Awaken The Dawn

0:12 And God was just revealing so many things to me during worship. I don't know what he was doing with you as you were singing. But you know how God just communicates somehow, brings scripture, opens your eyes to even things in your own life that you didn't see before. And as people are worshiping, somehow the spirit of God moves. And so I'm going to start tonight totally different from anything I had planned.

0:42 Because, man, anything good just seems to start with repentance, right? Like it never starts with arrogance. It never starts with a confidence in the flesh. And as I was worshiping over there. that's the first time I think it's the first time I've met Lou Engle I don't know if I've met you before Lou I know your name and everything else but I don't know it just as I was praying, God was just revealing my arrogance in the past that I have never publicly confessed and repented of.

1:27 I used to look at anyone who was charismatic, anyone who believed that they had the gift of tongues or prophecy or healing. I didn't just disagree. I taught against it, but I didn't just teach against it. I made fun of it.

1:49 In my arrogance, I just thought that, man, these guys are crazy. They don't care about the Word of God. They don't know the Word of God. And man, I even saw an old video I made once of just mocking a person who was led by the Spirit. And while my theology has changed over the years, I never just repented of that and came before God and said, I'm so sorry, these were your sons and daughters, and I just mocked them. And in my arrogance, thought that I was better than them and that I knew more than them. I'm not saying it's wrong to have theological differences because who knows who's right. And I'm not on the other side now mocking the other people.

2:43 I'm just saying that there was an arrogance in me. There is an arrogance in me. And I hate it. There's times where I just feel like I know better. Whether it's with my theology or it's the way I practice ministry or whatever it is. I just know there's still just this gross, like, it's just like, like I can think better than you or I understand something better than you. And, and man, I just, I just was on my knees saying, God, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. It's not like a, it's not like a little sin, you know, big deal. You know, you cause a little division, big deal. You talk people away from the gifts of the spirit, big deal. You, you, you, you were young, you were this, you were that. No, sin is a big deal. okay and division in the body is a big big deal okay man it's not okay it's not okay if I look at my children I've got seven kids man I don't want any division in my family man I don't like when you know my son mocked my daughter too much I mean a little bit's okay you know but it's like hey you're hurting her you're hurting her knock that off like as a dad that's just I don't want any division in my family. And I've been the cause of division. And again, I am not saying that, oh, my theology is right now or anything else. I'm just saying my heart has not been right.

4:11 I have been arrogant. I am so arrogant. God, I just want that out of my life. Man, because it's not, unless we repent of this, you know, thinking we're like superior in our intelligence to someone else. There's things because we don't get the love of God. The Bible says, Ephesians 3, that he wants us to be rooted, grounded in this love of Christ. He goes, but it's to know the love of Christ that's beyond knowing. Can you understand that? He says that he wants, he falls on his knees saying, God, I want these people to know, to know inside in their inner man, the love of Christ, which is beyond knowing. It's beyond knowledge. It's not something that someone just, that I can tell you right now, well, here's what God did, and your brain just kind of goes, okay, I believe it. No, the Bible says it's beyond knowing. It's like something that God does. That's why when Peter finally got it, Jesus even said to him, look, flesh and blood didn't reveal that to you. Heaven had to reveal that to you. Like we don't just understand the love of God and accept it and know the love of God because of just study. Absolutely, it's through the gospel, but it's not just this thinking. One person talked you into believing and now your mind believes it. He says, no, it's beyond knowing. And that's why Paul's on his knees and saying, God, I'm praying. I'm praying that they would know the love of God that is beyond knowing that they may be filled with the knowledge, with the fullness of God.

5:57 Filled with the fullness of God. See, there are things that God has to reveal to us that are deeper than thinking. And until we repent of our arrogance and thinking we're so intelligent and we just know more than the next guy. Man, I think there's just a block in that arrogance. The Bible says he dwells in this high and holy place and also with him who is lowly and contrite in spirit. It's the person that's humble that he dwells with and he's in. And I'm just trying to say, God, I don't care how I look. God, even this, I don't want to do it to look good or to sound humble or anything else. God, I really want to say, I'm sorry.

6:50 I just, God, I want all arrogance out of me. Can we just have a time where we're all just confessing to God our arrogance? Some of you, you think you're just so intelligent. You're just so sure you know the Bible better than me or the person next to you. You're so sure you understand ministry. better than the person next to you? Some of you, you just think because maybe you're more successful that you're better than anyone, or you think you're more attractive than someone.

7:26 You got a better personality than some of these people. You're just looking at people as just weird and beneath you in any way. And we just humble ourselves before a mighty God. and just go, God, we just confess that your thoughts are so far beyond ours. I am so sorry, God. I am so sorry. Please, God, even now. I want to be led by your spirit. I want to hear your spirit. I want to be filled with the fullness of God, no matter what that looks like. Even if I look stupid, God, forgive me for all the times I refuse to look stupid and I try to look cool and I try to look like I'm in control. I am so sorry, God. So sorry.

8:20 God revealed something to me that's so obvious that the word cool is another word for lukewarm it's our image guys what are we trying to prove there's one almighty God and we're a bunch of sinners my thoughts my actions, my arrogance, my lust, my pride, my greed. What's there to brag about? Father, would you humble us so that you would dwell with us?

9:16 You dwell with the one who's lowly and contrite in spirit. So right now, Father, teach us how to humble ourselves. Reveal to us right now the sin in our lives. And God, I pray now that heaven would reveal to us our forgiveness in the cross. Please, right now, would your spirit reveal to us the things to come. the Bible says there are things that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.

10:20 But God has revealed it to us by his spirit. He didn't reveal it to us by our minds. It's beyond, it's beyond this rational thinking. By your spirit, God, would you reveal to us how good it's going to be when you come back? no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what you have prepared for us, but somehow you can communicate to us.

10:54 God, I can't study your love and just get it. but you can, by your grace, just grant it to us to know the love of Christ that's beyond knowing, that we'd be filled with the fullness of God. Please, Lord, tonight, would your spirit lead? in fact right now could you in faith because if you doubt it's it's just don't even bother the bible says but in faith could you pray that god would speak through me to you and that i wouldn't say anything that's not of the spirit would you pray that for your own sake for my sake for the sake of the glory of God that my flesh would die and that I would just say whatever he tells me to say. that it wouldn't say anything that is off biblically Father, please.

12:13 for your glory and out of love for your church. Would you protect these people from Francis and anything he would say in the flesh tonight? And would your Holy Spirit speak through me and give the right message to them?

12:34 Whatever that is, Lord. In the name of Jesus, Lord, we ask for everything that is demonic, evil, any lies that are in my head to be cast away in the name of Jesus right now and that truth would be spoken into this microphone through these speakers by the power of the Holy Spirit and that it would transcend just our minds and go into our hearts and lead us to change, to repentance. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. I believe the Lord wants us to rejoice in Him. The Bible says rejoice in the Lord always.

13:30 Okay, and I don't rejoice in the Lord. Not rejoice that you've been given a gift. Not rejoice that, you know, in anything else. but rejoicing in the Lord. Have you rejoiced in the Lord today? Like, today ain't been one of those days where you just come before him and go, gosh, this is so good knowing you, being forgiven by you. I mean, think about the fact that right now, as we sit here, have you even thought about what God is like? I mean, we throw his name out there real casually sometimes, But have you stopped to think that right now in heaven, wherever that is beyond us, that somehow the Bible says there's a God. First Timothy 6 says that he dwells in unapproachable light.

14:26 So right now in heaven, there's this God. Like, I mean, have you just ever even thought about the fact that if we could see him right now, it would just blow our minds? Like, we are not able. The Bible says no one has seen him or can see him. Do you get that? I don't know what vision of God you have in your mind. If you think he's just some little old man sitting in a chair or whatever. But the Bible says that he dwells in unapproachable light. Have you thought about that? A being who dwells in unapproachable light.

15:08 It's just like beyond. Remember, he created the sun and many suns. And it's like approaching the sun. I mean, imagine if you could just start getting closer and closer to the sun right now. man how close could you get to that thing before you just disintegrate and sometimes we casually think oh yeah i went into the presence of god you guys that's a big big deal that's like standing on that you don't say oh i stood on the sun this morning oh yeah i watched an atomic bomb go off right in front of my face it was awesome no you don't do that you don't survive that and the bible says that's what god is like and we can't just approach him and not only that but habakkuk says that his eyes are too pure to look upon evil so because of our sinfulness to dare come before that god casually. It's insane. But the Bible says in 1 Peter, 1 Peter 3, verse 16, it talks about what Jesus did. In 1 Peter 3, I'm sorry, verse 18, it says, for Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. You see what happened there? Why did Jesus die? Why did he suffer? To bring us to that God. The God who dwells in unapproachable light. The God whose eyes are too pure to look upon evil. He says that he brings us to him. And then the mystery in Ephesians 5 is he says that we are members of his body.

17:11 That Christ actually nourishes us and cherishes us as members of his body. Would you just stop right now and marvel? He says, this is a mystery. This is a great mystery. I hope you haven't been a Christian so long that you just go, yeah, I'm connected to God. I'm a member of his body. and it's a casual thing because the Bible says it's a profound mystery. How in the world do I, this sinful, arrogant man, not only enter into the presence of a God who dwells in unapproachable light and whose eyes are too pure to look upon evil, but the Bible says somehow I'm connected to him and he looks at me as a member of his body just like I would look at my arm as a part of my body and that's how much he cherishes me and nourishes me and cares for me man have you rejoiced in that today just go are you kidding me right now are you kidding me right now that God in heaven looks at me as his son and he loves me and he sees me as a member of his body and all he asks is he goes I just want you to abide in me John 15 says abide in me and I'll abide in you and I was studying that just last week I'm going God what does that mean to live in you, like to abide in you. I mean, it literally means to live inside. I'm like, what is that? I was thinking, how does a person live inside another person? And then it hit me. I thought about my daughter, my oldest daughter. She's pregnant. And I thought, oh my gosh, that picture of that infant inside of her, you know, with just this one lifeline, this one

19:21 cord, you know, that when he says, I'm the vine, you're the branches of man remains in me. And I in him, he'll bear much fruit, but apart from me, you can do nothing. And I just saw that picture of, man, this is all God, it's not me here. Yo, I cut the cord and I'm going to do something for you, God, but even right now to think, man, I'm abiding in you, God. I'm just like that infant. I just, I just, I need you to breathe. I need you to live. I can't make it through this sermon without him giving me life through it all. And he's saying, just rest in me. Just abide in me. Don't cut the cord, run out there and stress out, how am I going to change all these people's lives? How am I going to get them to understand the love of God? How am I going to get them to repent of their sin? How am I going to get them to walk away from their arrogance? He just says, just abide in me, Francis. Just abide in me and you'll bear much fruit because it's not about you. You can't make anyone repent. You can't make anyone humble themselves. You can't make anyone love me and know the love of Christ that's beyond knowing? Just abide in me and you'll bear much fruit. Humble yourself like an infant. Admit your dependence. Stay connected in the vine and let me move. Let me work. Rejoice in the Lord always. We're members of his body.

20:54 what's crazy is Paul who in Philippians 4 says rejoice in the Lord always I'll say it again rejoice let your forebearing spirit be made known to all which that's important let your forebearing spirit be made known to all men you know what a forebearing spirit it's like things just slide off of you. Because you're thinking, this is insane. I am connected to a God who dwells in unapproachable light. He calls me his son. I'm forgiven. I'm going to be with him forever. I'm rejoicing in that. And when you're rejoicing and focused on that, the idea of a forbearing spirit is things don't get you so angry.

21:47 You know, we live in a world that everyone is on edge. You notice that? It's just like so many people are ready to snap. I mean, I notice it as a speaker, as a communicator. If I say one word wrong, if I say the wrong word, man, it will just set people off. It doesn't matter that I'm trying my best. It doesn't matter if I try to humble myself. Man, people are just ready to fight. And the Bible says, no, not my people. not the rejoicers the ones that keep rejoicing they have this forbearing spirit they don't they other people may want to fight we don't want to fight man i'm so in love with jesus so blown away by his love for me that i have this forbearing spirit constantly rejoicing is that you you have peace because you're abiding in jesus everything's good Everything's good.

22:47 You're attached. You've got the cord. You're just resting in him. But it's interesting. Paul, who wrote Philippians 4, also wrote Romans 9, where he says this. I am speaking the truth in Christ. I'm not lying. my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

23:32 So here's this Paul who's saying, man, rejoice, rejoice in the Lord always. You know, and I'll say it again, rejoice. He goes, and let your forebearing spirit be made known to all men. But then he says in Romans, he goes, I'm telling you the truth that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

23:57 What? Rejoice in the Lord always. I've got this unceasing anguish in my heart, my deep inside. He's not talking about a few tears. He's not talking about every once in a while I'll well up. He goes unceasing anguish. You know what that word anguish means? There's times we cry, times we shed a little tear, and then there's those few moments in life when we're in anguish, where you just feel like you're going to lose it. And Paul says, I have that in my heart always. It's like this, man, on the one side, I'm rejoicing. I'm always rejoicing. I'm commanding you, always rejoice. And then there's this other side of me that is just dying inside full of anguish. Why? He says, because of my brothers.

24:53 He goes, I'm telling you the truth. He goes, I could wish. It hurts me so bad. I could wish that I would be cut off from Christ for the sake of them. That's how much I love these people. Man, when I first read that, I thought there's no way. There's no way because I love people, but not that much. No way. Not to the point where I say, okay, I'll be cut off from Christ for your sake. I just couldn't believe it. That's why I think Paul started that, you know, sentence by saying, look, I am not lying. Because I'm going, you're lying. And he's saying, no, I'm speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. He goes, ask God. He knows my heart is broken. Man, unceasing anguish. Do I rejoice in the Lord always? Yes. As a spirit-filled person, Like he says in Ephesians, the one that's constantly giving thanks.

25:57 He goes, yep, that's me. And yet simultaneous to that is this unceasing anguish. Why? Because he knows. He goes, man, I have friends. I have brothers. My own people that are separated from Christ. They don't believe in him and it kills me. There's this anguish.

26:18 Because he understands what it means to be separated from God. Paul also wrote, he wrote a lot, 2 Thessalonians. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, verse 6, it says, God considers it just. He thinks that God, remember him dwelling in unapproachable light, him, the name, the one up there. God considers it fair or just to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

27:16 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints and to be marveled at among all who have believed because our testimony to you was believed. Paul says, I've got this unceasing anguish in my heart because I have people. He goes, man, it's like this. You guys, the Christian life is just insane in so many ways. There's this tremendous out-of-control joy. Like, are you kidding me? I'm a son of God, and I'm purified. I'm in his presence, and I'm a member of his body. And then there's this ridiculous anguish, this unceasing anguish. You're saying, wait a second, you're going to come back with all of your holy angels and flaming fire inflicting vengeance on those who don't know God?

28:17 And there's people that I love that don't know him. It's like this extreme joy and this extreme anguish. And I know we want to just erase this side, but Paul doesn't. The New Testament writers don't. Jesus doesn't. and that's why when I was in high school and I first came to understand Jesus in high school when I understood what he did on the cross for me and when I understood what he was he was going to return to judge the world man I remember walking through my public school in the locker rooms and seeing my friends and imagining that day and man I just started talking to them man I remember I started a bible study at my public school man I remember my I cared so much man I just thought why why would I do anything else I got to devote my life to this remember one night my youth pastor picked me up in the church bus because I told my got so many friends and we just went from house to house to house and me and my buddy, we brought 50 visitors to church that night. 50. Why? No, it's not. It's just like I didn't know what else to do. I was freaked out for my friends. I remember being a junior in high school and grabbing my yearbook and just looking at all the seniors and their pictures and their names, and I just began calling them one at a time, every senior that I knew, because I thought I'm just going, dude, this is probably the craziest call you'll get, but I don't know if I'll ever see you again, and I got to tell you something.

30:00 Man, I'd love to say, oh, man, that Bible study I started just grew to hundreds of people. It didn't. It dwindled down to hardly anything. I'd love to say, oh, man, I just started leading all of my friends on the phone one at a time. Man, I could, no.

30:22 It's tough. There's so much rejection. But I can look back now, 35 years, and go, man, I'm so glad I at least tried. Man, but I had this anguish. and I say this to you because I feel like we're starting to get ashamed of the gospel and you know, when I prayed about this event last week, there was one passage that came to mind, you know, and I'm just going to read from it. It's Mark chapter eight.

31:01 It says this, if anyone, verse 34, would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would, this is the, this is the main verse, verse 35, whoever would save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it for what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul for what can a man give in return for his soul for whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him will the son of man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels. That's heavy. This isn't me. This is Jesus Christ, the son of God, the one who's coming back with his holy angels and flaming fire. He says, look, whoever wants to save his life, whoever would save his life, this is a promise. This is a promise from Jesus. And understand, he's saying this because he loves you. Okay? These are words. Jesus, Jesus loves you so much. He's the one that died for you. No one else has died for you and suffered for you.

32:27 Because I went through that for you. And I'm saying this out of love. If you're going to try to save your life, I promise you, you're going to lose it. I promise. And you guys think about it. Are we really going to save our lives? In this day and age, in 2017, with all the things that are going on in our world, even this week, whether it's hurricanes or bombs or shooters or whatever, What are you, you're going to save your life. Really?

33:02 You're going to try to save it. Jesus, look, don't save your life. God did not give you life so that you can preserve it. it's like a pizza if someone gives you a pizza what are you gonna do i'm gonna save it i'm gonna see how long i can save it for no just eat it you know it's just gonna get worse every day and in the same way we live in a time when everyone's trying to preserve their life it's like i want to try to live longer i'm gonna try to live longer okay i'm gonna get some plastic surgery so it looks like i'm still young i'm gonna hold on to it i'm gonna hold on to let me ensure this, ensure this, ensure this. Let me just make sure. Let me see how long I can. Really, you're going to save your life.

33:44 This is the passage that came to my heart when I was praying for you guys. Because I thought, man, there's going to be a lot of young people there. And I'm thinking, gosh, God, you don't want them to waste their lives trying to save it. Because look, are you really going to save? Because some of you are going to just naturally gravitate to what's safest. And you're trying to make something of your time here on this earth going, well, I want a nice family. Man, I want a nice home. I want to be able to have grandkids one day. I want, okay, you're going to try to make all that happen in this world. With all the things, you guys, Jesus is trying to protect you from something. He's saying, don't waste your life trying to save it. You have no guarantee that you'll get married to someone who's going to stay faithful to you?

34:39 You sure? And then you're going to just be in love with each other your whole lives? Maybe. But you can guarantee that? You're going to try to save that. You go, no, this is going to happen. This is going to happen. I'm going to make it happen. And neither of you are going to get sick. and then you're going to have children, and none of your kids are going to get sick, and there'll be no accidents. There'll be no shooters going onto their campus. None of them will be at concerts, and they're going to love you. They're not going to rebel against you. Like, we have these dreams, and I'm not saying those are bad things. I'm just, it's just like we, this becomes the goal of life, and God says, no, the goal, you should spend it. He says he promises, look, I promise you, you try to save your life, you're going to lose it. And even if you pull it off, let's say you pull it off. Let's say you're one of those rare people. Oh, you fall in love. You have this great family. You have grandkids.

35:46 You've got money. You've got a house. He says, well, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul. He goes, look, I'm promising you. This is a promise from Jesus. You try to save your life, you're going to lose it. You're going to lose it. You're going to regret it. But the other promise is this. But whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it. that if we spend our life for the gospel, getting the gospel out there, and saying, God, okay, I'll die for this thing, whatever. He goes, I promise you, you'll find it. It's a promise.

36:39 Jesus is not doing this to ruin your life. He's just saying, I'm telling you, this is how you're going to find life, is if you let go and you lose it. and say, you know what, God, I want to spend it. I don't want to try to save it. I don't want to try to make it last as long as I can here on the earth, as comfortable as I can. Here, just spend it. And God says, you do that and you're going to find life. If you use it for the gospel.

37:07 And that's why he says, I don't want you to be ashamed of me or my words. We live in a time when Christians are starting to change the theology because they're ashamed of the words of Jesus Christ. because it's not popular. And I want to say something to you guys. Please, please take this the right way.

37:29 We can waste our lives. No, no, no, no, that's too strong of a word. You may be careful. We can busy our lives with good things that aren't the most important thing. And I feel like there's a cop-out in Christianity today. Okay, and hear this out. There are a lot of people that are willing to care for the poor. I'm one of them. There are a lot of people that want to fight for human trafficking. I'm one of them. There are a lot of people who want to fight for racial reconciliation. I'm one of them. And those are all good things. These are all biblical things.

38:20 And these are important things. But I'm just noticing there are very few people who are spreading the gospel anymore. And I believe I know why. It's because you know what? I've never been persecuted for feeding the poor. I'm applauded for that. No one's persecuted me for my fighting for human trafficking. They applaud me for that. no one gets angry at me because I want unity in the church, racial reconciliation, even reconciliation between denominations. There might be a few people that get mad, but you guys, it doesn't cause persecution. But when I tell someone that they are by nature an object of wrath and that they have to stand before a holy God and that there is no name under heaven by which you can be saved except by the name of Jesus Christ.

39:29 And when I call out sin for what it is in Scripture, I get persecuted. And there are times, I'll confess, when I am ashamed of the gospel. and I'll cower, and I'll shrink back, and I don't say everything God calls me to say. And I am not saying those other causes are wrong. Again, I give money to the poor. I fight for human trafficking. I want racial reconciliation. But it's easy to hide behind those things and not share the gospel of Jesus Christ. And he says there, the one who loses his life because you will lose your life you will lose your life you'll lose your reputation it's no fun being in a public high school and being known as the Jesus guy that thinks everyone's going to hell without Jesus and my stance on morality in a city like San Francisco.

40:43 but I don't want to be ashamed of Jesus and his words because I don't want him ashamed of me when he comes in the glory of his father and the holy angels all I want to do tonight is just beg you. You guys, there are people around the world who have never heard the name of Jesus. And I am, I'm just saying, read this book for yourself. If you read this book cover to cover and your conclusion is that there's no judgment of God, man, if you've really done that, you read this through on your own and you just didn't get fed that from someone else, but you just read this book cover to cover and you thought, you know, God doesn't judge, then I'll leave you alone. But I'm guessing any of you who don't believe that, you've never really read this book cover to cover and really came before God and said, hey, what's really true?

41:49 That's why Paul was in constant anguish. You guys, it's time for us to hurt again. I know it's not fun but we want to lose our lives. And the Bible says when you do that, that's when you're going to find it. So here's what I believe God wants us to do. I know there's going to be a time of some challenges coming up after me where they're going to talk to you about opportunities to lose your life. But if I'm perfectly honest, a few hours ago, I was in my hotel room reading over this passage, and it scared me again. Man, I've got seven children and a grandchild on the way, and man, there's so much in the flesh that just wants to save. Man, save rather than lose my life for the sake of the gospel, and I had to come before God and say, God, I'm scared again.

42:57 What happened to me? I got scared again, but you promised me. Francis, don't go down that road. I'm telling you not to go down that road because I love you. Don't try to hold on to what you have. Just go for the gospel's sake. Go wherever I call you. Say whatever I tell you to say. He goes, you're gonna find life. But if you're gonna try to hold on to all of this and make it all happen and keep it safe, He goes, I promise you, you'll lose it. It's a guarantee.

43:28 And just like in Mark 10, when Peter says, hey, I left all this, he goes, man, whoever's left all of that, I'm going to give you a hundred times. He goes, I promise you, I'll give you a hundred times, whatever that is, whatever you think you lost, I'll give you a hundred times that in this life and in the life to come. See, if I said to you tonight, hey, you guys trust me? everyone give me every single dime you have right now everything that's on you hand it over to me and tomorrow I'll come back and give you a hundred times whatever you gave me how many would trust me to do that enough okay four five six okay i wouldn't okay well if i promised i probably well i don't even know if i could okay anyways never mind but that's my promise that's my promise it means nothing like how much do we believe god's promises when he says, I promise you, you try to save it, I promise you, you'll lose it. That's why I'm begging you, lose your life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, and you will find it.

44:40 And whatever you do lose on that earth, I promise you a hundred times as much. Why is Jesus saying that to us? Because he loves us, and he goes, no, I know what I have prepared for you. No eye has seen, No ear is heard, no mind is conceived, I promise. But I know my spirit can show that to you, so trust me. Man, I'm just begging you, those of you who are in high school, in college, man, this is the time you've got to make a decision. Man, when I understood the difference between heaven and hell as a high school student, that's when I decided, you know what, God, what else am I going to do with my life? If that's true, after I saw my mom die, my mother died giving birth to me. My dad remarried, then my stepmother died when I was about seven in a car accident. Then my dad got married again, then he died of cancer when I was 12.

45:36 Okay, so by the time I'm in middle school, I understand. I saw my mother's buried. I saw my dad buried. I see their gravestones. Man, I see life ends. What am I going to try to save mine? Man, I understood how quickly everything changes overnight. Some of you know what I'm talking about. Everything just changes. So what are we going to do? Try to save that. And I understood the difference between heaven and hell. I just thought, you know what, God? I'm going to give the rest of my life to this. When I was in high school, I decided, what else am I going to do on this earth than to warn people we're going to face a holy, holy, holy God. and yet he loves us and he's provided a way of escape through his son Jesus. Take it, take it, take it. You can be a member of his body. You can be completely forgiven and to give them that truth and the Bible says few will find it.

46:33 But I can think of nothing better to devote my life to and I can think of nothing more foolish than to try to save my life. And so I'm just begging you no matter what age you are whatever you've got left, now's not the time to play it safe. Some of you I see are older in this crowd. I can tell. If you're trying to hide it, then do so well. Now, if there's some of you guys that are older, man. and some of you are still acquiring stuff and buying things and I'm just like what are you thinking you are so close to the end seriously I'm not that's not like a rude thing it's just out of love it's like what are you going to do I turned 50 a couple weeks ago I turned 50 and I'm just thinking my mom didn't make it to this my step mom didn't make it to this my dad didn't make it to this I'm on borrowed time right now and I'm not thinking about acquiring anything I'm just getting rid of stuff and go man how do I shed this because I'm going to stand before him soon now is not the time to play it safe not in this world in this time that is crazy give it for the sake of the gospel All right.

47:59 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. because we have an awesome God who promised you'll find life. You'll get a hundredfold. Give it all. Father, right now, I pray. I know there are people here who are afraid, who think their lives here on earth are worth saving. Open their eyes right now, Lord, to see how precarious everything is, how we're just one step away, one breath away from eternity.

48:32 God, may we trust your promises. May we find life by losing it. And I pray for the young people here, Lord, that they don't try to save their lives, Lord. God, there's no American dream left. there's an eternal one with you and all of your glory where you wipe away every tear from our eyes no more pain no more sorrow show us how good that is reveal it to us by your spirit if you're afraid right now, just confess it to the Lord. I had to confess that this afternoon. God knows anyways. Just tell him right now, God, I am scared. Just tell him I'm scared of letting go and what that might mean.

49:35 by your Holy Spirit will you give me courage Lord something that transcends knowledge Lord just by your spirit put it in my spirit because I don't ever want to be ashamed of you and your words Please now work internally in all of our hearts. Almighty God, we rejoice in you. In Jesus' name we pray.