Skip to content How to Cross Train || Pastor Diego Mesa Apr 7 · 40 min ...more
April 7, 2024 · 40 min · Patria Sermons
...more Show the full description Show less Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
492K followers
Adam Mesa is Lead Pastor of Patria Church and speaks to a congregation of 12,000 about how the gospel of Jesus Christ brings purpose to every life. Patria
492K followers
Carrying Your Cross: A Call to Discipleship 0:01 Welcome to the ALSC podcast. Here at ALSC, we seek the lost, teach the found, and send the disciples. We truly hope you are encouraged by this week's message.0:14 We're starting a series now called Pain to Gain. And how many of you ever heard the old statement that says there there's no gain if there's no pain? And so we're gonna talk a little bit about that,0:26 but I want you to just simply stand on your feet as we open up the reason of God's word today as we launch the message today. It's 1 simple, and 2, and 3, and 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and0:38 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and 4, and His cross. He's talking about your cross. That's what he's talking about. And whosoever does not bear his cross and come0:50 after me, what what does this word say here? I thought Jesus is full of love, and I thought Jesus is full of grace, and Jesus is very forgiving. He is.1:02 But notice when he says, cannot be my what? You you could be a fan of his. You could be a fan of his and never take up the cross. You could quote1:14 unquote be somebody who's interested in Jesus and never take up the But if you want to be a true Christ follower, an emulator of Christ, a disciple of Christ, then you've got to take up your cross and1:25 come after him. You may be seated. I want to talk a little bit about what that means. So I want to subtitle this message when we talk about, pain to gain. We're talk we're gonna1:37 subtitle this message, cross training. Cross training. Now, you could go to in Europe, there's a country called Lithuania,1:49 And they have a famous place called the Hill of the Cross. Thousands and thousands of crosses. People bring crosses there and place them. The problem is, is2:01 they never take their cross back. They just leave it there. And when I talk about cross training, I'm not talking about what you and I are familiar with in the gym.2:14 I'm talking about that you and I will pick this thing up like this, and you will carry it into your world. You carry it into2:26 your friendships, you will carry it into your relationships, you will carry it into your choices, you will carry it into your decisions, You will carry it into your schools. You will carry it on your jobs.2:37 You will carry it everywhere you go. You you you will carry it into your interest, into your passions. You'll carry it everywhere. You'll carry it. But most of us do this, We carry2:49 it on Sunday morning, and then we drop it. And and we carry it we carry it all the way up to the front door of our job, then we drop it.3:05 We carry it all the way to Vegas, then we drop it. Hey. We carry it all the way till we go on vacation, and then we3:17 drop it. The cross he said here, if you wanna be my disciples, then you're gonna have to learn how to carry the cross.3:30 Because I think, I think3:45 But normal sanctuary that did not have an empty seat last week. Where are those people? We've3:57 got to teach them what Christianity is. It's about carrying your cross. And we and they don't seem to understand that we don't know how to share it or we're not doing a good example of that.4:09 So the question from last week that needs to be asked is where do we go from this hype hype celebration of adoration praise and jubilance? What do we do4:21 now? A week later, what do we do now? We carry that cross. That's what we do. That's what those early disciples did. These4:33 once timid, shy, ashamed, fearful, deserters. Once they saw that resurrection of what took place,4:45 they abandoned all their fears. They now live their lives without reservation, hesitation, and consideration. There was no regression, no return in their lives. They were moving4:57 forward because of what they witnessed. And that's a challenge for you and I. I recognize that people wear crosses, they put on crosses, they post crosses, they design and5:09 draw crosses, they sing about the cross, they believe in the cross. But the challenge for us is that Jesus carried his cross. Will you carry your cross?5:21 And it's time, look at somebody and tell somebody it's time to get cross fit. Because some of us are out of shape when it comes to the cross5:33 in our lives. In 19 78, you've heard me say this, but for those that don't know the story, I grew up as a Catholic. Went to 8 years of Catholic school,5:45 communion, first holy communion and confirmation. Now, to non Catholics, they don't know what the heck I just said, but to Catholics, they know what I meant. I was a Roman Catholic. I wasn't just a Catholic. I5:57 felt a calling to be a priest. So So I'm just trying to tell you where I was living at that time and how I was how I was raised at that particular time. I had never stepped foot6:09 in any other church or denomination or faith other than a Catholic church.6:21 Saturday 19 78, around May or June, and I am bored in the afternoon. So I begin to channel surf. Now I'm gonna show you young people how I'm gonna channel surf. So I had this hand6:33 on the knob, I had this hand on the rabbit ears and I was right in front of it going like this, 2 4 5 7, 9, 11, 13. That's it.6:44 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, 4, 2, nothing's on, I'm bored. Okay here we go, we're in desperation. Go to UHF. Now really move those6:56 years and stand on a foot and look. And so I heard this preacher, his name was Arthur Blessed. He carried the cross.7:09 He carried the cross to 248 nations, islands, and provinces. 43080 for you that are apple step,7:21 86000000 steps. He carried that cross. I watched this guy. Now, I'm not saved, and I didn't have a saved mouth neither. So7:33 I'm talking to that screen as I'm talking to that no good full of you know what preacher talking about Jesus and the love of Jesus and the forgiveness of Jesus carrying that cross.7:46 But as I stood there it began to melt my heart and melt my heart and melt my heart. And somebody who carried that Jesus like Jesus's cross walked into my life carrying that cross.7:58 And I gave I gave my life to Jesus Christ that day. And that's what the Lord challenges us to do. I carry my cross, Jesus would say. Now I need you to carry the cross. And I want you to take on8:10 the mission of what I live for. Take on the message in which I live for. And take on the ministry that I'm calling you to and tell the world. And so with that in mind, I wanna launch8:22 4 4 panes today, in lieu of the theme today. 4 things that Jesus had to experience on that cross and 4 things that you and I need to do if we're gonna take8:34 up the cross. They're all s's. So very simple. The first 1 I wanna read I wanna read it though. First, I wanna go to Luke 9 and verse 23. Luke 9 23 and read this. Then he said to them,8:46 if let's stop. If. If is a conditional word, it means God is not gonna mandate anybody to carry the cross. It's your free will. If is a choice, if you want8:58 it. Okay. Then he goes on. If anyone desires to come after me, come after me is to identify with me and develop a relationship with me. Then he says, let him deny9:10 himself. There's some form of self denial self denial and indulgence from sin. We'll come back to it. The world and the flesh. Yeah. Okay? Don't9:21 live independent of me. Deny thyself. Then he goes on and says he says his cross daily. His cross makes means make it personal. Take ownership of the cross. And last9:33 of all, this is where this is a foundation of Christianity. It's daily. Paul goes on and he says this in first Corinthians 15. I die daily.9:47 Relationship with with Christ is not a hit and miss when I feel like, when I'm guilty, wanna be spiritual, get my hallelujah on. It's every day a consistent, constant relationship with9:59 Christ. It's done daily, witnessing form, crucifying the flaw, whatever that looks like to you, the relationship with Christ is something that is done daily.10:10 That when he had disciples for 3 to 3 and a half years, they weren't they didn't come and visit him weekly or monthly, quarterly, once a year. They would not be disciples.10:23 Wherever his footsteps went, their footsteps went. Whatever he ate, they ate. Wherever he slept, they slept. They were alongside of him and that's what Jesus asked us10:35 to do. So that's what it would look like. We talk about carrying carrying the cross, Obviously, I want you to recognize he's not asking you to carry his cross because you10:46 can't. You're not a sinless offering and the wrath of God is not going to come upon you. So it's not asking you to carry his cross, he's asking you to10:58 carry your cross. Now I must break down traditional thinking because I've heard this all my life and people talk about, wow, this is just the cross that I have to11:10 bear. Well, let's identify then what you are saying. And usually they say it around some some subjects like this. You know, my marriage is all jacked up,11:22 tore up, my mate is all messed up. But this is just the cross that I have to bear. No, just go in for counseling and you don't have to bear that cross no more. Just get saved and you don't have to bear11:34 that cross no more. Oh, that's good stuff. Have sex, you won't break you know, whatever. Go let's move on. Well, you know, poverty, you know, welfare,11:46 financial difficulty, is running all our family tree line. Now it's passed on to me, and so this is just the cross that I have to bear. No, no, no. She's the that I have to bear. No. No. No.11:57 Jesus is not asking you to bear a cross that he died for. You would not hear words called restoration, overcoming, redeeming. If12:09 you have to bear that kind Well, sickness and disease. It's just the cross that I have to bear. Then what did he suffer and die for? Not just for our sins. So let's get our theology and our understanding12:21 right of what it means to bear the cross. Reminds you of the story of a guy who was complaining about his cross that it was just too difficult and he was12:33 just very mad at Jesus over the difficulties of his life and the circumstances. So Jesus said to him, well why don't you come up to my cross room in heaven and you could exchange your cross for another cross.12:45 So the man walks into the throne room with his cross and he places it down and he says, Jesus says, go ahead. Pick any cross you want. He goes to the left. He goes to the right. He see crosses all the way to the12:57 infinite sky that he can't see the top of. He passes over that. He see wide crosses that he can't see the end of that. He sees big thick heavy crosses. He makes a 3 60 60 and he sees that cross and he13:09 says, I want that cross. And Jesus said, that's the cross you walked in this room with. When we talk about the cross,13:21 you gotta understand what Jesus is talking about. And when these disciples would have heard this for the first time, they would have known the cross as a Roman instrument of suffering,13:35 of terror, of fear. It would not have been something that they would have welcomed. It would have shaken their mind. You wouldn't ask me to take up a cross And the only cross I know13:47 is the cross that the Romans used to torture and punishment and damn somebody. That's what it would have went through their mind. They would have thought, we've seen enough or rounded or13:58 heard it. We would have known crosses to be heavy, sweaty instruments, requiring a lot of energy and emotion and dedicated. We they would have known that when that Roman soldier14:10 gives you the beam and ask you to walk to whatever destination you're asking to walk, that's a 1 way trip. You are not coming back. That's what they had to put in their mind when Jesus said, now14:22 it's your time to take up the cross. So here's the first word, to take up the cross it's a life of sacrifice. You have to understand14:34 sacrifice. Jesus bore that on the cross. To gain you have to learn how to sacrifice. Sacrifices you make for him to fulfill the purpose of God in your life. If you don't want the purpose of God in your14:46 life, the will of God in your life, then we probably are gonna struggle with the sacrifices that God ask us to make. But he asked us to take up our cross which is a life that we live in the area of sacrifice.14:58 Now the bible says this in Hebrews I'm sorry, in Romans. In Romans it says this, I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living15:11 sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God which is reasonable service. The same way that that Abraham offered Isaac on an altar. God's saying every day, your struggles, your weaknesses,15:23 your temptations, You're to lay your life on an altar, a living sacrifice. Don't withhold anything from me. Give it all to me. So you and I are to15:34 live a sacrificial life. Now that might mean that he got I have to sacrifice some time. I have to sacrifice prayers. I have to sacrifice finances. I'm gonna15:46 sacrifice my gift, my talent. I'm gonna sacrifice abilities for the kingdom of God. I'm gonna sacrifice some fun sometimes and some pleasure sometimes. And I'm gonna sacrifice15:58 some some leisures and some interest so that I can serve somewhere on a Saturday morning or go to church on a Sunday morning or when I'm in an airplane or or next to somebody on a16:10 bus or a train and I feel the Lord asking me to share my story and faith with them. That's a sacrifice. God, this is not a good time. And when I16:22 feel like getting even with somebody, I feel like retaliating. I feel like going on social media, and I don't. That is a sacrifice. And that's what he talks about16:34 when he talks about sacrifices. Let me give you a few quotes. DL Moody quote, a preacher that lived a long time ago. I know of nothing that speaks louder for Christ and16:46 Christianity than to see a man or a woman giving up what they call their rights for others. And in honoring and preferring16:58 1 another. Martin Luther said this, a religion that gives nothing, cost nothing, suffers nothing, is worth nothing. If you and I are gonna be true17:09 disciples of the Lord, then God is gonna come knocking on your heart through the Holy Spirit sometime and say, now I want you to sacrifice.17:21 Interruption. Yep. It's gonna feel like, I don't want to do it in the flesh and it's uncomfortable. Yep. But if you're gonna be my disciple, then my agenda has got to come before your17:33 agenda. My plans have got to come before your plans. My dreams have got to become before your dreams. Now, if you wanna be a follower of me, then you'll do it. If you don't wanna be a17:45 follower of me, I'm not gonna beg you to do it. But, yeah, and I have to learn how to sacrifice. You know, in in 1917:57 82, 83, I'm 21 and 22 years old. I hear about a fledgling sport that I had been watching on Wide World of Sports on Saturday nights, the the Ironman Triathlon.18:09 And so I was a relatively, decent runner, through high school and at that time, college. And I I remember I remembered as a little boy, I used to like to swim. And18:21 I remembered I rode my Schwinn. So I said, you know what? I'm gonna sign up for a triathlon. So at that time, it was the largest triathlon in Long Beach. There were,18:34 a hundred 1200 competitors. Now I'm gonna try to give you a perspective because I'm still 21 years old, which means I've not reached full maturity yet as a man to compete. My muscles are not,18:47 strong as as others. I swim in my parents backyard pool that's 23 feet long. I have never swam in a lake nor an ocean in in my whole life, but I will in a few18:58 months. I have some cheap little bike that I train in. I never roll beyond 30 miles. Now, those of you who rode road bikes realize that that's not a lot, 30 miles on a road bike. And I never did19:10 that. And I took 20 second place in that race as a 21 year old. I I reached quick heights. The next thing I know it's 1919:22 83. Los Angeles Triathlon Series at Benally Park. 2 weeks apart, 3 races and whoever is the 1, 2, 3, the top 3 finishers will get a paycheck.19:35 I ask God, I make a deal with God. I said, I know you called me to ministry. I know I'm supposed to go. I know I'm supposed to give my life but I really really like this competition stuff.19:48 Make you a deal. If you let me do this race and I get a paycheck, I'll give it all up and I'll go into ministry. And I took third place and I gave it up and went20:00 into ministry. Now, I I don't talk about it much. You rarely have ever seen my pictures of competition because it's like Paul, I counted all dung for the glory of the Lord.20:13 What is that compared to a missionary right now that will not take a shower for 7 days, will not have clean water, will not be an air conditioning building in a hundred 20 degrees,20:25 will not sit at a toilet for 7 days and have to wipe his behind with banana leaves, will have to eat whatever they put in front of him. There's nothing compared20:37 to sacrifice. Here's the second word. The second word that I want to challenge you with is the word surrender suffering. The cross was a place of suffering, Jesus suffered. Now he challenges us and I think20:48 pastor Sanaz talked about that today in her exhortation about suffering. Suffering you make for him to fulfill his purpose in your life. If I want the will of God and the what what God has for me the best, then21:00 I've got to learn what suffering looks like. The bible says this in Peter about suffering. He says, for to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an21:12 example, then you should avoid it. No. It doesn't say that guys. It says that you should follow. Good morning. What is it? The week after21:24 Easter? What is going on here? We're to follow we're to follow his steps in our lives. I wanna challenge you with what he means by suffering. Again, it's21:35 not what we sometimes call suffering. Suffering is when you obey God when you don't wanna obey God. That's what he means when he says suffer. Suffering is doing something that you don't21:47 wanna do because you don't feel qualified to do, but you're gonna go ahead and do it anyways. Leading the neighborhood group could be looked at suffering. Sharing your testimony,21:59 volunteering, leading something on your job, getting out in the community, doing something in the church that you just don't want to do. That's the type of suffering he's talking about. That22:11 I align my will with his will. But it also may look like this when I am innocently judged and persecuted and rejected and criticized and betrayed and22:23 disappointed for his namesake. But I'm not gonna quit and I'm not gonna give up. I think about the22:35 years that I've been pastoring. I've been called a narcissist. I've been called a dictator. I've been called too transparent. I've been called too straightforward. I've been called that I don't like old22:46 people. I don't like black people, and I don't like Mexican people. You think I'm making it up? Come on. But you know what? I22:58 count it all joy to endure the cross. And that is nothing compared to the persecution of what Jesus was called as a wine bibber, a drunkard, and balsabob. They called him23:10 the devil. What is church hurt? I I I never know what that is. Go to the early church and tell them, I I got church hurt, so I'm gonna I'm not gonna take some time off. They'd slap you silly.23:23 Do you know what take up your cross means? Get I know you're hurt, but get back in the I know you're wounded, I know you're injured, but get back in the game. Because the only 1 that loses is23:35 God if you're not in the game. And the only 1 that wins is the devil. We can all cry. We can all give up. We can all quit.23:47 But for the sake of the cross, no. I must endure. I must persevere. I must continue. And so we recognize it means23:59 that we get involved when we suffer and and and we participate. When I married when I was, engaged to my lovely wife Cindy, Cindy had some debt24:11 in her life. I I didn't have no debt because I live with mom and dad and they paid some in the little job I had and and whatever. So so Cindy had some debt and, she's very24:23 nervous right now because I've never told this story that she had debt. She had 3 credit cards that had debt. So she had JCPenney's. She had does anybody remember the store? Montgomery24:35 Awards. Yeah. And and and she had Zales where she bought her jewelry from. So I I told her this. I said, listen. I want to marry you, but I don't want to marry you with24:47 debt. So it's August, I'm going away, and I'll be back in December to marry you. You got 4 months to get rid of your24:58 debt. But if you love me, you will keep my commandments.25:10 The girl is just like every other girl. She wants to shop. She wants to buy. There's a certain time when she's feeling a little sad and emotional and she wants to go treat herself. But you25:22 know what? She had to learn how to submit and crucify her flesh to gain something bigger with the kid.25:34 That was the last time she suffered. I promise you now. But there is a denial that has to take place in our lives sometimes. And it will25:46 look like a suffering sometimes when you really really want to get even or you really want to act out something. The next 1 is submission you make for him to fulfill the purpose of God in your life. The third25:58 1 is submission. James 4 7 says, submit to God. And it says, resist the devil and he will flee. Submission needs to take place in our lives. The same way26:10 a wrestler submits when he's gotta tap out. Comes a point when you need to submit to God and you need to tap out just like Jacob. I'm not gonna fight with God anymore. I'm gonna tap out because I'll be the26:22 loser. God is a lot stronger than me. I need to submit to God. Whatever God's asking me to submit to, whether those are my anger, my addictions, my bitterness, my lust, my fears, my26:34 worry, my pride, my impatience, my lying or cheating, I gotta submit it to God. I've gotta submit my laziness, my procrastination, my excuses, my hypocrisy, my ego, my failure,26:46 my non finishing spirit. I need to submit to God. And I need to come under his authority, his permission. Why is it so hard to submit? Because we like being in control. We like calling the shots. We26:58 like being the jefe. We like being the boss. And so it's so hard for us to submit. We sang a song a few moments ago. It was our second song. It said trust in27:10 the Lord. And I heard the young man on my on my left over here say perfect submission, all is at rest. I wish you and I understood that. That it's only when27:22 you submit will you find rest. If you ever have have had a dog and ever seen a dog a dog leading27:33 leading its owner rather than the owner leading the dog. I mean, it's crazy. They could get killed. I mean,27:46 Make they make a fool of the owner. No. Don't You know what I'm talking I'm not talking about your dog. I could see I've offended half the church today.28:04 That's a wild dog that needs to learn how to submit. He'll. Heel.28:17 How rested you are to walk side by side with the owner. You're gonna get some treats when we get home. You're gonna get a nice bed to walk. Heel. I wonder if God does heal. You're acting like you're acting crazy right28:27 now. You're all up in the flesh right now. You're all doing things you Heal. You're gonna find rest now. I'm gonna bring peace in your life. I'm gonna take care of that thing. I'm gonna fight your battle for you.28:38 I'm gonna28:38 bring in that good outcomes. I'm almost done. Only tell 1 part of the story 1 day. Pastor Adam28:50 may tell the rest of the story because it's really his story and I need to reserve the right for him to tell it. But as we have entered our seventh year of preparation for transition,29:02 it goes back 7 years. Testing, proving, downloading, shadowing, everything that has gone on. About I don't know. Actually, you probably would remember. I don't29:14 know. 6 years ago, I'm gonna guess. 6 years ago. I went to him. There are 3 3 things that are non negotiable if I'm ever gonna give you this church. I can't tell you guys the other 2. That would be up to him. But I'll29:25 tell you the third 1. I said, here's what it is. I know that you bought a motorcycle, Harley Davidson, just 2 months ago. I know you put in 12000 dollars in upgrades.29:50 I worked in a hospital where I saw people on motorcycles. I didn't want you to grieve. I didn't want his family to grieve. I didn't want to grieve. So I said, I need you to give up your30:02 motorcycle. He has never ridden his motorcycle since that day. That's submission. That's a I had plans. We me and30:14 Ashley were gonna get matching leather jackets and matching leather nice tight leather pants. And I will let her get on the hog back there like that. Too30:26 much too too much information there. Boots, we're gonna travel America. No. Submit. The last 1.30:44 A surrender. The Bible says this, John, I believe, John says this, therefore, I lay down my life that I may take30:55 it up. And I have to live a life of sacrifice, suffering, submission, and surrendering to God if we're going to take up the cross. That's what Jesus did. He set the example, and I think he expects that31:07 of you and I. Because there's rewards at the end. There's joy at the end. There's a rest at the end. It's not defeated at the end.31:21 Try. You're to surrender the calling of God in these are surrender the call of God on to him in the assignment of God.31:35 Assignment of God. And I surrender to the call you placed upon my life, God. The unique hand of God as to why you designed me, have taken me through life's paths, giving me the influence, the education, the looks and the31:46 experience. Am I using it to build your kingdom? Or have I only used it to build my kingdom and my family? I surrender to the call of God on my life and I surrender to the31:58 assignment of God on my life. And just the way we get to an intersection, and nobody wants to yield, nobody wants to yield to each other. We have to learn that32:10 surrender is the ability to yield. We sing the song. I surrender nothing. I32:22 surrender some. I surrender almost everything. Says, I surrender all.32:34 And guess what he wants? He wants the thing that He wants the thing you don't want to give up. Just like the rich young ruler. That's what he wants. Don't tell him what you're going to give him. Give him what he32:46 wants. And you and I have to learn how to surrender to whatever God wants. I'm gonna give you a quote, a story, and then we're gonna just sing a little song. Here's a quote. This is this is what I thought about32:58 recently. This has become my mantra. Career, but you don't retire from God's calling on your life. Let me talk to the people that look like33:11 me. You got to stay busy in the kingdom of God. Many of you put into a natural job, you're retired. You You you I want to know what your calling is now. I want to know what your calling is.33:23 Because you can retire from a job. God never called you to retire from a calling. I will walk in my calling to the day I die. Will volunteer in33:34 healing strong ministry. Whether I will be a chaplain for the rest of my life and volunteer and not get a paycheck so that I can be next to where I was this last weekend when a when when when a when a deputy walked in33:46 and saw a death and he came out and he said I'm tired of seeing death. And I can't do that in the church. I wouldn't have been able to rub shoulders with a deputy when he was33:58 overwhelmed with the smell of death. Or volunteering to be a president of a school. I have a job, but I've recognized34:10 I never retire from a calling. And I wanna challenge you to do that. There's a story told mister Pig were34:22 having a conversation as they walked by mister Brown's country store. It said going out of business. Sysco was on strike and he couldn't get no none none of his products. So mister Chicken looked at mister Pig and said,34:33 how can we help mister Brown keep his store open? And mister Chicken said, I'll give him all the eggs that I hatch. And he looked at mister Pig and says, you give him all your bacon, ham, and pork chops.34:49 God don't want your eggs, mister chicken. He wants you to give it to him that way. God wants your pork chops, your bacon, and your ham. That's what sacrifice looks like. Let's35:01 stand on our feet. Just spend it just 2 minutes. That's all I want to do. Pastor Julio, would you just lead us in a song just for 2 minutes? Come on. Let's just worship him.35:11 Here I35:39 you draw me in the mirror, desperate for you. Desperate for you. I surrender.35:53 I surrender.36:29 Father, in every aspect of our lives, we're going to take up our cross, walk it into our jobs, walk it into our families, walk it into relationships,36:41 God, deserters, God. We're cross carriers today. That's our promise. That's our36:53 pledge. Challenge you today. Why do we believe in Jesus? If you were to come before an atheist or someone that37:04 didn't believe in Jesus, they'll say, why do you believe in Jesus? Here here are reasons why I believe in Jesus. I believe in Jesus because when I look at creation, the beauty of creation, it points37:16 to a creator. The magnificence of the stars, the planets, the rocks, the mountains, the oceans, and the sea, how they're under the command and jurisdiction and the37:28 beauty of it. I believe in Jesus because of creation. I believe in Jesus because of what he's done for me. And always touched me and changed my life. And that's a story that only I37:40 could tell because I know what I used to be to who I am now. And positive thinking and classes and gurus and philosophies wouldn't have done that. And and gurus and philosophies wouldn't have done that. It's stuck.37:52 I believe in Jesus because of more than 300 to nearly 500 prophecies or scriptures he fulfilled in his ministry.38:09 Jesus. I believe in Jesus because secular historians of the day write about a man from Nazareth who lived in Galilee, who died on a cross. I believe in Jesus38:21 because he was seen by more than 500 people after his resurrection. I believe in Jesus because these followers died for him. If it was a fallacy and a lie, they38:33 would have never died for him. But they died a martyr's death. I believe in Jesus. And that's why That evidence is real to me. I hope it helped38:45 you today to recognize, do you believe in Jesus now? Will you believe in Jesus? Maybe today you want to rededicate your life to the Lord. Say, I'm tired of running.38:56 I'm tired of just playing around, messing around. I need to really commit my life. When I count to 3, I want you to raise your hand as high as I'm raising my hand, and we're gonna surrender to Jesus today by the39:08 raising of our hands. 1, 2. Give your life to Jesus. Rededicate your life. 1, 2, 3. Raise your hand wherever you are all across this auditorium. Wonderful. Wonderful.39:21 Awesome. Say this prayer with me. Say dear Jesus, you know who I am. You know everything about my life. Today, I wanna tell you that I39:33 believe in you. I believe in your death, burial, and resurrection. And I ask you now to take over my life and be my savior,39:45 be my God, and be my Lord. And from this moment forward, I will serve you all the days of my life.39:55 We really hope you enjoyed the message. And if you said yes to Jesus, we just wanna say congratulations and give you a free devotional to help you walk out your faith. Click the link in the description or head40:07 over to grow dot faith to download your devotional. Oh, and be sure to subscribe and share this podcast with your friends. Thanks for listening to ALSC podcast, and we hope you tune in again.40:19 If your job at a health care facility includes disinfecting against viruses, you know prevention is the best medicine. And maintaining healthy spaces starts with a healthy cleaning routine. Granger's40:31 world class supply chain helps ensure you have the quality products you need when you need them. From disinfectants and cleaning supplies to personal protective equipment, so you can help deliver a clean bill of health.40:43 Call 1 800 Granger, click grainger dot com, or just stop by. Granger, for the ones who get it done.In this video 0:00 Carrying Your Cross: A Call to Discipleship
Comments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
Comments
Keep it kind. Comments are public.