Take A Chance At Hope
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 5/6/2024Jeremiah 17:7
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40:36
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez encourages listeners to stop placing their ultimate hope in material possessions or people and instead 'take a chance' on the lasting fulfillment found through total surrender to Jesus Christ.
Key points
- •Life is inherently filled with risks and chances, but placing your hope in people or material things leads to disappointment.
- •True fulfillment and joy are only found through a personal faith journey and a deep connection with Jesus Christ.
- •Wisdom is a gift from God that should be actively sought to navigate life's challenges and avoid unnecessary losses.
- •Material success and purpose are not mutually exclusive, but one's pursuit of God must always remain greater than the pursuit of possessions.
- •God is a 'keeper' who provides comfort and support during trials, offering a level of peace that worldly escapes cannot match.
Scripture
Hope
Faith
Purpose
Wisdom
Surrender
Life application
Identify one area of your life where you have been relying on a person or a possession for your happiness, and consciously commit this week to bringing that need to God in prayer first.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of my life have I been 'taking a chance' on things other than God?
- How has my pursuit of material things or relationships affected my pursuit of God lately?
- What 'lessons of life' is God currently trying to teach me through the challenges I am facing?
- If I were to fully surrender my future to God today, what is the first thing I would need to let go of?
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Full transcript
0:00Blessed is the man who trusts in the
0:02Lord
0:03and whose hope is the Lord.
0:08I want to talk to you for a brief moment
0:10on the subject take a chance at hope.
0:15We all take chances.
0:17Every single day you're taking a chance
0:20with your life.
0:22You're taking a chance leaving your
0:23home, getting in your car, on your way
0:26to work,
0:28you're taking a chance to go to
0:30somebody's job or your place of business
0:34believing that you'll make a living that
0:37day so that you can take care of your
0:39family.
0:40Most of you are taking a chance at love.
0:44Meet a dead stranger
0:47and somehow you've come together and
0:50you're taking a chance that maybe this
0:52person won't upset your peace,
0:56won't destroy your future.
0:59You know, people say, "Well, I find
1:01love." Love is not lost.
1:05So, I get the phrase, you know, "I'm
1:07looking for somebody who will love me
1:10and and somebody who will make me
1:12happy." Might I suggest to you today
1:16nobody can make you happy.
1:19And maybe that's why we're getting
1:20disappointed because we put the our own
1:24happiness in the hands of people.
1:27You see, you got to come to the table
1:29happy and then tell the other person,
1:32"Do not disturb my peace and my
1:36happiness."
1:39But we're all searching for
1:42things in life. We're looking for hope
1:45in in relationships. We're looking for
1:48hope in maybe one day we will,
1:52you know, get out of poverty and so
1:55forth. Some people are looking for hope
1:56to have children and so forth. Maybe
1:59walking down the aisles. So, we're all
2:02taking chances.
2:05But, are we taking
2:07the right
2:08chance or the right choice
2:12so that we can have fulfillment?
2:15You see, the more
2:17I immerse myself in the word of God and
2:20reflect on it,
2:22the stronger and more enthusiastic I
2:25become about my faith.
2:29Honestly, it's more
2:32than what I had imagined. Seriously.
2:36I grew up in church all my life.
2:39And I didn't know that this faith
2:44journey
2:45can be so fulfilling.
2:50It's more than I really hoped for.
2:53My trust in Jesus Christ
2:56has caused me to have big wins in life.
3:01Life has taught me a lot of lessons, and
3:04I am quite sure it has taught you some
3:07many lessons, too.
3:09And it's those lessons that have brought
3:12me closer to God, causing me to depend
3:17on God for answers and for directions.
3:22We're all searching. Every person in
3:24this room, and those of you who are
3:26streaming, we're all searching for a
3:29better life.
3:32We're searching that somehow
3:35maybe 5 years from now we'll be at a
3:37better place in all areas of our life.
3:40We're We're searching for happiness and
3:43joy and peace. And if you are like me,
3:47you know, you really All you want is to
3:50be at a place where you can say, "I've
3:53lived a good life."
3:57And I'm deeply devoted to my spiritual
4:01journey, and I believe my spiritual
4:03journey is what's going to bring me
4:05total fulfillment in this life. Now,
4:08there are few of us who can say that we
4:11took a chance
4:12at hope.
4:14Took a chance with hope.
4:16That our hope in God, for those of you
4:19are Christians, by the way. We took our
4:22chance with God saying to him that if we
4:26would just for a moment
4:29FORGET THE PLEASURES of the world.
4:33Cuz there are pleasures out there. There
4:35are things to enjoy
4:38in the world, but we've made a sacrifice
4:42that we're going to take a chance at
4:44hope. Our faith in Jesus Christ to the
4:47point that we're going to forget those
4:50things which are behind us.
4:53And reach forth for the things that God
4:56has put before us.
4:58And I am also dedicated to continual
5:03learning and embracing the unique life
5:06that God has planned for me. And I
5:09believe you too should dedicate some
5:11time for learning about the hope that is
5:15available in God.
5:18You cannot just live your life every
5:21single day
5:24not learning.
5:26It is the lessons you learn in life that
5:30will make you wiser and better, and it
5:33will make you maximize your time on the
5:36earth.
5:37I remember when I was younger, even my
5:40very my parents would say things to me,
5:42and people in ministry, I grew up in
5:44church all my life, would say things to
5:46me, and I didn't really embrace it. Now
5:49that I'm an older guy,
5:51I value those lessons. I remember many
5:54of them.
5:56And and I could look back in my life and
5:58see how I have also
6:02um forfeited so many blessings because I
6:06didn't pay attention.
6:08I didn't listen.
6:10And I want to talk to a little bit of
6:11the younger people just for a moment and
6:13especially those of you who are students
6:16at the University of Fort Lauderdale.
6:17What I'm about to tell you is what I
6:19constantly pour into my two boys.
6:24I get it. I get it. You're young
6:28and you feel like you've got the world
6:30before you and and you feel that you're
6:33smart enough
6:35to make your own decisions.
6:38And you got it and you don't really need
6:41the counsel of the elders,
6:43the seniors.
6:45Sometimes you think you're smarter than
6:46your parents.
6:48Sometimes you think you're smarter than
6:51other people who've been there, done
6:53that, and got plenty of t-shirts to show
6:55for it.
6:57And you think you know it all.
7:00Well, listen to me.
7:02I can tell you at 59, I'm not claiming
7:0560 yet.
7:07I'm going to hold on to it as long as I
7:09can.
7:11At 59,
7:13I wish to God
7:16I had listened
7:18to some of the instructions were that
7:20were given to me.
7:23I've had some losses because I didn't
7:26listen.
7:28I've wasted time because I didn't
7:31listen.
7:32I could have been much further in life.
7:35And and I know you're thinking, "BUT
7:37YOU'RE YOU'RE WAY AHEAD." BUT I COULD BE
7:39MUCH FURTHER.
7:41God never placed you on the planet to
7:43settle for average.
7:47He wants you to become your best self.
7:50And the only way you can become your
7:52best self is when your hope is in Jesus
7:55Christ and no one else. I want you to go
7:58with me to James chapter 5. James
8:03chapter 5.
8:05And I want you to see what the Apostle
8:09James is saying to us here. He says,
8:12"But
8:13anyone who needs wisdom
8:17should ask God,
8:20whose very nature is to give everyone
8:25without a second thought,
8:28without keeping score.
8:31Wisdom will certainly
8:34be given to those who ask."
8:38So, James is saying to us,
8:40every one of us should ask for wisdom.
8:44Ask for wisdom, but it says we should
8:47ask God for wisdom.
8:51So, be careful of who you're asking for
8:53instructions.
8:55Be careful of who you're putting your
8:56hopes in.
8:58And I'm not saying you're not supposed
9:00to put your faith in some people, but
9:03the greatest person you can put your
9:05hope in is in the Lord Jesus Christ. And
9:08in today's world, many, especially
9:10unbelievers,
9:12are searching for deeper meaning beyond
9:17the surface-level pursuits.
9:20These are things that we pursue
9:23that are shallow and have no lasting
9:27impact.
9:29It is evident that life holds more
9:31significance
9:33than mere material satisfaction.
9:37You got to get that.
9:39Life is more than just the things we
9:42acquire in life.
9:44Because I GOT TO TELL YOU TODAY, THERE'S
9:46A THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO'VE
9:48POSSESSED A LOT OF MATERIAL THINGS, BUT
9:51THEY'RE NOT FULFILLED.
9:54THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO'VE GOT IT
9:56ALL, THE FAME AND THE FORTUNE, but they
9:59do not have fulfillment.
10:03And there's got to be more to life than
10:06these pursuits and these fleshly
10:09satisfactions.
10:12I I may offend YOU TODAY, BUT AS MUCH AS
10:15YOU MAY BE PURSUING a woman, a woman can
10:19truly, truly not satisfy you.
10:24Now, it's good to have one,
10:26but it doesn't mean that she can satisfy
10:29you. The same THING WITH A MAN. AND MEN,
10:32I KNOW YOU MAY BE PURSUING A MAN IN YOUR
10:34LIFE, AND THAT'S THE HUMAN NATURE. The
10:37human NATURE FOR OF ALL OF US IS IS TO
10:40SEEK THE OPPOSITE SEX, TO LOVE ON THE
10:44OPPOSITE SEX. GO TO THE BOOK OF GENESIS.
10:47God created Adam, AND IN THE CREATION OF
10:51ADAM, THE BIBLE SAYS, READ YOUR BIBLE.
10:54THE BIBLE SAYS IT WAS GOD WHO LOOKED at
10:56Adam and says,
10:58"It's not good
11:01for him to be in this position."
11:05Because he was looking for more. So,
11:07what God did, he created another human
11:11as a companion. So, it is our nature,
11:15but the danger is is when you put all of
11:18your hopes in another human being, and
11:21you forget that your help comes from the
11:24Lord.
11:28Your help doesn't come from a human
11:30being. So, for those of you who think
11:32that your financial support and your
11:35happiness and your peace and your joy
11:37will come from a human being, you're
11:40making a huge mistake.
11:43In Luke 12, let's go there. We find here
11:47these words. Luke 12:15, it says, "And
11:50he said to them, watch this, take care
11:54and be on your guard against
11:56covetousness,
11:58for one's life does not consist
12:02in the abundance of his possession."
12:06The abundance of his possessions.
12:09Now, this is not saying that you should
12:11not go get it all.
12:14It didn't say that you shouldn't possess
12:16things.
12:18There are some PEOPLE WHO EVEN PREACH
12:20THIS RELIGION that that that YOU
12:22SHOULDN'T BE BOTHERED BY THE THINGS AND
12:25THE PURSUIT OF LIFE. MAYBE YOU SHOULD BE
12:28SO CONCERNED AND FOCUSED ON GETTING to
12:31heaven.
12:33So, therefore, don't do business on the
12:36earth. Just live your life to get to
12:38heaven.
12:40That's not what the word of God is
12:41saying here.
12:43The word OF GOD IS SAYING THAT YOU
12:45SHOULD FULFILL YOUR ASSIGNMENT ON THE
12:47EARTH. YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED TO DO SOME
12:50THINGS ON THE EARTH. WHAT IS YOUR
12:51PURPOSE ON THE EARTH? REMEMBER, I'VE
12:53BEEN telling you lately THAT GOD DIDN'T
12:55PLACE YOU HERE BY ACCIDENT.
12:58YOU GOT HERE FOR A REASON. YOU WERE BORN
13:01FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS. He has put
13:04purpose in you. THE PROBLEM IS DON'T LET
13:08YOUR PURSUIT BECOMES GREATER THAN YOUR
13:11PURSUIT FOR GOD.
13:13THAT'S IT. SO, WHEN HE BLESSES YOU, HE
13:16BLESSES you with material things, don't
13:19allow your material things to BECOME
13:21GREATER THAN GOD. WHEN HE WHEN HE
13:23BLESSES you with your body and and your
13:26personality and so forth. YOU GOT TO
13:28REMEMBER WHO IT COMES FROM. WHEN HE
13:30BLESSES YOU WITH A HOUSE AND WITH A CAR,
13:33WHEN HE BLESSES YOU WITH A JOB, WHEN HE
13:35BLESSES YOU WITH MATERIAL THINGS, JUST
13:38be careful THAT YOU DON'T DO LIKE THE
13:40CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. WHEN HE BLESSED THEM
13:43WITH THE GOLD, BY THE WAY, THEY DID NOT
13:46EVEN PAY FOR IT. REMEMBER, THEY EARNED
13:49THEY THEY WORKED, I SHOULD SAY, IN FOR
13:51400 PLUS YEARS IN EGYPT AND ON THEIR WAY
13:55OUT, GOD SAYS, "GO GET THE MONEY. GO GET
13:57IT." AND ON THEIR WAY OUT IN THE
13:59WILDERNESS, THEY TOOK THE gold and they
14:02melted it and THEY MADE AN IMAGE. AND
14:05THAT WAS A violation to the will of God.
14:10So, could it be that we're taking the
14:12very things
14:15that he blessed us with
14:18and turn them into our own little gods?
14:22Mhm.
14:24Little gods.
14:26You know?
14:28You know, he blessed you.
14:30Remember before you got that job?
14:33Before you got the degree?
14:35You would pray to him and call the
14:37intercessors and people to pray for you.
14:40Well, you walked down the aisles and now
14:41you got the degree.
14:43Is that degree more important to you
14:46than him?
14:49Remember when you didn't have the car?
14:52And you prayed, you remember it, right?
14:54And and you prayed and he now blesses
14:57you with the car.
14:59Is the car now interfering with your
15:01relationship with him?
15:03Remember when you you you really really
15:06wanted that house and you were believing
15:08and you were declaring, some of you even
15:10sold INTO THE MINISTRY AND NOW YOU GOT
15:12THE HOUSE. NOW THAT YOU HAVE the house,
15:15has the house become more important?
15:19Have you put your your hopes and your
15:21trust more in material things
15:25than God.
15:27What about your
15:28personal faith journey?
15:32Is has it become weak
15:35even though you're gaining more material
15:38things? He said, "Take care. Be on guard
15:43against covetousness."
15:46He's not telling you not to go after
15:47things, but he says, "Be very careful
15:51that your pursuit is so great that
15:54you're beginning to watch one another
15:57and watch what our possessions are."
16:00And perhaps maybe the thing you're going
16:03after, maybe it's not even for you.
16:07But you want it because she has it.
16:11You want it because he possess it. And
16:14because it's become a culture,
16:16especially in the western western
16:18hemisphere, it has become a culture now
16:21where where we we we're just jealous
16:23over each other. It's a competition.
16:26Well, you drive that, I drive that. You
16:28live there, I live there. And you wear
16:30that, I wear I mean, and and and we're
16:32consumed ourselves with covetousness.
16:37And then he's saying, "Wait a minute
16:39here."
16:40He says, "Your life should not only
16:42consist
16:44of these material things. The fact that
16:47God has placed each and every one of us
16:49on the planet indicates his intention
16:52for our success
16:54and our fulfillment. You're here for a
16:56reason. You got to put your hope knowing
16:59that when God decided to put you here on
17:01the planet, he knew you were going to
17:03need somewhere to sleep. He knew you
17:05were going to need
17:06some food to eat. He knew you're going
17:08to need some good company. He knew that
17:10you're going to need a job. All these
17:12things. And remember, we talked about it
17:14lately, Matthew 6. In Matthew 6, the
17:17questions was asked. They were asking,
17:20"What are we going to eat? Where are we
17:22going to sleep? The clothes we're going
17:23to wear?" And Jesus had to really
17:26comfort them. He says, "Stop it. When
17:29your hope is in me,
17:31please hear this. When your hope is in
17:33me, when you're looking to me, you don't
17:36have to worry about what you're going to
17:38eat.
17:39You don't have to worry about the
17:40clothes you're going to wear. You don't
17:42have to worry about where you're going
17:44to sleep. If If the birds don't have to
17:47worry about that, IF THE ANIMALS DON'T
17:49HAVE to worry about that, how much more
17:52should you as humans
17:55put your faith in him? You see, it is a
17:57fact that God wants you
18:00and me to have an abundant life even
18:03while we're going through the challenges
18:05of life. It's It's called balance. Come
18:08on. Stick with me here now. It's called
18:10balance. You see, for those of you who
18:13are believers, come on now. I'm talking
18:15to you who thinking that maybe because
18:17you're a Christian, YOU SHOULDN'T GO
18:19THROUGH TRIALS.
18:22MAYBE YOU'RE THINKING IT'S HARD ON THIS
18:25FAITH JOURNEY. HOW CAN I PUT MY HOPE IN
18:27A GOD THAT WILL ALLOW MY LOVED ONES TO
18:30DIE? HOW CAN I PUT MY FAITH IN JESUS
18:34CHRIST WHEN I PRAY FOR STUFF, WHEN I
18:37REALLY WANT IT, and he DOESN'T GIVE IT
18:39TO ME?
18:40HOW CAN I PUT MY FAITH IN HIM WHEN HE
18:43ALLOW MY KIDS to do certain things, WHEN
18:45HE ALLOW my my boss TO FIRE ME, OR WHEN
18:48HE ALLOW me to experience foreclosure?
18:51HOW CAN I TRUST this kind of God when
18:54I'm going through the challenges of
18:56life?
18:58May I just be honest with you right now?
19:00Whether you're a Christian or not,
19:04you're going to have challenges.
19:08Let's just face the fact.
19:10So, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE considering
19:12to walk away from the faith because
19:14YOU'RE JUST GOING THROUGH TOO MUCH, good
19:17luck.
19:19LET ME SEE IF YOU'RE GOING TO WALK OUT
19:21OF THE FAITH, OUT OF THE kingdom of God,
19:24and you're going TO TRY TO NAVIGATE
19:26THROUGH LIFE BY YOURSELF WITHOUT GOD,
19:29good luck.
19:31At least when YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN
19:33JESUS CHRIST, YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR HELP
19:36COMES FROM.
19:38YOU KNOW THAT GOD IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE
19:41THERE for you. And I don't know if I
19:43have witnesses in this room today. I'm
19:45telling YOU GOD IS A KEEPER. I'm telling
19:49you God is a keeper. He will keep you
19:52from falling. GOD WILL ALWAYS WATCH OVER
19:56YOU. WITH ALL THE CHALLENGES YOU HAVE IN
19:59LIFE, GOD WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU
20:02IN THE midnight hour if you put your
20:05trust in him. And somebody ought to give
20:07him a praise this morning.
20:10You can always trust him.
20:15Many are seeking to gain real abundance
20:19in life
20:20by choosing a different route
20:23other than the one that God has
20:25ordained. Look at Psalm 16
20:28verse 11. I'm giving you scriptures here
20:30because this is important. It has to
20:33back up what I'm saying. It says here,
20:36"You make known to me personal, you make
20:40known to me the path of life, the path
20:42of life.
20:44In your presence there's fullness of
20:46joy. At your right hand
20:48there pledges forevermore."
20:50The psalmist is saying, "You, God, have
20:52made known your path to me.
20:56You've shown me the way." So, for those
20:58of you who are confused today, and you
21:00don't know which route to take, he says,
21:02"You made known if you go after God and
21:05you seek him and you put your hopes in
21:09him, the Bible says he'll show you the
21:12path
21:13to a fulfilled life filled with joy and
21:17pleasure.
21:19This verse is actually telling us joy
21:23and pleasure is possible on the faith
21:26journey.
21:28It is possible. Let me tell you
21:30something, there is no pleasure in the
21:33kingdom of darkness.
21:35It is so-called. There is no pleasure. I
21:38am telling you, I don't care Listen, you
21:41know, again, I'm not I just I don't want
21:44to really go into stuff I have no
21:46experience in. I grew up in church all
21:48my life. I do not know what it means to
21:51club it, to do clubbing, if that's what
21:53they call it. I don't know I've never
21:56Seriously, at the age of 59, I have
22:00never entered into a club.
22:04Never.
22:06Never. And there's nothing Listen, AND
22:09YOU KNOW, IT'S NOTHING TO BRAG ABOUT.
22:11YOU KNOW, MAYBE I NEED TO GO IN there to
22:13experience some things in life. I could
22:15probably preach to y'all better. I don't
22:17know.
22:18I don't know. BUT I'VE NEVER BEEN TO A
22:21CLUB. BUT HERE'S THE POINT THAT I AM
22:22MAKING. I'VE NEVER BUT I KNOW YOU CAN
22:25CLUB ALL YOU WANT. THERE ARE PEOPLE in
22:29this room and streaming who can tell you
22:31they have done all of that and found no
22:35pleasure in it.
22:38IT FELT GOOD FOR A MOMENT.
22:41BUT AFTER THAT, THERE'S absolutely
22:44nothing. It is empty. MANY OF US USED TO
22:48DRINK.
22:52Come on now.
22:54You take your shots.
22:58I'm not talking about the spiritual
22:59shots now.
23:01Right? WE TAKE ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND
23:03WE DO ALL OF THESE THINGS. THERE'S NO
23:05FULFILLMENT IN IT.
23:07You ask e- anybody who's intoxicated
23:12can tell when you Have you ever seen
23:14somebody drunk?
23:18It's a pitiful thing.
23:22You tell it's absolutely pitiful. People
23:26smoke, drink, and do all these things.
23:28You know why? To just to get away from
23:31their
23:33the stuff. But aren't you glad
23:37that even we when we are pressured
23:39because Lord knows
23:41we get pressured too.
23:45But we don't have to take a shot. We
23:48don't have to inject stuff into us. We
23:51don't have to sniff nothing. We run to
23:54the word OF GOD. WE CRY OUT TO GOD AND
23:58WE SAID, "GOD, I'M in the need of
24:01prayer. I NEED HELP RIGHT NOW, GOD." AND
24:04HE'S always an on-time God. He will
24:08bring comfort in the midnight HOUR. AM I
24:11PREACHING TO ANYBODY IN this room today?
24:16WHEN YOUR BACK IS AGAINST THE WALL, HE
24:18IS AN ABSOLUTE WAY MAKER.
24:22WE DON'T NEED TO DRINK NOTHING. WE JUST
24:25NEED TO PRAY. WE NEED JUST NEED TO LIFT
24:27UP OUR HANDS AND LOOK TO THE HILLS FROM
24:30WHENCE COMETH OUR HELP AND SAID, "GOD, I
24:33NEED YOUR HELP. TOUCH YOUR BROTHER.
24:36TOUCH YOUR SISTER. TOUCH ME, OH GOD.
24:40TOUCH MY CHILDREN. TOUCH MY FINANCES.
24:44TOUCH MY BODY IN THE NAME OF JESUS."
24:47KNOWING THAT GOD IS A GOD THAT WILL
24:50ANSWER OUR PRAYERS.
24:53YES, he will.
24:55So despite
24:57the pursuit of various things,
25:01many find themselves unfulfilled.
25:05And they're searching for more. Perhaps
25:08you're in this room or you're streaming
25:09today, you're searching for more.
25:13You're searching for more, man.
25:15You're looking for more. Maybe this
25:16message doesn't entice you. Maybe you
25:18consider it boring. May you can you
25:20consider well, it's irrelevant and so
25:22forth. But, let me tell you something,
25:24honey. You keep on living. Life has a
25:26way of throwing some stuff at you. And
25:30when your back is against the wall, you
25:33can't look to your boyfriend. You can't
25:35look to your spouse. You can't look to
25:38your children. Your siblings can't help
25:40you. The government certainly can't help
25:43you. The only one that can help you is
25:46your God. It's your God that can help
25:50you WHEN YOUR BACK IS AGAINST the wall.
25:57Now, searching for more is not really a
25:59bad thing. It's not It's not a bad thing
26:01to search for more. But, here's the
26:02thing. Here's the question.
26:04Here's two questions I'd like just like
26:06to pose to you today.
26:09Where are you searching?
26:11W- W- W- Where's your search? Who are
26:15you looking to?
26:16Are you searching IN THE WRONG PLACES?
26:20And are you looking TO THE WRONG PEOPLE
26:23for fulfillment?
26:26MAYBE I'M GOING TO UPSET SOMEBODY THIS
26:28MORNING. MAYBE THE VERY PERSON YOU'RE
26:30SITTING NEXT TO, THEY WANT YOU TO PUT
26:34YOUR COMPLETE TRUST IN THEM.
26:39BUT, I WANT TO GIVE YOU GOOD NEWS THIS
26:41MORNING.
26:43NEVER PUT YOUR TRUST IN PEOPLE.
26:49NEVER.
26:51NEVER PUT YOUR IN PEOPLE.
26:54YOU BETTER PUT YOUR TRUST in God.
26:57Oh, glory to God. YOU BETTER PUT YOUR
27:00TRUST IN GOD. NOBODY ELSE BUT YOUR GOD.
27:04SO, God is sending today's message to
27:06offer you
27:08a life of fulfillment and joy
27:11that no one else, nothing else in this
27:14world can offer you.
27:17No, and I know this is
27:20true because of my own personal
27:23commitment
27:25to look to God for a better
27:27and more fulfilled future.
27:30I want to wrap it up with this
27:33by just sharing with you yesterday
27:36I had the pleasure
27:39and it was a baptism that
27:42man, it was different yesterday.
27:45I had the pleasure of baptizing 65
27:47individuals.
27:50Yesterday.
27:52Some of which are here in the room this
27:54morning.
27:56They've made this public declaration
28:00of their commitment to serving God.
28:04I was
28:05really filled with joy
28:09to just witness these people get
28:12baptized.
28:14I saw the joy
28:16and the deep sense of fulfillment
28:20radiating through their
28:22facial expressions.
28:25I really saw it yesterday.
28:27And believe me, it was really something
28:30else
28:31to watch them one by one
28:34enter the water.
28:37From the youngest to the oldest.
28:41Each expressed their
28:44decision
28:46by their actions.
28:48Watch this to follow Jesus.
28:54Ooh.
28:55It was a moment I'll never forget.
29:00I saw these young
29:02It
29:03There were some middle-aged people
29:05there, but I saw these young people.
29:10Ooh.
29:15I watched them come in the water.
29:20And I'll never forget the last guy. I
29:22don't know if he's in here today.
29:25But the VERY LAST GUY
29:29HE WAS NOT ON THE LIST to be baptized.
29:33This one guy
29:36He made his way to the front row.
29:39And he sat there and when the call was
29:41given
29:43If you're in the room and
29:46You feel convicted that you need to be
29:47baptized today.
29:51And without hesitation, I watched that
29:53guy jumped up out of his seat.
29:57And he came into the water, you know,
29:58and I stood there.
30:01And I watched him.
30:03Could be my son.
30:05Tall guy and I watched him.
30:08And I thought for a moment how the devil
30:12wants to destroy
30:15the younger generation.
30:18They're looking for answers. They're
30:21looking for hope in all kinds of things.
30:26They're looking for hope in drugs.
30:28They're looking for hope in sex. They're
30:31looking for hope in bad company and
30:34crime. And they're looking for hope. And
30:37the when I watched this one guy, I don't
30:40know his name.
30:44But what I know I felt.
30:47I know I felt it.
30:56I remember holding him and
31:00when he
31:01was going down.
31:04And the image that will never leave my
31:05mind
31:07is when he came up, the first thing he
31:09did, he went like this.
31:18Can I tell you something?
31:20That's it.
31:24The only time you're going to find hope
31:30is when you do this.
31:42It's when you say, "God, I tried
31:44everything
31:47and it didn't work.
31:51So I'm trying you.
31:55I give it all to you."
31:57We used to sing a song, all to Jesus.
32:01I I I hold nothing nothing back.
32:06I give it all to you. When I watch those
32:08young people,
32:10children,
32:13the teens,
32:15getting that water,
32:18it gives me hope
32:21that the church still
32:24has its place.
32:27The church is the answer.
32:32We are the salt
32:36and the light.
32:40AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU JUST BOW YOUR
32:41HEADS, close your eyes everybody. Nobody
32:43moving around, please, please, I beg of
32:46you.
32:48But I don't know
32:50who is in this room this morning.
32:54You've been
32:55searching
32:57searching
33:02and you're at
33:05your final moment
33:07and God is saying to you today
33:11the only hope you have
33:15to be fulfilled
33:18is in him.
33:22In him.
33:23You can mock me as a preacher.
33:26That's okay.
33:28You can MOCK CHRISTIANITY, YOU CAN MOCK
33:30THE CHURCH, YOU CAN DO ALL OF THESE
33:31THINGS, BUT I PROMISE YOU
33:35YOU WILL NEVER FIND FULFILLMENT ANYWHERE
33:38ELSE
33:40BUT in Jesus Christ.
33:44And my COUNSEL MEANT TO YOU IS DO NOT
33:47DIE WITHOUT HIM.
33:50THAT'S IT.
33:53YOUR CARS AND the women and the men and
33:57the money, NONE OF THAT CAN SAVE YOU IN
33:59THE END.
34:03Jesus is the answer.
34:07He's your only hope
34:09and I'm telling you IF YOU TRY HIM
34:13IF YOU TRY him
34:16he'll radically change your life.
34:22And I don't know for those of you who
34:24are in this room
34:27you're at that place where you are
34:29saying God
34:32I give up.
34:36I'm not going to search nowhere else,
34:39but I'm going to now
34:41focus my attention on you.
34:44If that's you,
34:46and somehow God spoke to you,
34:48right where you're seated, I want you to
34:50stand.
34:52And I'm going to pray with you this
34:54morning. If that's you, just stand
34:56and say God, I've been searching,
35:00and I just want
35:02I just want to stick with you.
35:05Come on.
35:06I just want to stick I just want to
35:08stick with you right where you're
35:10standing.
35:11Right where you're standing, quickly.
35:13As you're standing, could you do what
35:15that like that gentleman yesterday in
35:17the water? Would you lift up both hands?
35:21You're just saying Lord, I surrender.
35:24That's all you're saying.
35:27You you you're just saying Lord, I give
35:29I give it all to you. I give you all my
35:32problems, I give you all my issues. I
35:35give it to you. Those of you who are
35:36streaming,
35:38indicate in the chat
35:39that you need that prayer to you need
35:41the special prayer. Come on now. Would
35:43you I just think we need to just sing it
35:45as a congregation at least twice and
35:47then I pray with you.
35:49I surrender
35:53Come on, sing it.
35:55I surrender all.
36:04All to thee, all to thee. Hallelujah.
36:09To thee my blessed savior.
36:16Come on, lift those hands.
36:19Thank you, Lord.
36:21Come on, let's sing it again.
36:24With voices lifted up towards him, I
36:27surrender all.
36:31Thank you, Jesus.
36:35I surrender all.
36:46All to thee.
37:05Father, we come to you today
37:11because all of us are making this
37:13confession.
37:16We're going to take a chance at hope.
37:19You are
37:21our only hope for fulfillment.
37:26Many
37:28are standing with hands lifted up
37:30towards you.
37:33Like that gentleman in the pool
37:35yesterday,
37:37they're saying,
37:39I give it all to you.
37:42I surrender my will,
37:46all of my pursuits.
37:49They're now yours.
37:51Holy Spirit,
37:53would you touch them?
37:55You know exactly what each and every one
37:57of them are going through.
38:00I ask you today
38:03that they will follow the path of
38:05righteousness in your word
38:08so that they too
38:10can say like the Apostle Paul, I fought
38:12a good fight.
38:15I've kept the faith. I've finished my
38:16course. Cuz at the end of the day, you
38:19want
38:20to say to all us, "Well done,
38:25good and faithful
38:28servant."
38:30May you bless.
38:32May you prosper.
38:35May your will be done in that person's
38:38life, I pray today.
38:42Bring healing
38:44in every area of their lives.
38:47And the things that we hold on to
38:50that sometimes we cannot let go,
38:53let today be the day we break it.
38:57Let today be the day we totally
38:59surrender to you.
39:02And as we go into the lobby today,
39:05just as a public declaration
39:09to take our shot,
39:11we're saying we're taking
39:13a shot at faith.
39:16We're taking a shot of putting our trust
39:19in you
39:20cuz you are our only hope.
39:25May you bless us.
39:27Father, we put before you our giving
39:29this morning
39:32that as we sow our seed
39:35to further your work here on the earth,
39:38that Lord, you will continue to prosper
39:40our storehouses.
39:42And we give you praise for it now in
39:45Jesus' mighty name. Stand right where
39:47you are, nobody moving.
39:51If you don't know the Lord as your
39:52personal savior,
39:54please do me a favor today.
39:57Say the sinner's prayer.
40:00Ask him into your life. Ask him into
40:02your heart.
40:04And start this new journey.
40:07This new journey of faith with us.
40:10Trust me when I tell you it's worth it
40:12all.
40:13Would you say, "Lord Jesus, am a
40:16I am a sinner.
40:18I repent of my sins.
40:21I embrace the free gift of salvation.
40:25I declare with my mouth
40:28I believe in my heart
40:31that I'm now born again
40:33in Jesus' name.
40:35Amen.