2819 Church - KINGDOM CALLINGS | Called & Regret | Matthew 11:20-24 | Elder Arik Hayes

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

Elder Arik Hayes unpacks Matthew 11:20-24 in the powerful week nine of KINGDOM CALLINGS. Welcome to the official Youtube channel for 2819 Church. This channel features powerful and life-impacting messages from Philip Anthony Mitchell and guest communicators. As you listen to these sound biblical messages you can expect to be challenged, stirred, matured and inspired in your faith and walk with God. For more information about us visit 2819Church.org.

My name is Eric Hayes. I am one of the elders of this church. And I appreciate that man y'all love on me and my family very well but it's because he saved me that I can stand up here right and he's still saving my soul and I'm still being conformed into the image of Christ. So I've got to respectfully deflect that to the one who called me.

Amen. Amen. Lord have mercy. We are a church that is a house of prayer, proclamation, and presence. And I also want to welcome our online community, the Digital Disciples. We love you. We care about you. We plan for you.

We want to care for your souls in the ways that we can. I just want to acknowledge you. We care about you. We plan for you. We want to care for your souls in the ways that we can. I just want to acknowledge you. I want to welcome and we want to welcome, which is a little different from a lot of churches. We actually want to welcome the unbeliever. We believe that if everybody in the church is saved, everybody, we got some more work to do. Y'all with me there? Right? All right, because you've already been caught. We got to go catch other people and tell people about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

All right? So if you are unbelieving, we welcome you. And this is a place you can also, you can belong before you believe. All right? So we welcome you, all right? I just want to welcome those that are in the building. Again, in Atlanta, where there's a church on every corner, you came in and blessed us with your presence and we thank you for that, all right? All right, always, as Audible mentioned,

I want to shout out my pastor Phillip Anthony Mitchell can you give it up for him we honor you sir if you're watching we honor you and I will continue to say in a world where there are pastors that quit this week statistically. Just doing the towel like I'm done. What happened to the congregation? Whatever, I'm not coming in no more.

What are the people? What about the word of God? Whatever. What about the gospel and the unbeliever? Whatever. Those just threw in the towel and I don't want to condemn them, but I do want to honor those

and the one who keeps his hand to the plow here. And opens up the umbrella under which we can come in and hear about the word of God and grow as disciples. Amen. He's actually away. He was away preaching at actually an engagement on Friday. It was a men's conference, as a matter of fact. And it looked to be a mighty move of God. So that's why he's the way he wanted to, I was speaking with him this morning through your text.

I just wanted to remind you guys of that. And we are continuing a series that is called Kingdom Callings. Amen. Subtitled, Living a Life of Greater Purpose, and I have the honor and privilege of bringing the ninth installation of the series to you and the title of this particular sermon is called called and regret called and regret I'm going to pray again because that's a heavy title I got to come alright

alright holy father use this vessel prick the hearts of your people they'll be attentive to what the spirit is saying through the very word of God and we'll give you the praise in Jesus name we pray amen

listen family and we'll give you the praise. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Listen, family, unfortunately, and I'm not going to make you stay there long, I'm going to ask you a question, and I know that for most of us, because we're adults, the answer's going to be yes, but you may not want to think about it. Okay?

I promise I'm not going to leave you there long, but I want to be able to make the point, so just trust me, we're going to come back out of it. Right. Have you ever been in a dysfunctional relationship? I got some real people in the building. Amen. Amen. I'm talking about dysfunctional. Once I just look at your phone, he's like, how did we get here? How did we get here?

How did I say this and you took it like that it was just a good morning text and you got a attitude you just woke up how did we get how are we fighting already and although we just had a good laugh about it the the unfortunate truth is if you're laughing about you probably already out of the situation probably and if you're still in it you're probably not laughing right now probably tight right around here you just keep looking forward ain't getting you in no trouble And if you're still in it, you're probably not laughing right now.

Probably tight right around here. Just keep looking forward. They ain't getting you in no trouble. Can I tell you what time I was dating this girl, Christian girl. I was sitting there and I was in the middle of worship. Oh no, I'm serious about my worship. And there happens to be a new girl on the worship team. And I'm worshiping. And the girl I'm with standing beside me in worship

is going to say something to the line and whisper, you should be keeping your eyes on Jesus I couldn't even worship in peace elder how dysfunctional is this insane no longer in that situation amen amen shout out baby all right baby i'm home no longer in that situation she prayed with me before i came here today amen and amen for a woman that will pray for you ah ah let me stay focused let me stay focused but again although we're laughing now, man, at the heart and the soul of a dysfunctional situation is a lot of brokenness and pain. And it's painful because you care.

And you're emptying out everything that you have trying to make this thing become what you want it to be. And unfortunately, unfortunately, even though you've emptied yourself, the fruit of healthiness never arrived. I mean, you gave everything. You gave money. You gave time.

You let them cry on your shoulders. You helped they ant move. you gave money, you gave time, you let them cry on your shoulders, you helped they aunt move. I mean, the aunt that she called knows and she don't even like, but she calling my aunt needs somewhere to move and you don't went out there and helped her move. I took your whole Saturday, you over there. Ain't shit tears. I took your whole Saturday you over there and you shed tears and unfortunately with dysfunction

a lot of times you withdraw because you don't want nobody else to know because nobody posts I'm broken, confused and in a dysfunctional relationship as their status these cute kissy ones right there with the filter and nobody that fine, they just up there.

No wrinkle in sight. You 45 years old. That's all they post and it's a lie. It's a lie. Because I know because I have still had brokenness to an extent, have had much more brokenness, that it takes something to dig yourself out of that pit. But I want to focus on the fact that you can start with good intentions

and pour everything that you have out, and it still doesn't turn out the way you want it to. And as we jump into the scriptures, I believe Jesus is detailing a similar situation that he's dealing with with a dysfunctional man.

All right? I just want to be able to deal with the continuation of thought, because this is big, right? As an elder, I got to tell you, when you're studying the scriptures, you just don't jump in there and jump out. Okay?

In order to help to get the full revelation, of course, with the help of the Holy Spirit, you need to look at things in context okay so I want to start what pastor did at the end of this message was Matthew 11th chapter it's not going to come up on the screen I'm actually going to read it chapter 11 18 and 19 it said for John came neither eating nor drinking and they say he has a demon. See how we already got that mixed up? Like, he didn't come eating or drinking. He said he has a demon. And then the Son of Man, speaking of Jesus, came eating and drinking, and they say,

look at him, a glutton and a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Where can Jesus win? Okay. Now we're going to start. Well, it's actually five verses. I don't think I'm going to be here long. All right, so put Matthew 11, 20 and we'll start the lesson here today.

And this is Jesus speaking. And it said, then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done because they did not repent. Take that verse down. Mighty works. that verse down mighty words still didn't repent and when I was when I was studying what came to me was Jesus is extremely interested in fruit. Let me say it again. Jesus is extremely interested in fruit. If you notice, he was saying, I did this,

but you still didn't repent. Which to me says there was an expectation on the hind side of my goodness towards you. Because if you take the continuation of thought, he's complaining. Came eating or drinking, had a problem. Came eating and drinking, still had a problem.

Did mighty work, still didn't repent. Amen. Thought John 15, 6 through 8 verse. This is Jesus speaking. It says, if anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away. Like a branch and withers. And the branches are gathered and then thrown into the fire and burned. Verse 7, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it'll be done for you.

I don't have time. I don't have time. Hey, if you're checking to see whether your prayers are working or not, it's a good idea to check and see if his word abides in you because Jesus gave you a statement that you could bank on there verse 8 he said by this my father is glorified talking about the glory of God again and then it says that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples Jesus is very interested in fruit it was the whole reason he was checking making sure that you're in the vine to be able to do

the work you abide in me i abide in you you pray i will answer my father being glorified and you'll be able to bear much fruit proving and then what he proving, and so prove to be my disciples. We're in a new era, beloved. We're just not talking about Christendom anymore. We're talking about disciples and disciple making.

So everybody that is interested in that needs to be interested in that verse. That's right. All right. Let's go to Matthew 11 chapter 21-22. It's not a large assignment here today. We're going to go ahead and address it. Right?

Verse 21. Verse 21. Woe to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida. For if the mighty works done in you had be done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago and been in sackcloth and ashes but I tell you it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for tire and sitting than for you I'm gonna go to the next verse 23 and 24 and you capernum will you be exalted to heaven no you will be brought down to hades for if the

mighty works done in you had been done in sodom it would have still been remained until this day but i tell you that it will be more tolerable on that day for judgment for the land of soom than for you. Take that down. All right. So I actually want to go back and talk about some of the miracles that was done, that were done in both of those places. Right. Jesus changed water into wine.

He healed the royal official son in Capernaum. He healed a possessed man by a demon. He healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law he caught a large number of fish in the sea of Galilee he fed 5,000 near the sea of Galilee he walked on water in the sea of Galilee he healed a leper in Capernaum and he healed a paralytic had he not poured out his goodness in the region of Galilee but they failed to repent a lot of people think that God is actually pronouncing wrath on the unbeliever not so as an unbeliever I love you enough to tell you the scriptures say you have wrath on you already. So the scriptures say Jesus coming to show his goodness and his miracle power, not just so that you'll get healed.

That's good. Not just so that someone will be fed. That's good. Not just so that the paralytic man would walk again. That's good. Not only that the doytic man would walk again. That's good. Not only that the doldrum would rise again. Not only that it would be dope to have a story. He walked on water. That's amazing.

But the ultimate goal. Is to have you repent. And come in right fellowship. With God the Father. Beloved, you don't want to get spoiled with the preaching of the gospel. You don't want to get spoiled with the preaching of the gospel. Take it for granted that you're going to hear it again. Because if you look in the text there,

Jesus has actually denounced them. You are damned to judgment. It'll be better for this city than for you. He's already pronounced judgment. And this is why. Put up Matthew 21, 42, and 43rd verse. And Jesus said to them, have you never read in the scriptures this is Jesus referencing the scriptures I think we should follow his lead amen he says the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone this was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous and it is it is excuse me and is it more and excuse me not is it this was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes it's a

question mark they're messing me up all right he says therefore I tell you the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. I didn't say that. He said it will be taken away from you if you keep rejecting it. And this is the problem. We're talking about the Jewish people. And they were sent the Messiah. And one of the names of Jesus is the chief cornerstone.

Right? So they had God. They had him in the tabernacle. They had him. They actually had a monopoly on God throughout the Old Testament. But here Jesus is coming and he's opening up to people like us. So we're actually a fruit of this particular sentence.

If you keep on rejecting me, I'm going to give it to a people that produces its fruit. This is where the Jewish people are stumbling even till today. They do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. If you know anything about the chief cornerstone, it's the stone in the Bible, it's the stone in the building, excuse me, where all of the weight sits on it. If you remove it,

the whole structure can fall in on it. That's why you can't just go to God with your good works. You can't just go there and think you're going to get to God with your alms or with your money or whatever. And sometimes the Catholic people they pay penance to try to get to God. No, you cannot bypass the chief cornerstone. In the scriptures, it calls him the founder of our salvation. The foundation of our salvation.

The chief cornerstone, which is Jesus. He is beckoning us. I've shown you my goodness. I went to the cross for you. I was beat at the whipping post for you. I had my beard plucked for you. They ridiculed me for you. I had my side pierced for you.

I had a crown of thorns pressed on my head for you. I had my side pierced for you. I had a crown of thorns pressed on my head for you. I had nails in my hand and nails in my feet and I bore the sins of the whole world for you. That was the pinnacle of my goodness amen amen thank you Lord

I do not have a more magnificent miracle than that this is why you just can't step over that and disregard that and think that God is just going to be okay if it were not necessary for Jesus to come and die on the cross, he would not have sent him. So it is the arrogance of man to bypass the cross.

And what is waiting for you is damnation. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. And I want you to see, like, we're talking about this dysfunctional relationship. It's not that Jesus is just mad. I believe it's a level of anguish. Okay? Check me out. Let's go Matthew 23rd chapter 37th verse.

Actually, that's not going to come up on the screen. Just check into me. I'm going to read this for you. This is Jesus speaking. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. He says it twice. 23, 37. 23rd chapter, excuse me, 37th verse.

And I'll read it for those that don't have it oh Jerusalem Jerusalem and that was Matthew the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it this is Jesus here his heart here how often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings and you were not willing. Can't you hear the love and the frustration in that? Just like we've been in dysfunctional situations. I wanted to mother you. And the frustration in that, just like we've been in dysfunctional situations. I wanted to mother you. I would have gathered your children.

And brought them under my wing. But you were not willing. I would say in large part, man, I think you hear the heart of Jesus there because he signed up for a dysfunctional relationship with man. and we are the apple of his eye so much so the description says what is man that thou art mindful of Jesus and I want to

I want to seal in your soul that it is the goodness of God that God wants to use to bring you into the kingdom. Okay? It's another one. This is not going to be up. This is Romans 2, 4-5. I'm going to read the Amplified Version. I think it amplifies exactly what I'm trying to say here.

All right? Romans 2, 4-5 again I'm reading the amplified version. Still have some pages turning. Alright I think we're good. It's in the New Testament. Or do you have no regard for the wealth of his kindness

and tolerance and patience in withholding his wrath and are you actually unaware or ignorant of the fact that God's kindness leads you to repentance that is to change your inner self your old way of thinking and seek his purpose for your life but because of your callous stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are deliberately storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed I can't make it any more plain than that excuse me I don't know if the scriptures can make it any more plain than that. Excuse me. I don't know if the scriptures can make it any more plain than that. It is

the goodness of God that's ultimate aim is to bring you in better relationship with them. For what other rightful response is there for the true and living God except to repent follow love trust and adore him what other rightful response is it except to repent, follow, love, trust, and adore him? Because, and I'm talking mostly to the unbeliever in this particular text, but the reality is, beloved, we can be saved and children

and still deal with a level of dysfunction with God. And we should not seek to grieve the Holy Spirit. And I'm closing, brother. Think of Sam. I got two things for you that I need you to check just to make sure

that our heart stays out of dysfunction okay all right as believers I'm gonna go to Matthew 22nd chapter 37 through 40th verse that's a very popular scripture but I want to be able to leave you again with two points where you can go and evaluate your own heart because nobody's above this we need to rightly respond to our father and be in right relationship with him 37 and he said to him you shall love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets. It's funny, me and Elder talk about this verse all the time. You know, all the Old Testament, all of the prophets, all of the laws, all those 613 commandments that he gave to the Israel population,

all of that, minor prophet, major prophet, all of that hangs on these two. It's the summation. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And you shall love your neighbor

as yourself. How loving are we? How loving are we? How loving are you? You know, it actually says in the New Testament, it says, we shall be known as disciples by our love. Do people know you like that? That's a loving dude.

She is so loving. Right? All right. All right. Anybody can feel convicted on that? All right. Let me help you. This is what happens. We come in and this is where we mess up. We come in the church and we hear a word that we convicted and we run out. We try to do, do, do. No. No. Don't do that. Right? You still got to go to the scriptures to get all your theology. Right. I want to say your first John, he says we love God because he loved us first. OK, so if it's not coming out of your soul, you haven't received the revelation or a fresh dose of it. Okay? Alright? So this is one of the major ways you're going to be able to receive the love of God.

Go think about the cross. Go see yourself sitting on his right side. Sitting on his left side. At his feet. Go see you where you were before he redeemed you. Wow. I talked about Mary breaking up her alabaster box. We focus on that,

but one of the things connected to that is say, he who is forgiven much loves much. When you see the list of sins, and you don't hide from them, no, no, no, look at them. We're going to be okay. Look at them. No, look at them.

No, no, no. This is where I have sinned. This is where I am sinning this is what I still struggle with this is what I still bask in I still like this sin not just your deliverance your current list

and realize Your current list. And realize that Jesus is not coming back to deal with sin again. The sins of the whole world were bore by him on the cross. You couldn't pay now the elder I feel sorry I'm with you but we couldn't pay what it costs to get access to God it was and is beyond your reach.

You needed a holy sacrifice. You needed it. Can I tell you something? When he was in the Garden of Gethsemane, and he actually is, feel me with this. Jesus, fully God, fully human, actually called humans to come and help him pray. Jesus!

Jesus! That's how weighty our sins were. God in the flesh. I don't think I ever did this before. I need your help. This is tough. We would have quit. I'm not doing that.

To get crucified with excruciating pain. And for you to know that it's coming. That's the love that was freely given to you that's how you were brought into the kingdom I know you came and you dedicated your life that wasn't even an option before that was done go meditate on that go meditate on that six times

before you look at any problem that you have go meditate on that six times it's not a magical number I'm just giving it out there or five times go meditate on that three times before you even look at the person that needs unforgiveness

go look at your sheet you even look at the person that needs unforgiveness. Go look at your sheet and go look at the cross. The more you meditate on that. You see, I just feel like there were probably hundreds. Your heart would prick. All I did was preach the gospel to y'all. And now what I did is preach the gospel. You were a sinner, disconnected from God.

God wanted you more than you wanted him. And he stepped out of heaven, Jesus, down through 42 generations and died on a rugged cross. So that pure and innocent blood can be spilled once and for all for all sins. That's the love you have received. I know you got money problems, or you probably do. I get that. But the love you have received.

Maybe you married, maybe you ain't. Maybe you're single. Maybe you're married and you got married problems. I'm with it. All of that can be painful. But this is the love you have received.

I'm not sure if you're gonna get the promotion, but this is the love you have received and now you have eternal life. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.

And since we're out here, I've got to teach some of y'all and remind some that eternal life ain't heaven. It's life with him now. And listen, when we get to heaven, what a time it will be. But he didn't say wait to heaven to get to me. You see, we were enjoying earlier before we were enjoying him. Holy, holy, holy is he. We were basking in to him today. And he saw every single possible sin

that you have done, are doing, will do, paid for it, and still called you. That is the love that you have received. All right? So that you have received. All right. So that's number one. That's the great commandment, love. All right. And then the other one kind of tied in a bow is the verse that should be pretty popular around here.

All right. Matthew 28, 18 and 19 and Jesus came and said to them all authority say all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me as a result of that he says now go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit

where's your participation in that right i even did a preacher thing it's two c's it's the great commandment and it's the great commission what was beautiful about it with the great commandment Jesus gathered everything that was before him and said this is what you do love the Lord your God and says everything that you're going to do until he cracks the sky we meet him again it's going to be the great commission so with these two things where are you at in that are you supporting it are you giving to it come on man we're not a money hungry come on you know that from my pastor right are you spending time are you enjoying the squads that we employ people to make sure that you guys are getting the nourishment?

Are you coming to the gathering? Are you showing up on access, whether in person or online? Even beyond, just listen. Because we realize that the kingdom is bigger than just 2819 Church. Are you being a reflective witness of his glory on your job? And Thanksgiving, well, no doubt

you'll run into some unsaved loved ones. Are you loving your spouse? Are you treating your children good? Are you loving your spouse? Are you treating your children good? Are you making disciples? Well, I've only been saved for a year. You can teach one verse. Find one and teach it. You can leave this and say, hey, man, I just want to remind you of the gospel.

The great commandment and the great commission. Because these are the things that believers that belong to him can use to evaluate your heart. It's not about condemnation. Oh, man, what was me? No, no, no, no, no. This is where I need to correct and get regret it. All right? Let me pray for us.

Father, you are amazing. You are good. You are kind. You are thoughtful hey you are mighty you see the end from the beginning you are our sustainer your name is a strong tower

you are the holy one your name is a strong tower. You are the Holy One. You sent Emmanuel. And we just want to say thank you. As we look at our new world, help us to have the courage to preach the gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the only means of salvation.

For he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to you except by him. I just want to say thank you. Thank you for what you did in the hearts of believers today. The hearts of those online. Help us stay true to your calling until we fall asleep, until you crack the sky. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Alright.