Today I want to challenge our staff, our board of deacons, and our department heads...

 ...to make a commitment to Jesus to be “All in!” This is borrowed from Mark Batterson’s book of the same name.  I believe in light of what is happening in our world and with the soon coming of Christ, that it is time for all of us to give our all to Jesus. Obviously the devil is not playing games and neither should the church be. Matthew 16:24‑26 (NLT)  “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” The disciples found out how serious Jesus was about laying their lives for Him. You have heard me say many times the word in Acts 1:8 that says, “you shall be My witnesses” is actually translated into the word “martyrs.”  All of the disciples died a martyr’s death except John and obviously, they tried to kill him by placing him in boiling oil. Being “All in” must come with a heartfelt commitment.

Though the gospel may not cost us anything...it demands everything! Being born again is not just our escape from hell but it is our call to lay down our lives every day. Paul said I die daily. We are saved by grace but we are called to follow Jesus giving all that we are and hope to be to Him. God has pretty good promises for those who follow Him with all their hearts...here is one.  Psalm 84:11 (NKJV)   “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.” Sounds like selling out to God is a good deal for us...it is the best deal by far. Sometimes we think we are sacrificing so much but is it really a sacrifice if we get more than we give. I think not!

I am challenging all of us to be “All In” for the One (Jesus) Who has given His all.

1. I am asking you to pray and seek God like never before!

2. I am asking you to love like never before those to whom you minister!

3. I am asking you to prepare...to study the Word with all diligence like never before!

4. I am asking you to give like never before...your tithe and missions!

5. I am asking you to be faithful to God’s House and to be an example to others!

6. I am asking you to love God with all your heart and soul and others as yourself!

7. I am asking you to be “All in” for the One Who gave it all for you!

If you have attended Life Church for any amount of time...

 ...you know that we always welcome Holy Spirit to all of our services, you may not know why. I will give you just a few reasons we make the third Person of the Trinity a priority here at our church.

1. We should welcome Holy Spirit into our lives because when He comes we will realize it is not by our own power that we will accomplish anything. Zechariah 4:6‑7 (NKJV)  “So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" When we are desperate for Him to come, amazing things happen in our church and in people’s lives. 

2. We should welcome Holy Spirit into our lives because when He comes He will be our helper and be with us forever. John 14:15‑17 (NKJV) "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever‑‑the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” The word “Helper” in the original language denotes another one just like Jesus. Who wouldn’t want that? 

3. We should welcome Holy Spirit into our lives because when He comes He will teach us all things and bring back to our memory His Word. John 14:26 (NKJV) “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” To be an effective witness for Christ you have to memorize the Scriptures. Holy Spirit helps us and who doesn’t need that?

4. We should welcome Holy Spirit into our lives because when He comes He will testify (tell us about) Jesus. John 15:26 (NKJV) "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” Some translations say that “He will glorify Me.” Isn’t that what all of us want, Jesus to be lifted up more than any other person? Of course!

5. We should welcome Holy Spirit into our lives because when He comes He will fill the void left when Jesus ascended to the Father. John 16:7 (NKJV) “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” I truly believe that is enough said!  

Today we welcome Pastor Neftali, Shelia, and La Vida Church...

  ...How exciting to have a thriving Spanish ministry and a great pastor leading it. I truly love these guys. The message and this service today is based on my title…May the Lord Bless You! How many of you want God’s blessings? If you want Jesus to smile on you and for your family and church to be blessed…get ready…get ready! Numbers 6:22-27 (NLT2) “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: ‘May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’ 

Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my Name, I myself will bless them.” 

God laid on my heart Abraham’s blessing over the children of Israel after he offered his son. Genesis 22:17-18 (NKJV) blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

1. The Lord said I will bless you. The Lord said to Abraham because you have been obedient and because you have been sacrificial by being willing to give your son…blessings I will bless you.

2. The Lord said I will multiply you. As we read through the Book of Acts we see the church birthed at Pentecost and God began to add to their numbers daily. The 120 became 3120, then 5000. How amazing!

Something changed as Jesus was building His church. In Acts 6 what had been adding became multiplication. 

We decided to become generous. He multiplied us. 

3. The Lord said your descendants (children) will storm the gates of their enemies. Yes, I want to do great things for God and yes I want to do my part to see the Kingdom of God grow…I want to help Jesus build His church. What I really want is my kids storming the gates of their enemies. I want to be Elijah but I want my kids to be Elisha with a double portion of the Spirit of God!

4. The Lord said in your seed nations will be blessed. Come on La Vida Church, Life Church Villages, Life Church main campus, if you want to grow spiritually, numerically, and financially make missions a priority. 

Genesis 22:17-18 (NKJV) blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

Today we welcome to Life Church missionaries...

  ...Adam and Melissa Tvedt. Please let them know how much you appreciate their faithfulness to God and to the Great Commission. These are some of God’s choice servants and even though they have been through some tough days, they remain forever faithful to the Lord. Please listen to their hearts as they challenge us to do more for Missions. 

Helen Keller - “What’s worse than being blind?  Having eye sight but no vision.” In the context of our continued challenge to support missions I hope this quote will not apply to anyone who calls Life Church their church.  We are a mission’s church and there are very few services, if any, that we do not share our heart and vision for the lost here at home and around the world.  It is obviously Biblical...Jesus said in Matthew 28:19‑20 (NKJV) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. He ends these verses with ‘Amen’ which means ‘let it be so.’

There appears to me to be a group of people in the body of Christ who are more troubling than those who absolutely do not see the need or the mandate to support missions and our missionaries. It would be the group who sees the reality of the lost, who hears what the Word of God has to say about it, and yet have no spiritual vision or willingness to do something to remedy the sad situation. I see this principle in 1 John 3:16‑18 (NKJV)  “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”

The opportunity is going to be placed before you again and again to do something about the lostness of the lost. As you have been blessed by God with material possessions and you see the world around you lost and Christ-less, you will be able, above your tithe (10%) to bless the mission’s ministry of Life Church. Your faithfulness to tithe and to give to missions enables us to continue to support the almost 215 missionaries we have now and will help us to add even more. Cheerful obedience is what I truly believe God is looking for...100% of our members and regular attenders making a generous faith promise for 2022.  Please do not see the need but fail to catch the vision! Obedience to the Great Commission.

Last week we started this series…Under a Tree…

...and it seemed to connect with many of you as well as with myself. We all can relate to Elijah at some point. 1 Kings 19:3-4 (NLT2) ^“Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life.” We talked about how ninety percent of our lives can be going so well but that ten percent that we cannot control is chewing us up. We are telling you that you are blessed but I am also telling you that you are only one attack away from a major test or temptation in your life. Under a Tree is a message to let us know that if We can’t stay under the tree.

1. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) Paul was talking about an enduring faith that would carry him through whatever life would throw at him. Paul endured so much opposition and pain. Paul was saying life has been hard and yes it doesn’t seem fair sometimes but I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. 

2. I have learned to be content. Philippians 4:11-12 (NKJV) “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Paul says words like abased, hungry, and suffering need, yet content. We think we can have it all here but that is not what the Scriptures teach us. It’s a myth. 

3. I cant’s stay under the tree anymore. I can’t stay in a place where I expect life to always be wonderfully perfect. I can’t stay in a place where my spouse, my church, my friends, the government have to meet all my needs. I can’t stay here anymore when there is a God to be worshipped who is worthy of all my love. I can’t stay here anymore in a place of hiding from Jezebel, a place of guilt from denying Christ, a place of being sold into bondage and rejected by family…I can’t stay under this tree anymore. There is an answer to your lack, to your pain, to your sickness, to your frustration, to your loneliness, to your hunger, to your need…to your 10% and His Name is Jesus…run to Him! Acts 4:12 (NKJV) ^“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Get up! You can’t stay under this tree. Amen!