Immanuel CHANGE OF HEART

So can we just have to wait your name for you are worthy. Lord Jesus, I just pray in the name of Jesus is praying your name that you would move my retailer God. Puppet sassy that you Emmanuel God With Us I've come. The sake of us look at it set us free the drawers into your glorious tonight. We thank you for the name of Jesus Amen.

This is our second week in our Emmanuel God With A series and this one is called change of heart now. I have a little story for you first. A man came home from work and found a free children outside still in their pajamas playing in the mud with empty food boxes and rapper strewn all around the front yard. The door of his wife's car was open as was the front door to the house. And there was no sign of the dog proceeding to the entry. He found an even bigger mess a lamp had been knocked over in the throw rug was one against one wall. In the front room, the TV was loudly blaring on a cartoon channel in the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing in the kitchen dishes filled the sink breakfast food was spilled on the counter. The fridge door was wide open dog food was spilled on the floor broken glass light under the table in a small pile of sandwich spread by the back door.

some of you been

he quickly heading up the stairs stepping over toys and more piles of clothes looking for his wife. He was worried. She might be ill or the something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out of the bathroom door as he peered inside. He found wet towels scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor tiles of toilet paper lay in a heap in toothpaste have been smeared over the mirrors in walls. As he rushed to the bedroom how many of you will be completely frantic at this point in freaking out? As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in bed in her pajamas reading a novel. She looked up at him smile and ask how your day went go.

The wildernest what happened here today? She can smiled and answered, you know every day when you come home from work and asked me what I did all day.

yes was incredulous the people I She answered. Well today I didn't do it.

You know, sometimes we take our spouses for granted. It goes both ways, but man, it's it's most of time. Okay, sometimes we take our spouses for granted. and I actually have a way to tie this in today because sometimes we treat Jesus the same way.

How you may ask?

You see when Jesus came on the scene when Jesus came and showed up Emmanuel God With Us. He came in here and started Grace into the law and we talked about what that looked like last week about how he took the law be fulfilled everything and took what was like we used the Berlin Wall is the example took what was death if you CrossFit

And turned it into like a schoolyard fence something that allowed us the freedom to play right up to the edge of the road with the safety of not falling into it.

You know what we come to the Lord. Mooseberry first come to the Lord. We're often sorrowful over our sins. We see all the stuff. We're in. We ask God to save us from it to forgive us our sins and we go through a time of sorrow and in car washes it away in heels are from it.

Oftentimes we first come to the Lord would like that tax collector in the parable who? Sit in the back. It doesn't even look up and just beats on his chest the same God forgive me a sinner in Jesus says that man went away Justified.

But we're time. We become callous.

We start to think. And it's okay. Just using just forgive me. Right after we do something like our God and we move on and then we get to a point where you start saying. I'm sorry. And then we do it.

Before we get to a point where it's just become so callous. that is just like I sent again. Where is my salvation card free good. Thank you Jesus. If he comes.

Just something we know is there. We don't much care about any more, you know. It's like Jesus. It comes our spiritual Swiffer. We we make a mess. He just comes in quickly cleans it up, you know.

It's the only Swiffer picture I could find with sandals in it.

It's like this is what we've made Jesus.

We forget the price he paid.

the clean up those messes easy to just say sorry about this again. Take care of that for me. Thanks later next week.

We forget. We forgot something earlier and show you something your first off most of us know this part. the Matthew chapter 3 verses 1 and 2 it says in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. remember that you know, I remember that. Because John was apart of the law John was a part of what was passing away. John came to prepare the way for what was coming. It was new the grace. The thing will be all nice and warm and fuzzy and make us feel better.

But we forget. but the first thing that Jesus did when he started his ministry after he was baptized when the Wilderness was tempted and then came back and start his ministry. This is the first thing he did and Matthew chapter 4 verse 17. It says from that time Jesus began to preach and to say repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

No, Grace came was written in the law. In Jesus came to forgive us our sins.

It doesn't mean the same as okay.

It doesn't mean we can just take it for granted and say

I got my card number says right here Christian. Believe none such and such a date said the prayer, you know, maybe shut up here.

and think that's just okay just Keep living in sin.

You probably noticed those if you would have been with me for a while. I don't talk a whole lot about Sin. I think But my personal feeling on it is when you got preachers that preach all the time about Sin. He was like when you're always telling people what they're doing wrong. You're just encouraging them to do more wrong with you. You not giving them away out. You're not helping them to understand how to step forward. You know, there's two ways of looking at something. You don't always have to just browbeat people. but on the flip side if we never talked about it.

We're doing ourselves a great disservice and we are. We will get to the point where we are. Just spoiling the name of Jesus the way we Act.

So I'm going to give you for those either take notes. This is the outlines of the whole thing today. We talked about repentance to repent to turn away. and this is our holistic response or holistic approach to repentance. Okay. Now if you're taking notes these four things are what we going to talk about. And leave a little space after each one to put in the verses or whatever point you want put in there, but that's what it is. Leave us up there for a minute. I said repent to turn away. It's a holistic response. prompted by the spirit of God number to recognize through motion number three acted upon through the will and lastly it's fueled through relationship. I'm fed up with just another minute there. Those who?

writing that down

I'm going to take you through.

What repentance is supposed to look like? Sometimes you can simplify it so much. You just say, you know, hey, just just turn away from your Sam's just stop doing it. Do you want there something in your life? That's all you got to do. You just got to stop doing it. Sometimes a simple just sing know it's hollymead. Sometimes we forget that. Not everything has to be a good production. But sometimes there are things that are ingrained. Sometimes there are things we struggle with. We need a little more in-depth answer on how do we work through this? How do we get from where we are to where we want to be gay. So that's what we're talking about today. Okay, the first off I want to just give you in case you don't understand what I mean by holistic response. Here is a a quote from Moby's dictionary of complementary and alternative medicine. Is it the holistic responses therapeutic engagement with the patient as a whole taking into account the patient's physical emotional psychological social and spiritual aspects. Okay, so it's treating in in this case pocket but a patient is treating a patient in a way that doesn't just address the physical ailment. It's realizing that we are we are for people that are are made up of more than just we are physically there's an emotional aspect as a spiritual aspect is the psychological aspect, you know, there's all these different things that go into making us up. So how do we repent in a way that takes this all

In consideration because those things that we struggle with that we can't seem to get victory over. Sometimes it's just because we're dressing one part of the problem, but not another part.

so here we go. number one Comfort by the spirit of God

John 6:37. Jesus said all that the father gives me come to me in the one who comes to me. I will by no means cast out. Now. There's many places. I can find the scripture to show you that we only come to Faith. Through the grace of God himself. He grants us the faith even believe in him. Okay, so first and foremost we need to understand. Even the ability to repent comes from God. We will not even have any desire to repent unless God first and still isn't enough. So we need to keep that first foremost realizing everything. Absolutely everything comes from your very breath. Your ability to live is a gift from God.

I need to realize our other Reliance on God.

and also You know that we talked about the law last week and how it showed him their sin, but they had no ability to win over it but now in Christ because of what he did on the cross because of what he accomplished. We no longer have to be a slave. That's in any legal contract. Satan had over us was abolished through Christ Jesus. So when you you get those thoughts that come up when I say you'll you'll never get better. You'll you're always going to be doing that. You're always going to be stuck in that same you're always going to be that person. You're always you can say. No because Jesus Christ did I no longer have to listen to Satan you now have that right?

all because of what Jesus did

so first and foremost this realization and are holistic responses, the spiritual aspect realizing you now have the ability because of what Jesus Christ did he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. So there is nothing absolutely nothing. This world can hold against you or hold you to that God cannot bring you through. That realization first off the free thought.

It's one thing to say it does nothing to live it.

We need to realize first and foremost there is nothing. We cannot be victorious over in Christ.

recognize your emotion. Okay now that's when you're going to follow me a little bit on okay.

You guys going to seem a little weird at first? X754 says when they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed at him with their teeth. Okay. This doesn't sound like a very happy response. This is actually the Pharisees response to Stephen.

Calling them and bringing their sin before their eyes. Steven ends up getting murdered right after this they were cut to the heart it reach them. It was an emotional response, but then they decided Contrary to God Lynn of killing Stephen. Okay. So right off it's almost going to seem like I'm contradicting myself, but though an emotional response is important. Emotional response doesn't necessarily bring about repentance. Emotional responses just a recognition of a need for repentance what you do with it? Decide where do you end up? following after God I'll be coming up the Pharisees.

Many places in many places throughout the New Testament. It says they were cut to the heart. Best Bibles way of saying dude hit him where they lived. It hit him in a way that it Rock their world say realize that me.

It's like those those times when you think I'm talking about you up here and I'm not talking about anybody. I'm just talkin. If not me God just has a way of cutting through sometimes and Industry. Can you where you live?

Trust me. I am not good enough to know how to fix any one person here. You know, I speak in generalities and then God it's the one that brings it home.

That emotion no is not enough for the change important. I believe it the necessary part to motivate true change.

But it's only a part. But we as people where emotional people we were made with emotions. none of us are nobody that I've ever met is Like a Star Trek fan.

Okay, I don't I don't want anybody to know.

live long and prosper yet Spock Spock is Remember, he's like emotionless. Everything is logic.

God didn't come to save Spock, okay.

God can save people we were made with emotions.

in any repentance we go through needs to involve the motion. It doesn't mean it has to be some huge emotional response.

But I tend to doubt if we feel nothing. It will take the steps to get things done we need to do in our lives emotions are often. What initiate change in my life?

Sonar holistic response. This is the emotional aspect. the emotion of repentance helps initiate are change

next one number three after the Bomb by the will or through the will now this this is where the rubber starts to meet the road. We're going to have a similar passage. This is now when they heard this they were cut to the heart Guy starts off the same as the last one, right? But notice the different response at the end and said to Peter into the rest of the Apostles men and Brethren what shall we do till the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down and just rocked all the disciples world so much so gods of Spears of pouring out in such a way that people around them thought they were drunk, okay.

You know how it is when there's something to see people come to see it. So people think these people are

Peter stands up and beans preach and when he shares about Jesus and how he came to save them from their sins. It says the people are listening. It says now then they heard this they were cut to the heart.

Same emotional response as the Pharisees but here's where the difference is. It says. And said to Peter the rest of the Apostles men and Brethren what shall we do instead of getting angry and want to shut them up they said okay. How do we fix this? What do you want us to do? What would we have to do? To make this right?

Do there an act of the will? It was a different outcome in the Pharisees in this right here this moment. when they said what shall we do? That's the beginning of the church right there. That is when the church was birthed. when the people around said What shall we do? It went from being just these few disciples to remember how many thousand it said the first day at the church.

in life

So he hears when all comes together. Look at this. first the spirit of God calls in the situation you see

God use Peter preached to them. I preach the truth to them. in the spirit of God

Reach Out And Touch those were for hearing

in response to the spirit of God. These people had an emotional response. They were cut to the heart and their emotion and engage their psyche to make a decision. Okay, so they went from Okay. I know something is. I'm feeling something I've never felt before and I'm realizing me and I've been living away. That's wrong and I I need to do something about it. So we got a motion in gauges and to make a decision.

and then their decision they decide not to strain Stone Peter but to say what do you want? Should we do? They decide to follow after this Christ that are being told about.

And that decision drives action.

So now we've come to the point where they just had an emotional response to now they made a decision and now they're going to act on it.

Just want to insert here, you know. sometimes sometimes repentance is just

something all within our self but sometimes there are some things. That we need to do something about. Sometimes there are steps we need to take externally. Give me an example when I got saved. God deliver me from alcohol immediately.

That was pretty heavy drunk.

But pot I still smoke for a while. how many weeks it was later the Revival service and during the Revival service God rock my world and scared the crap out of me. It was a you there are times. When you're in the presence of God is glorious. It's awesome is the most wonderful thing in the world. There are times when you're your heart's not right and you're in the presence of God and it is a fearful thing to be in the presence of the Lord because you've suddenly went when you stand before that God. Everything in your life is laid bare.

Give me a fearful thing. And that's I had an experience was like, oh my gosh. This needs to stop now. By the time that service at then it was late at night. My stash was Miles Away. How to get up early for work in the morning. So what I did I went home went to bed but I got up early and on my way to work I went to where my stash was house. I've been living at before.. And threw it out the window on the way to work and never look back. Sometimes there is something we need to do in response. There's something physical. I'll give you this encouragement. If you're repenting of something in there some part of it you need to do something. There's some step you need to take in in turning away from that do it quickly. Do it as quick as possible because time is not your friend. You put you put a size at all. I'll do that later. I plan to do it later. Not acting on that emotion.

What caused it to just be an emotion and you will never act on it.

Simple obedience is quick obedience. It's something to do do it quickly. Don't put it off. So in this acting upon it through the will you see in a Hollister response this not only addresses a psychological aspect but also the physical aspect. Engage our will enact the physical.

And lastly fueled through relationship. Now, this is where this what I think is really cool.

The obvious when you think like, okay. Is that verse that do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together? Okay. Yes it is. It is a command of the Lord for us to gather together as Christians to be an encouragement for one another to build each other up.

Even if you got all your stuff together, and I'll tell you what. I don't know if anybody get all their stuff together. I'm not African to have all my stuff together. Okay? but even if you did even if you have all your stuff together You're still not supposed to be forsake the assembling of ourselves together because then it's your job to encourage others. It is your job to be one of the ones that helps your brothers and sisters. So there's no excuse for that.

in that The fellowship this community that we are in helps us be accountable not in the way of judgment sinkhole. I know what you did.

To be there to lift each other up we struggle. Is he the one we all have times or Ridin High and we're doing well.

and then we have X the world knocks you on your butt and you find out from the doctors like you just did.

And then everything that was so easy. Last week is now you're struggling This Moment by moment.

Because you just said knocking your butt in this is where our community post lift each other up. It's the same way with repentance, you know, there are places where we struggle. Movie have struggles. We are supposed to be here to lift each other up not to condemn each other to say. Oh you dirty rotten Center you're stuck in that thing, you know. We are to love each other encouraged other and strengthen one another.

sometimes that can be somebody saying something to us. We don't want to hear. What song is done in love?

Not for the purpose of judging both of the purpose of saying hey, this is leaving you down a bad Road. You need to turn from it.

the purpose of encouraging and building up

Good, but is another part here. And this one x minus one fascinating. Matthew 26:41 Jesus says Watch and Pray lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak. Okay. Now we all know the story, but I want to take you through it real quick because I want to show you something. Pier We all know Peter. Times have more faith than anybody else around him. But he also was the first one to put his foot in his mouth. You know, he was bold and confident.

in some ways it's his confidence with self-confidence and God worked on in an in that but there's a time he's about to go to the cross and having their last supper and during this time.

Jesus makes a proclamation. You know what you're all going to deny me. Computer says I will never deny you. Even if I have to I will never deny you.

I think you I think you truly meant it.

Oh, yeah, he's being cocky probably showing off a little but I believe you meant it.

And then Jesus dropped his bomb in a man says heater. Before the rooster crows you're going to deny me three times.

He didn't want to go that he's like

he's on like you ever had some like just keep talkin trying to convince themselves. You know, when Jesus tells you something you buy this time. They've been with him three years. They know when he says something is through okay. But he just keeps talking to try to like.

That doesn't go too well. Then they go to pray.

And this year he says to Peter. Is one of the ones where he says Watch and Pray lest you enter into temptation.

So of course Peter. Down is easy start praying intensely because he knows he's been told he's going to die tonight. Right right there. He's he's pounding on the heavens, you know, like you fall asleep.

He's out.

multiple times wake up pray

He's falling asleep.

This is so fascinating because here

now come back to the house. I'll come back then. So we go in Jesus gets all the way. Peter follows along he's watching stuff going on there cusing Jesus. I remember it was the same night that he was told. That he was going to deny Jesus three times. Okay, so it's not like this is a month later and I forgot know same night couple hours ago. Jesus told him. You were going to deny me and hear this opportunity arises suddenly the serving girl says. Hey, aren't you with him? You know. Reading from the outside don't you think like a that a couple hours ago? Shouldn't I be like a big red flag? This is where it's going to happen.

No, it's not.

It happens again, and then it happens again. And you know what Peter doesn't even have a clue that it's happening. until the rooster crows and then it

Oh my gosh, what just happened and you realize didn't you see the intense remorse cuz it says he goes away weeping bitterly.

UC temptation King of the moment he was asked. Hey, aren't you one of the disciples?

He didn't send. By hearing somebody ask him.

Ascend when the opportunity arose and he entered into it by giving the response that denied Jesus

when Jesus said Watch and Pray this is what's so fascinating. Jesus made a set of prophetic word that he was going to deny him three times. And then Jesus gave him the key on how to defeat the prophetic word that he put out there. Am I crazy? He's like, yeah, I'm always right and I'm God and the thing that's going to happen. But if you do this

I'll be wrong.

I just kind of like your mind. Sing Watch and Pray.

Lest you enter into temptation. Is he prayer? Open our eyes spiritual realities.

I believe if you would have done is Jesus said if you would have struggled through the heavy eyes and

look up to fix or whatever had to do to stay awake. Slap himself have any of you ever been like me and you're like really tired driving you like smacking herself. And you just thinking like this probably other people throw their like what is going on? You do what you got to do. but

I believe if you would have done what you just told me he had to do.

when that little servant girl I'd raise that question. He would have realized this is it. This is what Jesus told me was going to tempt me. And then he would have had the ability to make a different decision.

Because his eyes would have been open to the spiritual reality of the Temptation that was before him.

Easy to be on the outside and be like, you know.

Peter was an idiot there what was wrong with him? But if you are honest and we look at our own lives we've struggled. How many times have we entered into temptation? We should have seen it a mile away. and yet on the backside of her like how did I not see that? It was so obvious. How did I don't understand?

Bible promises that God will make us a way of Escape.

But we won't even see it unless we're in prayer. Prayer, is that communication with God? It's a build our relationship with God and open communication lines up with God on our side to tell us what's coming up. So we know what we're going to face with something. It's God. He knows already. You can tell us all the pitbulls that are coming up. It's a Walmart in prayer. We make a part of our life. Learn to hear his voice first off. So we hear the warning. Hey watch out cuz you're going to deny me.

singing prayer also keeps us from becoming callus.

It keeps us.

For making Jesus are Swiffer.

I've been somebody who when I first got saved I put the upmost importance on the Bible. In Reddit day in day out Non-Stop and that's important and that's good. But the longer I go on my walk.

The more I am coming to a belief then we need to be in the word weed and stand. But as much or even more important is for us to be in prayer. We need to have our life submitted to God in a way that we are in communication and bringing him into our daily life.

So this is how we're going to take us out here.

when Jesus restores Peter

appears to them and maybe they were out fishing they come in and he's eating over a meal and it's all the disciples together. and then publicly

Peter at Jesus restores Peter 2 Peter you love me.

yesler

Feed my sheep. Peter

do you love me?

Yes, I know I do.

iCare my sheep Peter do you love me?

The third time he asked Peter just broke and sing. Or do you know all things? You know, I love you. He doesn't feed my Lambs. The instruction afterwards shows us it was never Jesus is purposed ameliorate. That's not

What Jesus was doing? But he needed to get into Peter's heart.

He's a touch him in place inside and then he was restoring them publicly in front of him. It wasn't just saying I'm forgiving you. He's saying look at this man who I have given a purpose. Is never his intention? Timmy Lee 8 this never got intention to humiliate us. He doesn't want to humiliate you he wants to build you up. He wants to give you a purpose. He wants to give you life more abundantly.

I find it interesting that he did it in front of it in public.

So this is what I want to do today. If you are so bold, don't worry. I'm not going to ask anybody to stand up and say like I did this today.

But I want you to stick moment. Restart your heart.

If there's an area in your life where God is saying hey, you need to turn away from this. Rent a cabin right now ask yourself and let me speak to your heart.

If you just did that.

Show me something. I'm sitting here before you saying I've showed me something. I need to take care of. You're here today and got to show you something.

He said hey, this is area to work on right now. Let's take care of this. If you here today and you believed God show you something people stand with me.

I pray this over you.

or God In The Name of Jesus that those things that you would showed us work on.

You put your hearts or God you cut ass in there and then let us know there's a spot there.

Maybe we've been treating you like a Swiffer in that spot. workout with disaster forgiveness

repeal or the name of Jesus that you will forgive us because clean

workout We now make the decision.

change to turn away from it. I pray you give us wisdom and how to do it.

I pray that you would.

Give us desire to pray.

That you would show us what action to take to protect ourselves.

Let us see the Temptation work out so that we will not enter in. Thank you, Lord. We give you all the glory. amen now

if your prayer is not a regular part of your life. Make it a part of your life make a time schedule it. It doesn't make it less spiritual put it in your calendar. Schedule time mate a time to meet with God.

And then follow through with it and look what the Lord will do in your life. You will be amazed. The change will be in your life if you will give God even. What if you never done before to give them five minutes a day and see what he does with it? I guarantee you will be astounded by what he can do with 5 minutes for giving him five minute. Give him five more, you know where we're at. Turn up a little bit and see what God does with that. He's a good and faithful God. No wonder you are not everybody was able to see this last week's I want to show something here quick before we end because this conference is going to be an opportunity for us to grow. The two topics are going to be impurity. and in beginning to step out in the gifts and I'm excited for his coming awesome time. So I would encourage you this week already got a bunch going but we have room for more if you have any inkling whatsoever be awesome.

get sound on it doesn't look like it's moving. already

trance again Take 2

Okay coming next week. Business conferences July 3rd through 5th. It's going to be an awesome time.

Next year, it's a Thursday night all day Friday all day Saturday those what's that are going together will a 30 bucks for the conference plus meals while you're down there. We'll go someplace that isn't expensive so we can all afford to go with the times of ministry are going to blow your mind because God is going to move. Okay, and I'm excited to have more than just me go this time. So I'm not the only one coming back excited if you ever been super excited about something and nobody else knows what you're talking about. That's why I don't like the last time I went so I am excited that more people go with me. But yeah, so there is a sign up back there and

if you can if you know you're going and you want to hand in your money, put it in an envelope one of the tithing envelopes. It's $30 per person under other but conference. Okay, and when we count only 2 in in make sure your names on the envelope to I don't want to have $30 for a conference and not know who's going. Okay, so I will have to keep track of that who's paying in so we'll need to make a page for to keep track of that. Okay, you come pick us up.

I don't even have to say it be Stan.

We're going to stand in the clear like we do every week and when you do it, I hope that you just don't say it is to say it to follow along with me, but really mean it think about what it is you're declaring cuz when you're making a declaration you're standing up for it and it means something to you. So remember that when you repeating what I say to you, okay?

I will not take Jesus for granted.

I will watch and pray.

So I don't enter into temptation.

It seems like it would be so easy to do right? Let us prey. Oh God, I pray that you're with each and every one of us this week or God. And help us all recognize the Temptations that come into our lives daily.

Papa's all strive to be in your presence or gotten spend that 5 minutes 10 minutes or however long we need with you everyday, but let us those who are not doing it like I let them start with just five. To be in your presence and pray with you Lord God. The help us defeat the Temptation and to just be with you and strive to go after you more everyday. All of this in your name, we pray amen and I want to remind everybody to sign up for the conference in the back. If you have any inkling like Luke said to go I think it's going to be a really amazing experience.

Related Media

Related Sermons