GOD SEES FAITHFULNESS!

The title of this message is When Loyalty Costs You Everything. We're gonna talk a little bit about what loyalty is, then we're gonna talk about being loyal to God, what that looks like, what that means. We're gonna look at the story of Jonathan, who's not talked much about, and you know, people don't do whole sermons on him. In fact, I've never did a message on Jonathan and what he really did and how he did it and how he honored God. And so today, that's what we're gonna talk about because godly loyalty chooses faithfulness over self-preservation, even when it costs you your future. In 2009, a high school football coach in the state of Washington named Mark Hatch forfeited a playoff game, not because his team couldn't play, because he found out two of his players had been academically ineligible during the regular season. Nobody knew, nobody reported it, he could have kept his mouth shut, played the game, and nobody would have ever found out. But instead, he turned himself in. They stripped the wins, they lost the playoff spot, the season was over. And when the reporters asked him why he did it, he said something I'll never forget. He said, I couldn't teach my players about integrity all season and then throw it away

when it cost me something. Think about that. That's loyalty to what's right. And it cost him everything he had worked for that year. And see, most of us like loyalty. We like it when it benefits us. We like it when it's mutual. We like it when it doesn't cost too much. But what happens when loyalty costs you something? What happens when doing the right thing puts you on the wrong side of people? Because there's a kind of loyalty that feels good. There's a kind of loyalty that costs everything, will cost you something. And that's where Jonathan's story begins. Jonathan is one of the most overlooked people in the Old Testament. He is the son of King Saul. He is next in line for the throne. He's a warrior, a proven leader, a man who had already won battles for Israel. By every expectation, every tradition, every line of succession, Jonathan should become king. But instead of chasing the throne, he chose something greater. He chose loyalty to God. And that choice changed everything for him. You know, so often, we wanna talk about, is God loyal to us, is God faithful to us? You say, well, how do we talk about it?

Well, this didn't happen for me, so I'm mad at God. This didn't happen, so I'm hurt. This didn't happen, and so I'm out. But we want God to be loyal to us, but are we loyal to him? We know he's faithful and he's loyal, even when you don't get what you want, even when things don't work out quite like you want them to, or maybe not work out at all. When you experience hurt, you can't blame God. He's faithful and loyal, even when you blame him for being the devil. People say, well, how do I blame him for being the devil? When you accuse him of not caring, when you accuse him of, you should be able to stop this, and why didn't you do that? See, God gave everybody a free will. Everybody in here has a free will, and he never usurps that will. He said, you choose who you'll serve. You choose what you'll do. You make your own decisions, but hopefully you choose to serve God. And people always ask, well, if God's so real, why do bad things happen? Because man uses his free will to do bad things, evil things, awful things. Well, why didn't God stop it? Because if he did, he could make you act more like a Christian.

Every day, not just on Sunday. He would make you serve. He'd make you stop gossiping and backbiting. He'd make you stop watching your phone while I'm preaching. He would make you stop talking about going to the grocery store, why people are trying to hear. Yeah, I know. Yeah. But you know it's true, I hear complaints all the time. He'd make you tithe. He'd make you watch your mouth. He'd make us do these things, but he doesn't make us. He says, you choose. It's a choice he gave us, because when we were creating God's image. he gave us free will. And so because he can't make us do anything, why would he make anybody else do anything? He can't do that. It's against what he put in place on this earth, his commands. And so we've got to be careful, folks. We want God to be loyal to us, but are we desiring to be loyal to him? See, loyalty recognizes God's hand where it's moving. 1st Samuel chapter 18 verses 1-4. After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king's son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. From that day on, Saul kept David with him and wouldn't let him return home. So David had to play the harp or whatever he was playing, he had to play music, and it would give him relief from the demons of oppression and depression, because Saul had violated what God told him to do. And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt. Now I want you to catch what's happening here. This is not just a friendship forming.

This is recognition. Jonathan sees something on David. He sees the hand of God. And in that moment, Jonathan makes a decision that would alter the course of his entire life forever. He decides to align himself with what God is doing, even if it costs him everything. And that is the heart of real loyalty. Loyalty to God will sometimes cost you what you thought was yours. See, now look at the details of what Jonathan actually did. See, we can read this stuff and just go by it and not think much about it. What was significant about the robe, the sword, the belt, the bow? See, he takes off his robe, he takes off his armor, he hands over his sword, his bow, and his belt, and these were not just pieces of clothing. The robe represented royalty. The armor represented authority. The sword represented power. This was Jonathan's identity. This was his future. This was what he had been born into, and he takes it all off. Not because someone forced him. Not because he lost in the battle. He gives it away. And that's not kindness. That's called surrender, because he saw the hand of God on David. Now let's talk about David for a minute. People think, well, David was anointed king and he became king. It was 14 years later. He was hunted down by Saul the whole time, and Saul tried to kill him over and over and over again for doing what? Doing nothing. See, we think if God's gonna do something, if we wait a year on God, then we've waited too long. David waited 14 years. From the time that Paul, or Saul, became Paul, and Paul really entered the ministry, you know it was almost 14 years then, too. He just didn't go right in the ministry. He had to learn. And when you look at Paul's journey from Saul to Paul, it was quite a while. It took a while. And we, if it takes a year, two years, three years, we get so mad at God. God, I thought you loved me. God, why isn't this happening? David ran for 14 years in the wilderness, hitting caves. And we think we got it bad, because, well, I've been waiting five years for God to do something. Well, maybe you need to wait another five years. It doesn't mean he's not working. It just means it hasn't happened yet. And I know people that get so discouraged. I wanted that job, and God didn't give it to me, so I'm out. So that's loyalty. That's loyalty to yourself. And you creating a God to yourself. There's only one true

God, and he's nobody's boy. He's God, and we're his servants. See, Jonathan is not just honoring David. He is recognizing what God is doing. He is saying, the throne I thought was mine, God has given to you. And instead of competing with it, instead of protecting his position, instead of holding on to what God, what he could claim, he releases it. See, true loyalty is revealed when you surrender what you had every right to keep. And that's what makes this moment so powerful. Because most people, I want you to hear this, most people don't struggle to give up what they don't have. We struggle to give up what we believe is ours. Our plans, our position, our future, our stuff. But Jonathan trusted God's plan more than his own potential. And that is real loyalty. You know, today in our world, the Bible says in the last days, people will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. And you can hear it in our society. You can hear when people talk about, well, Jesus is coming back soon, and you can hear people say, I don't want him to come back yet. I haven't completed my education. I haven't got my college degree. I haven't built my business. I haven't gotten married yet and had my 2.7 kids. I haven't got my driver's license yet. There's so many things I want to do before Jesus comes back. That's how you know you're a lover of pleasure over a lover of God. When you put things.

Most of us are saying, come, Jesus, come. How many of you say amen to that? Like, and especially for some of us that you're doing good, you really want him to come. While you're doing well. Like, Lord, I'm doing good today. Come today, because I don't know what tomorrow has for me. I'm in a good spirit today. God, I actually love you. I believe in you, because tomorrow something may not go my way and I may not like you anymore. We gotta quit blaming God for what the devil does. And we gotta quit blaming God for what life doles out sometimes. We always think it's the devil, but man, sometimes life just happens. Well, God loved me, he would do this. And if God loved me, he'd do that. Because God's not your servant, we're supposed to be his servant. Amen. See, loyalty will put you in conflict. Now, here's where it gets hard. Because loyalty to God didn't just cost Jonathan a throne, it put him in direct conflict with his own father. And you see, King Saul hates David, but Jonathan protects him. Jonathan is standing between his father, his friend, and his future. And Saul explodes.

Are you ready? First Samuel chapter 20, verse 30 and 31. Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. You stupid son of a whore. Now, don't write me for saying that word. It's only in the Bible. People say, I can't believe it. He said that. We gotta get over ourselves too, son. Some of us are way too sensitive. And I always read these words like, I'm gonna read the Bible and someone's gonna get mad. Don't write me, don't email me. I'm not gonna read it anyway. Especially if you don't put your name on it. I do not believe in ghosts. If you don't have enough integrity to put your name on it, then I'm definitely not gonna read it. It goes in file 13. Anybody know what that is? The trash. But I know someone's gonna be mad because I read the Bible. Some people get mad because they think that they get caught up with, that offended me. Well, I'm gonna say this to you. If the Bible or me teaching the scriptures offends you, I just want you to hear this very clear. I don't care. And here's why.

Here's why I don't care. If our bathrooms are dirty, if we're rude to you, I care. But I cannot be responsible for you from the Word, or for the Word. If the Word offends you, then you don't love God anyway. And if the Word's not changing your life, you're not loving God anyway. I mean, you should be challenged. Some of you are getting challenged right now not to get up and be mad. Because people storm out of here all the time. Like, I can't believe he said I didn't get out of here. And we just watch you go like, dang. They have zero respect for anything and anyone. So if I offend you for, like I said, our bathrooms are dirty, we don't call you back, whatever, I'll apologize for that. But man, if you think I'm gonna apologize for God's Word, when preachers do that, you're not called the church anymore. You're called a group or a social club. But the Word, man, it's gonna offend you sometimes. I mean, it works you. And not to offend you like in a hurtful way, but like make you think. Like, can I, I need to change my thinking here. And what's the use of preaching the Word if it doesn't challenge your life, your thinking, your beliefs, your opinions, your preferences?

It challenges all of us. Even when I'm putting this together, I've never done a message on Jonathan. But it's intriguing to me, I'm learning. And when I put this together I'm getting convicted like dang God I got to be more loyal But anyway, it's all boiled with rage at Jonathan You stupid son of a whore he swore at him Do you think I don't know that you want him to be king in your place? Shaming yourself and your mother as long as that son of Jesse is alive You'll never be king now go and get him so I can kill him Those are brutal words from a father to a son Saul is basically saying as long as David lives. You'll never be king. That's the moment Jonathan has to choose Protect his future or protect God's plan and he chooses God So you cannot be loyal to God's plan and protect your own at the same time Dietrich Bonhoeffer the German pastor gave his life Resisting Hitler and the Nazi regime Said it this way When Christ calls a man He bids him come and die What does that mean? Matthew 16 25 says if you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it But if you give up your life for my sake, you'll have it or save it Now so I started thinking about that. What does that mean in our world today? How do we explain it where we? Understanding, you know more what God is saying. So let me give you a thought The tighter you grip your life and try to control everything on your terms the more you Lose what actually matters, but the person who says God Whatever you want

Wherever you want me. I'm in That person finds purpose and peace in real life and you must release your life and everything you have The reason that the world does not have more purpose and more peace It's not because it's not there. It's because they're not willing to submit to God They're not willing to give God their life Now listen when you give God your life doesn't mean you're perfect doesn't mean you won't sin doesn't mean you won't make mistakes We all will do that But we're loyal to God by repenting and saying God forgive me and then we keep moving We're loyal to God when we get up and move no matter what we've done. We just keep serving God. We keep loving God We keep doing what God's Word says You have a pastor. I've messed up so much. So what when you ask Jesus to be in your life? He's still in your life. Now. You have to recognize this in your life by acknowledging Only you can forgive my sin And then you get back up and you work through whatever guilt or shame or whatever it is You need to work through But we have to give our life Jonathan understood that before Bonhoeffer ever wrote it his loyalty to God was a death to self Long before it was a death in battle There are moments in life where where God's direction and your ambition are not going to line up and in that moment You find out What your loyalty is really made of? See 1st Samuel 23 verses 14 through 18 David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Zipf Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn't let Saul find him one day near Horus David received the news that Saul was on the way to Zipf to search for him and kill him Jonathan went to find David and encourage him to stay strong in his faith in God Don't be afraid Jonathan reassured him. My father will never find you you are going to be the king of Israel and I will be next to you as my father Saul is well aware So the two of them renewed their solemn path

Before the Lord then Jonathan returned home while David stayed at Horus Jonathan warns David he protects him. He advocates for him He risks everything and he knows that every time he helps David He is stepping further away from the throne that should have been his and He keeps choosing it. Anyway, he keeps choosing loyalty over self-preservation He keeps choosing God's plan over his own future and in doing so he loses everything he could have had He never becomes king he never sits on the throne He never steps into the future that once belonged to him instead. He dies in battle alongside his father Saul Jonathan sowed all these seeds He did all these things to protect David because he saw the hand of God on him and said you're supposed to be king. Saul forfeited his right for his son to be the successor. But Jonathan recognized what God was doing and gave up everything. He didn't fight for it. He wasn't trying to kill David. He just, he submitted and surrendered and said, God, it's not my will, it's your will. These are my plans, but you had different plans. And he was so faithful to David, and then he dies in battle with his dad, with King Saul. And then you remember the guy that came and reported that to David. He was kind of rejoicing that Saul is dead and his son Jonathan, and David said, got up and killed that guy. David wasn't happy that Saul was dead, even though Saul chased him for all those years

to try to kill him. But Jonathan, I do believe he's one of the most overlooked people in the Bible, Old Testament. Because what he did was what most of us cannot do. This is my plan, but what if God has a different plan? My plan was to go to college, get a business degree and go try to make a lot of money. Then I got saved, God had another plan. He said, you're gonna leave that and go to Bible school and get a Bible degree. And then after that, I went to work at UPS and I thought, what good is a Bible degree doing me now? I should have stayed in college and got my degree and did my thing over what God had planned. And at some point, it took me a while, but at some point, I submitted to that. But what I'm gonna say is, it took a while. It took, we're all a work in progress. We're all growing in our faith. That doesn't mean we're perfect, that doesn't mean we're holy, that doesn't mean we're sanctified, even though God does those things for us, it means we're a work in progress. Everybody in this room is trying to grow, hopefully, and get better and do better and live better. But it all starts by submitting our will, our plans, to God's plans. God, is this really what you want me to do? God, what does your word say about this?

From the outside, it looks like Jonathan loses. It looks like faithfulness cost him everything and gained him nothing. Now, I really want you to listen to this. If you're asleep, wake up. If you've got a neighbor asleep, wake him up. Wake her up. Because success in God's kingdom is not getting what you want. It's not securing your future. It's not protecting your position. Success is being faithful to what God is doing. Jonathan is not remembered as the king who never was. He is remembered as the man who stood with God's plan. And here's something beautiful that most people miss. Jonathan's loyalty bore fruit he never lived to see. I want you to hear that statement. Jonathan's loyalty bore fruit he never lived to see. He never lived to see it. Second Samuel, chapter nine, verses one, three, six, and seven. One day, David asked, is anyone in Saul's family still alive? Anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake? Yes, Ziba told the king. There is still a son of Jonathan, but he is crippled in both feet. And when he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. And David said, greetings, Mephibosheth.

And Mephibosheth replied, I am your servant. Don't be afraid, David said. I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather, Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king's table. Did you catch that? Jonathan never sat on the throne, but his son ate at the king's table for the rest of his life. Jonathan's loyalty paid dividends he never collected himself. His faithfulness blessed a generation he never got to see. Let me say it like this. For the most part, my wife and I are first-generation Christians. Now, my mom was saved. She was always doing that, but we had nothing to do with it. I didn't. Cynthia wasn't raised. I mean, she went to Catholic school for a while, and she was kind of raised that way, and then she was raised nothing. And we've talked about this a lot over the years. Because we believe we're the first-generational Christians, there's probably other Christians in our lineage we don't know nothing about. I don't know any pastors in my family,

other than me and my brother. We weren't like second-generation or third-generation. And we've talked about this principle. Cynthia, we're. We're sowing seeds today that we may never see the harvest, but our kids will, and our kids' kids, and our great-great-grandkids. For generations, they will reap what we sow today. Jonathan sowed so much that David took his crippled son, gave him back all the property, and said, you'll eat at my table the rest of your life. Because of Jonathan. Folks, some of you, how many would say you're first-generational, really, Christians? Not in the church, not Catholic, not Protestant, but first-generational Christians, so many of us. Do you realize you're sowing seed right now for your children, your children's children, and your children's children's children? You may not reap all the harvest in your lifetime, but someone will, and your family. I think about sowing and reaping all the time. When I'm around people, I talk about, you know, I think about so kindness, so kind. Be kind, even when I don't want to be kind. Be cordial when I don't want to talk to anybody. I always think about, what am I sowing? And you say, why do you think about what you're sowing? Because I know that you reap what you sow. And if I sow kindness with people,

and graciousness, and whatever you want to call it, as a person, not as a pastor, just as a person, then I'll reap that in my life. Some of you sow critical spirit all the time. You sow anger all the time. And then you get mad, they're criticizing me. That's because you're sowing it, you're reaping it. But what if you, especially the first generational Christians, what if you, and let me tell you this, if you're second generation or third generation, do you not know you're reaping from the first generation? You're reaping from somebody else's seeds in your life today. And folks, we have to think about that. What am I sowing for my kids tomorrow? For the children I'll never see, the grandchildren I'll never see, what am I sowing for them? That's why you serve in the kingdom, that's why you make church a priority, that's why you give to the kingdom, because only what you do for the kingdom lasts forever. Jonathan gave up everything for the plan of God, and he died in a battle. But thank God, for what he did, his son was blessed forever, for his whole life. And being blessed doesn't mean you won't go through hard times, or bad times, or difficult times, hurtful times, it doesn't mean that. It just means that we don't ever walk alone,

that we're all a work in progress, no one's perfect in here. See, this should encourage every person in this room, your obedience today may not pay off in your lifetime, but it will pay off. Your faithfulness is planting seeds in soil you may never harvest from, but somebody will. Hebrews 11, 13 says, all these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. Jonathan lived that verse before it was ever written. He died believing, not receiving. And God honored every bit of it. God sees what nobody else sees. God sees unseen faithfulness. He sees costly obedience, and he sees quiet surrender. The world measures success by position. God measures success by faithfulness. Jonathan points us forward though, like so many others in the Bible, he is not the hero, he points us to the hero. Jonathan laid down a throne, Jesus laid down heaven. Jonathan protected David, Jesus gave himself for all of us. Jonathan lost a crown he could have had, Jesus wore a crown of thorns he didn't deserve. Jonathan gave up a throne to honor God's plan, Jesus gave up everything to accomplish God's plan. So what does this mean for us today? Where are you being asked to choose God's will

over your preference? Where are you being asked to choose faithfulness over recognition? Where are you being asked to choose obedience over opportunity? Where are you trying to protect something God is asking you to release? Where, what? Because loyalty sounds real good until it costs us something. Some of us are holding on to a position, some of us are holding on to a plan, some of us are holding on to a future we mapped out for ourselves. And some of us are holding on to control. And some of us are holding on to stuff. And God is saying, trust me more than you trust what you're holding. So Jonathan teaches us this as I close. The greatest thing you can do with your life is not to build your own kingdom, but to be faithful to God's kingdom and build that. Because that's the only thing that lasts. When we see the Lord, the only thing that lasts is what did you do for the kingdom? What did you do according to God's plan? Let's be loyal to God. Let's quit blaming him for bad things. Let's quit telling him he doesn't love us because things didn't happen the way we did or things happened to us that we don't think

should have ever happened and they probably shouldn't have. But God is faithful. He's loyal. He doesn't have loyalty, God is loyalty. Without God, there is no loyalty. God is not faithful, he is faithfulness. There would be no such thing as faithfulness if it wasn't that God came and created all of us. So like anybody else, you get to choose this day who you'll serve. For some of you, you need to make adjustments and just tweaks in your thinking and your life. For others, we need to get right with God. We believe in God, we've even asked Jesus to be Lord of our life but we've gone and lived our life the way we wanted to because something maybe didn't go the way we thought it should. And somehow we blame God for everything. Just think if you were blamed for everything. How many of you have been blamed for everything with some people? How many don't enjoy that? Like you're the reason I'm this way, you're the myth. Because of you, I'm this and because of, if you were better, I'd be better. How many like it? I don't like it. But so many people blame God for everything that goes on. They never thank God for helping them.

They blame him. If you loved me, this would've never happened. If you loved me, I would've got this. If you loved me, I would've got this job. If you loved me, then so and so would've loved me back. That is not the way it works. God is not your enemy, he's our friend. And that's what we gotta get in our thinking. We gotta lay down our preferences and our own belief system and find out what God actually says and teaches. That's what's gonna change your life. And folks, that's what's gonna give you purpose and peace. The reason the world has no purpose? Because they don't believe in God. They don't serve God, they mock God. The reason the world doesn't have any peace and we're seeing it all over and how many mental illnesses and how many people just having so many issues, it's because they keep holding on to their life and they're trying to take care of their life on their own. But if we give our life to Christ, he'll give you purpose and he'll give you peace. And so many of us seek peace. We just want peace in our hearts and mind. We just want peace in our lives. You can have it, but you gotta put God first. Father, in Jesus' name, whenever you had bad just for a few moments,

I pray for each one in this room, everybody online watching, that you bless them, that you help them. God, we know we're all growing. We're all a work in progress. None of us have arrived. Thank you for never giving up on us. Thank you for being loyal to all of us. So now God, help us to be loyal to you. It all starts with the decision. In Jesus' name, if you're here and you say, preacher, would you include me in your prayer? I've walked with God, but I've walked away. You're right, I got mad at God. I blamed him. I don't wanna blame him anymore. I just wanna get my life right. Well, today's your day to receive God's forgiveness and hope once again in your life. Or maybe you're here and you've never asked Jesus to be Lord of your life. You've never believed the good news and said with your heart, believed in your heart and said with your mouth, Jesus, be Lord of my life. I surrender my will to your will. I surrender my life to your Lordship. He said, if you do that, you'll be saved. Saved from what? Saved from your sin, saved from your shame,

your regret, and saved from hell. But it's your choice. You get to choose this day who you'll serve. And for some of you, I'm praying that you choose God. So with every head bowed, if you say, that's me, preacher, include me in your prayer, are you ready? Without any hesitation. And you say, God, I don't care. I just want you in my life. I don't care what anybody else thinks. I want you in my life. God, I need to know that if I died today, I'd go to heaven. God, I need to know that you've forgiven me. If that's you, right where you're seated, and you say, preacher, pastor Steve, include me in your prayer. In Jesus, God bless you. In Jesus name, right at your seat, would you just lift your hand all over this place? God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God cares. God bless you. God's not so concerned about your past as He is your future. God bless you. And we got to let our past go too. God bless you. God bless you. Our past can't keep defining us. God bless you. God loves people. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I see those hands, all three of those hands. God cares. He's for you. You say, well preacher, I lived a kind of a crazy life. That's okay. God's great with crazy. He really is. He's great with everything. Pastor, you don't know what I've done. I know, but God doesn't. He still wants you in His family. You can have a moment, a choice, where you can choose Him and find out how He can lead and direct your path and change your life for the better.

I'm gonna look across the top. Anybody else up there? Say preacher? God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Thank you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Thank you. I see your hand. Anybody else at the top section? This is your call, your choice. God bless you, man. Thank you. God bless you over here. Thank you. Anybody else in the bottom section? Thank you, sir. Thank you. Father, in Jesus' name, I thank you for blessing each one in this room. And Father, I'm asking that you bless and show yourself strong to those who lifted their hands today. I said, I may not understand all this, but I know it's right somehow. Because God, you're always right. And no matter what we think or feel, you always love us. Even in our worst state, you love us. Even in our best state, you love us. And so God, thank you for loving people. Thank you for believing in people. Thank you that you can change our lives. That we don't have to be identified with our past. We can move on and see what's ahead of us. Thank you for never giving up on us. And God, may we never give up on you. In Jesus' name. If you lifted your hand, I want you to pray this prayer. If you lifted your hand, I want you to pray this prayer aloud with me. The Bible says, not Steve, the Bible says, we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus. Out of Book of Romans, chapter 10, verses 9 and 10. So I'm gonna ask you, if you lifted your hand, to pray this prayer out of your mouth, loud enough for your ears to hear your voice. And I'm gonna ask everybody in here that's right with God, would you join us and pray with those in serving those? So no one's praying alone, and maybe you didn't lift your hand. I always say this, but you know you need to get right with God. You know you need to give Him permission to your life. Would you pray with us and allow me to introduce you to Jesus? Because only He's the Savior of the world. No man can save you. No church can save you. Only you believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth the Lord Jesus. So would you pray this prayer with me, church? Would you pray, God, I choose to believe in

your Son Jesus, and I believe He's your only Son, and He's the only way. And according to your Word, I believe that you raised Him from the dead. I believe that in my heart. And now according to your Word, I confess with my mouth, Jesus, be Lord of my life. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for forgiving me. I choose you, God. Thank you for choosing me. In Jesus' name, and everybody said amen and amen and amen. Let's thank the Lord.