Undeniable Hope

if you brought your Bibles today I want you to get it out this book is so important one of the traditions we have here at Journey Church is every year we read through the Bible in a year I've done it now for eight years and it's changed my life and I want to invite you into that Journey if you want a Bible reading plan we've got a five-day Bible reading plan it's free you could pick one up in person we've got hard copies at the next steps table before you leave today or you can get a digital version of PDF on our website it's free if you read 5 days a week for a few minutes you'll get through the whole Bible in a year if you want to get to know God greater you've got to get in the Bible some of you say well I don't know how to read the Bible very well you want to know how to read the Bible well read the Bible I know it's a complex book but the more you read it the more you get to know God and the more you'll grow in your faith and you got to start somewhere so if you've never read

through the Bible in year this is going to be your year you will be blessed so pick up one of those plans before you leave today I'm just going to ask if you brought your Bible today in person you'd hold it up in the air like you care and every one of us on the count of three I'm so so proud of you bringing your Bibles to church y'all on the count of three I want everyone to shout word 1 2 3 word we're getting into God's word so that God's word will get into us if you want to know God's plan for your life you got to get into this book here's an interesting thing about the Bible you can read it but the bible really reads you it'll tell you who you are it'll tell you where you've been and I'll tell you for some of us we need some help with this it'll tell you where you're going the Bible is so good it gives us every solution to every problem in life you needing some help get in this

book the Bible is so good that it shows us that God has a plan for our lives when the Israelites were disobedient God allowed them to go to a foreign land they didn't want to go to they were Exiles they were slaves they ended up in Babylon but while they're there God would speak to them he lets us know that he never leaves us in the place where we are he's a god of mve movement he's a god of change and God would speak through the Prophet Jeremiah to tell the Israelites that although they might be in Babylon although they might be in Exile although they might be in a dark place the Lord says in Jeremiah 29:1 he says for I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord can I just put a pause right here because this is God's word this was true for the Israelites many years ago but

this is true for your life as well God knows the plans for your life you may have your own plans but I'm going to tell you God's plans are even better you might be telling the Lord this is what I want to do right now or this is where I want you to take me but I'm telling you if God has a plan for you you surrendering to his will is always the best will for I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord plans for welfare and not for evil to give you a future and a hope let's pause here with this for just a moment God's plans are good amen they're for welfare some of you have a wrong view of God because of where you've been through you've have some bad theology because of what someone else has said to you or has done to you but God's plans are

good he's a good God and his plans are for a future and a hope God's Divine Destiny is that you would have hope despite where you are despite where you've been God's Destiny which is a Divine Design is for you to have hope not just some hope to thrive in hope last week I left you off in Romans 15 verse 13 that reminds us may the god of hope that's our god he's a god of Hope may he fill you with all joy and peace in believing believing in Jesus Christ will

give you Joy to the full Jesus said Jesus tells us I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace you want joy and you want peace the god of Hope is going to give it to you just believe in him today some of you say it's hard for me to believe well Jesus said if you just have faith like a mustard seed you say to that mountain be moved in Jesus name and it's moved because your faith is not contingent on you it's whom you believe in and if you would just start believing Jesus said a Mustard Seed Faith won't stay that way it's going to grow and if it grows it grows into a tree and a tree has a multitude a myriad of multiplying Miracles these seeds of faith that are inside of you but you got to give it away May the god of Hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that by the power of

the Holy Spirit you may abound in Hope come on somebody God wants to anoint you with the power of the person of God himself the holy spirit so that the hope that's inside of you wouldn't stay there it would abound in you are you getting the visualization that by abiding in Jesus you're going to overflow in hope that what people see in you is something spectacular if they see joy in you if they see peace in you they're going to see an abundance of Hope overflowing here's what's great about hope it's not limited to a generation so we can't say that this was just for the prior generation here's the

thing about hope it has no expiration you ever pulled something from the pantry and you checked the date and you thought about it for just a moment I know it says 2021 but is it really bad some of you are questioning right now is it too late have I made too many mistakes I want you to know there is no expiration date with hope sometimes when it looks like it's too late that's when God's just getting started I tell you it looked like it was over when Jesus was in the Tomb but he was just getting started that's right might be Friday right now but Sunday is coming here's what I love about hope it's not limited to a geographic location you do not have to be in the Bible Belt to experience the god of the

Bible hope can meet you right where you are last week I share with you there's no such thing as the Ukrainian Church or the American Church there's a church sometimes we'll even say things like oh there's the African-American church or there's a church there's just a church in heaven there's no Baptists nazarin episcopalians or lutherans there's Believers in Jesus Christ so hope is not limited to a church name or to a denomination hope is found for those that believe in the God of hope they get the benefit of not only getting joy and peace but they get God's power so that they can overflow in hope so the world can see what they need most right now the church ought to be a place where

we declare often There's Hope for say it with me everyone this is a church that believes There's Hope for everyone doesn't matter how young you are doesn't matter how old you are doesn't matter if you've ever been to to church or you've been going to church your whole life you have the same opportunity for Hope as every single one of us today I want to share with you a message of undeniable hope this is not limited to a Christmas season this is something the world needs more than ever our world is in desperate need of Hope in a world where technology continues to increase AI continues to in

increase science continues to advance we have a young generation of children that are born at a time where they have more than any other generation before them and yet statistically they are the most depressed generation that has ever existed we have alcohol companies spending billions of dollars to commercialize an opportunity to to find some joy and to have fun the pharmaceutical companies are spending billions of dollars to try and lure you into finding some type of light or a new season through some drug we are living in a time right now that preachers and teachers and

politicians continue to get caught doing unlawful things you would think the world would be better by now but instead it's like we're going backwards because what the world needs is not hope in a politician or a president or a treaty or a law because you can't legislate hope you will not find Hope being born into the right family hope is not based on the color of your skin or the nationality of the the nation that you're a part of but I want to declare today that hope is found in the person Jesus Christ what's missing in this world is that we've got to point people to the one place that you're going to find true

hope and that's Jesus this is no time for us to mince our words or to worry about offense this is no time for the church to sit on our hands and wonder what God's going to do Jesus has warned us this is no time for us in this generation to have lukewarm living in the church we ought to be on fire because we have everything the world needs and that is Jesus this is true now and it was true in the first century the city of Ephesus was one of the largest churches in the excuse me one of the largest cities in the world it was actually the second largest city in the world in the first century in Bible times huge City the centerpiece of the city was the temple of emis one of the Seven Wonders of the

World it was a spectacular place under the Roman rule they paid so many taxes that they were able to take care of their roads it was influenced by the Greek culture there were libraries there were there were entertainment uh Industries they had a 25,000 seat theater right in the city of Ephesus you can go travel to this place today in Turkey it was very influential in the first century it was a secular City they were passionate about pleasure about money and about success and one might wonder how can the church do in a city like this well in this secular City the church thrived and started to transform this city the founder of the church in Ephesus his name was Paul he loved this church in Ephesus maybe more than any

other because he spent more time in Ephesus than any other city of any other place where he planted and he writes them a letter and we spent a great deal of time in Ephesus or excuse me Ephesians this year and I want to read a part of this letter that he writes to this city as the found ing pastor of this church because right at the beginning of the letter he prays for them and I just want to share the same sentiment of Paul to the church in Ephesus to you from my heart can I do that for you in Ephesians chapter 1 starting with verse 19 Paul is praying and I'm just going to give my own commentary verse 16 let's start with verse 16 Ephesians 1 verse 16 Paul prays for the church in Ephesus I do not cease to give thanks for you remembering you in my prayers can I just

pause with an overwhelming heart of gratitude that I have for this church I'm so proud of you the fact that we get to gather together on a Sunday like this is my favorite thing in the world I love you so much I'm so grateful that I get to be here just look around at the diversity of this place there's a lot of people in this room that look nothing like you we've got people watching from all over the nation right now whether it's Southern Oregon California Texas even the East Coast it was such a pleasure this week to run into a beautiful couple and who watches joury Church from Ohio and they're visiting family here and they shareed with us they they watch each week and I'm telling you Journey Church is making an impact and my heart does not take that for granted I'm grateful I'm thankful my

wife and I count it a great pleasure a privilege and an honor to serve this church so if I could just tell you I love you I'm praying for you and I'm not going to stop when I think of you I pray for you I give thanks for you and this is what I pray that the god of our Lord Jesus Christ the father may give Glory may give you the spirit of wisdom and of Revelation in the knowledge of him we have one God in three persons look at the mystery of this Triune God that you would get to know God greater and greater that you would have a spirit of wisdom and Revelation to realize there's more to know of God than you know that would be my heart's cry for you if you've been coming to church for decades you'd fall more in love with Jesus more

in love with the father more in love with the Holy Spirit to realize there's so much more to our god than we realize I'm not only praying this over you but Verse 18 I'm praying that you would have the eyes of your hearts enlightened putting in another way that the eyes of your hearts would be opened open to what that you may know what is the Hope someone shall hope hope to which he has called you someone point to your neighbor and say that's you come on be a preacher for just a moment God has called you to hope he's called you to hope not to stay where you are God has called you that if the eyes of your hearts would be open he's called you for this purpose for

this plan he's called you to hope not to stay where you are but that you would understand what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the Saints oh I could preach through the book of Ephesians again to remind you that by believing in Jesus you're no longer a sinner you're a saint by believing in Jesus you're no longer an Ain no my friend you are a saint it's not based on how you feel it's not based on how you see it's the way God sees you and he sees you with this glorious inheritance that's far bigger and better better than you can imagine and you got to start claiming the reality of who you are I'm set apart for his purpose I'm a saint and I'm going to start acting like it and when you know this you know what is the immeasurable greatness of his power towards us who believe according

to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in the Heavenly Places come on everybody far above I'll rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come do you see [Music] this our God is not dead He's Alive and his name is Jesus our God has the name above all names and that name is Jesus our God gives you the same power that raised Jesus from the grave it's the spirit of Jesus I came here to tell you today you can have some undeniable hope

but you got to come to Jesus we are unashamed of this church we're going to keep coming back to the reality that if you want hope it's all about Jesus that's where hope is found not just now but in the age to come the church is never meant to be a building or a place we're meant to be an influential people that points people to the Hope in Jesus David in the Psalms gets so relentlessly real I love the Bible because it doesn't avoid the hard times in Psalm 42 David he he gets relentlessly real for the readers not just of his generation but for the ones to come and twice in the same Psalm verse 5 and verse 11 of Psalm 42 he asks

himself the question why are you cast down down oh my soul and why are you a turmoil within me can I just say for just a moment aren't you glad that Heroes of the faith like David had some down days that even a man after God's Own Heart as the Bible describes him had some difficult days they had even a guy like David who wrote so many songs he was anointed by Samuel he had days where he had to ask himself why why are you so cast down now the pharmaceutical companies would say well just pop this pill and you'll feel

better the alcohol companies would say just take this drink you'll look better you'll feel better you act better the Myriad and dozens and dozens of pot shops and bend would say listen just this would be the solution it's worked for other people it will work for you but David says here's what I learned that when I'm cast down when I'm at turmoil when I'm in despair when I'm in doubt when I'm in a difficult place when I'm in a dark place here's what he learned to do the greatest preacher in your life is you it's not a sage on the stage it's not the eloquent preachers you'll find on the internet which you have access to the greatest preacher in your life is you and here's what David did when he

was cast down he preached to himself and it was a simple sermon that you ought to memorize and he just starts with these words in the sermon hope in God that's how he starts his off point number one hope in God and then he reminds himself I'm not going to stay in this place for I shall again praise him my salvation and my God this is the solution to your doubt hope in God this is the solution to your despair hope in God but I'm not going to follow you after today you need to start to preach this to yourself hope in God could you just say that out loud with me

hope in God and you got to start preaching that with conviction that when things aren't going your way you remind yourself I do not hope in my circumstances I do not hope in the situation I find myself in I've got to quit making someone else my God because my hope is not in them my hope is not not in myself my hope is not in my health or my wealth My Hope Is In God so I got to start preaching to myself you want to know someone that knows hope you just watch the way they praise God I will praise him because he is my hope if that was true for David it could be true for you here's what here's the problem with doubt if you stay in despair too long doubt gives birth to despair

despair gives birth to depression and depression will always end in death I'm not saying it's wrong to be depressed because some of you may even be clinically in that place today but I want to point you to the person Jesus Christ here's the great news about Jesus if you're going through something hard right now if you would just read the Bible which is why I'm encouraging to read the Bible about the life of Jesus Christ people who were downcast people who were in despair people who looked like their lives were over when doctors couldn't fix them people who were Untouchable people who were overlooked those were the people that Jesus reached out to he loved the marginalized he loved the overlooked just just think about the life of Jesus he loved the unlovable he

touched the Untouchable he healed those that couldn't be healed by doctors so I speak to you today if you're in a place of depression or Darkness our God is still curing mental illness he'll set you free from generational curses that maybe you're even unaware of he will release strongholds over your life that you've been wondering why am I held back from these areas the devil does not want to release you into the Liberty that's found in Jesus he sets the captives free he can set you free in just a moment in your mind and in your body and in your soul and when you are loved by God you love him back with your mind your body your soul and with your strength so if

doubt leads to death what does faith do Faith gives birth to hope faith is the Avenue for hope you want to know the direction to hope faith that's why David says hope in God your solution is closer than you think I know you need counsel I know you need marriage counseling I know you need some help come on somebody don't leave me in this place I'm not saying you're perfect but what I do want to point you to is the one fundamental if you want hope don't start in the wrong place start with faith in God and the good news is we have a God that's not going to leave you right

where you are Jesus defended those who were who are helpless who are hurting who are hopeless because he loves you and if you came here today with every strength that you have everything that you can muster up just to get to church or have you've been learning to fake it where no one knows actually what you're going through I want you to know that Jesus sees you and he loves you I want to look at one particular story for a moment out of the Book of Matthew CH 12 see it's a Christmas season and our theme has been undeniable hope and I believe that hope is only found in Jesus but it's going to come in very unorthodox ways in Matthew chapter 12 at the beginning if I could just paraphrase the story that's happening Jesus was in

the synagogue on the Sabbath a synagogue for those of you who may be unfamiliar with the Jewish culture is a place of worship not to be mistaken with the temple where the high priest is and the dwelling place of God but a synagogue would be in a different city it would be the equivalent of what we understand today as Church but the synagogue is the place of worship for the Jews where they would learn the teachings of the Torah it's where they would sing songs to God and they would gathered together and it happened to be the Sabbath which is the holy day it's reserved as God commanded that you ought to rest and not work and over the years those who were Jewish and heard God's commandment to honor the Sabbath they had come up with their own conclusion of what they thought not working look like

and instead of seeking God to find what true rest looks like they came up with their own conclusion of a list of rules of what not to do or what they could do on the Sabbath so Jesus finds himself in the synagogue on the Sabbath and while he's there there's a man there with a withered hand the man with a withered hand had been suffering for a long time he was disabled and this was at a time in a culture that might seem foreign to some of you but to have a physical disability like that was a curse it was as if you had done something or your parents had done something they came up with some false conclusions of why people were the way that they were we're still doing the same thing today people are finding hope

in the wrong places so Jesus is there on that particular day and he doesn't Overlook the man with the withered hand he decides to do something spectacular like he always does he he in the words of Matthew in the ESV it says He restored his hand He restored his hand I believe that choice of word was intentional because what he did with that man he could do with your life Jesus is in the business of restoration so he can heal you physically but he wants to do more he wants to restore your mind he wants to restore your heart he wants to restore relationships Jesus is in the restoration business now if you read this story for yourself at the end of this story Matthew notes that there were some religious people there in Jesus day known as Pharisees that were not

celebrating this healing they were not celebrating what had happened in the synagogue on the Sabbath it actually goes so far as to say from that day forward they sought to destroy Jesus that's pretty strong language Matthew they sought to destroy Jesus Jesus warns us in John chap 10:10 that the devil is a thief and his aim in life is to steal kill and destroy now one might assume that the safest place on the planet should be a place of worship but the Demonic Spirit of religion will slip into church and actually seek to destroy

you that what should be celebrated is instead hindered I have experienced that where when you're just simply have good intentions of wanting more of God it's misunderstood and the spirit of religion comes in and just simply seeks to destroy instead of bring hope and what I love about Jesus is he just doesn't linger in that Spirit of religion this is where we pick up in the story Matthew 12 verse 15 Jesus aware of this that they wanted to destroy him withdrew from there and many followed him and he healed them all would you shout all all so Jesus leaves and people were not attracted to the spirit of religion they were

attracted to Jesus I love this about Jesus if you read about his life people who are most unlike Jesus like Jesus I'm talking the drunks the prostitutes the tax collectors they would hang out with Jesus and Jesus would not become like them they would become like Jesus because the more you spend time with Jesus the more you become like him you can't make Jesus like you and where he went healing went and I don't think Matthew here is acting like a pastor or a politician using hyperbole that he healed them all I believe Jesus healed them all because Jesus is able to heal anyone anywhere at

any time when he declared on the cross to tell usai it is finished it was the finished work of God that every prophetic word about Jesus is true it's by his stripes that you're healed he is the great physician he's Emmanuel God With Us the power of God is able to heal every single one of you now the devil wants to whisper in your ear then know maybe God can heal someone else but not you you tried but it didn't happen you've been praying but it still hasn't happened the devil's a deceiver Revelation 12 says he accuses day and night the devil doesn't sleep so you've got to start arming yourself up and coming back the same way Jesus did and that is your weapon is

God's word so Jesus he's healing them how many again all he's healing them all and he ordered them not to make it known verse 16 this is what I loved by my Jesus he doesn't need you to make him famous he he's not trying to get famous because of signs and wonders and miracles can he do it yes but is that the main thing the main thing the main thing no and ultimately Matthew then points us to the ancient scriptures found in the book of Isaiah this is what Matthew tells us this was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah 700 years before the birth of Jesus God had proclaimed that he had a plan for a person to be unlike any other he doesn't

need power and fame and accolades like the leaders here on Earth God would come to this earth fully man fully God and now Matthew as a Jewish person who had read through the scriptures quotes Isaiah 42 and he says behold my servant God said through Isaiah in chapter 42 behold my servant whom I have chosen my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased I will put my spirit upon him that's called anointing he will be anointed unlike any other and he will Proclaim Justice to the Gentiles he will not quarrel or cry aloud nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets a bruis reed he will not break a smoldering Wick he will not quench until he brings Justice to Victory and in his name

Gentiles will hope and you could read this and at first glance it may not have sign ific of what was written 700 years before Jesus and what Matthew writes that we read 2,000 years ago in the ancient biblical days there was a lot of segregation based on nationality and ethnicities over history God spoke to the Israelites as his chosen people the Jewish people over time since they were called his chosen ones believed that that if a Jewish person would have a child with a non-jewish person they would call them do dogs or half breeds that's who the Samaritans were and they absolutely despised them as they're the ones God has

overlooked they're the ones that are different and you can see over a long period of Time how these things can happen it's like when you have your favorite sports team and you despise the team that is your your your you know your uh rival thank you your your rival we say oh that's so Antiquated that's so foreign no no no it's the human heart that's that's why racism still exists today that's why in 2020 our our nation was so broken and fell apart because it's it's the human heart and Matthew would cry out and quote from the prophet Isaiah and he would say Jesus is not a normal man Jesus contrary to what the devil wants some people to believe he's not just a

good teacher Jesus is not a religious figure or a prophet Jesus is the anointed one of God we would call this the Messiah in Hebrew it's hamashiach in the English we translate that from the Greek it's Christ and what he does is he does not just bring hope to the Jews which he does he brings hope to the Gentiles he brings hope for everyone that by the spirit of God we do not need to be loud to the world we just need Jesus hope is putting your faith into action if Hope Was Easy we wouldn't need Faith there are moments in your life

that you won't feel it you won't even believe it in yourself but you still need to act on your faith and obedience that deep down inside you have to question do I believe God's word Paul would put it this way to the Corinthians there's only three things that remain in life faith hope and love I wouldn't put all of your hope in the stock market or on the future of interest rates or in any type of economy if there's something you should put your stock in it's faith hope and love hope is not wishful thinking hope is the belief that God's going to do what he said he's going to do these the three things remain these are the three pillars that we've built this church upon faith in Jesus Christ hope and community that no man should stand alone and love and compassion that

is we have a god of action that we've got to do something about what God's given us the way you get hope is Faith In Jesus the Bible says when you have hope in Romans 5 hope does not put us to shame here's what that means no matter what you've been through no matter what was said about you hope will never put you to shame Romans 55 hope does not put us to shame because God's love is being poured into your heart through the person of God himself the Holy Spirit you say but I'm struggling I'm suffering well the Bible says in Romans chapter 5 if you go back to the beginning you can rejoice in suffering because it's not wasted suffering produces endurance endurance produces character character produces hope and hope will not put you to shame God's going to use your life for his purpose

that by believing in Jesus you can know that he's going to make a way where there seems to be no way Isaiah 43:18 and 19 remember remember not the former things nor consider the things of old behold God says I'm doing a new thing now it Springs forth do you not perceive it I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert hope says that there seems to be no way but I have faith that I have the way making God hope says I might be in a desert right now but I have a God that's going to give me living streams of water hope says in Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who gives me strength all things through him who strengthens me not some things not not a few things by faith in Jesus Christ I have the hope that it's not in myself and how strong or smart I am my hope is in no one else

but Jesus it was Jesus himself that said what is impossible with man come on somebody it's possible with God therefore if anyone says it can't be done I come to the promise of Jesus and says but I can when someone says it's impossible I come to this and say you might be right by man but not by God because my hope is in Jesus he's the Victor that defeated death and he defeated the devil he is the one that is still the way the truth and the life my hope is in Jesus he's the one that's begun a good work in the church and he will complete it my hope is in Jesus he's still the Healer the great physician and a miracle working God my hope is in Jesus he is God's only son who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary My Hope Is In Jesus and I'm here to tell you today your hope can be too

hope does not end with the church service hope does not end at the end of the year he is the child that was born and the government is on his shoulders and his name is wonderful counselor Mighty God Everlasting father the prince of peace and today you could just call upon his name Jesus so there are three people I want to speak to right now as we end our time number one you've put your faith in Jesus you believe in him you have renewed hope may I call you to action right now I want to go so far as to say just challenge you that this is the time God has called you to abound in hope you want to know what that looks like you don't see a waiter a waitress you see a person who

is made by God so you're going to just pray and if the Lord leads you you're going to leave at least a $100 tip you don't need to preach to him or her you don't need to leave anything you're just going to love on them I'm just calling you to action if you believe in Jesus and and things are going all right in your soul that you don't stay there go where God wants you to go step out of the boat in the middle of the storm I'm calling you to love the unlovable like Jesus did I'm calling you to action to start praying right in the middle of the grocery store I'm calling you to start loving people that aren't loving you because Jesus said love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you I'm calling you to action the second person I want to speak to for just a moment is you have believed in Jesus but you're not close to Jesus right now maybe it was in Camp maybe it was as a kid maybe it was decades ago

but you haven't been feeling it for a long time and if you've been backslid or you're far from God but you know in your heart you believed in Jesus and the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 1 that if you believed in Jesus he's given you the Holy Spirit as the guarantee you're still going to heaven but God's not calling you to live depressed in despair or to stay this way he wants to call you to renewed relationship today he loves you he's not overlooked you I'm asking you to come home today to renew your faith to be healed in your mind to know that he hasn't overlooked you in any season of your life if anything if your life has been difficult the enemy's probably sought to destroy you but it's time for you to preach to

your own Heart Hope in God you need to stay it in your car on your way home or in your bathroom first thing in the day or maybe when you lay in bed if if dark thoughts come start out loud quoting God's word hope in God I'm going to prophesy over your life your best days are not behind you they're still ahead of you if you believed in Jesus he's not a god of yesterday remember not the former things believe God's best for your life finally I want to call you today if you have not yet believed in Jesus right now is your moment if you have any doubt in your heart of what happens when your heart stops may I call you to action today to believe in Jesus the Bible doesn't say go get your

life right first then follow Jesus no the Bible says if you believe in your heart that he died on the cross for your sins and you confess with your mouth that he rose from the grave you are saved and what the Bible means by that is it's Jesus that saves you it's not going to church it's not being a good person is Jesus and today if you want to do that all you've got to do is believe in your heart that Jesus loves you and from this day forward you're going to follow Jesus may I say this the best decision ever you're never too young to make that decision you're never too old but if there's any doubt in your heart of what happens when you die you can be confident right now the Bible says by believing in Jesus you have the hope of Heaven it's your guarantee you don't have to fear so if you have fear that's not of God

the Bible says fear is not of God he gave you not a spirit of fear he wants to give you today by believ in Jesus God gives you himself the Holy Spirit it seems strange but I'll tell you the the longer you do this the more you realize how good God is he's a god of Grace so if you want to be forgiven today if you want to love the Lord right where you are today would just close your eyes every person all all over the room if you're watching online I want you to take this serious as well have you put your trust in Jesus right where you are if it's just with all eyes closed I want to celebrate with you if that's you saying yes today is my day that I want to be saved I want to believe in Jesus if that's you would you just throw your hand up nice and high and keep it up so I can see who's making that decision today yes praise God praise God praise God keep your hands up and if your hands up you could even look at me because I just love you and I'm proud of you come

on this day is changing everything praise God praise God all over the room it's so good praise God if your eyes are closed be praying for the saying yes praise God I'm here to tell you by saying yes to Jesus he's going to change your marriage he's going to change your life he's going to change the trajectory of your past you're no longer defined by the family you were born into you're defined by Jesus anyone else all over the place today praise God you can put your hands down I want to pray with you and anyone that's ever believed in Jesus would you pray with them as well prayer is talking to god it's listening to God it's essentially communion with God and I'm just going to use some simple statements but from this day forward you can talk to God and he hears you if that's you and there were so many

today I just Rejoice with you I celebrate with you I would tell you the Lord is so happy for you he's been waiting for you to say yes and today you did it pray these words with me Lord Jesus I believe in you forgive me of my sins I receive the Holy Spirit I receive hope I receive salvation thank you for your love help me to follow you all the days of my life in Jesus name hey can we stay in a posture of prayer and I just want to pray over you the church Lord I pray you would light us on fire Christmas is coming quickly but I know that our hope sustains Beyond a season and I ask in Jesus name that you would light your

church on fire for such a time as this we may not have it figured out we may not have all the answers but you are a God that does so Lord I pray that you would Minister to Hearts today that you would not allow the enemy any room I rebuke the devil that wants to snatch the seeds that are in Hearts right now I pray that you would protect this church in the name of Jesus Christ that God you would do exceedingly and abundantly more than all I could ask or think inside of us your church for your glory in Jesus name amen amen well friends one last invitation before you leave I think Tuesday is going to be the coolest Christmas Eve service we've ever done I am so excited about this we have four Services I want you to invite someone the power of an invitation can change

aive forever I'm going to do everything I can to point people to the hope of Jesus on Christmas Eve it will be a shorter service so if today you're like man I have to go to the bathroom this is a long Service Christmas Eve will be shorter but it doesn't mean it'll be any less powerful so invite somebody with you grab some invitation cards before you leave today and I'll see you on Tuesday at one of those four Services God bless you