Life After Death - Week 5

I want to talk to you today From this topic this title, I'm gonna call this a new way of living a new way of living we've been on this series life after death and the thought of this series is simply God has this new life that's available for us That he calls us to step into but the only way to live in This new life to step into this new life the way God wants us to is to put to death some old things It's to step away from some of the things and some of the ways we used to live Some of the things we used to hold on to some of our preferences some of our priorities He says when you put to death those things you can fully step into the new life that I have for you And a couple weeks ago. I spoke from this message everything new and Is this concept that says new demands new? He said in Matthew. He said I cannot pour new wine into old wine skins He said when I want to do something new in your life New will actually demand that there's other areas in your life that you have to upgrade as well you can't Walk fully in this new life that I have for you, but try to keep some other things the same God demands that we put everything on the table It's a guy whatever from this that you want to take whatever from this you want to move Whatever from this you want to do you have full authority you have full reign You are Lord over my life. Take what you want to take move what you want to move do what you want to do I'm totally yours As I lead and as I speak to people I Can't help but recognize There is this this this one thing That often stops us From living the way God calls us to live is this word called theology? Theology now, I'm gonna put this simply like this theology is simply what you believe about God and how that shapes how you live

What you believe about God and how that shapes how you live? I'm going to say it one more time because I really want this to sink in Theology simply is what you believe about God and how that shapes how you live The issue with a lot of our theology is this We do not get our theology from the scripture if we're honest We should get it from the scripture, but if we honest a lot of us get our theology from our favorite podcaster What is theology what you believe about God and how it shapes how you live a Lot of us get that from our favorite podcaster. A lot of us get that from our own trauma and experiences a Lot of us get it from Fox News a lot of us get it from CNN a Lot of us get it from our aunts and our uncles and Whatever pastor you might listen to a Lot of us get it. This is this funny thing happening online right now And before I go for this we got child dedications today, so can we clap it up for all the babies all the families? We're looking forward to dedicating each and every one right after the service But this is this this funny thing going online right now and again no shade to nobody I love everybody I think everybody do you do whatever? But there's this thing that's been going around about like this doctor who's not really a doctor, but it's kind of a doctor Depending on how you look at it But a lot of us get our theology from people who profess to be certain things And Then we wonder why why our lives are back and forth up and down Spun around and God is like if you if you would stop getting what you know about me And how you live from other people and would you if you would come to my word? And you would get how I tell you to live you can really be what we talked about at the beginning of this year anchored You could really live the way. I'll call you to live, but the issue is Oftentimes the way the Bible tells us to live is in direct contradiction to how culture tells us to live It's in direct opposition to our feelings It's in direct opposition to the things we might have experienced And God is like right now is a time for us to

I'm in the season when I want to call my people back to biblical living Live the way the Bible tells us to live Back to the way and and get this i'm really Especially talking to the people in the room who call themselves believers and disciples and followers of christ The thing that gets me I'll say upset the thing that gets me upset so often Is when I see believers on social media Co-signing in the comments. Yeah, say that Just stuff that got it's in total opposition of what jesus said But because you feel like it's right but because Because it doesn't cost you anything You're like, yeah, I co-sign this Jesus Paul said this and I didn't give them this scripture I'm going to come from ephesians chapter 4 today but a scripture that I That I didn't give the team it says this It says so I tell you this ephesians 4 17. So I tell you this And insist on it in the lord That you listen to this He's talking to believers paul is talking to believers people who have stepped into this new life. He says this I tell you this I insist on this that you must no longer live as the gentiles do The gentiles are those who have not stepped into this new life who have not Put their belief and faith in christ. He says that you must no longer live as they do in the let's in the futility of their thinking In the futility of their thinking They are darkened in their understanding And separated from the life of god because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts He says the gentiles those who don't believe me those who aren't christians those who aren't believers they They're their thinking is off

The what they believe how they function is off The way this whole culture is set up is off It's because of ignorance And the fact that their hearts are hardened He goes on later to talk about because of their own deceitfulness and he goes that he says because of their own greed And if we're not careful we begin to follow people with hardened hearts with futile thinking with Strongholds in their minds that is set up against the will and obedience of god And we begin to form our lives based off these things God said that is not the way i've called my people to live He said in this kingdom In this in my culture the one i'm setting up for you It's an upside down kingdom There's things that I will call you to do and call you to do that looks totally different from what culture says So there's some things in the way that I called you to live that when you begin to live like that people gonna look At you and say you crazy Why are you living like that You you're in a cult I saw something earlier today I was scrolling through threads. I often scroll through social media and threads. I get a lot just sometimes I told the first service. I got a group chat that i'm in and sometimes when I see stuff I just send it to my group chat because if I showed it shared it online i'd be like cj tripping So i'll share it to my group chat I tell him yo one of y'all post this for me. I can't post that Hack I send it to them And I'm like I might people just be online saying anything What are they talking about Where did they get this from and look at the people in the comments. Yes All right, what are we co-signing

God wants us to live the way he called us to live regardless of how culture is living You know what gets me? Some of us want the benefits of living the way god called us to live But we don't want to really live the way he called us to live in order to see the benefits We want the benefits without the sacrifice We want the benefits without the ways And here's what the world often does i'm gonna get to the point of the scripture I didn't even get to it. But what the world often does is it it offers us the benefits? without the way. But it's all a lie. And many of us don't find that out till it's too late. So, God wants to call us now. This is what Paul says in Ephesians chapter one. Oh, they put that up. Shout out to the production team. They put a verse seventeen. Let's go to verse one. Ephesians four verse one. Paul says this. He says, as a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. As a prisoner for the Lord, I urge you to live a life that is worthy of the calling you receive. I love that he writes this from the perspective of him being a prisoner for the Lord. He says, the very fact that I'm a prisoner right now, I'm literally exemplifying the type of sacrificial living that Christ has called us to live. I am a prisoner for the Lord. I've given my life for this. I've laid down everything from I'm talking from this from this perspective that I talk. That I say, I urge you to live a life that's worthy of the calling. What is the calling? It's the calling into this new life. I know a few weeks ago, you got baptized. I know a few weeks ago, you made a decision to live for Christ. He said, this is Christ calling you into this new life, into this new family, into this new body. He said, now, you've received that calling. I urge you to live a

life worthy of the calling. And and look at this. He said, worthy of the calling, you have keyword, received. The calling you have received. Anytime you hear received in scripture, especially in regards to God giving you something that you must receive, know this, wherever there is receiving, there's an expectation of giving. Wherever there is a receiving, there's an expectation of giving. The scripture talks about this in another passage where it says, freely you've received, so freely give. I think one of the issues in our culture is that all we wanna do is receive. Receive, receive, receive, receive, receive, receive. What more can I get? What more can I? This is why the scripture says, it's more blessed to give than it is to receive. Because it's not and contrary to popular opinion, contrary to what some doctor or not doctor might say on social media. It's not in the receiving that we grow. It's in the giving from what you receive that you grow. There's so many of us and I talk to so many people and I'll I'll say this all the time and I'll continue to say it. I love you all. Thank you. But I talk to so many people are like, you know, I keep coming. I keep coming. I keep coming and it's like, it's like I need, listen, it's not, it's not in what you receive. God gives you something but he, what he gives you determines your ability. What you do with it determines your capacity. It's in what you do with what you receive that determines your ability to grow. There's this, let me, I'm going to go to verse seven. It says, and I always encourage all this. The same way I talk about, it was, you know, from the things you, you, some of us got our theology simply

from things we learned here, things we learned here. Let me tell you something. The most formative times in my growth and development in my theology has been the times where I got on my knees. I've prayed and I opened up the scriptures and asked God to make his word real to me and I've gotten up and I've taken what I've gotten and I worked it out in context of community. Some of us don't like the community part. You know why community is so necessary because it's so easy for us to come to scripture with our own biases, with our own thoughts, with our own agendas and make the scripture say whatever we wanted to say. But when you get around community and they get to check you and say, I see what you're saying there but there's something here. Are you working out what you're reading and learning and understanding in the context of community is the question. He says, so why did I say that? Because I want you all to go home and read these scriptures for yourself. Don't simply sit here and take whatever I say. Go read it for yourself. Study it for yourself. Study what it is God wants to say to you for yourself. Because when you get in front of God on judgment day, I'm blaming this person. This is what they said. This is what he said. This is what she... God's like, you had the same tools that I gave them. What did you do with it? God will deal with those who he needs to deal with, who've mishandled his word, who've mishandled his church, who've mishandled...

God will deal with those things. Some of us get in trouble because we try to play God. God is like, I didn't ask you to deal with it. I'll deal with that. I've asked you to go study the word for yourself and read it and understand it. Verse seven, but to each one of us has been given, but to each one of us, grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says when he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people. He said when he ascended to heaven, he took many captives and he gave gifts to his people. What does this tell me? If Christ has called you, you have accepted him. You are now part of this new life, this new body, this new family. He says, I've given you gifts. All around this room are gifts, deposits of gifts that Christ has placed in each one of us who call him God, who call him father, who call him savior, who call him Lord. He says, I've given you gifts. What did I say? Anytime there is a receiving, there's an expected giving. What are you doing with the gifts that he gave you? What are you? Let me read this part. It says, so Christ, I'm going to jump to verse 11. So Christ gave himself the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, the teachers to equip his people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up. I'm going to pause it because even in real time, you're watching some of it. If God gave me a gift to teach, to preach, he said, I've given you this to equip my people for works of service. I've seen, I told this to some people before, I've said it on here plenty of times, but one of the most impactful moments of my life was I was called to speak.

I knew God had given me a gift to speak, but I used to be so anxious, so nervous. So I used to get headaches. Weeks before I knew I had to speak, all of this, it used to be so crazy. And I remember this one time I'm getting up to speak and forgive me if you heard this story before. I remember this one time I get up to speak and I'm waiting at the side, there was a guest speaker in the building who brought out about 3,000 or so people in this auditorium. And I had to go up to speak before him. And I'm at the side where all the speakers sit and I'm nervous. I'm sweating like I am now, but because I was nervous and I'm just, I start holding my stomach and I start thinking, I was like, all I have to do is tell them my stomach is hurting and I couldn't do this. They can't say nothing. And I'm just, just let me get out of here. And while I'm sitting there, I hear God speak to me so clearly. He says, CJ, I gave you a gift to go build my body, go do that. It's when he said it, it's almost as if something clicked. I got up on the stage, I spoke as I was, as I was supposed to speak. It was amazing. It was great and all of that. And I carry that with me each and every day. Can I tell you something? For those of you who are sitting in this room, God has given you a gift. There's things that he's given you and he's given you the things not to stunt, not to try to look good, not to waste, but to get to work and begin to build his body. Think about this, he's given each one of us who call him father, who call him king, he's given you this new life, not just for the simple fact, not for the fact that new life can just get to you, but so that new life can go through you. He's given it to you so he can give it through you. There's areas in Rochester, at your job, in your families, that God is like, I want to

give life through you. You are meant to be a conduit of life, but because you are not active, but because you are not putting to use the things that I've given you, you are no longer a conduit of life, you are a hoarder of life. How are you letting life flow through you? I said this to the first service, I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the Dead Sea. In Israel, there's this body of water called the Dead Sea. And what makes the Dead Sea, how did the Dead Sea get its name? It got its name primarily for this, because there is no visible life that can live there. There's no marine fish, none of that stuff. If you go to the Dead Sea, you won't see any life there. How did that happen? It's simple, because it gets an influx of fresh water, but unlike other bodies of water, the Dead Sea doesn't have an outlet for the water to go out. So because there's no outlet for the water to go out, all the salinity, all the salt builds up right there and it becomes impossible for life to be there. When I see that, I can't help but see, just the way it is with that body of water, sometimes it is with the body of Christ. The issue is not that we don't have any life coming in, it's that we don't have any life going out. God is like, I've given you something, here's the key word. What does this look like practically, CJ? This is where it gets tough. This is where your theology has to be biblical theology and not podcaster theology. There's this key word called, y'all ready, deep breath, contribute. Thank you. Contribute with what you've been given. His plan is to give life to the body, to give life through the body. You know what's wild?

Somebody in a staff meeting, Carrie, we was in a staff meeting, she said, she said, CJ, you know, at the Dead Seas, you know, a lot of people go there for therapeutic reasons. There are a lot of people who go to the Dead Sea for healing, for certain things, and it just start to help me see something. I'm like, you know what's wild? That shows that scientifically two things can be true. You can have a body of water where no life is existent, but it still holds healing properties. I can see a clear picture of the church at times where people come to the church for healing, for deliverance, to be set free. But because you are not contributing and allowing life to flow through you, there's still no visible life there. God is like, I want to bring life, but you have to allow what I've given you to flow through you. Paul says, the body functions as the body was meant to function when each part does its work. What work are you supposed to be doing that you're not doing because you've gotten so comfortable? Maybe for some of us it's because we've been so scarred, and I don't want to say that lightly. I understand it. I know what it is to feel taken advantage of. I know what it is to, and Nick, you can play or Rufus, I'm done. I know what it is to look back and be like, I'm not going to serve in the church. I'm not going to do anything. I'm not going to contribute because look at what the church did to my mother. Look at what the church did to my father. Look at what the church did to my grandma. This is why I don't do it. Your theology, what you believe about God and how that shapes how you live, when you come to that point where you say, I'm not doing this because of this, at some point you have to be honest with yourself and say your theology is now formed on your trauma

and your experiences and not based on His Word. There's times when you go on social media and everybody, Drewsky can put up as many skits, everybody's doing all these things, and you're like, see, that's exactly that right there. That's why I don't do it. Oh, my bad. So now you take your theology. from podcasters and from comedians but what they saying is it's fact cj that's what happens at the end of the day god is like let everybody say what they say let people do what they do what did i tell you to do how did i call you to live i remember growing up i grew up i had a big i got a big family a lot of cousins everybody had different rules in their house i would go over to their house and i start living doing whatever i wanted to do i would get back home my mother would grab me and put me on the wall so i don't care what nobody else is doing what did i tell you to do how did i how did i tell you to live it's not based on no one nobody and i feel the same energy and the loving way from god our father he's like you can think of every reason in the world and like i said before he's like i'll deal with the people who i have to deal with who've abused and misused my name that does not give you the right to be disobedient to what i've told you to do because this is what i love about god god never lowers the standard he said the plan is the plan how i choose to work is how i choose to work my this is what my plan is to give gifts to the body so you have the ability to go do what i called you to do now you go do it irregardless of what everybody does you go do it irregardless of what it all looks like the most blessed times in my life i promise you the most growth in my life growth in my life has come from my whole life i've always done two things as far as contributing i've always served and i've always given i've always served and i've always given i've been in different churches different states different places but i see how do you always serve and how do you always give i tell you why because my obedience is unto god not unto man

man can do whatever man wants to do i'm going to serve why because god has given me gifts and abilities and i'm going to be obedient to god cj what if they take advantage of you my obedience is to god cj what if they trying to build their kingdom my obedience is to god cj what if they trying to do this and you don't know my obedience is to god let god deal with everybody else let god deal with everything else i'll end with this when it comes to living the way god called us to live and serving and contributing and giving the way he called us to you scripture says this and you can go read it in another passage of scripture it said the ones who gave it said they gave themselves first to god this is why i say my obedience my serving my contributing my giving is first to god there's some of us here who've made a decision to give your lives to god to give your hearts to god and you know what we do we look at contributing as extra you're like i i gave my life to god i gave my heart to god i gave my devotion to god you know what if i decide to give if i decide to contribute that's extra guys like no it's not extra it's evidence it's evidence you contributing you giving you living the way i called you to live it's not extra it's evidence of what you say you believe it's like me marrying my wife and on the wedding day i'm like i do and then i i said you know what babe you know what baby you know what i'm gonna do babe when i get around other ladies i'm not gonna flirt i'm not gonna do none of that just this is a little extra just a little bonus it's like no me not doing that is evidence of loving the person i said i love it's not extra it's not extra how many are out here thinking god asked you to contribute is extra it's not extra matter of fact Paul said this in view of God's mercy offer your bodies as a living sacrifice this is your reasonable shot X this is reasonable it's the least you can do so God want a little bit of this and a little bit of that you know what it'll be great if you give him all of it you're living you're breathing every day I wake God whatever it is that's why when we sing these songs for

me to me we come up God you're worthy of it all God is like live like it did heads bow eyes closed I love scripture I love hearing from God I tell people this all the time when I hear when I read scripture when I come to church oftentimes it does one of three things it confirms it convicts or it corrects it confirms it convicts or it corrects and wherever God might be meeting you right now for some of you this is confirmation that you need to get involved you need to start contributing with your time with your resources with your gifts for some of you this is conviction like man I I haven't been taking my cues from the scripture for some of you is correction you know I thought this but God if you want to correct my course of action wherever you find yourself my prayer for you today is that when you hear his voice when you feel him knocking on your heart that you do not be like the Gentiles and you harden your heart but that you soften your heart and you bow and you you humble yourself and you say God I trust you with my life I trust you with my abilities I trust you with my gifts with my talents with my resources father God make me into one who's freely received so I will freely give father God I pray for everyone in this room father God I pray that even as they leave here today they begin to take inventory of what you've given them what they've received from you father God help us all to be people who are living a life that is worthy of the calling help us as Paul said Paul said oh that I will apprehend the reason for which I was apprehended oh that I would recognize the reason why I was saved why I was called why I was chosen father God I pray that you help us all to get busy with the work that you've called us to do in Jesus precious and mighty name we pray amen I tell people this all the time as a church we want always want to give you space to respond we give you the word we give you the message but they'll come to opportunity for you to respond so when you leave here today all of you they'll have these handouts at the door and you can take the handout you can see the different areas where you might be able to apply your gifts where you might be able to serve I want to encourage you to take it home this

week pray about it think about it and when we come next week we're going to go a little deeper into what God may have us to do I'm gonna turn it over to Pastor Jeremy and can we clap it up and welcome all the families and babies life what's going on bro yes yes yeah Pastor Jeremy got a lot of folks if you all want to keep scooting if we need something to step on the first step and make more room we can do that yeah amen what a beautiful beautiful message thank you Pastor CJ don't you beautiful families here let's keep squitching cuz we got lots of lots of kiddos oh man you know one of the things I love about Jesus is the disciples right got these 12 guys and they're all kind of hustling for position and trying to be first oh let's keep scooting we can even come on behind each other I'm up in front thank you and Jesus says bring bring a little child bring a baby and maybe we can look at this look this little baby right here what's what's your child's name Kairos Kairos Kairos wow he's very handsome how old is he six weeks Wow amen amen born on Good Friday amen amen Kairos so Jesus brings baby like baby Kairos and he's like to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven you have to be like a child amen oh let's keep that's actually a double up we'll come behind each other thank you I think it's really significant that what Pastor CJ preached today about bringing contributing back to God what is already his it's significant that that message actually landed on child dedication Sunday and the reason is I honestly think outside of my beautiful bride there is no greater gift actually not outside together with my beautiful bride there is no greater gift than my three sons and as we come here God delights in family he delights in children and he actually shows us his heart who he is by the by the children that he's given us when God says I'm your father and then he gives us a child then I can actually say there's something here that is a mystery that is truly bonding that's the greatest love connection that I have and that's from God the Father and he loves and then what he does as only God can do only a God who loves the world so much that he

gave his own begotten son right then he says I want you to give your child to me and unless we know how great God is and how great his love is for us we won't be able to and we'll say no but he says well we will you trust me because in my hands I will protect in my hands I will provide in my hands there will be nothing that can enter your home there is nothing that can come against us and and the Word of God says even death cannot separate us from the love of God and when the world looks at suffering and they say this is evidence that there is no God we as the followers of the Heavenly Father of Jesus Christ can actually say you know what death did not separate me from God because actually my God is an eternal God and the same way that the flowers blossom and the next day they pass it's beautiful to God it gives him glory that is our lives and so today as we bring these children we recognize that this most beautiful gift is something that if we entrust to God it or he will protect he will provide he does cherish our children amen amen there's something I read this recently and I thought of this about what does it mean to raise a child when we say God I give this child to you it actually comes right back to what pastor CJ said which is what is the scripture say what is God taught us and Paul says I'm reminded of your sincere faith he's talking to Timothy who he considers a son and spiritual son he says which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and I am persuaded now lives in you also and so what we see is that God passes a heritage of Christian deep-rooted love and trust in the real true God from fathers from grandfathers from grandmothers mothers to their children amen and so now this is where the rock is right here but as for you continue and what you have learned and have become convinced of because you know those from whom you have learned it and how from infancy you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation let me say that again you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ all scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching for rebuking for correcting and for training and righteousness amen so that the servant of God may be

thoroughly equipped for every good work so mothers and fathers you've been called to a holy work a sacred calling of raising your child your children before God in his ways and what God desires when he gives us children is godly offspring and so my first encouragement to every parent in this room is if you are married right now I want to encourage you God says listen has not the one God made you you belong to him in body and spirit what does the one God seek godly offspring so be on your guard and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth so my first encouragement to you is protect your marriage the greatest gift you can give your children is that you at the end of each day are able to make up are able to make it right and you're able to restore because that's what God does God says if you've sinned seven times forgive seven times and guess what he forgives us if you have not in that been able in that position I'll encourage you ask God what's my next step because honestly God is a redeeming God he's a God that does not condemn he is good he will say this is my way but he will meet us exactly where we're at and he redeems and restores amen and so but follow his ways and he has given you his spirit he's given you his word he's also given us a church family and so today we're gonna have a vow for parents before God as best we can we will follow and then also I will invite us here in this church to participate with our part and to say we will support and and come alongside and and I'll offer you the opportunity to agree. All right parents are you ready? Okay so I will say something and then when I'm finished you can say I will. And this is something before God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. With the help of the Lord I will raise my child with love and truth. I will teach them the best I can to know God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son and the Holy Spirit our Comforter and Advocator. I will model the ways of Jesus and when I fail, which I will, I will ask forgiveness I'll get back up and I'll keep on. Parents if you will agree to this go ahead and say I will. All right for our community our church family with the help of the Lord we will support the parents and children before us today to protect, assist and express the love and

truth and grace and kindness of our God as best we are able. If you will agree to this go ahead and say I will. All right amen. I'm gonna invite Pastor CJ to bring us together for prayer. Can we all do this as a church family? Can we all stand and just point our hands toward them, stretch of faith and we're gonna pray over every child, over every life, over every family. Father God we lift up every life that's represented here, every child who's being dedicated today. Father God we pray that all their life that you will protect them, that you will keep them, that you will provide for them. Father God give them the community that they need around them. Father God I pray that not one of these children will be statistics or victims or whatever it is. Father God may they be ones who live out your calling and plan and purpose for their lives. Father God I pray over every parent, every mother, every father, every grandparent, every godparent. Father God may they submit themselves to you fully God so that they will raise their children the way you've called them to. Father God help us all to recognize that the most safety, the most security is all in your will. So Father God we pray God that every family here will say yes to your will, yes to your way. Bless these children, make them strong, make them yours and give them a heart that loves you and puts you first all the days of their life. In Jesus precious and mighty name we pray. Everybody shout amen. Amen. We love you. God bless each and every one of you. Families if you're here you want to take pictures you can come up and take pictures. We will see you next week. Grab your hand out at the door. We love you.