The Old Has To Go | Pastor Michael Alfaro

Hi, going family.

This is Pastor Michael, and welcome to our church podcast.

I'm so grateful for you tuning in today, and I believe today's message is gonna strengthen your faith in Jesus.

There are things certainly that God is working on me in my own life, and let me just say, no one has attained it.

Paul the apostle in Philippians says that he has not attained the goal.

And attained, you know, perfect righteousness or holiness, the only perfect person is Jesus.

And you and I will always be a work in progress until we go home to heaven.

Alright?

And let me just say this.

I said this uh, I think two weeks ago.

This is the type of church God has always, when we planted this church, it is not for the perfect and the goody two shoes.

This church is for those who are still in progress in their walk with Jesus.

Someone say, Amen.

I I say that because I'm still on my journey.

Somebody say, Amen.

I'm not one of those pastors that are buttoned up and gonna tell you how perfect I am.

No, I'm gonna preach how God has worked in me and on me.

Someone say, Amen.

Alright, so the title of the message is this The Old Has to Go.

The old has to go.

Someone say, Amen.

I the title was this morning was the put on the new self.

And you know, I just prayed about it and I had like three messages lined up, and I told Karine, you know what?

God wants me to talk about the old has to go.

And she looked right at me and she said, Amen, brother.

Amen.

The old has to go.

In context, Paul is talking to the Ephesian church.

Um, you know, we often think that when with the Bible, the Bible is holy, but the letters that were written to the churches, like Ephesus and Colosse, they're written to churches that and people that are not perfect, but are growing in their relationship with God and growing in their salvation.

And this church in Ephesus, it consisted of two groups of people that were very starkly opposite of each other.

These groups of people, one was the Gentiles.

Say, Gentiles, they were considered as pagans, as heathens, of uh, of the believing in many gods, and they had lusts and they had pleasures and vanity.

All right, that was the Gentiles.

Then the church also consisted of Jewish believers who were coming from uh uh uh the the culture of Judaism.

And can you only imagine what the both of these cultures in one church, if they were both going to a barbecue, can you only imagine that?

They'd be fighting over the food, they'd be fighting over culture.

But Paul pens this letter to the church to talk about unity, say unity.

And when we read the Bible, we might think when he talks about slander and don't be angry and do not sin in your anger and don't let anyone wholesome, you might think that that that that's just for people out there, Paul.

That that's just for the that's just for you know the community out there.

No, he's writing this to the church, and that's why he says that don't lie to each other because you're not hurting the people out there, you're hurting each other.

Because this letter is written to them.

And so the the scripture is about unity and how to live from your salvate from your salvation and not your old way of life.

Look up Ephesians chapter 4, verse 1 says, As a prisoner of the Lord, he's in prison at this time and he's penning this letter.

Ephesians 4:1

I urge you to live a life, watch this, worthy of the calling you have received.

And I love that.

I love that.

Are we living the calling?

Our church is the calling church.

Are we living with the call worthy of the calling we have received?

And let me tell you what this message is not.

This message is not to bash you, to Bible thump you, but this message is to help you, and maybe the Holy Spirit will convict you so that you will lean toward your heavenward call.

Someone say amen.

Someone say amen.

There are three types of believers in the world, all right?

There are three types of Christians.

This is not Bible, this is Pastor Michael.

There are there are coasters, say coasters.

You're just cruising.

Or coasters, all right?

Or yeah, you're just cruising.

You're just taking it easy.

And by the way, I do have a message planned talking about the end of times, eschatology, because I want to tell you that as we look at the times, it seems so clear that Jesus can be coming back any moment, folks.

Come on, somebody say amen.

And that's my prayer.

The very last thing in the Revelation says, and the spirit and the bride say, Come, come.

So watch this.

If you're coasting, all right, so there's three types of believers.

There are coasters, you just cruising.

God's talking to you, you don't want it, you don't want to follow.

You just, you know, kicking back.

Then there's campers, say campers, say campers.

There are Christians that are camping.

And you're camping in old ways, you're camping in old hurt, you're camping in old habits, you're camping in old sin, and you are not going where God has called you to go.

And then you have the third type of Christian, which are climbers, say climbers.

That despite your hurt, despite your wounds, despite your storms, and despite your troubles, you are not camping, neither are you cruising, you are climbing with Jesus and your heavenward call.

Somebody say amen.

Come on, give the Lord a clap for that.

Amen.

And by the way, I believe you are all here today because you are deciding to climb.

Unless you were drugged to church, dragged to church.

We'll pretend like you're climbing.

No, I'm just kidding.

All right.

Which the question is, which one are you?

Which one are you?

Now, Paul, he is an apostle.

And he is called to teach and to help disciple, churches, and communities to help them walk in the Lord.

And here he is talking to this community and saying, You are not called to lie on each other.

You are not called the sacrifice of Jesus and the blood and the atonement of Christ and the whipping and the cat of nine tails, the price was too good for you to live like yesterday.

Come on, somebody.

And here's the question: why live like yesterday when God has new life for you today?

Someone say amen.

This morning I was challenged with this message right in the morning.

I went to go get coffee at Starbucks.

It's not my favorite coffee, but I'll drink it.

There's a there's the the one of the um uh blends that they they make, and I've been frustrated about the particular one I go to because they make a blend and they cut that blend off at this this one Starbucks.

I don't know why this one.

They cut it off every single day at 10 30 a.m.

So if I show up at 1031 and I don't want to get, I don't want to drink those crazy unicorn drinks.

You know what I'm talking about?

I don't want the pink and the blue and the yellow, I don't want all that.

You know what I'm saying?

By the way, check yourself before you wreck yourself because you that's not good for you, all right?

I just want coffee, some creamer, and some, you know, some little bit of sugar.

That's it.

Where are my peeps at?

Come on, somebody.

All right.

All right.

I'm not gonna point out the other peeps, alright?

I just want that coffee.

So if I I've shown up time and time before, and I know the store manager, very sweet person.

I've often studied at that Starbucks, opened up my Bible, prepared messages there.

So I gotta behave, you know what I'm talking about?

And so there are times where I've shown up to that Starbucks at 10:31 and they go, Oh, we're done.

I'm like, no, it can't be done.

I need that coffee.

How many of you know you need that coffee?

I need that coffee, right?

And so uh uh, you know, I've I there have been times where I've not gotten it because they stopped it.

Well, this morning, I I'm there like it's you know 7 in the morning.

I'm there way early.

So I wait in line, I order, I give them my coffee, order my wife's coffee, you know, her coffee, put it in.

I get to the window and they said, Oh, we're not making that coffee, we're not making that blend.

And I was like, SGV about to come out, as you be about to full come out.

Hey, you said 10:30, I'm three and a half hours ahead of time.

What's what's happening here?

The flesh just wants to, you know, what's up, you know?

And they said, uh, sorry, you know, we're having a hard time.

I'm glad I shut my mouth because they said, it's not you, it's us.

We had a person call out, we're having a hard time, and I could tell they were having a hard time.

And so they said, you know what, if you wait, you can we'll get it to you.

It's no problem.

And I'm glad I shut my mouth.

Because how many know we destroy things when we just let we let this thing go?

Come on, somebody.

We just we let these things go.

And if anything that God wants to work on us in our life, the Holy Spirit, is to just be quiet.

Come on, somebody.

Just be quiet.

Some of us we talk too much.

I'm a pastor, I talk a lot.

I like to talk.

My wife doesn't like to talk a lot.

She likes to sing, she doesn't like to talk to talk a lot.

I like to talk, it makes me happy.

But sometimes I can talk too much.

And when I talk too much, I can sometimes these things go, and I can hurt.

We can hurt.

Alright.

So I'm glad I shut my mouth.

And you know what?

As they said, um, if you park over there, you know, we'll get it to you.

I felt like the Holy Spirit just shared with me.

You know what, Michael?

Just sit here and pray for me, pray with me and pray for them and pray for the service this morning, and continue just to pray for the message.

And that's what I did, and I was so happy that I did that.

God does not want us to live out of our brokenness and out of our pains and out of our wounds.

God wants to heal us, He wants to help us.

So, how do we put on the new?

How does the old go away?

How does the old go away?

Well, the Bible says this, and it's in alignment with baptism, is that when you receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Bible says that you did not do that by yourself.

The Bible says that the Holy Spirit inspired you and knocked on the door of your heart and said, and made you aware of your need for a savior, and said, Let uh uh uh yes, you need a savior who will forgive you of your sins.

And the moment you confess that, and the moment you believe in Christ as your Lord, the Bible says that uh the Holy Spirit is deposited in your spirit, in your soul, and the Bible says that you are brand new.

The Bible says that you are given a new nature, that you now will have a new operating system called the Holy Spirit.

And and we seal that when we decide to get baptized.

And watch this.

So, baptism represents the old life.

You are you are baptized in the waters, like the uh almost symbolic as the death of Christ in the grave, and when you are lifted up out of the water, it represents new life.

So, watch this.

You guys with me?

So, watch this.

When you accept Christ as Lord and Savior, you died your with your old way of life.

You died with your old way, with your old operating system.

And I hear you shouting, I hear you talking to me.

Pastor Michael, well then why do I still struggle?

Why do I still have these wounds?

Well, welcome to the club.

That is what discipleship is all about.

God wants to help you through them, He wants to heal you.

So, one of the ways the Bible says to um for the old to go away is yes, now you have new life in Christ.

But the Bible says something very interesting.

It goes on to say this be made new in the attitude of your mind.

And I like that.

Say it with me.

Be made new in the attitude of your mind.

Say it with me one more time.

Be made new in the attitude of your mind.

Your life will never change unless God changes your mindset.

Your life will never change unless your mind changes.

And what God wants to do, the Holy Spirit specifically specifically wants to do is transform your mind.

In fact, the Holy Spirit wants to transform you from the inside out.

Because if God all he got got God want if he changes your heart and he changes your mind, then he'll change the drinking, then he'll change your lips, then he'll change what you say, then he'll change how you react.

You guys with me?

So God wants to transform the way we think.

And let me just talk about this real quick, a little bit more teaching.

Can you bring up uh Ephesians chapter 4 real quick again?

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

I want to highlight this because the Lord brought it to me.

It says this in Ephesians chapter 4, uh verse uh 22.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

Is it up there?

Do we have it up there?

I can read it to you.

Okay, watch this.

You were taught now talking about transformation of the mind.

Watch this.

He says, with regard to your former way of life, they had old thinking, they had old ways to put off your old self, which is being corrupted.

Watch this by what deceitful desires.

Look at that.

You're getting Bible school teaching right now.

Deceitful desires.

What that means is that you have flesh and blood on you, and it means that we all have inclinations to do things that are opposite of God.

It means that we have this desire, all right.

We have this nature in us, which which Paul would say, and I love it, which Paul would say is the Adam, is the old original sin, Adam, but Jesus has come to die on a cross so that we can live in the new man, Christ.

Amen.

So there are all kinds of desires in our heart, and watch this, young people, watch this young people.

Not every desire and every um impulse you have in your flesh and the cravings of your flesh, it does not mean that it's good for you.

We live in a culture, even generations before our culture in the 70s and the 60s.

You feel it?

You feel like doing it, just do it.

You want to smoke that joint?

Just smoke that joint.

I'm sorry, I'm being a little real for you guys, all right?

You just want it, gay.

Do you want to date that person?

Just go do it.

And let me tell you, Jesus says, and the Bible says, that not every desire is, watch, look at that word.

It says deceitful.

Look at that word.

It says deceitful.

It means that not, it means that that sin is an empty treasure box.

And it means that when we go after sin and we open it and we engage, it's empty and it leaves us empty.

And guess what?

It that there's a continual craving and a hunger.

And there's nothing that will there's a it's the Bible would call it a lust, a greed for sin.

And let me tell you, what is so powerful is Jesus completely satisfies all sin by dying on the cross.

Amen.

So let me make my point.

My point is this not every desire is good for you.

Man, I don't know about you, but I love chocolate.

I love chocolate, man.

I really do.

Now I'm a little worried because Caleb, my son, loves chocolate.

He loves chocolate.

And that's it's scary during the holidays because don't buy me no chocolate.

Don't buy me no chocolate.

I'm a recovering Snickers addict.

All right?

I love me with some Reese's pieces.

I love chocolate.

And my flesh will say, eat it.

Or how about the almond joy?

Oh my lord, it's over.

Game over.

Almond joy, I'm done.

You got me.

Alright.

And you know, I don't have time to go into it, but you know how Satan works?

Most of us, when we sin, we go, it's just one time, it don't matter.

But in the Greek, you don't see it in the English.

In the Greek, it's like Satan's a fisherman, and he throws out what entices you and he baits you.

And then once he has, once you sin, he hooks you and he drags you.

That becomes addiction.

But thanks be to God that by his stripes we are healed.

He will cut that power.

Someone say amen.

So that's why we got to be careful because the desires of our flesh are deceitful.

They're deceitful.

Yeah, well, I want he's good looking, she's hot, she, you know, she she you know, she's hot.

You know, I'm I prayed about it one time.

God says, go and date the person.

Be careful.

Be careful.

Not all desire is good for us.

In other words, it doesn't mean that we need to act upon everything that we have a craving for.

And by the way, this represents not the Jewish culture in the church, this represents the Gentile culture in the Ephesian church.

They were they were sinful pagan heathen people.

I mean, I don't have time, and it can be graphic.

You know what we even as Americans we would think, wow, even if you're not religious, like that is wrong.

You should not do that.

Hence the word pagan, hence the word heathen.

But God calls things to order.

And he says, You're not supposed to live that way anymore.

You have a new nature, God has given you new grace.

You guys with me so far?

All right.

So he says, be made new in the attitude of your mind.

How do I put off the old self?

Well, number one is this when you accept Christ, you are no longer who you used to be.

You're no longer who you used to be.

My mom and my dad, and I share this testimony all the time.

My mom and dad had me at 17, 18 years old.

I really believe they love me.

But for many years they struggled with addiction.

I'm I'm Irish and I'm Mexican, and alcoholism runs deep in my family.

Two grandparents of mine passed away from alcoholism, cirrhosis, and alcohol poisoning.

So for me, alcohol was easy.

My parents struggled with their identity.

Say identity.

Say identity.

They struggled with who they are, who they were.

And the Bible says that when you accept Christ, you are made new.

You are not who you used to be.

Come on, somebody.

Right now, you are struggling with that.

Who am I?

Well, I'm who they say I am.

No, you are who God says you are.

You are chosen, you are a royal priesthood, you are the apple of God's eye, you are beloved, you are loved unconditionally.

There is no sin that God's grace will cover.

You are loved.

And when you open your mind to these truths, it will transform your heart.

Someone say, Amen.

You with me?

It'll transform your life.

You are not.

Watch, I promise you, even as you walk with Christ, the devil's gonna knock on that door of salvation and say, Nah, you, you, nah nah, nah.

I know who you are, but you need to answer the door and tell the devil, no, I'm not who I used to be.

I am who I am in Christ Jesus.

I am forgiven, I am set free, I am healed by the blood of Christ.

And I promise you, he ain't gonna be banging on that door no more.

You with me?

That and baptism seals that as well.

So, identity, Paul says to wrap your mind, have a new mindset, especially on your new identity.

The reason I bring up my parents is because they struggled with that and hurt my life for a long time.

But before my father passed away, my father gave his life to Christ.

He said, He said, I was going to church on my own.

He said, Can I go to church with you?

I need to, I need to, I need to start living like God loves me.

I want to be who called God called me to be.

And two years my dad sobered up.

My dad was a heroin addict.

My dad sobered, sobered up.

He didn't drink anymore.

And not for two years he did not miss church, not one time.

Gave his heart to Jesus.

Jesus transformed his life.

He passed away, and now I believe he's with the father, and because of the promise of everlasting life, I know that I'll see him again.

What a beautiful thing.

Not only my father, but my mother.

My mother struggled with alcoholism.

Her dad was a raging alcoholic, abused the family because of his drinking.

I would say years ago, maybe 20 plus years ago, my mom accepted the Lord.

My mom started going to church.

She started opening up scripture.

And no, I some people don't like it, some people do.

I hey for people this works.

My mom entered victory outreach, and honestly, they changed through them, through Christ, changed her life.

She's been sober for over 20 years.

She is not who she used to be.

So, what am I telling you right now?

And I'm thankful for that because.

God has made all things new.

We are able to forgive each other.

I was able to forgive.

We're able to move forward in Jesus, not stay back there.

Come on, someone say amen.

So watch this.

You are not who you used to be.

Even though you struggle, even though you have cravings in your flesh, you are not who you used to be.

You need to confess and make the good confession.

I am beloved.

I am chosen.

God, I am worth dying for.

God sacrificed Himself for my life so that I would give up my life to live his life, which is the best life.

You guys with me?

So he says, be made new in your attitude, your in the mindset of your attitude.

And just to think of think about this too, Romans chapter 12, verse 2, look what the Bible says here.

Romans 12:2

You guys with me?

I know it's hot, I know I'm kind of teaching a little bit, but watch this.

Talking about how to adopt and adapt a new mindset.

And by the way, let me just pause for a moment.

There are people, once you choose Christ, the old homies and the old people are gonna creep up on your life and try to drag you back there.

When my father got saved, let me tell you, hardly any of the homies were there for him when he was sick.

Not one homie who was there for him with the church.

People who who barely knew him and showed him love and Christian kindness and compassion.

You gotta choose carefully who you allow in your life.

Someone say amen.

And that's why church is so important because you need people who are like-minded to walk with you in this faith.

So look what Romans 12, 2 says.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but rather be transformed.

Say transformed by the renewing of your mind.

There it is again.

A man is either conforming or he is transforming.

And the Bible, according to the Bible, we are transformed when we fill our mind with the truths of the gospel, the truth of God's word, the truths of our identity.

Alright, I gotta move on.

You guys with me, right?

Alright.

Last but not least is this put on the new self.

Put on the new self.

That's how you take off the old self.

You know, Paul would liken to putting on the new self and getting rid of the old self.

He would liken it to new clothes and old clothes.

Now I have a confession to make, and my wife reminds me of all the of it all the time.

I still have my high school baseball t-shirts.

And yes, they are stretched out, they are ripped.

And some sadly, you can see you can see like the side of my well, I'm not gonna go into that.

You it is ripped.

Some of you brothers have underwear that are ripped up, you need to throw it away.

Keep that to yourself, all right?

I've seen too many memes, alright?

It's amazing that, and some of us, even ladies, will have old clothes in the closet and never get rid of them.

Even though they don't, God bless you, they don't fit you no more.

You got shoes that you don't want to give up.

Lots of shoes.

Alright?

You got a whole closet, alright?

But watch this, the Bible says, why do you hang on to the old the old self?

He says, take the old clothes off and put on your new clothes that are Christ-like.

Right?

So for some of us, we need to learn how to put on the royal robes of Christ.

What are those clothes?

Kindness, compassion, mercy, grace.

How about this one?

Forgiveness.

Alright?

So for some of us, spiritually speaking, don't, you know, you do whatever you got to do, but spiritually speaking, we need to get rid of the old life wardrobe.

Somebody say amen.

Some of you got some of us have not dealt with our anger issues.

Some of us, we got a mouth on us, and the Holy Spirit is saying you need to take care of that because you're ruining your family and you're ruining the workplace.

How about this one?

For some of us, we're gossiping and it's hurting your kids, it's hurting your coworkers.

So the Bible says that put off, take off these old lifestyle clothes and put on Christ.

How do I do that?

You know, transformation.

I want to make this very clear biblically speaking.

Transformation does not happen by you, transformation happens to you by the Holy Spirit.

By the Spirit.

Watch this.

The more you yield and you surrender to God and His ways, the more you put your focus on the Word.

Let me just say this.

Okay.

If you want a better life, which most of us do, if we want more light in our life, and we want truth in our life, it's going to require not coasting nor camping.

It's going to require climbing.

And what does that look like?

It's going to require you adapting a new mindset.

It's going to require you opening up the Bible every single day.

Even if you read one verse, I want to encourage you to read the Bible, even one verse a day.

Because watch this, that is prescription for your soul that will give you light, that will give you healing, that will give you revelation of the Lord.

Somebody say, Amen.

The answer, by the way, is in this book.

You ever see a scary movie?

Remember there's that commercial, there's a scary movie, and it's about, I don't know what it's about, but they run and they they end up hiding and they go, let's go behind the chainsaws.

Like that's a great place to go, right?

And they go to the worst place imaginable, right?

You know, in scary movies, it's like you, you, you bozo, you're smarter than that.

Watch this.

I want to share this with you.

If you're struggling, this is where you need to be.

Come on, somebody say amen.

If you're struggling, this is where you need to be.

Open the book of John, open up the Bible and see the love and the power of God.

Somebody say amen.

Alright?

So, how how does transformation happen?

It happens when you spend time with the Lord.

When you start putting the word in your mind and filling your mind with the word and the truth of God, it will transform your inner life and your inner man.

That's how transformation happens.

What God is not saying, and I'm gonna have the band come on up, what the what God is not saying is to get the broom and do all the cleaning and all the work and all the sweeping and all the all the stuff.

He's not saying you do that.

He's saying hand me the broom.

You open the word, you pray, and I'll do the cleaning up of your life.

That's a good deal.

Somebody say amen.

Alright.

So God wants to update our thinking, and a changed life represents a changed mind.

I'm just gonna have a moment here.

We're gonna close, have the man come on up.

For some of us are struggling today, this morning, and we're frustrated, we're in pain, we're hurting.

My prayer for you is that you would allow God to heal you.

My testimony is that my parents lived a certain lifestyle and it hurt me.

I went through a lot of pain before the age of 10 years old.

I grew up very angry, very angry at God and everyone, everyone, because I felt like life was very unfair to me.

And you know what?

You know the quote: Life is not fair.

Life is not fair, and I knew that I needed God in my life to make sense out of the pain I was going through.

And by the way, let me promise you this with Jesus, your pain never has to be permanent.

There's always hope in Jesus, there's always new life in Jesus.

So, but my testimony is I gave my life to Christ and I said, God, hear the pieces of my heart, hear the pains of my life, hear the brokenness in my soul, and do with me with what you will.

But I know I need a savior.

I know that if you made my life, my life will never make sense without the one who made me.

Things were not fair, but Lord, I know that you can help me.

And you know, I'm I'm standing here before you, not to gloat or anything like that, but I am so the other the other day, someone told me, Um, it was a beautiful verse.

I'm I'm butchering it.

They told me um, God has basically given me double for my trouble.

The years that the locusts have stolen, God has given me a double blessing.

And now in my life, I have three beautiful children.

I'm 14 years married.

I get to lead this amazing church who's passionate about Jesus.

I know what I'm talking about.

I'm only here today because of a good God who heals, restores, and forgives.

And you know what makes me passionate about preaching this stuff?

It's because if God healed me, he'll heal you too.

Amen.

Can every head bowed and every eye closed just for a second?

You know, I want to pray for a group of people.

Maybe you're struggling in your mindset, you're confused maybe about who you are, struggling with your identity in Jesus, and does God love me?

Does God see me?

And you just need strength, you need encouragement in your in your mind, in your heart.

It's true, God loves you unconditionally.

He's not ashamed of you, doesn't condemn you, he's not mad at you.

So I just want to just show of hands real quick.

It might be some of us, not all of us, and that's okay.

We're gonna take time to pray for those online and in person.

If you're just struggling, just just with this new mindset in Jesus, I see hands already up.

Just lift up your hand, amen.

I see over there.

God bless you.

I see over there.

Yes, God bless you.

If you just, hey, I need fresh thinking.

Amen.

Amen.

I've been struggling with fear and anxiety.

I've been struggling with worry that is not of God, that is of our enemy.

Amen.

Amen.

Let's pray.

Father, we just thank you so much for those who are tuning in online and those who are here today in person, Lord.

I pray in the name of Jesus.

First of all, Lord, I cancel worry off of your people.

I cancel stress off of your people.

Lord, it has been said that even worry, too much of it, can be a sin.

And so, Father, instead of worry, we trust what your scripture says.

Rather than being steeped into stress, God, we believe what your scripture says.

And rather than fear, call the shots in our life.

The scripture does say this, Lord, when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

You said, Lord, 365, fear not.

You said your love cast away all uh uh your perfect love cast away fear.

Father, I pray you give people's mindsets a reboot and a reset, that they would know who they are.

I pray that they will feel their mindset with your love and your gospel, your truth.

I pray, Father, this week that they will feel lighter.

And I pray their worries off of them.

In fact, Lord, I pray that every time they have a worry, they will shape that into prayer.

Every time there's a stress, they will shape it to a prayer.

And I pray they will see breakthrough in their life.

Church, I have another group of people I want to pray for just for a moment.

I want to pivot.

Every single service we do this.

We want to give people the opportunity to make their life, get their life right with Jesus.

We want to assume that things are going the right way for you.

We want to assume that you have a strong relationship with Jesus or that you even have a personal relationship with him.

Here's the truth of the gospel that God loved God for God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son to die for our sins.

That if we would believe on him, we would not perish but have everlasting life.

Let me tell you, folks, life will never make sense to you.

Give it to the one who's made your life in all life, by the way.

He has a purpose for you, he has healing for you, he has fresh hope, he has peace for you.

Why not give your life to Christ?

And by the way, we are all sinners, and God's righteous standard of holiness and heaven is perfection, is honestly perfection, and we can't attain that.

But the Bible does say that if we trust that Jesus died in our place on the cross and that he died for our sin, we will be forgiven.

Let me tell you, tell us something.

Theologically speaking, good people don't go to heaven, forgiven people go to heaven.

So you say, Pastor Michael, I know I'm not going the right way.

I know I'm I'm steeped in my struggles, but I want to give my heart to Christ today.

I would say, Amen.

Maybe you used to follow Jesus, you used to go to church, you used to be a leader in the church.

But now you hear God saying, Come home, and it's never too late.

God will accept you right here, right now.

So here's what I'm gonna do.

I'm the count of count to three, and if that's you, I'm gonna give my heart to Christ.

The Bible says this to just uh uh to make a profession of faith.

And all that means is it's saying this I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, putting your trust in him, and we're gonna repeat that all together.

So, Pastor Michael, I want to do that.

I'm not gonna put a mic in your face, I'm not gonna shine a spotlight on you, I'm not gonna ask you to come to the front, nothing like that.

We're not that kind of church, but I'm gonna ask you where you are just to lift up your hand.

I want to receive Jesus, his mercy, and his forgiveness and the plans that he has for my life.

Here we go.

Ready?

On the count of three.

One, two, three.

Anyone in the house?

Amen.

God bless you.

I'm so proud of you.

Love you, yes, sir.

God bless you, so proud of you.

Yes, I see you over there.

Amazing.

Yes, I sure on the side of there.

God bless you, amazing.

Anyone else in the house?

So good, so powerful, amazing.

Even if it's just one of you, so amazing.

Awesome.

All right, hands down, eyes open, heads up.

Let's give the Lord an amazing clap.

So powerful, so good.

Amen, amen.

I'm gonna have you guys stand with me.

We're gonna say this prayer.

Thank you for sticking around.

I know it's a little bit of teaching today, but it's a reminder that you are not the old you, you are who God says you are.

Amen.

It's a reminder to not live out of our old ways, to put on Christ compassion, kindness, forgiveness.

Let's repeat this prayer after me.

Say, dear God, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins.

I believe I'm a sinner, I'm in need of a savior.

Lord, come into my heart, make me brand new.

I want to live for you.

I don't want to live from my wounds, from my pain.

Lord, heal me.

Lord, share your plans with me.

I give you the keys of my life.

I confess with my mouth, I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is Lord of my life.

Come on, give the Lord a mighty clap.

So good.

Thank you so much for tuning in to today's message.

Our mission as a church is choosing Jesus, chasing freedom, discovering our gifts, and serving Jesus.

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What is your next step with Christ?

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