The Kings People | What Did You Go Out to See? | Luke 24-28 with Pastor Tony Albano

Welcome to the MetaCurch podcast.

My name is Clayton.

I'm the pastor at MetaCurch, and I hope that today's message is inspiring and enlightening and really builds you up wherever you're at in life.

Well, I want to welcome you guys in today.

I'm so thankful that you're here.

If you're in Helotus joining us, I'm so thankful that you're here as well.

Or if you're online, man, that is such an amazing ministry that happens.

We hear stories all the time.

And uh we're just thankful to be in the day and age we are, in the country that we're in, to have the freedoms that we have, to be able to proclaim this good news.

We don't take that for granted.

And today we're gonna be continuing on.

We're gonna be looking at a passage, uh, a little bit of a transition, but in the same passage we were looking at last week.

Last week, Clayton did an amazing job talking about um John, John and his doubts.

And if you're just hanging out with us, if you're new here, like we're in this series called Fulfilled, and we're walking through the book of Luke, and we're in a sub-series called The King's People.

And what we're seeing so far in chapter seven is that the unlikely, the ones who maybe would have got second guessed, looked over, are having interactions with Jesus, and he's inviting them into his kingdom.

And today is no different.

Today we're looking at and we're picking up in the story where John brought his doubts to Jesus.

John was the forerunner, the one who is predicted to come to set up everything, to pave the way for the Messiah.

And looking back, we know this.

But John, who's in the middle of it, who's proclaiming the good news, the one who was baptizing to the crowds, the one who was preaching repentance, gathering people in the wilderness, and he's now in prison.

John knew who Jesus was.

And then he started to second guess.

Where's the judgment?

Where's the armies?

How is Rome?

How is Herod still in charge?

How have we not overcome?

How have we not taken control?

But instead, what does Jesus do?

He sees Jesus healing people, he sees mercy instead of judgment.

No condemnation.

Jesus is going to the lowly, the ones who are on the outskirts, the ones who are outcasts, and he's going to them.

He's dining with sinners.

And John starts to wrestle.

He's really wrestling.

He's in this prison.

Maybe he's pacing.

Maybe he's in chains on the ground.

And it's like he starts.

Is Jesus the one?

John had an idea of who Jesus was.

He had an idea of what the Messiah would do when he was here on earth.

We saw in Luke 7, verse 20, it said, Are you the one to come, or should we be looking for someone else?

Luke 7:20

John had sent some of his followers to go ask Jesus this question.

And Jesus didn't condemn him.

Jesus proclaimed the truth of what he was doing, and they told him to go report that to John.

And then where we pick up in the story is now Jesus was in front of the crowds.

He was in front of the people who knew of John the Baptist.

Some of the religious leaders were there as well.

And what we're going to see today, and we're going to dive in and see, he's not condemning John for his doubts about who he is, what he expected Jesus to do.

Jesus is going to ask some questions.

And these questions are relevant to us today.

I really do believe that we can find some real big truths here today if we're willing to just lean in.

And I want you to pay attention early on as we get into some of these scriptures.

He's going to ask three questions and he's going to lead it the same exact way.

I'm giving it away.

I hope you read your Bible.

I hope you know your Bible.

If you're not, hey, this like when things are repeated, we need to pay attention.

So Jesus is going to ask three questions.

He's going to start out by talking to the crowds.

Some people who know John, they've heard him preach repentance, they heard him preach that the kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent, turn from your ways.

Someone out in the wilderness, they rejected John, they rejected his baptism.

And today this is who Jesus is talking to.

And he said, What did you go out in the wilderness to see?

A reed swaying in the wind?

Maybe you don't know what a reed is, but all along the Jordan there were these plants, these reeds.

And anyone who heard Jesus say this knew what a reed was.

They knew exactly what would happen to a reed when the wind came.

It would bend, it would go where the wind blew.

First reminder to the people, the people who went out in the wilderness to see and experience what was happening out there.

John the Baptist preaching.

And Jesus, like, what did you go out there to see?

A weak man?

Someone who would bend with culture?

Someone who would speak to you the way you wanted to hear, or tell you what you wanted to hear, who wanted to just tickle your ears?

Is that why you went out there?

No.

It's very clear that John is not that man.

John preached the same way to the crowds.

He preached the same way.

He preached repentance to the religious leaders.

John even told the most powerful man in the region, Herod, he called out his sin directly to him.

And that's why John's in prison.

John did not bend.

That was not who John the Baptist was.

He refused to bend.

And look where Jesus goes next.

What then did you go out to see?

A man dressed in soft robes?

Look, those who are splendidly dressed and live in luxury are in royal palaces.

And if you slow down enough, if you remember Luke 3, if you remember the events that happened, what is Jesus doing here?

I think there is a stark contrast right here.

What he's trying to show us.

Herod is in the palace.

And Jesus, I mean, John is in prison.

Herod, the one who has all power, all authority, it looks like.

He has wealth.

And then there's John.

John's in prison.

He can't go anywhere.

He can't do anything.

John can't even walk out of his prison.

Herod could walk out the front door.

He could look at anyone, point at anyone, command something, tell them to do something, and at his beck and call, they do it.

And the crowds are living in this moment.

We're living in this moment.

John?

They thought something was happening with John.

Some of them thought maybe he's the Messiah, they claimed.

And John said, no, no, no.

Someone who I'm not even worthy to unstrap the sandals of, to tie the sand.

He's coming.

And they're looking at John, maybe they thought, maybe, maybe we need to get this guy right.

Because John had none of it.

Lived in the wilderness.

Some people thought he was crazy.

And Jesus throws this comparison.

You would go to the courts of the palace if you were looking for someone who was well dressed.

If you think that's what, like that's what the culture wants us to go to.

That's what the culture wants us to think is success.

That's what the culture wants us to find is great.

What'd you go out to see?

And Jesus asks again, what then did you go out to see?

A prophet?

John was a prophet.

The wilderness was important in the story.

The wilderness is important in the story of Scripture.

There's a lot of imagery in the storyline with the wilderness.

The Israelites wandered the wilderness.

Some of the prophets experienced, they had divine encounters in the wilderness.

The wilderness was a time of trial, a time of testing, a time of purifying.

And when we pick up in the story where we've seen where Jesus is starting his ministry, where if you remember in Luke 1, where the proclamation of the Messiah to come, the king to come, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, from the book of Malachi to Matthew, where it picks up, is 400 years.

400 years, God's people were awaiting for something to happen.

They were waiting for God to speak again, for a prophet to come, for the Messiah to come.

So when people heard about this man in the wilderness, when they heard about him proclaiming that the kingdom of his God is at hand, repent, get ready, the Messiah is coming, Jesus is coming.

People would leave their towns, they would travel all across the region, scripture tells us, to go see John in the wilderness.

And now John is in prison.

Can you imagine what they think?

Everyone got riled up.

I'm sure there was energy, there was talk, and people were excited about what's happening.

Is God gonna do something?

Is God going to move?

And then you get word that John's in prison.

Herod's still in the palace.

Rome is still in full occupation.

Rome still has full control over us.

We're still being oppressed as a people group.

And once again, maybe they're thinking, man, once again, has God forgotten about us?

Herod's got all the money, all the power.

And if you and I, if you and I were honest, like right now, today, if we just look in and we look at Herod's life and we look at John's life, who would we say had a successful life?

I think it's obvious you'd say Herod, he's in charge, he's the king, he has all the resources, all the power.

The guy can do whatever he wants, go wherever he wants.

I think that's important as we get into today's scriptures to just recognize.

Like these earthly desires that you and I have, like, they're not all wrong.

They don't all come from a bad place.

Everyone here, everyone listening, we want resources.

We want resources for our family.

We want freedom.

We want to be able to take the vacation when we had to take the vacation.

When something breaks, we don't have to worry about the thing breaking.

Maybe you have a boss who you can't stand and you feel trapped and you can't, like you don't have options, you can't get out of the situation, you're reliant on that paycheck.

Like, no one looks at that situation and goes, man, I'm blessed.

I'm living a great life.

But that's how the world marks this.

That's how the world shapes us into thinking that we can define a good life based on these outward kingdom markers.

But as we learned over the past couple weeks, over the past year, is that God's kingdom is different.

Jesus plays by a whole different scoreboard.

You and I don't know how to live.

In the world's view right now, Herod is crushing it.

And John's in prison.

And once again, God's people are wondering.

Is God gonna do something?

Jesus asked three times, what did you go out there to see?

And I think that question is important for us to wrestle with today.

Like, why'd you show up this morning?

Why'd you come in here today?

What are you looking for?

You looking to be entertained?

Are you looking to hear something that you already agree with?

Are you looking something to affirm your belief system?

Or did you walk in expecting that God, who has a different scoreboard, who understands life better than you and I, when a posture that, hey, I want God to transform me from the inside out.

John wasn't someone who the culture, he allowed the culture to sway him back and forth.

We know that.

The message never changed, it was always pointing to Jesus.

And today, Jesus is gonna reveal us something about John that I think really like you can say this all the time.

This changes the game, this changes your perspective.

Like, there are so many truths in Scripture that if you actually understand them for what they are, they change your life.

And this is another one that can change your life.

Jesus answers his own question.

A prophet, yes.

And I tell you, far more than a prophet.

More than a prophet.

Hundreds of years have gone by, messenger of messenger has come.

All throughout scripture we see that a God's chosen people, he would pick out men, he would be his mouthpiece, he would call them to repentance, he would tell them about what is to come.

And John, Jesus tells us, is more than a prophet.

All of these prophets before John, they talked about a kingdom that was coming.

A king that was coming.

Remember, I told you there was a gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament, about 400 years.

Malachi actually leaves us and ends us, the Old Testament ends with a promise.

It says in Malachi chapter 4, verse 5 Look, I'm going to send you Elijah the prophet before the great, an awesome day of the Lord comes, and he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers.

Malachi 4:5

God is going to send someone, someone who's going to bring the heart of Israel, God's chosen people, back to him.

They're going to turn toward the king.

This king is going to come.

And then they're left waiting.

Generation after generation.

And then John shows up.

Camel hair, living in the wilderness, eating bugs and honey.

And this is the guy.

Some of us would be like, that guy sounds crazy.

And then some of us look at Herod and go, that guy has everything.

I want that.

Herod was barbaric.

He was living in the shadow of his father, didn't have the same influence as his father.

Interesting enough, Herod found John pleasing, found him interesting.

And Luke already told us that John came in the same spirit of Elijah.

So just to make that even clearer, Jesus helps us.

He says in verse 27, this is the one that it's written about.

Look, I'm sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.

That's Malachi 3:1.

Malachi 3:1

John is that guy.

He is the messenger, the one who's paving the way for Jesus' arrival, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords.

He's coming.

And John takes this incredible point in Scripture where everyone before John was saying he's coming, and John got the unique opportunity in scripture to go, look, he's here.

Behold the Lamb of God.

Everyone before him was awaiting and groaning and waiting for this Messiah to come, this Savior to come, where finally things will be made right, where finally they would overcome and his kingdom would reign.

We no longer will be oppressed.

And John got to look at him and say, There he is.

John got to see the promise walking toward him.

And Jesus tells you, I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John.

Simply, there is no other human better than John.

And you're like, dude, he's in prison.

The people listening, they're like, bro, I don't think you understand what greatness is.

That guy can't do anything.

And we have to wrestle with that.

John's life clearly did not turn out easy.

Nothing about his life was easy.

He didn't have comfort, he didn't have power, he didn't have what we would call success.

But he got to point to Jesus.

Do you know how long people have been wanting and yearning for the Messiah to come?

And John got the closest anyone had ever gotten at that point.

He got to look at him and proclaim the Lamb of God.

Jesus, the sacrifice, Jesus, the scapegoat, Jesus the one that would cleanse us.

We know that.

We're looking back, we understand all of these things.

That's why it's so hard in real time to go, man, I don't think Jesus knows what greatness is.

Because we know the story on the other side of it, but them who are watching, them who heard him, those who went out in the wilderness, those who experienced all this, got riled up, got excited, got hopeful, and then John is in prison.

And Jesus says, no one's greater than John.

You and I would have been confused.

But we here uniquely also know because we were just in it.

We were just In the Beatitudes.

Blessed those who are poor in spirit.

Blessed those who are hungry.

Blessed those who are weep.

Jesus' scoreboard is completely different.

Jesus calls John great.

I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John.

Same man, and I think we get two different verdicts.

One would say successful.

And one would maybe even say a waste of a life.

But that's not Jesus' verdict on John.

Maybe people look at your life right now and they would have already drawn a conclusion about your life.

Maybe they know you from your childhood, your childhood mistakes.

Maybe they know the patterns of how you grew up, how you always messed up, how you were never chosen, how no one ever relied on you, you can never rely on you.

Maybe even the first couple jobs you lost, whatever that is.

Maybe your spouse, they gave you a shot, and maybe they were the one when they used to got separated to speak all of those lies and to confirm all of those lies.

You're exactly who that person is, you're exactly who the world tells you.

And John.

The world can say whatever they want about John, but Jesus looks at John and his verdict is that he is the greatest who has ever lived.

By every account, the world will say that he is a failure, and Jesus calls him great.

Maybe some of us today just need to look at ourselves and just think, what does Jesus think about you?

I know you know what the world says about you.

I know you know what your spouse says about you, your parents say about you, the people around you at your job say about you.

We all know those things.

But what if Jesus' verdict over your life is completely different?

And at this point in the sermon, you're probably like, okay, do I get it?

I know exactly where he's going.

Be like John.

Don't chase comfort, don't chase success.

And maybe you can argue that John has a good blueprint for life, maybe.

Don't chase the worldly things, chase godly things.

But that's not where Jesus ends.

Jesus goes somewhere different.

He says, I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John.

But the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

And if you read that for the first time, you probably go, What are we talking about?

You just told me this guy was the greatest.

And now you're telling me he's the least among the people in this kingdom.

What does that mean?

John, who's the greatest, you just told us the greatest man to ever live, is now the least of these.

The kingdom that John was pointing to and preparing his whole life is right on the horizon.

Jesus is here.

That kingdom is here.

Jesus is pointing to us that something new has arrived.

Think about all the things that John would never experience.

He would never see Jesus die.

He would never see that Jesus rose from the grave.

He would never see the Holy Spirit poured out on Pentecost.

As the Holy Spirit came down and descended on believers forever, permanently.

He would never see the good news, the kingdom that he talked about, the kingdom that was coming, go out beyond Jerusalem.

He would never see 2,000 years ago the gospel being preached in San Antonio, Texas.

He didn't fully understand it.

He didn't get to live out and see it.

And now we get to be on the other side of it.

We know the cross.

We know the tomb was empty.

We know he appeared.

We know he walked around.

We know for a fact that he has risen from the grave.

We know what happened at Pentecost.

We know that this Spirit that God promised that He had to go ascend so that He can give us this gift.

We know of that Holy Spirit.

For some of us, a lot of us in this room are watching online, that Holy Spirit is in you and I.

John didn't get to experience that.

And we do.

Chapter 11 is known as like this Hall of Fame of those who've gone before us, saints that have gone before us.

And they live the life that you and I would just die to live.

Being known for the faith, being known for keeping the faith.

And they suffered, believe me, they suffered all those things.

We know this, but man, to be known for someone who stood for the faith, for someone that thousands of years later we'd be still reading about and proclaiming about and remembering those individuals, those brothers and sisters who laid their life down.

And one of the craziest things is we read right in the middle of the chapter, those people, they all died in faith, although they have not received the things that were promised, but they saw them from a distance.

They didn't have the same revelation that we have today.

They didn't have the full understanding of the gospel, the good news, Jesus on the cross, dying, rising from the grave, forgiveness of all sins, God calling all people, Gentiles, even Gentiles.

This letter, Luke, he's writing to the Gentiles, he's writing to us, all people receiving this good word, this good news, this life-saving word.

They all died.

All of our brothers and sisters before, everyone before John.

Not fully experiencing and living out the thing that they were paving the way for.

Not because they were more faithful, not because they were better people than you and I.

We are all sinners, but because of where you and I stand in the story.

The tomb is empty.

The kingdom of God is here.

The spirit of God dwells in all of us.

That should do something to you and I.

We're crazy.

We know.

It's okay.

Pray for your boy.

Um having kids has been like the main thing.

The main thing that has really showed me how fast life really goes.

My oldest son turns three next week, and um I don't hold that dude like a baby anymore.

And I didn't know the last time.

And y'all with kids, older kids, you know, and it's a cliche for a reason, time goes fast.

There's gonna be a last time for a lot of those moments.

Last time where they asked me to get down on the floor and play, last time where I carry even my my newest son, seven weeks old, as a baby.

My daughter, last time she asked me to pick her up, throw her in the air, maybe even the last time to hold her hand.

I hope to God not.

I'll fight whoever her husband is.

It's my little girl.

But it's really been showing me, man, like I'm spending my time either way.

And can I tell you the part that's like, it's my skin, it's my flesh, and it's weird.

It's like I know I'm living in some of the greatest time of my life, but my flesh, man, I get irritated.

Sometimes I look at the clock and I'm like, man, if we can just get to bedtime, then I'll get a couple more hours to where I could just get some margin, find some time to myself, unwind, all those things.

And it's like I can remember a time when I was younger where, you know, all of my priorities were to get more margin in my life, get more money in my life, set myself up to where me and Tori had more freedom in our life.

What I'm finding is like my time's not my time anymore, my money sure ain't my money anymore.

And all in the middle of it, God's been really working in me and just showing me like He's definitely changing me, He's changing my desires.

He's changing how I see time.

It's like I can't park these years in the bank and come get them later.

However, I respond and whatever I choose to focus on, time still goes.

And that's true for you as well.

Some of you are older, look back and you go, man, if I can get those years back.

The night where I'm super frustrated, I'm like, just get these fools to bed.

You're like, dude, if I can go back to one of those nights, I haven't talked to my kid.

And I don't know how long.

Life's real.

And I man, I pray that like your family is restored, you have healthy relationships with your kids, all of those things.

I really do.

I couldn't even imagine.

And us going through it right now in the middle of raising kids and families, or thinking about raising kids, or hoping to have a child.

There's so many of us who are waiting and expecting for God to do something and hope.

Just like this time is going on right now.

How you're postured and what you're giving your time to.

And I'm realizing that the things that I spend my time on, a lot of the things, even some of the stuff that, like, it's like, bro, this is not worthy of your time.

This is not worthy of your stress.

This is not worthy of robbing you from the experience that God has for you.

This is not worthy of robbing you from an experience where God has given you, blessed you with something, and he's called you to disciple these children.

He's called you to disciple your marriage, he's called you to steward the gifts and which he's given you.

He's called me to steward the gift and the opportunities he's given me to the local body.

He's called you and I to steward all these things that he's given us.

And time is still going back, and I think we have to still go on, and I think we need to wrestle with how are we spending our time?

That's what makes me look at John differently.

He didn't get a long life, he didn't get the palace, he didn't get the comfort, he didn't get the freedom.

And yet Jesus calls his life great.

By our mark, we want Herod's life.

And Jesus' verdict over John, so he's the greatest man's ever lived, but he was the forerunner.

And now, us here today, who have the revelation of the kingdom, who have the Spirit of God living in us, those who are wrestling with the faith today, those who hear my voice on the other side of this camera, like that's what's on offer today.

To have the living God inside of you, to be on the other side of the story where generation after generation after generation has been mourning and crying and awaiting, awaiting the day to know this king.

And here's the check.

How ordinary has that become in our life?

If that doesn't fire you up, if that doesn't make you emotional, if that doesn't, same book, Hebrews, don't forsake in the gathering of believers.

Do we take that seriously?

It's like, bro, like y'all are here today.

It's labor day.

Praise God, you're here.

Highly blessed, highly favored people here.

There's some people, shots, sure, who are not here, and vacation is not bad, cool, but just because it is doesn't mean we don't gather, just because we are hanging out or whatever, or the game is on.

Like, I'm not saying don't rest, don't travel, don't do those things, but when it becomes comfortable enough where we actually stop prioritizing the things of God in this world and we're allowing success, we're allowing comfort, we're allowing all these worldly things to creep in.

We're not taking advantage of the position that God has put you and I in.

You were born on purpose, with purpose.

You didn't just fall out of a tree or waship on a shore.

No, God puts you on earth at this time, in this season, in this location, with this family and these relationships.

What are you and I gonna do with it?

So many have gone before us.

And you didn't get to experience what we got to experience.

And I'm not telling you push harder, sacrifice more, stop doing whatever.

You have to evaluate that if the Holy Spirit's calling you to stop something.

What I'm trying to point out today is that Christianity doesn't ask anything of you first.

All of it, all the work of the cross was Jesus.

Christianity starts with what Jesus has given you and I.

That can't be ordinary.

That can't fall on your ears and not do something to you.

This can't be just something that we hear and go, man, that sounds good.

Or man, my parents told me that growing up, my grandma told me that.

Like, you believe this or you don't.

The life that John lived, the sacrifice that John lived, Jesus looked at that life and said, Great.

And then us who've gone after John's life, all of those works, everything he did, none of that, none of that equates to the opportunity that you and I have in his kingdom.

The Holy Spirit inside you and I, the understanding of who our God is, God has always been Jesus, always been like Jesus.

If you don't know who Jesus is, you gotta find out who Jesus is.

You gotta understand who Jesus is, you gotta know what Jesus says about you, because what He did, His grace, His life, Him laying that down, our response is surrender.

It can't not be that.

A true life that's been transformed by the King of Kings when you have full understanding of what Jesus did for you, the position that you and I have today, that is the response.

It has to be.

I can't see any other way.

Why in the world would I waste my time and effort for focusing on lies when the King of Kings stepped in, paved the way, came down, the heavens broke, the Holy Spirit ascended on him, proving who he was.

He continues his mission.

People are after him, people want to kill him.

And after a while, they get on him, but God allowed it.

Jesus allowed all of it.

They were never in control.

Jesus was always in control.

On the cross, he was in control.

Every breath, he could have laid down legions of angels.

They would have saved him.

But why did he stay there?

To give you an eye the position that we have today.

To know and experience and live the life in Christ.

You should clap for that.

That is an amazing thing.

You should clap for that.

You should rejoice in that.

You should sing in that.

You should weep over that at times.

You should really allow that to break you from the inside out.

Great is this man who was in prison preaching and proclaiming, but man, greater, greater is our position, knowing him, being in relationship to him.

That should do something to us.

Everything should change.

Everything should change.

Our scoreboard needs to change.

I know how easy it is.

I know how easy it is.

The things of this world, man, they feel good at times.

Lifestyle creep is a thing.

Maybe you've been living generously, you get a raise, and then lifestyle creep happens.

It's like you were able to be generous with the money that you had, and then God blessed you, gave you more opportunity to be generous, be faithful, continue to pave on the kingdom of God, but instead it's like, man, I'm kind of tired of this hoopty.

And it's like, yeah, maybe you should level up a little bit, more reliable car and all that, go from the 05 suburban with 250,000 miles to maybe one that's five years old with 60,000 miles.

But what do we do?

Because our scoreboard is Herod's kingdom.

What do people see?

What do people expect me to have?

We buy the$65,000 supercharged Subaru, and now our payment is$1,500.

And where's the excess?

Where's the room for the kingdom?

Maybe in your own marriage, it's like, man, I'm tired of this.

I'm tired of what she says about me.

I'm tired of what he says about me.

And you're allowing someone who's earthly on this world to speak in existence over you, a lie over you that is absolutely not true.

And maybe if you would get in the word and you'd understand and experience the word for what it is and the truth of what it is, and you'd allow Jesus to give you your identity, that you would start to live out a fruitful life.

And maybe God will use you in your life to transform your spouse.

But instead, it's me and you against the world.

Instead, it's my scorecard.

Every area of life, apply that.

We should be humbled, we should be broken.

And I have not arrived.

I got crap just like you.

But just know there are mornings where I'm sitting in the dark and I'm allowing God to search my heart and point out the things in me that should not be there, that are worldly, that are my scorecard.

And he's revealing more and more, especially through my kids, like, brother, you all you want is control.

All you want is control.

You know what?

I'm gonna take control, and you're not gonna have no control over anything.

And then let's see how you deal with it.

Let's see who you run to, let's see what you run to.

And what is he doing?

He's gonna start shaping you and molding you, or you're gonna step back and allow the world to take over.

And the scoreboard of the world, the things that this world provides, that can provide you are gonna be temporary things.

And you and I are going to take advantage of the position that we have.

John, who was great, who was in prison, who did all the things, who lived the life, who paved the way for the king, died.

Never got to see it, never got to see the things that he was preparing the way for, and we're on the other side of this revelation.

And we're gonna do nothing.

We're gonna come and just sit in a chair.

We're gonna come here maybe once a month.

I'm not gonna allow other believers to speak into me.

I'm gonna continue staying in the toxic relationships I have, the friends from high school, or the people I met in college that I know I shouldn't be with, who have these terrible habits, and God's pulling me this way, and I know I need to.

And it's like the position that you and I have is amazing.

We have to understand that.

This moment in time that God has given you is such a blessing.

And it's gonna be the hardest thing you ever do in your life is allow God to reshape you.

You hand me a mic, I'm gonna preach the same message every single time.

It's kind of wild.

God's put this on my heart.

Before the foundations of the earth, before any of this ever existed, scripture tells us the Lamb was slain.

The plan was always for Jesus to go to the cross.

I don't care who you are, what you walked in with, what you believe about yourself, Jesus died for you.

That needs to do something in your life.

That needs to change something in your life.

And don't hear that that's the mark of salvation.

That's not what I'm teaching you today.

I'm just telling you that genuinely, when you accept God and you allow him into your life, he will change you.

And your perspective of where you are, the opportunity you have, that John didn't have, that we have today, the revelation of who Christ is.

Man.

Praise be to God and all the glory be his forever and ever.

He is the King of kings, the Lord of Lords.

Praise be to God.

Did you just bow your heads as we close today's service just to create some space?

This kingdom.

You only have access to this kingdom through Christ, through the Holy Spirit.

Today, if you've heard my voice and um you don't know who Jesus is, but maybe, maybe the Holy Spirit has been impressing on your heart.

Maybe the Holy Spirit has been whispering to you, maybe you've had the same thought over and over and over.

Could this be real?

What did I go out here to see?

You need to evaluate that.

Why are you even here today?

Your body is yearning, your mind is yearning for something greater the world cannot provide.

That thing is Jesus.

So, friend, if you've never had a moment in time to trust in the person of Jesus and have access to this kingdom, this way of living.

For the first time, if you were putting your faith in Jesus, would you just raise your hand so I know who you're talking to?

Praise God.

Lord, we are so thankful for you.

We are so thankful for you, Jesus.

For those of you who raised a hand and online, what I want to do is ask all the believers in the room, everyone here to just repeat with me.

Jesus, today I choose to put my faith in you.

I believe that you are God, that you came into earth, and that you died for my sins.

I believe that you rose again.

Thank you for loving me and forgiving my sins.

So glad you joined us for today's message.

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