Proof
Proof’s in da puddin’
Jesus is the hot topic right now. Everyone is talking about Him, but most don’t know Him. This movie that’s out right now has provided Christians one of the greatest opportunities since 9/11 to direct people’s attention towards the Lord and His grace. As you know, however, wherever the Lord is moving and planting seeds the Enemy follows along behind sowing weeds that will choke out the life of seedling if left unpulled. One of the things that can counter the Enemy’s designs is you, simply loving God and dwelling on His goodness. Living your faith out loud,
Tonight the Great Surgeon is going to come in and do some open heart surgery. For those that continue to play games with God and not give their whole hearts, God is calling you out tonight. He loves you too much to allow you to continue the way you are.
I am concerned that there are those in here who are continuing to deceive themselves into thinking that they are ok with Jesus, cuz they come to church. That is God forbid, they died tonight that God would accept their excuses about how they said a prayer a while back, they made a missions goal, they throw their spare change in the bucket. But they are still living exactly like they did before calling on the Name of Jesus.
Galatians 6:7-9 (AMP) "Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint."
I believe that we are in danger of becoming so big here at Forerunner that people can come and hide in the numbers. They can believe that “surely God is talking to someone else tonight.” I believe that there is an undercurrent of sin that is flowing, instead of the river of God. We are headed for 200 teens and young adults here real soon, but you better believe that I will be fighting for people to be living in truth and holiness.
I have heard of people in the past who had been coming, praising His Name, lifting their hands, and then daring to give themselves in demon worship through involvement in things like Wicca, playing with things of the occult.
Let me be clear. As always we welcome anyone to come. Are doors are open to anyone no matter what they are into, but we are going to point people to the Real Jesus, the uncompromising Jesus, the Holy One, The Savior and Deliverer! It is my hope that everyone feels comfortable and loved that walks through the door, but that after a while they feel terribly uncomfortable with the sin in their life. That if they have truly given their hearts to the Lord they are not coming and looking around and being deceived into thinking that this kind of decision isn’t truly life-changing!
The World needs to see the Power of God. He is a God who not only came and died so that we could be with Him forever, but that we could be set free from the sin that so easily dominates us. My God sets people free, not just changes their labels. “He whom the Son sets free is free indeed!”
There is a powerful stronghold of the Spirit of religion in this area, and the only way to defeat it is to live the truth. Live different, live free, live fighting the norm. The people around you don’t just need more words.
Know a tree by it’s fruit.
Matthew 7:16-19 (AMP) "You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit [worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit. A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration]. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire."
Your salvation isn’t found in your words but in your life!
If you can’t look back to a certain BC/AD point in your life, you are probably not born again. John 3:3 says you must be.
Over the years I have heard of 2 separate crazy stories on the news about how some dude was living a double life. He would have a wife and kids in one city and a wife and kids in another city, and would use business trips as his excuse for traveling in between them both. Of course the truth eventually came out, even though he apparently thought he could get away with it forever.
There are those that are living a double life here tonight. You think that because “God forgives”, and God has grace, that you can go on forever living a lie and be ok. But just like those other dudes, the truth is going to come out and bight you in the butt. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen people through the years that allowed this kind of duplicity in their lives thinking that they could get away with it, only to have their lives wrecked or at the very least humiliated. From teens to guys in the ministry. They started with little steps down a wrong path and before they knew it they were ensnared so deep that they were overcome…the whole time deceiving themselves thinking that they were ok…going through the motions.
NO one who is living for Jesus will allow sin to continue in their life. It is impossible.
1 John 3:6-10 (The Message) "No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They’ve got him all backwards. So, my dear children, don’t let anyone divert you from the truth. It’s the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah. Those who make a practice of sin are straight from the Devil, the pioneer in the practice of sin. The Son of God entered the scene to abolish the Devil’s ways. People conceived and brought into life by God don’t make a practice of sin. How could they? God’s seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It’s not in the nature of the God-begotten to practice and parade sin. Here’s how you tell the difference between God’s children and the Devil’s children: The one who won’t practice righteous ways isn’t from God, nor is the one who won’t love brother or sister. A simple test. "
Tonight I am not saying this so that you can go around and judge whether someone else is truly living it or not…it’s so you can stop deceiving yourself sucker!
God is not mocked! You will reap what you sow
Balance:
Can a Christian be caught in sin…yes. The difference? The Christian is fighting tooth and nail against themselves to get free and change. It may take a while, but they don’t give up
Does that mean that Christians have no sin? No. All of us have sin, no matter how strong or mature in our faith. The difference is continuing in sin without true confession and repentance. They are convicted of their sin and don’t ignore it forever.
God is gracious and patient with those who are seeking Him and don’t give up.