From Curiosity To Conversion

This episode of All In with Pastor Jordan Easley has been made possible by the generous support of viewers like you. Welcome to All In with Pastor Jordan Easley. Today's message is about to begin, and we invite you to prepare your heart and mind to hear an inspiring message from God's Word. We hope and pray for God to speak to you today as you seek to live your life all in for Jesus Christ. And now from First Baptist Church in Cleveland, Tennessee, here's Pastor Jordan Easley. It's feeling good outside, but man, I'm glad you guys are on the inside today. We're gonna have a great time in the Word of God. Anybody excited about that? Come on. Hey, we have a privilege of opening God's Word today, and that's a great thing. We're gonna be continuing in our series, Encounters with Jesus. And you know by now that we have for several weeks now been walking through different face-to-face encounters with Jesus in your Bible. Some of them have been very familiar stories, others not so much. But I believe that God's really shown up during this series, and he's spoken to my heart, and I hope he's spoken to your heart as well. We're gonna be doing the same thing today. We're gonna be diving into Luke chapter 19,

and I hope you're gonna follow along and take notes and write down some things that the Lord is speaking to your heart today. But this chapter is gonna give us a familiar story. But as we've walked through several of these stories, there's been a common theme and kind of a common understanding, and it's all centered around this idea of being curious spiritually. Curious. Curiosity can change everything. There's a story that's been going around in leadership circles for decades about a janitor that used to work at NASA. Apparently in the 1960s, this janitor overheard a conversation that was taking place between several engineers. They were talking about rocket fuel calculations. And most people in that scenario would have just kept sweeping the floor, would have just minded their own business. But because of this person's curiosity, they kind of listened a little bit closer and they spoke up in the midst of the conversation. He said, hey, I'm no scientist, but what I've heard so far would make me believe that if you would combine last week's formula with this week's formula, maybe that would be the answer to your question. And then when he said that,

it's like all the engineers just paused, they froze. They looked at one another. And according to the story, that idea ended up sparking a key improvement in the Apollo missions fuel formula. Now, was the janitor qualified to have that conversation? No. Was he a rocket scientist or a genius of any kind? Probably not. But here's what we see through his story. His curiosity brought him close. His boldness brought him in. And his question is what led them to the breakthrough. That's the power of curiosity. And today in Luke chapter 19, we're gonna see another man whose curiosity became a catalyst for the greatest breakthrough and greatest transformation that man ever experienced in his life. The man I'm talking about's name was Zacchaeus. Anybody know the name Zacchaeus? Raise your hand if you're with me. You grew up singing about Zacchaeus. Let's just go ahead and get it over with. Y'all ready? Zacchaeus was a. ♪ We will remember, we will remember him for a season ♪ He. Okay, stop. Come on, y'all ready for VBS?

You're like, come on, Zacchaeus. Hey, but the truth is all of us know Zacchaeus because we grew up singing about Zacchaeus in VBS and Sunday school. But really, if you think about it, most of us don't know much about Zacchaeus or his encounter with Jesus beyond what we grew up singing about. Today, we're gonna walk verse by verse through his story, through this encounter. And my prayer is that God would speak to your heart through Zacchaeus's story. We're gonna begin reading in verse one in just a second. We see a curious climber to begin this conversation. A curious climber. And the Bible reads this. It says, he entered Jericho and was passing through. There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector and he was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd since he was a short man. Thus the song, amen. It says, so running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus since he was about to pass that way. Now, the Bible tells us a lot about this man. He wasn't just a tax collector. In fact, Luke calls him a chief tax collector. That chief tax collector, that's a very rare term

found only right here in the New Testament. But he was the head of a corrupt financial system. He was Bernie Madoff 2000 years ago. He was known for profiting off of other tax collectors and patting his pocket and selling out his own people to Rome. And the Bible also tells us that he was very rich. We know that he was rich, but we also know that he was not rich. Also know that he wasn't very respected. See, in Jewish society, tax collectors were seen as being spiritually unclean and morally bankrupt. And so you have this guy that was just an outcast in the society. He was rich, he wasn't respected, but he was curious. In verse three, it says he was trying to see who Jesus was. He was trying to get close to Jesus. You know, in the 1950s, Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer in Springfield, Illinois. This is before he was the president. He was up and coming. People knew his name, but he wasn't the president quite yet. As he tells a story, he said, at that point in my story, I was very spiritually curious. I didn't know exactly what I believed, but I knew that I had a question mark in my heart that needed to be addressed. And one evening,

Lincoln wanted to attend a revival meeting in his hometown where a popular preacher was speaking, but he knew that his presence would be a distraction if he showed up. Some would even say it would be controversial, but he still wanted to know, still wanted to go. And so you know what he did? He asked a friend to bring him through the back alley of the church, up a staircase and into the pastor's private study, which was located right behind the platform. And it was there where Lincoln quietly cracked the door open and he pulled up a chair and he listened from the shadows as the man preached the gospel. See, the curiosity of Abraham Lincoln led him to that room. He didn't want to be seen. He didn't want the applause. He wasn't looking for recognition. He just wanted to see what this Jesus thing was all about. He wanted to get close to Jesus. And listen, that simple act of climbing into a hidden space became a defining moment in the life of Abraham Lincoln. In fact, afterwards, he told his friend, he said this, and I quote, I came here tonight with my mind made up to remain neutral regarding Jesus, but your pastor has made it impossible for me to do so. 2000 years ago, the curiosity of Zacchaeus is what led him up a tree. And the Bible says in verse three, he wanted to see Jesus.

He was trying to see who Jesus was. Now that phrase in the Greek is the phrase, zetae edane. And when it says that he was trying to seek Jesus, it was a phrase that meant intense seeking. This wasn't just casual curiosity on Zacchaeus' part. He wasn't just hoping to get a glimpse of Jesus as he passed by. No, the Bible paints a picture of him actively pursuing a chance to see Jesus with his eyes and also with his heart. But notice the Bible says the crowd blocked him. Do you see that part of the story? The crowd blocked him from seeing Jesus, whether that was because of his reputation or because his height, I don't know. But either way, Zacchaeus couldn't get through the crowd. And so he did something that was completely undignified for a grown man to do in that culture, something that was completely undignified for a wealthy man to do in that culture. You know what the Bible says? He ran and he climbed a tree. Now, growing up, you read that story and you're like, what's the big deal? We run, we climb trees. But in that culture, understand, those details may seem very small, but they're actually very significant. Running in that culture was seen as shameful

for a grown man. So if you're a grown man growing up in that world, the only time you run is in battle. And if you run in battle, you don't run away from your enemy, you run towards your enemy. That's the only time that it's okay for you to run. And so here's Zacchaeus. It says he is running, shameful. But then it says he climbed a tree, which was even more childlike than running. It was seen as shameful in that culture. If you're a grown man, get out of the tree. What are you doing climbing trees, right? But that's what he did. In first century Jewish culture, dignity was everything. But Zacchaeus didn't care in that moment. Did you notice that? He didn't hesitate. The Bible says he ran and he climbed a tree because he wanted to see Jesus. You're like, why didn't he care? If dignity is everything, why didn't he care? Here's what I believe. I believe in that moment, his curiosity overrode his pride. His curiosity overrode his pride. Why? Because he was desperate and he knew it. He was desperate to see Jesus. And we've seen this as a constant theme

throughout this series in encounters with Jesus. You see desperate people doing desperate things and check this out. Desperate people do undignified things and Jesus is drawn to desperation. You see this as a theme that Jesus responds to the cries of desperate people. Zacchaeus is willing to look foolish in front of men to see the face of God. So there he was, he's climbing a tree, he's hanging onto the branches of a sycamore tree, and he's just trying to get a glimpse of grace. That's how this story begins, with a curious climber. The second thing we see is a divine call. Keep reading in verse five, it says, "'When Jesus came to the place, "'he looked up and said to him, "'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, "'because today it is necessary "'for me to stay at your house.'" This part of the story is wild to me, because you've got this crowded street of religious people and spiritual elites, and the Bible says in the midst of all of that, Jesus stops for a man in a tree. That doesn't make sense. Why would he do that? And yet that's what he did. He didn't ignore Zacchaeus, he didn't just pass him by. The Bible says he stopped, he looked up in a tree,

and he called Zacchaeus by name. And remember, in this story, Jesus wasn't just passing by, this wasn't just a stroll on a sunny afternoon. No, this was Jesus's final journey to Jerusalem. The road in which he traveled was the road that ended at the cross. And so Jesus, in that moment, he had the cross on his mind, he had the cross on his heart. And yet even with all of that going on in his life, he looked up in a tree, surrounded by the crowd, and he calls one man by name. He said, Zacchaeus, hurry down, because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house. That word necessary is a word used throughout Luke's gospel that speaks of divine purpose, not convenience, but divine purpose. This wasn't a spontaneous lunch stop, this was heaven's agenda. And Jesus, in that moment, is saying, it's necessary for us to meet, it's necessary for me to come to your house. In other words, this is a divine appointment that's gonna change your life. And yet I want you to understand one thing I find fascinating. You see, Zacchaeus didn't call out to Jesus, Jesus called out to Zacchaeus. Have you ever thought about that? You say, how did this encounter happen? Well, he was seeking, but Jesus was saving.

And in this moment, he cries out to the sinful man in the tree. Romans 5, 8 says, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. And in other words, he's still calling our name today. Aren't you grateful that Jesus still calls our name today? Listen, Jesus doesn't call the deserving, he calls the desperate. He doesn't wait for us to get everything all together, no, he calls out to us right in the middle of our mess. And that's what we see in Zacchaeus' story. Jesus, in that moment, he knew his name, he knew his past, and he knew his pain. And he still, knowing all of that, extended an invitation into a relationship. In first century Jewish world, eating at someone's home was one of the most intimate things that you could do. That was an intimate form of fellowship. You didn't just have a meal in your home with anybody. In fact, the Pharisees, they were very careful to only eat with people that met their religious standard so that they could maintain their own spiritual purity. So if you were one of the religious elite, you wouldn't have a meal with a known sinner or a tax collector or a prostitute or a Gentile. All of those people were off the table. They weren't allowed to be in your presence. But that wasn't the case with Jesus.

Hey, don't miss this today. Jesus talked to Zacchaeus, and he said, get out of the tree. Get out of the tree, because it is necessary for me to stay at your house, not because you're a project, but because you're a person. You see the difference? Right here, Jesus wasn't, he wasn't just acknowledging Zacchaeus. He was welcoming Zacchaeus, and he was saying to him, I know what everybody else says about you. I know what everybody else thinks about you, but you belong with me. Listen, you want Jesus to do a work in your life? You want Jesus to use you or do something great in your story? Here's something you need to hear. You don't have to get cleaned up before you show up. Just climb down when Jesus calls. Just climb down when Jesus calls and leave the results to him. Jesus can handle the mess that you've made, and he can take that mess, he can turn it into a message, and he can use your life in supernatural ways. That's the Jesus that's still calling people out of the tree. That was true in his life. It started as a curious climber,

and then he had a divine call from Jesus himself. But the next part of this section, I want you to see the crowd of critics that surrounded him that day. Verse seven says, all who saw it began to complain, saying he's gone to stay with a sinful man. A sinful man. As a chief tax collector. in Jericho. Understand, this entire community knew Zacchaeus's name, and 100% of those people referred to him and knew him as a sinful man. And they knew that and believed that for several reasons. I'm going to give you three, just so you can know a little bit more about Zacchaeus's story. The first reason is he worked for the enemy. Zacchaeus worked for the enemy. He collected taxes on behalf of who? The Roman Empire, which occupied and oppressed the Jewish people. So as a result, he was viewed as a traitor. Why? Because he was a Jew who betrayed his own people and he was serving a pagan regime. And so, yeah, that's number one. He worked for the enemy. Number two, he exploited his own people. Like we just said, he was a Jew. Tax collectors were notorious for overcharging people. They would overcharge people and they would pocket the difference. But as the chief tax collector, Zacchaeus likely oversaw an entire network of corrupt tax collectors and profited heavily through dishonesty and also extortion. The third reason that he was seen as a sinner was because he was considered spiritually unclean. This wasn't just a financial thing. Now this is a spiritual thing for them. In the Jews' eyes, what he did made him ritually impure. He would have been excluded from the synagogue life completely. He wouldn't have been allowed to come to church. He couldn't sit on a row and listen as the scripture was read from a scroll. He was excluded from synagogue life. And just the way the culture worked, he would have been treated the exact same way as a Gentile, as a pagan, as a prostitute, or any other lifestyle sinners, just because of what he did. So in this part of the story, the Jewish crowd that was present that day watched as Jesus spoke to who? To a sinful man in a tree. And they couldn't believe what they were seeing and hearing. They were not

impressed that Jesus recognized Zacchaeus. You know what they were? They were offended. In that moment, they thought, man, out of all the people that Jesus could have blessed or honored or recognized, he chose Zacchaeus? Out of all the people that he could have had dinner with tonight? He didn't have dinner with any of us. He had dinner with Zacchaeus? That was their attitude as this entire encounter was happening. But here's the reality. Are you ready? Grace always looks offensive to people who think they've earned it. Grace always looks offensive to people who think they've earned it. Sometimes religious people have a tendency of looking down their noses at other people. Have you noticed that before? Yeah, it doesn't happen in our world, of course, but in other worlds, you know, that is a very big fact, right? Spiritual people have this spiritual aura, and they look down at people who haven't walked the same life and had the same experiences. We think, hey, they don't know the Bible like I know it, and so I'm up here and they're down here. They haven't been a member of our church as long as I've been a member of our church, or they've made choices and mistakes that I've obviously never made. We say they don't look the same way I look, or they don't talk like I talk, or they don't vote the same way I vote, therefore they aren't on the same level that I am spiritually. They're not worthy of the same grace. They haven't done all the things that I've done to be in this great position with God, right? You ever seen that aura? You've ever experienced that religious mindset? Well, that was the religious mindset of that day regarding sinners like Zacchaeus. Listen, when the religious crowd looked at Zacchaeus, they saw corruption. When Jesus looked at Zacchaeus, he saw a candidate for redemption. That's the difference in how they perceived this man in the tree. They saw a madman, they saw a corrupt man, and Jesus said, I can redeem that man. And so instead of responding to the crowd, Jesus responded to Zacchaeus' heart and his need. You know, as I read that this week, I just wrote this down in my journal, I said, don't ever let the volume of the crowd drown out the voice of the Savior. So easy to do that. It's so easy to miss God's best. Listen, he could have just said, okay, the crowd's not letting me get to Jesus, I guess I'll just let him pass by. How many times do we let the crowd keep us from God's very best in our life? How many times do we just bypass God's best because people are saying, oh, you're not a candidate for this, or you're too far gone for that? Don't let the volume of the crowd drown out the voice of the Savior.

Listen, I'm talking to somebody today who's far from God. You've been far from God. But if you're far from God today, and you've made a lifetime of mistakes, it's so easy for you to believe the lies and think, I'm too bad for God to save me. I'm too far gone for God to find me. Guess what? Not the crowd might say that some people might even believe that but Jesus is still a Savior that sees people hanging in the tree And he's still calling people by name today. Just like he called Zacchaeus by name 2,000 years ago You got a curious climber But there was a divine call There was a crowd of critics and yet I want to see I want you to show you how he responded in that day you know what Howard did a Repentant response came from the lips of this man a Repentant response keep reading in verse 8 says but Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord Look, I will give half of my possessions to the poor Lord and if I have extorted anything from anyone I'll pay back four times as much It's fascinating that in that moment. He was already calling Jesus Lord He already recognized Jesus for who he was and I want you to see right here He wasn't delivering a rehearsed apology. He wasn't listing a bunch of excuses or giving a speech about his intentions He instead in that moment chose to make a public declaration of repentance Don't miss this part You know people have often asked exactly is really have to do it like that Did he really have to repent like Publicly in front of all those people and a lot of people say no, you know You really didn't have to he just chose to you know, what? I think he did have to I Think he did have to have a public Apology and repent publicly and let me tell you why this is just this is what I believe the Bible would teach When you sin against God You should repent to God do you agree with me shake your head if you do All right. In other words if you sin against him, you should go to him and not only apologize but turn away from your sin

It's between you and the Lord and so you go to him But when you sin against someone else, I believe the Bible would teach that you should repent to God But also repent to that other person because you sinned against them and in the same way when your sin is public Your repentance should be public. And the reason I say that is because public wounds need public healing and public healing comes through public repentance You tracking with me today in James chapter 5 verse 16. Jesus says this therefore confess your sins to one another and Pray for one another so that you may be healed. Here's what the Bible teaches you ready Repentance leads to healing Repentance leads to healing and we see that to be true in this story is that he has repented of his sin how? publicly He wasn't just asking for God's forgiveness He was also acknowledging his wrongdoings in front of the people that he had hurt and taken advantage of for years Listen true repentance is never just emotional its directional I Know it's not on the screen but get this today. All right, true repentance isn't just emotional its directional Its directional when Zacchaeus met Jesus. He didn't just feel bad about his past He also changed the direction of his life for the future He changed direction of his life. He became a different person with a new perspective and that didn't just happen No meeting Jesus is what changed his life and it allowed him to see his sin the same way God had seen his sin and When Zacchaeus saw his sin the same way God saw his sin check this out. Once he did that he repented The very first thing he did once he saw his sin that way he repented of his sin And it was his repentant heart that led him to radical generosity Don't miss this today When God changes your heart, it shouldn't just change your words. It should change your actions That's what grace does That's what grace does, you know when grace is real when a former taker becomes a restorer And that's what we see in this story

See under the Mosaic Law Voluntary restitution was expected at a hundred and twenty percent And so if I took a hundred dollars out of your wallet and ran the other direction if I got caught or I repented From that I would have to return to you a hundred and twenty bucks. I'm paying interest on what I took from you Now in some cases according to the law if it was a straight outright theft of something like an animal restitution was 400% sometimes it was even more than that and this wasn't just a made-up law that they were enforcing in the day This goes back to the Mosaic Law Exodus Verse 1 read this when a man steals an ox or a sheep and butchers it or sells it He must repay five cattle for the ox or four sheep for the sheep So that's what the Lord Demanded through the law, but I want you to notice in Zacchaeus his story. He wasn't just repaying what had to be repaid He went above and beyond To make sure he did his part. I Once heard someone say these words they said those who are forgiven much Love much and they show it. I like that Those who are forgiven much love much and they show it I think scripture says the exact same thing in Luke chapter 7 Verse 47 says her many sins have been forgiven. That's why she loved much See in this story Zacchaeus wasn't giving extravagantly to earn his salvation He was giving extravagantly because he for the first time understood the grace of God in his life Hey, do you understand the grace of God in your life? Do you oftentimes take a second to reflect on all the grace that God has showered on your life? Because here's the truth if you understand the grace of God when grace takes root Generosity naturally grows Generosity naturally grows Zacchaeus knew in that moment with the Lord that he had begin forgiven much and That forgiveness didn't just change his heart. Check it out

That forgiveness changed his habits It changed his habits You know, I was reminded this week of a story of John Newton John Newton was a pastor and a songwriter a long time ago But before that in the 1700s John Newton served as a slave trader This was a man who captained ships that? transported enslaved Africans under horrific conditions This was a guy who lived a reckless and godless life for a really long time and and he was not only Doing horrible things with his life. He oftentimes mocked religion and he he would mock God But during one of his voyages across the sea a violent storm nearly sank his ship And in desperation this man who claimed to be an atheist this man who mocked religion He found himself on his knees on his ship crying out to God for help and God spared his life on that ship and that moment according to John was a moment of Transformation it began a journey a journey of him pursuing the Lord See Newton eventually repented of his sin He eventually surrendered his life to Christ and and he left the slave trade altogether, but he didn't stop there See years later. He became a pastor and he did something extraordinary from the pulpit one day He publicly confessed his past sins and he began to work to dismantle the very system that he once profited from In fact in the year 1788 John wrote this pamphlet entitled thoughts upon the slave trade Where he wrote these words He said it will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me That I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders This was a man that that went on to become a mentor and a spiritual advisor to William Wilberforce The British politician who led the movement to abolish slavery in the British Empire So when you know the backstory about this man It makes perfect sense that Newton was also the one who penned the words to one of the most famous The famous hymns in the entire world. He's the one who wrote for the very first time amazing grace

How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me You see a repentant response. It comes when you understand the grace of God on your life those who've been forgiven much Love much and they show it the last thing we see in this story was a declaration of salvation a declaration of salvation Now notice the progression that we've seen so far Zacchaeus went from being a sinner and a schemer To being a seeker who was seen by the Savior and when Zacchaeus had a personal encounter with Christ Jesus changed his life In verse 9 it goes on to say today Salvation has come to this house Jesus told him because he too is a son of Abraham For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost. I love that verse Listen, what a moment in this moment. Jesus is declaring in front of everybody who was there that day today Salvation has come to this house today, not next week, not after this guy becomes more religious, not after he spends more time with all you religious folk, not after he takes a class or he gets through the probation period where he can prove that his decision is real. No, Jesus said, when? He said, today is the day of salvation. Hey, with Jesus, grace isn't on layaway. Can I get an amen from somebody? Come on. Salvation through Christ is immediate. Jesus can change a life just like that. Zacchaeus didn't earn salvation.

What did the Bible say? He received salvation. His repentance and his faith unlocked the door and Jesus walked right in with forgiveness and provided him a brand new life. Man, that's how Jesus works. And Jesus hasn't been doing that for a long, listen, Jesus has been doing that a long time, but he can still do that today. Have you ever noticed that when Jesus talks about salvation, there seems to always be a sense of urgency? We'll read that verse again. Today, salvation has come to this house. Or how about a couple of weeks ago in Luke 23, what did we read? Today, you'll be with me in paradise. In Hebrews 3.15, he said, today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. In 2 Corinthians 6.2, he says, now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation. When Zacchaeus invited Jesus in and when Zacchaeus met him personally, he was saved. When? On that day. And I want you to see, Jesus didn't just forgive Zacchaeus' past, he restored his purpose and he reclaimed his identity. He told the crowd that day, he too is a son of Abraham. Now understand, that was a shocking,

outrageous statement that Jesus made. And I'm sure the crowd just went, what, right? He too is a son of Abraham. Like, what did you just say? Listen, Zacchaeus had long been cast out of the Jewish community. This was a guy who was rejected. He was kicked to the curb. And yet Jesus, in this moment, he said, today's salvation comes to this house. And I know you don't think he does, but he belongs. He's a part of us. Listen, the crowd saw a corrupt tax collector, but Jesus saw a lost son that was ready to come home. Listen, grace restores what sin attempts to destroy. And maybe somebody needs to hear that today. The grace of God restores what sin has attempted to destroy. In that moment, Jesus restored this man to the family. And that's why Jesus came in the first place. You ever asked the question, why? Why did Jesus come in the first place? Well, he answered it right here. It says, the son of man has come, why? To seek and to save the lost. Who's the lost? That's all of us. Listen, without Christ, all of us are lost. So why did Jesus come? He came seeking us. He came to save us.

And you know what? He's still seeking and he's still saving. Zacchaeus climbed up a tree to see Jesus. Jesus climbed up a tree to save Zacchaeus. Think about that. Zacchaeus climbed up a tree to see Jesus, but Jesus climbed a tree to save Zacchaeus. And the same is true for you. Listen, you may feel unworthy today. You may feel unseen or even spiritually short. You may feel blocked right now by a crowd of opinions or shame or bad reputations. But listen to me, if you're curious, if you're searching, if you're even thinking that today, maybe Jesus can change my life, then you're already in the right position. Because today Jesus is still stopping at trees and Jesus is still calling us by name. When Zacchaeus invited Jesus in, what happened? Jesus came in and salvation came to his house. And guess what? If you're willing to invite Jesus into your life today and surrender to him as your personal Lord and savior, salvation will come to your house as well. The Bible says, if you're willing to open the door, when Jesus knocks on the door of your heart, Jesus will come in and he will enter and he will dine with you and he will change you from the inside out. The question isn't, is Jesus able to save?

The question is, will you let him in? Will you bow your heads and close your eyes? I just wonder who I'm talking to today. There may be somebody here that says, you know what, Jordan, for a long time, I felt like an outcast and unworthy. And I thought that Jesus was just a savior that just passed me by on the street. But today, for the first time, I understand that he's stopping at my feet. my tree, he's looking in my direction, and he's calling me by name. May I just ask you today, how will you respond to your encounter with Christ right now? My prayer is that you would open the door of your heart, that you would allow Jesus to come in. Nobody can make you give your life to Christ, but Jesus invites you to. And so how will you respond to this invitation? If you wanna give your life to Christ, would you just pray this prayer in your heart right now? Say, Jesus, I wanna be saved. I wanna know you. But more than that, I want you to know me. Lord, for a long time, I've pursued the things of this world. I've pursued sin and things other than you. But today, I repent of my sin. I turn away from what I've pursued, and I wanna point my heart to you, Jesus,

and ask you to be my personal Lord and Savior. I surrender to your leadership. I wanna follow your word. I want the Holy Spirit to live in my life and guide me. But God, I know that I can't do that by myself. So thank you for being a God who loves me so much that you have met me in this moment, that you've spoken clearly to my heart, and that you have saved me in a way that nothing else could or ever will. Lord, I give you everything I have to give. I wanna be your son, I wanna be your daughter, and I want you to make me the person you created me to be. Help my life to make a difference for you and your kingdom. And it's in Jesus' name I pray, amen. If you've enjoyed watching this episode of All In, I encourage you to connect with our ministry in the simplest way possible, by downloading our free mobile app. It's easy to download. Just use our QR code or the website link displayed on the screen right now to find the app for your phone. With this app, you can watch messages, you can read devotions, and you can stay informed about upcoming events, including special trips and tours designed to strengthen your faith. Many of our messages are available in multiple languages, such as Spanish, French, Chinese, and even more.

Plus, the app includes a complete Bible for your convenience. So what are you waiting for? Take advantage of this free mobile app today. Thank you for watching, and I look forward to seeing you soon on another episode of All In. Hey, we never wanna end our broadcast without giving you the opportunity to know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. If you'd like to make the decision to trust Jesus and wanna know more about what it looks like to follow Jesus, get in touch with me right now. Follow the instructions at the bottom of the screen so that we can pray for you and also put information in your hands right away. Today, we celebrate your decision and look forward to being a part of your personal journey of going All In with Jesus Christ. This episode of All In with Pastor Jordan Easley has been made possible by the generous support of viewers like you. We hope today's message encourages you as you strive to live your life fully committed to Jesus Christ.