Have you all been enjoying this series on the church for the last few Sundays?
Well, I have too, and I hope that we continue to learn from it, be challenged from it, each one of us.
The idea is we are the church. It's a study in ecclesiology, which is a big word that just means the Bible doctrine
that has to do specifically with the church.
We have been adopting some statements that we can all unite around and agree upon from the Word of God.
And the first statement is we don't just go to church. We are the church. Let's say it together. Ready?
We don't just go to church. We are the church. Amen.
And then the next statement that we have adopted is, ready, let's say it together.
The church is not about me. Who's the church about? God. That's right. The church is about God.
Seems like a simple, obvious truth. Everybody would say, yeah, sure, church is about God.
But sometimes the way we act, the way we talk, the way we live communicates more that we feel like the church is about us rather than about God.
So we need to remind ourselves of that continually.
And then last Sunday we talked about this. Don't let what is secondary become primary.
Let's say that together. Ready? Don't let what is secondary become primary.
What do we mean by that?
Don't let our personal opinions about things, our personal agendas get in the way of the main thing, keeping the main thing the main thing.
And that is the church is about Jesus. It's not about me.
The mission of the church is to go out and share the gospel with all who will hear it.
And that is the main thing to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ through obedience to him and accomplishing the mission that he gave the church.
So don't let other things, other secondary things, take the place of the main things, the primary things.
And so today we're going to look at this one.
This was not original with me. A friend of mine gave it to me, but I love it.
I want to share it with you all.
Well, as the church, we gather, we grow, we give, and we go.
Think about that.
Those are some of the things that we have covered already in our series on the church.
The first couple of weeks we talked about gathering.
We talked about how important it is to gather together, to be here as a body of believers, unified together, worshiping together.
How we can encourage one another, grow together from our obedience to God's command together as the church.
And then we did talk about growing.
And we talked about how it is important for every member of the body to take on their role within the church.
We're not all the same.
We're all different, but there is unity in that diversity.
And it brings glory to God when people who are so different from one another all take up their roles within the church
and serve together, grow together, and take the next step in their journey with Christ together.
A couple weeks ago we talked about giving, how important it is for it to take ownership, financial ownership of our church body
and give to support the work that we do.
There's nothing that the church does without the support, direct financial support of its members.
And so that is an essential command and ingredient in a healthy church.
So let's say these together.
Today we're going to do the last one.
We're going to talk about going.
All right?
We're going to talk about going.
We've got a couple of weeks left in our church series.
We're going to kind of do a summary and wrap up at the end.
But today we're talking about the mission of the church, the going.
So let's read this together.
Ready?
We gather, we grow, we give, and we go.
That's right.
We gather, we grow, we give, and we go.
Alliteration.
They all start with the same letter.
You know, preachers love alliteration.
So it's kind of a memory tool.
Sometimes it sticks in our minds a little better when we do that.
But that's all right if it doesn't.
So Matt, I just lost this for some reason.
There we go.
I don't know if you advanced that or if I did, but regardless, here we go.
All right.
Our topic today, as we talked about going, is the church on mission together.
That is our title.
That's our topic that we're going to dive into today from the scriptures.
The church on mission together.
You and I have a common mission from God.
It's not just my mission.
It's not just your mission.
It's our mission together that God gave to his people.
So we are on mission together.
That evokes images of nighttime commando raids in my mind.
And, you know, because I was a little boy and thought that stuff was cool growing up.
And so that's something that paints a picture in my mind of being on a mission together.
On a special mission that we have been commanded by the Heavenly Father himself to fulfill.
So I pray that we are challenged today to accomplish the mission that God has given us.
The common mission.
Would you stand with me?
Let's go to John chapter 17.
John chapter 17.
We're going to spend a little time in John 17.
Then we're going to turn back a page and be in John 15 for a little bit later.
So John chapter 17, beginning in verse 6.
Let's read together.
I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world.
Jesus is speaking to his father.
He's praying to his heavenly father saying,
I have revealed your name, God, to the people you gave me from the world.
They were yours.
You gave them to me.
And they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything you have given is from you.
Because I have given them the words you gave me.
They have received them and have known for certain that I came from you.
They have believed that you sent me.
Verse 9.
I pray for them.
I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me.
Because they are yours.
How amazing is it to know that Jesus prays for us?
This isn't the only time in scripture that we read that Jesus prays for us.
Another time he says, Satan would desire to have you, to lead you astray, but I have prayed for you.
That's an incredibly encouraging note to pop back into our mind.
Every morning, every day, during those dark moments,
Jesus, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Messiah, is praying for me.
Y'all ever said you pray for somebody?
I have.
Sometimes we do it.
Sometimes we might forget.
Sometimes it's a good idea to stop and do it right then so we don't forget to do it later.
But Jesus will never forget.
He'll always be praying for us.
And when God makes intercession for us on our behalf with the Father,
that can move mountains.
So, I pray for them.
And then in verse 10,
Everything I have is yours.
Everything you have is mine.
And I am glorified in them.
I am no longer in the world,
but they are in the world.
And I am coming to you.
This was right before Jesus was crucified.
And then resurrected and went home to be with his Father.
And so he said, I am no longer in the world.
I'm coming to you.
He knew he was on physically on his way out.
But the Holy Spirit would be left behind.
And so he said,
Holy Father, protect them by your name that you have given me.
Protect them that you have given me by your name.
So that they may be one as we are one.
I highlighted that.
Did you see?
They may be one as the Father and the Son are one.
That is his prayer for us.
Verse 12.
While I was with them,
I was protecting them by your name that you have given me.
I guarded them.
And not one of them is lost,
except the Son of Destruction,
so that the Scripture may be fulfilled.
Now I am coming to you.
And I speak these things in the world,
so that they may have my joy completed in them.
I have given them your word.
The world hated them.
Because they are not of the world.
Just as I am not of the world.
You ever wonder why Christians just don't seem to fit in?
It's because we don't.
The world hates us because we are not of the world.
And Jesus wasn't of this world.
Now that's a different reason than when the world hates us
because we are living in a way that would invoke that kind of hate.
When we are unkind, when we are selfish.
That's not what this is talking about.
But darkness and light cannot come together.
Light erases darkness.
Darkness is what happens when the light is gone.
They cannot agree together.
So the world and God and the things of God
will never be compatible.
But Jesus, despite that,
impacted this world in a positive way
like no one else ever could.
So that doesn't mean that because we are not of this world,
that we don't leave a positive impact on this world.
That doesn't mean that just because
we cannot dive in and agree with everything
that this world promotes,
that doesn't mean that we can't make a profound difference
in this world.
Jesus was magnetic.
He drew people to Him.
And He wants us to do the same thing.
Even though we are strangers in this world.
So let's dive back into the text.
Verse 18.
Last two verses that we're reading today.
Verse 18.
He said in verse 16,
They are not of the world,
just as I am not of the world.
So sanctify them by the truth.
And your word is truth.
Then in verse 18,
As you sent me into the world.
Here we go.
I also have sent them.
Let's change that pronoun
because He's praying to His Father on behalf of us.
And so let's change it to us.
He has sent,
He said,
I also have sent them.
So He has sent us into the world.
He has sent us into the world.
Verse 19.
I sanctify myself for them
so that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
God, I pray for our church right now.
I pray for myself, my family,
and everyone represented in this building this morning.
Those watching online,
we're grateful that they are able to,
through technology,
have a part continually in our service.
We know there's people who can't be here
and would love to.
But God, our church,
those away on trips,
those at home sick,
think of Nicole and others
who are not able to be here right now
because of extenuating circumstances.
I pray on behalf of everyone that you have given us
that we would be on mission together.
That's not going to look the same for every person,
but you have sent each of us into this world
and you have not yet called us home.
So I pray that we would be on mission together.
That we would hear from your word this morning
and let it minister to our hearts in Jesus' name.
Amen.
You may be seated.
Thank you for standing for that extended period of time.
We don't always do that,
but sometimes we like to give honor
to the scriptures by doing that.
John 17.
Jesus gives us our commandment.
This is not the only place.
There are many other places,
Matthew 28, Mark 16,
many other places throughout the scriptures
that God gives us the command to go out.
God has commissioned his church
as messengers,
as ambassadors to go out.
So here's the problem.
There's really no option for a believer
to not be willing to accept his mission from God.
There is no option for that.
If a believer is not making an attempt,
a personal attempt,
to fulfill the mission from God,
then that believer is wrong in his relationship
and thinking about God.
That's not coming from me.
That's coming from the word of God.
Time and time again,
God commands us to obey his commandments
in going out and bringing them in.
What does that mean?
Is that bringing them into church?
Well, that's a great place to bring them
because you know that they will hear the gospel there.
You know that they will meet other believers in Jesus there.
And you know there's an increased opportunity
for them to continually be presented with chances
to receive Christ.
So that's a great place to bring them in.
But that's not the only thing.
That's not the only goal that we have
is inviting people to church.
So Jesus said he wants us to go out
and send them in.
Now, before he did this,
let me back up a little bit.
He said,
I have sent them into the world.
That's our mission.
But before he got there,
he said,
may they all be as one.
May they all be one as you,
Father,
are in me
and I am in you.
As we are unified,
as you and I, God,
are together
of one mind,
of one accord,
may they be the church.
May the church be that way as well.
So, point number one,
if you're writing anything down,
point number one,
we are to be a unified body.
A unified body.
That's what we are.
The church is not a building, right?
The church is a body.
We thank God for our building,
but if the building was destroyed,
we could still meet and have church.
We'd figure out a way to do it
because we are a body of believers,
of Jesus' followers,
and we are to be unified in that body.
A body that's not unified
doesn't operate very well,
does it?
Of course not.
How many of y'all work in the medical field?
Anybody?
Slip your hands up.
Don't be ashamed of it.
Slip your hands up.
There you go.
Y'all have seen firsthand
when the body doesn't work right.
Correct?
If you're a parent,
you've raised kids,
you've seen firsthand.
Everyone has seen firsthand
what happens
when the body is not unified,
when it's not working together
in cohesion,
cohesively
with all its different parts.
So we are to be a unified body.
I like this quote.
I know it's kind of small
and probably a little bit hard to read.
It says,
it is not so much the case
that God has a mission
for His church in the world
as that God has a church
for His mission in the world.
Mission was not made for the church.
The church was made for mission.
God's mission.
That is the polar opposite way of thinking,
I believe firmly.
After 20 years of preaching,
I believe firmly that most churches
do not think this way.
They might claim this line of thinking,
but that's not really probably how they operate.
So if we were able to get to the place
where we operated this way,
we'd probably be setting ourselves apart
from a lot of the churches in America.
And I believe tearing down
some of the walls
that limit God
from working through our church
how He wants to.
So the idea here
is that God did not ordain the church
as that is the main thing
and then come up with a job
for the church to do.
God had a mission
before time ever began.
It's a diametric shift
in our way of thinking
that would then trickle down
to the other parts of our lives.
So if you are going to be a Jesus follower,
then you can't just be a casual Christian.
If you're going to claim Jesus Christ,
then you can't just say,
oh yeah, I go to church on Sundays
because that's what you're supposed to do.
Jesus talks about those kinds of churches
in Revelation
and He says,
we talked about it a little bit earlier,
He said,
I'd rather you be hot
or I'd rather you be cold.
This middle of the road stuff,
this lukewarm stuff,
He just wants to spit it out.
That's not what it's about.
He said,
either be for me
or be against me.
That doesn't mean
He's requiring perfection
as a Christian
or as a church,
but He is requiring a commitment
to Him
that says,
I will strive
to be more like Jesus every day.
I will strive to fulfill the mission
that God gave me
as part of this church.
And if I fail,
I know God forgives me
and I will get up
and try again.
It's so important
to get up
and try again
because we're all going to fail.
We're all going to miss opportunities
to share the gospel with somebody.
We're all going to chicken out sometimes.
We're all going to get distracted by life.
We're all going to let the secondary things
become primary things.
We're all going to not do the things
that we should do sometimes.
Paul the Apostle wrote about it
throughout his letters
that we read in the New Testament
time and time again
how he wishes that he was better
at doing the things
God wants him to do.
But when we continually say,
I committed to this,
I'm not going to give up on God.
I'm not going to give up
on seeking him daily.
I'm not going to give up
and just say,
forget it.
This is just who I am
and everybody's going to have
to be okay with that.
Now we probably all know
somebody like that
or multiple people like that.
Well, this is just who I am
and I'm not going to change.
Well, that's unfortunate
because what if God wants
to change you?
Then you're saying,
sorry God.
Well, that's a sad
and depressing thing to see
from a child of God
that Jesus shed his blood for.
Let his only son die
and suffer for.
So this kind of shift
in our thinking,
God doesn't have a mission
for the church.
God has a church
for his eternal mission.
His eternal mission
is to bring glory to himself.
His eternal mission
as it regards to mankind
is to redeem
or to buy back
those who went astray.
And that's us.
That's the people
on this earth.
Jesus said he came
to seek
and to save
those who are lost.
So,
that's the mission
and the church
was created
to fulfill
the mission.
Our common mission
unites us.
Each one of these sermons
in this series
has, by God's grace,
been building blocks
on top of one another
to get to this point.
we must gather together.
We shouldn't forsake that.
It's easy to stay at home
and sleep in on Sunday morning.
We shouldn't
fight
and bicker
back and forth
and talk badly
about each other
and spread rumors
and all this kind of stuff
that tears us up
from the inside.
We shouldn't let
the secondary things
become the most
important things
or let them distract us
or pull us away
from the most
important things.
Remove the focus
from what's truly important.
But all of this
is leading up
to the mission
of the church.
If we are just
gathering
and singing
and hearing
the preaching
and then it doesn't
go and change
how we live
and more than that,
more than just
changing us,
it's not just all
about us,
remember that?
More than just
changing us,
it's not affecting
others that we encounter
throughout the week.
If that is not
happening,
then we're not
accomplishing the mission.
Then we're just
nice people
and we've got
a nice little
social club here.
And we all
more or less
like each other
and get along
and fellowship
together
and all that
and it's a nice
enjoyable thing,
but we're not
really accomplishing
the mission
that God gave us.
So that is
what should unite
us as a church,
our common
mission.
Jesus said,
I have sent
them
into the world.
Otherwise,
y'all,
as good as you
think this is,
heaven's going
to be so much
better.
Let's just get
on home to heaven
and it'll be
great.
It'll be
wonderful.
But if God
is not ready
to call us
home to heaven,
it's because
he's got a
divine purpose,
a divine mission
for each of us
individually
that works
together and
unites us
together as
the church.
Let's look over
now in John 15.
Turn the page
back to John 15.
We'll spend
just a few
minutes here
and then we'll
be done this
morning.
John 15
verse 1.
We're going
to read the
first eight
verses.
For sake of time,
I'm going to go
ahead and read.
I am the
true vine.
That's Jesus.
That's not me,
okay?
Jesus is talking.
He says,
I am the
true vine.
What does he
mean by that?
Jesus always
spoke allegorically.
Now, I can't
say always,
but so much
of the time.
You know,
you read the
parables,
he would get
up there and
people are like,
what does he
mean by that?
I am the
true vine and
my father is
the gardener.
So he's painting
a picture here.
We got the
horticulturalists
in the room.
Did I get that
one right?
So he's probably
appealing, you
know, to this
demographic here.
And he says,
every branch in
me that does
not produce
fruit, God
the father
removes and
he prunes every
branch that
produces fruit
so that it
will produce
what?
More fruit.
That's why we
prune things
back, right?
See, God knew
that before
science ever
figured it out.
God created
all of that
so he knew
exactly how it
should work.
In verse 3,
you are already
clean because of
the word that
I have spoken
to you.
Remain in
me and
I in you.
Just as a
branch is unable
to produce fruit
by itself unless
it remains on
the vine,
neither can
you unless
you remain
in me.
I am the
vine, you
are the
branches.
The one who
remains in
me and I
in him
produces much
fruit because
you can do
nothing without
me.
What are you
talking about?
I can do all
kinds of things
without God.
I can go to
bed, I can get
up, I can go
eat, I can work,
I can argue
and fight and
I can do all
kinds of things
on my own, God.
Yeah, you can't
produce anything
spiritual apart
from God.
You can't produce
true spiritual
fruit that remains
apart from God.
You can draw
attention to
yourself, you can
accomplish what
seem to be good
and helpful tasks.
There's all kinds
of world relief
organizations that
have nothing to do
with God and they
accomplish a lot of
what we would call
good in the world.
But the reality
is none of that
will bear true
spiritual fruit unless
it comes from God
because He is
divine.
He's divine.
It's got to come
from Him or else
it's something else.
It's something else
completely.
It's not true
spiritual fruit.
So I'm challenging
you, do you see
true spiritual fruit
in your life?
I am the vine,
you're the branches.
Verse 6, if anyone
does not remain in
me, here's the scary
part, he is thrown
aside like a branch
and he withers.
They gather them,
throw them into the
fire and they are
burned.
But if you remain
in me and my words
remain in you, ask
whatever you want and
it will be done for
you.
My Father is glorified
by this.
Y'all, when we read
things like this in
Scripture, we ought to
pay attention.
When we see a
statement that says,
my Father is glorified
by this, colon,
everybody knows what a
colon does, it
introduces what's
about to come after
it.
Pay attention.
Here it is.
My Father is glorified
by this, that you
produce much fruit
fruit and prove to
be my disciples.
If we took a poll in
this room and said,
are you a disciple of
Jesus?
I guarantee you we
would get over 90%,
if not higher, of the
people in this room
saying, yes, I am a
disciple of Jesus.
And then I would say,
prove it.
Prove it.
That's what Jesus
said.
You can prove to be
my disciples if you
produce fruit.
So if you're not
producing fruit, why
in the world should we
believe that you're a
disciple of Jesus?
If I'm not producing
fruit in my life, and I
get up here and open the
word of God and preach
to you on Sunday
morning, why in the
world should you listen
to anything I have to
say?
Because I'm not
producing spiritual
fruit in my life.
So you have every
reason to doubt whether
or not that's a true
disciple of Jesus.
Well, that's not very
nice.
Folks, we don't get to
make the rules.
God does.
This is his world.
This is his plan of
redemption.
This is his story.
We're just part of it.
So that's the challenge.
We are, we, God called
us to be, part of our
mission is to be a
unified body.
But then secondly, we
should be a useful
branch.
What do you do with
branches that aren't
useful?
What do you do with
branches that don't
produce fruit?
You cut them off.
You gather them up and
you burn them.
That's what it said in
the text.
I don't want to see that
happen to any of us in
this church.
church.
But I can promise you
this.
It will.
It will happen.
Unfortunately, despite all
of our best efforts and
best intentions, there will
be people in our church who
God decides to cut off,
gather up, and get rid of.
Does that mean they're going
to go to hell?
Well, if they've never put
their faith in Jesus, then
yes.
But I believe specifically,
this is talking about people
who have put their faith in
Jesus, but they have
allowed their own flesh to
suffocate the Holy Spirit
in their life, and they do
not produce any spiritual
fruit.
They don't go share the
gospel with people.
They don't let God transform
someone else's life because
of their efforts on his
behalf and the Holy Spirit
taking hold of those
efforts and magnifying
them, making them so much
more powerful than they
could ever be on their own.
That doesn't happen with
those people.
They don't produce the
fruit of kindness and
compassion.
I mean, you can look at
the lists of the fruit of
the Spirit and say,
is that me?
Am I that person?
And if not, I need to put
my own faith under the
microscope and say, have I
ever really put my faith in
Jesus?
Or am I just kind of going
along with the flow?
That's why every morning,
every Sunday morning, at the
end of this time, I always
ask, is there someone who
needs to put their faith in
Christ today?
And I will always do that
every Sunday after church.
church.
Because I truly believe there
are still people in this
room who have not yet done
that.
Holding out.
You're not quite aware of
what we're talking about.
Whatever the reason is, I
believe God is still giving
you opportunities.
But there's going to come a
day when you get your last
opportunity.
And if you turn that down,
seal your own fate.
I don't want that to happen.
Turn to Jesus today.
Whether it's for salvation
and forgiveness of sins, or
whether it's turning back to
God and saying, God, please
produce fruit through me.
I am an open, willing vessel,
willing servant.
I can't go out and accomplish
the fruits of the Spirit on my
own.
I can't go out and accomplish,
reproduce myself spiritually by
sharing the gospel with someone
who doesn't know Jesus and
seeing them turn to Christ and
seeing there's my living,
breathing, spiritual fruit
right there.
Say, God, do that through me
because I want to be a useful
branch.
I want this church, more than
anything, to be a useful
branch for God.
He is the vine.
We are the branches.
Let's be branches that bear
fruit.
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probably had a pretty good idea that
whoever signed up was ready for
whatever was going to face them.
Folks, I'm telling you that as we
served Jesus, he did not promise an
easy road.
He did not promise that we'd always
win the popularity contest.
He didn't promise that our values
would always line up with the
cultural values around us.
He didn't promise that family
relationships would always be
strong.
He didn't promise that everybody
would like you, that everybody
would always be patting you on the
back, that everybody would give you
notice for the good things that you
do.
But someday, honor and recognition
will come.
And you know what we'll do with that
honor and recognition?
We'll turn right around and give it
back to God.
That's what we see.
He will give us the crowns, and then
we will cast those crowns back at his
feet.
It's a hazardous journey.
The pain is not always great.
Sometimes it can feel cold.
Those around us tend to drift away.
Sometimes it can feel dark, even though
we know that Jesus is the light.
There is constant spiritual danger.
There's spiritual warfare going on
around us every day, even when we
don't realize it.
This world will not always be safe, but
Jesus will carry us safely home.
He'll carry us safely home.
John 15, you didn't choose me, I chose
you.
I like how the New Living Translation put
this verse in particular.
You didn't choose me, I chose you.
I appointed you to go and produce
lasting fruit.
To go and produce lasting fruit.
So a key thought for today, we'll have
our takeaway in just a moment.
A key thought for today.
Our church, our church needs each branch
to produce lasting fruit.
Each branch.
I'm looking at every face in this room.
God has brought us together.
He does not make mistakes.
God has brought us together.
For this moment.
We're not guaranteed tomorrow, but he
has brought us together for this
moment.
Each branch.
Each and every branch.
You've seen the branches and then the
little twigs that come off of them, you
know?
The church is kind of like the branch
and we're kind of like the twigs that
sprout off.
We need every twig.
We need every branch to produce
lasting fruit.
Because if you don't, and you don't,
and you don't some more, and years
later you still don't, I don't know
when, but some point in there, the
gardener is going to come and snip off
your branch.
And that's it.
And if you weren't a believer and you
never put your faith in Jesus, then
eternal punishment in hell is your
destiny.
If you were a believer and you did put
your faith in Jesus, but you never
opened yourself up to the Holy Spirit of
God and let him produce fruit in you, then
you will be brought home early.
Your twig will be cut off and you'll be
home in heaven with nothing to show,
no honor to give, certainly no honor to
receive.
So, our church needs it.
One of our key values of our church, let's
say them together if you remember them.
Ready?
Let's say loving God, seeking truth,
serving people.
This one's on the screen.
Let's try that again.
We all need to familiarize with ourselves
with that more as we begin to do
decorations and different things in our
church.
We're going to try to get those up on the
walls and out in front so we know what
our church is about.
We're continually reminded of the values of
our church.
Loving God, seeking truth, serving people.
Let's say them together.
Ready?
Loving God, seeking truth, serving people.
So, our third value here is all about
mission.
The best way that we serve people, I
didn't create that slide by the way,
Tabitha Pierce created that slide and she
did a great job.
The best way that we can possibly serve
people is to share Jesus with them, is to
go on mission as the church.
And so, that's our takeaway this morning.
We serve people best by introducing them
to our master.
You and I are servants.
Everyone in this world is a servant.
You're all serving something.
Every one of you is serving something.
Everyone has a master.
The master is either sin
or it's the Savior.
So, we introduce the lost world who's serving the wrong master
to our master and say, this is a whole lot better master.
You can trust what he has to say.
You can obey him.
And he will not lead you astray.
He will not lead you to the path to destruction.
So, we serve people best by introducing them to our master.
That is our mission.
And we are on mission together.
We should be united in our mission,
a united body of believers,
and a useful branch.
As individual members of that united body,
we should be, each of us,
a branch that produces fruit.
So, that's my challenge daily to myself,
to my family.
Men, I encourage you to keep that
before your wife and your children.
Mothers, I encourage you to keep that
before your children.
And wives, keep it before your husband too.
Two, we all must keep each other accountable.
One, are we keeping the main thing?
The main thing.
And the main thing is the mission.
So, let's keep the mission at the top of the heap.
Let's keep the mission in the forefront of our minds
and say, God, don't let me be a branch
that doesn't bear fruit.
Let's pray together.
Lord Jesus, I thank you so much
for your continual challenge from the word of God.
I ask right now, God, if there's someone here
who doesn't know you,
as their personal, personal Savior,
Father and friend,
that they would not leave this building this morning
without having a true, genuine encounter with Jesus.
Amen.