The Sermon Every Christian Needs To Hear

and the Earth was without form and void. We've all heard the story of Genesis, but never like this. Six different cities, one message. Darkness comes first and then the light. First and foremost, core of the heart makes some noise. Anybody from core of the heart? Let's go! Amen, okay. (congregation applauding) My name is Johnny Chang. I'm from L.A. from the San Gabriel Valley East Side of L.A. Anybody from East L.A.? She's all right, let's go. Balabra! (laughs) All righty, guys. So, I wanted to share my testimony a little bit with you guys. For those of you guys who don't know me. So I grew up in Section A, Project Housing. Went to prison, I was locked up from the age of 12 to 25. You know, I am a prison minister now. Travel around the world to share my testimony. Amen. And I grew up Buddhist, didn't care about Jesus, didn't care about God, I'm just gonna give it real. All right, we get very raw here. I genuinely did not know anything about Christianity. So for those people who are lost, I understand. I've been there, right? I was very, very Buddhist and then I became Muslim for a little bit and my heart posture

was always kind of frustrated towards God. I always had this void and this emptiness that I felt inside of my heart. Can anybody relate to that? Live in that roller coaster lifestyle. Up and down, happy sad, happy sad type of lifestyle. So you feel empty inside of your hearts. Some of you guys are feeling that now, right? You walked in here smiling, but inside things are crumbling. Well, I wanted to share with you guys today how I actually overcame that. Can we crack open the Bible though to share that with you guys? All righty, let's go to Genesis chapter one. So a lot of people, when they think about Genesis, they think about it as the creation of man, creation of the world, how human beings and things all came about. But I wanted to tell you guys something. Genesis is very, very deep and it's not actually only talking about that. It's talking about something very peculiar. Let's look at Genesis chapter one, verse one to four. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth and the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, verse three, and God said, let there be light and there was light. Verse four, and God saw the light that it was good

and God divided the light from the darkness. What'd you guys get out of that? I see a lot of dead fish there, it's just, right? For me, when I read this verse, I was like, okay, God created heaven and the earth. What does this have to do with me? You guys ever read the Bible and be like, what does this have to do with me? So the major unlocked for me and how I was able to read the Bible multiple times and exegis scripture was to not look for myself in the Bible but to see Jesus in every line. Amen, amen. So God wants us to recognize something here. It seems like it's about creation but what caused this darkness from this earth to be casted out? The word of God, amen. Word of God entered, darkness was casted out. Now, a lot of theologians, they argue back and forth about how long this earth was in darkness and we don't know. However, with the earth and its own efforts, it could never get itself out of darkness. The word of God had to enter to cast out the light. In the same way, this is actually not just talking about creation but it's talking about the world of our hearts, amen. So no matter how much I was in depression,

I tried hard, I got out of prison. Immediately I hit the streets. So when you have violent crime offender like me and you try to apply for a job, I don't know how it is in Louisiana but in LA, when you have this little box that you have to check and it says have you committed a crime before? When I checked that box, I was able to see that I was shown no love because you gotta list all of your sins, all of your past offenses. And so I got angry. I went back on the streets, unfortunately. I was making about 40, $50,000 a month. So I thought that with the money, the penthouse, cherry red, BMW, women, drugs, whatever I wanted, I'd be happy. Anybody ever felt like that? You just made a good amount of money, a set amount of money, you guys would be happy, right? But when I reached that, what was crazy was during that time, I try to commit suicide on three separate occasions. I recognize something, man, a full bank account can never fill an empty heart, amen? So I had a full bank account at everything, I was infamous in my neighborhood, a person like me who didn't understand the gospel, I was living in darkness, How could I be out and still feel like I'm in prison anybody who felt like that before? So when I read scripture like this, I was able to see wow God is very amazing

He's not just giving us the foundation of the earth. He's showing us the foundation of our hearts, right? Let's continue reading here. Let's look at verse 5 really quickly Genesis chapter 1 verse 5 It says in God called the light day and the darkness he called night and the evening and the morning were the first day It says the evening and the morning were the first day. I noticed that there was a little bit of a discrepancy It's a little bit off in this world guys. Isn't it morning and then evening? That's one day Have you noticed that but right here is saying evening and then the morning you guys see that So I go to verse 8 verse 8 is very clear. It says in God called the firmament heaven and the evening and the morning where the second day Interesting so we see evening and the morning again now if this is talking about our hearts What do you guys think that means? The Bible is explaining something in this world when you're out with the homies When you're out hitting licks and robbing people and all that in the beginning it feels good, right? You do drugs it feels good, and it starts as day, but it ends in what guys? Night darkness, right? We end up in prison some of us end up, you know dad things like this But the crazy thing is in God's world. It's flipped We start in the darkness and it ends in light. Amen Amen This is what the Bible is speaking about just in Genesis God is trying to show us that his world in our world Upside down it's flipped you guys understand so when did you guys find God when you're like hallelujah amen salah? No, when you were broken empty void living in deep deep deep darkness amen God wants us to recognize that Genesis chapter 1 is not talking about anybody else But you amen so God is explaining to us. It is a mirror to our heart People read Genesis and go creation of the world. No, no God wants us to recognize It's a description of our heart posture. Amen. Let's continue reading here verse 16 God does something very beautiful here and God made two great lights the greater light to rule the day the lesser light to rule the night And he made the stars also So what does he make here guys the sun the moon the stars you guys see this right? Why is this important? Do you guys know anything about? Sun's moons stars and things like that if you don't trust me. Okay. I'm Asian. We're very smart

All right, very smart people you guys know that the moon cannot generate any light by itself It can only reflect you guys following me here. So how does this moon? Then receive light has to face the Sun. Amen in the same way guys if this is about our hearts No matter how much we've tried to generate no matter how good we try to do we always end up in darkness What do we have to do to generate true happiness and peace turn to the Sun amen amen right guys? Amen Verse 20 and God said let the waters bring forth abundantly and the foul that may fly upon the earth and the open Firmament of heaven God creates before the other creatures two types of creatures He says the waters bring forth abundantly. So what lives in the water fish, right? And then he says the foul of the air Why guys why did God create the fish and the birds? Here we go again right Guys Let's think about this right because of fish and a bird. What do they have that's very peculiar here? They have two birds Understand when a fish has you know babies caviar it comes out as eggs and then after a certain time of incubation It gets reborn again into a fish birds as well Come out as an egg after 30 40 days of incubation cheap cheap cheap cheap cheap, right? They come out in a bird amen Why does God record this because for us to also be happy to also accept Jesus and move forward We also have two birds. Amen. We're born as Sinners and then reborn as what guys sanctified saints? reason why he used fish and birds is they also have something that's very beautiful what can birds do they can fly meaning they can defy gravity what do salmon do every year they can swim against the stream against the current likewise when we're born again we too can go against the flow of this world amen amen God wants us to recognize something there has to be the second birth guys and what that is is accepting God inside of our hearts see I went to prison thought that I would make everything on my own you know what my motto was guys you're the master of your own destiny right that's what was

how was my motto did not work out for me ended up in prison California youth authority level fours level three is maximum security when I when Johnny Chang trusted Johnny Chang it was over for me amen what does the world teach you guys have you guys heard this before follow your heart trust yourself amen but there's something that's really different about God's word God says do not follow your heart it's deceitful why because your heart changes every day one day you're happy second day you're sad when do you feel like hallelujah amen next day you're like no men right no men I can't do it right in the same way guys we if we follow our hearts we live happy sad happy sad happy sad until we feel empty inside of our hearts right and the enemy of this world tells us trust yourself validate your feelings God wants us to recognize something you just like this earth and Genesis cannot do it you can't do it Johnny Chang you can't lift yourself out of depression Johnny Chang you can't stop the gang violence you can't stop hanging out with the homies you can't stop clutching you can't stop stepping on bricks you cannot do it I have to do it amen is God able to do it yes or no of course amen let's continue reading here let's go to Romans chapter seven verse 15 this was a mirror image to me and to you guys too it's pretty pretty amazing Romans chapter 7 verse 15 for that which I do I allow not for what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I so what is he saying here Apostle Paul he's saying the things that I want to do be motivated right be loving not be jealous he wants to do those things but what does he say I don't do it the things that he hates depression loneliness emptiness filling unvalidated undervalued unqualified isn't that us right now many of us feel this way right I always felt like that Johnny you're just a gang member you are known by a CDC number and a YA number it is over for you you're a two-strike felon it's over for you it's over for you no but I want to change and when I try to do well boom I fail try to do well boom I fail we tell ourselves we're not gonna do it anymore but what happens we spiral again fall back again and then we say it's the flesh right that's just how we are we need to repent of course but it's very clear like I said the Bible is talking about you guys and your

hearts Romans 720 listen to ever 20 if you're doing these things and you don't want to and you regret it let's see what happens now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwells in me what is causing us to mess up amen thank you guys very much so why can't we get out of this is because there's sin inside of us the enemy tricks you though you chose to do that you messed up you had that one nice stand you had that you know fight with your family you it was you who did it no God says inside of us there is sin that dwells in us so very simply we have to do what get rid of the sin how then do we become born again truly born again right a lot of people kind of question this you guys ever have that heart that even though you guys are quote unquote saved the enemy gives us thoughts right are we really saved you guys ever question that question your salvation amen thank you guys for being honest a lot of times I did that to in my early walk I was struggling I'll be honest I was still carrying a gun I was still doing drugs I was doing a lot of these evil things and I would fight with myself why am I really saved I'm living in the world how can I be this way my past And I want to share that verse with you guys. It's Isaiah 53 verse six. It's a very famous verse. It says, all we like sheep have gone astray. We have each turned to our own way. And the Lord has laid on him, the iniquity of us all. So God, does he know that you guys have turned away? Yes. Does God know that all of us went astray that we all sinned? We followed our way, not the way Jesus, right? A lot of us prior to meeting Jesus, myself included. But what's really amazing is, do you guys know who Isaiah is? He's a prophet. Did you guys know that he was 700, 800 years before Jesus when he wrote this?

Now I got a GED education, but even I know tenses, right? So it says here, the Lord has laid on him. That's kind of different, right? Isn't it supposed to say the Lord is going to lay on him? If he's 700, he said, no, amen, bro, amen. He said, nah, right? In the same way, it's proof that when God works, he works what? Guys, not in the realm of time, but what eternally? Amen, amen. So God wanted to let us know that he's already washed all of our sins. How many sins, y'all? Oh, what does all mean? All means all is crazy. All means everything, amen, past, present, future. You guys got that? All your sins washed because you did well. Because he did well, amen. Did you guys know that you guys are perfect? What? Raise your hand if you feel like you're not perfect, please. Oh, there's a lot of people here. A lot of you guys aren't perfect, right? Good. Now let's see if we can test that. Let's see if that's what the Bible says about you. You guys remember your sins too? Everybody remembers your sins? Everyone is crazy. That's amazing. Everyone, right?

OK, so let's go to Hebrews, chapter 10. Let's see what the Bible says. Let's look at Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 14. It says, "For by one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." Let's break this down exegetically, exegesis, OK? One offering, who is this one offering, guys? Jesus, Yeshua, right? Has perfected what tense is perfected in past tense. So what does that mean? Already done, going to be done, might be done, already done, OK, temporarily. Is that what it says, right? It says, what? Forever, what does forever mean? Forever means forever. Forever means eternally. Understand, forever means forever. I know, right? Forever means eternally, forever. You know, God, he's not a God of just the time. He's outside of time, space and place. So when God does work, he does it eternally. Are you guys following me here? God has sent Jesus, not because you did well, but because you failed. Understand, and he washed all of our sins past, present, future, eternally. Forever it says, right? Let's see, you guys said that you're not perfect. The word of God says you're perfect, not because you're good, not because of your works, not because of your obedience, but because of Jesus, right? And then, you said you remember your sins. Let's see if Yahovah, Elohim, Adonai, let's see if he remembers your sins. Hebrews 10, 17, and their sins and iniquities, will I remember no more?

Oh, interesting. So if Jesus says, I don't remember your sins anymore, can he be like, but in 2007, Johnny? He drove without a license, right? You guys are all looking at me like, that's not the worst sin you committed. I feel the judgment. My eyes are little, but I can see. I can see you guys, right? What I'm saying is, God doesn't remember our sins. You guys following me? If God says he doesn't remember, and he says, I will never, no more, remember your sins. It hits different, but there are people who don't believe this word sadly, because they remember their sins, they see their sins, they see their actions, then they think, oh, I need to continuously clean these things up. Are you already perfect and holy through Jesus, or do you need to still be perfect and made holy by him? by him, says you've already That's what God wants us to recognize in Genesis. You yourself not being able to get you out of your depression? No problem. You yourself can't get out of your past trauma, your compounded trauma, all the assault you had back in the day, whatever it is. No problem, guys. Why? Because it was never your job to get yourself out of it. What do we call Jesus, guys? Our Lord and what? Savior. But you know the enemy. He likes to come at nighttime specifically. One thought leads into five thoughts, ten thoughts, random flashbacks of what you did. He loves to remind us and call us by our sin. Because Satan sees sin, but God sees his son. Amen? Amen? Believing in Jesus, guys, is trusting his word above your thoughts. That's what believing in Jesus is. Amen? Whatever your thoughts tell you guys, it's not the truth. Feelings, they're dangerous about one thing. They change, understand? But you know what's beautiful? The word of God never changes. It's based. Understand what I'm saying? It keeps the word, right? So what I want you guys to understand, do you guys know the wedding at Canada? The story of the wedding at Canada? It's when they turn water into wine. I know we got some seminary school students here, right? So at the wedding at Canada, what happens, guys? They feel six water pots with what? Water, amen? And Jesus says, draw and serve, right? So what he's actually teaching in Coney Greek is metanoia. Metanoia means repentance. Understand? It's comprised of two words, metanoia, right? Metanoia means to transcend, to go above, to go beyond. Neuea means your mind, understand? And your mind is where your brain and your heart intersect. So your feelings, your thoughts, all of that connected. Okay. So what Jesus was explaining was, although they see it as water, touch it as water, taste it as water. What does Jesus call it? Wine, amen? And why is this important? Because when they believed what happened afterwards, they saw the miracle. Do you guys follow me? Faith is what? The substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen. So Jesus said, it is wine when it didn't look like wine. You understand what I'm saying? But when they believe the word of Jesus above what they saw, thought and felt, they experienced true transformation. Understand? When you look at yourself, you see, sinner, when you feel you feel sinful, there's times some of us have been backsliding and that's okay. We see it like that. But what does Jesus call you? Perfected forever. Amen? In order to truly believe. Amen. In order to truly believe this, we have to throw away our thoughts and our feelings. Trust the word of God exactly as it is inside of our hearts.

This one word, guys, changed a gang member like me to go from misery to ministry. Understand what I'm saying? Amen. Amen. So, if you guys have family members who aren't listening to you, right? If you have people who are rejecting your gospel, saying, "Gosh, what's gospel?" Jesus, whatever. Guys, don't get mad. You know what you should be saying? Hallelujah. Why? Because if God can save a gang member like Johnny, a person like me who was also wretched in front of God, then how much more so my family, my son, my daughter, my kids, my husband, my... Amen. We are living proof. My brother, my family, all my homies here, everybody. No one is too far gone from God. Amen. Amen. Biblical salvation is you no longer live for yourself, but we claim him as our Lord and what? Savior, right? Savior means I was drowning in my sin. I can't get myself out of sin. Just like Genesis, the earth cannot get itself out of darkness. We needed somebody to save us out of it. We are people that if you trust in the Word of God, we are then the children of God as we profess His name. Show of hands, how many of us here are perfected and righteous through the blood. Amen. So, I hope that we can walk away today also through baptism spiritually and claim that we are righteous and perfected. Right? If we say we're righteous and perfected, people look at us like you're tripping, right? You're in prison. But Jesus doesn't call you by your sin. He calls you by your name. Amen. Amen. So, when I say you're perfect, I'm not saying you're perfect in your eyes. God, through the blood, has walked. We all look like prisoners here, but inside of our hearts we are truly healed and we are truly free. Amen. This is what trusting the Word of God is. It is trusting the Word of God above your thoughts to say that we're perfected righteous, holy. Not because we did well. You understand? But because he did well. Amen. Salvation is not something you achieve. It is something you receive. It is something you believe. Amen. My righteous brothers and sisters. Amen. Thank you, baby. Can we give it up for Johnny Chang one time? Hearing Johnny's message was honestly transformative because I read Genesis so many times, never to this day could understand it until today.

The way you would like to describe Genesis today? I never thought of it that way, like actually insane. Thank you guys. Yeah. What was something that you walked away from? Genesis? Yeah, I think it was a light analogy that's sticking with me till now, like, you have that darkness entered and God's like, "Hey, I can't survive in here, right? It's dark. You need me to come in? Yes, Jesus, I need you. All right." It just really warmed a part of my heart and kind of made me like cry a little bit, seeing everyone like gathered together. I've always appreciated Johnny's message, that they're always so, like, raw and real. Hey, that's what's up. That's what you're talking about. I think his testimony is honestly really interesting and really eye-opening, just to see, you know, where he came from, and just shares the word, to be honest. Like, the love of God, I think, is really the most important thing. That's an interesting testimony because most of the time people think that once you become, "Are you a gangster? You're lost in the world." But a lot of the times we don't understand that Jesus' salvation is for everyone. You know, no one is too far from him. And so when I heard his, like, testimony, I was like, "Wow, God's really reaching everyone." Man, bro, I'm the most imperfect person, like, kind of relatable to Johnny.

So for me to even be here is kind of surprising. If God can use him and speak through him, he tells you how bad he was before he even knew God. So that way you can know that it's not him. It's only God. Seeing the blessings of God, just pour out on him, that's such a cool thing. And I like how he broke it down from the beginning of Genesis. What helped him that changed a gang member like himself to all the way to being a new creation. The way he described Genesis, you know, he said that in Genesis, he's talking about us, you know, how dark this world can be. And then also another thing that really stuck out to me is how he mentioned how deceitful your heart can be. The enemy just really loves to attack your thoughts and really loves to, you know, just try to get the best of you. So just really being close to God and being in your word is the most important thing. Man, one major lesson I think that I took away from tonight I'll be with me for the rest of my life. It's definitely being able to trust the word of God over anything else. Not trusting my own thoughts, my own feelings, but the little word of God. Thank you so much for opening up our hearts and, you know, keeping us close to Scripture and keeping us close to God. Hebrews 10-14, "By a single sacrifice, you have been perfected as your being sanctified."

Meaning we are being glorified in the name of Jesus, right? So the sanctification has become more like Christ. It's beautiful. He turned broken people into God doesn't remember your sins. God doesn't remember your past. It doesn't matter what you've done or where you came from or if you are lost in the house. I was lost in the house for a really long time and now I'm found and, like Johnny said, God doesn't remember Donnie Kingston, so he doesn't remember Carly Finn, so. Mm-hmm, we're righteous. And the eyes of God all the way. I'm righteous in the eyes of God. We are righteous in the eyes of God. We are righteous in the eyes of God. [MUSIC PLAYING] [BLANK_AUDIO]