What is It?

Good morning and welcome to CCC. We are so glad each of you put God first this morning and came to His house.

To those who watch our live stream out of town welcome. We are so glad God brought you to us through technology.

For those watching the live stream in the Nevada area of course welcome to you as well and we do truly desire to worship together with you in person very soon.

Two very quick announcements.

We are having a potluck right after services today to dream about our IT

Wednesday night is FCA’s Fields of Faith. It is a night of worship and testimony and games and someone bringing the Word. Our Jr and Sr high bible study is going to attend. We will meet at the church at 6 pm and head to Logan Field at the high school at about 6:15 pm. The event ends at 8:30 pm so should be back to the church by 8:45 pm

Let’s Pray

START RECORDING

This morning we begin the Sermon series that we have been building towards for the past couple of months. I am excited about it. Not because it is my sermon series but because of what God is doing in and through each of you. God has really been stirring in my heart about messages and topics and even other series to follow.

He is being very active in me which leads to much conviction and pruning as I try to chase Jesus. As I try to become holy as God is holy through the Holy Spirit and God’s Word!

What is It?

You have heard me reference IT many times

What is IT?

It is the only two things that matter in life

Salvation

Discipleship

Nothing else matters until repentance leading to salvation happens in you

Nothing else matters until you are saved because until you are saved you are eternally damned and condemned to hell and eternal separation from God

You walk this earth as an enemy of God and one who will feel His full wrath when the time comes if you do not have Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior

Nothing you can do can fix that or stop that

That means nothing you

do

say

or

accomplish matters because it is all temporary and will vanish with you

your soul is at stake

your eternity is at stake

Until the Holy Spirit calls you and you respond with repentance leading to salvation nothing matters because you are defeated and doomed!

Discipleship should be a top priority for all Christians but unfortunately it is not for so many.

Discipleship…true discipleship takes commitment

it takes follow through

it takes time

it takes sacrifice

it takes a willingness to be open and vulnerable

Most count the cost of discipleship and decide it costs too much and pass and choose to stay on the milk of salvation and the gospel for the rest of their earthly lives

Still saved just refusing to grow and in turn refusing to experience life and life abundantly which is a

personal

dynamic

intimate

relationship with Jesus and the Father through the Holy Spirit!

As we will see in this series

IT is salvation and discipleship but the impact of those two priorities is far reaching

IT is life altering

IT will impact the eternities of everyone you come in contact with

As we will see once you are saved you are given a spiritual gift or gifts

Usually these gifts are an area of life you are passionate about

An area of life that turns your crank

That is your ministry

anything from cutting the grass or cleaning the church or greeting people as they enter or teaching, or worshipping, or leading youth, or helping with the financials of the church or building and maintenance or kitchen or giving communion meditation or being a deacon or elder or feeding the poor or clothing the naked or starting and running the van ministry or tech ministries

countless crank turners as children of God

One thing the elders talked about when preparing for IT is this question

What if we have a ministry we are currently doing that doesn’t turn anyone’s crank?

Are we mature and strong enough to let it go?

Will we chase Jesus and not tradition?

We will see as we go

The potluck immediately following services today is to begin that process of talking with each other…finding those with similar crank turners and begin to pray and dream together

God has each and everyone of you here on purpose...

God has each and everyone of you here by design

You are here as a result of a God ordained appointment

Unfortunately some choose to miss that appointment but God knew that as well

You are here because God has plans for you....plans to use you

plans to work through you

plans to bring you closer to Him through this body and family here at CCC

It is not an accident you are here this morning

It is not an accident you are watching our live stream

It is not an accident you are on our app or website watching this sermon

God has plans for each one of us

our job is to lean into Him and listen and more importantly DO!

IT must impact everyone and everything around Christians who are all in

That is really what IT is about being all in with Jesus because if you are all in nothing will stop you from being a disciple…making disciples and taking the Gospel to the lost leading to salvation!!!!!

Before we dive in I want to also reiterate the fact that the more you dive into Jesus the more the enemy will attack.

We started live streaming on our Facebook page as well as our website a few weeks ago. This week we get a message that our facebook page will be permanently shut down due to copyright issues. We have all of the proper licenses to stream but they attack anyway

Spiritual warfare. The more you stand for Jesus the more you stand against the world and satan and his demons and the powers of this world will come against you

Be prayerful and ready. That is why we did the spiritual warfare series to prepare us for what is to come as we dive into IT

Let’s dive in shall we

Salvation

_________________________________________

I want to start with what is called by many the Roman road. Salvation laid out in the book of Romans

I have preached on this before but felt God say go again

I have the scriptures in your notes because part of IT is taking salvation to the lost.

This scriptures can help you do just that

Many don’t evangelize, share the gospel because they feel unequipped....after this morning you will be equipped.

If you do not have a notes sheet please feel free to get up and grab one

they are located on both tables as you enter the sanctuary

Romans 3:10

_________________________________________

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”

By yourself

on your own

No one is righteous

Humans are born sinful with sinful natures and there is no human who is righteous

Through the Holy Spirit this is one of the first calls to repentance because before one can repent he must understand and agree to his lack of righteousness

Romans 3:23

_________________________________________

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Again moving from righteousness to the cause of unrighteousness....sin

All have sinned

all have fallen short of the glory of God

All

even you

even me

So many today grow up without any concept of sin and sin’s consequences

Instead of teaching God’s way of abstinence until marriage the world teaches abortion is a medical decision and proper response to an unwanted pregnancy

A woman’s choice.....the choice was made when he and she decided to sleep with someone.....now you need to deal with that choice and the consequences of that choice......murdering the baby is not the way to deal with your choice

All have sinned

Romans 6:23

_________________________________________

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Here are the consequences of sin....death

Could be physical death but for sure is spiritual death The world teaches do more good than bad and you can go to heaven

As long as you are not as bad as the next guy you are okay

No

the wages of sin is death

spiritual death

we can see here however God has a different plan for those who realize they need His gift of eternal life

Romans 5:6

_________________________________________

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Here is God’s plan....while you were without strength

while you were ungodly

while you were His enemy

Christ died for you

Christ died for me

Why

to pay our wages

to suffer our consequences

to offer us forgiveness and salvation

Romans 10:9–10

_________________________________________

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Romans 10:13

_________________________________________

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Salvation

Holy Spirit awakens one to their sinful....doomed condition then points to Jesus which leads to repentance then that repentance leads to salvation

Confession is more than words

in fact it has very little to do with physical words

this confession is declaring in your heart

your mind

your soul

that Jesus died in your place

paid your wages

paid your penalty and

offers you forgiveness and redemption

That forces you to repent....agree your old sinful ways are spiritually deadly and you dont want them any longer

you give yourself to Christ because Christ gave Himself for you

once that happens…truly happens....I say truly happens because this isnt some emotional reaction to a powerful situation

this isnt something you do because your friends are doing it

this isnt some set of words or prayer you halfheartedly repeat

No

when this happens you know because you are changed

look at Saul who became Paul

one day Saul was headed to Damascus to kill Christians and he meets Jesus

he is blinded and rocked

he is lead to repentance and salvation and becomes Paul and takes the gospel to the gentiles…you and me!

I also want you to understand what happens at salvation beyond forgiveness

I want you to have scripture to take to those who get saved to help them understand what happens

Once you are saved at the moment of salvation you receive the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 1:13–14

_________________________________________

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Sealed with the Holy Spirit

Once you are saved you are sealed

The Holy Spirit is the earnest of your inheritance

God Himself indwelling you His new son or daughter in Christ

You know you are a true Christian because you have the Holy Spirit

How do you know you have the Holy Spirit?

He produces fruit in your life

Galatians 5:22–23

_________________________________________

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

These are not plural fruits....it says fruit

You should see all 9 of these in your life if you are a Christian

You see this fruit in your life as a result of the Holy Spirit because you are not capable of producing it

only Holy Spirit in you produces it through you and you know you are saved by His fruit!

Now I want to make this statement about salvation

It is freely offered by Jesus to all who believe however it is not free to accept

In fact it costs you everything

Galatians 5:24

_________________________________________

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

Crucified the flesh

Crucified the affections and lusts of the flesh

you must be willing to die to you

you must be willing to die to the world

you must be willing to die to sin

you must be willing to die to all of it to follow Jesus

We will dive into discipleship next week but I feel lead to close salvation by looking at the cost

Not because I said to count the cost but because Jesus says so

Luke 14:28–33

_________________________________________

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

You must count the cost

There is a cost to follow Jesus

Salvation is a free gift

Jesus freely and willingly died on the cross after He became your sin so He could freely offer you salvation and forgiveness and redemption

As a result of that free gift…salvation…forgiveness…redemption as a result you must respond accordingly

You freely accept it but by accepting it

it costs you everything

So many claim to be Christians but have never truly counted the cost

I don’t thing we truly get this…again we will dive into this more next week in discipleship but I want us to understand this

Some sitting here today think they are saved but are not

They heard the gospel

they agreed the gospel was good

They were moved to action

but they never counted the cost

How do I know....they are not growing

they are not dying to themselves

they are not dying to the world

they are not living a sold out life for Christ because of Christ

As I said earlier God has really been working on me and I am not sure if this is going to become a series on its own…part of this series....it might even become a book I don’t know yet but what God laid upon me and rocked me to my core and foundation was this question

God ask me Who are you

Who am I?

IT goes a long way in answering that question

You see God says we are to be different as Christians

Set apart

Peculiar people

1 Peter 2:9

_________________________________________

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

That is part of the cost

becoming a peculiar people

why

because we do not live by the worlds standards but God’s standards

I get lots of questions this time of year about can you be Christian and celebrate Halloween

I believe if you are Christian and you celebrate sin and satan you are sinning

it doesnt matter if it is Halloween or supporting an artist who loves satan and sings of sinful things or watching a movie that is sinful and celebrating sin

sin is sin is sin

the window dressing doesnt change the fact that it is sin

peculiar people

just because it is okay in society doesnt make it okay in God’s eyes

Ephesians 4:29

_________________________________________

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

Is it edifying

does it minister grace unto the hearers

That is the question

That is the cost

Are you willing to lay down you and your wants and your desires and replace them with Jesus

When you struggle with is something a sin or not look to verses like this

is it edifying

does it minster grace

also Romans 14 should enter your debate and struggle as a Christian you and your behavior and choices and words should never be a stumbling block to Christians, especially less mature Christians

is it a stumbling block to other believers

Listen I am going to give you my personal conviction on Halloween....you have to arrive at your own personal conviction

I believe Halloween and how it is celebrated…dressing up children in evil costumes and telling them it is okay because it is halloween is evil

i believe it is a day the world sets aside to worship and honor its master satan

I believe if you invite satan in a little bit he moves in and takes over completely

i cannot see any part of halloween that is edifying

i cannot see any part of halloween that ministers grace to hearers

i cannot see any part of halloween that honors God

I believe I am to be dead to that because it is worldly

Now before you get all mad and come after me I think we all have halloweens in our lives

things that we know we should not do yet we still do

we also know good that we should do and dont

both are sins by the way

James 4:17

________________________

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

does that mean you are not saved

no it means you are human and are in the civil war that Paul describes in Romans 7:15-25 I am going to read this out of the NLT

Romans 7:15–25

_________________________________________

15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin

You and I are in a civil war if we are saved

God and satan are opposite you cannot have one without fully rejecting the other

when you fall that doesnt mean you are not saved it means you need to repent and confess that sin and be forgiven and cleansed of all unrighteousness

Where are you this morning?

Some may need to truly count the cost and come and truly accept Jesus for the very first time

Others thought they counted the cost but God through the Holy Spirit revealed to you this morning that is not the case

Come

Accept Him this morning

Others know they are saved but have been convicted that they are keeping Jesus to themselves and not sharing the gospel

others know they are saved but are refusing to die to themselves…are in the midst of the civil war raging inside of them and need to come and get right with Jesus to allow Him to overcome those battles

Whatever it is come