From Milk to Meat: Is Your Church Serving You, or Is It Serving Itself?

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]
[00:07:05] Come on, let's stand to our feet. It's so great to be with y'all on this beautiful Sunday.
[00:07:10] 40 verse 3 says that He has put a new song in my heart. Put a hymn in my heart.

[00:16:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:16:49] This is really what we just sang is a testament that we have a God who is who He says He is.
[00:16:58] If that is true for you in your life and you've seen that, would you celebrate that this morning?
[00:17:02] He is the I AM. There's no other word after that because He says, I am whatever you need me to be.
[00:17:10] And that is the reality this morning.
[00:17:11] And so today we get to celebrate who God is, what we call communion.
[00:17:15] Sometimes it's called the Lord's Supper.
[00:17:17] And so when you first walked in, you should have received some elements, some juices, some bread.
[00:17:22] And let me explain.
[00:17:23] If you have been coming here maybe for a little bit of time and this is your first time here or anything in between, you might wonder, well, what is this?
[00:17:30] Why do we do this?
[00:17:31] Well, Scripture tells us to, specifically in 1 Corinthians, Paul says that we should do this as often as we remember the Lord.
[00:17:38] And so there's not a set time that you don't have to do it every Sunday.
[00:17:41] Some churches choose to do it every Sunday.
[00:17:43] Some choose to do it once a month.
[00:17:44] But the idea here is it's a special time for us to really lean into what Jesus has done for me, to enter into that relationship and to commune with him.
[00:17:58] And so I like to walk people through what I call the three R's of communion.
[00:18:04] And the first R is to remember.
[00:18:07] You know, I think sometimes we get so caught up as believers in just the everyday and the hustle and bustle of life that we forget that Jesus really came and he really died on the cross and he really spilled his blood
[00:18:22] and he was really willing to do all that because he loves you.
[00:18:27] Like the cross isn't just a Bible story that is a fun thing to tell kids or to remind us to get us charged up.
[00:18:35] it's a reality that Jesus gave everything, that he left the splendor of heaven to dive into this dumpster mess of humanity, not because he had to, but because he wanted to, because love compelled him, because he loves you, and he loves me, and it's just a, it's to remember that, to remember,
[00:18:55] hey, I remember where I was before I met Jesus. We're just saying that I was a desert place, right?
[00:19:01] I was lost. I had no hope. There was nothing that allowed me to live this life, but Jesus came in and he changed everything. That's the first R. Second R, reflect. Okay, what does that mean for
[00:19:14] me? See, the reality is, is that the sacrifice of Jesus, the cross, isn't just something that has happened. It continues to happen in our life. It has power today, just like it had over thousands
[00:19:27] of years ago and thousands of years forward. See, the cross points both ways. From the past, our sins are forgiven in the past, but also it points to the future. And we have to reflect and
[00:19:38] say, what does that mean for me right now? What is God teaching me right now? Listen, if there's any sin, if there's any lie, if there's any area in my life that is keeping me in a close fellowship,
[00:19:50] not the relationship, you can't lose your relationship with God, but the fellowship can be broken. To say, God, I'm going to look inwardly. And that's why Paul says, hey, listen, if you have sin in your heart and you don't want to repent, don't, don't, don't partake. If you're not a
[00:20:03] follower of Jesus, don't partake. This is for those who say, God, I'm not perfect, but I have a heart for you. To enter into a reflection time. And then the third one, it always calls us to respond,
[00:20:17] right? To remember so we can reflect, to eventually respond. When God calls us in to commune into a relationship with Him, there's action. There is feet to our faith.
[00:20:28] And so at some point, we've got to go, okay, what is God calling me to do?
[00:20:30] Is there a conversation I need to have? Is there a sin I need to confess? Is there something I need to move into in my relationship with Christ? It's to respond.
[00:20:39] So here's what I'm going to ask you to do. I'm going to pray.
[00:20:41] And as I pray, I want you to pray along, but I want you to pray through those three R's in your own walk with Christ. This is not for someone else. This is for you. And I want you to remember. I want
[00:20:51] to reflect on, I want you to respond on the sacrifice that Jesus gave for you. I'm going to pray. Father,

[00:20:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_14]
[00:20:57] thank you. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you that you want to commune with us.
[00:21:05] You want to have a relationship with us. Lord, even more than we want a relationship with you,

[00:21:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:21:11] that should blow our minds, that the Creator, the God of the universe, seeks and desires a relationship. So Father, I want to say thank you for your broken body, that as you were standing before the disciples and you picked took that bread and you broke it you said this is the new
[00:21:29] covenant this is the new testament this is the new relationship now that i have with you and it starts with me starts with the sacrifice i will make lord we're thankful for your body that was broken for
[00:21:40] us we're thankful for your blood that was spilled out on our behalf or the bible says that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins i'm thankful for the precious blood of your
[00:21:53] on Jesus, because it cleanses and washes away the sin stain on my life.
[00:22:00] And it makes me new and clean in Christ.
[00:22:02] I am a new creation. Behold, all things are passed away, but I'm made new in Christ. So Father, we remember, we reflect, and we respond.
[00:22:11] In Jesus' name we pray.
[00:22:13] Amen.
[00:22:14] So in remembrance of Christ, His body that was broken for us, would you take any remembrance of His broken body?
[00:22:21] And His blood that was poured out for us, that changed not just who we are but who we belong to is shed blood and remembrance of

[00:22:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_14]
[00:22:32] christ would you take a drink let's continue to worship and say how great our god is

[00:22:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]
[00:22:40] thank you so much for who you are for being such a great and a good god lord we thank you that when

[00:27:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:27:07] we look around we get to see you through every small little detail we thank you that we have the honor and the privilege of worshiping you every single day. We pray that we would continue to carry that out with us
[00:27:20] forever and ever. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

[00:27:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:27:30] Well, happy Sunday, Cove Church.
[00:27:32] This is a good time for you to turn around, look someone straight in the eyes and say, you have an amazing voice.
[00:27:53] Well, happy Sunday, but not just happy Sunday, but happy Vision Sunday. Cove family, we're so glad that you're here.
[00:28:01] And you've invited some people. We're so excited that they're here as well. If you're here for the very first time here at the cove we take next steps really seriously so if you have got questions
[00:28:11] about who we are what we believe how you can get on a serving team how you can learn about a biblical community like a life group we've got a great team that's right behind these two double doors
[00:28:21] called the next steps teams and they'll love to learn a little about about you what brought you here your testimony your story and help you get connected help you get plugged in here at the
[00:28:32] Cove Church and hopefully take a next step. Can we give a warm welcome, a Cove welcome for our first-time guests? Well, church, it is Vision Sunday, but what better place to start than with our mission? Our mission here at the Cove has been very simple, and it's been a guiding light
[00:28:54] for the last 27 years. And that's that we commit to introducing our friends to Jesus, learn to follow him and to celebrate his presence in our lives.
[00:29:06] And last week, didn't we get a chance to celebrate with baptisms?
[00:29:09] Wasn't that awesome?
[00:29:11] All of you guys were out there circling the baptismal.
[00:29:14] And it was amazing to see people not just choosing Jesus, but choosing to follow him in the water.
[00:29:22] But you know what I saw?
[00:29:23] I saw discipleship happening.
[00:29:26] I saw fathers baptizing their children.
[00:29:28] There were friends baptizing friends.
[00:29:31] I saw our Cove Kids leaders baptizing your kids.
[00:29:36] And I saw students, students baptizing students.
[00:29:41] It was amazing.
[00:29:42] And you know what?
[00:29:43] Just a little shameless plug for our Cove students.
[00:29:46] If you've got a middle schooler or a high schooler, and you're not bringing them here every Wednesday at 630, they're missing out because it changes lives and it changes them.
[00:29:55] So I want to encourage you to bring them on Wednesdays at 6.30.
[00:29:59] But you know, last week we celebrated and it was amazing.
[00:30:04] But that doesn't just happen.
[00:30:06] That happens because you love God, you love people, and you're generous.
[00:30:13] So I want to say thank you so much for those who faithfully give and tithe here at the Cove Church.
[00:30:18] It is making life change happen.
[00:30:22] It doesn't just happen, it happens because of you.
[00:30:25] Now, if you've never joined us on your stewardship journey, you can do that today.
[00:30:30] You can start tithing.
[00:30:31] What tithing means is the biblical standard of giving 10% of your income to the church so we can see more people reached for Jesus and more people discipled.
[00:30:41] So I want to say thank you so much for all of you that do give.
[00:30:44] And if you're looking to start, you can go to covechurch.org forward slash give, or you can scan the QR code right in front of you.
[00:30:52] Now, church, we've got a great vision for you for 2026, and Josh Hassel is going to share that with us.
[00:30:59] But before we do, I want to share a few stories of a few of you who took a next step, who started serving.
[00:31:06] And for some of you, that next step also meant you're leaving.
[00:31:10] So check it out.

[00:31:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:31:17] The reason that I serve is because the love of Jesus is so important to me, and I want other people to know that love.

[00:31:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:31:23] My personal why for serving is because I know I make a difference.

[00:31:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:31:27] I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus in any way I can.
[00:31:30] I find that with my restaurant experience that I have running the hospitality team, there is a lot of similar aspects because I've always just been the person that's just kind of like, if there's something to do, I'm going to do it.

[00:31:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:31:42] My personal why for serving and what keeps me showing up is probably pretty simple.
[00:31:47] It's what Jesus wants us to do.
[00:31:49] And I always leave feeling just refreshed.

[00:31:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:31:52] I took the next step into leadership because there's no turning back.
[00:31:57] You can't just get you at one point and be like, okay, this is good enough.
[00:32:00] You know, I'm done, you know.
[00:32:01] Nor can you step backwards in it, you know.
[00:32:04] You can only continue to mature and grow in Christ.

[00:32:06] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:32:06] The other side of the fear or the hesitation is just the courage in knowing that you're doing what God wanted you to do.

[00:32:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:32:13] One of the things I had to come to terms with was that I didn't serve to get God's approval.
[00:32:18] I served because I have his approval because of what Jesus Christ did.

[00:32:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:32:21] There's just something that the Holy Spirit and God does in your heart when you're serving that just doesn't happen when you're not in those roles, and it's always a rewarding experience.

[00:32:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:32:30] Stepping up into leadership has helped me grow in that I'm getting over my fears.

[00:32:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:32:37] I just feel like serving is so important in that as a leader, you must encourage folks to come serve because it's needed and it's so necessary.

[00:32:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:32:46] I'm part of something that's bigger than myself because there's more to life than me.
[00:32:49] The world doesn't revolve around me.
[00:32:52] It revolves around Jesus.

[00:32:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:32:56] Hey, what a statement that is.
[00:32:58] It's all about Jesus.
[00:32:59] Hey, happy Vision Sunday to you.
[00:33:02] If you are surprised to see me, as surprised as I was to find out I was preaching at 530 this morning here at Mooresville, pray for Will.
[00:33:10] He is not feeling well today, and so he asked me to preach this morning.
[00:33:14] And I'm excited because we have actually all the campus pastors have been preaching or are preaching live today.
[00:33:21] And we've been preparing for this.
[00:33:22] In fact, can we do this?
[00:33:24] Do give a warm welcome to the Denver campus because they're being tuned in.
[00:33:28] Just let them know.
[00:33:29] I was supposed to be there, but I'm here today.
[00:33:32] And so we're all together, one place.
[00:33:34] Otherwise, the other campus pastors are preaching at their campuses.
[00:33:37] But we've been excited for today for a long time, even longer now because of all the winter weather.
[00:33:44] You guys know what I'm talking about?
[00:33:45] How many of you are done with that?
[00:33:46] You're ready.
[00:33:47] You're like, okay, we're done with the snow.
[00:33:49] Hey, I grew up in the Midwest.
[00:33:50] I am very familiar with snow.
[00:33:52] And listen, there is nothing wrong with taking time to slow down, right?
[00:33:56] To enjoy some time relaxing.
[00:33:59] But listen, there are only so many things you can do when you are snowed in at home with a two-year-old and six-year-old before you start to go insane.
[00:34:09] All right?
[00:34:09] And all the parents said, amen.
[00:34:12] You know what I'm talking about, right?
[00:34:13] There's no school.
[00:34:15] All right?
[00:34:15] So what that means is you're stuck at home.
[00:34:18] And I found something.
[00:34:19] And did you know that if you have enough Legos on the ground, they'll actually put permanent indentions in your feet?
[00:34:24] I didn't know that until I found out this last winter break.
[00:34:28] It was great.
[00:34:28] Now, if that wasn't challenging enough with all the winter weather, we decided that right after that, that we were going to potty train Titus, who is our two-year-old.
[00:34:39] So, Denver campus, if you were wondering where our family was last Sunday, no, we were not enjoying the beach and enjoying the sun.
[00:34:48] we were on the couch watching Pastor Tim preach as we were chanting, pee in the potty, pee in the potty, in the background.
[00:34:58] That's right.
[00:34:59] We had a staycation where we had one goal and only one goal, and that was to potty train our two-year-old.
[00:35:06] Yay us.
[00:35:08] Now, to give credit where credit is due, my wife is a whiz, no pun intended, when it comes to potty training, And I can proudly say that at the Hasselholm, we are now a diaper-free household.
[00:35:22] Thank you very much.
[00:35:24] Honestly, she's probably a little too good.
[00:35:27] Because now every time that Titus goes potty on his own, he gets this look on his face like, I'm the man.
[00:35:35] You know, like he's so proud of himself.
[00:35:37] And he kind of just like nonchalantly walks around.
[00:35:39] He'll go, welcome, welcome.
[00:35:42] Like, okay, we are so blessed to be in his presence because now he can tinkle in the toilet.
[00:35:47] I mean, it's gotten to his head.
[00:35:49] It's really adorable, honestly.
[00:35:51] But let me ask you a question.
[00:35:52] What if I did the same thing?
[00:35:56] Right?
[00:35:56] Like, imagine, like, today, like, I walked out and I was like, you know, like, welcome or like, yay, potty, after every time I went to the restroom.
[00:36:06] You're probably looking for a new church, and I wouldn't blame you, right?
[00:36:10] Because that's weird.
[00:36:11] That's not normal for a grown man to behave that way.
[00:36:16] See, what's cute at two is concerning at 32.
[00:36:24] See, it's one thing for a toddler to sit in a high chair drinking from a sippy cup, but that's definitely not normal for an adult.
[00:36:32] Because as we get older, growth and maturity are what's expected.
[00:36:37] You know, the same is also true when it comes to our faith.
[00:36:40] 1 Peter 2 says, Peter says that just like we all physically begin as babies, the same thing is true spiritually.
[00:37:03] And that, wow, hey, listen, there's nothing wrong with milk.
[00:37:06] something's off if you've been a follower of Jesus for years and you're still drinking from a spiritual sippy cup. Because just like there are stages to physical growth, there are also stages to spiritual growth. In fact, in 1 John, we see these stages of spiritual maturity. So let's take
[00:37:28] a look. This is going to be our main text for today. 1 John chapter 2. I'd invite you to turn there and follow along. Verse 12 says, I am writing to you little children because your sins are
[00:37:40] forgiven for his name's sake. I am writing to you fathers because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you young men because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you
[00:37:51] children because you know the father. I write to you fathers because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you young men because you are strong and the word of God abides in you and
[00:38:01] you have overcome the evil one. Now, if that seems confusing and you're having a hard time following along, don't worry. We're going to break it down this morning. But here's what you need to know. John points out that there are three major stages to spiritual growth. Children, young adults,
[00:38:21] and, sorry, children, young men, and fathers. Now, if it seems confusing to you to, or it feels like you're getting thrown off by the masculine language, John isn't just talking to men and boys here. He's talking to all believers, both male and female. The Greek language often
[00:38:41] used masculine terms to reference everyone. I mean, we see the same thing throughout the New Testament. If you ever come across the word brothers in the Bible, that's not just referring to men or boys. It's referring to all believers. I mean, we even see the same
[00:38:57] thing true in the English language, right? When we use the term mankind, we're referring to all people, not just men. All right, this is the idea here that John is pointing out. And so John, he is
[00:39:09] saying, hey, he is writing to all believers. So whether you are a man or a woman today, whether you are a boy or a girl, this is for you. John has one goal, and only one goal,
[00:39:24] to answer a question that many believers then and still today have, and that is this.
[00:39:31] How do I know if I'm growing spiritually? How do I know if I am growing spiritually?
[00:39:39] That is the ultimate question, not just for this morning, but for all of 2026. Because church, God has given us a clear vision for this year. And in five words, it's this. Church, it's time
[00:39:54] to grow. Church, it's time to grow. Last year we went all out. It was time to go. This year, it's time to grow. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you that we can unpack it and we can
[00:40:06] find truth, that we can know that you give us this so that we can grow, that we can mature spiritually. Lord, I'm excited for this message because I know, Lord, this will be a pivotal
[00:40:21] little point for many of us on our journey with you, because John lays this out in such a clear way. And I know this, there is nothing that I can say or do, nothing that I can do in my own power
[00:40:32] that can change or cause anyone to grow, Lord, but you can, your word can. So help me to move out of the way. Your spirit has free reign in our hearts here this morning. We give you permission. We know
[00:40:43] you're always present, but Lord, we give you permission to move in and to show us what we need to see and change. And Lord, we know that we can't change, but we can choose you and you'll
[00:40:54] change us. And that's what we pray that will happen this morning through the power of your word, the power of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Number one, number one, the first spiritual stage in any journey with Christ is the redeemed. The redeemed. Or as John
[00:41:13] calls them children. Children. Take a look at verse number 12. We're going to kind of skip around a little bit because it's not linear in how John begins to put these in categories, but I want you
[00:41:23] to see this in verse 12. I am writing to you little children because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. Then skip down to the end of verse 13. I write to you children because you know the
[00:41:36] Father. Now the first stage of spiritual growth that John mentioned is pretty obvious, right?
[00:41:42] children kids but what may not be so obvious is that the greek word for little children in verse 12 is not the same one that's used in verse 13 for children little children is translated from the word technia which is often used as a figurative way to describe someone you
[00:42:04] considered family it has nothing to do with age or maturity john isn't referencing a specific age a stage of spiritual growth but to all believers he is reminding that all christians no matter where you are on your journey with jesus that every single one of you you have been forgiven
[00:42:23] that you are children of god you are part of his family you have been redeemed this is applies to everyone hey you are alive in christ but once he gets to verse 13 he changes the word that he uses
[00:42:36] for children. Now he uses the word pation, and that means young child or infant. This is an important distinction because John is no longer addressing all believers now. This word references an age, a specific age, and specifically young children or infants. He's talking now to a specific
[00:43:00] group of believers, those who are spiritually young in their faith. He says, I write to you children because you know the Father. Again, John's not referring to physical age, but to spiritual age. You can be 90 years old and still be a spiritually young Christian. And so John is
[00:43:21] encouraging these baby Christians that while they might still be young in their faith, yes, they know the most important thing of all, who their father is. They know who their dad is.
[00:43:32] and this is true of physical children when my two boys were born Jackson and Titus listen they couldn't talk they didn't know how to walk they didn't really understand the world around them but they knew who their parents were they knew their parents were they knew that was mommy
[00:43:48] that's daddy and I want to be close to them that's innate we understand that and so John is simply saying that just like we are physically born as babies the same thing is true when we are born
[00:44:00] again spiritually. We begin our journey with Jesus as baby Christians. And John, I don't want you to misunderstand. John's not knocking this group of believers. He's just pointing out the reality. The reality that babies only know the basics. Right? We understand that. Sure, they
[00:44:19] might know who their parents are, but that's about it. They can't feed themselves. They can't clothe themselves. Babies can't defend themselves. They don't have discernment. They are completely dependent on someone else to take care of them. Hebrews chapter five says this, for everyone who
[00:44:37] lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a what? Child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice distinguish good from evil. Hebrews is saying that spiritual children can't handle
[00:44:58] more than spiritual milk and not because the meat is missing but because they don't have the ability to digest it yet right we understand that you don't have a newborn baby and then hand them off
[00:45:14] a pork chop that's not going to go well why because they can't physically digest it they are not capable yet at that age to be able to digest it all they can get is milk and so one
[00:45:26] of the phrases that you often hear in church is well i wish the pastor would go deeper right i just want meat i want more meat and listen while i understand where that statement is coming from
[00:45:37] this passage completely flips the script on that because according to hebrews it's not somebody else's job to digest spiritual food for you it's your job right it's our job to digest because watch this, every time the word of God is preached, it's a full course meal. There's milk and there's
[00:45:59] meat available. And I'm just saying this, if you are only ever getting milk, that might not be a preacher problem, that might be a personal problem. And I didn't say it, John said it. Yes, you will
[00:46:13] often, listen, how often though will somebody leave the church and they'll be like, well, I'm not being fed. You know what they're really saying though? What they're actually saying, what they're admitting to is being a spiritual infant. If all you ever get is milk, that's a good sign that you are
[00:46:29] probably still in your spiritual childhood. And so only because baby Christians have to be fed.
[00:46:38] They are dependent on someone else to feed them. Mature believers, though, can feed themselves.
[00:46:44] That's why at the end of verse 14, Hebrews says, it's the mature believers who are constantly practicing discernment between good and evil in other words watch this if the only time you ever get a spiritual meal is when someone spoon feeds you a sermon on Sunday then you're probably still
[00:47:00] a spiritual child because you're waiting on somebody else it's why my heart it's why all of our pastor's hearts is that the highlight of your week isn't Sunday sermon it's Monday morning quiet time with God. Can you imagine any other way that we would eat just once a week? What would that do
[00:47:24] to you physically? You would have a hard time, right? You'd be malnourished. You would struggle.
[00:47:30] And so the idea here is that we've got to get into that quiet time with Christ. Listen, because while every believer starts out as a spiritual child, we're not supposed to stay there. It's why
[00:47:42] Paul writes this in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 14. He says, so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning,
[00:47:54] by craftiness and deceitful schemes. You know, growing up, we had a really nice downstairs play area, and me and my siblings, I had three other siblings, and we played this game. We loved this game. And the game is where you would run from one room to the other side of the room, and you're
[00:48:11] like wow that's a great game josh uh but there's one important detail that was part of this game that while we ran across the room my dad would take bean bags and throw them at our feet trying
[00:48:24] to knock us over and we i mean we love this game we absolutely love this game we were always asking him to play but you know i'm realizing something that as now i've gotten older i'm realizing that
[00:48:36] he probably had a lot more fun than we had fun because no matter how hard we would, how fast we would run across that room, what happens when a beanbag collides with little legs? They go flying
[00:48:48] and that's what happened to us. But we just, we're too dumb. We just kept coming back for more. We kept wanting to play the game. We're like, we got to figure out a strategy to keep from getting
[00:48:56] knocked over. And let me just tell you, here's a little pro tip. Don't jump. If you play that game, don't jump. That's not a good idea for obvious reasons. You know, but we seriously, we love that
[00:49:06] game, we were always asking our dad, please, can we play this game? It was like human bowling downstairs. It was great. But you want to know something? As much as we loved that game, it wasn't as fun when we got older. In fact, at a certain age, we stopped playing the game
[00:49:24] entirely. You want to know why? Because what used to knock us down as kids couldn't knock us over anymore. Hey, that's the same thing that should happen spiritually, right? Hey, there's nothing wrong. We all start out as kids. Every one of us starts out as followers of Jesus as kids. Yes,
[00:49:48] we've been rescued and redeemed, but the smallest of things can still knock us down. Like little children, we lack the discernment that comes with spiritual maturity. We start out just knowing the basics, but we're easily susceptible to false teaching, the latest fad, and we're not really
[00:50:02] sure. What sounds good isn't really what's good, and so we're confused, and we think it sounds right, but instead of it being right and again this is not bashing children spiritual children i mean think about it nobody blames a child for being naive or vulnerable that's just the reality
[00:50:20] but there is a big difference between starting out as a child and staying a child that is a big difference if you've been a believer for a while now and the same things are still knocking you
[00:50:35] down when you first got saved that are still knocking you down today, that should be a reality check, right? If I'm still dealing with the same, if every little trial or every temptation that comes my way seems to be shaking my faith, to knocking me on my spiritual butt, there's a good
[00:50:53] chance that we're probably spiritually stunted in our growth, right? We're still in spiritual childhood. We're stuck. But here's the good news. The good news is this, is that whether you just started following Jesus recently, or you have been a believer for years and you're stuck in
[00:51:09] spiritual childhood, you don't have to keep sipping from a kiddie cup. There's meat on the menu.
[00:51:16] Steak is just around the corner. And here's the deal. God's got something for you. That's where we move on to the next thing. It goes from not just those who have been redeemed, but to the
[00:51:27] rooted. Okay? Or as John calls them, the young men. From children to young men. Listen to how he describes them. Verse 13, I am writing to you young men because you have overcome the evil one.
[00:51:39] Skip down to 14. I write to you young men because you are strong and the word of God abides in you and you have overcome the evil one. So in verses 13 and 14, John moves on the next stage of spiritual
[00:51:50] maturity. He calls them young men. But notice how he describes these young men. They have overcome the who? The evil one. See, while children are easy targets for the enemy, you're not knocking down a young man with a beanbag, right? Why? Because, well, scripture tells us, he says,
[00:52:12] because you are strong. You know how they overcome the enemy? Because you are strong.
[00:52:17] You want to know what separates the spiritual young adult from the spiritual children?
[00:52:20] Spiritual young adults can stand on their own faith, right? They've developed their own spiritual muscles. They've exercised them. They've developed them. They're not dependent on somebody else.
[00:52:31] They can take some hits. They can be able to stand up against the evil one. Why? Well, the Bible tells us because they have spiritual strength. But here's the question. Where does that strength come from? Look back in verse 14 again. It says they are strong because what abides in them?
[00:52:50] The word of God abides in them. Now listen. Don't miss this. Notice how John words this.
[00:52:59] He doesn't say that they abide in the word of God.
[00:53:04] What does he say?
[00:53:05] He says the word of God abides in them.
[00:53:09] See, the word of God, or excuse me, the word abide means to remain or to exist impermanently.
[00:53:16] In other words, when God's word gets into you, it never goes away, right?
[00:53:22] It changes you, it permeates you, it gives you a strength.
[00:53:26] Listen, church, there is power in the word of God.
[00:53:30] We may not realize it, but there is power.
[00:53:31] Do you realize that every single piece of the armor of God found in Ephesians chapter 6, it's all defensive?
[00:53:39] Every single one until you get to the word of God, which is a sword.
[00:53:46] It's the only offensive weapon.
[00:53:48] It's the only thing that starts to change things.
[00:53:50] See, here's the reality.
[00:53:52] Scripture is what puts us on the offensive.
[00:53:55] Instead of always playing defense, of always sitting and getting knocked down, you know what happens when we have the word of God and begins to permeate into our heart and begins to change us you know what happens we say devil you don't have a place here you don't get
[00:54:07] to move and use my anxiety against me you you don't get to you don't get to use those addictions and those habits now I got the sword I'm on the offense you have no ground here think about this
[00:54:19] when Jesus was tempted by the devil himself how did Jesus respond he quoted scripture He used the word of God, Hebrews 4, 12, for the word of God is alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword,
[00:54:35] piercing the dividing asunder of soul and spirit as a center of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
[00:54:41] See, it puts you on the offensive when you have scripture.
[00:54:45] There's something powerful in scripture.
[00:54:48] But here's the thing.
[00:54:50] God's word can't get into us if we never get into God's word.
[00:54:59] Psalm 119, verse 11.
[00:55:01] It says, I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
[00:55:07] This is why memorizing and meditating on scripture is so important because the more that we get into God's word, the more God's word gets into me.
[00:55:18] This is what separates spiritual children from spiritual young adults.
[00:55:22] God's word has become a part of who they are.
[00:55:25] It is infused into everything they do.
[00:55:29] That's what the Bible says.
[00:55:30] train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it it's probably better translated it will not depart from them why because when you have truth you
[00:55:39] can't that sticks with you it can't be removed once you see things for as they are you can never go back that's what the word of god does is it permeates the reality though is that most believers
[00:55:51] don't have a regular habit of opening scripture i mean the vast there's so many statistics out there, but they say that between 12 and 15 percent, so does have shown, that only 12 to 15 percent
[00:56:05] of believers who attend church regularly have a regular habit of opening God's Word during the week. That says that statistically, in the size of this room, the vast majority of us don't have a regular quiet time with God. And listen, I get it, because I was one of them. For the longest time,
[00:56:26] even as a pastor, I would sometimes struggle, and I'd be like, well, I'll prepare a message, but didn't have my own quiet time. And I understand. I get the excuses. I had all of them. I'm tired.
[00:56:36] I'm exhausted. I'm too busy. I got a lot going on. Listen, I understand the list, but at some point you have to be honest. At some point we have to look at reality and say, okay, what's the situation?
[00:56:48] Because somehow we're too busy for the Bible, but we can binge watch Netflix, right? We're too hurried for what's holy, but we've got hours for hobbies. We're too tired for the truth, but we can
[00:57:03] tap through TikTok. All I'm saying is this, there's no room for excuses. We are in the world, and the world is in us, or we are in the word, and the word is in us. I'm going to tell you right now, when the
[00:57:16] word gets in you, boy, do it change things. You're on the offensive. You're saying, devil, you don't have a place here, man. You're not playing defense anymore. You're playing offense. You don't just take hits. You give some hits. Here's the reality. If you want to grow, you've got to be grounded in
[00:57:35] God's word. That is what makes someone a spiritually young adult. Now we're moving on, right? We went from the redeemed to the rooted, and here's the final one, the reproducing. We went children. We saw a young man and now we see the reproducing or as John says fathers take a look in verse 13
[00:57:55] he says I'm writing to you fathers because you know him who is from the beginning I write to you fathers because you know him who is from the beginning you're like did you stutter like what
[00:58:06] are you reading the same thing listen he's writing to the spiritual elderly they probably didn't hear it the first time no what what's actually happening here is this is every time you see the same thing repeated over again. There's an emphasis here saying, hey, this is important. I
[00:58:21] don't want you to miss this. Some of you will get that joke later, by the way. In the beginning of verses 13 to 14, John addresses those in the third and last stage of spiritual maturity. The fathers
[00:58:33] is what he calls them. These are the spiritual parents. What's interesting, though, is the way that John describes these spiritual parents or spiritual fathers is very similar to the way he describes spiritual children. If you remember, he says, I write to you children because you know who?
[00:58:54] The father, right? He says that that's what makes you a child is you know your father. You know who your father is. You know who your parent is. But when John gets to the fathers, it's just a little
[00:59:06] tweak. He says, I write to you fathers because you know him who is from the beginning. Well, who is from the beginning. Well, God is. The Father is. See, both children and fathers know the same God.
[00:59:24] But watch this. The difference is in the depth of the relationship. See, even a child can point and say, well, that's my father. Even a child knows that. But as they mature, it's just from
[00:59:38] that's the dad i have to that's the kind of dad i have right what happens is you know who your father is and what he's like please don't miss this spiritually mature believers don't know
[00:59:53] don't just know who god is they know his heart they they know what their dad desires they know who he is first timothy chapter two puts it this way what is his desire this is good and it is
[01:00:11] pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires what? All people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. See, God's heart is for everyone to be rescued and redeemed. He's
[01:00:25] not one that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. That is the single greatest desire for us. He wants everyone to be one of his children, to experience new life so much that the
[01:00:36] father sent his own son to be crucified so that we could be his kids. Just let that sink in for a second. God's desire, his ultimate desire for you and me is for us to be his children, to be saved,
[01:00:52] to experience the abundant life. This is why Jesus says in Matthew 28, he says, go therefore, and what?
[01:01:00] Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I've commanded you. And behold, I'm with you always
[01:01:11] to the end of the age. These two verses are the whole reason why the church exists.
[01:01:18] To what? Make disciples. This is what separates spiritual parents from everyone else.
[01:01:25] They don't just believe the Great Commission. They become the Great Commission. They model it.
[01:01:33] they understand think about it what makes somebody a parent when they have a it's not a trick question when they have a child right that's it that's the only prerequisite there's that's that's not a trick
[01:01:47] question they don't have to do anything else they just have to have a child and the same thing is true when you become a spiritual parent is when you have spiritual offspring when you were discipling
[01:01:57] and pouring into other people spiritually see spiritual fathers don't just feed themselves they feed others they protect others they stand up listen when you're if you're a parent you know this life stops stops being all about you and all of your needs and now you've got other ones to
[01:02:14] protect to pour into to say hey i'm defending against hey nothing's gonna happen to them that is the picture of how it should be as followers of jesus as spiritual parents this is why paul says in first corinthians chapter 11 verse 1 be imitators or some translations say
[01:02:30] followers of me as i am of christ you know paul's saying he's saying listen here's the picture i follow jesus you follow me i follow jesus you follow me that's how it should happen it should
[01:02:43] be a continual cycle it's so that hey i'm a child i start out then i become a young adult because someone else is pouring into me and then all of a sudden i become the spiritual parent and i pour
[01:02:53] into others but what happens is most of us get stuck in childhood that's not the recipe listen the church should not be adding. It should be multiplying. That's how God designed it. Because so-and-so gets saved, and then they get discipled, and then they go find somebody else, and then they
[01:03:12] do the same thing, and it repeats over and over, and it multiplies out. That's what was happening in the early church. See, the reality is this, is following Jesus was never meant to be a solo
[01:03:24] journey. That's why God has the church. That's why you are here today, to be encouraged and to encourage other believers discipleship does not happen in isolation it happens in relation it's all about pouring into other people see the truth is is i didn't always want to be a pastor
[01:03:42] and that may come as a shock to you now you're like man you get so into you get excited about it but i really didn't that wasn't even though i grew up in a ministry home my dad was the pastor
[01:03:52] like it just wasn't for me and to be super honest one of the big reasons for that is because it seemed like all the ones who were super serious about their walk with God, they were just kind of
[01:04:04] strange. You kind of know what I'm talking about? It was like, yeah, you know, you ever heard the saying like the gospel light attracts a lot of weird bugs? Like, I was like, man, you know, I
[01:04:15] don't know if I want to do that. You know, that's, that's from my experience. I was like, man, if you want to serve God, I guess you've got to kind of be a little different. I mean, so, so that was kind
[01:04:24] of my experience. And then, and then to be super, super honest, I just kept thinking, I was like, Well, I guess, like, full-time ministry is for weirdos.
[01:04:31] So I don't want to be a weirdo, and so this is probably not for me.
[01:04:35] Like, that was kind of the thinking that I have.
[01:04:36] And you can laugh now, but that was kind of what, even though, like, sorry, Dad, but, like, that was just the reality of it.
[01:04:44] And I already know, by the way, Denver, you can shut up now.
[01:04:47] They're probably like, yeah, see, you're a pastor.
[01:04:48] We knew you were weird.
[01:04:49] That's what we knew.
[01:04:49] Okay.
[01:04:51] All right, all kidding aside, though, I just, I really didn't think it was for me.
[01:04:57] But then something happened.
[01:05:01] You say, well, what was it for you?
[01:05:02] No, I didn't have like some awe, like what?
[01:05:05] Like the light shone down and it was like, Josh, you're gonna be a pastor someday.
[01:05:09] Like it didn't spell out my cereal.
[01:05:10] None of that happened.
[01:05:11] I didn't have this crazy moment.
[01:05:13] What happened was there was one summer.
[01:05:18] I was in middle school and we had, my church had a training for a program that's called Neighborhood Bible Time.
[01:05:26] And essentially what it would do is it takes about 50 college guys that were training in ministry school and it would bring them, and my church is the one that hosted it And for three weeks, they would train them and then send them out to do what's essentially called vacation Bible schools.
[01:05:38] Remember what that is?
[01:05:39] A vacation Bible school.
[01:05:41] So they would send off these college kids, these guys who were training for ministry, and send them off.
[01:05:47] And they would give them experience on preaching and teaching and really how to really train and what they were going to do.
[01:05:53] And so that was the idea.
[01:05:54] So for three weeks.
[01:05:55] And in that group of guys, there was one college kid named Matt Anders.
[01:05:59] and and to this day I've not met at Matt Ender since that time just those three weeks I don't know what he's doing I don't know where he's at never come into contact with him since that time
[01:06:10] but during that summer for those three weeks for some reason Matt went out of his way to invest in me and I was just some punk pastor's kid but for three weeks Matt poured into me and it wasn't
[01:06:24] anything major it wasn't crazy most of the time it was just he would talk about what God's been teaching him or he'd ask me what god's been doing in my life like it wasn't something super major or
[01:06:37] life-breaking it wasn't like he like sat down and was like here let me memorize you memorize this i'll do that no it was just like kind of bringing me along in his relationship with jesus and what
[01:06:46] really stood out to me was how normal he was that wasn't supposed to be funny but he was he was not like the reality is this is like he wasn't he didn't come across as holier than thou or like
[01:06:58] super spiritual like sometimes you talk to people and you're like are we on the same like you're thee and now and all this other stuff like that wasn't him he was just like a down-to-earth
[01:07:07] regular college kid who was studying to be a pastor and here's the reality who had a genuine relationship with God and one of the reasons that I'm standing before you today delivering this message the reason why I'm the pastor is because a guy named Matt Anders made a difference in the
[01:07:27] life of an 11 year old kid not watch this because he was the smartest or the most talented or even the spiritual and the group but because he was willing because he was willing to invite me into
[01:07:39] the relationship he had with God and it changed me because I realized that following Jesus is awesome because when you experience it when someone else brings you into that that's what Paul is saying in first Corinthians 11 hey when you taste and see that the Lord is good you want nothing else
[01:07:59] it changes you and it changed me and not made such an impact on me because he was willing to step out and serve someone else. Listen, this is the heart of Jesus. Mark 10 45 tells us that Jesus
[01:08:14] came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. Jesus had every right and reason to go around and be like, your turn to serve me. But that's not what he did. He said, I will
[01:08:26] lay down my life. I will serve other people. Why? Because serving is the foundation of following Jesus, the foundation of our faith, spiritual growth happens when we stop focusing on ourself and we start to serve. When we say it's not just about feeding myself, it's about pouring to other
[01:08:43] people that are around me. It's about the circle of influence, the friends and the co-workers and the other people. That's not someone else's job. God's given them into my circle and my influence to pour into them. And here's the best part. The best part about serving is that no matter what
[01:08:59] stage of spiritual growth you are in, you can serve others. You don't have to be just a spiritual parent. You don't have to be just a spiritual young man. You can be a spiritual child and serve
[01:09:11] others. And you might be thinking, well, Josh, you don't know my situation. God can't use me.
[01:09:18] I'm not qualified. I'm not equipped. I'm not spiritual enough. I don't know all the scriptures.
[01:09:24] I don't know all the doctrines, all the ologies. I don't even know what that is. I don't understand all this stuff. Or hey, I'm too broken. I'm too jacked up. I'm too messed up. You don't know my
[01:09:33] situation. I'm too sinful. Like God can't use me. Oh, really? Tell that to every single person in the Bible. Right? Last time I checked, Moses was too anxious. Last time I checked, Gideon was too
[01:09:49] afraid. Rahab was too sinful. Sarah was too old. Timothy was too young. Thomas was too doubtful.
[01:09:58] Peter was too brash, but they made a difference anyway.
[01:10:01] You want to know why?
[01:10:02] Because God's not looking for superstars.
[01:10:04] He's looking for servants.
[01:10:08] Think about it.
[01:10:10] You think you're going to impress God with your intellect?
[01:10:13] Where did that come from?
[01:10:14] God.
[01:10:15] You think you're going to have some talent or ability that God's going to be impressed by?
[01:10:19] Where did that come from?
[01:10:20] God.
[01:10:20] Every answer I'm going to give you right now is God.
[01:10:22] God is the answer.
[01:10:22] Okay, that's the question.
[01:10:23] God is the answer.
[01:10:24] Why?
[01:10:25] Everything that you are, your life and breath comes from God.
[01:10:28] But you know, here's one thing, one thing that God will not take from you, that he gives you your own choice to choose, and that is, will you be willing to serve him or not?
[01:10:38] That's your choice.
[01:10:39] See, the thing about growing is, it's this, you don't change yourself.
[01:10:43] I don't change myself.
[01:10:45] The Bible tells us, even in Romans, it says that we are changed into the image of Jesus Christ.
[01:10:50] By who? By the Father.
[01:10:52] We don't change. You know what we do? We choose.
[01:10:55] we choose to say I can serve and listen I know right now that the enemy is fighting hard and he's given you a long list of all the reasons why you can't serve why you just can't grow why
[01:11:08] here's all the things well here's what you've done listen it's time to kick the enemy out that's why the word of God's here today to remind you what's true not what the enemy says it's time to stop
[01:11:17] believing the lies about like hey I can't be used by God because this is my situation or this is not really talking to me. This is talking to somebody else. Uh-uh. Uh-uh. No. This is for you. This is
[01:11:29] for you that's sitting in the seat. So you might be saying, well, Josh, I already serve. Great. I'm glad you serve. But listen, serving Jesus is more than what happens on Sunday. So if you're a
[01:11:39] spiritual child here this morning, okay, acknowledge that. You know what you need to do? Time to get in God's word so that God's word can get into you. Listen, you can't feed others until you can feed
[01:11:49] yourself. So that's where you need to be. Hey, I'm going to open up God's Word. There's a wonderful app called Through the Word. I use it personally. It is a Bible resource. It's free. You can go one
[01:11:59] chapter at a time. It has an explanation. If you're ever like, man, I'm just not really a reader. It's audio driven. It's incredible. Let me encourage you. Through the Word. It's a free app. You can
[01:12:07] download it today. It will change you because God's Word changes. It changes you. But maybe you're here and you're a spiritual young adult. Well, listen, it's time for you to start pouring into other people. It's time for you to stop focusing just on yourself and the time to start
[01:12:22] sharing the gospel of the lost, trying to disciple other believers. It's time to pour in. Maybe you're here and you're like, well, I'm a spiritual parent. What's for me? Well, it's time to re-engage.
[01:12:33] Time to kick it up a notch. See, I think sometimes we kind of take a backseat in our faith if we've been spiritual parents for a little bit. And so we just kind of go on a little, put it on
[01:12:45] cruise control, kind of coasts along. But listen, there's no such thing as spiritual retirement.
[01:12:52] That doesn't exist. And maybe you used to serve. Maybe you used to lead a small group. Maybe you used to teach that class. You used to do some discipling. Awesome. I'm glad you do all those
[01:13:03] things. But what are you doing now? It's time to step in now. God didn't ask you to clock out yet.
[01:13:11] He didn't say your time's over as long as you're living and breathing. He's got a plan for you to serve. And so listen, I don't care who you are. It's time to start that life group. It's time to
[01:13:20] lead that ministry. It's time to disciple somebody. It's time to pour in. Listen, just you say, why are you getting so amped up? Because just imagine what our church would look like if everyone started
[01:13:31] to serve. Not just a few, but everyone started to serve. I'll tell you what would happen. We would see the gospel explode. We would see salvations and baptisms happen all over. We would see addictions
[01:13:43] broken. We would see marriages mended. We would see this place transformed. Mooresville and Denver and every place. The Charlotte area would not be the same because God's people would choose to serve and when that happens, you can't help but grow. And so yeah, this is important. Yeah, this is the
[01:14:02] most important thing. And so all I'm saying is this is for everybody. See, I know what it's like to sit in a seat like this and to hear a message because that was me many times and I was always
[01:14:14] like, well, this is for somebody else, not me. No, no, I'm telling you right now, you don't get to wiggle yourself out of this one. You're going to excuse yourself out of this one. This isn't for
[01:14:23] the person sitting next to you. This isn't for your spouse. This isn't for your friend or your sibling. This is for you. You get to choose today. You're either in or you're out. You're going to
[01:14:34] grow or you're not. I love what Joshua says. He says, hey, I don't know what everyone else is doing, but it's for me and my house. We're going to serve the Lord. You might be like, I don't know
[01:14:44] my neighbor's doing. I don't know what everyone else is doing. I don't care if nobody else in this church starts serving God, but I will. But I will. You say, why does that matter? Here's why.
[01:14:55] Because eternity is on the line. And I don't know if you've noticed, but our country is kind of in turmoil right now. And can I tell you, politics ain't going to solve it. Right? Government's not
[01:15:05] going to solve it. Money's not going to solve it. Education's not going to solve it. But my Jesus, he can solve it and he will solve it but Jesus he uses us to serve we are his vessels can I just
[01:15:20] tell you God didn't stop being the business of saving souls and changing lives it just might be that we're not serving anymore we're not growing anymore and this is the call to action this is as
[01:15:32] clear as I can make it and I understand it's probably a little uncomfortable you're like why are you coming out I'm not coming out here's this it's what God wants for you it's called the
[01:15:39] abundant life. Taste and see that the Lord is good and you want nothing else. So let me just encourage you here this morning, church.
[01:15:49] You're either going to serve or you're not.
[01:15:51] You're in or you're out.
[01:15:53] There's no wiggle room. You're ready to grow. If you're like, I'm tired of staying stuck. I'm tired of being spiritually stunted.
[01:15:59] I'm ready to grow. I want to see what God has for me. Well, it's time to grow.
[01:16:05] Let's pray. Father, thank you. Thank you for your word. Well, thank you for the truth because truth sets us free. It gives us a new perspective because what we believe affects how we behave. And so God, I pray that
[01:16:18] today truth seeped in and it's going to stick because your word will never return void, but it will always accomplish what it pleases as your scripture says. And so God, I get excited. I get
[01:16:32] amped up. I get passionate, Lord, but passion doesn't change lives. You do. So here's the invitation today. Here's the call to action. It's real simple. There's cards on your seat And then there's three blank lines, such a simple card.
[01:16:55] There's a spot for your name, a spot for your email address, a spot for your phone number.
[01:17:02] And the call to action is if you fill that out, you're saying, I'm ready to grow.
[01:17:07] I'm ready to serve.
[01:17:08] I'm ready to take a next step spiritually.
[01:17:10] I'm not going to stay stuck.
[01:17:11] I'm not going to be stunted.
[01:17:12] I'm going to move forward.
[01:17:15] And listen, I had an idea of like, well, we'll have the band come up and we'll pray, and they'll play the music, and then people will come up, and they'll collect their cards, and they'll put them in the front in the altar and pray,
[01:17:24] it'll be this great thing. But here's the thing, we're not doing that today because I don't want this to be emotional. I don't want this to be temporary. I want this to be spiritual.
[01:17:31] I want this to be a lesson. I could have gotten more cards that way probably, but I'm not looking for cards. You know what? God wants servants. He wants your heart. He wants your willingness.
[01:17:40] And so what we've done is we're going to take those cards and there's some tables in the back and there's some different opportunities for serving.
[01:17:45] But again, this is more than just serving. It's a good starting point. We're going to say, hey, what can everyone do?
[01:17:49] What can everyone start with? Serving. But it's more than that. Someone's going to, from a team, and we haven't even figured out all the team yet. We don't have logistics out we just know this we're doing it maybe you might be part of that team i don't know
[01:18:01] but here's the thing even if someone fails to reach out if you turn your card on if you have if you really are serious about growing you'll find a way you'll make it happen you're not going
[01:18:09] to wait for someone to have to reach out to you if you're serious you want to grow and you're hungry to see what god will do in your life and your family's life if you're just kind of sick of
[01:18:16] doing status quo being spiritually malnourished it's time you'll find a way that's number one here's number two in a room this size even at our campus at Denver campus there's no way that there are people in here
[01:18:32] that every single person is alive spiritually and if you're sitting here in this room and you're like I have never grown spiritually or you don't even have a desire to grow spiritually I'm not trying to get you
[01:18:45] to doubt your salvation I'm not trying to tell you like hey you're not I'm just saying if the Bible says you will know them by their fruits and if you have never if this doesn't even
[01:18:55] do anything for you that's probably because you are spiritually dead. You're not alive in Christ. And going to church won't change that for you. Only Jesus can. Doing good stuff, that won't change that for you. That's why when Nicodemus
[01:19:08] asked Jesus and he says, well, how does somebody be a part of the kingdom of heaven? You know what Jesus says? They must be born again. Here's the thing. You can feed a dead thing all you want,
[01:19:18] but it will never grow. Why? Because it's dead. And I just know that there are people here in this room and you don't even recognize it. You don't realize them until maybe right now the
[01:19:28] Holy Spirit has put a light bulb on in your heart and said, hey, you know what you need? You need to be spiritual. You need to be my child. You need to be redeemed. Stop trying to fix it yourself.
[01:19:38] You'll never fix your sin. You'll never fix your life. You weren't designed to. I was. You just have a choice. Will you choose me or not? That is what it is to be a born-again Christian. It's
[01:19:49] saying, God, I need you. I am not good enough on my own. My sin condemns me away from you to a place called hell for all eternity, and I know this, I can't do a thing about it, but I know you can.
[01:20:03] It's not enough just to know that Jesus died on the cross and rose again. Listen, the devils, the Bible scripture says the devils believe and tremble. They know God's real. They were in heaven with him before they rejected him, but you know what they will never do? They will never surrender
[01:20:16] and call him Lord and Savior, but you got a choice right now. If you've never spiritually grown, it might be because you're not spiritually alive, but here's the good news. The Bible says today is
[01:20:28] the day of salvation. If you want to be born again, you know what you do? You ask the person who can save you. That's called prayer. And it's not a special word. It's not a special chant. It's
[01:20:38] not a special steps. It's just telling God of the universe, his son, that I want you, that I need you to rescue me and redeem me and give me life. That I turn from my wicked ways, not of my own
[01:20:52] power, but I'm asking you to change me and save me. I want what you want. The Bible says when we do that, we become alive in Christ. We spiritually are born. And so everybody in this room right now,
[01:21:07] I would ask you to bow your heads and close your eyes across all of even the Denver campus. And I want you to really look inwardly. What is God speaking to you right now? Because he's telling
[01:21:18] you something. I know that because he's telling me something. And it might be that you just need to accept Jesus as your savior right now. You need to put off the facade. You've been going to church
[01:21:31] for years. You grew up in church. Who cares? Church doesn't save you. Jesus does. And right now you need to accept him as your savior. Would you pray something like this in your own heart? Dear Jesus, I know that you love me and I can't quite understand that. I don't fully grasp
[01:21:51] it, but I know this. I don't want to be dead. I don't want to have a life that misses out on what true life is. I'm tired of my sin. I'm tired of shame. I'm tired of trying to fill this void
[01:22:05] with whatever it is I try to stick in the box and it just always feels like it never fits.
[01:22:10] It never gives me satisfaction.
[01:22:14] So Jesus, the best that I know how, I choose you as my Lord and my Savior.
[01:22:18] I repent of my sins.
[01:22:20] Come into my life.
[01:22:21] You are now leader and Lord.
[01:22:23] Make me alive.
[01:22:28] The Bible says that if you pray that prayer to Jesus, every time, every time that someone asks that, he saves them.
[01:22:37] So I want to say, if that's you here today, go tell somebody off the service.
[01:22:40] Start that journey.
[01:22:41] If you need to make the decision, then be honest and make the decision.
[01:22:45] I don't know what needs to happen here this morning, but I know this, God's calling us to grow, calling us to take the next step.
[01:22:52] Father, thank you.
[01:22:53] Thank you for the truth of your word.
[01:22:54] Thank you that we can be challenged, encouraged, inspired, moved with compassion, moved to action because of who you are and what you wanna do in our hearts.
[01:23:08] And God, this is the pivotal moment for our church.
[01:23:11] this is a clear vision that you have given us to move forward it is time to grow and so Father we are ready we are willing it's time to go it is in Jesus name we pray
[01:23:26] and everybody said amen and amen hey listen, listen before you go check out some of those tables pick those cards up I'm not going to tell you all the things you need to do you know
[01:23:37] but we could use some help I was supposed to ask this as well here's a great way to start serving right now we've got some chairs that you're sitting on those need to be stacked six high so that would help a
[01:23:47] lot of our staff if you wouldn't mind doing that otherwise after that then go ahead to the tables time to grow we love you we'll see you next sunday thank you thank you so much everybody yeah we're

[01:24:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[01:24:08] gonna have a event here on tuesday and we're gonna use the entire space so if you're able to just grab the chair that you are sitting in right now and go ahead and stack those up six high we'll
[01:24:19] go ahead and start moving them around a little bit but that would be a awesome help if we're able just to grab those and stack them up thank you guys so much and we will see you out in the
[01:24:29] atrium as well with all of our team members our team leaders excited to talk with you