How To Be a Faith Responder | Greg Hubbard

Good morning, Allison Park Church, good morning. Good morning, I want to be the first one to wish you all a Merry Christmas this year. And I'm the first one, but what a joy, what a humbling honor from my wife, Robyn and I to be here with you this morning. You have been deep, before I get into the message, deep in our hearts over these weeks. In fact, I don't remember recalling ever somebody's passing hitting us the way that has the homegoing of Pastor Jeff Leek. And we've been praying for Melody and the entire family. We love them so much, respect them greatly. And I've sat back really in awe of the faith and strength that they're walking in. How many believe God's hand is upon their lives in a wonderful way, how many believe that? We do, so we're praying for them and love them so much. And again, it is an honor to be here with you for this morning and for these days. Believe in God to refresh you. If you're in the mood to be like down in gloom and doom, you could just file out right now for your pretzel, but we believe God's gonna lift somebody up in this room this morning. God's gonna touch somebody and bless somebody and heal somebody, amen. But just know that you're deep in our hearts. We're among an army of people around the world. We're literally praying for Allison Parr Church.

So we love you so much. You know, I've been saying it every service because I meet it in every service. I'm a little ticked off this morning. Was my understanding today was pancake and bacon day. What's up with the pretzels? I don't get this. What is up with the pretzels? I'm only kidding you. A soft pretzel, a pinto bunion soft pretzel will change your life. Matter of fact, if you don't like soft pretzels, I'm not sure you really are saved to know Jesus. If you really love Jesus, aren't you glad? We were all one to pretzel. Aren't you glad that Jesus untwisted you? Come on, then I'll preach. And I say, Lord, I was once a pretzel, but now I won't say whatever, but Jesus is so good. We're just so grateful. Enjoy your pretzels and have a blessed time and fellowship. But I wanna go to God's word this morning. I'm under the understanding that this service ends at 3.30, so I gotta get going this morning. But I wanna read from 2 Corinthians chapter two, beginning at verse number 14. Here's what the word says on a beautiful Sunday morning here at APC Church. It goes like this, here we go.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession, and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ, and when those who are being saved and those who are perishing, the one where an aroma that brings death to the other, an aroma that brings life, and who is equal to start the task. Verse 14, again, our focus. But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession, and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. Somebody once said that first responders, you've heard the phrase first responders, that they're about the moments, but faith responders are about the marathon. I'm talking to those this morning that have been first responding to all that you've been going through, and the trauma, and the grief, and not just the passing of a general of the faith, and a great leader in Patrasche, but you've got your story, you've got your issues, and your marriage, your children, your job, your school. And the challenge is, is God, why I may not have a choice as to being a first responder, because you all go through tough things,

but we do have a choice as to whether or not we're going to be a faith responder. And Paul talks in this verse, especially verse 14, of what a faith responder actually looks like. And one thought is this, that faith responders are simply people who speak different, they just talk different. People that have been touched by Jesus, people like you heard last week, people that look for the rain, those that walk in the gift of faith, and those that listen for the gentle whisper. How many have heard the gentle whisper all week long? Somebody shout yes. People that walk with Jesus, they're simply gonna walk in faith, and they're going to talk different. And Paul talks about this, and teaches us this, when he says in verse 14, or chapter two, there in verse 14, he says, but thanks be to God. And he writes that after sharing a disappointment. Earlier in that chapter, he hoped to meet his friend Titus for a cup of coffee, maybe a couple pretzels, and a fellowship, it's gonna be together. Maybe Paul thought, you know what, I just wanna meet with a brother, have some fellowship, get a cup of coffee, Starbucks, which costs $79.95 a cup. I'll get a piece of lemon, how many of you have the lemon loaf at Starbucks?

It's $129 for one slice of that lemon loaf. And, but imagine he thought, I just want to be together, but it didn't work out. He, Titus couldn't do it. So Paul said, adios to them, he went on to Macedonia. The point is this, we all go through disappointments. Some are bigger than others. Some are a crisis, some that will reshape your world. Some may be minor, we all go through them. Jesus said this, he said, in this world, you're going to have trouble, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. So faith responders react different to difficulties, and they respond with, but thanks be to God. Paul doesn't just talk this, he lived this. It tells us in 2nd Corinthians, chapter one, verse eight. He writes, we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. Look at what he says here. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, that we despaired of life itself. You ever go through stuff, and you just wonder, am I gonna get through this? You ever walk through a season, and I love this, because some folks gotta, you know, I'm a king's kid, I don't have problems, or whatever, Jesus again, and the wards are gonna have trouble, the psalmist said, the righteous person

has many afflictions, but God delivers some out of them all. And so Paul says, listen, I was under pressure, so much so, I felt the sentence of death. But then, faith kicks in, and he writes these words. He says, but this happened, that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us in such a deadly peril, and he won't deliver us again. On him, we set our hope that he'll continue to deliver us, as help us by your prayers. The amenable give thanks on our behalf, for the gracious favor granted us, in answer to the prayers of many. The idea of this, that people that walk in faith, they just speak different, and they often respond with, hey, but thanks be to God. And Paul's going through difficulty, Philippians is in prison, and you'll find the word joy over and over and over again. Now please share with me, Alison Partridge, on that minimizing your struggle, on that minimizing your emotions, on that minimizing, who am I, on that minimizing the battle that you're walking through. But I know this, there's a God in this house, who's faithful, a God that's true, a God that will walk with you through things the devil said you're never gonna get through. How do we respond?

But thanks be to God. Say it out loud with me, come on. But thanks be to God, come on, one more sound. But thanks be to God. Now people who are cranky Christians, do not like being around fanking Christians. And people that respond with a crankiness, even an anger, many people, the devil has held them hostage and sabotaged their faith because they're walking through things and there's a sense of whatever bitterness and anger toward the Lord, but Paul teaches us the importance of even when things don't go our way, the response must be, but thanks be unto God. We're in Bangladesh a number of years ago, first time there and Rob was another part of the country and I was in kind of a rural area. I was in a mud hut, three rooms, mosquito net, mosquitoes the size of Rottweiler pit bulldogs. And these guys, those mosquitoes are big and they're mean. They were football helmets, they stealers and whatever, and they attack you, whatever. And so whatever, it just was difficult. I wasn't getting any water, I was dehydrating, was having cramps in my legs. And my translator, she was in the next room, three room mud hut. The first morning in the hut, I heard loud screaming. I heard this, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. And my reaction was, what's going on? I sit up in bed, that was the rapture.

I'm trying to help myself go, but I'm sitting up, whatever, but I just was, I'm thinking, what's happening? Am I in the movie Left Behind? I'm trying to go. It turns out it was Asis, my translator. Every morning at 4, 4.30, he'd have a worship service. The first morning I walked out, I said, Asis, how are you? My hair was sticking up, my whatever, I just woke up. I said, how you doing? He says, I am the happiest man in all the world. There's nothing worse a cranky Christian wants to hear than somebody speaking the language of faith, that they're the happiest person in all the world. Second day, third day, fourth day, every morning, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. And finally, by the fourth, fifth day, I walked out, said, Asis, how you doing? Meant it for breakfast. He says, oh, brother Greg, here it goes again. I'm the happiest man in all the world. I said, buddy, come on. big world out there how do you know you're the happiest man in the whole wide world he said hallelujah again he said i've been praying brother greg i've been asking god when will the american ask me why i'm the happiest man in the whole wide world and he said brother greg i was born and lived a life as an orphan rejected people that loved me some rejected me persecution sickness sometimes no food sometimes no water he began listing things that you that someone could say well god where are you why don't you love me how could i go through this he listed thing after thing after thing but then he said this he said after all those struggles he said but god's been faithful but god's been a good god he's a good good father come on he's met my needs i've got healing in my

body i got food to eat i got a roof over he kept going and going and going and going and then i realized i was talking to the happiest person in the whole wide world this morning i'd challenge you in the name of jesus to give the devil a heart attack in your life and start talking faith that doesn't mean we deny the problems it doesn't mean that we deny the emotions but what it does say is someone's greater someone's above it all his name is jesus christ the son of almighty god and that's why paul said i was under pressure beyond my ability to endure i the spread even of life itself but then he responded with faith when he said he said this all happened that would not rely upon myself but on the god who can raise up the dead there's somebody breathing in this house i want you to giggle all the way to your car this morning i want you to skip to your car come on i want you to have 15 pretzels before you walk out when people ask you how you're doing look them squirt in the eye and say but thanks be to god but thanks be to god my god's bigger my god's greater my god's stronger and my god will bring me through every storm my face so this morning in the name of jesus say it one more time with me would you please but thanks be to god come on but thanks be to god one more time but thanks be to god was faking out one more time but thanks be to god if jesus has been faithful to you would you give him a big hand clap right now if he's been faithful to you this morning fake responders they talk different they speak different others are looking for drought they're looking for the rain while others are walking in doubt they receive the gift of faith and when others when others are listening to the voices of the devil and circumstances faith responders listen remember last week they listen to the gentle whisper what god tells you lo i am with you always even to the end of the age that's the god who's loose in allison park church it will bring you into your finest hour i believe that but faith responders don't just speak different faith responders according to paul they see different faith responders have learned how to redefine victory now cranky christians define victory as simply a conditional whether or not things go their way and if that's you you'll struggle to walk a victorious life with joy but once our eyes are on jesus and we know our eyes are on jesus but we can say but thanks be to god hear the center whisper but we also get to a place that we've learned to redefine victory and he tells us in the verse not only do we uh but thanks be to god but he says who always leads us as captives in christ's triumphal procession in the word that troubles me and maybe you when i first read this years ago worse the word always yeah sure hubbard pop in this morning and i preach

sweat spit talk too fast do your deal but what do you mean he always leads us in victory because you may be walking walking to the things right now that look anything but anything uh that that's far from victory and rob you of your peace but true faith responders they see things different than those who walk by sight rather than those that walk by faith and what he tells us him philippians chapter 1 remember he's in a jail cell and he writes these words in philippians 1 12 he writes i want you to know brothers and sisters that what's happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel stop right there a cranky christian doesn't talk like that a cranky christian i'm bagging this i'm out of here they never told me at hapc that you accept jesus and hell can break loose nobody ever told me that you can say i'll follow you christ and you walk through problems a cranky christian they get angry They get bitter, and they are now held hostage by seeing things in the wrong light. But faith responders, they don't just speak different, they see different. And so Paul says, look, I'm in prison. Yes, this is fun though, but what's happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. Then he says this, as a result, it's become clear. I thought the old palace guard, to everyone else, I'm in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord, and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. So Paul says, listen, life isn't easier right now, but the gospel's advancing. See, the believer in faith, they see victory different than the cranky, never mind the unbeliever, than cranky, just carnal believers. He says, you know what?

It's hard right now, but God is moving. Folks getting saved around me, and believers are being strengthened to be bold for their faith. If you're listening, say pretzel. Come on, you with me this morning? Here's what would happen. Paul's in prison. Back in the day, when you were thrown in prison, you'd be thrown in a prison cell, and you'd be handcuffed to a prison guard on a four-hour shift. So imagine Paul, the man of God, the one transformed by God's grace on the road to Damascus. He's in jail, prison, because of his love for Christ. The first guard comes in. I picture a guard coming in, cocky, just arrogant looking, and I'm thinking, hey, Mr. Preacher man, hey, Mr. Believer, like, where's your God now? Like, where's your God now, and how you doing, sir? I picture Paul saying, glad you asked. How about rejoicing the Lord? Again, I say rejoice. How about, but thanks be to God. How about this is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice, and Paul is speaking faith, because that's what faith responders do. I picture the guy's putting down his little mat,

pouring out his thermos, a cup of coffee, and he gets settled. I picture him breaking out the handcuffs. He puts them on his wrist, and on the wrist of the Apostle Paul. I think Paul, the gentleman that he was, probably gave that guy five minutes to get comfortable. And then my question to you was this. What do you think Paul talked to that guy about the next three hours and 55 minutes? Maybe that guy was thinking, I want out of here, but the handcuffs held them close, and Paul would share the good news of the message of Jesus Christ, who puts broken people back together again. A God who's faithful, a God that heals, a God that provides, a God that delivers. I picture that guard, maybe some, but when the four hours is over, they get their key out, and they stagger out. Thank God I'm away from that crackpot. But I believe there were men, and I'll prove it in scripture, that would listen to Paul day after day, share the hope of Jesus Christ, because that's what faith responders do. They speak different, and they see different. When others see only problems, and gloom, and doom, a faith responder says, my gut's up for something. My gut's up for something.

Ellison Park Church, please hear me. I think God's up for something. You better fasten your seat belt. There comes a tsunami to Ellison Park of the spirit of God. Salvations, and miracles, and breakthroughs. Come on, someone shout yes. Come on, and miracles, and new churches, and that new church in Florida where Pastor David is gonna grow and gonna thrive. Listen, God's always on the move. But I picture, man, I picture this, because it tells us Philippians 4, 21. Paul's saying goodbye. He says, greet all the people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me, send greetings. Then he says this. All that God's people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Jesus' household. Now, some of the people that were comprised Jesus' household were the prison guards that were handcuffed to the apostle Paul. When they threw Paul in jail, they were thinking, when Caesar had him shucked in jail, it was, you know what, I'm throwing you in prison. I'm gonna stop the ministry. I'm gonna put you in a tough situation, whatever. But he underestimated the power of someone that walks in faith,

who hears the gentle whisper, because he's different, he speaks different. And by actually throwing Paul in prison, what Caesar actually did was, he thought, I'm gonna stop the flow of the gospel. But what he did was, I normally to him was, I'm throwing you in prison. I'm appointing you, Paul, as chairman of my evangelism committee to when all of the guards who rule and work in my kingdom. And I can imagine this. Although some may be walked out mocking, he says, it's people that send greetings. Among them are especially those who belong to Jesus' household. I believe in me, but a guy, let me dramatize it to you. I picture a prison guard who comes home three or four nights in a row. He's quiet, he's different, something's different. His wife wonders, is there another woman? Is something wrong? He's different, something's different. I picture maybe one night the kids are done after dinner and they're off doing their schoolwork or whatever. And I picture a village woman when the kids are going to bed. He says, honey, honey, tell me what's happening. You've been different. Something's changed. You would come home so many nights

to booze on your breath, and you'd beat our kids, and you'd mistreat me, and sometimes you wouldn't come home at all, or you'd come home late, but honey, the last four nights you've come home, you've been smiling, you've been so quiet, you've been so gentle. I picture a woman saying, honey, I need to know what in the world happened to you. I can picture a rooftop prison guard saying, baby, I didn't know how to tell you. I know the man that I was. I know the man that I was, but honey, four days ago, I went to work like any other day, and Fred was sick in cell block E, so they put me in Fred's area, and I was in cell block number three, and honey, I walked in, and I was cuffed to a guy named Paul, a preacher. Honey, all I know, he told me about Jesus. He told me about God's grace. He told me of a God that can put broken men back together again. Honey, he told me that this is Jesus that died upon the cross

and rose up from the dead for my sins. Honey, I know what I've been. I didn't want to tell you, but two days ago, baby, I received Jesus. I received Christ as my savior. Say, Greg, it didn't happen. Yes, it did, because Paul said, especially those of Caesar's household, and I believe that there were many men that would walk out of that jail touched by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, because in a tough season, he said things, because there's a faith, they talk different, and he saw things. The only faith is fondness. Hear me careful. A cranky Christian will look at that and go, what a shame, what a shame. A man of God handcuffed to a guard. I get it. It makes for a good TV preaching. Look, I'm a king's kid. I'll never know dry season. I fall under God. I never have any problems.

That sounds nice. Problem, it isn't Bible, because again, Jesus said again, in the world, you're gonna have trouble, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Can someone shout yes? We all go through trouble. We've all got hard times, but imagine, what a cranky Christian says, what a shame that Paul was handcuffed to the guard. Paul would say, I wasn't handcuffed to anybody, but the prison guard was handcuffed to me. Who am I speaking to this morning in this room? And God has handcuffed something to you, a loved one, a neighbor, a family, a friend, a situation, because God knows that you are not a cranky responder, but you're a faith responder. You're gonna keep your eyes on Jesus. You're gonna stand in the word of God. You're gonna look for the rain. You're not looking for, you're looking for the greatest move of God that ABC's ever known, not just corporately, but individually, and you're listening to the voice of God. You're loving your Bible.

You're staying in prayer, and because of that, you're gonna see things that people that don't walk in faith are never, never going to see. So number one, faith responders, they talk different. They just talk different. They believe that God is exactly who he says he is, and faith responders, they see different. I pray in the name of Jesus. I'm not being fickle. I'm not being like surface or being shallow, but I pray that joy of the Lord hits you today in this week like you haven't had the last five years. I pray your head hits a pillow tonight. Come on, and the peace of God overwhelms you. I pray you wake up tomorrow, and before your feet hit the floor, you can stand like the Apostle Paul, but thanks be to God, because he always leads me in triumphant procession in Christ. So as a faith responder, we speak different, and faith responders, they see different. How many say, Hubbard, I wanna see different in this hour? I want God's perspective.

I wanna see that God is always at work, even when I can't understand all that he's doing. Are you still with me? I know we're supposed to end by 2.30, but I'll end in a couple of minutes here. Not only do we speak different, not only do we see different, but I wanna end with this. True faith responders, they smell different. They smell different. Don't look at your neighbor and go, yeah, you got that right. They sure do smell different. Don't look at your neighbor. Poor Robin, my poor wife, she like gags. She's just, every morning, because I always have to like take six extra sprays of my cologne. It should be like a, shh, shh, you know, whatever, but I can't. For me, it's shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh. If Robin sits in a hotel room, you're killing me. Why do you do this? Why do you do this? Why do you do this? People that walk in faith, they smell different. And Paul says this, how God uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere. Now please understand this, people that are looking for the rain,

who are not walking in faith, and those who are not listening for the gentle whisper, they'll struggle to walk this out. But you let God talk to you. You let God speak to you. You let God breathe a life into you. He can handle the truth that you're broken, you're weary, you're struggling. Let Him know it all. We don't have to pretend. But know this, that God will let faith rise up in you, and you'll speak different, and you'll see different. And yes, through you, will come an aroma of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was when I was speaking at Valley Forge, now University of Valley Forge, a number of years ago, I walked into President Donald Meyers' office, and as I walked in, off to my right, I could see it like it happened an hour ago. It was a sharp young man dressed in a blue suit, white shirt, and a tie. His name was Pastor Jeffrey Leak. Never met him before. Heard about him. This young guy out in Pittsburgh, this young guy out in Pittsburgh, that got raised up to lead a great church, I think at 28 or 29 years of age. When I was 28, I was still playing in a sandbox. At 28, he's like leading a great church. At 28, I'm just starting to wash my hair once a month. I mean, come on. And President Donald Meyers looked at me, said, Greg, I want you to meet somebody, and before he could answer, Jeff just stepped out, just really quiet, just very calm. Said, hi, I'm Jeff. That sweet smile that Jeff always has. No pretense. Just, hi, I'm Jeff. Hi, I'm Jeff. You know what's touched me the most about your pastor? Yeah, the 114 churches, the stuff around the world.

I mean, it's amazing. I'm respected all over America, in the world. The churches, planting churches, and breathing life into people, and encouraging people. But what's touched me, that's all I give him. The books that are amazing, and all of that. But what's touched me the most was the way he smelled. He smelled like Jesus. His gentleness. Like, you know me enough, I'm kind of always kind of, you know, just whatever, and just kind of sweating, spitting, and whatever. But Jeff, just the calmness, just the peace. For many other people that have been coming to speak during these weeks, the comments they've made, because, you know, I stalk you guys. Not just during this season. I stalk you all year long. I stalk you guys. I'm looking at you. And I've heard the comments, and I get it. They say it's awkward to be here with Jeff not in the room. But I've been here. Jeff's never here. Don't joke. He's never here. Greg, what do you mean? Are you offended? No, no, no. I always took that as a compliment from your pastor. And I deserve you're worthy of it, because we're small potatoes. I met a great girl, Robin.

Great girl. But we're small potatoes. But he trusted me to be here, and he could be out preaching other places. This morning, I am moved in my spirit that as consistent as Jeff was and is, once again, he's not in the room. He stands in the presence of the one he served in faith. Worshipping, praising, honoring the one that changed his life. You know, he was just sending me a text before I would come and after it was over. When I'm driving home, we've got a routine. We go right to Sheetz by the turnpike. I walk in. I order my sandwich. It's Sheetz. You know, I'm a Wawa guy, but here I do Sheetz, you know, whatever. But I'm a Wawa guy, okay? Sheetz needs Jesus, but whatever. If you want a Sheetz, come up later. I'll lay feet on you and pray. But I'm only kidding. Just having fun with you. Not really. But we go to Sheetz, and I get a text message before I get on the turnpike from Jeff Leek that encourages me. I just love the way he smelled. The gentleness. The kindness. The love. The kindness. The stability, the rock, the wisdom. Jeff smelled like Jesus, and I was seeing it through his family.

My wife and I wept as he watched that funeral. I could not believe what I was listening to, David giving the podcast four days after the passing of his dad. I could just smell Jesus all over it. In the perfume capital of the world, which is France, of course, a perfume maker wrote this. He said that when they create perfume from flowers like jasmine or roses, they don't just smell the flower and copy the scent. Instead, the flowers must go through a process. They are crushed and pressed. But the fragrance hidden inside is then released. Without the crushing, he wrote, there'd be no fragrance. The perfumer then said this. The more pressure applied to the flower, the stronger the fragrance comes out. And the idea is this for us as faith responders. When we look for the rain, we walk in faith. We listen daily for the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit. It's then when we suffer, people see our faith. In a hardship, they see our peace. In trials, people see our hope. Just like flowers, when we're crushed, the aroma, the fragrance of the gospel touches a broken world. So this morning, in the strong name of Jesus, I'm asking you, I'm begging you this morning, don't let the devil knock you off the road of being a faith responder. But speak different. But see different. And smell different. With all the violence, all the cynicism, and a time when truth has fallen in the streets, and people do what's right in their own eyes. May it be said of APC Church. They talk different.

They see different. They smell different. And this morning, in the name of Jesus, I speak, I believe for thousands upon thousands who have been watching and praying you in this season. And I want to tell you, I smell Jesus in this room. Let's stand all over this house. Stand all over it. Don't touch your car keys, they'll explode. Don't touch your car keys. Stand to your feet. Lift up both hands right now. Lift up both hands right now. Lift up both hands right now. And would you praise him for 15 seconds out loud. Somebody begin to speak faith right now. Come on. Come on. Don't let the cat get your tongue. Don't let the cat get your tongue. Somebody give God a shout right now. Somebody give God some praise right now. Somebody give God some glory right now. Can we just sing that verse of that song you've got there? Can we just sing this? Would you lift up hands high right now? Would you sing this with us? Come on. Would you make this your song? Come on. Make this your song.

Everybody's singing. Come on, church. Everybody's singing. Jesus. Jesus. Come on, sing it. Sing it out. Sing it out to God. There's nobody like our God. Come on. Come on right now. Come on. Let's sing it out. Let's sing it out to Jesus. You are on your throne. Let's sing it one more time, Sarah. Let's worship. Somebody lift your voice. Somebody lift your hands. You are on your throne. Sing it out to God. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. You're faithful. You're faithful. Come on, 10 seconds, give them the biggest praise you can give them right now. In 10 seconds, give them the best praise you can give them right now. Somebody speaks faith. Somebody speaks faith.

Somebody speaks faith right now. But thanks be to God, but come on, come on, five seconds, somebody give God a shout right now. Give them praise. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Just for a second, just shift your keyboard, just shift the keyboard for a moment. I'm going to ask you to rest your hands by your side and by your head, just for a moment. I'm going to do this so different than normal. If you're in the room or watching a live and say, Greg, I'm not right with God, you're in the room and you can't recall with some level of clarity ever receiving Jesus as Savior. You're in the room and you say, Greg, I don't remember ever receiving Jesus as my Savior. I'm not asking you. I'm begging you right now to make that decision right now to choose Jesus Christ. He'll wash away your sins, forgive you, and He'll walk with you through this life. And there may be others in the room that you once walked with Christ, but things got you, they got you distracted and you're in the house maybe, and we're glad that you're here, but you may be here, but far from God, Greg, I've drifted, I've wandered. But today God opens up His arms to you and says, I want you to come back home to me. It will be forever written in heaven's history books that today the arms of Jesus Christ are outstretched, ready to save and restore and bring you back home to the cross. Sins forgiven, a new life that only can be found in Jesus. If you're already following Jesus, I don't want you to raise your hand, but pray quietly. God, I'm going to count to three. The moment I say three, this is so different than normal where I call you, but different. The moment I say three though, say, Greg, I'm here and I'm not right with God. I'm front row, back row, no matter what age, Greg, if I died right now, Greg, I'm lost without Jesus Christ. I'm not talking about religion, I'm not talking about being Catholic or Protestant or Baptist or Methodist.

I'm talking about, do you know Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life. Same Bible tells us, whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. I'm going to count to three. The moment I say three, Greg, it's me. I'm not right with God, but I want to be. If that's you, the moment I say three, I want you to raise your hand high where I can see it and say, Greg, today, I know now I am here today. I want to surrender to Jesus, and I want him to forgive all my sins, and I want to begin today to walk with Jesus Christ. If that's you, Greg, I'm here. I'm not right with God, but I want to be. I'm not asking you. I'm begging you to lift up your hand on the count of three, and we'll remember you in our prayers. Here we go. One, two, three. Anybody say, Greg, it's me. It's me. I'm not right with God. Lift it high where I can see it. I see you, man. I see you. I see you. I see you. Lift it high. Lift it high. Lift it high. Lift it high.

God bless you. I see you. I see you. I see you. Can we give these folks a big hand clap? Right now. Now, with them, can we all lift up both hands to the Lord right now together? I want to lead you out loud in a prayer, not just for those that raised their hand, yes, but I want to ask for everyone in the room to pray this prayer with us this morning. Don't just repeat the prayer, but believe it with all your heart. Pray this out loud with me. Here we go. Jesus, I'm asking you right now to do what no one else can do. Come into my heart and forgive all my sin and save my soul. I believe in my heart and I confess to my mouth, you are the son of God. You died on the cross, rose up from the dead. I receive you now as my savior and as my God. I give you more than my sin. Come on, church. I give you more than my sin. I give you myself. I'll never be the same again. Help me to walk by your side, to never look back, to never go back, but to walk with you today. I thank you, Jesus, for saving my soul. In your name I pray, amen. Now somebody give God a big ovation right now. Would somebody thank God right now, come on. Let's be careful. If you just raise your hand, Pastor Nick,

I believe it's Pastor Nick in the back, someone will take you back. They've got a Bible for you, they wanna talk to you. This church cares about the one. This church cares about individuals, they care about you. So you go back and say, man, where's Pastor Nick? And they've got a Bible, they've got that literature, you'll also get 37 pretzels, they'll give you extra pretzels. We wanna welcome you into the family of God where we talk different, where we see different. And because of Jesus, we smell different. Now I know what time it is, so listen careful. Please forgive me for this. There's something about a physical response to a spiritual decision, there just is. Some cannot come up front for physical reasons, I get that. But there's something about saying, God, today, I want you to know, not by might, not by power, but by your spirit, I want to live the life of a faith responder. I wanna talk, I wanna see, I wanna smell different, why? I want all of Pittsburgh and the world to know that Jesus Christ is the answer. So no matter what you're feeling, what you're sensing, or what you're not sensing or not feeling, if you're in the room and say, Greg, today, I just want him to, just for a second, closing out the altar, Greg, I want Christ to know, I want him to know, I wanna walk by faith in this life.

We're gonna sing that song again. I want you to, I'll close in a quick prayer, but I want every believer in the house that says, Jesus, today, I want to walk the walk of a faith responder, would you quickly leave your chair and stand at this altar for a quick closing prayer? Come right now while we sing that song while you come. Begin to move right now in Jesus' name, let's sing it. I want you to start coming right now. I want you to come all the way up, that's it. Come all the way in, come on, that's right. Come all the way in, come on, come on. I want every believer that says, I'm in, I want in on this, I want you to come, that's it. Step all the way up front, all the way up front. Would you lift up those hands? Would you lift up those hands right now? Would you lift up those hands right now? ♪ You are on your throne, you are God alone ♪ Let's sing it out, come on. Lift your voice. Would you lift your voice, come on. You are on your throne. You are God alone. Jesus. We're still gonna walk with you, Lord. We're still gonna walk with you, Lord. Come on, let's sing it through one more time. Let's really kick it, come on, drummer. Let's kick it, everybody's singing.

♪ Before time began, you were on your throne ♪ Would you lift your voice? ♪ You are God alone, and right now ♪ Right now. ♪ In the good times and bad, you are on your throne ♪ Miracles. ♪ You are God alone, you are God alone ♪ ♪ Before time began, you were on your throne ♪ ♪ You are God alone, and right now ♪ ♪ In the good times and bad, you are on your throne ♪ Yes, yes, yes, yes. Yes, yes, yes. Somebody clap your hands and praise Him right now, come on. Somebody clap your hands and praise Him right now. I wanna close in prayer, if it's late, it's all on me. We're in overtime, we're in overtime. I want you to walk to your car with a pretzel in each hand, with victory in your heart. I want you to walk out with faith and with a sense that God, you are on the move at Allison Park Church. The upcoming motion nights, fasten your seat belt, my friend, because God's gonna flow like a river in this house. This upcoming outreach for the young people, change your life. It's gonna fall off. God's gonna put broken young people back together again. And God's gonna set many people in motion doing what? Looking for the rain. Hearing the whisper.

Seeing different, speaking different, and smelling different. Lord, bless this, my family in Pittsburgh. Wrap your arms around this church. God, we love them tonight. For Melody and her amazing children, wrap your arms around them tight. And may they know, God, in every moment, they're not taking one step alone, but you're walking every step with them. Wrap your arms around this church, and I pray you'd usher Allison Park Church into the most fruitful season of ministry they've ever known. I pray for a divine exhilaration. Thank you for all that you've done. But God, we're believing the best is yet to come. So bless them, give them peace. And that atrium, Father, let there be laughter today, and joy, let there be high fives, as they pound down pretzel after pretzel. I pray for peace and joy, and we thank you in faith that you will never, ever leave us or forsake us. Let peace rest in this house and today, wherever you send us. May we smell like you today. In Jesus' name, and everyone said one more time together, come on, amen, amen, amen. Thank you, Jesus. I've kept here a little bit longer

because I want Robin to get us extra pretzels for the ride home. I think we're good. They'll sing 37 more songs, the team right now. This altar's open for prayer. You can't otherwise find somebody, bless somebody, encourage somebody, and walk out to your car today saying, but thanks be to God, amen. Altar's open for prayer. Till the next time, church, let's sing, let's worship. Greet some people. Altar's open for prayer. Let God touch you, and may God go with you. Thank you. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪