Philippians 4: How to Set Your Mind on God

Well, it's good to have you guys at church this weekend. Come on, I hope you guys are glad you're in the house of God. I don't know about you, but I already enjoyed my worship time, and I'm so thankful that God has never, ever failed to meet us when we come to seek Him. And look, I don't know what you came here with today, and I don't know what's on your heart or what's on your mind or what's on your agenda for later, but here's what I can tell you, is God has a direct moment for you today, and I pray that God radically impacts your life. We're not going to go through church today, but we're going to hear from God, and we're going to receive something personal and empowering by Jesus today. Come on, everybody say amen if you believe that. And I'm glad to have those that are online, all of the jail ministries, those watching our other campuses, and we kind of have a special thing happening this weekend, and we got some people to greet as well. We have LifePoint Church in Wilmington, North Carolina, Pastors Jeff and Michelle Kapusta, they're joining us this weekend, so come on, can we welcome all of our family? So good to have you guys with us today, yeah. So we have been in a series here in the book of Philippians, and each week looking at a chapter and studying that, and I pray that not only have you received good teaching, which praise God we have, but that you have also been using this as an opportunity to study each one of these chapters and see what these pastors have been preaching, and then for you to hear from God as well in your own time. Listen, I can't tell you as your pastor more than anything else, you need some daily time with the Lord. Thank God for church, and this is supposed to be a great time to hear the Word, but really the weekend is supposed to be an opportunity for us to come and kind of celebrate all that God is doing Monday through Saturday, and God does more in your life when you spend moments with Him every day, and reading His Word is the most powerful way that we could do that. So I hope you have been doing that.

If you haven't, I would encourage you, why don't we finish this week and this series strong and every day this week read Philippians chapter 4. Now let me remind you what we covered so far. First week Kristen spoke on humility. You don't hear a lot of sermons on humility, but how many of you need some humility? Come on, raise your hand. If you don't raise your hand, you're so prideful you won't even raise your hand. So raise your hand. That was great. How do we have this same attitude of humility as Christ had? And then the second week was Jordan Becknell spoke as well, and he talked about how God is always working even when we don't see it, and that was a great message as well. And then last week, Pastor David spoke, and he talked about how earthly credit doesn't impress God. That was a good thought, right? And that we need to be heavenly minded in how we're living here on this earth. And then I'm the closer today, I'm going to wrap it all up here today, all right? And so I'm going to bring some like common sense and understanding to what these guys have been trying to do the whole time, no, just kidding. We're going to close out with Philippians chapter 4, and I want to teach you about trusting God. Everybody say, trusting God. Now you were given, when you walked into service today, a little letter, and you're going to have been doing this each week. Today, you're going to write a letter to yourself about trusting God, and what do I need to trust God with in this season of my life? Do you think about that even as you're hearing this message today? What do I need to trust God? In the season I'm in right now, not what's happened in the past and not what I'm believing for in the future, but right now, God, where do I need to trust you?

So I want to jump into this message today. I'm not going to read all of Philippians chapter 4, I'm going to trust that you're going to be doing this throughout the week, but I want to dig into the Word because I've got a lot of things, in fact I could preach a whole sermon just to my last point here today. So I'm not going to be here until anything later than four o'clock, so it's going to be okay. But I'm going to jump into this, and I want to help you understand what is important today by helping you all understand and remember something that's happened in your own life. How many of you have had meetings before in your life that you were not looking forward to? Yeah, you just dreaded it coming, right? Remember when you were growing up and you do something wrong and your mom says, you just wait until your dad gets home. How many of you all remember those meetings, like all day long, just praying dad doesn't come home that day, you know, like, I don't want that meeting right there, right? That's not one I want. I was at the dentist the other day, and I was sitting there getting my teeth cleaned, and I turned to my hygienist right there and I was like, how does it feel to have a job knowing that everybody comes? see you, they really don't want to see you, right? I mean, who likes going to the dentist? Don't raise your hand. We'll have prayer down here in the front, you can get delivered. Okay, now I like the benefits of going, but that's not a meeting that I'm looking forward to. How about meetings that you are looking forward to? Any of you had moments, you're like, well, I can't wait for that trip or that meeting, right? It's gonna be so good. I'll never forget I had the opportunity to play Pebble Beach. Like, if you'd like to play golf, I mean, that's like, that's the thing, right? And I couldn't wait for that day to show up, for that meeting to happen. And we showed up, and it rained like Florida rain for the first three holes of the golf course. Literally, on green number three, there was a river running through that green. And you can't, like, stop and wait for the

rain and then play, because this thing is backed up for 18 months of tee time. So, like, you either play or go home. So we're playing in all of that mess, and then finally, by hole number seven, which is the, you know, infamous hole there, the par three, the sun had come out. We took some great pictures, but if you look in the green or in the bunker next to the green, there's this much water in the green. But that was a meeting that I was looking forward to, and I want you to know there's one meeting that you sure do not want to miss. And let me read it to you, Philippians chapter 4 and verse 19. And my God will meet—everybody say meet—God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. That's a meeting I don't want to miss. God supplying all my needs. How many of you can say amen to that? Come on, act like you part of a living church and say amen. Let's go, all right. I don't want to miss that meeting, but here Paul is saying that God, he will meet all your needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus. Now what is interesting about this Philippians 4, 19, I mean, we, you know, football players put it on their face, they wear it, I mean, it's a big deal, this verse. But what you need to understand about this verse is this is the very last thing Paul really says to his letter to the church at Philippi, which is what Philippians is all about. And after that he's got like a little salutation, you know, but this is the last like biblical principle thing that he says, and you have to know, right, that whatever is the last thing a person says is usually like the most important thing. He's like, hey, church at Philippi, hey, hey Bayside Church, I want you to know something, Life Point Church, I need you to know something, that God will meet all your needs. And it's not according to what your wealth or your riches or your resources are, it's according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. So whatever you're lacking, it doesn't matter. Whatever situation you're in right now, whatever circumstances you're in, however empty or void or discouraged you feel like, it's not up to you, church. It's up to him. And don't miss that meeting. So I submit to you today that Paul spends that entire chapter four teaching us how to trust God in this area of supplying our

needs and meeting our needs, and that's what I'm going to spend our time doing here today. So how can we position ourselves for this meeting, for this meeting to happen in our lives? Here's the first thing I want you to know, and that is, I've got to set my focus. Everybody say focus. This is so important. Philippians 4 verses 6 and 7, he says, don't be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, and with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, it will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I want you to underline or in your Bible highlight or write it down this word anxious. It says don't be anxious about anything. That word means to be troubled, but the reality is that all of us have things to be troubled with, right? I mean, there's trouble in our lives. You got trouble right here, right here in River City, with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for pool. I mean, if y'all have any idea what that's from. Okay, that's the cultured people in our church. Okay, that's just a little theater there for you. Anyway, but we do, we all have things in our lives that that trouble us, and we pray for God to do what? To remove those things. This is huge, okay? I want you to get this. What if peace was not the absence of problems? What if peace was us trusting God enough so that even though my problems still exist, I can walk in the peace of God? Okay, I'm gonna say that to you again, okay? What if peace was not the absence Absence of problems, but what if peace was us trusting God enough so that even though I'm in the middle of my problems And they still exist I can still walk and have peace with God You see peace doesn't come from being problem free. It's about focus No matter what my life looks like. I need to look to Jesus because what I look at determines what my life looks like Okay hear this No matter what my life looks like I need to look at Jesus because what I look at determines what my life looks like If you look at the things that make you anxious, then you're going to be more anxious what you look at determines what your life looks like if You look at what you don't have in the avoids and the emptiness of certain things that you need Resources or relationships or peace or whatever and you look at those things

It's gonna magnify those those things But if you look at Jesus you magnify him which he is the God of all peace Come on, somebody ought to say amen and Then he tells us how to do that. Look in the next couple of verses. So finally everybody say finally This is important I want you to write this next to this word because finally doesn't mean like lastly Like here's the last thing you need to do finally do this. This word means actually it means without end In other words, it's not just something you do at the end This is something we do at the beginning of when we're feeling troubled This is something in the middle of your troubles You still have to do and this is something to get to the end of your troubles You have to do so that you can get to the meaning of Jesus of him supplying all your needs It's a continual thing that we must do everybody say finally Finally what brothers and sisters whatever is true? Whatever is noble Whatever is right. Whatever is pure Whatever is lovely whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy anything It doesn't say everything just says anything like find something that is excellent or praiseworthy and think about such things And whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or that you've seen in me put it into practice Everybody say practice and the God of peace will be with you this verse is very clear saying that we need to practice this idea of focus and Being in practice. It's something that you must commit to In other words, you have to be busy and be committed to focusing on Jesus and how he can meet your needs and I understand as this Cajun said like literally my uncle was an attorney in Baton Rouge and he was at court and he was about to his court case was about to come up and there was this little Cajun man was in court and And he was in front of the judge. He did something to break the law again in a judge says Boudreaux I don't know what his name was. We got to use Boudreaux, right? Which is a common last name for those of you that are new from from to Bayside. I'm from Louisiana

So we like to tell Boudreaux Cajun jokes So but this is really what happened and I think most of these jokes is probably not really a joke This is probably really happened, right? So this Cajun Boudreaux is standing before the judge and the judge says Boudreaux I told you not to do anything wrong anymore and Boudreaux goes you're honored the devil. He just be so busy sometimes How many of you can relate to that the devil just be so busy sometimes, okay Well, you just need to be more busy at focusing on what is right rather than focus on what is wrong Keep your eye on the ball actually when I was teaching Connor how to play golf He could have been four years old and he's hitting the golf ball And he was looking around while he was hitting the golf ball and I was like son keep your eye on the ball She was all right, he got down to all four knees and put his eye on the ball I'm telling you put your eye on the promise and not what the devil is throwing at you Because that's how you get through these moments. It takes practice. It takes commitment It's something you got to keep doing and I like Paul. He says here six times, whatever Everybody say whatever let's say it with like a attitude like whatever Devil throws something at you guy go whatever whatever I'm gonna focus on what's pure Bring something up. Whatever. I'm gonna focus on what is praiseworthy and what is excellent. My god is excellent. My god is praiseworthy Find something anything in your life that is going well that you can give God praise about find the one thing in Give it 100% of your praise Are there things wrong in your life? Yeah, I know. I'm a pastor. I'm like a Christian y'all pay me to be good but I'm just gonna tell you right now there's a lot of things in my life that frustrate me so bad and I want to quit nearly every Monday and I'm reminded that I have to focus on what is pure and what is lovely and what is God doing right I know Florida's amazing but it's not heaven North Carolina Wilmington that's a beautiful area but it ain't heaven so things are gonna go wrong I'll never forget early years ago when my family was in turmoil I hadn't shared this in a long time but the Holy Ghost just gave it to me and it's Pentecost Sunday so I'm gonna share it all right but my mom was you know kind of a single mom and raising us and she had three jobs and so things were tight and anytime something would go wrong mom

would be like so upset and my brother and I had to teach her how to like do whatever and some of you around this church a long time you'll remember from years ago but you know how when something good happens to somebody and you go wow y'all know that whistle right you do like wow man okay well we came up my brother and I with a sarcastic whistle oh my gosh the radiator broke in the car it's kind of like whatever that's okay God'll take care of it the air-conditioning is not working it's hot it's Florida it's summertime my boss is being a jerk everybody say whatever but let me give you a better way to say that all right you gotta do I'm gonna teach you how to do the whistle okay it's not a long whistle it's a short it's just no no no no you guys you all right y'all aren't ready we're gonna do the queue and it's remember it's not it's okay we got we don't do it right like I'm getting off the platform here you know figure it out yourself okay okay I'm gonna do one two three and then you whistle basically on four okay you ready one two three hey you guys did so good that's the whatever and when things keep coming you got to go whatever you can be mad if you want to we got to get over we got to work it out you know somebody took my parking place at church pastor's asking me to serve again no don't whistle it that way yeah why is that so important because as Jesus said your grief you will have it but it will turn to joy what you look at determines what you look like so keep your eyes on Jesus somebody ought to say man I'm preaching better than you're giving me all right set your focus the next one is learn contentment he goes on to describe this in verses 12 and 13 I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty I've learned the secret of being content in any in every situation whether I'm well-fed or whether I'm hungry whether I have a lot or whether I'm in want I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength what I like about this idea of contentment you don't have contentment based on how much you have because he says oh I've had a lot and I wasn't content and I had a little and I wasn't content it's not the secret to being content is having a lot of stuff contentment is something that we must learn he said

I've learned how to do that now when you talk to me as a Louisiana person going to school and you tell me about what I need to learn like I'm I never got past fifth grade that's a joke you guys like I thought he was stupid but I didn't know he was that stupid that's why you guys are yeah it makes sense yeah you're like golly that's the biggest insult I've ever gotten up here but it's about it's about learning this idea of being content and here's the thing about that is true in life as well you sign up for a class and here's what we're gonna learn and then you go through the class that you're learning this and you finish with a test so that you can move to the next grade so you can get credit for that class that you took whatever it is but here here's the principle here's what I have to go through to learn it and then I have to take the test and I have to pass it that is exactly how walking in the promises of God works God gives you a promise I will meet all your needs and then you have to go through the process of learning that and there's always The test do I really trust God with that or do I not and if you fail the test you got to take it again So you can't operate in the promise of God unless you can go through this process of learning how to trust him and being content No matter where I am. I trust you to meet my needs. Oh This is not fun But this is the truth I'll prove it to you. Think about it Okay the Israelites God says I'm gonna take you out of the promised land and I'm gonna bring out of Egypt and I'm gonna bring you into the promised land and he gives them that promise and they move out of Egypt and They end up in the wilderness and what should take them three weeks to 35 days. Let's just say they're really slow Like going into fast lane slow, you know those people maybe that's them They're really going slow and it takes them 35 days. That's all it would take to go from Egypt to the promised land It took them 40 years Years Why did it take them 40 years? Because they didn't learn how to be content in just God and trusting him. They were complaining. They were bickering

They weren't focusing on what is lovely and praiseworthy and excellent and anything is good and noble and pure They didn't focus on that. They focused on what they didn't have which means they didn't have contentment and it took them 40 years See when we don't learn this concept, it doesn't mean that God is not true It just means that you and I determined the timing Of when we live in God meeting our needs Think about Sarah and Abraham God made them a promise to have a kid. They waited 25 Years, why did they wait 25 years now because God is slow in fulfilling his promises It's because there are things that we have to learn in Trusting God and being content and then when we get those he goes, okay now you're ready for that and they were so Impatient and not trusting you God they even they got involved in the flesh and he you know Had a child with a with a male with a female servant with a maidservant And in other words, they didn't negate God's promise It just took them longer to get to it because they didn't know how to trust God. I Want you to understand something about all this is that is that when you are given a promise from God and you're in a waiting Season, it's not to punish you. It's actually to equip you. It's to prepare you It's to shape you it's to mature you so you can be ready for the promise that God has given you Let me tell you something church Realize you're on a journey and your story is still being written don't look at the History or the chapter of your life where you are and go I guess God is just not gonna be faithful to meeting all my needs I'm always gonna have this problem. I'm always gonna live this way. I'm never gonna overcome this thing It's because you think you're in the last chapter And I'm here to tell you he's still writing your story He's not done With your story it may look one way But God is the only way because he has another way. He has a better way I just have to keep trusting him till I figure out which way I'm on his way or my way Come on church. That's the idea of being content. Just realize you're on a journey. Amen Okay, next thought is this is that sharing is not just for kids Everybody's gonna be

You ready? All right for 14 through 19 Yet it is good of you to share in my troubles Moreover as you Philippians know in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel Acquaintance with the gospel when I set out for Macedonia not one church shared With me in the matter of giving and receiving Except you only For even when I was in Thessaloniki you sent me aid more than once When I was in need and look not that I desire your gifts He says what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and I have more than enough I am amply supplied Now that I receive from a paphrioditis the gifts that you sent I'd like to get a gift from somebody named a paphrioditis. That'd be cool. Like we take a selfie together. I think all right They are a fragrant offering an acceptable sacrifice Who is it pleasing to it's pleasing to God and my God will meet all your needs According to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus Everybody say share You ever noticed with kids that you don't have to teach little kids how to be selfish right mine When their first words, you know That's mine. And we were we actually went to park yesterday with with Hudson. I'm sorry. I didn't ask Like can I share this story? Okay. I got permission now. I used to share stories in sermons and I would Ask somebody if I could use their story and I was about to share a story one Sunday and I go, it's okay I asked this person they told me I could share it and my kids one of them probably all of them Whispered to Amy, but he didn't ask us for permission And they were right and I had to repent and so I have to ask for permission Even though you probably would want to say no, but you wouldn't do it in front of everybody But thank you for giving me permission. I Mean, you know, that's the best way to do it. Like they can't say no, that's the I mean That's the best negotiation you could have I got I got a lot of leverage right now. Okay? Of course, they could take him away from me and I'd never see him again Are you sure I can tell this story because I think about this more they got all the leverage anyway

We went to the park yesterday With Hudson, he's our only grandson He's just a little over a year now and he's playing and running around in the water thing and the kids are everywhere kicking balls and stuff and then some ball comes to him and he picks the ball up and And then the kid whose ball it is wants to you know, they're gonna play back and forth They're gonna share. Well Hudson these he's too young to understand share. He just just walks off with the ball And and he's not being mean he just doesn't understand the concept of sharing But but this whole idea of giving it back to him was it that's not natural right have to teach No, they gave it to you. You get you give it back That's that's sharing and I just think it's in our nature as humans to not share It's in our nature to not think of others first And so why would Paul be saying this regarding meeting our needs because we're really good at thinking about ourself We're not really good about thinking about others. I mean, I don't know about you, but I love me Like do you love yourself? I mean y'all love yourself not that many Wow Okay, how many of you think about yourself a lot raise your hand, okay there okay that you do love yourself Okay, I do. I love myself. I think about me all the time Like while I'm up here preaching. I'm thinking about me still like I Know I go to bed thinking about me. I wake up thinking about me Sometimes in middle and I don't wake up. I'm thinking about me. I think about me all the time So in other words, there must be something in us that we need to learn how to think about others We need to share with others rather than just making about ourselves and it is in that Understanding of our lives is not just for us but for helping others That's when God can show up on the scene and meet our needs because it's not just about our needs Our needs are opportunities to help other people meet their needs. I Mean this is this is huge But that's not the world that we live in. It's all me me me people take 50 selfies a day Like it's quit doing all of that God wants to use you to meet other people's needs and It is an open door for God to meet your needs. I

Heard heard a story just the other day about this lady. She was Very impoverished and loved the Lord with all of her heart. She was praying loudly on her porch Like God, I need you to meet my needs. I need groceries she's crying out for the Lord to the Lord with with all that she has and her neighbor gets irritated because he's an atheist and he's like God doesn't even exist and what are you doing praying and so he decides that he's gonna get her So he goes to the store buys a bunch of groceries and leaves it on her front porch and she comes out and sees all the groceries and she's like You provided all my needs and he walks up and he goes hi your God's not real See, he didn't provide that I did and she goes. Oh, thank you Lord for providing my needs and you use the devil to do it That's good, I don't care who you are isn't that funny Look don't ever disqualify Yourself from being used by God to meet other people's needs and you can't do it so that God can meet your needs But it is a prerequisite. You got to get your focus, right? You got to learn contentment and say God however long it takes I trust in you It doesn't matter and God while I'm waiting, I'm gonna use my seeds to help meet other people's needs You all understand what I'm saying God meets our needs. Please write this last point down. God meets our needs with seeds You go, what are you what are you talking about? Look all the things that you have you can consume them for yourself and It'll meet your need for a moment or you can take the things that you have and Realize there are seeds that I sow, and when I sow into other people, then I reap more than I sow. Think about this. You could count how many seeds are in an apple, but how many apples are in a seed? Okay, so you can take what you have, which is finite, and you know what it is. Or you can use it as an opportunity to sow it and share and help other people's needs and as you do that, God uses it to multiply. I would submit to you that it's immeasurably more. You can't count it. It'd be like trying to count the apples in a seed.

You could guess, and it would be astronomical, but you get five or six seeds in an apple and you're going to get tens and tens of thousands, perhaps, of apples out of that one seed, but you have to sow it. See, a seed is simply potential, and if you just hold on to it, it's full of potential but it will never do anything. But the moment you sow it, it gives it an opportunity to begin to grow. So you have to be willing to sow something into other people and you have to water it with prayer. Okay, God, I did this because you asked me to be obedient. I saw this person, I saw this need, and I sowed it into them. And I'm going to trust you, God, because Jesus is the living water anyway, is He not? And whenever you drink of His water, you'll never thirst again. So if you take the seed that He's given you, you sow it to someone else, you say, God, I water it with you, Jesus, you take care of whatever they do with it, it's not my problem. My problem is I'm trusting you, God, and as a result of that, that's how you meet my needs. And then He says, I'm doing all this, it'll be a credit on your account. Look, the stuff I'm asking you to do today is not about my credit. You got to take care of your own credit. How do you have good credit? You got to manage what you have and pay the bills on time. Without credit, you can't do anything, isn't that right? So you better manage your eternal credit really well as well. And how do you do that? Manage what you have really well and realize that your life is full of seeds, your time, your talent, the way you look at things, the way you understand things. It's time for you to start using your life as seeds to other people. And as you do that, God uses it to meet your needs. Your seeds are to share with others and God meets your needs. Now, can I get practical real quick? Let me give you just a few things you can do.

Four things you can do to make seeds work to meet your needs. Number one is, if you're not honoring God with the first 10%, then you have to start there. Because everything we own is really God's anyway, and it's called in the Bible the principle of tie. And, and listen, I know that a lot of you enjoy — how many of you love our church? Come on. All right. Well, you are involved in something you love. And I would encourage you, if you're not tithing and part of this church, start somewhere. Maybe you're doing nothing, start at 1%, start at 2%. If you're doing 5%, go to 8. If you're doing 10%, praise God, then the opportunity is for you to also serve this church. How many of y'all are thankful that how well the parking is, how well the kids is, how well the worship is, how good the production, how many of you like the coffee, how many of you like the air conditioning, how many of you like the clean buildings, all the things we do? Can we give it up for all those Dream Teamers and all the people that are serving and making up? Thousands of people are doing that all the time. They're using their life to sow seeds. And you look at our church and you go, well, you guys don't need me. Oh, on the contrary. I know we look like we got it going together, but we're like a swan. We look so graceful on the outside, and we are pedaling as fast as we can under the water. OK? So, let me tell you something. You're needed. And not only are you needed, but we want you to be a part of the family of sowing seeds,

not just receiving seeds when you come here. And the last thing I would tell you, I'm going to cut it to three, instead of giving you the fourth one. But you need to understand something, that using your life as seeds to share with others so that God can meet your needs, it isn't just what happens here in church. It starts there. It starts there, but that's not it. Did you know that 75% of our community, they don't go to church? And you guys are all involved in church, and you know a lot of people go to church. Like, oh, I meet Bayside people, church people all the time. 75% of the people that live in this community, they don't go to church. And the people that do go to church, listen to this, average once out of every five weeks. I mean, you guys are missing this great kind of stuff all the time if you're only here once a week. I mean, every five weeks. Wow, I didn't know y'all would be quiet there, but anyway. So anyway. But here's my point is that means at least 75% of the people that you run into in this community, the people you work with, people you do sports with, people your kids do sports with, people that you go to school with, people that your kids go to school with, all of those things. Guess what? Three out of four of them, they don't go to church. So would you be Jesus to them wherever you are? Would you take the seeds that you have, the blessings of what God has given you, whether you're in plenty or whether you're in want, it applies to everyone, right? Being content, God trusting you, but I'm going to use what I have to sow seeds into other people to help meet their needs and that's what you use, God, to meet my needs. Would you just open up your mind, open up your way of thinking and seeing the people in our community all the time that don't go to church, that don't have a pastor, maybe

don't have a Christian friend. Maybe God put you here for that reason. Church, when we do these things, get our focus right, learn contentment, realize that we're supposed to share, sow seeds into other people, God meets our needs. That's trusting Him with the outcomes in Jesus' name. Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? I can't help but think that there are some of you in here, when it comes to God meeting your needs, that your highest need, the number one that Jesus must meet is this need of lordship, of control. And you're maybe still in control of your life, like you call the shots, you mean like whatever you want to do is what you do, but God has to be the Lord of your life. He can't meet your needs unless He first has the opportunity to be first in your life. So that means you have to surrender your life, I mean your identity, your way of living, and you go, God, I'm not living for self anymore, I'm living for you. And then He takes you through a process of what the Bible would call sanctification, which is where you learn how to look and act more and more like Jesus. But it starts with a moment of saying, I get out of the driver's seat and I put you in the driver's seat, and I get in the backseat, and you're going to now lead my life. And if you've never done that before, like, church, what a great moment. Please don't leave here today without Jesus meeting your highest need, and that is eternal life. If you've never done that before, you're ready to be like, man, I've got to surrender, I've got to do this, I need to get right with Him. On the count of three, I'm going to ask you to raise your hand and I'm going to say this prayer with you afterwards. So if that's you, all over, wherever you're at, whatever location, online, would you raise your hand? Come on, LifePoint, where you are as well. One, two, three, come on, raise your hand if that's you, like, yeah, I'm not, I'm not right with God.

I love it. I love that. Thank you, young man. Yes, ma'am. I see others. Those other locations, I love it. Praise the Lord. OK, put your hands back down. Listen, what's about to happen, I'm going to lead you in a prayer. I'm just going to give words to what God is stirring in your heart, and eternity is going to change. Your life is forever going to be different. Now you know for sure that you're going to be with Jesus in heaven forever. What an incredible moment this is. So would everybody pray this prayer with me? Say, Heavenly Father, come on, all of us, say Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me. Thank you for this moment. You set me up for this moment. You knew this day would come, and today, I do a 180. I'm not living for self, I'm living for you. Jesus, you made a way. You died with my sins so that I could be free, so that I could be forgiven and spend forever in heaven. So thank you, Jesus, for being my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, amen.