There Is No In Between. Spiritual Lessons From the Charlie Kirk Assassination

I I did I do not have enough you help me just passing up. I'm I have some paper and pens coming around and here's why. I broke out the whiteboard tonight. You guys aren't ready for this. If if me, it's about to get crazy. And I know it's going to be hard for everybody to see it. You can come up take a picture of all the scribbles on it when it's over. But I I wanted to try to give everybody a visual illustration. Here's why you're getting the pen and paper. The pen and paper is because I have a lot of scriptures and I I I can't spend as much time as I would to spend on them and get you all to bed before midnight. So, I might go through them a little bit faster than I want to, but I can tell as I was preparing for tonight that we're going to be in this little vein for a couple weeks anyway. , and so what I wanted to do, the pen and the paper, I'm not getting to my point, is that I want you to write these references down. I want you, if you got a notebook, if you got a pen, if you take notes, if you got a B something, write them on your hand. , I would encourage you to not use your phone unless you have all your notifications off and your phone is silenced and you can do on your phone and not be distracted. Otherwise, that's why the pen and paper is I want you to write these references down. Listen, and I want you to go look at them for yourself. Don't just take my word for it. And I know we put them on the TV and you go, "Well, it's on the TV." Well, okay. I want you to find it in your Bible. I want you to go find it. I want you to highlight it. I want you to circle it. I want you to get familiar with your Bible. Where it is in the Bible. Whatever it is, I want you to get a a relationship. Listen to me. A personal relationship with your Bible. That Bible is the word of God. And so, it's a personal relationship with God. That's his word for you. And so, when you write these references down, number one, you're going to get more familiar with it and practice with it. But number two, I want you to read it for yourself and let God speak to you this week in the moment as as I try to put it all together for you a little bit. as you all know, it's been a pretty wild week for our country. And , the assassination of a young father who has put Jesus first in his life, it's had a ripple effect in our country in a lot of ways. And what it did is it triggered something in me that be made me passionate about tonight's service. And I appreciate your effort to be here. And all I want to do is try to help. That's all I ever want to do is try to help. there's nothing really special about me. It's the word of God. And what I want to try to do is just try to unlock and connect a few dots. What we see this week is the reality of good and evil. That's it. and and nobody really wants to address it. And if you remember my Easter message, if you were there, , Easter is obviously about the resurrection of Christ. And I said, , you might be in this room and you may not believe that God exists. And that's fine. You have that right and you have that privilege. And I'm glad you're in the room regardless, but you can't deny the fact that death reigns. And you can't deny the fact that evil exists. And we see it all around us. And we deal with it on a regular basis. We deal with it in different forms and different variations. And what we saw this week was something at at a high level of evil, something very heinous. , some of you guys, I shared a a men's event where Pastor Bill hosted Shawn Ryan in Tulsa and and he talked about some of the grotesque things that are going on in the world, the pedophilia and the and the sex trafficking. And man, here we have a young man just cold blood murdered another man in public, in plain sight, who's who's making an impact for the kingdom. And it's a recognition that everything is spiritual. If you want to write that down, write it down. You need to write it down because everything is spiritual. All right, I better get my notes out. I won't be able to give you any verses. I want you to put on the TV if you will. I do have one verse for you. I want on the TV. Don't just be up there all night. And it's John chapter 10 verse 10. Cannot type. I apologize. John chapter 10:10. And I have two versions up there. If you can start with the New King James, which is what's there. I don't know everybody can see it, but write it down. And here it is. Bible says this. This is Jesus talking. And he's talking about the the analogy and the imagery of him being a shepherd and taking care of his sheep. And he says this in John 10:10. Jesus words, "The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy." That is his mission, his purpose. That is the only reason he shows up. That is his only aim. That is his only intent is to steal, is to kill, and to destroy. But Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly." That they may have life and have it more abundantly. Put the other version up, if you will. The new living, which is, can you open those? I can't do all this one. The New Living Version says, "The thief's purpose, his sole purpose, his sole desire is to steal, to kill, and to destroy." But Jesus said, "The purpose for which I've come is to give you life, to give them a rich and satisfying life." And so when I tell you that everything is spiritual, write this verse down. John chapter, Lead this verse up if you would on the screen for the night. John chapter 4 verse 24 says, "For God is spirit." So those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. God is spirit. So when we say everything's spiritual, you go, "Well, gosh, that starts to sound spooky right out of the gate." Listen, God is spirit. Okay? There is a heavenly realm. There is a spiritual realm. And you have a spirit on the inside of you. This is what it means that you were made in the image and likeness of God. You are surpass everything else in creation. God created everything. He said it's good. He made mankind in his image. He said this is very good. You are made in his image and likeness. And you were made to commune with him. And so we've all seen and been to funerals. We've all seen a a corpse that's laying there and there is no life in that body. The body is there, but there is no life in that body. And so what happens is the the the life is gone. And I want to try to draw a picture and give you some analogy that there is life in you, but there is the opportunity for you to have more life. There is the opportunity for you to have abundant life in you. And so what I want you to see is we're going to we're going to begin to uncork it is that you are a body. You have a soul and you have a spirit. And so when God made you, he made you in the image and likeness of him. And the life of God was in Adam and Eve. And it flowed in him. God is his spirit and his spirit is in him. And I'm already way ahead of myself. But there's a the spirit of God was in them. And when there was a separation, the Zoey life, which is the abundant life, that's the Greek word for that life, the life of God, the spirit of God, they became that they became what we are, which is not holy anymore. So God cannot dwell in us. The life of God is separated from us. There is still life in you. But what happens is is that when you put your faith in Jesus, the spirit of God comes and you that is where we get the verbiage to be born again. Jesus told Nicodemus, you have to be born again, not of your mother's womb, right? Not of your mother's womb to to be born again. So the spirit of God comes to the very spirit of who you are. And it is of the Holy Spirit. Now the Holy Spirit comes into your life and you have a new spirit on you. This is what it means to be born again. And if I can jump ahead because I'm already ahead of myself is to go to the is to go to the justification. This word justification is in the Bible. That's a big that's a big Bible word. But what it means is to be right with God. In other words, you are now holy. So when the Bible says to be holy as he is holy, that we're a holy nation, what that means is you are pure and and without flaw anymore. Your spirit is alive. He's taken what? Say it this. He's taken your spirit and he's made your spirit now holy. He He has covered it by the blood that Jesus shed on the cross in his own generosity has paid for the blemishes on your spirit so that you could have the Holy Spirit now dwell on the inside of you. And this is what it means to be a new creation in Christ. His spirit dwells on the inside of you. You have been made right with God. And so Romans chapter 5:1 says it this. It says, "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us." You are now right with God. Everybody say, "I'm right with God." You are the the New King James Version. I use the New Living because it's just a little more relevant language for us. It says, "You have been justified by faith." So, what that means is you are now in right standing with God. See, when when we were subpar, God is holy and perfect and without flaw and we are blemished and flawed. There's still life in us. We're here right now. But that life of God, there's more for us. Jesus came who was the visible image of the invisible God. That's what Colossians says. And when he shed his blood, the reason Jesus came, God who is spirit came in the likeness of his creation, Jesus, so that he could be the sacrifice for your blemishes and your flaws and my flaws and our blemishes. So that we could be made holy again. So that your spirit could be made holy again. You are now justified. In other words, everybody here, everybody here can justify their own behavior. Everybody in here does justify our behavior. Well, I did it because Right. Okay. Now, you get to stand before God and be right with God and say, "I I am okay to be here because of what Jesus has done. I'm justified in being in your presence now, God. I'm justified to be here because I am now holy as you are holy because of what Jesus did for me." That's why it's an amazing generous gift. That's why there is no greater gospel, no greater news. find me a better gospel than than the generosity of the creator to say, "I've come in the likeness of man, offered myself to make you holy so that you can be with me and walk with me again." See, you have been made holy. You are in right standing with God. This is what it is to be justified. The Zoe abundant life of God is now on the inside of you, and you are a new creation in Christ. But see, when I say that you're a new creation in Christ, and the Bible says that in 2 Corinthians 5:17, you go, "Well, nothing really looks any different. Nothing really feels any different. You're going to get back in the same car you drove in. You're going to go back to the same house you woke up in. You're going to go back to the same job you had this week. You're going to do the same." And and and nothing looks any different on the outside. But yet, somehow, I'm supposed to know and believe that I'm a new creation in Christ. Why? Simply because I believe this message. I believe this message that God loves me and God saved and God God gave his life for me. There's this love and nature and character of God that he is for me that he created me and he has rescued me and saved me. But you say nothing looks any different because your soul I shouldn't have done that. Yep. That's what I need. You You must be a teacher. Okay. This part right here, your soul is still jacked. Do what that term means, man? Jacked, right? Your mind, your will, and your emotions. And we could go ahead and throw your personality and your giftings in there. Your giftings that God has given you when he created you, he put giftings on the inside of you. But because your mind is is is not of the things of God. Do you remember when Peter looked at Jesus? He had just said, "You're the Christ, the son of the living God." He said, "You've done good, Peter. My father in heaven has showed you this." And then he says, "I'm going to have to die on the cross." And Peter says, "I will not let that happen." Immediately, he says, "Get behind me, Satan." He said, "For not what you speak of. You're not talking about the things of God." And that's that's that's where our souls, Jack. We don't think on the things of God. We don't meditate on the things of God. We don't think God in our natural state. And we have not been taught in the last 48 years, thank you, Nina, to think that. So there's this there's this renewal that has to happen. There's this this this rebuilding. So David said in Psalm 23:3, David said, "You restore my soul. My will is how I make decisions. My mind is how I think. My emotions that for most of us have dictated how we make decisions. It's been out of sync." I think Brad and Holly taught a a beautiful lesson last year in disciplehip at their building last winter about the alignment of that and and and so there's a dysfunction in our soul even though we've been born again and there's and there's new life on the inside of us. We're the one bringing on the spirit. You this? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Nobody can see it anyway, but >> maybe you can. But your soul has to be renewed. The Bible says in Romans 12:2 to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We submit our will to his will. Just Jesus had to do, Jesus had to wrestle to surrender his will to that will. But the only way that starts to happen, the only way your soul starts to become restored is only the moment that you get born again. Is only the moment that the holy presence of God comes in your life. See, I'm going to get to this evil part in a minute, but the separation between these two forces. The separation between them is simply the message. I could say it's the name, right? We talk about what's in a name. What's in the character of that name? Who is it? When I say when I say Jaylen, you you think of what? That reputation, that character, whatever it is, the message of that person, how they talk, who they are, right? The the the message, the name, the character of this one. And so the life of God, the truth, how about truth? I told you you guys aren't going to go see all this gibberish whiteboard right here, right? The truth is now on the inside of you. And you say, "Well, how does it get in there? Why does it get to be in there?" What? What? What? Because the moment you say I believe that God exists and that God paid the price for me and I invite his presence to come live the that moment he washes your sin away. That sin is what separates us from God. So now there's no separation. So now the Bible says that we can come boldly to the throne of grace where we obtain mercy and find grace. That's Hebrews 4:16 I think. And so we get to come boldly. Why? Because we're in right standing. There's no division anymore. The first thing that God did when Jesus died on that cross is the veil tore. That veil separated the holy of holies where the presence of God was and where the people had to be on the outside. The first thing that happened when Jesus died is that veil toward. Why? Because God was longing to have relationship with you. God is desiring to be at the center of your life. God is desiring intimacy and a relationship with you. But before you start to see the fruit of it out here in this world, it's going to start from the inside out. But see, we keep wanting to fix it from the outside in. It doesn't happen that way. The Bible says, I don't know the reference. You can find this one, right? It says the eyes are the window to the soul. That faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. But if you're not listening to the word of God, then you're listening to something else that's building your faith in the wrong direction. You see, if you let the outside try to heal your heart, it's never going to happen. What happens is the Holy Spirit of God comes to your heart, your heart is made new. It begins to renew your mind and your decision-making because now God is the priority. God is first in my life. And so, I have submitted to his leadership in my life. And so, now I begin to think different, talk different, act different. And guess what happens? New fruit, different results start to happen in your life. And so the things that were once attractive aren't as attractive anymore. Why? My heart's changing. Out of my heart flows the issues of life. So all the issues in your life begin to take take shape and change differently and start to reflect the promise and character and nature of God because what he wants for you is Zoe life, life abundantly, not just eternal life in the sweet by and by. He wants to come into your situation. Now, we still live in a broken world. We still live in a broken system. And evil still exists. Evil still exists. And so as we get our soul restored, I'm going to come back to this in a minute, but as we get our soul restored, as our mind begins to come renewed, as the the the desires begin to change, as I start learning how to use my personality for his glory, as I learn how to start using the gifting that God put in my life for his glory, as he becomes the priority in my life, because my heart is shifting because I put myself in his presence, things are shifting and changing in my life. It's it's washing. It's becoming new. And so the the Bible says it this in John 17 verse14. I have given them write this down. You got I forgot to tell y'all. Write that down. John 17:14-19. I have given them your word. Watch. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world. Now when we talk about the world, if you're relatively new in here, we're not talking about the magnificence of creation. We're talking about the mentality and the value system and the priorities of the world. Go turn your TV on and recognize all the trash and filth that's out there. You don't have to go far to see the evil in anyone. You don't have to go far to see the greed, to see the selfishness, much less to start seeing assassinations. I it it's it's crazy to know that the d the depth and darkness that exists in the world. And so the and I'm getting let me come back to it. Do not belong to this world. Just as I do not belong to the world. See look this is this is the world. I am going to go ahead and say it. The Bible refers to him as the God of the world. Nobody can read that. This is for my benefit. The God of the world. Okay. So we have God who has a name. He came to Moses. He said, "My name is Jehovah Yahweh. I am who I am." He has a name. There's a person. He's not some ethereal being out there. He's got a name. And Jesus said before Abraham was, "I am. I'm Jehovah." He said, "I'm God." And people , "Whoa." And they picked up rocks to kill him. Because Jesus said, "I'm the one true God." But there were other gods. And this is referred to as the god of the world, the devil, Satan, evil, Lucifer, whatever you want to call it. Evil, darkness. There's no denying that it exists. So, let's stop pretending that this doesn't exist. Good and evil exists in the world and you've seen it. You've seen it. And so the God of this world wants to affect your soul. If the Holy Spirit does not live in here, listen to me. This is where we default. Where you are now of the world. If you are not of God, then you are of the world. And I titled this message, which I never tell anybody. There is no in between. You cannot turn left and right at the same time. You you cannot you cannot be in the water and out of the water at the same time. There is no in between. You can't say, "Well, he's a good dude." There is nobody good. Only God is good. The Bible says, "Let God, every word of God be proven true and every man be proven a liar." All of your thoughts and rationale and thinking that's contrary to the truth of God's word, your words fall short. His words are eternal and last forever. So when I tell you that every man be a liar, it's not because you're a liar. It's because you're you're not the truth. He's the truth. He's the life. He's the hope. He's the answer. He's the everything. He's the reason we exist. He's the reason I picked that song because that's what it is. All the junk that we deal with in life, he's overcome. You breathe because he's breathed his life into you. Now, do you want the presence and the life and the character and the holiness of that life that's in you to be washed clean? Because there is a day coming if Jesus has a return where the life in you is gonzo and you're the one in the casket. And so my question to you is your life going to be born again? Is it going to be made holy? That's what God wants to do. Let me get back to this reference. John 17:14-19 verse 15. I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. God is wanting to protect you from the evil one in the world. Verse 16, they do not belong to this world any more than I do. Whoa. If Jesus doesn't belong to this world and Jesus is in your life and it's no longer you that live, but Christ that lives in you, you are not of this world. Jesus said it. Listen to how Jesus said this. They are not they do not belong to this world any more than I do. That is a cool statement. Verse 17, make them holy by your truth and teach them your word which is truth. So the big Bible word that you will see in here for your soul is called sanctify or sanctification. The New King James in verse 17 says, "Sanctify them." So, what happens is, watch this. These are Bible terms. You guys are learning some stuff tonight, okay? If you're new, you're justified because the blood of Jesus has washed you and made you holy. The sanctification is a process of your soul being made holy. So, what did Jesus pray? He said, "Make them holy by your truth. Teach them your word." See, what happens is as you begin to hear the word of God, your your your your soul is being restored. It's being made new. It's becoming stronger. And so that that's what's changing you. So the things that used to offend you, the things that used to bother you, the things that used to irritate you, man, they start they start changing because your soul is changing. It's it's healing. Listen to me. Everybody in here is healing. Everybody Everybody in here is working out their salvation. Not because you haven't been made right with God, because you're discovering what all is in it for you. You're working out that old selfishness. You're working out that old lie that you believe. You're working out the stuff that you were taught when you were a kid. You're working out that racism. You're working out that re sexism. You're working out all of that stuff, that pride, that ego, that that greed. It's working out of you. That's what it is to work out your salvation. Your soul is being sanctified and being made made holy just as he is holy. Verse 18, just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world and I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so that that listen, so they can be made holy by your truth. See, you can be made holy, meaning what we see on the surface. Because when I say you're a new creation in Christ, you walk out here, you're , I don't see anything different on the surface. That's because you're you're you're me you're right with God. You're justified. You're holy, but it's not producing in your life yet. Your your mind's not renewed to the new identity of who you are in Christ. you're a Christian, but you don't know who you are as a Christian. You don't know what it means to be a son or daughter of God yet. You don't know all the rights and privileges you have as a son or daughter yet. You're not walking in the authority that you get to walk in as a son or daughter yet. It's your kids coming up and and saying, "Do you care if I get some lunch today?" Well, of course you can have some lunch. They didn't know they could have lunch. Somebody tell them they can have lunch. Go get the food. Right? It's the same privileges. That's what we have as a kid. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24. Write that one down. 1 Thessalonians 5 23 and 24. Now may the God of peace, what God is he? >> Peace, make you holy in every way. In every way of your life. God wants every way of your life to reflect his character and his nature and his authority and his power. God wants to bring his presence into your marriage. God wants to bring his presence into your finances. God wants to bring his presence and his promise into your friendships. God wants to bring his presence and promise into your hobbies. God wants to bring his presence and promise into every aspect of your life. Into your physical health, your mental health, your emotional health. God wants to be the healer in your life. And when I say everybody here is healing, everybody here is on maybe some different journey, but we all have the same Holy Spirit. And that's why we've got to be patient with one another. man, she's healing about something else in her life that he's healing from and she's healing from and he's healing from and man, this one's great at his generosity and this one's, , not but great at being friendly to people, whatever. We're we're learning to grow in the likeness. And so he says, make them holy in every way and may watch and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. be kept blameless, which is holy, faultless until Jesus returns. And say, well, why does it say be kept blameless? Because you can quit whenever you want. You can give up whenever you want. Another reason I selected this song. Why? Take heart. Be of courage again. Man, it's been a hard week. I know. Take heart. Be of courage again. Don't quit. You're winning. What do you mean I'm winning? Because you've already won. Yeah, but did you see what happened this week? Yes, but you've already won. He's already won. He's already overcome. He's right. You're winning. We're winning. We've already won. And so now I get to think , "Wait a minute. I'm not going to quit on this. Besides that, where else am I going to go? What else do I got? What What are you going to turn to? You're going to turn back to the bottle? You're going to turn back to the drugs? You're going to turn back to the business? You You've tasted everything. You've seen it all. It doesn't satisfy a rich and satisfying life. You've had the things and never had that satisfaction. Why? Because it's only he can do it. His purpose is to do that. He's the one that provides satisfaction. He's the one that does that. And so it says this in verse 24, God will make it happen. He will make this happen. For he who calls you is faithful. He called you to get to live this way. And he's faithful to himself and to his word that he will not change. that if you will continue to seek him and go after him, he will continue to do who he is and what he does in your life. He's faithful to finish what he started. If he called you and you answered the call, he's faithful to be himself until the day of his return. And so what we see on the outside of our life, our body, what people see, what we see in other people is the fruit of their life. We see the fruit of it. And so the Bible says in John chapter 15, John 15:5, write it down, Jesus said this. He said, "Yes, I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who remain in me and I in them will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing." Now, when we hear that verse, most times we're thinking with our natural minds. But Jesus, who is God, who is spirit, who is holy, who has made your spirit holy, has now changed you and put you in a position of authority to do things to make, listen to me, impact in a spiritual realm that produces in the natural. See, apart from Jesus, you're just a you're not lifeless yet because you're still here, but you're not in a position where the life and Zoe power of God is operating through you. And so as we submit our soul and our soul is restored, we're connected to Jesus and we begin to make impact in this evil world that's around us. Man, with the impact of what happened this week, an assassination and and what has happened, the the response is overwhelming. Are there a lot of emotions? Is there a lot of sadness? Is there a lot of anger? Is there some joy for some people? Is there a lot of the evidence of darkness and light, evil and good? all the things. And yet altar calls are filling left and right. And yet people are breaking out in worship and people are returning to God. Why? Because they can see the evidence of evil and they're thinking, "Man, wait a minute. What this dude stood for? What he was about?" And this is not a tribute to him service. I'm just using the weight of that thing this week to point to God and say, "Wait a minute. What the heck are we doing here? What is going on in the world? Because everywhere I turn, there's bad news. There's brokenness, there's heartache, there's murder, there's perversion, there's twisted stuff. Who's going to save this wretched man that I am? Who's going to rescue us? And so what we get to have is the choice. Everybody say the choice. You have the choice to be of what spirit you want to be of. Bible said, Jesus said this, you cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and Mammon. Mammon was the god of money, the god of this world. You cannot be submitted to the leadership of Mammon in your life and be submitted to the leadership of God in your life. You can't do it. So, you're either listen, there's no in between. So, you're either of God or you are of the world. And so, your soul never gets to be healed, never gets to be restored, you never get to think different. And you never see real satisfying rich and satisfying fruit. The facts of your life can change and you never be rich and satisfied. And when I say rich, don't just think money, man. There's a margin. There's a health. There's a strength. There's a vitality. There's a hope. There's a there's a purpose. There's a significance. There's a value in your life that God has for you. I want to go back just for a minute. I know I got to start wrapping up and I'm going to pick up next week. And I I want you to come back next week and bring somebody with you. Okay. Second Corinthians, the veil has to be removed from our eyes. See, everybody, listen to me, everybody in in in the world that doesn't see who Jesus is, the Bible refers to it as a veil that's covering their eyes, they they can't see the distinction between the Holy Spirit and the God of this world. They can't see the distinction between good and evil. You say, "Well, that's crazy. Everybody can see that." Not necessarily. The Bible says in Isaiah, I think it's chapter 5:20, people will call good what is evil and call evil what is good. There are people celebrating things that are antirist because they don't believe in Christ because they can't see that Christ is who Christ is. They they have a veil over their eyes to see the truth of who God is. So, if they can't see who Christ is, then there's no hope or benefit for them. And here's what's really depressing. If we don't have any hope or victory over the god of this world, then we just got to sit here and take it in the teeth with all this evil, we just got to sit here for the next few years we got left and just watch people get assassinated and kids get abused and perverted and twisted and we just got to take it in the teeth and then we die and that was it. Now, let me tell you something. The world is broken. The world is evil. The god of this world has come to steal, kill, and destroy. And he is the author of confusion, the author of lies, the father of lies. He is evil and he hates your guts because he hates God. And you have to choose. You have to choose because you cannot be in between and ride the fence and be in the middle. You're either of the spirit of God or you're of the world. There is no in between. And so the veil has to come off our eyes to see that Jesus is who he said he was. So let me go back to the gospel. If Jesus is who he said he was, it shows me the heart of God and his love for me that redeems me and makes me in right standing. So, I now have the privilege of living the life of God. That's it. That's what Jesus did. That's the gospel. You're not asked to do anything. You don't have to put hooks in your back. You don't have to walk on hot coals. You don't have to jump out of anything. You don't have to do anything. You're justified by your faith. Your faith in him as a finished work for your flaws and blemishes. That's the greatest news in the world. And as a result, you now have the privilege of sanctification or transformation in your life. Write this down. 2 Corinthians chapter 3. 2 Corinthians chapter 3 16-18. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. When somebody turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now they can see. They can see truth. They can see clarity. I use this analogy all the time and it works for me. I hope it works for you. But if I if you thought that these walls were purple and that's all you've ever known and then and then the veil comes off your eyes and you see them for white now it's oh my gosh my whole life I thought they were purple that's all I've ever been told that's all I ever thought and now the truth is it's oh my gosh I can see things for what they are now this this changes everything if that's not purple now I get to think see differently verse 17 watch for the Lord is the spirit Zoe, the Lord is the spirit. Watch. And wherever the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Wherever the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Where is the spirit of the Lord? See, you don't have to carry your guilt. You don't have to carry your shame. You don't have to carry your tears. You don't have to carry your pain. You don't have to carry any of it. Why? Because you are free. because he has covered you. I know you've done dumb stuff. I know you've been an idiot. I know you stuck your foot in your mouth. I know you've done some of those perverted things. I know you've hated on all those people. I know you've done the thing. I know you have. But here's the great news. You are free from the guilt, the shame, and the fear of punishment because you have justified by your faith in Jesus. And today is the first day of the rest of your life. And you have the privilege to now live the sanctification process and enjoy the life of God on this earth. Let me finish it. Verse 18. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord who is the spirit watch makes us more and more him as we are changed. Hear it again. He makes us more and more him as we are changed. What that verbiage means is you're in the process of becoming more and more him. Not to earn your approval, but because you've already been approved. Not to earn your righteousness, but because you've already been made righteous. So now you are becoming more and more him. The spirit, the Lord who is spirit, the freedom that's in you is now permeating into your soul. The freedom of God's word, the good news of his truth is permeated into your soul and is becoming action and is producing different results in your life. Second Corinthians chapter 4 verse4 Satan who is the god of this world. There it is. So when we say the spirit of the world, who's the god of this world? Satan. What's his objective? Stealing, killing, destroying. So if you are of the world, then you are of his leadership and the results in your life will be that that are antirist or anti- the blessing. You're not going to experience the rich and satisfying life. You're not going to experience the Zoe life. You're not going to experience the abundant life. I'm not here. I'm what I'm telling you is you're going to miss the relationship with God. And it says this, "Satan, who is the god of this world, listen, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe." Listen, listen to the verbiage. Blinded the minds of those who don't believe. The justification is your belief. That is your sanctification. I'm justified by faith. I'm justified by my belief. And when I believe now my mind can begin to grow. It can begin to change. My mind is no longer blinded because I believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the good news. They can't see this good news. They see religion. Anybody know anybody in here that knows religion? They don't want to come to church because they see religion. They haven't seen. The devil's got them blinded to see the good news of the gospel. The devil's got their mind blinded to the good news of the generosity of Jesus. So they sit in their soulful crap and blame God because God won't fix everything from the outside in when God has rescued your soul, rescued your spirit, made you holy, and given you the privilege to get to grow in him. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ who is the exact likeness of God. John 12:31-33. The time for judging this world has come when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. Verse 32, Jesus said this, "And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." Listen to it. When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself. Verse 33. Listen. He said this to indicate how he was going to die. How was he killed? How was he? Listen. How was he murdered? He was strung up on a cross and he was erected and lifted up. The ruler of this world is about to suffer defeat. When I am lifted up, I will draw all men unto me. But how will they be drawn unto him if we don't tell people? How will they believe if we don't go? How will it how will they ever get to realize and experience the beautiful sanctification of their soul being restored to the great things of God if they don't hear this message? When Jesus went up on that cross, he defeated the authority of the God of this world. Yes, he's still the God of this world. And yes, we still live in this world. And there's a day coming when the revelation, which is what revelation is, of Jesus return where he defeats it once for all time. Right now, you get to have authority over the god of this world. Man, we got to deal with the heartache and the pain of living in this world still. But dog gone on it, where the spirit of the Lord is, there's freedom, man. Even though my body saw an assassination this week, my soul is at peace because I have victory in Christ. You see, I I I I saw and I experienced and I felt, but my soul is secure because my spirit has been made holy because the truth of who God is and the truth of his word is deep inside of my life. So no matter what I see, I'm not shaken by it. Whatever can be shaken will be shaken. But the word of God will remain. That is what's eternal. That is what is his. That is what we build and anchor our soul to. Dog gone it. I want to go some more. We are not wrestling against what we see on the surface. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies. And if you have been in church for 30 minutes, you've probably heard this verse. But when you put it in context of the armor of God, what is he telling you? He's telling you to armor your soul. Put on the helmet of salvation, your mind, the breastplate of right living, the truth, the peace that comes from the spirit of God because you are not wrestling against what you see on the surface. There will be justice for the man that does what he does. There will be consequences for our dumb actions. But let me tell you something. There is mercy for the soul and there is redemption and there is renewal and there is a new future and a new hope that God can do in our lives. We are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world against mighty powers in this dark world and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. So the fight that you fight, and I'm done with this verse, the fight that you fight is not of flesh and blood. The fight that you're fighting is not on the surface. The fruit of what God's doing in your life will be evident to people to see. Let me help you with something. There was fruit in that young man's life that was killed. There is fruit right now because the man was killed. Why? Because in the same way they celebrate and I'm not putting this man on the pedestal of Jesus. But what I am telling you is that when evil tries to triumph, God always triumphs over evil. Because what happens is when they celebrated Jesus, listen, when they celebrated the death of Jesus, they thought they'd won. But then here came the resurrection that changed everything. Man, when they thought they killed him and took it out, man, here comes this revival of the Holy Spirit in people's hearts. Here comes this resolve and this renewal to want to press forward every time evil takes a shot. For those of us that are called, listen to me, according to his purpose. Who are called according to his purpose. Who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28, God causes everything to work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. What is his purpose? To give a rich and satisfying life, life abundantly. When you are called and about the business of doing the things that Christ has commanded us, part of the great commission, whatever comes at you, God causes it to work together for good. Why? Because you're about his purpose. When evil takes a shot at you, when you walk out these doors and evil takes a shot at you tonight or next week or this week, that evil shot will be swallowed up in the victory of the resurrection. God will take it and he will cause a move of his spirit. And in the end it is not about our comfort but it is about the glory of Christ. It is about the glory of God. It is not about the comfort of a widow now although the comforter will comfort her. It is about the glory of God through the process of how she responds and in the death of this individual is the glory that he gets in all of our lives. Matthew chapter 24 verse 13-4. I didn't even tell you what the fight is. The fight is a fight. Listen to me. A fight of faith to not quit because everything that you are seeing in the world is coming at you. All the darkness prevails in the world. As long as the God of this world is still here, then there's going to be darkness. And it will take a toll. It will try to fatigue you. It will try to wear you out. I'm tired of seeing and hearing about babies being abused. I'm tired of hearing about children being molested. I'm tired of hearing about girls being trafficked. I'm tired of hearing about I'm tired of hearing about it. I'm tired of hearing about people dying. I'm tired about people being I'm tired of it. And it takes its toll on you and it takes its toll on your soul. And guess what you want to do? You want to quit. Everybody in here wants to quit at some point. And the fight that you fight is not flesh and blood. It's a fight of faith. It's a fight to trust. It's a fight to stand. It's a fight to not quit. It's a fight that in the face of all the adversity, I'm not backing down or going anywhere. That's the fight. That's your fight is that you don't cower and you don't relinquish and you don't quit and you don't retreat. But I will continue to stand for the cause of Christ. 1 Timothy 6:12 is where it says they fought the good fight, the fight of faith. Matthew chap 24 13- 14 and this is it and I'm done. But the one who endures to the end, the one who endures to the end, the one who doesn't give up, the one who doesn't quit. Write this down. I'm coming back to this verse. Psalm 27. I would have lost heart. That was the name of that song. Take heart. I would have lost heart. I would have given up courage. I would have quit if I did not believe that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 27 verse 13 and 14. I would have lost heart. I would have quit. I would have not endured to the end unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord. Unless I had believed the promise. Unless I had believed the truth. Unless I had put my faith in him. I would have quit when I saw that assassination. I would have quit when I read that newspaper headline. I would have quit when I heard about those babies being I would have quit whenever that person left me and betrayed me. I would have quit whenever the heartache and the pain and all the I would have quit. But I wasn't going to quit and give up and lose heart because I know that in the end I'm going to win. I'm going to see the truth and the God prevail. And so it says right here, verse 14, but the one who endures to the end will be saved, and the good news about the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then the end will come. [Music] Let me tell you something. And again, I don't mean to make this a tribute to any one person, but I'm using the example of that man this week. I don't care what your opinion is. I know what mine is. I'm going to tell you something that he was willing to listen and he took a lot of heat and a lot of shrapnel and didn't cower and didn't back down. And as a result of that, there is glimpses of revival in people's hearts. People that have never once considered the gospel are going, "Man, I'm thinking about religion. I don't even know what that means. Where do I go? What do I do? See, that's the result. What happens is he didn't quit. He endured to the end. His end was 31 years for him. But he endured to the end. And he has been right. He was right with God. He's been rescued. And the good news about the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world. And I'm not telling you that the end is right around the corner. But I am going to tell you it's approaching. And I am going to tell you that if you endure to the end, man, this this message, this gospel is going to get preached. Why? Because God's going to use you. That's how it's going to get preached. If you don't quit, you're going to preach the gospel to a lost and dying world who's got a veil over their eyes, who can't see the truth, who is lost and hopeless without anything, just watching evil rain, thinking, "Man, there's no chance." Guess what? It's up to you and me. We get to decide when the end comes. We get to decide when this thing's over. And it's when we preach the gospel to the entire world and we're on we're on a big team and there's a surge right now. People want to be on the team. I say we get them on get them a jersey. I say we get them on the team. Come on in. The water's fine. Listen. Listen to me. I'm forth closing. They got they got issues. Heads up. You still got them. When they come in, they're they're going to be barely houseb broke. Why? Because they're not sanctified yet. They get to be justified. Here's your jersey. You're on the team. I need you on the bench for a little bit, though, bro. You're not quite ready there, but you're on the team. Keep coming to practice. Keep showing up. Keep getting around the right people. I'm going to say it one more time. why this matters on Sunday night and why we want to create connection and why we want to create disciplehip because one hour or one hour and a half when I get wound up is not enough for you. You got to have relationship. You got to have connection because the eyes are the window to the soul and the ears is where you hear and your faith is built. And so what are you watching? Who are you around? Where are you going? So what do we got to do man? I want to be around you. I want to be listening to this music. I want to be talking this. I want to be encouraged by you. This is the environment I want to live in. Why? Because this is what keeps my heart and my soul protected and sanctified. And the purpose of this night is to equip you to go out and make a difference. Not to come in and get force-fed and and and gluttonous on the word, but to take it and now go and share what God's done in your life. that the fruit of your life because you're connected to Jesus, because you made a priority on his house, because you put a priority on his word, because you wrote down these verses and you put a priority to go find them, because you want to know, because you want God to move, because you want God to heal, then God does something in your life and opportunities present themselves and you become a vessel of healing for people all around you. Woo! You're on the winning team. But now, here's where we're wrapping this party up tonight. You got to make a choice. I got to make a choice. You cannot ride the You cannot be in the between. You cannot You cannot decide, well, I'll get around to it. You don't get to You don't get to think, well, I think this is enough for now. You're either of the Holy Spirit or you are of the world. And I'll pick up on those verses next week. But that is your choice. Listen, there's still time. And I know this sounds your cliche churchy thing, but time is running out. Let me tell you something. Oh my gosh. His chief of staff was videoing the week of he's in the backseat of the car and they're riding up to the college campus and he's riding shotgun. He's got a driver. He's the chief of staff and they're excited about the crowd. But I'm watching this little video, which please be careful with all your social media stuff, but I'm just putting myself in this moment. He has no idea that he's about to be assassinated. And it made me think for a minute, if he knew he was getting ready to be assassinated, would he have probably not gone out? I think so. And I'm pretty confident everybody in this room would have done the same thing. But here's what's remarkable than what God showed me. Jesus knew he was getting ready to die. And he took it. He went in there and he took it. He took a brutal murder for you and me. You and I would have duck. Jesus understood what the mission was. He understood what the purpose was. And even though he knew when he was going to Jerusalem they were going to arrest him and they were going to crucify him and they were going to kill him, he still went. Why? Because he is that passionate about you. Because his purpose is for you to enjoy a rich and satisfying life. If that doesn't move your heart to some degree of gratitude, I don't really know how else to help you. But even with that gratitude, now it is your choice. You either say, "God, I invite you into my heart. I make you the priority and I make Jesus the Lord of my life. I acknowledge you for who you are. I put my faith in what you've done and that is my righteousness. And because of it now, God, make me holy. Sanctify me. Change me. Abide in him. He abides in me. And great will be the fruit of your