No Time To Waste
Type: Sunday Morning Service
Sermon: No Time to Waste
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Jeff Booth
The message emphasizes the urgency of the Great Commission and the responsibility believers carry to reach others for Christ. It highlights Jesus’ call to open our lives and tables to those who cannot repay us, mirroring God’s grace toward us. It challenges believers to take up their cross, deny self, and participate actively in reconciling others to God.
ℹ️ Tip: The video is set to start at the beginning of the sermon, but you can scrub the playhead to any part of the service. ℹ️
Additional Info
The info below was generated by an AI from the audio recording of the sermon.
Living With No Time to Waste
We live in an hour where spiritual urgency is not optional but essential. The world is full of people longing for hope, and believers carry the message that can transform lives. Every moment matters, because the kingdom of God is advancing and the invitation is for all.
Understanding the Invitation of God
Luke 14:23 paints a picture of God’s heart for people: “Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.” This divine invitation extends beyond convenience, preference, or self-focus. It is a call to bring the broken, the overlooked, and the marginalized into the place where healing and transformation occur. God’s banquet table is wide, and His desire is that none would be left out.
The Cost of Following Jesus
Jesus clarified that discipleship is not merely receiving the blessings of the kingdom but also embracing the responsibility of carrying the cross. Following Jesus requires dying to personal preferences, convenience, and self-centeredness. The call demands full surrender, but the reward is far greater than anything the world can offer—eternal life, heavenly joy, and partnership in God’s mission.
Reconciled People Reconcile Others
Scripture teaches that those who have been reconciled to God through Christ are given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17–20). This is not a task reserved for pastors or leaders but the calling of every believer. God invites His people to reflect His grace, extend compassion, and bridge the gap to those who are far from Him. Our lives—our homes, workplaces, and everyday interactions—become invitations to His banquet.
Grace That Reshapes Our Lives
Grace transforms not only our hearts but also our generosity. When God changes a person from the inside out, generosity overflows in time, compassion, forgiveness, and resources. In God’s kingdom, we give not because people can repay, but because we have been freely given more than we could ever repay.
Living on Mission Every Day
The ministry of reconciliation looks like simple obedience: inviting someone to your table, loving those who make you uncomfortable, and stepping into places where God opens doors. As believers partner with the Holy Spirit, they carry hope into their neighborhoods, workplaces, and relationships. God invites His people not to sit on the sidelines but to actively pursue the lost, because the stakes are eternal.
-
Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
Opening Thought: God has called every believer to participate in the Great Commission and the ministry of reconciliation.
Discussion Questions:
What part of the message “no time to waste” resonates most with you right now?
Why do you think Jesus emphasized inviting those who cannot repay us (Luke 14:12–14)?
What excuses tend to keep believers from participating in God’s mission?
How does understanding your identity as a “new creation” change the way you approach people far from God?
Where is God asking you to “open your table” in your current season?
Action Step:
Each group member identifies one person this week to intentionally pray for, encourage, or invite into a spiritual conversation. -
Luke 14:12–24 – The Great Banquet
In first-century Jewish culture, banquets were major social events that demonstrated honor, inclusion, and status. Jesus uses the parable to expose the exclusivity of the religious elites who invited only those who could reciprocate. The “poor, crippled, lame, and blind” represented those society rejected but whom God welcomed. When the first invited guests refused the invitation, it symbolized Israel’s religious leaders rejecting Jesus’ message, while those in the “highways and hedges” symbolized Gentiles and outsiders being welcomed into God’s kingdom.Luke 14:25–33 – The Cost of Discipleship
Large crowds followed Jesus during His ministry, but many sought miracles more than genuine discipleship. Jesus’ words about “hating” family were a Jewish idiom meaning to “love less” or “choose second,” emphasizing that allegiance to Him must surpass all other loyalties. Carrying a cross was a familiar image of Roman execution, symbolizing total surrender and willingness to die to oneself. Jesus’ teaching about counting the cost underscored the seriousness of following Him.2 Corinthians 5:17–20 – Ministry of Reconciliation
Paul wrote to a divided church struggling with immorality, false teaching, and internal conflict. He reminded them that salvation makes believers “new creations” and entrusts them with the message of reconciliation. In Roman culture, an ambassador represented the full authority of the empire; Paul used that image to describe believers representing Christ in a spiritually hostile world.Romans 5
Paul writes to believers in Rome, the center of the empire, to explain how sin and death spread through Adam but grace and life now come through Jesus. In a world dominated by Caesar’s rule, Paul presents Jesus as the greater King whose obedience brings justification and eternal life. Death’s reign is real, but Christ’s reign is greater.Ephesians 2:1–3; 2 Timothy 2:26
Ephesians was written to Christians in a city known for magic, idolatry, and spiritual power. Paul describes people before Christ as spiritually dead and under the sway of “the ruler of the kingdom of the air.” Similarly, 2 Timothy 2:26 speaks of people taken captive by the devil to do his will, reminding believers that spiritual warfare is real and that hearts and minds need to be set free by God.Galatians 3:13; Galatians 4:4
Galatians addresses churches being tempted to add religious law-keeping to faith in Christ. Paul insists that Jesus has redeemed believers from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for them when He died on the cross. “When the set time had fully come,” God sent His Son (Galatians 4:4), showing that Jesus’ coming was the climax of God’s long-planned rescue mission.Matthew 4:17; Matthew 6:9–10
Matthew writes primarily for a Jewish audience to show that Jesus is the promised Messiah and King. Jesus begins His public ministry in Galilee—an area looked down on by religious elites—proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven has come near (Matthew 4:17). In the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–10), He teaches disciples to address God as Father and to ask for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as in heaven, revealing that God’s reign is both present and still coming.Matthew 19:28
In Matthew 19, Peter worries about what he and the other disciples will receive after leaving everything to follow Jesus. Jesus responds by promising reward “at the renewal of all things,” when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne. The phrase points to a future new creation, rooted in the hope of Israel but expanded to include all who follow Christ.1 Corinthians 6:2–3
Corinth was a wealthy, status-driven city shaped by Greek culture and Roman power. The church struggled with division and pride. Paul rebukes believers for taking one another to secular courts and reminds them that in the age to come, God’s people will be entrusted with judging the world and even angels—governing with Christ in His kingdom.Romans 12:1–2
Romans 12 follows eleven chapters of rich theology about sin, salvation, and God’s mercy. Paul urges believers to respond by offering their bodies as “living sacrifices,” describing everyday obedience as spiritual worship. Instead of being pressed into the world’s mold, Christians are to be transformed by the renewing of their minds so they can discern and do God’s will.Revelation 22:3
Revelation was written to persecuted churches under Roman rule, facing pressure to compromise and worship the emperor. The final chapters present a vision of a new heaven and new earth where God dwells with His people. Revelation 22:3 declares that the curse is gone, God and the Lamb share the throne, and His servants will serve Him, assuring believers that the story ends not in defeat but in restored, joyful rule with the King. -
Title: “No Time to Waste—Sharing God’s Love!”
Introduction (3 minutes):
Have you ever been so excited about something that you couldn’t wait to tell someone? God wants us to share His love with others because He loves everyone and wants them to know Him.Scripture (5 minutes):
Luke 14:23 — “Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”
Explain simply that God invites everyone to His big family party—no one is left out!Craft (7 minutes): “My Invitation Card”
Children decorate a card that says:
“God Loves You! You’re Invited to Know Jesus!”
Inside they draw someone they can share God’s love with.Game (5 minutes): “Invitation Tag”
One child is “the inviter.” When they tag someone, that child joins hands with them. They keep tagging until everyone is connected—just like inviting people into God’s family.Discussion Questions (5 minutes):
Who loves everyone?
Why does God want His house full?
Can you think of someone you can invite to learn about Jesus?
Wrap Up & Prayer (5 minutes):
Pray: “Dear Jesus, thank You for inviting us into Your family. Help us show Your love to others and invite them to know You too. Amen.” -
How many love your church? Come on, give God praise for your church. Put your hands together. Give God some praise. Well, I was invited to speak today and I feel like the Lord has laid a message on my heart that I pray will be an encouragement to you, but I pray will speak to you and challenge you in this hour in which we are living. We're a basketball family. That's just the way it is. It's in your blood. So our youngest son is finishing out his basketball career at Samford University. He was at Florida Southern for four years and now he's at Samford. And we were watching a game the other night against Texas Southern. And it went into overtime. And in overtime, Samford, we had the lead by two points and 10 seconds left in the game. And we were going to take the ball out. and go full length, run the timeout, and win the game, right? Well, there's a little timeout that was taken for Texas Southern to figure out what they were going to do. And the announcer, one of the announcers was saying, well, maybe we let them get to half court and press them. And the color commentator kind of interrupted and said, well, no, we're not, we're going to press them. We have no time to waste. We have to pressure the inbound with our biggest We've got to cover him up, try to get a steal so we can score, maybe get fouled while we score and then win the game or just change the game with this play. We have no time to waste. Somebody say, no time to waste. Oh, well, they took, we took the ball out. They threw it to our son. He got fouled, made a free throw. And when Texas Southern was trying to inbound the ball, he stole the ball. The game was over and we won. We won the game. But, I could not hardly go to sleep, not because we won, but those words kind of were just ringing in my head. No time to waste. I don't know about you, but I've spent, I've wasted time that I shouldn't have wasted. We're living in a day and hour in the history of the world where we don't have any more time to waste as believers. There's a great task in front of us. There's a great in front of us. And we don't have time to play church. We don't have time to be focused on other things that take us away from the Great Commission. Hello, somebody. As I look around this room today, I see empty seats in this house. And I don't believe that God gave vision to this house when this house was built to have empty seats. I believe God gave vision that every seat would be filled, not just once, but probably multiple times. That's God's desire. Not so that we can have full houses, and we can have good services together. That's wonderful. But that people could come to know Christ and people could be discipled and we could reproduce disciples over and over and over again. We have no time to waste. I want you to stand with me. I know you just were seated, but I need you to stand. It's going to be a Catholic church this morning. We're going to be up and down and we'll just do a lot of different things. I should not have said that. Pastor will be back next week. Luke 14 23 says this, and the master said to the servant, go out. Somebody shout, go out. Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in. Why? That my house may be filled. Go out to the highways and hedges, compel people to come in that my house may be filled. Father, anoint these lips of clay one more time, my mind, my heart. May I communicate your heart to your people today. And Lord, may we go out of this place and be actively involved in the Great Commission for your glory and for your fame. Together, everyone said amen. Amen. God bless you. You can be seated. Oh, this is a great passage of Scripture. And I want you to imagine with me, if you will, Jesus is sitting around a dinner table with the religious elites of his day. They're watching him. They're They're judging every word that He says and they're trying to find a place where they can trip Him up. Somebody say trip Him up. You can't trip Jesus up though. And in this environment, Jesus tells them, listen, when you have these parties and banquets, don't just invite your friends or your rich neighbors to your banquets and gatherings just because they can repay you for it. Go ahead and be sure to invite the broken, the poor, The ones who cannot repay. And after he shares this, he then tells a parable about this great banquet, a feast that represents God's invitation to the entire world. Somebody say the whole world. Those who were first invited to the feast rejected it. Oh, I just got married. I've got to spend time with my spouse. Oh, someone died in the family. I've got to go bury the dead. This is going on and that is going on. They received the invitation, but they were too busy. The Bible says the master got angry. I kind of got stuck there, to be quite honest with you, because we don't see Jesus sometimes or our Heavenly Father as being angry. Got quiet in this church all of a sudden. But I think he does, there's a righteous anger at the right situation, the right thing. He says, basically, you're leaving people out. He says the master got angry and he told his servants to open the doors. Somebody shout open the doors to the marginalized and to the outcast. Go invite people that nobody wants to invite to their parties. And finally as the crowds begin to follow Jesus, Jesus lays down the cost to be His disciple. Whoever doesn't carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Look at your neighbor and say you need to carry your cross. If Jesus is saying, you can't just come to my table and enjoy this mighty feast. You can't just come to my table and enjoy the food prepared for you. You've got to take up your cross. There is a responsibility with your salvation. There is a responsibility with this new life that you have been given. There is a responsibility. There is an assignment for you. Everyone in this room, if you're born again, it's not so you can just enjoy heaven. It's so you can do heaven's work here on earth so that others will be able to enjoy. the splendor of heaven be with our king for all of eternity it's bigger than me it's bigger than you you can't just enjoy the food you've got work to do it's not about going to the party and kind of like being on a cruise ship you must engage in the battle for souls jesus is saying you can't just sit on the cruise ship of church life listen eating from the buffet of small classes of small groups of seminars and events and conferences and services you are commanded that's a strong word My mother is about, I don't know, how tall is my mom? About 5'5", 5'6", something like 5'4", 5'3"? I don't know, she's little. She commanded me to do a lot of things. She didn't ask if I wanted to. She commanded me in a very loving, and she used different wordage, but she commanded, I knew I needed to get it done. Can I tell you, as followers of Jesus, as being transformed by the love and power of Christ, we have a responsibility. We are commanded to go and make disciples. that we all are to participate in that process see we gotta take up our cross we gotta get out of the boat sometimes that's what it feels like we feel like peter in the boat and he wants to walk on water but then once he gets out on water he's scared and he sinks in but jesus doesn't leave him can i tell you when you jump out and get into an environment that you're not comfortable with to share the gospel he's not going to leave you and let you drown there you have been equipped you have the holy spirit within you you have Christ himself in you and you can do what he asked you to do. You can share this love with others that they could experience the life that we ourselves experience. It's time to jump into the deep waters and rescue some who are lost, letting them know that God loves them and Jesus died for them. And I'm telling you, Jesus is returning soon. See, there's too many people that believe they're on the way to heaven, but they're not rescuing anybody from hell. It's kind of like, us four no more. Glad I'm in the boat. Best wishes to you, friend. No, we have to actively be about rescuing those who are slipping into an eternity separated from Christ. See, Jesus is saying that to be his disciple, you must understand that you have an assignment and a responsibility that comes with the grace given to you. Maybe I should say it this way. The food ain't free. The buffet ain't free. There's a responsibility. There's a time to eat, but there's a time to work. And we're in a season where it is truly a time to work while it is daylight. We must be about the king's business because the king is coming. This morning I'm going to tell you what I'm going to tell you and I'm going to tell you what I'm going to tell you. Can I do that? First of all, reconciled people reconcile others. That's how it works. We've been reconciled to Christ and he has been given us the ministry of reconciliation that we could lead others to him and they could be reconciled. Your table, your platform, your business, your life, it's all to become an invitation for others to God's banquet. When we have been reconciled to God, we are reborn to live radically generous, sacrificial lives that reflect his kingdom and carry his message to the world. Secondly, grace reshapes our generosity. You'll give of your time, your love, you'll give forgiveness, compassion, where otherwise you wouldn't. You'll give of your treasure to kingdom business, not because people seem to deserve it, but because you have experienced the power to be reconciled to Christ yourself. Third, following Jesus costs everything. Somebody shout everything. Oh, but it leads to more rewards than you and I could ever imagine. I know Pastor Tom's been taking us through this series on heaven and it's just a, it's just a glimpse. He's opened up the door for us to see a bit of what heaven is going to be like. but it's going to be so extravagant and be so much exceedingly abundantly above anything you could think ask or imagine and God has invited us to be a part of eternity with him and he wants us to invite others to engage as well see this great exchange is this giving up my old life and becoming a new creation in Christ he's not fixing my old life up he's not patching it up not putting a new roof on it not putting he's not doing any that. No enhancements. A new Jeff. The old Jeff was angry. The new Jeff is filled with the peace of God. Hello, somebody. The old Jeff was selfish. And I still have to fight selfishness, to be honest with you. But now it's about others. It's about Christ living in me. I'm not living my own life. It's Christ living through me. Am I in the right church this morning? We're not our own. We belong to him. in Christ. Surrendering your personal rights. I'm an American. I got rights. In the kingdom, Jesus is in charge. Come on, somebody. Sometimes we let our preferences get in the way of God's goodness in our life. God's blessings in our life. Our preferences, our desires, our wants, our wishes. I know I'm in the right church this morning. We surrender our personal rights and we accept the responsibility of kingdom purpose. I remember as a young believer, I had a businessman in my life that he just traveled everywhere and said, Jeff, I want you to go to India with me. I'm like, yeah, right. I'm an Indiana boy, meat and potatoes. I know nothing about India. Then he began to take me to several different countries around the world on trips. infected me with the missions bug and the missions disease. But you learn to follow Christ means I got to die to what I like to eat and sometimes eat what other people put in front of you. You got to die to your own preferences and truly say, as Isaiah said, here I am, Lord, send me. It's dangerous. It's a dangerous statement because he's going to take you places you never dreamed possible. He's going to blow your mind. But you're going to have to deny your flesh and take up your cross and follow him into places that you normally would not go. Very uncomfortable. But you'll learn to live in that uncomfortable place because he's with you. Am I talking to the right church this morning? Ah. I'm not my own. I belong to Christ. Fourth and finally, our calling mirror. I said finally. And some of you, oh, he's going to close. We're going to leave. No, no, no, no. We got a ways to go here. As Jesus bore the cross to reconcile the world, we ourselves carry our own cross to extend his reconciliation to those who have yet to receive this precious gift of eternal life. Somebody say amen. Let's jump into it. Luke 14 verse 12 says, He said also to the man who had invited him, When you give a dinner or banquet, don't invite your friends or brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. I'm just here to tell you that payment's going to be pretty amazing. So much greater than anything that we can imagine here on this earth. The first point is reconciled people live with open tables. 2 Corinthians 5 17 says, if anyone is in Christ, he is what? A new creation. The old has. Behold, the new has come. Jesus challenges the natural instinct in our lives to do good only to those who can return the favor. Kind of like a business deal. If I can make this deal over here, do something for them, then they'll help me with my stuff. And Jesus said, no, it doesn't work like that in the kingdom. You go and you minister to people and you give to people and you have compassion and grace on people that can't pay you back. Oh, the reward is in that. The blessing is in that. In the In the kingdom of heaven, it's built on grace, not payback. Aren't you glad about that? I'm so glad about that. In Christ, we become new creations. We have new hearts. We have new motives and we have new tables. The old is gone. The new has come. See, when God reconciled us to himself through Christ, he didn't expect repayment. He expected reflection. I'm going to say that again because some of you may not believe that or have caught. When God reconciled you, he didn't expect repayment. He expected reflection that you would mirror his grace to you to others. I have found that God will bring me to people that just appall me. People that they live lifestyles that just disgust me. I know I'm not the only one in this Baptocostal church that feels that way. Hello? I mean, we all have those things, right? In my family, I could not stand alcohol because I saw how it destroyed our family. And there are other things in my family I won't get into that I totally abhor and just cannot stand to be around because of the destruction it brings to life. It kind of reminds me, I was raised in this Pentecostal church and in my teen years I left because there was some stuff going on in that church I needed to get away from. And I went to the Assembly of God church out on the south side of town and some of my friends had been going there who had left the church I was in. currently attending. And about 18 months before I got out there, an event took place that began to change the course of that church for still doing it today. Pastor there was from Arkansas. Good man, taught the word. He didn't play games. He was about winning souls and just teaching God's word and discipling people. But he hated alcohol because it had destroyed his own family growing up. And he cannot stand rock and roll music. So what does God do? A couple drunk rock and rollers walked into his church on a Sunday night and literally were stepping on seats and jumping all around and cowboy hats and boots and all that stuff. And they were just out of it, right? And pastor was such an example that he didn't have his ushers, his high-powered security, grab them and get them out and get them away from everybody. He found them great seats in the church. And by the end of that service, those two young men gave the hearts to Jesus, were baptized in water in front of everybody. And when they left that service, they literally were sober. They were not drunk by alcohol. If anything, they were drunk in the Holy Ghost. They were transformed in a moment because a pastor, what he abhorred, what disgusted him, he didn't push away. He allowed them to come in. He allowed them to hear the gospel and people loved on them. Those men still are serving Jesus to this day. One of them pastors a Calvary Chapel Church in Indiana probably for 20 or 30 years now. In his family one of his sons has become I'm not going to list his name but if I told you his name everybody listens to this guy on Christian radio all the time. Because a pastor allowed what disgusted him to come in and sit in his church. Hear the good news of Jesus. and have their lives totally changed. And for the past 30, 40 years, lives have been transformed. How many are going to be in heaven because of that one act of love and compassion? To welcome people into the kingdom instead of you walking that lifestyle, I don't want anything to do with you. Hello, somebody. Sometimes we are smug in our Christianity and we forget from where we had fallen and God picked us up and changed our lives. We have to remember that God can change anyone. And sometimes the thing that you despise the most, God will call you to bless and to minister and to serve and to love and to have compassion on. Why? Because He wants everyone to have an opportunity to meet Jesus and have eternal life. Somebody say amen. Reconciliation. Let me ask you this morning, who have you invited to your table who can't repay you. Who have you extended grace to to sit at your table despite their ability to repay the hospitality or because they, I'm not going to say this, but I go into some restaurants and there's some people that just, when I go in, I go, and God always lets them be my waiter and teaches me how to love, how to reach out in compassion, how to be Jesus with skin on. Because we just might be the only Jesus. Literally, it's not just a cute little statement. We're the only Jesus people are going to see. And how we react to the condition that they're in could be the thing that either pushes them further from Christ or wants them to know more about Jesus. Hallelujah. Point number two, the banquet of reconciliation. Luke 14 is where Jesus shares the parable of the banquet where those invited gave all kinds of excuses why they can't attend. You can go home and read that story for yourself. But understand that to compel someone to taste and see that God is good is not a timid action. To compel someone is something of urgency. Are you hearing me this morning? To compel someone is to reach out to them and strongly persuade them to move towards God. I know we don't like, we don't like, I don't want to be so pushy on people. Can I tell you? You can, you can, you can be timid or you can do what the Holy Spirit says and you can love on people, when they reject you, you can go back and love on them again. How many salespeople in the house? One willing to admit it. Here's a couple back here. Okay, you don't give up when somebody says no, right? You come around another way. You might come around this way, or you may word it this way. You might show them a different facet of what you're trying to sell them. And I'm not talking about selling Jesus, but I'm saying we give up too soon. Somebody rejects us and we think, well, that's it. No, no, no. Keep loving them. Keep praying for them. God's going to give you another opportunity to minister to them, to love on them, and to lead them to Jesus. Somebody say amen. Oh, you can't urge or persuade someone. Hear me. You can't urge or persuade someone unless you yourself have been persuaded. Sometimes I think therein lies the rub. We come to church, maybe we're not totally persuaded. We hear the messages, we sing, the songs, but we're not fully persuaded. Oh, be fully persuaded this morning that God is good and that God can transform any life, any lifestyle. He can turn it around. He can save the hardest sinner. He can do great things, but we have to, we have to believe that for ourselves. See, if you've experienced him, then you have a responsibility not to give up on people, but to urge and to urge again, to persuade, then to persuade again, pursue the lost with the message of life that comes from knowing Jesus. See, to urge or persuade someone is to take up your cross and mirror what Jesus did. Paul calls it the ministry of reconciliation. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 5. I feel like I'm talking so fast. It's like I don't preach every Sunday, so I'm looking at the clock. I'm looking at you. I'm looking at my nose. God, I got a lot to get in here. Help me. Help me, Jesus. He says, one person Don't worry about the clock. Can I get another? No. Two raised their hand. The rest said we out the dough. All this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us. Somebody shout gave us. The ministry of reconciliation. That is in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself. Not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us. the message of reconciliation. I don't think we grasp the magnitude of that scripture. God sent his son to reconcile us to him. And then he says, you who have been reconciled, you who have been born again, you may think you don't have a special gift to be on the platform or to be at the door or to teach children. You feel like you're not doing something like God's giving you the highest, highest calling to reconcile others to him. That's when you're at your job. That's when you're at sam's or costco or wherever you eat that these are opportunities every day to share Jesus with people who are on their way to a devil's hell are you hearing me this morning you have a high calling you may not have reverend bishop apostle or prophet in front of your name there may not be posters planted all around and stuff all over social media saying coming to town apostle a prophetess this that or the other but you have a high from the Lord Jesus Christ to reconcile the lost in your circle into right relationship with him. That's powerful. He loves you so much that he's entrusted and empowered you to be Jesus with skin on. The words you say, the tables you allow people to join you at, the conversations that you have. I'm not, to be quite honest, I don't know what I am, But I'm really not a big social guy, to be honest. It's one thing to stand in a pulpit and preach, but when I get in a circle of people and I have to talk, sometimes I feel awkward. So we had this little neighborhood get together last night, and I'm like, uh, uh, uh. Terry said, let's make some cookies. It's like right outside our door, they're all going to be there. Sometimes you just feel awkward. Pero, pero, It often begins with just having a cup of coffee. Little love. A little time. A little listening ear. Oh, that's a wonderful thing. You start getting in with your neighbors and you hear what they're talking about. And then the Lord drops something in your heart to tell them. And they're like, how did you know that? God just told me. You hear what I'm saying? These are moments to share the love of Jesus through kindness, through words of encouragement. Let God open the doors. Sometimes we, this is what I used to be, I like, kick the door down and you're going to hell. I already know that. You think about Jesus with the disciples spending three and a half years with them. Some of you think they all believed right away. They walked with him. They had conversation, just normal conversation. conversations with him. There's so much that we don't have in scripture of the conversations Jesus had with the 12 that when we do get to heaven, it's like, I just want to sit down. What all do y'all talk about? What did he tell you other than what we had in the written scriptures? I want to know. Sometimes we think we have to just drop the bomb on people when the Lord's just wanting us. He's saying, let me do the work. You just love on them. I'll give you the words to say when you need to say it. I'll open the doors. Just go through when I open the door. Are y'all hearing me today? You've been given such a mandate from the King of Glory. You may never have pastor or reverend in front of your name, never stand in a pulpit like this and deliver God's word. But God has put a calling on you to bring reconciliation to those in your neighborhood, in your family. You know, God may call you, hear me, there's some, God may call you in your lifetime to He may. Then reach that one. Be a good steward of the platform that God gives you. And God is going to bless greatly. Somebody say amen. Oh, I remember, I'm going to try to wind down. Cindy, why don't you come up? I'll have the band come up about 1130. And then we'll start wrapping up about 1145. I know I probably told this story but this ministry of reconciliation comes in many ways. To reconcile means to restore a broken relationship. Our relationship with God was broken and Jesus came to bridge that gap for us. And we have not only are those in our lives that need to be reconciled to God, the church, we need to be reconciled one to another. I'm just telling you right now, you can cry out to God and you can do all kinds of churchy things. And I'm telling you, your relationship with Him is not going to be right if you are at aught with your brothers and sisters constantly. I'm telling you, He wants you to be right this way. We focus vertically and we come into church and that dang word. Yeah. My dad was a mean guy. My mom and dad married each other twice. Then divorced after the second time after some years. And then my dad got remarried and got divorced. My mom never remarried. But when my my dad was about 75 He's 75. He had open-heart surgery and went into the hospital. Never really came out. Went into a home and three months later he was gone. And he was abusive to my mother. He was unfaithful to my mother. He was not a good father. I remember someone told me, Jeff, just when he's gone, make sure you have no regrets that you did everything you were supposed to. You can't be responsible for his non-reactions, any of that. But you have to be responsible for the way. And my mother always like, Jeff, all of us kids, remember your dad's birthday, Father's Day, honor your dad. And this is a woman that he was physically abusive to. I mean, just you name it. It's horrible. Last three months of his life, my mom sat by his bed in his nursing home. Just loving on him. The man that beat her. The man that cheated on her. The man that left his kids. She exemplified a love I don't always know that I have. Reconciling others to Christ sometimes means forgiving, loving, being with, sometimes the ones that hurt you the most. Don't please, this is my story. You got your own story. Three months, she sits by his side in a nursing home. And I remember one time I told him, I said, dad, I don't, he's, I'm sorry. And the dad, I can't, it doesn't matter. Just eternity's at this point. That's all that matters. I just want to know I'm going to see you when I get there. That's all I want to know. And my mom called one day and she said, because we were in Nebraska at the time, they were in Indiana, and she's, your dad is right with God. And she said, my dad's a tough guy, prison guy, tough guy. Dad, don't cry. Dad's weeping. He's saying, it's gone. The weight of guilt is gone. He'd given His heart back to the Lord. And I know it was in direct response to my mother sitting beside Him and loving Him when she didn'T have To do that. She had her own life going on. But I can tell you this much. He was a captive audience. And I know what she was saying, Ed, you don't have much time. You need to surrender your life to God. Ed, you've done a lot of bad things. You need to repent. I love you, Ed. Are you hearing me this morning? Sometimes God takes us to a distance we don't know we can go to see others reconciled back to Him. I think of the extra mile God's gone with me. and time and time again, your life may be perfect. I ain't even close. I just talked to my wife. No, I did not break my wife's arm. Some of you are thinking he beat his wife. Pray for her healing. What am I trying to say? When you've been reconciled to Christ, back to the Father, the things that repulse you, all of a sudden you'll have this overwhelming, And it's Jesus. It's not you. It is not you. It is Jesus. It's his love. No longer I that live, but Christ that lives through me. There are lifestyles that just repulse me. And yet I see people, and it seems like we've had this conversation many times. I'll go to a certain place, and these people are lost. And the Lord just says, love on them, Jeff. Give them a word of kindness, a word of compassion. If I open the door, Jeff, will you speak truth to them? Hello, somebody. You have people in your circle. Worship team, come on up. You have people in your circle that need to see Jesus in real life. Not the religious Jesus. Not the church Jesus. The Jesus that loves people right where they are. and helps them get to where he is and not afraid to do so. Luke chapter 14 verse 25, great crowds accompany him and Jesus turned to them and he said, listen carefully. If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brother, sister, yes, even his own life. These are hard words. He can't be my disciple. For which of you desiring to build a tower does not first down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it. Therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. With Jesus, it's all or nothing. My mom could not love my dad in that way, except for the fact she had died to herself and she had let Christ take full control of her life. Are you hearing me? It's when we die to ourself that God is able to live through us and minister to people. I'm not talking about being religious. I'm talking about ministering hope and the of Christ that we ourselves have experienced. When God is everything in our lives, we'll go where He says to go. We'll do what He says to do. And we'll say what He asks us to say. Somebody say amen. We sang this song earlier. We're going to sing it again as we close. But I think of Isaiah saying, here I am, Lord, send me. I've said that to the Lord a few times. in my life and there's a few times I started to say it and I didn't because I'm like you gonna ask me to do something I wanted to go to Florida 25 years ago and the Lord said go to Omaha it's his will not ours Jesus did not promise us comfort he promised us a cross Discipleship is an addition. It's an exchange. We trade our will for His will. And we give up our plans for His purpose. Paul calls us ambassadors for Christ. Ambassadors don't live for themselves. They represent their king or whoever their leader is. They are the face and voice of that leader. Sometimes representing our king means standing in unpopularity. and saying unpopular things. I'm going to close here in just a minute. I remember a trip. Did I talk about Abraham? I met Abraham in New Delhi, India a long time ago. He had come to know Christ. He was at a Bible school there and he couldn't go back to his home because he had accepted Christ. He lost his family, his home, friends. He was excommunicated because he had accepted Christ. He had such a glow about him, such a joy about him. Every summer, he'd leave Bible school and he'd come close to the area where he used to live and he would plant a church. He'd go back to school in the fall. Next summer, he'd come and he'd plant one or two churches. He had such a joy about him. There was a cost following Jesus. Remember when I was in high school, to be honest, I had three friends and really out of those three, I had one. And we were just kind of crazy Christians back then. Say anything at any time. Need a little bit more of that today. Following Jesus will cost you maybe family relationships. I'm just telling you, not everybody's going to be for you, but he's going to be for you. And he's going to empower you to live a life that honors him. This morning, Jesus invites you to his table, not because you deserve it, but because grace has made room for you. And then he calls you to take up your cross. Once you've been reconciled to Christ, he now sends you out as his ambassador. I believe the greatest days of Oxford Assembly are just, we're just on the verge of it. I believe that with all of my heart. God is doing a great work here. I believe we're going to see a move of the Holy Spirit that we see a harvest of souls that some in this room have been praying for for years. And he's, God, when is it going to happen? I believe God has prepared us for such a time as this to reach this region of Florida and beyond for his glory. and for his fame. Reconciled people, reconcile others. Stand with me this morning. Grace reshapes our generosity. Following Jesus costs everything but leads to the greatest eternal rewards. And finally, our calling mirrors Christ's mission that none perish. Just a moment. I'm going to ask if there are prayer team members, if you're here, if you would step out and just get in place. This is how I want to end this morning. While they're getting in place, can we just bow our heads and close our eyes just for a moment? If you're in this room and you know that Jesus is not the Lord of you, you're not living for Jesus, you know that. But you felt the tug of the Holy Spirit drawing you, drawing you to God this morning, sharing His love with you. And you want to put your Faith and Trust in Christ. You want to live for Him. You want to start that life and you're ready to surrender your all. No one's looking around. Would you just slip your hand up so I can pray with you? Say, I want to give my life to Christ today. I want to surrender to Him. I want Him to be the Lord of my life. Secondly, I want everyone to look this way. I just believe this prayer team is in place today and they would love to pray with you. Sometimes when we're talking about witnessing, sharing our faith with others, it can be intimidating. And we need a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit that gives us boldness. Boldness to love people. Boldness to give people the truth when it's not popular. Boldness to have compassion where in our natural ability we don't have compassion for certain people if we're honest with ourselves. In our flesh we don't have it. We need the Holy Spirit's power to help reconcile others to Christ. Christ. This ministry of reconciliation is for all of us. God wants to use you to lead someone to him that they might have eternal life as well. The team is going to begin to sing here in just a moment. And as they do, our prayer team is here for you. They're going to pray for you. Just pray a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit's power so that you can be a witness and be a part of this ministry of reconciliation that others will come to know Christ. as you have come to know him. Let me pray before we do that. Father, I thank you for your word today and I know that it will not return void. It has been sent forth and will accomplish everything that you desire it to accomplish. So Lord, today as we begin this altar ministry time, I pray Lord that you would, by your power, you would fill people with your spirit of boldness, Lord, to be your witnesses and to be involved in this ministry of reconciliation, Lord, that everyone in our circle of influence will have an opportunity. to meet Jesus as we know you and as we have met you. Pray you bless your sons and daughters, Lord, as we minister at the altar. And as some need to leave, we just bless them in the name of the Lord. And Lord, be sent out in your power by your spirit to be your witness everywhere that we go. In the mighty name of Jesus. So if you'd like prayer, we invite you to come at this time as the team begins to lead us. God bless you.
