The Church of Eleven22 - Wk 4: Growing in Grace

Episode Date: November 29, 2020

Grace encourages us to persevere and wait on the Lord.

Amen, that is awesome. Good morning, 1122. Let's try that one more time. Good morning, 1122. All right, that sounds like you had some coffee in your system this morning. First and foremost, I want to thank you guys so much for the invitation and opportunity to be able to preach God's word to you. I also want to just thank Pastor Jobi. You guys have a phenomenal leader.

So exciting what God has been doing through the one initiative. Can we just give it up for Pastor Job being his vision, leadership, even in his absence? And I'll say this because he's not here, and you guys don't tell him that I said this. I'm really starting to question our friendship, Pastor Jobi and I. And it's really starting to unravel. I mean, the first time he asked me to preach, he asked me to preach after Dr. Eric Mason. And I don't know if you guys heard Bishop Mason preach, but it was downhill from there. The next time I came and preached, I preached on race while the city was on fire, gave me another hard message and tried to see what was going to happen with me there.

I feel like he's hazing me in some type of regard, because this week I'm literally preaching about the world being set on fire from 2nd Peter chapter 3. That's right. End times the message after Thanksgiving. How about that? So Pastor Jobie's going to have to owe me at least John 316 or something very easy the next time I come and preach to you guys. But in all honesty, if you have a copy of God's Word, meet me in 2nd Peter, chapter 3.

And we're going to finish out this series of what it means to be an eye. eyewitness to God's glory. In the 2nd Peter chapter 3, we're going to see Peter, the first of all the apostles. He's the leader of leaders, if you will, and he's going to give us last words that should be lasting words. You may not know this, but Peter would be crucified upside down under the emperor named Nero. And it's almost as if he can feel his days being numbered, and he feels immortality leaving

his particular mission because he knows that he's immortal as long as God has his mission to fulfill, but now he understands that he's writing last words to the church. And in light of everything, he's seeing false teachers coming, he's seeing persecution, and he's seeing the end of the world coming. And here's the thing Peter wants you to get this morning. Don't forget the gospel. Don't forget the gospel. That's what Peter is writing to us in 2nd Peter chapter 3, that he wants to make sure that no matter what comes your way, no matter what life is going to bring in your particular experience that you don't forget the gospel. I don't know if you guys have ever been there rushing for a vacation or a trip or a journey and you have to pack your bag at the last minute.

And as you pack your bag, you begin to prioritize all the important things you need to make sure you take with you. For some of you, it could be a tooth rush. Others of you, it could be medication, a passport, or maybe for some of you, clean underwear. Listen, please, don't forget the clean underwear. But here's Peter saying, don't forget the gospel. That as you are pilgrims through this land and wandering through this world, don't forget what God wants you to be. And here's the tension we're walking out between,

this tension between urgency and waiting. He's saying that we should have this urgency of living as those who are expecting Jesus Christ to come back at any moment but yet have peace that we can wait on Christ's return and ultimately not lose the mission God has for us. How do we live between these two worlds between urgency and waiting? Simply again, don't forget the gospel. He's saying, keep the main thing. Why?

False teachers are going to come to you and want to elevate things above the gospel. Persecution is going to come to you and want to have you lose sight of the gospel, and the end of the world is going to come, and it's going to want you to lose hope and the good news of Jesus Christ. And over and over again, Peter is saying, don't forget, don't forget, don't forget. If you allow me to entitle this message, I would like to entitle it, living with gospel urgency. Living with gospel urgency. Caution for many of us, as we talk about the end times, many of us start to squirm in our seats, depending on what films, books, or background we have.

Talk about the last days, some of us are used to preachers and teachers, constructing charts to predict when Jesus, Jesus is going to come back. Or some may use this text to compare and contrast what the new heavens and the new world will be like. And then some would try to formulate a new doomsday prophecy to scare us all out of hell into some type of new form of legalism. But I want you to understand that prophecy, timing, and stances of the unknown may be permitted, but they are not primary in this text.

See, in 2 Peter, Chapter 3, he wants to make sure, 1122, that we are on the welcoming committee of Christ and not the planning committee of Christ. See, the welcoming committee is concerned about how many people will be ready when Christ return. The planning committee is concerned about how many days before Christ return. The welcoming committee is concerned about obedience. Well, the planning committee is concerned about speculation. I remember my time in seminary learning from Dr. John Frame, and he has this provocative quote about the end times.

And it's this, every Bible passage about the return of Christ is written for a practical purpose, not to develop a theory of history, but to motivate our obedience. Can I give you to Pastor Cam translation of that? Who cares if you don't know when Christ is coming, if your neighbor doesn't even know when he's on his way? Who cares if you know who the Antichrist is? If your loved ones don't even know who Jesus Christ is. So 2nd Peter is going to make this emphasis on us.

We don't forget what our urgency in the gospel is in the last. days. Second Peter, chapter three, starting with verse one, it says this. This is now the second letter that I am writing to you. Why? Because you forgot. He's saying, I'm writing the second letter to you, beloved. He has to remind them of what their identity is, that they're loved by Jesus Christ, and both of them, I am stirring up you sincere mind by way of what? Reminder. Reminder over and over again. Here, Peter is saying, I want to remind you of who you are in Jesus Christ. I want to remind you of what Jesus has done and that Jesus is coming and that you ultimately will not forget. He believes we have this prone temptation of gospel amnesia. That there is a time

where scoffers or persecution or false teaching will make you forget who you are in Jesus Christ. In fact, I have one main point. You can write it down. and fall asleep for the rest of the message. Some of you beat me to the punch. It's this. Gospel amnesia will allow us to waste our lives in a wasting world. Means if we forget what the gospel mission is, then we will lose sight of how we're supposed to live here in light of eternity.

Some of you guys are familiar with the Born Identity movie series. Did you know that that's actually based off the historical character named Ansel He was an evangelical preacher that woke up one morning in March 1887 that wandered to another town and they began to ask him what his name was and he said his name was A.J. Brown only to find out that he had amnesia. It was one of the first instances that doctors began to realize that people would suffer amnesia without disease or any type of accident and they began to dive into the study of amnesia even more. Why? One of the most vulnerable and dangerous, things you can do is forget who you are. Let me ask you, has 2020 made you question who you are in

Christ? When scoffers come after your faith, do you forget whose you are? When the political season makes it seem like the end of the world is right around the corner, do you forget who you are? When business is tight because of a global pandemic, do you forget who you are? See, Peter is telling us that when we are battling this temptation, a gospel amnesia and a world that is wasting away, he gives us a call to remember, not merely a call to arms. He says, your biggest weapon in this world is remembering God and who he is. In fact, the first point he gives us this, remember God's word. Remember God's word.

We see this in verses 2 through 7. Peter says, remember scripture, not merely the scoffers. He says it, verse 2, that you should remember the predictions of the Holy prophets. And the commandments of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, the scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. For they deliberately overlooked this fact, that the heavens existed long ago,

and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God. And that by means of these, the world that then existed was deluge with water and perished. But by the same word that the heavens and earth now exists are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. Versus three and four, basically these coffers are saying, we want to tempt you to forget that God is coming because it seems like he's slow and coming back. And the reason they believe that Jesus is slow and coming back is because nothing has ultimately. changed. Since Jesus has died and gone back to heaven, we still live in a sin-sick world.

Cancer still runs rampant in our bodies. Crime still runs rampant in our cities. And we want to say, where in the world is your God? He isn't coming back. But Peter says, they forgot. They forgot what it was like when Noah was alive. And it was the same when Noah was alive in the Old Testament when they were preaching about the judgment to come, even though it had never rained before. God said it would rain 40 days and 40 nights. And people were. doubted Noah, but the judgment did come. Peter gets his teaching from the rabbi Jesus here to Matthew 24, verses 37 through 39 where it says,

for as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the son of man. For as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark. And they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away. So will be the coming of the son of man. this text tells us that the world was once judged by water, but soon it will be judged by fire,

and that all these people are wandering in a wasting world and judging God on his timetable, but when he comes, he will judge the world and it's wasting away. Friends, this is challenging here, isn't it? That we understand the world that we live in is wasting away, that everything we pick up, whether it's a person, place, or thing, has an expiration date on it. that God is telling us that we need to remember the Word of God, remember the predictions of the apostles, remember the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ

that was declared in the Word, this world will fade away. But there's one thing in this world that won't fade away. The Word of God. There's one thing that you can hold in your hands that won't slip through your hands like sand. There's one thing you can have in this world that will be a rock for your foundation. It is the Word of God.

Isaiah 40, verse 8, states this. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. So ultimate reminder here to remember the word of God, to meditate on it and make it central and primary to all of our lives. The prince of Granada was thrown into an ancient dungeon. It's called the Place of Skoles. He was put in this ancient dungeon because the Spanish crown knew that he was the rightful heir to the throne, and they were afraid that he would cause an uprising in a riot and try to take over. So as they put him in this ancient duchin, they give them one book to read.

God's Holy Word. They knew the prince began to read the Bible because with a nail on the soft rock wall, he began to write notes, and some of them were this. And the Bible, the word Lord is found 1,583 times. Second point, the word Jehovah appears 6,855 times. Esther 8, verse 9 is the longest verse in the Bible. John 11, verse 35 is the shortest verse in the Bible. The word girl appears but once in the Bible.

There are found in both books of the Bible, 3,583,483 letters, 773, 693 words, 31,373 verse, verses, 1,189 chapters, and 66 books. Now, those numbers are impressive and interesting, but notice they aren't life-saving. Friends, the main danger for many of us is that we can remember God's word, but it's nothing but trivia instead of treasure. The Word of God can be read for information, but not transformation. And so we need to actually study God's word and meditate on it and memorize it. Use it in how we pray, use it in how we witness, use it in how we discipline and encourage our children, use it in the ways of our marriage, use it at our jobs so that the scripture is something that is not merely a textbook, but a love letter we cling to.

I want us to study the Bible like a warrior on a mission, not a scholar in an ivory tower. So friends, are you remembering God's word? Are you beginning to write down passages so that you can have them hidden in your heart? so that you would not sin against God. When scoffers come and false teachers try to deceive you and you begin to see that their writing is on the wall for the end of days, when life cuts us, will we bleed the word of God?

See, the danger is that you can be close to Jesus but not be walking with Jesus. See, in the Bible, we don't have to look any further than Judas, who walked with the word, but never really loved the word. Did you know Hugh Hefner was raised in a minister's home that Joseph Stalin studied for the priest's, And all of these people were close to the light, but we're not walking in the light. I want to encourage you that Peter is saying, you can't outsource your relationship with God.

That there has to be more than 9 o'clock or 1122 on a Sunday morning. That you have to begin to feed yourself in the Word of God and make God's Word a flashlight in this dark world. Psalm 119, verse 105 says this, your word is a lamp to my feet. and a light to my path. See, when scoffers want you to doubt, when Satan wants to deceive you, when sin wants to destroy you, you have the anchor and the weapon

and the sword of God's word. Do we need a bigger reminder than 2020? Do we need God's word? I mean, I was just reading the article not too long ago, that we are beginning to receive radio waves from other universes. And I'm reading about this vaccine that they have coming out for the coronavirus

that is an R&A. a vaccine that is supposed to influence or impact your DNA. Friends, I'm not a prophet or a son of a prophet, even though I play one on TV, but I'm telling you, in 2021, I can see aliens and supervillains coming. The question is, will you have the Word of God? And no matter what comes your way, will you have the Word of God? As you read the headlines of this world and are reminded that it's wasting away, will you have the headlines of God's word to remind you, your father is returning and he will win

and he will never lose. See, gospel amnesia will have you living like God is not coming back. But the truth is, we have to remember God's Word. Not merely just remember what God's Word says about ourselves, but also what God's word says about others. So leads me to the second point here, remember God's mercy. I remember this is one of my favorite verses to think about

and meditate on, verses 8 through 9. It's one of the beautiful promises that if we begin to share, our faith, we will see God move in our city and across the nations because God loves for more people to know him. Verse 80, it says this, but do not overlook this one fact. Again, key term here, be loved. Why does he keep on reminding us of this identity of who we are? We are beloved, even in the last days, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years. A thousand years are as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but as patient toward you, listen to this, not wishing that any should perish, not wishing that any should perish,

that all should reach repentance. Peter begins to answer the scoffers here. Why hasn't the Lord returned? First and foremost, he says the Lord isn't necessarily concerned with time. He says, a thousand years is like a day and a day is like a thousand years. That's the theological concept that God is eternal. What does that mean? that out of his attributes and in his character, God is eternal.

That means he sits outside of time, he creates time, and he controls time. I want to put it this way. God does not own a watch. While we're rushing God, pressuring God, pestering God, questioning God about his timeline, God is moving according to his plans. See, understand to say God is eternal means God is not concerned with time. He's concerned with timing. And there's a lot of application for you in this room on that.

Because I know there are many of you here during the holiday season approaching another year that has been waiting for God and some very substantial things. And fertility, God is working in his time. Being sent or open windows for the gospel, God is working in his time. Salvation of a loved one, God is working in his time. Reconciliation of a friendship, God is working in his time. strengthening your marriage, God is working in his time. And I love the way the black church will put this.

He may not come when you want him, but when he comes, he's always on time. And when he comes, you're going to want him. Verse 9 shows us, ultimately the grand picture of why God has delayed his coming. Why? Because he's not moving according to the confines of time, but his purpose. He's not worried about our agenda, but his ultimate agenda and his assignment so that people would come to them. know him. Here's a scandalous thing about God's grace in this text. While they are rushing God

to come with his judgment, Peter says God's being gracious, delaying because of his grace and his mercy. The right now, there are people in Jacksonville, Orlando, and the rest of the world that God is saying, I love them so much, I have not returned so that they may know me. Here's the challenge for all of us. If we're going to say we're a movement for all people, we need to consider the people who have not surrendered and trusted in Jesus. Can I be honest, this was hard for me to grasp. I'm from Jacksonville, Florida. And we know Jacksonville, Florida is the capital of Southern Georgia. For honest, it's the last top of the Bible Belt. The more you drive south in Florida, the less people become religious-affiliated. Now, I wondered in the beginning, why would you plant more churches? Because there's more churches than

ant piles in Jacksonville. But as you begin to study, it's kind of convicting to know there's close to 700,000 people in your city that don't know Jesus. You know what that means? It would take at least 50, 11-22s to reach all the people who are lost in our city. In my city, where I planted Grace alive, I'm convicted to know Orlando is the ninth most unchurched city in America and the sixth-most D-church. I'm convicted to know the happiest place on earth has a whole.

whole only the gospel can feel. But friends, it's not just our state. It's around the world. Did you know that there are 3.14 billion people in the world today who are among the unreached who have never heard the name of Jesus? Even more tragic, 75% of missionaries go to the reach world. Only 23.7% of mission work is what the un-evangelized. Now, out of the 648 million Bible believe in Christians, only about 70% have heard about the billions who have never heard.

Peter says, they perish without Jesus Christ. Peter said, as we think about a coming Christ, we ought to be a going church to take this good news because God has delayed his judgment so that we would be instruments of its grace and mercy. Reminds me of this news article about this man named Christopher Searcy. He was shining his chest on a basketball court. His friend tried to drag him to the hospital and stopped about 40 feet outside the hospital walls. They ran to the receptionist and they went and told them that their friend was outside the hospital, but they said they couldn't leave the hospital because of policy and they couldn't bring him in to finally a police officer wheelchaired their friend into the hospital.

Only too late. Christopher would die about an hour later. many times it seems that churches are surrounded by people that desperately need to hear the gospel yet Christians are content to share it only when those managed to come inside the church. It's like we have this policy that we can't take the gospel out the church for friends.

We should be encouraged. The church is not a museum for aging saints. It's a hospital for sinners who need grace and we take the medication of the gospel outside these walls so that people may know him. Here's the paradigm shift here. The paradigm ship is that church is not a cruise ship. We don't pick a church because it has great programs, bingo or karaoke, or if you're like me, buffets.

But instead of being a cruise ship, the church is an aircraft carrier, meant to send people to our neighbors and nations. In Matthew 9, verses 36 through 38, Jesus says this. When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers and to the harvest. Pastor Cam's translation, the world is often more willing to hear the gospel than we are to share it. Now, we've been talking about this one initiative here at 1122, right? And we've been talking about baking God first and making room for one more.

The question we all have to ask ourselves is, who is your one? Who's somebody that's close to you but far far. from God. And the word of the Lord comes to you and said, I've been patient. Am I coming so that you would be going? Did you know? 82% of all unchurched people said they would attend church if they were invited. So what's the problem? In the last year, only 2% of church members have invited somebody to attend. See, followers of Jesus must help others follow Jesus. And I want you guys to know we can't stop. We can't stop at inviting our wants to church. We must invite them to Jesus Christ.

See, inviting someone to church as the starting line. Inviting them to Jesus is our finish line. And this is the beautiful promise. Jesus has not come back yet because there is more good news to preach. But he leaves us with one more point. He wants us to remember your identity. As you are living with gospel urgency, not succumbing to gospel amnesia, that you would remember who you are in Jesus.

and it will make you a person that leaves an impact on this earth. Verse 10, it says this, but the day of the Lord will come like a thief. Unexpectedly, surprising. Listen, I don't know about you, but you would be very weird to leave cookies and milk out for a thief. I know we're going to do that coming up recently, but nonetheless. You don't prepare for a thief.

It's supposed to be unsuspected. And then the heavens will pass away with the war and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, here's this question. What sort of people ought you to be in the lives of holiness and godliness? Waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God

because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they will. burn. Here's what Peter's saying. This is not our home. We will check out of this place. Peter is saying that this world will dissolve in all of the things in this world and the works that are done and it will be exposed. And he's saying, live like this is not your home. You know, I'm able to preach for other churches and one of the things I realize about myself when I check into a hotel, I don't put up pictures of my family. I don't paint the walls. I don't call it interior designer to ask them to rearrange the room because it's not to my liking.

Why? I know that I'm checking out. And here, Peter is saying to you, you will check out of this earth. Why don't you live with all of your hope and expect to see and the one to come? Some people may say, man, well, thinking about heaven and thinking about the pie in the sky would make us just passive and we won't really engage in this world as we should. but Peter is saying, if you realize there's pie in the sky, you also realize, just like this Thanksgiving,

there's pie on the plate too, that you will live lives that will make dramatic impact, that the more you think about the coming of Jesus Christ is the more you will see godliness and holiness and righteousness take form in your life. C.S. Lewis put it this way. Hope is one of the theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward

to the eternal world is not, as some modern people think, a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. Isn't that what Harriet Tumman did? She thought of the next world that was come, but this hope, of the coming Lord and empowered her to free slaves.

Isn't that what John Stott did, this great theologian that has written masterpieces about the cross and the gospel, thinking of the next world, but yet leaving his impact on this world? Isn't that what Fannie Lou Hamer did in the civil rights struggle, having our hope in Jesus coming, but yet fighting to bring civil rights to our nation? Isn't that what Charles Spurgeon did, preaching the gospel and the cross, but yet inspired to leave his mark on this world? It says it will make us righteous.

People who love justice and walk humbly. Verse 13, but according to us promise, we are waiting for the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these to be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish and at peace. Again, over and over again, we see in this term of beloved.

He's saying that as you think about the coming of Jesus, Jesus Christ that you would remember that you should not be afraid of the coming of Jesus Christ because you are his beloved. Has there ever been a bride who was afraid of the coming of her groom? See, we're seeing that this is the idea of us being justified by faith. We are living lives that are spotless and blemished. Why? Because everything we need to do has been made according to Jesus standards. That Jesus lived the life we should have lived, and then Jesus died the death we should have died. And when we see this grace, what Jesus has given us, it will transform our lives.

And we will live lives that are at peace and lives that would out blemish. You know, Martin Luther put it this way. God doesn't need our good works, but our neighbor does. See, when you understand that it's all been done, you begin to understand that you have been crucified with Jesus Christ. That's what Galatians 2, verse 20 says. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith and the son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. See, the truth is we are justified and we are all sons and daughters and heirs and you are forgiven and there's no more guilt, no more shame. And in heaven, God said when his son was nailed to the cross, not guilty. Now the good news is we are becoming practically what we already are positionally. see that we live out this justification by faith, understanding that it's the Holy Spirit working in us and everything God says I am, God gives me through power of the Holy Spirit.

There's this Lutheran pastor named Harold Sank Baial, and he says this, the truth is, all of the New Testament's imperatives are based on addicatives. What does that mean? Everything he tells you to do is based on who you are. In other words, everything God demands of his children, he first gives his children. Everything God wants us to do, he has already done in his son, and he continues to work in us

and through Jesus Christ. How do I know this? Where am I getting from this in this text? Tell Peter closes his verse. Peter, this eyewitness of glory is going to say that we are living in light of Christ coming, and here's the last thing I want you to do, verse 18. but grow and the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity, amen.

And this is why we live with gospel urgency in battle gospel amnesia, that we get deeper and deeper into God's grace for you, that God's grace is his merit in spite of our demerits, and that ultimately changes who we are. That is Peter's eschatological ethics here. This is why Peter says that it should affect the way you live and the way you walk this out, even knowing Jesus is coming. Why?

Grace is not a license to sin. It's a magnet to holiness. The more and more you realize you are loved is the moment you begin to love others and love God. That's why Peter's last word should be lasting words. He is saying that even something as dramatic as the coming of the Lord, should push us to examine his grace and allow us to be transformed by looking at Jesus coming back for his bride. And I hope this is a dramatic shift for many of you that grew up with a really fearful theology of the coming of the Lord. I know many of our theology has been more about

tribulation house and instead of grace raining down on us. But listen, living holy cannot come by fear. Living holy cannot come by fear of being left behind. And your own works and your own merits, you should be left behind. But living holy can only come with the reality of being known and loved by a father who is coming back for his kids. So the moment you start to think about Jesus coming back and you fear that fear rising up in you, instead of running to Mount Sinai to see what more can be done and the law run to Mount Calvary and see what's already been done and the cross. You'll live a life that's urgent. You understand that Jesus is our groom coming back for his spotless pride.

For my friends that maybe you're not believers, you've been sitting on the fence and this is kind of challenging to think about the end of the world, to think about Jesus coming back and you're saying to yourself, I just want to live a good life. I just want to live a moral life. Maybe Jesus will accept me on my own deeds and my own goods. This text is telling us we can't be accepted according to our own work. You know, in 2009 there was another threatening virus known as the swine flu, H1N1. Now, good morning, America, they did experiment to see how well a fifth grade class would wash their hands

in preparation of not spreading the virus. so they gave them this invisible lotion to put on their hands. Throughout the day, they were supposed to wash their hands and sanitize and make sure that they didn't spread the virus to anybody. But under the view of a UV light, they saw that only two out of 25 students washed away the invisible lotion. They found remnants of the lotion on kids' eyes, arms, objects, and in many instances, all over their mouth.

Even worse, they found out that the teacher herself did not wash her hands good enough. Shows us, you can't wash away what you can't see. Jesus pointed to all of us is that we have sin in our hearts that we can not see. There is a brokenness we can not see. And no matter how hard we try or how good we try to be, there is a part that cannot be washed away because we can ultimately never be perfect. Try to save yourself by good a works or being a moral person. You'll ultimately end up with pride or despair.

You'll be prideful if you think you are better than everybody else. You'll fall in to despair if you have this reality check that you can never actually meet the standard itself. So Jesus says, trust in me. Instead of trusting in your own good works, is trying to save yourself. trust in me that live the life you should have lived, then I died the death you should have died, six to seven inch nails in my hands,

crown of thorns on my head, wrath of God falling on me, all to say, I love you, and I want you to have everlasting life. Friends, I want you to know you can have that right now before he comes back. Maybe before breath leaves your lungs before the blood stops running warm in your body,

nobody has their death planned. We don't know when, the last time we will have the opportunity to respond to Jesus Christ, and for you, this might be your moment. Jesus is saying to us through this text, through Peter, believe in me, N-O-W. Now, we can bow our heads and close our eyes. We bow our heads to give reverence to God, to demonstrate an end to ourselves, close our eyes, because everybody here needs to make a decision. We don't want to be a distraction to ourselves, others. I want to give two ways that you can respond and the solace of your own seat and the silence of your own heart. Option one, some of you were locked in this message. Feel like God was speaking

right to you. Your heart's pacing. You feel strange. You feel the sensation going through your body. This is a pivotal moment in your life. Listen, it's not adrenaline. It's not psychological. It's spiritual. And God is saying, I delay it. my coming of judgment for this moment right here. So that you would know me in this moment, that I would send a preacher right here, that you would log online or be here at whatever campus you're at, that you would hear, I love you. And there's nothing you could do to make me love you more or less.

Believe in my son. Surrender your life right now. You're going through the holidays. You've seen the ups and downs. Family breaks up. You're stressed out. You don't know what 2021 holds. but you can know the one who holds tomorrow.

You fear what would happen to you if you died? You had to answer God according to how you lived your life, but instead you could say, Jesus in my place. Just ask them to save you right now. Ask them to save you right now if you're streaming or on this particular campus, wherever you are, ask Jesus to save you. Maybe you're here, you're a Christian. And you're saying, Pastor Cam,

I've been living this life and I've actually drifted away from thinking about Jesus coming and I haven't been going and living with gospel urgency. I've had this gospel amnesia and I've been worshipping my spouse or my salary or my kids or sports or success and he hasn't been first. And I forgot. I need to surrender right now in this moment and I need to remind myself that I'm beloved, that I don't have to earn my love or my salvation from being the best or the brightest and the room, but my salvation and security comes from what Jesus did at the cross.

I need to surrender that right now in this moment. Now, I need to think about this year, who's close to me but far from God? Who needs this scandalous good news? And I want to be like Peter that I would be a going person for a coming Christ, telling everyone I know about this gracious good news. Did you just surrender it right now in this moment? Father God, we come to you right now in the name of Jesus. Reminded that this is not our home.

In the same way, we will move from one sanctuary to another. There's going to come a time when we will move from one reality to the ultimate reality. We will experience the new heavens and the new earth. And so may we not put all of our time, talent, and treasure trying to earn things that will ultimately burn away. But leverage all of our time, talent, and treasure so that others may come to know you. Father, for my friends here who said the simple prayer, Jesus, save me. Would you give them the promise of the Holy Spirit?

Would you let them know that they are sealed with salvation with the promise of the Holy Spirit? Would you let them know that he who began a good work in them would bring it to completion until the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? they are saved according to what your son has done at the cross. Would you remind us that we are saved by grace and not of works? That we would live with gospel urgency. And ultimately, remember, we're beloved. That we would love you and love others.

In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Hey, family, at this moment, I want you to respond. I don't know how you just prayed in the last few moments, but as you know, we're going to respond to the message. The Bible tells us to be doers of the word and not merely hearers, and we're going to sing because this grace is so amazing. We're going to bring our treasure because ultimately Jesus is the ultimate treasure

and anything we can lay down at his feet is ultimately just an active service. Don't you know you haven't worshipped until you served? And then some of us are going to pray. I'm going to pray for those who may be close to us but far from God. We're going to pray for those who may be with us who made a decision. We're going to pray for our families and our friends and ultimately remember that Jesus is coming back. And that's not scary news. That's good news.