DID GOD REALLY SAY?

Through this series we have been talking about what it looks like to be a better us. And today I want to keep that conversation going by saying this: i love war movies. Anybody else? There's just something about a battle on the front lines. Thinking strategically. Fighting for a bigger purpose.

And you need to know that there is a very real battle going on. And the enemy is strategic. He does not move or advance on accident. HE DOESN’T WANT US… TO BE US. He knows the spots to attack that can tear down all the rest. Just like a strategic war battle the enemy knows what to attack to have the biggest impact.

And one of the biggest tactics of the enemy is to convince you that God's way isn't best. That what God says is outdated. That if God just understood what you were feeling or going through He wouldn't have said what He said. But here's what you need to know. You're feelings will change. What you felt at 12 isn't what you feel today. I sure hope not at least... What culture says is good and evil will change. Come on things are good today that 50 years ago were not. And things are evil today that 50 years ago were good.

But here's what you need to hear today. Not matter the year, the political climate, or what the world, it is God's word that stands true and is meant to be the guide for our life. The pathway to life.

But the enemy has a tactic. And it’s at work today. And here it is “DID GOD REALLY SAY?”. Even the church and believers are fighting over whether God said something or not and the enemy loves it. The enemy loves it when He can take what God said in black and white and make it gray.

This is the enemies oldest trick. In the Garden of Eden God creates Adam and Eve male and female. God gives them literally one simple rule. Have a blast, do whatever, but don't eat from this one tree. That's it. Just don't eat from this one tree. And one day the enemy satan comes and has a plan and it's the plan he still carries out today.

Genesis 3:1 (NLT) — 1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

Now obviously this isn't what God said. he said just don't eat from the one tree. But the part I want us to focus on is this: DID GOD REALLY SAY?

And this is the tactic the enemy still uses today. Did God really say Jesus was the only way? Did God really say he had a design for marriage? Did God really say there was a hell? Did God really say the church matters? Did God really say that sexual sin can damage your whole life? Did God really say that all believers are meant to be a part of reaching people and telling the good news of Jesus? Did God really say??

And if the enemy can just get you to question, just get you to doubt, it can seep into your very belief in God.

Thomas - Known as doubting Thomas. Asks Jesus a question about how they can be with Jesus. They know one day he will go to heaven and Thomas wants to know "how do we follow you there. And here is what Jesus says back:

John 14:6 (CSB) — 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus makes a very clear very black and white statement. I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. There is no other way, there is no other truth and there is no other life apart from me.

Jesus is the only way, He is the only way to truth. Jesus is the only way to life. But we live in a time where people say there are many ways, you can live your own truth and life is subjective.

There is a very really attack on the minds of Christians, churches and people who are seeking out who God is. And the attack is to make people question what God actually said. To make God's word so gray that you can say you follow Jesus but believe whatever you want.

It's almost like Christian Ricky Bobby. I like to picture Jesus not having an opinion about my sin. Well my Jesus doesn't have a standard for marriage. Well my Jesus would wear a T shirt that said my body my choice. Well my Jesus would have they them in their bio. Well my Jesus wouldn't say he's the only way to heaven.

WE START TO TAKE A VERY BLACK AND WHITE GOD AND MAKE HIM GRAY.

And we start to make Jesus in an image that makes us comfortable. But following Jesus was never meant to be comfortable. First century Christians were literally willing to give their lives and some did just to stand up for Jesus and todays Christians won't even give up their preferences and comfort. And when we seek a Jesus that makes us comfortable we end up not actually seeking Jesus at all but an imaginary savior that we’ve made up. (CS LEWIS QUOTE)

And the Holy Spirit is called the comforter but we have comfort labeled all wrong. We think the holy spirit is like an ambien or a LAZBOY that helps us just glide through life but the holy spirit is a comforter because he points us to God's truth and what God says. The HS is more like that alert in your car when you start driving without the seatbelt on. Alert. Hey! This isn't good. This is the wrong way to do this. You need this. It’s there to point us to God’s truth that will lead us to a better life.

If you go on the internet, social media or turn on the news everyone claims to have the answers. What your life should look like. What you should believe. What the truth is. What the way is. And it's loud. Today the lies are spoken much louder than the truth.

And if the enemy cannot convince you then he will settle for your children.

Our Children are inheriting a world that is worse morally & spiritually than we inherited. What is good is now bad and what was once evil is now good. And here is the solution to the problem. Children need the parents and adults in their lives who are pursuing Jesus, anchoring their family in the church, valuing what Jesus values, praying on their behalf and speaking the truth as loudly as they possibly can. Because the world is speaking its truth louder. The world screams their truth while the church hides behind pews and fights among themselves. The world seeks how to best deliver their message while the church seems to remain silent. But church we will no longer remain silent because the future generation depends on it.

Now two weeks ago I preached a message about listening to what God says instead of what I wish God had said. We covered a few controversial topics and I didn’t hold back about the reality of what God has said. And after that message I had a lot of you come up and told me how much you appreciated the boldness and I appreciated the feedback. But not everyone was so happy. Cause when you stand for truth there’s always people who want to knock you back down. We posted a clip from that message online and I got called a false Christ by an atheist, and the ad we were running of the clip so more people would hear the message was reported on instagram and facebook by an angry person and was immediately taken down by the self appointed fact checkers and truth police.

SO I FIGURED WHY DON’T WE THROW A LITTLE MORE GAS ON THE FIRE TODAY.

The enemy wants your children confused and anxious. Why? Because it’s easy. If you have kids you do it. We are entering the only time of year where you can use santa as a threat to get your kid to eat their food. AHHHH you better eat or im calling santa and he wont bring you anything. It’s easy. Now it’s funny when it’s santa but its not so funny when a 5 year old is convinced they were born with the wrong parts.

Gender Dysphoria

“gender dysphoria,” refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity.

IN FACT ACCORDING TO SOME DOCTORS when babies are born a doctor looks at their reproductive organs and takes a guess at what Gender they are, and sometimes that doctor is wrong. That same doctor also urges you to just trust the science.

96% by age 13 & 75% by age 7

Traditionalists: 1.3%

Baby Boomers: 2%

Gen X: 3.8%

Millennials: 9.1%

Gen Z: 15.9%

If this rate continues by 2057 we will all have Gender Dysphoria

I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT JESUS HAD TO SAY ABOUT INFLUENCING CHILDREN

Matthew 18:2–7 (NLT) — 2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.

IF YOU THOUGHT JESUS WAS COMFORTABLE AND POLITICALLY CORRECT YOU NEED TO DUST OFF YOUR BIBLE. Because Jesus literally says here that it would be better for you to be dead than to manipulate and lead a child into wrong decisions.

We live in a world where you cannot get a tattoo till 18. Cannot vote till 18. Cannot drink till 21. But you can mutilate your body by removing and changing reproductive organs before the 7th grade. ALL IN THE NAME OF A BETTER LIFE.

And the reason it works is because our children are finding momentary life in temperamental places. And they are doing that because they see the adult figures in their lives doing the same things.

When they look at their families they see parents who don't practice what they preach. When they look at other believers their age they see people following a set of rules and not having any life change in the process. When they look at Churches they see a tradition that is lifeless and where they see no evidence of a God that is moving.

AND HERE’s WHAT YOU MAY SAY. But pastor Cody. Im practicing what I preach, im keeping my kids in church, im running after Jesus, and my kids are still dealing with this. And you need to know that through your childs phones there are adults influencing them. Who feel their sole purpose in life is to help your child see what they call truth, and convince them the embrace their true sexuality before age 7. And if you think thats creepy and they should be arrested you would be correct.

But i'm here today to say not in our families and not in this church. I believe that God is stirring up a revival of people turning back to him and one day our children will be raising their children in this house. What we are doing here is not just for now its for generations. We are not okay with a lifeless church that moves children into apathy but rather a house of God where life change is the norm.

The next generation needs to see adults who are more passionate about Jesus today than they were the day they met Him. People who are devoted to God’s word. Passionate about God’s church. Trusting God with their finances. People who’s first response in trials is to fall to their knees and ask for help from the one that created them.

DO THE PEOPLE AND THE CHILDREN IN YOUR LIFE KNOW YOU FOLLOW JESUS? How would they know? Because it’s in your bio? Because you have a tattoo? Because of a bumper sticker? We need this next generation to SEE us following Jesus.

We need to pray in front of our kids

We need to serve in God’s house in front of our kids

We need to read God’s word in front of our kids

Our faith needs to be so public that it impacts anyone that is willing to look our way.

i believe God is calling New Purpose Church to be a part of a revival in our nation. That we would build a church here in middle tennessee that would impact people far beyond Tennessee. That would impact generations. That our childrens children would be impacted.

WE ARE NOT JUST HERE THIS MORNING TO GATHER. We are here this morning for something greater. Because everytime we come into God’s house and gather, worship, and agree in his name, we are laying another brick on the house that God is building. And what He’s building is not just for us but for generations to come.

BUT IT TAKES WORK. BUILDING SOMETHING LIKE THIS TAKES WORK. IT TAKES WORKERS.

And we can only be a strong us when we are strong individually.

SO IM CALLING US TO GO ON A JOURNEY TOGETHER. To us as a church ask God to move in a powerful way. For us individually to pursue Jesus like we never have.

WE MUST BE A PEOPLE THAT PURSUE JESUS AT ALL COSTS. That follow after him even when the world says turn the other way. That holds to God's truth even when the world and the enemy say "DID GOD REALLY SAY". To not turn to the right or to the left but to run the race set before us. WHY? Because the world and our children are watching and asking "WHO IS THIS JESUS?". Because there are people dying everyday without the life saving, eternity changing love of Jesus.

SO I WANT TO FLIP THE SCRIPT ON THE ENEMY TODAY AND BEAT HIM AT HIS OWN GAME

DID GOD REALLY SAY THAT YOU ARE TOO FAR GONE? NO

DID GOD REALLY SAY THAT YOU HAVE NO PURPOSE? NO

DID GOD REALLY SAY THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DOESN’T STILL MOVE? NO

DID GOD REALLY SAY THAT A NATION CANNOT TURN BACK TO THE LORD?NO

DID GOD REALLY SAY THAT THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THE CHURCH? YES

DID GOD REALLY SAY THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY? YES

DID GOD REALLY SAY THAT SALVATION AND FORGIVENESS IS AVAILABLE TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIS NAME? YES

DID GOD REALLY SAY THAT YOU HAVE A HOPE AND A FUTURE? YES

DID GOD REALLY SAY THAT IT DOESN’T MATTER THAT YOU WALKED IN HERE WITHOUT JESUS BECAUSE YOU CAN WALK OUT WITH HIM? YES