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Breaking Free From Sin: Rebellion to Repentance | Numbers 21
Have you ever found yourself face-to-face with a snake while fishing? Join us as we recount a surprising personal encounter that leads into an exploration of a curious and compelling biblical narrative from Numbers 21. Learn how a strange story involving snakes teaches us powerful lessons about breaking free from sin and moving from rebellion to repentance. We'll also offer a broader context of the Book of Numbers, shedding light on God's unwavering promises to Abraham and how His faithfulness is evident in the growth of His people.
Impatience can often lead us down a path of sin and frustration, just as it did for the Israelites in their 40th year of wandering. Reflecting on our own struggles with waiting on God's timing, we draw parallels to the Israelites' hardships and their tendency to speak against God. Galatians 6:9 reminds us to stay steadfast and not tire of doing good, even when our patience runs thin. Personal stories and reflections are woven throughout, illustrating how our attitudes and actions can mirror those of the Israelites and the importance of maintaining faith through trials.
The significance of looking to Jesus for salvation is brought into sharp focus as we discuss Moses lifting the serpent in the wilderness, a powerful precursor to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. We delve into the transformative power of faith and the simplicity of repentance, encouraging both believers and seekers to embrace a life changed by Jesus. Celebrate with us as we welcome new believers into the fold, emphasizing the importance of taking their next steps in faith. Together, we worship, pray for strength, and seek God's guidance in overcoming sin and following Him faithfully.
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continuing in our series through the book of Numbers called Breaking Free from Sin. Everybody say sin, sin, breaking free from sin. This morning we're looking at Numbers 21, which is one of the craziest stories in all of the Bible. It's a story that is honestly hard to even believe that it happened. It's a weird story, but it's a story that is so important for your life. It is a snake story in the Bible.
Speaker 1:I believe there's two kind of people in the world People that love snakes. People hate snakes. How many of y'all hate snakes? Raise your hand. You hate snakes, very good. How many of y'all love snakes? Raise your hand. You need counseling where you at Very good, all right, there you are, we've got you. All the kids raise little boys. Raise their hand. I love it. I love it.
Speaker 1:I remember the day that I came to hate snakes, that I came to hate snakes. I was a teenager and I was fishing out in the creek with my buddies. I grew up in Alabama and, man, we grew up living the redneck lifestyle Can I get an amen? And we would walk down a dirt road and we would literally rappel down a cliff from a hosepipe tied to a tree. I can't believe I'm still alive and we would rappel down a cliff from a hose pipe tied to a tree I can't believe I'm still alive and we would rappel down a cliff from a hose pipe and we would get into the creek and we would walk out miles down the creek and we would fish up and down the banks. And I remember being in the middle of the creek and my buddy he had just got a brand new fishing pole and I said let me borrow your fishing pole. And so, man, I borrowed his fishing pole and I remember we had cliffs on either side of us. We couldn't get out of the creek in that spot where we were. So I remember casting out towards the bank, towards the side of the cliff, and I thought I caught a stick, until the stick started sidewinding across the water right and I literally hooked the snake. And so what did I do? I started screaming like a girl, right, snake, snake, snake. And we're all high kneeing it out of the water. And I noticed I've got his fishing pole, I can't let it go because it's brand new. So I'm dragging the snake behind me right, screaming snake, and so I hit the button. I start letting out the line because I can't let his new fishing pole go. And so finally I get to land and I throw his pole in the land. I jump up on land, step on the pole, snapped it in half. I broke the pole anyway, but we got away from the snake. And here I am to tell the story today.
Speaker 1:And so we're looking in scripture about this snake story in the Bible, that we look at it and we're like God, that's so weird, like a lot of stories in the Bible. God, that's so weird, god, that's so strange. But every weird story, every strange story, has everything to do with us, has everything to do with me, has everything to do with you, and that's part of what I get to do as a pastor is to help us to understand God's word. And so, as we're looking through this series, the book of Numbers, we're talking about breaking free from sin. Breaking free from sin, and this morning is all about rebelling to repenting. Our sin is living a life of rebelling and we want to live our life of repenting to Jesus. Now I want to just show you something real quick.
Speaker 1:So, the book of Numbers, as we talk about breaking free from sin, the book of Numbers one question that I have not answered yet is why is it called the book of Numbers? Well, the reason it's called the book of Numbers is because within the book there are a lot of different numbers, or there's a census that God is taking of all of the people of God. And so we kind of read over those and we read all the names, we read all the tribes, all the numbers, we kind of skim it, we scan over it. We don't think it's a big deal, but it was a really big deal to them back then, because there was one man. His name was Abraham.
Speaker 1:Everybody say Abraham. Abraham was one man that God made one promise, and the one promise that God made Abraham was Abraham. I'm going to make you the father of a great multitude. I'm going to make you the father of a great multitude. I'm going to make you the father of a great nation. There was only one problem you can't become the father of a nation if you don't have any children. Abraham did not have any children.
Speaker 1:God made Abraham this promise when Abraham was at the age of 75. I don't know about you, but I've never had a 75-year-old come up to me and say congratulations, we're pregnant, right, it doesn't happen. And so God had to do a miracle. We know the story. Abraham took matters into his own hands. It didn't work out. God had to say Abraham, it's not gonna be you, it's gonna be me. And Abraham had a son at the age of 100. He had Isaac, and Isaac led to many more generations, many more children.
Speaker 1:And in the book of Numbers everybody say Numbers. We saw last week that the big, grand number that God had grown his people to only counting the males aged 20 years of age and older who were in fighting shape that they had grown to 603,000 people. In other words, we see that God always keeps his promises. Every promise God makes to you in his word will always come true. Always trust God for his promises.
Speaker 1:See, here's what God loves to do is God loves to multiply his people. God loves for us to share our faith. God loves for us to share our faith. God loves for us to share our testimony. God loves for us to share the gospel so that we see people multiplied. We can't save anybody, but every time the gospel is shared, that people can be saved, that God can do the work. And I just wanna share with you some good news about what God is doing in our church because God loves to multiply his people, including who is registered to be baptized next Sunday. I want you to know just this year, just 2024, next Sunday, that we will have had 43 people baptized in our church. Put your hands together for all that the Lord is doing in terms of life change. I want you to know that over the last year, our worship services have grown from about 450 to about 520. Our Sunday school, or just our groups that we have on Sunday mornings, have grown over the past year from 397 to 482. To 482. I want you to know, in 2024 alone, that some 97 people have joined our church to call First Baptist Church Powder Springs their church home. Put your hands together one more time for all that the Lord is doing.
Speaker 1:The book of Numbers is also about we see that it is about the 40 years where the people of God are wandering through the wilderness. It is a book to remind you and to remind me that we're not alone, that we're not the only ones. You're not the only one that feels like that. Your life can be a wilderness. Often life can feel like a wilderness. It can feel like we're going in circles, it can feel like there's a lot of trials, a lot of. There's a lot of trials, a lot of difficulty, a lot of suffering, a lot of things that are happening along in our life. We talked about last week how it took 40 hours to get Israel out of Egypt, but it's taking 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel. So the book of Numbers is about you, it's about me, it's about us, but it's not just about us. It's ultimately about Jesus. The whole Bible is not ultimately about us. The whole Bible is ultimately about Jesus. Why? Because we need to see Jesus in all the scriptures in order to live our life for Jesus. Do you remember that Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days? He was living in the place of Old Testament Israel. Having been in the wilderness for 40 years, he's living in their place, he's living in your place, he's living in my place. So, ultimately, when we look at the book of Numbers, we are seeing the son of God, jesus Christ, and we see that we all have a problem Breaking free from sin.
Speaker 1:We all have a problem with rebellion, and the only answer to rebellion in our life is repenting. Everybody say repent. Everybody say repent. See, we all have sin in our life that we need to break free from. I've got sin in my life I need to break free from. You've got sin in your life you need to break free from. If you've got sin in your life you need to break free from, raise your hand right now. Raise your hand, hands up all around here. If your hand's not raised, your sin to break free from is lying. Can I get an amen? Your sin is lying and so we all have this and maybe, if you're not sure what your sin is that you need to break free from, be sure to ask someone close to you and they would love to share with you your sin that you need to break free from. See, you're a sinner and I'm a sinner and we all need a savior. We all need Jesus. We all need to remember that he has died for our sin to give us power over our sin. He's risen from the dead so that we can walk out of sin and walk with him. We understand our need for Jesus. We know that we are all sinners and we need to be just to be honest with you. We need to be an honest church.
Speaker 1:I want you to know that you've got a pastor who's a sinner. I wanna be an honest pastor. I want us to be a honest church. I want you to know that you've got a pastor who's a sinner. I want to be an honest pastor. I want us to be a transparent church. I want to be a transparent pastor. I want us to be a vulnerable church. I want to be a vulnerable pastor. Why? Because it's okay to not be okay. Can I get an amen? But it's not. Thank you, but it's not okay. But it's not okay to stay that way. See, I want you to be able to come to church and you can express or you can confess your sin, you can share it with someone, and I want you to know that when you come in and you're able to be honest about your sin, it's okay that you're a sinner, but it's not okay for us to stay that way. We need to express or confess our sin so that people can encourage us, support us, pray for us, so that God will give us power over our sin. Can I get an amen? Sin is to be powered over by God. So let's go ahead and jump in the word of God and let's see what the Lord has for us this morning. Here we go.
Speaker 1:We see in Numbers, chapter 21, verse 4, it says from Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea. Everybody say Red Sea and they were going around the Red Sea and they were going to the land of Edom. Now, this is very interesting because they don't know it. They don't realize it, but this is actually their 40th year in their wandering. They don't know when their wandering is over, like we know. They don't realize that they're at the end of their road. They just think they're at the end of their rope, they're about to lose it. Why? Because they've been doing this for 40 years. They don't know when the end of the journey is. And here they are finding themselves going back to the Red Sea, where they had just started.
Speaker 1:Have you ever felt like that, god? I've already been here, god, I've already experienced this. God, why am I going through this again? God? Why does my life feel like that? I'm going in circles? Why does it feel like that? I'm going through this over and over and over again? See, here's the deal.
Speaker 1:Often, if we feel like that, our life is going in circles, if we feel like our life is a wilderness, if we feel like that we're not getting anywhere. Hear me, often it is because of our sin, because God doesn't bless sin, god doesn't lead us into sin. The Bible says that God does not tempt us with sin. But also, at the same time, if you're an obedient Christian I don't mean a perfect Christian, there's no such thing as a perfect Christian but someone that maybe they're living their life in repentance, they're living their life in obedience, even though they still struggle with sin. I want you to know, the most obedient person still has struggles, still has suffering, still have hard times in their life. I don't know about you, though, but I would rather have hard times because Jesus is testing me than have hard times because of my sin against him. Can I get an amen? I want my hard times to come from him and not to come from me.
Speaker 1:I want you to know that, as they were struggling in their life, as they're going through these difficulties in their life, we see in Galatians 6, 9, that Galatians 6, 9 says let us not grow weary. Everyone say grow weary, let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. Everybody say don't give up. Here's the deal. When you're going through your wilderness, you want to give up because you are growing weary. The more trials, the more hardships, the more temptations, the more suffering, the more disappointment, the more you want to give up and just live your way rather than God's way. And God's word is always encouraging us don't give up, don't grow weary. Why? Because we never know when we're at the end of our road, when God is bringing us out of our trial. It says in the second part of verse four. It says and the people became impatient upon the way. That word impatient it literally means to be discouraged, it means to be disgusted. It's the Hebrew word kotzar.
Speaker 1:And what we see here is that the people of God are getting impatient with God. Let's be honest you get impatient with God, I get impatient with God. We get impatient with God. We get impatient with God why? Because we want God to do things our way, on our time. I do it, you do it too. Don't look at me so spiritual. We all do this towards God. Why? It's because of our sin. That is within us that we need to break free from.
Speaker 1:And so we see the passages of scripture like we read this week in the one-year Bible in our devotion Psalm 62, one For God alone. My soul waits in silence. From him comes my salvation. You know, if I asked 99 of y'all this morning what is it that God is teaching you right now, 99 of y'all would say that patience is what God is teaching you right now. Why? Because our sin makes us impatient people. You ever had someone tell you the last thing you ever want to pray for is patience. You ever been afraid, man? I've been afraid to ask for patience before. Why? Because we feel like if we ask God for patience, he's gonna take you through something really hard that's gonna require patience. So often we don't ask God for patience because we don't think he's a good God. We don't think he's a good father. I do pray for patience. I pray for patience, though I'm not praying for a trial. I'm not praying for a trial. I'm not praying for suffering. I'm not praying for hardships. You know what I am praying for. I'm praying, god, would you fill me with your spirit so that I can be more patient, so that I can be more obedient towards you? Just as the people of God were impatient, you and I, we become impatient in our life.
Speaker 1:He goes on to say in verse 25, and the people of God spoke against the people spoke against God, they spoke against him. That word to speak against this is crazy. It's the word dalbar in the Hebrew. It literally means that they were conversing with one another, they were gossiping, they were talking about God with one another. It also means that they were declaring that God is not good. The word dobar also means that they were threatening God. God, if you don't do what we want you to do, then we're not gonna do what you want us to do. But did you also know that that word means to sing, that literally, as they're marching, as they're walking, as they're wandering, as they're journeying, they're also singing songs about how they're growing impatient and how they are speaking against God, that their music is also anti-God. Can I ask you a question what does your music say that you listen to during the week? Is your music for God, the things of God, the ways of God, the truth of God, or is it against God in what he stands for, in who he is?
Speaker 1:I want you to see that there were five things that they spoke against God. Number one is they just spoke against him personally. They spoke against the person of God. Number two is Moses and the people spoke against God and against Moses. Who was Moses? He was the prophet of God. Number three is the word why. It says they spoke against God and Moses God, why, in other words, they spoke against the purposes of God. Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die? That's number four. They're speaking against the protection of God in their life. They're questioning God, they're questioning his goodness. They spoke against the person of God, the prophet of God, the purpose of God, the protection of God. And then number five we see that they are. They said, for there is no food and there's no water and we load this worthless food. They're speaking against the very provision of God and I'm guilty of that and I would imagine you're guilty of that.
Speaker 1:But often, when we not just bring our complaints to God but we complain about God, that we have no idea how much that we are speaking against him and what he ultimately wants to do in our life. And it's so interesting to me that 40 years prior that they were complaining and they were begging and they were saying that they were dying for food. And so God gives them, he gives them manna, and this is what they're loathing, this is what they're hated this is literally the word means to be disgusted. This is what they are going through. That they are. They're hating the very food that they once loved, and often this can happen in our life, that we can begin to hate what God had once given us.
Speaker 1:Sometimes we get tired of forgiving people who hurt us, or we get tired of choosing joy in our trials. We get tired of fighting temptation. We get tired of loving our enemies. Maybe there are times in your life that you get tired of your spouse, you get tired of your family, you get tired of your friends, you get tired of your kids, you get tired of your church, and maybe there are times that our sin tempts us to get tired of the very blessings of God that he has put in our life. It happens to all of us.
Speaker 1:I remember one time my wife took me on a. We like to take each other to our favorite birthday spot. We'll choose a different place every year, and there was a year that she took me. I asked her to take me to a Brazilian steakhouse. Why? Because God made Brazilian steakhouses on the eighth day. Can I get an amen? And God's gonna serve Brazilian steak in the marriage supper of the lamb. I believe that. And it's the place where you turn the green side up and all the gauchos just keep coming. They just keep carving slabs of meat off of a sword skewer. Can I get an amen? I mean, it is a man meal if I've ever seen it, and it was unbelievable until about an hour went by and I had eaten enough meat for four men and I didn't want to see another bite of meat again. I was so sick and tired of the taste of meat, the feel of meat, right, I was loathing the meat. Why? Because it's all I had.
Speaker 1:And that's what they're experiencing and they're starting to question. They're starting to doubt the goodness of God, the person of God, the purposes of God, because of all that God is providing for them in their life. I read this quote and I love this quote. When a person's heart is intent on rebellion, when a person's heart is intent on rebellion and beset with discontentment, even the best gifts from the Lord can lose their flavor. Nothing will fully satisfy until the heart is made right. In other words, the condition of your heart is that in which that you're able to enjoy your life. The condition of your heart towards God is that in which enables you to enjoy your life.
Speaker 1:We know that we all struggle with sin. Romans 3.10, none are righteous, no, not one. Romans 3.23, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all struggle with the rebellion of sin. Number two is the judgment of God. Everybody say judgment, the judgment of God. We all struggle with the rebellion of sin. Number two is the judgment of God. Everybody say judgment. The judgment of God says then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people so that many people of Israel died.
Speaker 1:Here's the snake story. So they're all complaining against God, speaking against God, and God sends these fiery serpents. And some people say okay, what does the fiery serpent mean? Some people think that fiery could mean like they have these fiery colors, like you've seen colorful snakes. Other people thought that fiery serpent meant that maybe there were like fire-breathing dragons walking around, which not true, but would be awesome. And really what they're saying is it's a fiery venom that goes through your veins when the serpent, when the snake, bites you. And we look at these passages of scripture and we wonder God, are you maybe overdoing it? God, have you gone too far? Did you take your meds that morning? God, have you gone too far? Did you take your meds that morning, like God? What exactly is going on, god? Is it that bad? We gotta remember that God is perfect in everything that he does, hear me, is for a purpose in your life. Historians tell us that it was probably a carpet. I don't even like this picture, that it was probably a carpet viper. Carpet vipers are responsible for more snake deaths in the world than any other snake.
Speaker 1:1 Corinthians, chapter 10, nine, the apostle Paul says, literally thousands of years later, he says we must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and they were destroyed by serpents. In other words, what is God doing? God is saying you know what your real problem is. God is saying your real problem is not the situation around you. God is saying your real problem is the sin within you and I don't know about you. But I need to look into passages of scripture like this and I need to not say what is wrong with them. I need to turn around and say what is wrong with me Because with them. I need to turn around and say what is wrong with me Because what God is saying is the reason that he sent snakes. And remember, we're talking somewhere between two to three million people, if you can imagine the amount of people, the amount of snakes during this time, as they're all getting bit and the Bible says that some of them died.
Speaker 1:What is God really saying? God is saying the real issue here is not the situation around you, but it's the sin within you, because it is Satan who's tempting you. And he's saying the problem is the serpent. All the way back from the Garden of Eden. In Genesis, chapter three, we know that Satan, in the form of a snake, he slithers onto the scene and he tempts Adam and Eve in order to rebel against God, to obey the serpent rather than to obey God. And we see that there's this evil serpent all the way throughout Scripture, even all the way to the end of the Bible, revelation, chapter 12, verse nine. It says in Revelation 12, nine, let me read this to you. It says and the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan, he is the deceiver of the whole world. See, here's the deal.
Speaker 1:Satan is real and the Bible says that he's like a prowling lion Hear me Lurking and seeking whom he may devour. In other words, he's watching your every move. He knows what temptations that you are most likely to fall in. He knows what lures you the most. He knows how to deceive you. He's watching, he's listening, he's observing, he's learning, and all Satan wants is for you to not follow Jesus. He doesn't care how you do it. See, he was an angel that was created by God, and the Bible says. The Bible talks about how he was an angel that was created by God and the Bible says the Bible talks about how he was watching everything that was created and Satan.
Speaker 1:1 Timothy 3 says that he was welling up with jealousy. Why? Because he saw that God created this amazing universe and even all of humanity for Jesus. And so Satan knows that Jesus is the key to your life. And because Satan is jealous of Jesus for you, and just like he went to Adam and Eve, he goes to you. Just like he goes to Adam and Eve, he goes to me and he goes to Michelle, and he tempts us and he deceives us, and he wants us to take our eyes off of Jesus because he wants us to obey him and to worship him, which is sin. Satan is a real being. Who's really after you? Who really wants you to not follow after Jesus? Romans 6.23 says the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Why were they being bitten and dying? Because God is saying there's something far worse than a snake bite and dying a physical death and what's far worse is being bitten by the ancient, the evil spiritual serpent, and being sent to hell. This is actually the grace of God, even within the judgment of God.
Speaker 1:It's like when my kids misbehave and I give them chance after chance after chance and I warn them and I tell them if you continue to act like this, daddy's gonna have to discipline you. Why? Because I want to be a good dad, because I love them and I want to teach them right from wrong. And if they continue in disobedience, then I must discipline them. And after I discipline them, I ask them every time does daddy want to discipline you? And they say no. I say that's right. I don't want to discipline you because I love you, but I love you too much to live in sin. And that's the way that God works in your life. He's a good dad, he's a good father, he absolutely loves you. He just doesn't want you to fall to the evil one. And so, because that God disciplines us, because of God's judgment, we see that we're called to repent. The repentance of the people. Numbers 21, seven.
Speaker 1:The people came to Moses and they said to Moses we have sinned. That's what confession is God. I have sinned, we've sinned against the Lord. And they said, moses, we've sinned against you sinned. We've sinned against the Lord. And they said, moses, we've sinned against you. So, moses, would you pray to the Lord that he would take away the serpents from us? So Moses prayed that God would take away the serpents, and he did. In other words, here's what's going on. Moses is in this position. Like Jesus, moses is the mediator between God and man. They go to Moses We've sinned against God, we've sinned against you. Would you pray for us? Did you know? The Bible says that Jesus is praying for you, that he's your mediator. Don't believe me. Go home today and read John, chapter 17, a whole chapter of scripture on how Jesus prays for you. Not only Jesus, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit's praying for you. If I know that Jesus is praying for me, the Holy Spirit is praying for me, that means that I've got no excuse that I have what it takes. I have all I need to be able to live my life for Jesus.
Speaker 1:So my question for us this morning is what sin are you dealing with? What sin are you struggling with? What sin is continuing in your life? Here are five steps to breaking free from any sin. Number one that you experience you feel you receive the conviction of the Holy Spirit. God doesn't play the guilt game. Guilt is I'm horrible, I messed up, what's wrong with me? Conviction is I've sinned against a holy God and he loves me.
Speaker 1:Confession we confess our sin to God. God, you're right. God, I'm wrong, I've sinned against you. Forgiveness, god. I ask you to forgive me, and here's where a lot of Christians get it wrong. Hear me that you receive and you believe in God's forgiveness. There are so many Christians that have been forgiven by God, but yet they continue to walk around in guilt because they don't believe that they have been given the forgiveness of God when he has offered it to you fully and freely. And you've gotta believe that, because Jesus died for your sin, that God is willing to forgive you of all of your sin that you confess.
Speaker 1:The Bible says if you confess your sin. He is faithful and just to forgive you of your sin and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness so that we can live in repentance. That just means 180 degree directional return, directional turn so that we can live our life for Jesus, so that we can live our lives in obedience. And lastly, and I'm done, and the Lord said to Moses, here's what I want you to do Take one of the serpents, a fiery serpent, set it on a pole. Everyone who is bitten when he sees it shall live. So Moses made a bronze serpent. He set it on a pole and if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. I want you to see here it says when anyone, when he sees it, he shall live. I wanna make this point and I'm done. God said Moses take the very thing that has bitten you, the very thing that is killing you. I want you to put it on a pole and I just simply want people to look at it. But hear me, god is not talking here about a cheap glance. He's not talking about here. If you just look at it and boom, instantly you're healed.
Speaker 1:Did you know that that word, see, the Hebrew word is ra'ah, and ra'ah means to behold. It means to look upon something and to perceive, to understand what that thing of which you are looking upon, to understand what it is symbolizing. The word also means to enjoy. In other words, it's the same way in which, hear me, that we look at Jesus on the cross. We see here in Galatians 3.13, that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written cursed is everyone who is hanging on a tree. Jesus is on the cross, not just as your savior, hear me. He is on the cross as your curse, as the curse of your sin.
Speaker 1:You ever notice that John, chapter 3, verse 16, the most famous verse in all the Bible, is in the context of Numbers 21? John 3, 14,. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. If you're here this morning and you've not ever given your life to Jesus, I want you to know that what God is calling you to do is to look on his son, jesus Christ, this morning, to look and believe and be forgiven. To look and believe and be saved. If you're already saved, then God is calling you to do the exact same thing this morning to look to Jesus, to cast your eyes upon Jesus, to fix and lock your eyes on Jesus and you look to him and you believe in his death for your sin, so that you too can be forgiven, so that I too can be forgiven, can be forgiven, so that I too can be forgiven. Why? Because there's really only two people in the world the saved and the lost.
Speaker 1:Went to lunch this past week with Clyde Wade, one of our church members, and we were eating some sushi and Clyde said Pastor Chip, you ever heard of the Titanic illustration? I said no, clyde, it was the Titanic illustration. I said, no, clyde, what's the Titanic illustration? He said well, on the Titanic were all kinds of different people different ages, different races, different economic status, different education, different nations, all kinds of different people, he said. But when the Titanic sank and the newspapers went out, there were only two columns, two kinds of people the saved and the lost.
Speaker 1:We often look around our world and we see all of our differences, but God only sees two Are you lost or are you saved? I'm going to ask every head to be bowed and every eye to be closed right now. With every head bowed and every eye closed, I just want to encourage you right now just to focus your heart and your mind on the Lord. And right now, maybe you are a Christian, maybe you've already been saved, you've already given your life to Jesus, but you know those sins in your life that you need to break free from. And I wanna encourage you right now to fix the eyes of your heart on Jesus and confess your sin to him, ask him to forgive you, to give you the power of repentance on a daily basis, to live in obedience. And that's not just a one-time ask, that's a daily ask. The Christian life is one of repentance. Sin is rebelling. The gospel is repenting.
Speaker 1:Maybe you're here today and you've never really, fully, truly given your life to Jesus, and today is your day of salvation. He's doing something different in your heart right now. He's speaking to you. He's calling you. He's speaking to you. He's calling you. He's inviting you to be saved by him.
Speaker 1:I can't save you, I can't pray this prayer for you, but right here right now. You could pray a prayer like this from your own heart to God. In your own words, you can just say God, I believe in you, god, I need you and God, I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and I ask you to forgive me of all of my sin. And you can tell him from your own heart God, I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I turn from my sin and I turn and I give my life to Jesus. And the Bible says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, you will be forgiven, you will be one of his children and he comes into your life and he changes you and he makes you a new creation. And he changes you and he makes you a new creation. And, heavenly Father, we believe that. God, we thank you for that and we pray these things in Jesus' name.
Speaker 1:And all God's people said can we put our hands together this morning for anybody that gave their life to Jesus? We are so thankful. Welcome to the family. God is so good. I wanna remind you that there's a next step card in front of you and maybe you gave your life to Jesus, or maybe you have a decision that you need to make this morning, or maybe you need to be baptized, like you saw them this morning, or whatever it might be. I just want you to know that we wanna be a church. Who's for you, who wants to walk alongside you? Can we all stand together right now? I who wants to walk alongside you, can we all stand together right now? I wanna pray again.
Speaker 1:We're gonna sing one last worship song to the Lord. You know why? Because worship in scripture is always a response to God's word. We've heard his word, so let's worship his son. Heavenly Father, we love you and God. We pray in Jesus' name, lord, that you would just help us to break free from every sin, not our power, not our way, but God, your power and your way. That we would continue to follow Jesus, confessing our sin along the way. God, that you would give us power over any and all sin. God, I know that we'll never be perfect, but also there's no sin in our life that should dominate us. So we give it all to you, we cast our eyes upon you, we look to you to live In Jesus' name In all God's people's name, amen. Let's sing to him right now.