. Let's go full court. You were made

to play the game, not just watch the

game. This is what I'm trying to talk

about today because I want us to

consider what we can what we could do to

start putting God first in our life. Can

can you think of just one area that you

can that you could move your life

forward in Jesus? One change you could

make that would actually make me like

this would be right. This would be good.

This would this would focus my heart

more on on God. I think if we're going

to be honest, we can all find better

ways to align our lives with the word

and with and with God. And I want to

talk about that today. How many of you

have a favorite chair at home?

Okay. H, you know, it's really

interesting how there is an an unspoken

rule in your house as to who sits in

which chair.

>> Yes.

>> I How many of you have that favorite

couch like if that's mom's chair? That's

mom's chair. No one sits in mom's chair.

Y'all got that? Okay. What? How? Dad's

chair. Is there a dad's chair in the

house? Like like if there's someone

sitting in that chair and mom or dad

walk in, everyone goes

like they're getting ready to get kicked

out of here right now. Like they broke

this unspoken rule. Like around the

table there's certain chairs that are

kind of understood, right? That that's

kind of how it rolls. How many you know

some of y'all right now are sitting in

your favorite chair right now. And if

somebody was in your seat today, you

would have, oh,

we we we we have our we have our our our

favorite chairs that we just kind of

like TO SIT IN. TODAY, I WANT TO TALK TO

YOU about the seat of your soul.

Every area of your life, your your

marriage, your finances, career,

your thought process, every area of your

life is sitting in one of three chairs.

it. They're all situated. They've sat

down and that's where they're resting

right now. And and where which chair you

have chosen decides what quality and the

reality of your relationship with Jesus

where you are. It determines if there's

a legacy of faith coming after you or

it's dead. Are you a fan or are you a

follower? It it it starts to very much

define who we are and where we are. And

it becomes very telling for us. And I

want to talk to you. I I want to show

you today my my my my hope, my prayer is

that what you see and I want to I want

you give you a visual that if I can just

say this in the most wonderful way that

righteously haunts you that that it it

speaks to you beginning to determine

where am I in the seats. Have I chosen

the right chair? The first chair I want

to talk to you about is this chair right

here.

This is the chair of

commitment.

This right here is a work chair.

Office chair, man. It spins. It's ready

to go over here. We can get back to the

computer here. We can get to a meeting

here. Like it it it moves. It swivels.

It's it's right in the face of what

needs to happen. I can run myself over

here, take care of this, back up over

here. This is so much fun. I I I can I

can hang I can get work done in this

chair. This chair is structured to pick

me up, keep me focused, good posture,

boom, get some work done. This is a This

is a work chair. It's a commitment

chair.

>> It It's a chair that states where if

we're talking about our faith, I'm sold

out for Christ.

>> I I I've got convictions that hold me

that are different than other folks

around me.

>> That's good. And here's what's a little

difficult about this chair. If we're

going to be honest, this chair makes you

and I look outdated in culture.

Makes you look oldfashioned. Y'all know

what oldfashioned is. Sure you do. You

going, you quiet and you cold. That's

okay. I know. I know what it is. It's

like you got those old ideas. Oh, you

still believe that?

>> Oh, you're one of those.

And when you begin to walk with biblical

convictions, living your life by that,

that's your standard. That's your yes.

That's your heart. That's the foundation

of your life. That's how you look at

life. All of a sudden, you realize that

there are some things where there's

going to be some some challenges. You

you're at odds with some family members.

Now, you're you're at odds. You see

different than some people that you work

with. I like them. I'm not throwing

elbows, but we see things different. And

I just can't go along with what you say

and what you want to check off on. I

just can't go that route. Social media,

I don't agree with everything I see

posted coming across. I just can't go.

The news, the world, politics, there is

a different ethos, a different mindset,

a different heart, a different

conviction, different lenses that I see

through when I'm sitting in a chair of

commitment to Christ. You see, here's

what I need you to know. Jesus offers us

new life. But for that new life to

begin, our old life has to end.

>> So the way I used to think, I don't

think that way no more. Can anybody

testify that once you gave your life to

Jesus, some things changed in your life?

>> Oh, they they they should that that they

should and we're going to go here that

they should be changing

because here's what we have to realize.

When we MAKE A HARD SHIFT toward Jesus

and begin to walk in a place of

commitment, you're going to have to

handle some people exiting your life.

>> Right.

>> Amen. Welcome to Free Life Chapel today.

>> You're going to you're going to HAVE TO

HANDLE LOSING SOME FOLLOWERS,

>> RIGHT?

>> Everyone's not GOING TO BE SHOUTING YOU

OUT AND GIVING YOU THUMBS up on social

media. No, they're going to they're

going to scandalize your reputation. Can

you handle that? Because if you can't

handle what I'm telling you about,

you're going to bail out of chair one

really quick. If I'm so addicted to

people's opinion and being liked and

being first and being approved, I will

never be able to handle chair one. I'm

always going to be seeking something

different because people own me. People

play me. People decide for me what I

believe and what I want cuz I've got to

fit in. I can't stand on my own. Chair

one is a place of commitment. I know

what I stand on. I know what I believe.

and it will not be moved. You got to be

willing to be misunderstood. You got to

be willing to be cancelled.

>> Pick up your cross

and follow me.

>> Everyone understands a cross is not a

pretty thing. Right.

>> Right. I know we cover them in gold and

put them on our neck, but do you

understand that that's basically you're

wearing an electric chair, an execution

chamber around your neck?

In first century, when Jesus was

crucified, that was the number one way

that the Romans would put people that

were killed on display, hang them

publicly, strip them naked, beat the

life life out of them, and watch them

die a slow death on that cross. There

was nothing beautiful. Oh, today we

dress them up. And I'm not mad at you

wearing your cross. I got crosses I

wear. It's all good. All I'm saying is

don't get it twisted. Understand when

Jesus said, "Take up your cross." He was

saying, "There's going to be some

difficulty. There's going to be some

struggle. There's going to be some pain.

It's going to you're going to be talked

about. People are going to walk away

from you. This is not all kicks and

giggles. This is not just going to be a

bunch of ice cream with sprinkles on it.

It doesn't roll that way. If you stand

for something, people are not going to

like it. Can you handle that?

>> This is what God's word is telling us.

Chair one, man, there's a bunch of Hall

of Famers in the Bible that give us

perspective of what of what it means to

stand there. Y'all remember the three

Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abedneo.

>> These three Hebrew boys, they were they

were in in Babylonian captivity, and

King Nebuchadnezzar comes out and he

says, "Here's what's going to happen.

We've got a big a big idol uh furnace,

big God here. I want everybody in this

in the nation to bow at at in front of

this God and the three Hebrew boys going

I ain't bowing.

THE WHOLE NATION was they didn't. Can

you handle standing alone?

The whole office says yes. You say no.

The whole family wants to you can't do

the ability to stand and hold on to that

conviction on the inside of you. I'm

committed to Christ and my commitment to

Christ says no, I can't participate in

that. No, I can't attend that. No, I

won't be entertained by that. No,

>> THAT'S GOOD.

>> THERE'S GOT TO BE something that stands

up in us. These three Hebrew boys said,

"No, oh king, for what it's worth, we

will not bend. We will not bow. And by

the way, we will not burn because they

came out the other side after he threw

them in the furnace and they WERE JUST

FINE." WHAT ABOUT NOAH? NOAH WAS

REJECTED, MOCKED, ridiculed in his

culture because he was preaching that

there was this flood coming when they

had never even seen A RAINDROP YET. BUT

HE'S BUILDING THIS BIG BOAT NOWHERE near

water, obeying God, mocked, laughed at,

canceled only for God to save he and his

family. What about THE APOSTLE PAUL?

PAUL WAS BEATEN WITH RODS THREE times

and spent years in prison because he

would not stop preaching the gospel of

Jesus CHRIST. I'M SO GLAD HE DIDN'T

QUIT. We have twothirds of our New

Testament because Paul said, "I know in

whom I have BELIEVED AND I WILL not let

go. I am not ashamed of the gospel OF

JESUS CHRIST." AND BECAUSE of that, we

have this thing called the Bible today

THAT WE DRAW FROM. I'M so glad he didn't

back out and run for his faith. What

about Daniel? Daniel chose to spend the

night with a den of lions over skipping

one prayer service.

You can't have my prayer. I'm talking to

God.

Th this this is a chair of commitment.

Lean in. Hold on tight. This is what we

do. You see, these men had decided and

you and I have to decide. The Bible is

our standard, not popularity and not

politics. I don't look to polls in order

to find out what truth is.

>> I don't need to hear the sway or what

public opinion thinks. I've got truth.

The Bible tells me that his word is

truth. And I will live my life by this

book right here. And this book right

here is going to force me to treat

everybody right. Even people that I

don't want to treat right. It makes me

treat people right. It's not about me

throwing elbows because I'm right and

you're wrong. It's the fact that I'm so

jacked up. I need a standard in my life

that's not always changing every other

week based on who's speaking the

loudest. I need truth in my life. And

that's what God's word does.

>> John 14:15. Read this out loud with me.

John 14:15

Here's what it says. If you love me, you

will obey my commandments. Oh, read it

now without an attitude. Read it here.

If you love me, you will obey my

commandments. If you love me,

if you love me,

you'll obey my word

if you love me.

On the count of three, would everyone

just say, "Ouch." One, two, three.

>> I know it stings me, too.

>> It's one of these verses, two of these

verses that I want to scratch out of my

Bible, but there it is. Take up your

cross.

>> Follow me. I can't get around those

verses. I have to live that. That's a

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. That's when

I'm on vacation. THAT'S EVEN WHEN I'M

WHEN I'M AT WALMART.

>> LIKE, you got to LIVE BY THIS STUFF.

LIKE, WHEREVER YOU ARE, this is the call

of our life. Number one is a chair of

commitment.

Number two

is nice and cushy.

This right here, this this chair is

nice. This is plush. This feels good.

That's a little stiff. This is nice

right here. If you had to sit all day in

one chair, which one would you choose?

>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because it's the

chair of compromise.

>> Oh, it's a lot more comfortable than

that stiff thing. That stiff thing is

always telling me stuff to do and stuff

not to do. That that chair has way too

many opinions.

This chair, my opinion is the one that

rules what I decide, what I what do I

feel like today.

Hey Jesus, bless me.

Th this this chair fits me really good.

Oh man. And it's they're so close

together.

This this this this chair of compromise

is really interesting. It's I'm saved,

but Jesus is really more of an

acquaintance

than he is my Lord. In fact, let me just

put it this way. The save button is

clicked, but the follow button isn't

working.

See, number two, that's a dangerous

chair. That's a dangerous chair. In in

the Bible, we got this guy named Paul. I

just told you, beaten with rods, thrown

in prison for years. This guy was

traveling and preaching Jesus and

planting churches all throughout the

non-Jewish region. And he had some guys

with him. He had a guy named Mark. He

had a guy named Luke. He had a guy named

Deus. These three guys were his

traveling companions. They were watching

miracles take place. They're planting

churches. They're ministering. They're

preaching on the streets. They're

watching people give their lives to

Jesus over and over. In fact, the Bible

said in in in Phileiman uh chapter 1 and

in Colossians chapter 4, all three of

Colossians 4 · chapter mention

these guys, Mark, Luke, and Deeus are

all talked about because they're right

there with Paul. I mean, watching all

this go down, Paul, LIKE THIS IS PAUL.

TWOTHIRDS of the New Testament, he wrote

it. They're right there with him.

Amazing things going on. AND THEN

SOMETHING, YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME,

happens

in 2 Timothy 4:10.

2 Timothy 4:10

Here's what it says. Deeus

has deserted me because he loves the

things of this life.

What? Who puts that in the Bible? Can't

we just keep it all highlights? Do we

have to jump into low lightss? Also, do

we have to like spit that out? That's

like the you you you took me into the

kitchen and show me the nasty kitchen.

Just leave me in the dining room where

everything is nice. But the Bible pulls

no punches. He said Deeus was one of the

guys that miracles were being worked.

Deeus is one of the guys that were

preaching. Deeus is one OF THE GUYS WHO

WERE HELPING TO PLANT CHURCHES. And

Deeus hit a place in his life where he

decided he wanted the world and what it

offers more than he wants Jesus.

I choose chair two instead of chair one.

Deus walked away. It crushed Paul's

heart. Here's what I want you to

understand.

Former faith is no guarantee of future

faithfulness.

I'm so glad you said yes to Jesus a few

years ago, but that doesn't mean you're

still saying yes today.

>> You and I have to decide every day.

Someone shout every day.

>> Every day.

>> Every day. You got you and I have got to

decide. This is the day the Lord has

made. As for me in my house,

>> going to serve the Lord. Let's go. Let's

go. I know it's a Monday and I'm going

to need some Jesus today, but that's

okay. We're going to do this. I I'm I'm

leaning on him like like like it it it

it takes that but former faith it

doesn't guarantee that future

faithfulness. Israel Israel IS A NATION.

THEY WERE IN EGYPT. THEY WERE LOCKED

DOWN AND THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THEY WERE

TOOK BLOOD and they put on the doorpost

of their house. The death angel passed

by and they were released. They were

broken free. They had faith enough TO

FOLLOW GOD'S INSTRUCTION TO GET THEM OUT

OF EGYPT. BUT GOD'S PLAN WASN'T JUST TO

GET THEM OUT OF EGYPT, OUT OF SLAVERY,

BUT TO TAKE them into a promised land.

They had enough FAITH FOR GOD TO GET

THEM OUT of the slavery, out of the

bondage, out of Egypt. But when they got

to the wilderness, they stopped acting

in faith. And that entire generation

died in the wilderness and never

experienced the promise.

>> Here's what I want you to understand.

Talking faith and living faithful are

different things.

>> I know what it is to be really good at

sitting in this chair talking faith. I

know enough about the Bible to have a

conversation, talk it out, and even to

the point that I will take a few verses

here and there, and I could almost

justify my compromise

>> because I'm talking it, I'm just not

living it.

I'm really good at laying the cross down

and making excuses for it

and trying to make sure I feel better

about it. You see, the the chair of

compromise is a dangerous chair.

It lives

like chair two, but it talks like chair

one.

>> Yeah,

>> I know. It sucketh, doesn't it? Just

like like this. This is this is what's

so dangerous. I can be serving Jesus a

long time and somehow find myself here

still talking that language. I'm talking

it, but I'm not living it.

>> I slid over and I'm not sure when the

slide took place. They're so close

together and I can still say the same

things that I used to say when I was

there, but but but the results and my

lifestyle are locked up in that. Let me

just kind of help you identify. I stand

for Christ until it's no longer popular.

Then I back away. I I I see Jesus as

love just not as authority.

>> Decisions and lifestyle are now

selfsatisfying.

I'm chasing whatever feels good to me.

Entertainment

decisions, language in my life, they're

still cringe. They're not where they

should be. My I'm my career is more

important than my calling. Sunday

worship is now optional. I have to

decide every Sunday if I'm going or not.

I'm more concerned with success than I

am surrender to Jesus.

>> This right here, this chair of

commitment, this chair of conviction, it

holds the line. This one right here

learns to try to play a little bit of

both worlds at the same time. I'm not

mad at Jesus. I don't hate Jesus. I SAID

YES TO JESUS, but I'm living me. I'M NOT

LIVING HIM. I'M talking him, but I'm

living me.

>> And this is where this scripture, THIS

IS WHY THIS SCRIPTURE GETS ON my nerves.

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME. THAT

MEANS I DON'T HAVE TIME TO LAY IT DOWN.

BETWEEN HERE AND THERE, there's a cross

on the ground. Somebody laid it down.

And you and I have got to make sure that

our hearts and our minds and our

spirits, ESPECIALLY LIVING IN THIS

CULTURE THAT we're living in right now

with heresy and foolishness being

preached on social media THAT WILL GIVE

YOU A license to feel good about the

hatred in your heart towards other

people. STUFF THAT YOU'LL SEE WHERE WE

FEEL BIGOTED and elitist like we're so

much better. Well, at least I'm not like

them. And we're comparing oursel to

people as opposed to Jesus. That's

right.

>> Jesus is the one that we're going to be

looking at. Jesus is who I'm trying to

emulate. And when I fell in my life,

it's because I fell from his standard.

>> We have to live our lives differently.

Chair 2 is a dangerous place. Jesus

said, Jesus said, "My followers can't

serve two masters."

In other words, no compromise.

But you know what? I kind of get it. I

feel the same way.

You probably do, too. No compromise. I'm

not sharing my wife with another man,

>> just in case you're wondering. I just,

you know, I just kind of throw that out

there. No compromise. Well, that just

sounds so bigoted that you're just

trying to control. Oh, you better

believe it.

>> Smith and Wesson will help me. They're

two good friends of mine. We will take

care of this right now. Oh, yeah. Don't

get it twisted. Mhm. Yeah. Mr.

Springfield's standing right behind him.

I'm just telling you right now, we can

take care of this. They got a brother

named Glock. All of those guys were

getting we we deal with this.

I I'm

No, she's mine. Relationship.

>> I don't share that. JESUS IS SAYING,

"WAIT A MINUTE. YOU'RE MINE.

>> I DIED FOR YOU.

>> I GAVE IT ALL FOR YOU.

>> YOU ASKED ME TO SAVE YOU. I TOOK YOU

SERIOUS. I DID. I LIFTED ALL YOUR SINS.

I COMPLETELY CHANGED YOUR STATUS. LET'S

GO."

>> Praise God.

>> He has A RIGHT. I GET HIM. I don't share

my wife. I don't share my REESEI CUPS.

THERE'S TWO THINGS IN LIFE YOU JUST

DON'T LET GO. YOU GOT TO FIGHT. YOU GOT

TO KNOW WHAT MATTERS.

You and Reese's. Those are two. You're

You're first. I said you first, though.

I said you first.

WATCH. WATCH. WATCH. WATCH. WE GOT TO

HURRY. COMMITMENT CHAIR ONE. THIS RIGHT

HERE IS THE GOAL, Y'ALL. THIS RIGHT

HERE.

COMPROMISE. OH, it's plush.

>> It feels so good. It talks like that

chair, but it just lives like this

chair.

>> And then you got this one over here.

You all have a good day today. God bless

you.

This one right here,

this is chair three.

And this is the chair of culture,

commitment, compromise, culture.

This one right here, the reason this is

because people that are here are just

asleep.

They don't even know that there's even

other chairs in life.

>> I'm just I'm just No, this is great.

Just just asleep. And can I tell you

there are precious, wonderful people on

this couch.

>> I'm not mad at any of them.

>> They just don't know who Jesus is.

>> And what he gives and the joy of knowing

him and serving him and loving him and

the connection, the blessing that flows,

the promise. They don't know that. So,

they just they just sleeping their life

away. I was I was just like them. And in

fact, if I didn't know Jesus, I'd be

sitting right there beside him

>> doing some crazy stuff.

Y'all ought to be glad I'm saved.

>> Oh no, y'all.

Amen. Would you turn to someone and tell

them, "You better be glad I'm saved,

too. You just you you you better be

glad." Yeah. No. No. Exactly. Cuz I

would not be hanging with you.

>> Without Jesus, I'd be sitting RIGHT

BESIDE HIM. GOD IS NOT INCLUDED in their

text thread. Do you understand? Like

like they're not communicating with him.

He's not a part of wondering what his

word says and and and what his opinion.

They don't care about that. No, that's

the C. THEY THEY OUT. IT'S DONE. SO SO

LET ME JUST KIND OF HELP YOU. WE GOT TO

MAKE A PIVOT real quick. Seat number one

is the seat of commitment and it's

solid. Seat number two is A SEAT OF

COMPROMISE and it's slippery.

>> Seat number three is a seat of culture

and it's just sleepy.

You can live solid, slippery, or sleepy.

But you got to choose one.

>> You can't live all three.

>> The only seat that works is number one.

Because seat number two deceives.

>> It'll make you think and it will talk

like it's sitting in one.

>> Yep.

>> While it's living in two and sliding

towards three. Yeah.

>> This is why the Bible says that the day

is coming that people will look Jesus in

the face and he will say, "Depart from

me.

>> I never knew you."

>> BUT DIDN'T WE PROPHESY IN YOUR I never

knew you.

You talked it well. You had no heart

commitment for me.

You see, here's what I want you to

understand.

Jesus gets you saved, but God is the one

who owns you.

>> I need him for salvation. But he doesn't

stop there. They come in a package

agreement.

>> When I gave Jesus my life, my sins, my

debt is gone. God says, "Now you're

mine. Now let me make you what you were

always intended to be." This is how this

world lives. Matthew chapter 20 22:37,

Matthew 20 · chapter mention

here's what Jesus said. Jesus replied,

"You must love the Lord your God with

all your heart, all your soul, and all

your mind." Let me just translate it for

you real quickly. Put God first in every

aspect of your life.

Everyone shout, "God is everything."

>> God is everything.

>> Yeah. God is every and God is thing. God

is everything. He is all that. That's

who he is and that's how we have to live

our life. You and I have eventually got

to stop circling the airport and we got

to land the plane on who Jesus is.

>> Jesus looked at the disciples one day

and said, "Who do people say that I am?"

Well, some say you're this, some say

you're that. He goes, "Who do you say

that I am?

You are the Christ, the son of the

living God."

And Jesus said, "Yeah, people didn't

teach you that. That came from my

father."

There are some things that he wants to

teach and show us and draw us to him

that we can only know when we do it his

way. You see, chair one has a benefit

package. Why would we do that? Well, let

me just remind you real quick. The Bible

says in Psalm 37:5, it says, "Commit

Psalms 37:5

your way to the Lord. Trust him

and he will act."

Trust him and he will act. Say, "And he

will act and he will act." You trust

him. Commit your way. trust him and God

activates into your life and starts

doing things for you that you can't do

for yourself. Watch this. Here's a

couple things that he does according to

your word. Divine authority is on your

life because you're sitting in chair

one. God is backing your life. You don't

have to fight, squabble, but the power

and the authority of heaven is on your

side. The supernatural provision is

yours because you're sitting in chair

one. Open heavens over your life. I'm

walking in obedience. God has to be the

supplier, provider of my life. Number

three, uncommon favor is on your life.

There's an extra level of kindness.

There's a there there's a preferential

treatment that hits you from both God

and man. God is not a respector of

people, but he is a respector of

commitment and faith and those who are

pursuing him. You have a right to claim

that word. The fourth thing, you have an

internal strength. The Bible says that

God did that God did not give us a

spirit of fear, but of power, love, and

a sound mind. Ladies and gentlemen, when

you got power, love, and a sound mind

operating in you, you're not rocked by

what people say, by what people do, by

what Washington decides. I'm good. I'm

solid. I've got peace in my heart.

Despite what it looks like out there,

everything is all right here. The fifth

thing that we see that we get as a

benefit package for living in chair

number one is a generational legacy. Oh,

it is time to stop living off of

generational curses and passing on

brokenness in our heritage and say,

"We're going to turn this thing and pass

generational blessings on a legacy of

faith. My children are going to know

Jesus and their kids, and we're going to

watch Jesus rise up in our home." 2

Chronicles 16 actually tells us God

supports those who are fully committed

to him.

We can live this. You can live in chair

one. I'm not saying you're going to live

it perfect. You know how many times I

fall out of this chair?

I fall out of it. I'm I'm I'm not I'm

not perfect here. And I find myself like

sometimes getting really close here.

>> Sure does look nicer over there. Jesus,

why didn't you make this one so

comfortable?

And I got to keep as much daylight

there as I can. I don't want to play

close to it. I want to stay away from

it.

>> I I There are voices that will draw you

into that. There's relationships that

will draw you closer there. There who

you follow. You You think social media

is just fun just to follow stuff. Their

opinion will eventually get in your

head.

>> Lamentations 3 says, "My eye affected my

heart. What I saw began to draw my heart

in places that I didn't want to go." Why

do you think Deus walked away from Paul

watching miracles happen? God's power

presence happening everywhere and all of

a sudden, how is it a man that was

involved like that walks away

because he fell in love with what the

world was offering?

He got this chair too close. He had some

voices in his head. He was having

conversations he didn't need to have.

>> He found entertainment that he knew was

wrong, but he found a way of enjoying

it. That compromise, that little twist.

And the closer these chairs get

together, the closer we are to changing

seats. When you and I decide the

commitment chair one is the only

standard for my life, that changes

things. And it sounds like

a declaration that was found years ago

in the office of a young African pastor

in Zimbabwe.

And I want you to hear this man's

resolve regarding his faith with Jesus.

He wrote, and I quote,

"I'm a part of the fellowship of the

unashamed.

I have Holy Spirit power. The die has

been cast. I have stepped over the line.

The decision has been made. I'm a a

disciple of his. I won't look back, let

up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed. My present makes

sense. My future is secure. I'm finished

and done with low living, sight walking,

small planning, smooth knees, colorless

dreams, tamed visions, worldly talk,

cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no

longer need preeminence, prosperity,

position, promotions, plaudits, or

popularity. I don't have to be right. I

don't have to be first, tops,

recognized, praised, regarded, or

rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on

his presence, walk by patience, am

uplifted by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gate is fast, my goal

is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is

rough, my companions are few, my guide

is reliable, my mission is clear. I

cannot be bought, compromised,

detourred, lured away, turned back,

deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch

in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in

the presence of enemy, ponder at the

pool of popularity, or meander in the

maze of mediocrity. I won't give up,

shut up, let up until I have stayed up,

stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached

up for the cause of Christ. I am a

disciple of Jesus. I must go till he

comes, give till I drop, preach till

I'll know, and work till he stops me.

And when he comes for his own, he will

have no problem recognizing me. Would

you stand to your feet, please?

>> That that I just read to you,

chair one.

>> Yeah.

>> And can I tell you something? Because I

know our humanity.

He wrote that and he struggled staying

in chair one.

>> Yeah.

>> Because he's a human,

>> right?

>> Like you and I.

But you and I have to have that

attitude,

>> right?

>> That whatever it takes,

it's Jesus.

>> I don't care if the government calls it

legal. Whatever it takes to please him.

>> I don't care if it's sanctioned,

celebrated, applauded, popular. Whatever

pleases him

>> is what's right in my life. So if you're

in chair one, stay seated.

If you're in chair two, get up and go

sit down in chair one.

If you're in chair three,

wake up.

Get up and go sit down in chair one

because that is the only way to true

life.

>> I want us to pray today.

Now listen, this message calls me out

like it calls you out. Some of y'all are

mad at me right now. Oh, you got to love

me to go to heaven. So, deal with that.

It's it's it's telling it gets in our

face.

And when I look at these, while I was

while I was studying for this yesterday,

I'm like, dang, that chair one chair two

thing is no joke. It pulls on us. Chair

two talks loud.

Chair two has people that I love in it.

Chair two has stuff that feels good. And

it doesn't mean I got to curse Jesus. It

just means I'm trying to do a whole lot

of me and a little bit of him. Like I'm

I'm pulling the levers and and Jesus is

saying I'm not here to be played.

Either we do it or we don't. Let's go.

>> And when you fall down, get up. I'm

here. I love you.

>> We'll put this back together. Let's go.

But just when you get up, don't slide to

chair two. Stay in chair one.

>> Come back. Let's stay on this game. I

want to ask you to bow your heads in the

room today.

If you're here and you say, "Scott, if

I'm going to be real honest with you,

I'm laying down on the couch. I'm in

chair three right now. I'm sleeping.

I've never given my life to Jesus.

I've heard a lot about Jesus, but I've

never really prayed that prayer. I've

never committed my life to him.

And I realize that I need him in my

life. He's not just a way, he is the

way. And I need him. I want him today. I

want to give my life to Jesus." Not

going to embarrass you, but I am going

to ask you to raise your hand just to

signify that you're going to pray this

prayer with me because we're going to

pray it together. On the count of three,

if you're saying, "Scott, I'm coming off

of chair three." I'm going to chair one.

I want you to throw your hand in the

air. One, two, three. Where are you?

Come on. Oh, yeah. I love you all. I

love you all. My kind of people. Hands

up throughout this room. You can pull

those hands down. Everyone pray this

together. Say, "Jesus,

>> Jesus,

>> I'm waking up.

>> I'm coming to you.

>> No more living for me.

>> No more living to me. I'm living for

you.

>> I'm living for you.

>> Forgive me.

>> Change me.

>> Take away

>> everything

>> that is not you.

>> And give me

>> everything

>> that you promised.

>> You promised.

>> I love you.

>> I will serve you.

>> I will serve you

>> to the best of my ability.

>> The best of my ability.

>> For the rest of my life.

>> I choose

>> chair one.

>> Chair one.

>> In Jesus name.

>> in Jesus name. Can you put your hands

together and celebrate all those who

just prayed that prayer for the first

time? Come on. That's that's huge.

That's huge.

I love you all.

Now, here's how we all are going to

pray. Cuz you see this next prayer, my

prayer will do nothing for you cuz I

can't make commitments on your part. I

got to pray my prayer. You have to pray

this one for yourself. And I don't know

what step you need to take towards

Jesus, but I want you to get something

in mind of what you can do to move your

life towards him to step out of get off

of chair two and get back to chair one.

What's it going to take to get back here

for you? I want you to get that in your

heart and your spirit. We're going to

pray. I'm going to lead you in prayer,

but I I don't want you listen to me. I

want you praying. Lord, I'm coming back.

The compromise is over. Commitment is in

my heart. 2026.

I'm a fullcourt believer. I'm here to

play. Father, today we are all in this

room and we struggle between chair one

and chair two. Chair two is so much more

comfortable. And chair one, it's easy to

fall out of it sometimes.

Carrying our cross, it's heavy. You know

that. But we continue to choose you

today. And in the middle of our

flakiness and excuses and compromise,

today we're just coming raw. We're

coming clean. We're being real and I'm

done making excuses. I want to live this

life strong for you. I don't want to

play with you. I don't want to be

talking about you more than I'm living

for you. And today, God, I pray that you

would convict and lead and draw us back

into a place of of putting the jersey on

and going full court with you, a true

place of commitment.

Today, God, convict us and lead us. Holy

Spirit, do what you do best in letting

us feel your love, your draw, and remind

us of the benefits of the blessing, of

the increase that goes with proclaiming

Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It's the

only way to live. Every other chair

leads to death and defeat, but this

chair will lead to promises and blessing

and a future that can only be secured by

heaven. God, thank you for the option of

getting up and getting back in the

chair. And we do that today. We

resituate oursel. We're going to sit

down in chair one. We're going to sit

down in commitment. We're going to sit

back down in our conviction. Sit back

down in our love for you. Sit back down

in serving in your house again, God.

We're not going to play with other

options. You are the only option for my

life. And I move towards you now. It's

for me and my house, me and my home, my

private time, my public time, my time of

vacation, my time here. It does not

matter. I will serve you to the best of

my ability. So, Holy Spirit, turn up the

volume of your voice in my life. convict

me, lead me, draw me, let me hear your

voice of correction and let me hear your

voice of celebration. But God, I pray

for a relationship with you that is so

real through the rest of this year that

it changes everything in my world. We

live for the audience of one, your

approval. And today, God, I pray that

you would smile in our hearts and our

lives as we take steps back towards you

again in Jesus name. Everybody said,

"Amen."

>> Amen.

>> Amen. Amen. And if you receive that

today, come on and put those hands

together one more time.

>> We really hope this message encouraged

you. For more encouraging messages, feel

free to check out our website,

freelifechapel.org.

I hope you have a fantastic day.