The Bryce Crawford Podcast - Live Changed (EP 25)

Episode Date: April 15, 2024

In this podcast, Bryce talks about repentance and how to live changed by the Gospel.

What's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Crawford podcast. I'm Bryce. And today, really excited for this episode. Sorry that we haven't had an episode out in a few weeks. Just had a lot going on, but we're back two episodes a week. And by the title, you know, we're talking about repentance today and living change. Before we get into the podcast episode, just want to share a testimony to start off. I want to start adding this segment at the beginning of the podcast to share a testimony because I think testimonies are powerful. And the Bible says that the testimony of Jesus is. the spirit of prophecy. So two reasons we share testimony is just to one encourage you guys to go share your faith. But the second is because if you're believing for God to do a miracle in your life, when you share a testimony, you're actually impregnating the air with your words by saying God, do it again with more power in their life. I was at the Apple store a few weeks ago, getting a gift for my mom. And when I sat down the Apple employee next to me, I looked at him and I said, hey, how's your day, man? And he goes, oh, I'm doing all right. And I look at him in the eyes and

I go, hey bro, you're not a burden. Jesus loves you and sees you. He immediately starts crying at the table. I'd been there for 30 seconds and he already starts crying just because we made him feel seen and loved by Jesus. He already feels the love of the father just by showing him and telling him and affirming him that he's not a burden because he feels like a burden because of the things that he's going through. So I got to love on him for a moment. He's crying and say, I'm going to get in trouble. I'm going to get in trouble at work, but no, he didn't get in trouble at work. And he was crying. And then I had to go get the gift. So I'm going and looking around. And as I go, I share the gospel with him. And he looks at me in the eyes and he tells me, he goes, Bryce, every time someone's wanted to talk to me about religion or

Christianity, it felt like a pitch. It felt like someone was trying to sell something to me. But he looks at me and he goes, Bryce, when you're telling me about this man, it actually seems like you know him. And I thought it was so powerful, not sharing that to boast my chest, but it's so interesting how when you just let the gospel manifest through you, that people know that you actually have relationship with the man that you're talking about versus when you feel like you have to tell people about Jesus. We don't want to feel like we have to tell people about Jesus. We actually want to tell people about Jesus because of the freedom that we've experienced because of him, we know is accessible to anyone who believes in him. That's why we want to share our faith. So just

encourage you guys. People need Jesus everywhere. You don't know how people are going to respond or where people are at unless you tell them about Jesus. Got to share the gospel with our friend. didn't give his life to Jesus, but in contact with him, I actually text him and just send him videos and encouragement. And that's powerful. But let's get into this. I want to talk about repentance because I feel like we have this misconstrued view of repentance in today's culture and society. But in reality, repentance is the hallmark. It's the pinpoint.

It's the center message of Jesus, the Apostle Peter, John the Baptist. You got John the Baptist running around saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at. hand. The kingdom of heaven is near. He's telling people to repent. But you know, a lot of people think repentance is just something we say. Repentance isn't just a confession. It's an expression. Repentance without change is just me merely saying something. But when we repent, we're actually saying, God, I just don't want to tell you. I'm sorry. I actually want to show you. I'm sorry. Which is really interesting because in Luke 3, we see John the Baptist actually tells the Pharisees. He says, show me the fruits of your repentance. So he actually doesn't say, hey, don't tell me you're sorry.

Actually show me that you're sorry. You know, that's how you know a friend is actually sorry about the wrong that he's done to you. You know, if I punch my roommate in the face on purpose and say, I'm sorry, bro, I'm going to stop punching you when I'm mad. But I continue to punch him when I'm angry, I'm not actually trying to change. But if I say, hey, I'm sorry, I'm going to actually try. Forgive me, I'm tired of punching you when I get angry. And then I stop doing it as much and I try to hold my tongue back. and I try to take a deep breath before I act on something.

It's actually showing that my life is actually trying to make a change and I actually care about my roommate's well-being. Which is interesting because now in today's society, it's like, oh, if you just say you're sorry, that's repentance and you can just move on. And then we abuse God's grace. It's like, oh, I can say I'm sorry for sinning and then I can go and sin because God's going to forgive me. That's abusing God's grace, thinking that you can just say sorry and continue to sin and go back and say sorry. That's not living changed. And so when John the Baptist and the

Apostle Peter and Jesus run around and say, repent for the kingdom of heaven is near, it's saying we want to live as if the gospel has transformed our heart. And you can tell that when we live what we believe is true. Because when we don't live change and we don't live in a repentant heart, then we're actually proving to people that the false Jesus that they believe in, that condemns them, that Jesus is a to-do list, that Jesus is this and that Jesus actually hates them and hates people. And this thing, when we don't live changed and live repentant, and then we're actually proving to people that the false Jesus that they're believing is true. We're not showing the Jesus of the Bible and the Jesus of the world of who he is.

That's what we have to show them. And it's interesting how James actually talks about this faith without works, this dead thing, which I think it's interesting because he goes on in the passage, talks about how that we have to have faith without works and that we need to brittle our tongue and that we need wisdom and how wisdom is actually looking to things above and not looking to the things of the world. And so when James is writing about Faith Without Works is dead, he's saying, I'm tired of people talking. I'm ready for people to actually live it, which is repentance itself. Repentance is actually living the fate out.

That's why people are going to say, Lord, did I not prophesy in your name? Did I not cast demons out in your name? did I not heal the sick in your name? And Jesus is going to say, depart from me, for I never knew you. Is because it's not about what we can do for him. Like our work isn't what gets us into heaven. A repentant heart is, but a repentant heart comes from believing in Jesus to the point that our works are naturally manifested because we love him.

I don't do things to get into heaven. I naturally do things in my heart. It's lived change because the one that lives eternally lives inside of me. That's what repentance is, which is really interesting, which I loved. And so when you look at Romans 12, too, and it says, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of the mind.

We don't want to live conform to the world. So we transform our mind through the word because we live repentant. And we say, I'm done thinking for myself. I've got to think like heaven. So then I begin to read the word and say, God, I just want you to transform my life and my heart and my actions.

And if I read your word and know what you say, then my repentant heart is going to be true because I care about what you say more than myself. We want to live that way. We want to live change. And it was interesting because when you look at Jesus and sharing this, Jesus spoke so differently than what the world was living out that the people didn't have a capacity to understand what he was saying in the moment. Like when you look at these guys, it just like it didn't understand. There was a disconnect.

But the people that really wanted it said, hey, Jesus, what do you actually mean by that? When you look at Mark 4, you know, you have all these people coming and crowding around Jesus. and Jesus says, a soer went out to sow, some so seed here, here, here, here, and he says this parable, and he says those who have ears to hear, let them hear. And the people that just wanted Jesus for the benefits of the kingdom and not Jesus himself, they left. But those who actually wanted to know Jesus intimately, who wanted to change, they said, hey, Jesus, what do you mean when you said this? Then Jesus explained. It's really interesting. a repentant heart is not just a confession, it's an expression, saying, God, I just don't want to say I love you.

I actually want to love you with my heart and let you manifest through me. It's really interesting because Jesus speaks truth in a world that's perverted, in a world that is separated from God. And so when these people don't have capacity to understand his words when he's initially saying it, he's actually calling the people who are hungry because the hunger are those who will repent. If you're hungry for Jesus, you will repent and change and understand that your way isn't the way. It's interesting how Psalm says that his word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. And so in order for us to know him and live change, we have to know what he says in order to live repentant. But we can tell if we don't live the fruit of repentance if we say God we're sorry, but we still try to do things our way and think our way.

But we know we're walking in repentance by allowing the Word of God to change our heart and change our actions. And let His word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It's so interesting how repentance is this big form and sinner message of the gospel. And so this is a call to you as a Christian. If you say you're a Christian, but your life doesn't look different than it did before you were a Christian. Because repentance has to show that there was an initial moment. Repentance means you were walking one way and then you turn the other way and walk the complete opposite direction of the way that you were going. because of sin we're walking towards death we're walking towards hell

and then when we say god i'm tired of living for myself it's the good shepherd staff turning our direction around towards him and we walk to him and then the bible says that the righteous man falls seven times but gets up so if you were to stumble not when if you were to sin if you were to fall just know that your old man is not who you are so if you are to sin you get up and you say god i'm just trying you see me you see my actions you see the fruit of my heart i'm trying my sin is not who i am you are who i am your righteousness is who i am you're making me holy and righteous in your side every day god i'm sorry i'm going to keep walking and chasing you there's a difference so i actually just want to pray

don't know how long this podcast is but i just want to pray that god changes and shifts are your perspective to live for heaven and know him and live in a repentant state so god i just pray for anyone listening or watching this god i pray that repentance will be the four for front of their mind, the forefront of their life. God, that Christianity will just stop being this thing that's a burden. But God, will you just allow repentance to live forth in their hearts and in their minds? God, will you just allow people if they haven't repented for anything? God, I just pray that this podcast will motivate people to repent for things they haven't repented for, God. It's God, will you just pray us empty? Allow us to come and humble ourselves and say, just God, we need you

in our life. Help us live change, God, in Jesus' name. Amen. Guys, I love you so much. I hope you guys acted by this podcast. If you want to sew into our ministry one time or monthly, click the description of this YouTube video. Check out the ways to give. Keep us mobilized on the ground. Love you guys. See you guys in the next podcast.