Life University Midweek Bible Study
The Pentecostals of Cooper City 5/14/2026
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45:39
Summary
This Bible study explores the true meaning of discipleship, moving beyond church attendance to a life of radical transformation and holiness. It emphasizes that following Jesus is a daily journey of surrendering one's will to become more like Christ in spirit and lifestyle.
Key points
- •Christianity is a call to follow Jesus, and following is the beginning of discipleship.
- •True Christianity requires a radical transformation that affects one's lifestyle, speech, conduct, and internal character.
- •Discipleship is an ongoing process of sanctification where God removes 'spots and wrinkles' to make the believer more like Christ.
- •A true disciple practices total surrender, acknowledging that they are not their own but have been bought with the blood of Jesus.
- •Believers are called to help others in their journey, following Paul's example of 'follow me as I follow Christ.'
Scripture
Discipleship
Holiness
Sanctification
Surrender
Transformation
Life application
This week, identify one 'weight' or 'spot' in your life that is hindering your walk with God and intentionally surrender it to Him through daily prayer and obedience.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life (speech, entertainment, attitude) is it most difficult to reflect the image of Christ?
- The speaker mentioned that many want Jesus as Savior but not as Lord. What does it look like practically to let Jesus be the Lord of your daily schedule?
- Who is someone further along in their faith that you can learn from, and who is someone you can help encourage in their journey this week?
- How does the concept of being a 'living sacrifice' change the way you view your physical body and personal ambitions?
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Full transcript
0:00going to get there here. It's Say
0:00Everybody say a journey.
0:00Matthew 16 and verse 24. Then said Jesus
0:04unto his disciples,
0:06"If any man
0:08would going to come after me,
0:10there's some
0:12prerequisites.
0:14There are some needs. You've got to deny
0:16yourself.
0:18You've got to take up your cross,
0:21and you have got to
0:24follow me.
0:27For whosoever will save his life shall
0:29lose it.
0:31Verse 25, and whosoever will lose his
0:33life for my sake shall find it. For what
0:38is a man profited
0:40if he should gain the whole world
0:44and lose his own soul? Or what shall a
0:47man give in exchange for his soul? God
0:50bless you. You may be seated. Now,
0:55what we are all called to do
0:58is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. This
1:01is a a call to follow him. Okay? Now,
1:07first of all, if you're going to follow
1:08him, you've got to find him.
1:11Right? You got And you got to you got to
1:13seek after him, and you got to find him,
1:16and then you've got a purpose in your
1:18life that I want to follow his
1:21footsteps. I want to follow his path and
1:24follow where he's going. So, this is a a
1:27call to follow, and following is the
1:29beginning of discipleship.
1:33Jesus didn't simply call people to
1:35admire him.
1:37Jesus didn't call people just to to Oh,
1:40just come and listen to me, or just
1:42come. No, HE CALLED PEOPLE TO FOLLOW him
1:46and to become like him.
1:50So, Christianity is more than attending
1:52church. Did you know that?
1:54Christianity's more than just believing
1:56in God. Did you know that?
1:58Christianity's more than just carrying a
2:00Bible. Did you understand that?
2:02See, Christianity's goal is to be like
2:07Jesus.
2:09Now, how many know that it's impossible
2:10for us in this earth to be exactly like
2:13Jesus?
2:15We're not talking about identical to
2:17Jesus, but we're talking about his
2:19characteristics. We're talking about his
2:22lifestyle. We're talking about his ways.
2:25We're talking about his thoughts. Have
2:27you ever noticed that I don't know,
2:29depending how long you've been married,
2:30my wife and I, even this afternoon, JUST
2:33COUPLE HOURS AGO, WE SITTING AT THE
2:34TABLE, and we both came up with the same
2:37word at the same time.
2:41It's scary, cuz she's starting to think
2:42like me.
2:44It's really scary.
2:46The longer you're with somebody, the
2:48more you start to pick up on their ways,
2:51on their thoughts, on their likes, on
2:54their dislikes. Am I Am I making sense?
2:57And so, THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE WANT. THE
2:58GOAL IS TO be like Jesus, and the how of
3:02the goal, or the plan, or the strategy,
3:04Neil, is this: to become a disciple.
3:12You're looking like you never heard that
3:14word before.
3:15Welcome to the Christian life, a life of
3:18being a disciple. And the goal, yes, is
3:22to be a Christian, but the original word
3:24was much more stronger than now. I I
3:27think in the originality, when the word
3:29Christian was used, brother Truszinski,
3:31I don't think it was as flippant as it's
3:34used today. Oh, I'm a Christian and and
3:36this. The word was stronger than that.
3:38It seems now just to be a label. Yeah,
3:40I'm a Christian and you can go in a bar
3:43and find people that are Christians, and
3:44you can go in nightclubs. I've not been,
3:47I'm just saying, and find people that
3:49claim they're You can go DIFFERENT
3:50PLACES AND FIND ALL KINDS of people that
3:53claim that they're Christian.
3:56They they got
3:57I love Jesus bumper stickers and don't
3:59mind telling you what
4:02as YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. Read
4:03between the lines.
4:06THEY CLAIM THAT THEY'RE CHRISTIAN.
4:08THAT'S NOT THE CHRISTIAN OF THE BIBLE.
4:11THAT'S NOT THE CHRISTIAN THAT YOU FIND
4:13THERE. IT'S NOT JUST A LABEL. But it's
4:16almost like a badge that they wear. It's
4:18a club that they belong to. But the
4:20original word Christian had to be like
4:22Christ or Christ-like.
4:25Now, it was a description OF PEOPLE THAT
4:27RESEMBLED CHRIST. THEY LOOKED SO MUCH
4:29LIKE HIM THAT THEY'RE SAYING, "OH,
4:31YOU'RE a Christian." And and at first,
4:33it was derogatory. You're a Christian,
4:36right? At first, it was about putting
4:37people down. Oh, you look like and you
4:40act LIKE AND YOU TALK LIKE THAT Galilean
4:42from Nazareth named Jesus Christ. You're
4:45a lowly Christian. That was the
4:47originality of it. Matter of fact, if
4:50you read in Acts 11 and 26, this is
4:53where it starts out, right here. Let
4:54Acts 11 and 26, it says, "And when he
4:57had found him, he brought him under
4:59Antioch.
5:00And it came to pass that the whole year
5:02they assembled themselves at the church,
5:04they taught much people, and the
5:05disciples
5:07were called Christians
5:10first at Antioch. It started here where
5:14they started being called Christians. By
5:16the way, pastor was in Antioch, it's in
5:18Turkey now, and a few years ago they had
5:21a horrible earthquake there, and as you
5:23know, with disaster relief team, we was
5:24there in the city of Hatay. That city
5:27has been destroyed by earthquakes. I
5:30believe it's 17 times.
5:33And they keep building the city right up
5:35of it. Very interesting. I think I'd be
5:37moving after that.
5:39Now first
5:40they were known as disciples,
5:43then they were known as Christians. Now,
5:46look at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians
5:4811:1. These scriptures are in your in
5:51your notes, and you can read them off
5:52your your your Bible or off your app on
5:54your lap. HE SAYS, "BE FOLLOW" THIS IS
5:57PAUL. HE SAYS, "BE FOLLOWERS OF ME."
6:00NOW,
6:01follow the leader, following the leader,
6:04the lead Whatever the leader does, you
6:05have to do. That's kind of the idea. And
6:08I'm going to tell you, there are in this
6:10church many saints of God that are
6:14following Jesus very closely that you
6:17should not have any reason not to follow
6:19people like them that are following
6:20Christ.
6:23So, we follow
6:25by his example. We follow as he follows
6:28the example of Christ. Now, let me make
6:30sure you understand this because when
6:31you're a true Christian,
6:33true Christianity is a radical
6:36transformation.
6:40You can't say you're a true Christian if
6:43there's not been a radical change in
6:45your life.
6:49All things are passed away, behold all
6:51things all things are become
6:54new.
6:55And so, there has to be this radical
6:58change, a radical transformation, and it
7:00starts affecting you. It affects the way
7:04you walk. It affects the way you talk.
7:06It affects the way you dress. It affects
7:08the way you present yourself. It affects
7:11the ways you go. It affects the words
7:13you use, the the jokes you say. There's
7:15got to be a radical change and a radical
7:17transformation.
7:19I don't want to embarrass They're not
7:21here today, but one one of the men in
7:23our church here sits very close to the
7:25front here, and and he he used to be in
7:27a
7:28uh he used to be a mechanic, and uh I've
7:31been to his shop many times, and and and
7:34the change that has happened
7:36he says, "Pastor, and and the his face
7:39is just beaming with the smile. He says,
7:42"I'm not cussing anymore."
7:46Now, that may not be a lot for you,
7:48but for a man that his ENTIRE LIFE UH
7:50THAT'S A RADICAL TRANSFORMATION.
7:53That's radical change. And here's the
7:55key. Look at when when when we look at
7:57Ephesians 5, PAUL IS WRITING TO THE
7:59CHURCH at Ephesus, and he's looking for
8:02a church. He's trying TO CONDENSE IT
8:03DOWN. HE'S TRYING TO PRESENT himself a
8:06church, a glorious church, not having
8:09spot
8:11nor wrinkle or any such thing. It should
8:15be holy and without blemish.
8:18That's radical.
8:20THAT'S A RADICAL CONVERSION. WHEN YOU'RE
8:23STARTING TO SAY, "HEY, I can't HAVE A
8:24SPOT. I CAN'T have even a wrinkle. I
8:27want to make sure that I am absolutely
8:30right before God." And so, the ongoing
8:32plan of discipleship, this is what it
8:35is, the ongoing plan of God's
8:37discipleship plan is that he's getting
8:39RID OF THE SPOTS, AND HE'S GOT to get
8:42rid of the wrinkles in my life and in
8:44your life.
8:46Now, watch this. Follow me as I follow
8:48Christ. AS YOU FOLLOW HIM, YOU start
8:51noticing things.
8:56AS YOU FOLLOW HIM, THE CLOSER you get to
8:58the light, you know, the more you
8:59notice. You got Oh, man, I got a little
9:01hair from Bella on me or I got this. THE
9:04CLOSER YOU GET TO THE LIGHT, THE MORE
9:06things are being revealed to you.
9:09Now, here's your answer. You must See,
9:12when the Holy Spirit starts working on
9:14you, you have to respond.
9:21Watch. There's There's There's people
9:23Pastor, I wish I could hear God speak to
9:26me. My question is, have you done what
9:28God told you the last time he spoke to
9:30you?
9:31Why would he want to speak to you again
9:33if you're not doing what he asked you to
9:34do?
9:37Oh, sometimes I should not be a pastor.
9:39I should just be, you know, something
9:40I'm kidding.
9:42It's just It's just The problem is as
9:44you start getting closer to God, God
9:46starts revealing things, and then you
9:48say, well, I don't want God to deal with
9:49that.
9:50Well, I don't want God to deal with
9:52this.
9:53That's a
9:55That's not really a revelation of what a
9:57disciple is as we'll get to in just a
9:59minute. Look at 2 Peter 3:11. 2 Peter,
10:03let me read a few verses here. 3:11.
10:05Seeing that all these things shall be
10:07dissolved, what manner of persons ought
10:10you ought to be IN ALL
10:13IN ALL HOLY CONVERSATION, which is
10:16lifestyle also, and godliness.
10:20Folks, this world is going to be in
10:22burned up. This world is going TO BE IN
10:24CHAOS NOT VERY MANY YEARS FROM NOW OR
10:26MAYBE MOMENTS from now.
10:28You think it's bad now, you ain't seen
10:30nothing yet. We just did our our class
10:33on eschatology in in Bible school. We
10:35went through the the tribulation, the
10:37great tribulation, the horrible things
10:39that are going to be happening.
10:40Apparently, close to 4 billion people
10:44are going to die.
10:47That is radical. And the Bible's telling
10:49you "Hey
10:51since you see these things are coming,
10:53don't you want TO LIKE CHECK IT OUT?
10:54MAKE SURE THAT you're holy or that they
10:56get a handout." 1 Thessalonians 5:23
10:59says, "And the very God of peace
11:03sanctify you holy. And I pray that your
11:07whole spirit
11:10and your soul
11:12and your body
11:14be preserved blameless under the coming
11:16of the Lord." There's There's There's
11:18not just spirit.
11:20There's not just spirit and soul, but
11:23there's spirit, soul, and body.
11:29You want God to work on all three.
11:31Then you're candidate to being a
11:32disciple.
11:33In Revelation chapter 21 and 27, as he's
11:36starting to look into that final
11:38chapter, it says, "There shall no wise
11:40into it enter anything that defileth."
11:42Talking about heaven. This is what
11:44qualifies you. Anything that files not
11:46going in. Neither whatsoever worketh
11:48abomination or maketh a lie, but they
11:51which are written in the Lamb's Book of
11:53Life. Let me just tell you this, your
11:55goal is to get your name in the book.
11:59And then your goal is to keep your name
12:01in the book.
12:04Bible talks about your name being
12:06blotted out of the book. I don't know
12:07where some people get their religion and
12:09they think that once you're saved,
12:10you're always saved. Well, that's a big
12:12problem if you really read the Bible.
12:15Cuz that's not in the Bible. Now, let me
12:17give you Paul's plan. In Philippians
12:19chapter 3 and verse number 7 through 14,
12:21I'm going to give you Paul's plan, okay?
12:24This is what Paul did. This is his plan
12:26and I think it's a great plan. I think
12:28we've been teaching this plan, brother
12:30Jozinski, for many, many years BECAUSE
12:32IT WORKS. HE SAYS, "What things were
12:34gained to me, I counted loss for
12:37Christ."
12:38Verse 8, "Yea, doubtless, and I count
12:40all things but loss for the excellency
12:44of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
12:46Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
12:48of all things, and I do count them but
12:52dung, that I may win
12:55Christ."
12:57And be found in him. I don't want to
12:59have my own righteousness. How many
13:01enjoyed the preaching of Brother Brother
13:03uh
13:04Kleindienst on righteousness?
13:06That was powerful, right? Here it is.
13:09I'm not having my own righteousness,
13:11which is OF THE LAW, BUT THAT WHICH IS
13:13TO FAITH OF CHRIST, THE righteousness
13:15which is of God by faith.
13:18Verse 10, here's the goal, "THAT I MAY
13:20KNOW HIM."
13:22THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO. I'M ON THIS
13:24JOURNEY. I'm on this PATH THAT I WANT TO
13:26KNOW HIM IN THE POWER OF HIS
13:28RESURRECTION and the fellowship of his
13:30sufferings, being made conformable unto
13:32his death, if by any means I might
13:34obtain unto the resurrection of the
13:36dead. That's what we're going for. We
13:38want to have THE RESURRECTION APPLIED.
13:40"NOT AS THOUGH I'D ALREADY ATTAINED,"
13:42PAUL SAYS. I DON'T CLAIM TO HAVE already
13:44reached IT. I DON'T CLAIM THAT I'M
13:46THERE. LISTEN, if Paul didn't get there,
13:48you and I still got a ways to go, too.
13:52"Not as though I've attained it, either
13:54was already perfect, but I'm going to do
13:56this. I'M GOING TO FOLLOW AFTER THIS,
13:57that I may apprehend that for which I am
14:01apprehended of Christ Jesus. I'm going
14:05after him, and he's going after me."
14:09It's a great plan. BRETHREN, I COUNT NOT
14:12MYSELF TO HAVE APPREHENDED, but this one
14:14thing I do. I figured this out. I got
14:16this figured out. I'm going to forget
14:18those things which are behind, and I'm
14:20going to reach forth for the things that
14:22are before me. He says this, "I've got
14:24to do
14:25and see, making disciples
14:28and see, making disciples is like look
14:31responsibility of
14:32being a parent until they learn to feed
14:35themselves. You got to make sure they're
14:36fed.
14:38And you teach them how to feed
14:39themselves as soon as possible. And if
14:41they get into trouble, you help them
14:43even if it's inconvenient because
14:45they're your top priority. You train
14:47them to do what they need to do. You
14:49teach them what they need to know. You
14:52help protect them from danger.
14:56A lot of times you spend time with them
14:58because they learn by example.
15:00Right? If I keep telling them the the
15:02baby, you know, "Don't put your finger
15:04in the socket." And I keep putting my
15:05finger in the socket, guess what the
15:07baby's going to do?
15:11He's going to put his FINGER IN THE
15:12SOCKET, RIGHT? Cuz they're going to say,
15:14"Don't tell me what to do. Show me what
15:16to do or what not to do."
15:18And therefore, there's there's the key.
15:21You got to follow people that are
15:22following Christ.
15:24First Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15
15:27says this, "If I tarry long, that thou
15:30mayest know how thou oughtest to behave
15:34thyself."
15:36He says, "Listen,
15:37I have to teach you how to behave
15:39yourself in the house of God. You got to
15:42learn how to DO THIS, WHICH IS THE
15:43CHURCH of the God, the pillar of God's
15:45truth." Now,
15:46how many know that there's some things
15:48that are just not automatic?
15:51You got to learn them.
15:53Matthew 5 and 8, he tells them in the
15:55Beatitudes, "Blessed are the pure in
15:57heart, for they shall see God." I want
16:01to learn these things. I want to learn I
16:03want to learn how to behave. I want to
16:05learn how to be pure in heart because my
16:08goal is to see God one day.
16:11And Hebrews 12:14 says you got to follow
16:14peace with all men, and you have to
16:16follow holiness because without this, no
16:19man
16:20I don't care who you are. No man is
16:23going to get around this. No man shall
16:25see the Lord.
16:27And so without holiness, no one's going
16:29to see God.
16:31You know you know God makes the rules
16:33for heaven.
16:35How many want to go to heaven?
16:37You're here tonight on a Wednesday
16:38night, you're studying the word, of
16:40course you want to go to heaven. But you
16:42know what? There's rules to get into
16:43heaven.
16:45Don't don't you want to you know you
16:47don't want to get to heaven and go, "Oh,
16:49uh let's see here. Here's the rules to
16:51get in." And you're like, "OH, WELL,
16:53SORRY."
16:55THERE'S RULES to get in.
16:56By the way, there's rules to get in the
16:58hospital. I went in the hospital, I was
17:00at the hospital this morning. I was at
17:02the hospital with the Frankie last week
17:04at 5:30 in the morning and here we are
17:06to get in. They said, "You got to show
17:07me your ID."
17:09That lady was not happy at 5:30 in the
17:11morning.
17:12But by the time we left, she was happy,
17:14wasn't she? We gave her the love and the
17:16love of Jesus. She was grinning ear to
17:18ear.
17:20THERE'S RULES. YOU CAN'T JUST GO IN.
17:22YOU HAVE TO GO BY THE RULES. If you're
17:24going to get on an airplane, there's
17:26rules.
17:27YOU CAN'T JUST WALK ON AN AIRPLANE. SO,
17:30THE SAME thing if you're going to go to
17:32heaven, there's got to be rules. He says
17:34this, by the way, it's a holy city.
17:38The standard has already been set, you
17:40know that, right?
17:42And so we have to attain into holiness
17:44to get in there. He says, "Without
17:46holiness,
17:47no man shall see the Lord." And so
17:51these are very serious things,
17:52obviously. They have serious
17:54consequences and serious rewards. It
17:56doesn't happen automatically. It's a
17:58process. It takes work. It takes
18:00commitment. It takes dedication. It
18:02takes consecration. It takes study. It
18:05takes learning. It's a lifestyle. It's a
18:07lifetime process. It's a lifetime
18:11journey.
18:12First Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse
18:144.
18:15He says that every one of you should
18:17know how to possess his vessel
18:20in sanctification and honor.
18:22You got to learn how to keep your body.
18:25You got to learn how to protect your
18:26body. You got to learn how to that this
18:28body that you have should be possessed
18:30the right way.
18:32Right?
18:33Now,
18:34I'm going to tell on myself a little bit
18:36here.
18:36Um y'all pray my belts um I've lost 20
18:40lbs. So, we're having a problem.
18:43Hallelujah.
18:48And and I'm preaching to myself. I'm not
18:49preaching to anybody else here.
18:51But I just decided, you know what? I'm
18:54not I'm cutting everything out that I
18:55just, you know, that adds to the
18:57problem. I started cutting everything
18:59out and I've cut a lot of fun out, too.
19:02Yeah, there's no fun.
19:04But I but again, if I want this, I have
19:08to give up some things.
19:11So, I'm trying to say, I can't get to
19:13here if I'm not willing to give up over
19:15here.
19:17Right?
19:18Now, I don't know anybody here. If you
19:20have, I'm so proud of you. Anybody here
19:22climb Mount Everest?
19:26Nobody's climbed Mount You know what?
19:28Thank
19:29I I was going to feel bad if you did,
19:30okay?
19:32But if you notice people that climb
19:34Mount Everest, they don't take the
19:35refrigerator.
19:37They don't take their couch.
19:39They don't take their bed.
19:41They're taking as little
19:44as they can because they've got a
19:46challenge to get to the top of the
19:48mountain.
19:49Are you with me?
19:51Sometimes, the Bible says this. He says,
19:54you got to lay aside the sin and the
19:57weight that does so easily beset you.
20:00How many here you've never climbed Mount
20:02Everest? You've never been to the base
20:04of Mount Everest, but you're pretty SURE
20:06THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO HELP carrying a
20:08refrigerator to the top of Mount
20:09Everest. I see
20:10y'all know THAT Y'ALL ARE AMAZING.
20:14YOU GOT THIS. IN OTHER WORDS, you may
20:16not KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THERE, but
20:18you know a lot of things it takes that
20:20you don't take to get there.
20:23Did I get that right?
20:25You may NOT HAVE EVERYTHING RIGHT to get
20:27there, but there's a lot of things you
20:29already know you need to get rid of
20:32to get there.
20:34So we want to possess our vessel in
20:35sanctification and honor. That's what we
20:38we have to know this, how to keep your
20:40body because we are called to holiness.
20:43There's your notes. We're called to
20:45holiness and that is in our speech, in
20:47our conduct, in our entertainment, in
20:50our relationships, in our attitude, in
20:52our appearance, and in our lifestyle.
20:55Everything we do, we have to emulate
20:57holiness. We have to be like Jesus in
21:00everything we do.
21:02The question is, ARE YOU DOING SOMETHING
21:05THAT YOU CAN SAY, "HEY JESUS, COME SIT
21:07right here and participate with what I'm
21:09doing?"
21:12It used to be WWJD, you remember that?
21:15What would Jesus do?
21:17That was a big deal. It was a it was a
21:19great idea, great campaign.
21:22What would Jesus say about what you're
21:24doing?
21:26Can you do this and invite Jesus next to
21:29you?
21:301 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 19, he
21:32says it like this, "What? Know you not
21:35that your body your body is the temple
21:38of the Holy Ghost? This is the temple.
21:42Right here is where God is trying to
21:44live." And and and can I just remind
21:46you, it's the Holy Spirit
21:49that's looking for the temple, right?
21:51That your body is the temple of the Holy
21:54Ghost, WHICH IS IN YOU, WHICH YOU HAVE
21:56OF GOD, and here's the answer to the
21:58bottom line, and you are not your own.
22:03The true disciple is the disciple that
22:06realized, "Hey, these are not my hands,
22:08these are not my eyes, these are not my
22:10feet, this is not my body, but this body
22:14has been redeemed and bought with
22:16precious blood. Amen.
22:18So, can you really say this? This is
22:20where you can say cuz some people want
22:22Jesus as their savior. Oh, I need a
22:24savior. Jesus, I want you as my savior,
22:26but they don't want him as their lord.
22:29They want a god that does things, but
22:31not a god that tells them to do things.
22:34Ooh, there's a big difference there.
22:37Because a true disciple means total
22:39surrender, total obedience, and total
22:43commitment. Does that mean you're going
22:44to be perfect all the time? EVERYBODY
22:46SAY SHOUT, "NO!"
22:48THANK YOU.
22:50BUT, IT MEANS THAT YOU keep working
22:51towards it.
22:54See, what you don't do is this. Well,
22:56I'm never going to be that anyway, so
22:58I'm just going to give up now and go
22:59live like the world and like the devil.
23:01No. What you do is you know what? Hey,
23:04Brother Jose, you know what? I stumble,
23:07but I'm getting up again. I'm going to
23:08keep walking. And then and you fall
23:10again, but you get up and you keep
23:11walking. And and and and and and you say
23:13God, you plead the blood, you put it
23:15under the blood, and you just keep
23:16walking. That is the true disciple in
23:20victory right there. You just keep
23:22getting up again.
23:24JUST KEEP GETTING UP AGAIN.
23:281 Corinthians 3:16, he says again, this
23:30is another he says, "Know you not that
23:32you are the temple of God, that the
23:34spirit of God dwells in you?"
23:38Again, so let's look at discipleship. It
23:41is the lifelong journey of becoming like
23:43Jesus in spirit,
23:46in character,
23:48in lifestyle, in holiness, and in
23:51surrender.
23:53So, let me help you. Salvation is the
23:55beginning,
23:57and discipleship is the process.
24:01I I've said it often here. I I was just
24:03at the hospital and I think one of my
24:04favorite places in the hospital has to
24:06be the maternity ward. If there is such
24:08a thing as a favorite place in a
24:10hospital, that's pretty much the
24:11happiest place in a hospital.
24:14And sister
24:15uh Million is here. I think she's
24:17somewhere around here. She may be in
24:18another class. She came back to visit
24:20and she's expecting another miracle.
24:22Brother Bowen and sister Damaris are
24:24expecting maybe you all that's a
24:26miracle. You don't know that's a huge
24:28miracle.
24:32Well, when the baby is born, YOU DON'T
24:34PACK THEIR BAGS AND GO, "SEE YOU. I'M
24:36GOING HOME. You get out of here whenever
24:37you want and whenever you want." No,
24:39this is just the birth. Salvation is
24:42just the beginning. There has TO BE A
24:45PROCESS OF growth and development.
24:50Now, can I just say
24:51God is not only trying to save you from
24:53sin.
24:55He's trying to transform you into the
24:57image of Christ.
25:00Let me explain this. This is what
25:01sanctification is. It's not just coming
25:04out of the world. That's That's not the
25:06goal. The goal is to come out of the
25:08world and become more like him.
25:12We're not JUST TRY WE'RE NOT TRYING TO
25:14THE THE BIBLE GOD IS NOT JUST TRYING TO
25:16GET
25:17THE WORLD OUT OF YOUR HEART. WE'RE
25:19TRYING TO GET GOD INTO YOUR HEART.
25:21DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WE'RE TRYING to
25:23become like Christ. Romans 8:29, "For
25:26whom he did foreknow, he also did
25:27predestinate to be conformed." Here's
25:30the goal. He wants you to be conformed
25:33into the image of his son.
25:37That's the goal that you can be
25:38conformed like him.
25:40Oh, I pray. I pray that people can see
25:43God in me. I pray that people can see
25:45God in me. And And And And brother
25:47Frankie, when we were in the hospital
25:49just just early in the morning, all
25:51those ladies are the nurses. Sister
25:53Connie, you saw the nurses there and
25:54they're all like, "Wow, why are you so
25:56happy?" They said, "Have you HAD HOW
25:58MANY COFFEES have you had?" I'm like,
26:00"I'm just happy cuz Jesus is here."
26:03I want people to say there's something
26:05about you. There's something about you.
26:08And if And if they can't see something
26:10in the way I talk, the way I walk, the
26:12way I I dress them and and there's got
26:14to be SOMETHING
26:16THAT KEEPS CONFIRMING to the world that
26:18Jesus is right in here.
26:20Right? I'm conforming to God. And might
26:23say this, make sure you understand this
26:25cuz I want to make sure if you if you
26:27start getting this in the wrong message,
26:29sometimes you got to tell people what
26:30you're not saying not just what you are
26:32saying. What I'm not saying is that God
26:34calls only perfect people.
26:38Can I remind you the disciples were
26:40ordinary men? They were fishermen, they
26:42were tax collectors, they were most
26:44definitely imperfect people.
26:46But Jesus called them.
26:48He calls us to surrender to him and
26:51those who are willing to follow him with
26:53all your heart. See, because true
26:55discipleship, here's your next point,
26:57true discipleship will cost you
26:59something.
27:04Matthew 4:20, he says that straightway
27:06they left their nets.
27:09They left their nets. They left
27:11everything behind and followed him.
27:14There was a point in their life where it
27:15says the old life is over and I've going
27:18to start a new life.
27:20There old things are passed away, behold
27:22all things are become new. I don't want
27:24to embarrass anybody here, but I know
27:25there's so many of you have come up to
27:27me and they said, "Pastor, you know
27:28what? God delivered me from this. God
27:30delivered me from alcohol. God delivered
27:32me from cigarettes. God delivered me
27:34from pornography. God delivered me."
27:35THAT'S THAT'S WHAT GOD DOES. THAT'S HIS
27:38FORTE.
27:40THAT'S WHAT GOD [screaming] DOES.
27:44BUT YOU GOT TO LEAVE IT BEHIND AND
27:45following Jesus cost something. The
27:47disciples left their comfort, their
27:49familiarity, their old priorities, their
27:51personal ambitions and and and and it
27:54required leaving something behind. It's
27:56like again, you don't take the
27:58refrigerator to the top of Mount Everest
27:59and and all of a sudden you start
28:01realizing there are some priorities in
28:03my life that I've got to get straight.
28:08What competes in my life? What is
28:10competing in my life for being first
28:12place?
28:14Have I completely surrendered everything
28:16to God?
28:17Because if I understand discipleship
28:19truly in the Bible, discipleship is
28:22daily.
28:26Discipleship with the John is to daily.
28:28Daily walking close to thee. It's a
28:31daily thing. It's daily. Roman Sorry,
28:34Luke chapter 9, we read it. He says you
28:36got to take your cross up daily. You got
28:38to deny yourself. Take up daily. It's
28:41not in It's not emotional moments alone.
28:44It's not just when I'm with the people
28:45of God and I'm feeling on the mountain
28:47high and the choir's singing and the
28:49pews are grooving and moving and
28:51everybody's just
28:53No, it's a daily thing. It's daily
28:55prayer. It's daily Bible. It's daily
28:57walking with Jesus. It's daily dying to
29:00the flesh. It's daily obedience. It's
29:03Okay? And so I'm following Christ,
29:06you're following me.
29:08Can I get brother brother Shawn? Come
29:09behind him. You follow him. Uh get
29:12ready. I'm calling you. Come on brother
29:13Pierre. You follow him.
29:16All right. So we have
29:18Paul follows me as I follow Christ. He's
29:21following me as I follow Christ. He's
29:23following brother Sasha.
29:25And here's the point. Now he Now Now let
29:27me help you because most people here do
29:30not Well, please don't follow me cuz I'm
29:32not perfect. Neither was Paul.
29:36But Paul said follow me.
29:38And at some point you Now here you you
29:40may feel like, "Oh my God, I'm just
29:42right here in God." I've got good news
29:44for you. Do you know that you're
29:45probably further along than a lot of
29:47people?
29:50And even if they're right here, you can
29:51help somebody come higher.
29:54So, no matter where you're at, you got
29:56to help people grow.
29:58You say, "Well, I don't know all the
29:59Bible." I DON'T KNOW ALL THE BIBLE,
30:00EITHER.
30:02AND IF I GOT TO WAIT TILL THAT, I'M
30:03GOING TO DIE. I'M STUDYING EVERY DAY.
30:05I'M READING MY BIBLE. I'M DIGGING IN.
30:07BUT, I want to help people. I DON'T HAVE
30:09TO BE I DON'T HAVE TO BE A KNOW-IT-ALL
30:11OR
30:12you know, a mega theologian that can
30:14quote the whole Bible in Hebrew and
30:16Greek out of my memory. I don't have to
30:18be THAT TO BE ABLE TO HELP THERE'S
30:20SOMEBODY YOU CAN HELP. THERE'S SOMEBODY
30:23YOU CAN DISCIPLE. THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT
30:25YOU CAN HELP FOLLOW ALONG THE WAY. THANK
30:27YOU, BROTHER. THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT
30:30AND I DON'T MEAN THIS BELOW YOU IN THE
30:31IN THE in the in the in the wrong sense.
30:34I'm not talking about below They're
30:35below you. I'm talking about in your
30:37commitment or dedication or still walk
30:39with God. Or or they feel like, "Oh my
30:41God." And and and by the way,
30:43as weak as you feel,
30:46there's people that are looking at you
30:47for strength.
30:50As weak AS YOU SEE YOURSELF, there's
30:52still people that are going, "You know
30:54what?
30:55They got something.
30:56They got something." And so, don't don't
30:59let the devil rob you from what you do
31:01have. AND TRY TO FIND SOMEBODY that you
31:03are discipling and you are growing and
31:06you're helping to grow and you're
31:07helping to bring up.
31:09And that's why we we we do prayer and we
31:12do scriptures and we we worship the Lord
31:15and we in the Bible and thank God for a
31:17Bible-believing church. Thank God,
31:20hallelujah, that you're here. And that's
31:22why when you come to church, you come to
31:24worship God and you come to serve in the
31:26church. I THANK GOD THIS CHURCH, YOU
31:28KNOW WHAT? WE We keep TELLING PEOPLE
31:30WE'RE HIRING.
31:32WE NEED ALL KINDS OF VOLUNTEERS. If you
31:34go to our website, there's all places to
31:35volunteer. We want you to get involved.
31:38And we also believe in you ought to be
31:39giving your your tithes.
31:42That's 10% that belongs to God. You
31:44ought to believe giving offerings. You
31:46you you ought to be able to at some
31:48point give gifts. I thank God some of
31:50our our guest ministers that you all
31:52have blessed and I thank God for that.
31:54And you're you're giving in the
31:55offerings and you're saying give this to
31:57brother Klein answer, give this to
31:58brother Zerpoli or I want to bless this
32:01missionary. I want to bless and you put
32:02it in an envelope and we get to bless
32:04them.
32:06Then we we are also sharing our faith
32:08with others.
32:10Now again, let me go back to the fact
32:12that discipleship
32:13is transformation.
32:16Is transformation
32:18not just information.
32:21A lot of people know about Jesus.
32:24There's a lot of people that know about
32:26Jesus,
32:27but they're not trying to like become
32:29like Jesus.
32:31You get that?
32:34The Pharisees, they knew a lot about
32:36Jesus.
32:37They were hanging with the Sadducees and
32:38the Pharisees and the scribes, they knew
32:40a lot about Jesus, but they weren't
32:42trying to be
32:43like him. And so true discipleship
32:47develops the spirit of Christ, the
32:48compassion of Christ, the purity of
32:51Christ, the obedience of Christ. And the
32:52goal is not merely church attendance.
32:55Can I tell you this? The goal is not
32:57just to say, "Oh, you know what? I
32:59they're not uh
33:00they're not with us on this earth
33:02anymore."
33:03Thank God just they're they're with on
33:05the other side. Thank the Lord they're
33:06they're with the Lord or whatever.
33:08But it was almost prideful for this
33:11person.
33:13Cuz from the day he was born as a baby,
33:17his first I think it was like his first
33:19or second day on planet Earth, his mom
33:21took him to church.
33:23And every day from then on, he made sure
33:25that he was in church on Sunday.
33:29Every day.
33:30And when we had COVID and we were shut
33:32down, we're like, "Brother, you can't
33:33come." "I'm coming.
33:36I am not breaking my record of missing
33:38church." "Uh brother, we can't. The
33:40police are going to come. They're going
33:41to come." "I'm going to be there. You
33:43going to
33:44And he'd sneak in and he'd be up
33:46somewhere in the church on a Sunday.
33:49It almost became a pride thing for him.
33:56Anyways, hallelujah. God bless the Lord.
33:59But but that's not what makes you
34:01Christ-like.
34:03Now, I believe that coming to church
34:04helps you,
34:05but that it's but there's got to be
34:06transformation.
34:08That's why
34:09as our goal is we we we understand we're
34:12in an unholy world and we've got to
34:15become holy. Number six on your thing.
34:17We're we're becoming holy in an unholy
34:20world.
34:22We're continuing. I I thank God when I
34:24fly on the airplane, the plane is
34:26pressurized.
34:28We're flying at 39,000 ft. That plane is
34:31pressurized. It keeps the the the right
34:34the right environment because I couldn't
34:36breathe at 39,000 ft.
34:39There's no oxygen. I'm going to stop. I
34:41mean, I got to 13,000 ft in Peru. I got
34:44to 13,000 ft and I'M
34:46>> [gasps]
34:50[screaming]
34:50>> I NEED AIR.
34:52Y'ALL, IF YOU IS ANYBODY HERE BEEN TO
34:5413,000 ft or higher? Are you been there?
34:57Anybody else? When you go to bed at
34:59night, you've been there. Feels like an
35:00elephant is sitting on your chest and
35:02you're like, I can't breathe. I can't
35:03breathe. And I had to preach in that.
35:06You know the amazing thing? The amazing
35:08thing was this, Brother Alex.
35:10When I would get up to preach and I it
35:11was actually in Bolivia and it was at in
35:14Santa Cruz and way up La Paz is way up
35:16in the mountain, way up there at 13,
35:19I would get up to preach and I have no
35:21problem
35:23until I got done preaching and I was
35:24like,
35:25>> [clears throat]
35:28>> I'm just like, can't get oxygen. I can't
35:31explain it. It was just a God thing.
35:34Right?
35:35But we're we're in we're we're supposed
35:36to be in this world, but yet not of this
35:39world.
35:43Look at Romans 12 verse 1 and 2. I
35:45beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
35:47mercies of God that you present your
35:50bodies a living sacrifice. This is what
35:54you got to do. You got to give your body
35:55as a living sacrifice, holy sacrifice.
35:57That's what consecration is. The New
35:59Testament disciples, they they they they
36:02were living daily on the altar. And
36:04consecration is my life belongs to God.
36:07My body belongs to God. My desires
36:09belong to God. My future belongs to God.
36:12And the problem is is we often want
36:14salvation without sacrifice.
36:17But true discipleship requires complete
36:20surrender.
36:23I surrender, some.
36:27I surrender a little bit.
36:31Some to Jesus. Oh, HE'S SO BLESSED CUZ
36:33I'M GOING TO SURRENDER SOME.
36:36I know he's going to be so impressed.
36:39Listen, my wife, if I told her I'm just
36:42going to love you on Sundays,
36:45if I told my wife I'm just going to give
36:47you a little piece of my heart,
36:49if I you know
36:51I've given her a piece of my mind, but I
36:52stopped doing that a long time ago.
36:55I told her I'm going to give her a piece
36:56of my heart or just half of my heart.
36:58Okay, okay, three will you deal with
37:00three quarters of my heart and one
37:02quarter I want to give to somebody else.
37:04How many know that ain't going to work?
37:06And we try to treat God with that kind
37:09of mentality and it just doesn't work.
37:11We've got to give Everybody say, "Give
37:12him all."
37:14You got to give him all.
37:15And so, that which represented in the
37:17old life has got to be
37:19buried. It's got to die. It's got to be
37:21there. And you can't be dead to self and
37:23still place limits on God about what he
37:25can or can't do in your life.
37:28As soon as God starts working in your
37:29life, you can't say, "Well, I don't
37:31agree with that." or "I don't like that.
37:34And God says, "Okay, I thought you
37:36wanted to be a disciple.
37:37I thought you were on the altar dying.
37:40I thought you were really a living
37:42sacrifice."
37:43No, you got to do this. You can't be
37:45dead to self and still place limits on
37:47God. You us.
37:50How many you know God is us?
37:52How many you know God is holy?
37:54Not only is he holy, that's the only
37:55attribute that it called out three
37:57times. He's not just holy, he's holy
38:00holy
38:02holy.
38:03How many you know God is love?
38:05Show me the Bible says God's love, love,
38:07love. How many you know that God is full
38:08of mercy?
38:10Show me the Bible says God is mercy,
38:11mercy, mercy. No, but when it comes to
38:13holy, he is so holy
38:16that the angels day and night, you know
38:18what? There's angels that have been for
38:20thousands of YEARS JUST SHOUTING, "HOLY!
38:23HOLY! HOLY! HOLY! HOLY!" THAT'S ALL THEY
38:27DO DAY AND NIGHT AROUND HIM.
38:30THAT'S HOW HOLY GOD IS.
38:33Because he's holy
38:34that's why I want to be like him. And if
38:36I want to be like him, I'm got to be
38:38holy.
38:40Holiness affects your thoughts. It
38:42affects your words. It affects your
38:43relationships, the places you go, your
38:45again, your entertainment, your modesty,
38:47your attitudes. It affects your
38:49integrity.
38:51When when you when you're when you're
38:52holy and you know God is you're trying
38:54to please God, you don't cheat on
38:56things. When you're trying to please
38:57God, you know you don't you know
39:01I know we're human, you may want to get
39:02an attitude.
39:04The Holy Ghost help me today.
39:07>> [snorts]
39:07>> The Holy Ghost help me today. Thank you,
39:08Jesus.
39:10I was at the hospital the hour visiting
39:12my father. Thank God he's home, but he
39:14went into the emergency today and I
39:16could not find parking. I was going
39:18around around and then this lady goes to
39:21get in her car and I'm like, "I got it."
39:22And it's really close to the entrance.
39:24I'm thinking, "Great." And she stays.
39:28She stays.
39:30She stirs in her car and I'm like, "Got
39:32my blinky. I'm ready." Just like
39:34And then finally, she gets out and goes,
39:36"Uh I'm not leaving."
39:39Could have told me that.
39:41So then I do this thing and I find a
39:43person going towards a car.
39:46I go, "Ma'am,
39:47>> [snorts]
39:48>> can I have your parking space?" Oh,
39:50yeah, I got you. So I'm following her
39:53to her car.
39:56And I get there
39:57and this lady
39:59is going to take my space.
40:02Devil is a liar.
40:05I'm like, that's my I said, "Ma'am."
40:07And the lady told her, she says, "No,
40:09this is his space. He's been following
40:11me. He asked me for it." She wouldn't
40:13move her car. The lady's trying to back
40:15out. She finally like, I said, "Ma'am,
40:18got to be away from that. Whatever
40:20worldliness is, that's what we read in
40:21Romans 12, and be not conformed to this
40:23world. Don't let the world make you
40:25think the way it wants you to think and
40:27process things you want. Don't let the
40:29world You know the world is trying to do
40:31some crazy things.
40:33How many here How many here like me has
40:36ever seen pictures or or clips of um
40:41these fashion shows
40:43that are absolutely ridiculous.
40:47How How many seen those, right? And they
40:49they walk out, they can't even walk
40:51right. AND AND EVERYBODY'S LIKE, "OH,
40:53LOOK AT THIS. IT'S SO AMAZING."
40:56$20,000. OH, I'LL BUY IT.
40:59YOU WOULDN'T, GIRLFRIEND. YOU WOULDN'T
41:01WEAR THAT OUT OF YOUR HOUSE.
41:04AT LEAST IF YOU LOOKED IN THE MIRROR,
41:06you know what I'm talking about? But
41:07what WHAT IS THAT SAYING? THEY'RE TRYING
41:10AND NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD GO,
41:12"OH MY GOD, THAT IS SO BEAUTIFUL." But
41:14everybody's like, "Look at that.
41:16I mean, God either wow."
41:21AND IF AND IF AND IF YOU'RE not careful,
41:23as I received because you're not in that
41:25because you're out here and you see that
41:26and you go, "That's dumb.
41:29That's absolutely ridiculous, right?"
41:31How many remember the emperor who had no
41:32clothes, the story about the emperor
41:34with clothes?
41:35Right? Everybody else is Dude, you ain't
41:37GOT NO CLOTHES ON.
41:39WE CAN'T
41:40YOU AIN'T GOT NO CLOTHES.
41:42BUT HE'S SO CONVINCED IN HIS own mind
41:46that he's right.
41:47And that's what we're dealing with, a
41:49world that is trying to put their
41:51thoughts on you.
41:52And the spirit of the world opposes the
41:54spirit of Christ. And the disciple, the
41:56follower of Christ, musicians can come.
41:58The disciple, the follower of Christ,
42:00has got to guard against carnality, got
42:02to guard against pride, you've got to
42:04guard against lust, you've got to guard
42:06against bitterness, you've got to guard
42:08against these things that are trying to
42:10come into your life, that are trying to
42:12destroy you. I I I've [clears throat]
42:14got to I've got to make sure that
42:16everything in me, everything is like
42:18him. I want God to be pleased with
42:20everything. God to be
42:22everything. The bitterness in my life's
42:24got to go. Materialism has got to go.
42:26Worldly influence has got to go.
42:29And so understand, you cannot become
42:31like Jesus while loving the world.
42:37Right?
42:39I
42:40I can't walk on the top of Mount Everest
42:43and in South Florida at the same time.
42:47Are Are you with me? I know that's a
42:48little
42:51kind of radical, but it is.
42:54Now, in in in Peru,
42:56you can walk on the equator, you can
42:58step on one side
43:00and you can step on the other side.
43:02In Ecuador, sorry, in Ecuador. It's in
43:03Ecuador.
43:04I'm sorry. Me through the Ecuador, you
43:06know, I'm I made you mad. I know. I
43:08know. IT'S LIKE MY PEOPLE.
43:10BUT THEY THERE THERE'S the line, the
43:12equator, that divides the northern
43:14hemisphere and the southern hemisphere.
43:16And you can straddle it, yeah, you can.
43:19In certain places in the as a loving
43:21friend who helps you through life. You
43:23can find churches like that.
43:25But it's getting a lot difficult to find
43:27churches that still preach consecration,
43:29commitment, and the cross.
43:32You know why?
43:35Because the cross offends people. It
43:37interferes with the process of drawing
43:39crowds that requires men and women to
43:41see themselves as nothing in an adult
43:43age that builds up their whole
43:44foundation on self-improvement and
43:46self-help and self-help human Some of
43:48things are good.
43:50But it decries men who build empires on
43:52how sweet and kind God is without regard
43:54to his righteousness, or his judgment,
43:57or his wrath. I I I can help you like
44:00this.
44:01The Old Testament
44:03was very familiar with the judgment of
44:05God, more familiar with that than it was
44:08the grace of God.
44:10The New Testament is more familiar with
44:12the grace of God than it is the judgment
44:15of God.
44:16But how many know that there is grace
44:17and judgment also?
44:19Hey, he's a God of both.
44:21And that's why, hallelujah, in
44:23everything I want to please the Lord. I
44:25want to please the Lord. The cross is at
44:27the center of the controversy between
44:29religion and discipleship. And until and
44:31unless a man sees himself of God sees
44:34him as a sinner eternally separated from
44:36a holy God by the filth that's in his
44:39life. And until unless that man sees
44:41himself as totally unable to reform or
44:43be changed apart from something
44:45supernatural
44:46happening in his life, that person can't
44:48be helped from God.
44:50But it's got to be that person says,
44:51"Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me."
44:56You see, you don't just get better.
44:58You don't just heal yourself. You don't
45:00just decide to be a Christian by joining
45:02a church and uh you live up to some kind
45:04of this life. No, but the entire thing
45:06[music]
45:07has to be dependence on God.
45:10And you have to realize
45:12I've got to be surrendered, complete
45:14surrendered.
45:16Mark 8 says, "What shall it profit a man
45:17if he gain the whole world
45:19but loses his own soul? What shall a man
45:21give in exchange for his soul?"
45:25In John 6, Jesus gets serious
45:28about salvation and discipleship. Check
45:31this out. John chapter 6
45:33and he starts talking about, "Hey, you
45:34know what? It's going to get hard,
45:35guys."
45:37And then they go,