The Great Exchange

Look at the flowers and all of their beauty I don't have to wonder, you know what you're doing So why would I worry at all, your faithful true supply? Everything I need, everything I need My Father has it, my Father has it Every single time, the Lord will provide My Father has it, my Father has it Hallelujah Look at the sparrow, it's like infinity No fear of tomorrow, and what did we believe? If I have you, I have enough Your love will satisfy Everything I need, everything I need My Father has it, my Father has it Every single time, the Lord will provide My Father has it, my Father has it See first the kingdom and its treasures Everything else, it will be added All that I need, I know the Lord will provide I know my God, empty handed He gives us blessings upon blessings I'm still believing, oh yes I know the Lord will provide See first the kingdom and its treasures Everything else, it will be added All that I need, I know the Lord will provide I know my God, empty handed He gives us blessings upon blessings I'm still believing, oh yes I know the Lord will provide Everything I need, everything I need My Father has it, my Father has it Every single time, the Lord will provide My Father has it, my Father has it Everything I need, everything I need My Father has it, my Father has it Every single time, the Lord will provide My Father has it See first the kingdom and its treasures Everything else, it will be added All that I need, I know the Lord will provide I know my God, empty handed He gives us blessings upon blessings I'm still believing I know the Lord will provide. I know the Lord will provide. I know the Lord will provide. Yes, He will.

Yes, He will. I don't know how far I'll get today. I'm super overwhelmed with the love of God, the goodness of God. God's been good to me, and I don't care what word I choose or what phrase I use, it just doesn't seem like enough. So let's try it one more time. Is there something you'd like to say to God? Thank you. I should be dead, but I'm not. He spared my life, I should be in hell, I'm not. He loved me and saved me from it. So I'd like to say to the Lord in front of you, thank you. Thank you. Now Lord, as we take this wonderful little journey through your Word and are reminded of what a good and great God you are, may you be pleased with every word that's said. And we will praise you after this in Jesus' name. One more time, everybody said amen. Thank you. Amen. Here we are. Seven days have passed. The sun has come up and gone down, the moon has whirled around, the earth has continued to revolve around the sun. Everybody continues to get up and go to work and make money and eat and fight. And crime is being committed and government is woefully trying to take care of people and it just goes on and on and on. And people act like this is the way it's going to be forever, but it isn't. Things are going to change pretty quickly. I'm going to tell you that right now. I'm going to tell you that based on this book right here.

So here we are. And I would like to say, if this is not true, now we have people listening by radio and they can't see me holding up the Bible. I'm holding up the Bible. If this is not true, there is nothing to live for. If this is not true, there are really no eternal consequences. We're just here and now people doing the best we can. We just get up and shower and brush and eat and go to work and make money, do the eight hours or the ten hours, come back home, put in five days, have off two, go to church, most people, and that's just it. If this is not true, we're spinning our wheels and most people don't believe it's true. Again, I'm, as a preacher, I get in the car and I ride down the road and yesterday I saw a family, a father and kids out in the front yard and they were chasing the dog, but daddy was putting up Halloween decorations. They seemed happy. Everybody was getting along. I'm sure mom was inside making sandwiches, lunch or something, and just good people. Good moral people doing what good moral people do all the time. And if, if this is not true, then that's all they have to look forward to. It's all we have to look forward to. We talk about wild people and dangerous people and criminals and drug addicts and alcoholics who don't have their mind on God. Hey, most good moral people don't either. They're just living like tomorrow is going to come no matter what. And so they pay their taxes and they don't hurt anybody and they're faithful to their spouse. And they get with their friends and they have a laugh and good time and take vacations. And if this is not true, that's all you got. Go for it.

It doesn't matter. Eat, drink, and be merry. Blow it out both ends. If this is not true, that's all you got. If this is not true, if the Bible is not true, I'm a liar. And you're crazy. This is not true. We are the stupidest people in the world to do what we do, to come here like this and to put on this. For what? And to go through life and try to get people saved and try to make a difference in our community. But if this isn't true, it's all hogwash. I want to tell you, there's nothing to live for. If this is not true. But if it is true, I'm holding it up again. If it is true, there is a God in heaven. There is a creator. He created this world through his son, Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. If this is true, you got to make a decision. You can't lollygag around and just live life from one day to the next. A decision has to be made. When was the last time you stopped? I mean stopped and thought, when I die, I'm going somewhere. When I die, I'm going into eternity. Or have you thought about it? Have you even thought about what's after this life? Do you believe there's anything after this life? If there isn't, then what does it matter?

But if there's something after this life, if there's a place you go and that place is eternal, it's time for a decision. I'm talking to people here and you know how I say it every Sunday. I'm talking to untold scores of thousands of people right now who are watching me on a screen or listening by a radio. When you die, think, just think for a moment. Take five seconds right now. If I die today, where will I go? That's the most important question you'll answer today. You'll leave everything behind, every award you've ever gotten, every accomplishment, every achievement, every ribbon, every medal, every trophy, every dollar. When you stop breathing, when your heart stops, you will leave it all behind. And here's what I said to the 830 service, everybody in here is breathing. We've got that in common and everybody's got a beating heart, right? We've got that in common. But there will be a day when that last breath will be drawn and at a day when that last heartbeat will, in a weakened fashion, just quit. What? Then, where are you going? Because this Bible says, this true Bible, that this God, this Creator, loves people. And He loves you. But there is a problem. When God created this world and put Adam and Eve in it, there was a foe. His name was Satan. Without going into great detail, whether you believe it or not, I'm just going to tell you, Satan moved right in and he caused Adam and Eve to doubt what God said.

They were in fine shape with God until Satan got there. And they disobeyed and something so mysterious happened that you can't even define it. You can't. It's called sin. When they disobeyed God, something died in them. And that relationship that they had with their Creator was marred to the point that He said, you've got to leave. Get out of the garden. I can't have any more relationship with you. That's called sin. Preachers have preached it and yelled it and screamed it and tried to remind people that sin is the condition of the human race. Sin is not what you do. It's what you are. You sin because you are a sinner. You can't help it. And you're so used to it, it doesn't bother you. That's because your spirit, your conscience is dead. If this book is true, it says that you are dead in trespasses and sins and spiritual things don't mean anything to you. In fact, you don't get it. That's why you can watch people worship like this and you go, huh, what is all that about? I don't mind coming here. I kind of enjoy watching these people, but what's that all about? And the world is becoming more and more opposed to it.

They don't want the name of Jesus preached or sung. They don't want us to have this freedom of worship. That's because sin hates God. Flesh hates spirit. And the problem is that your heart is so wicked. Here's what it's hard for people to understand because everybody wants to believe they're really good people. You hear that on TV all the time. Oh, it's so sickening. They say, I'm a really good person. I've not done anything wrong. I am a good citizen. That is not, that will not get you to heaven. The Bible says the heart is deceitful above all things. Wow. The heart of man is the most deceitful thing in the world. And it is desperately wicked. And nobody can understand it. See, even the kindest people, that little family I saw yesterday, without Christ, they are deceitfully wicked. I don't care who it is. No matter how many good deeds you do, what kind of citizen you are, without Christ, you have that desperately wicked heart that's full of deceit. I resent that, pastor. I know. I know. But it's in here, see? It's my job to tell you what's in here.

Well, I don't have a desperately wicked heart. Well, the Bible says you do. And this is what's true. And something has to be done about that desperately wicked heart. If you say, well, I'm going to heaven. Are you? Because you can't get there with the heart you've got. Your heart has to be changed. Nothing evil can get to heaven. Nothing unlike Christ will ever walk through the pearly gates. Something spiritual and miraculous must happen. You can't do it yourself. You can't get to heaven yourself. To get to heaven, you have to be absolutely perfect. Not just now, you had to be absolutely perfect from the time you cried. To be absolutely perfect and fit for heaven, you would have to have never had a bad thought, uh-oh, said a bad word, or done a bad thing ever or ever again. That's the only... you have to be perfect to get to heaven, and nobody can be perfect. But that's why we call it the gospel. That's why we call it the good news. Hallelujah. I can't get there, but somebody made it possible for me to go there. Praise God. If this book is true, that somebody is Jesus. There's not a thing you can do about your heart, but He can give you a new one. One time, Jesus had a conversation with a very... I'm going to cough...

with a very religious man, a man who knew God's laws and God's requirements. He was one of the chief Jews. The Bible says he came to Jesus by night, or at night, and said to him, Rabbi, teacher, we know you are from God because nobody could do the things you do unless God is with them. What an odd response Jesus gave. He said, you must be born again. Where did that come from? You must be born again. He said, what do you mean, Lord? How can a man go back into his mother's womb and come out again? Jesus said, oh no, if you did that, you'd still be lost. Because whatever comes out of flesh is flesh. Whatever comes from flesh is flesh. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. But that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. So you must be born again, not of flesh, but of the Spirit. And the Spirit of God is able to change your heart and cleanse your life. And when you believe on me, Jesus said, you are a brand new creation. You've been born again by the Spirit. The Spirit knows everything. It searches everything in a man's heart. And so, in order for any human being to have any claim on heaven, they have to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It's that simple. Just that simple.

There's such a problem with man's heart that man fools himself. He's so desperately wicked that a man's own heart says, that doesn't apply to you. That may be for somebody else. You don't have to live by that. You're fine. But I'm going to ask you again. If you die today, where will you go? Jesus, here we go with this one again. Let me read this verse. There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. He's a good man. He's got it going on. He's made money. He's done well. He's living the good life. He is what everyone aspires to be. That doesn't know Christ. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus who was full of sores who was laid at his gate desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. He just wanted some scraps. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. Oh, wow. You got a man living an expensive life up in there having everything he wants and a poor man laying outside his gate

sick and dying. So it was the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. Let's put it this way. He went to heaven. Okay? also died, and was buried, and being in torments." Oh boy. The beggar died and went to heaven. The rich man died and was buried and being in torments in Hades, or hell. He lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. In other words, he could see into heaven. And he saw Abraham, and he saw this guy named Lazarus. Then he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Church, listen. Everybody, listen. You don't cry for mercy after you die. It's too late. If he had done that before he took his last breath, he wouldn't be where he was. I'm begging somebody to hear me today. Mercy is for now. Mercy is for this life. You cry out to God. You cry out for mercy while you're still here. Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water

and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. Don't let anybody tell you that hell is not real. Heaven is real. Hell is real. It's not some conjured up punishment. It's not figurative. It's not symbolic. It's not interpreted or interpretive. It's real. It's literal. Or Jesus wouldn't have spent this much time on it. I'm tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things. You had a good life. And Lazarus, evil things. But now he is comforted and you are tormented. And beside all this, between us and you, there's a great gulf fixed so that I can't come to you and you can't come to me. Then he said, I beg you therefore, Father, that you would send him to my father's house. For I have five brothers that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment. I wish I could say this the way I feel it. But this man who failed to ask for mercy before he died, this man who is in torments, this man who is burning in hell, this man who has no hope, still remembers family members, still is cognizant of what he left behind. And he has compassion on his brothers

and he doesn't want them to come to this place. And he said, Father Abraham, send somebody to tell them not to come here. Abraham said to him, they have Moses. They have the prophets. Let them hear them. Can I just tell you what he's saying there? They have the Bible. They have the Bible. This thing that's real. This thing that's literal. This thing I'm preaching out of. It's the Bible. Jesus said, that's the only thing you're going to get. It's the only thing that will save you. The truth from the Word of God. If they don't hear the Word of God, nothing will get to them. Oh, do you hear my desperation this morning? If you don't hear this, nothing else is going to help you. Nothing else will save you. They have Moses. They have the prophets. Let them hear them. And he said, no, no, no. Father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent. Wow. In other words, if they could see a miracle. Yeah, the greatest miracle. Just let somebody that they saw die.

Somebody they buried. Let them rise up and go and talk to them. Then they'll believe. Jesus said, no. Miracles don't save. Supernatural stuff like that do not make a difference. God has designed that only one thing is able to raise the dead, able to open blinded eyes. It is the Word of God. This book. Christ, according to this book, did for you what you couldn't. could not do for yourself. He took our sins. Let's go on with it. God loved this world so much that He sent His only Son into this world to die a miserable death on a cross. One of the most mysterious things we read in Scripture is that God took your deceitful heart, my wicked ways, all of our sins, and put them on Jesus. I'm not rushing here because I think sometimes we don't give this enough attention. Jesus, the holy Son of God who knew no sin, never said one wrong word, never had one bad thought. Folks, not even an evil inclination. He was the Son of God in a body.

He was God walking on earth. And the Father God loved you and me so much that He did the ultimate thing so I could get to heaven. He let Jesus take my wickedness and give me His righteousness so I could go to heaven. Not by works of righteousness, not by religion, but by grace, you have been saved. So one of the heart-wrenching passages of Scripture for me as a preacher, I read it often. The pages in this Bible, I have 20-something Bibles I've almost worn out. I read this and it makes me want to weep. Paul said, the love of Christ compels us. Now why would I get here, stand here and do this? When I could tell you some jokes and make you feel better and we could just all have a nice giggle and go on home. But here I am and it's still in here and it's tight and it's tense. Why would I do it? Because the love of God is compelling me,

forcing me, pushing me to tell you that if He died for all, then He died for you. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we've known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. What that means is, now that we are spiritual, no longer flesh, walking in the Spirit, living in the Spirit, I don't know you in a fleshly way anymore. You're my spiritual brother. You're my spiritual sister. We're the spiritual body of Christ. Therefore, here it is, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Do you hear me? If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. He's not what he was. He ain't who she used to be. It's a mysterious thing. It's a miracle.

You aren't who you were. If you're not saved right now, the greatest miracle awaits you when you ask Christ to save you. Suddenly, you become somebody else. You are not the person you were. You are a child of God. You are a citizen of heaven. You are forgiven of your sins. You are accepted because of Jesus. Hallelujah! You're a new creation in Christ Jesus. And listen to this. Old things have passed away. It's gone. Yesterday is gone. Old sins are gone. Old crimes are gone. Oh, you are a new creation. is gone. Old, old, old is gone! And it can't come back because You are a new creation. it's been washed away. It's been forgiven. God doesn't remember it. If it's old, it's gone. Praise God. You're a new creation in Christ Jesus. And all things have become new. Hallelujah to God. Everything now has become new. Now all things are of God. In other words, when you don't know Christ, you don't really get this. You don't understand it. What's the big deal? But once you say to Him, God be merciful to me, a sinner, and that miracle of regeneration takes place, that new birth, being born of the Spirit, your eyes

get opened and you go, whoa, I see why they're so happy now. Oh, I think I might want to sing. I might even want to clap my hands. I didn't know it could be this good. I get it now. I'm free. I'm delivered. I understand it. The blinders have been taken off and I can see like I've never seen before. This book is real. There is a God in heaven. He does love me. He did die for me. Now all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus. You get that? He has reconciled us to himself. He says, come on in. We're one. You're welcome to my heaven. You're welcome to my throne room. We are one. He has reconciled us through Jesus Christ. But now here's where it gets emotional for me and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Paul is saying, God laid his hand on me. God told me to go out and beg on his behalf. That's beyond, that's beyond me. That this great God in heaven loves you and me so much that he would beg. Got it? Now then, we, Paul says, we preachers, we apostles, in fact, you too, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were pleading through us. Did you get this? How can you deny that God loves people when not only did he send his best and most beloved to die on a cross, but now he's begging you to believe it, begging you to receive it. He says, we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. I'm sorry. As I stand here today, I'm imploring people, wherever you may be in this world, watching anywhere, I'm begging, let Jesus save you. I'm doing this on Christ's behalf. He's not standing here physically, but he's in me and I am reaching out. I am God. I'm his tool. I'm

not God. I'm his tool and I'm imploring people, be reconciled to God. Time is running out. It's free. Mercy is at your disposal. Be reconciled to God. For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. So, God took the nastiness of my deceitful heart, the filthiness of my sinful flesh, everything that's disgusting to heaven that was in me and he put it on Jesus. Can you imagine holy Jesus having to take, wait, not just your sins, He took the whole world, and it's on Him. And then He turns around and says, I give you my righteousness. I'm giving you something you didn't have, and I'm taking something from you I don't want. I take your sins, and I give you my righteousness. What a deal. What a deal. And on top of it, He's begging you to receive it. He's begging you to receive it. So here I am standing in front of I don't know how many, and I'm a beggar. I'm begging anybody who doesn't know Christ, please, let Him save you. Let Him take you to heaven. If you die today, you can be sure that you'll go straight and immediately into His presence. You don't float around. There's no such thing as soul sleep. You don't just go to the grave. As soon as you die, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

What a deal. What a deal. Just as quickly as the rich man went to hell and Lazarus went to heaven, so will you. Just that quick. One more thing. I wonder if some of you realize, if you don't know Christ, I wonder if you realize that while you've been living your life and having fun and gallivanting around, and you've been a good person, really. As I said, you've been faithful to your spouse, and you've paid your taxes, and you've gone to work. Just having a good time, but you're lost. Has it ever occurred to you that somebody who loves you very much sometimes goes in a room and closes the door and picks up a piece of paper with your name on it and begins to say, God, please, please save this person I love. Oh, you're out having a good time, and they're in a closet hurting for you, shedding tears for you, aching for you. Yeah, you just kind of go on about your business. You know, life's moving on. And they realize time could be cut short for you. And so they just go in, and they don't want to bother you with it. That makes you feel uncomfortable. They would never say, I've really been crying and praying for you today, because they know you would go, what? So they just do it secretly. They go in, and they call your name. And they wipe tears, and they groan, because they love you. On top of that, there is a Savior in heaven who knows your name.

He's the one that died for you, and he's interceding for you to the Father. So just be reminded, while you're kind of lighthearted about this, and you don't need God, and you don't need religion, and whatever, my husband, he's just really weird into all that religious stuff, or my parents, they're really religious, and they go and cry about you, and they go and cry for you. That's love. So I'm just going to tell you today, if you've ever had an opportunity in your life to get your life right with God, it is today. I do not know if I could have been any plainer than I have been. Would you agree, church? You're a sinner. He's a Savior, and he's waiting for you to ask for forgiveness. Stand with me, please. Everybody look at this preacher. I would not be here today if somebody had not cried for me, prayed for me, got in a closet and asked God, begged God to save me. I don't believe you would be here today if somebody had not. loved you enough to go somewhere and get on their knees and call your name to God. Would you agree with me today? How many of you have somebody that you've been praying for like that? Yes, I thought so. Here's what we're going to do. You know, I don't know what else to do except say, if you want Jesus, He's here.

He's right here today and all you have to do... If you want every sin you've ever committed gone, if you want to be totally clean and pure, this is the day. And you do it by saying, I believe Jesus died for me and I accept it. The miracle of all miracles takes place. So the altar is open and you're welcome to come down with the crowds because I'm going to call everybody that has somebody on your heart down front. Somebody you've been crying about, praying for, come and join me around the altar. Somebody who keeps you up at night. A child, a husband, a wife, a step-mom or dad. Dave is playing that wonderful song, Jesus is the answer. Jesus is the answer for the world to know. Love and there's no other. Jesus is the answer. Oh yes, Jesus is the answer for the world to know. Love and there's no other. Jesus is the answer.

I'm going to go ahead and take a chance and ask if there's anybody anywhere that would like to be saved today. You'd like for Jesus to wash away your sins today. If you'll just slip your hand up. I'm not coming back to you. I'm not going to make a spectacle. I just want you to raise your hand. That's all I'm asking. If you would like for every sin you've ever committed to be washed away, just slip your hand up. I do see a hand. Yes, yes, yes, yes, I do. I'm not making this up. You heard the message. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Help me praise the Lord right now if you don't mind. Right here in this box, Kayla, and right there in that box are names of people that were placed in there by loved ones who've cried over these names. Put your hand on those boxes there. Father, I ask that you would bless us Father, I ask that you send the Holy Spirit on a divine mission. You see the names. You know the hearts. And I'm asking, as simple as I know how, save them from their sins, oh Lord.

Draw them to Calvary. May they fall at your feet, call on your name, and be born again. I pray for all of the people here, Lord, who have a burden on their hearts for loved ones. May they not be discouraged. May they not slack up in their prayers. May they remember that God's people have authority and God's people have favor. And when we call names, heaven hears those names. Can somebody say amen? Jesus is the answer. For the world today, other days go by. Jesus is the way, Jesus is the answer. ♪ For the world's a game ♪ But loving there's no end ♪ Jesus is the way I'm about to dismiss. I tell you, sometimes I'm hesitant to do it because it could be somebody's last time. It could be my last time. They're talking about peace in the Middle East, you know. Have you watched any news at all? Yeah. They really think that can happen, but we know there will never be peace till the Prince of Peace comes.

Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. But know this, the Prince of Peace can come into our hearts right now, and all the worries can be over, and we can know who we are in Christ. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, my Redeemer. Amen. We pray that today, as you watch Pastor Livingston's message, you will be encouraged and ready to dig deeper into a life with Jesus. To help you on this journey, Central has two resources for you. First, you can sign up to receive Central's Jail and Prison Correspondence Course through the mail by writing to Central Church, Jail and Prison Ministries Discipleship Center, 5143 Sardis Road, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28270. Second, by using Central's app

and clicking on the button below, you can read a short daily devotional that will encourage you to read and pray daily as you draw closer to Jesus. Thank you for watching. ♪♪♪