Chris Hodges - New Faith
All right, who’s glad to be in church, anybody, anybody? Oh, you can do a little bit better than that. Come on, everybody. Happy New Year! So good to be with you on the first Sunday of the year. Let me take a moment, look straight into the camera, say hello to all of our campuses. We are one church that meets in multiple locations across Alabama and Georgia. We are also bringing not only this service but, I like to say, everything we are as a church, so we’re there between Sundays as well in all 28 correctional facilities here in the state of Alabama, and then, of course, we’re streaming this live and on demand later.
Grant’s Mill say hello to your church family! Come on, do the best you can! God bless you guys, love you so much. We really, really do. And we’re in week number one of a brand-new set of messages called «All Things New,» and I’ll tell you about that in a second, but I wanna take a few minutes on the front end to also let you know that we’re in day 1 of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. And if you’ve been a part of our church, you know that literally since the first part of our church, before we were a church actually, we started on February 4, 2001. We took January, that’s the reason why we have a February birth date, it’s because we took the first month of the year to actually pray and fast.
There were 34 of us in the living room of my home when we didn’t even know what was gonna happen here. There were 34 of us who were believing God for this new church plant, and look what the Lord has done over these years. We’re grateful to God for that. So this is our, actually our 25th annual 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, and we want to encourage all of you guys to come be a part of that. What that looks like is, is that we’re actually gonna have church for 22 straight days in a row here, okay? So, we’re gonna have, tomorrow morning we’ll be here at 6 a.m. for a one-hour service, a full band, we’ll have prayer, it’s powerful.
There will be thousands and thousands of people in attendance, We have traffic control at 5:30 in the morning to help people get on and off the campus. And it’s just a wonderful time where it’s not only corporate prayer together that I’m gonna lead tomorrow, but we’ll also have time for you to pray on your own, and then there’s tons of resources. That’s what your pastoral care update card is all about. Those actually will show up right here on the front of every auditorium, 6 a.m. And then we stream it live for those of you who just physically can’t come. If you physically can’t come, I would love for you to come. There’s nothing like being in the room, but we do stream it, so if you’re getting kiddos out to school or something like that, you can actually stream the services live.
And then they’re available on demand for 24 hours until our next prayer service on Tuesday morning, all right? And then on Saturdays, we don’t meet at 6 a.m., we meet at 9 a.m. Can I get a good «amen» for that, all right? Yeah, so we all get a little bit extra sleep on Saturdays, and then we start all over for three weeks. It’s a powerful, powerful time, and I want to encourage you to come be a part of that with us. It also includes fasting, and not many people know much about fasting, and people see this sometimes as an opportunity to lose a little weight after our indulgences throughout the Christmas season. Y’all this is not a diet, it’s a fast, all right? I heard one person say, «A diet changes the way you look, but a fast will change the way you see».
And we want you to, we want you to kinda have a God experience. I did hear this funny story that I told my kids, and we all busted out laughing, where Boudreaux texted his doctor after Christmas, said, «But doctor, I’m so overweight, I ate way too much. How do I lose some weight»? And the doctor texted back. He said, he said, «Don’t eat anything fatty». And so Boudreaux texted back and says, «You mean like hamburgers and fries»? He goes, «No, Fatty, don’t eat anything».
So anyway. That’s funny, I don’t care what y’all say. All right, all right, let’s get to the Word of God. This morning, I will share, I will share this with you. I think that’s so funny. I want to talk to you about fasting because, for a few minutes before I get into the first installment of our series just to make sure you know how to get this thing kicked off the right way, and I love teaching this. It’s been about seven years since I taught this. I wrote about this in my book on prayer and fasting called «Pray First». But it’s a story where they came to a crowd and a man approached Jesus, and the guy came and knelt before him, and he says, «Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and is suffering greatly».
The little boy was throwing himself into fire, so it was obviously a demon-inspired type of thing, and he threw him into the water. «Now I brought him to your disciples,» this is a key part of the story. He says, «But the disciples could not do anything about it». Now up to this point, you need to know Jesus actually sent his disciples out with his authority to, to pray for people who were sick, and everybody they prayed for got well. So, this was just an occasion where it just didn’t work, and so that’s what creates the confusion. But then Jesus diagnoses the problem with two words that I’ve highlighted in yellow there that I want you to see. 'Cause he said there’s two problems why the disciples were not able to drive this demon out.
He says, «O unbelieving and perverse generation». He said, «'How long shall I stay with you? How long should I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.' And Jesus,» of course, «was able to rebuke the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment». So if he diagnosed, he says the reason why the disciples couldn’t do it, why this was another level, if you will, the disciples couldn’t do it, and he gave us those two words. What do those words mean? And «unbelieving,» I would submit to you, let me just give you my definition, it means your faith is weak. You’re not connected enough with God. So you probably know this, you can be a Christian going to heaven and not experience all that God has to offer you.
So you’re just not connected enough with God. Maybe your prayer life is not in order right now and you’re not spending time with God. And so what happens is your faith weakens. And he says, «That’s your problem. You’re, you’re, you’re my disciples, and you’re unbelieving. You’re not connected enough». But then he said, «It’s not just an unbelieving issue, it’s also a perverse issue». And I would submit to you that the word, the definition of «perverse» means «and you’re too connected to the world». The word literally in the Greek means «corrupt». You’ve allowed corruption inside of your spiritual life, and by the way, that’s every single one of us. Every one of us are looking at things we shouldn’t look at, saying things we shouldn’t say, thinking things we shouldn’t think. We’ve allowed corruption and pollution, if you will, into the spiritual ecosystem of our life.
Again, you’re still going to heaven, you’re a Christian, but you’re corrupted, it’s perverse. And Jesus said, «And that’s why you might», watch this now, «you might be successful in some areas of your spiritual life but not others, because you’re unbelieving and perverse». Let’s finish the story. «So then the disciples came to Jesus in private,» and they did that in private 'cause they were embarrassed that they weren’t able to do this, right? And they said, «Why couldn’t we drive it out»? And Jesus said, «Because it’s, it’s a faith issue,» which I’ve already explained to you. He says, «I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. And nothing will be impossible for you».
And then he finishes it with what I would submit to you is the diagnosis and, and basically the prescription of how to fix the unbelief and the perversion, «But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting,» because prayer is what connects us and gets us closer to God. And your opportunity coming into these 21 days is to have this intensive prayer focus that we obviously can’t do 365 days a year, but we take these first 21, and we’re gonna really lean in, and we’re gonna, you know, for me, I know this, I’ll be praying more over these next 21 days than is my normal, which means my faith level is gonna rise because I’m more connected to God. But it’s not just that, it’s also fasting, which disconnects us from the world.
And the reason why I taught you all of that is to teach you the right idea about fasting, because in some religious environments they’ve taught fasting as penance. It’s suffer, suffer for God, you know, just create as much pain as you can in your body and in your life to prove you love God. And there’s not one Scripture in the Bible that suggests that. In fact, God does not want you to suffer. God wants you to be healthy and whole. Can I get a good «amen,» everybody, all right? You don’t owe God penance and some type of suffering to prove how holy you are. What we’re simply trying to do with our fast is say, «Hey, what is in my life that I can push out of my life that connects me to the world right now so I can disconnect from it»?
And of course, food is primarily the way we fast because it was Adam and Eve, they lost their dominion and their connection with God by what they ate in that garden, right? And so a lot of us, for what we’ve done for years is just take this season to like, «You know what? I’m gonna push the plate aside. I know I really want that, but I’m gonna push the plate aside». But that’s not the only way you can fast. In fact, in the Bible there are four, and I’ll finish with this, and that is what’s called a Complete Fast. In a complete fast, you’ll see it throughout Scripture, where you’re just, you’re not eating any food, maybe juices or maybe water only. For years, I did water only fast.
I actually don’t fast that way as much anymore, not extended fast anymore. As I got older, it became a little bit more difficult on the other side of it. But God may lead you to a complete fast. If you do, make sure you have, you know, medical supervision, especially if you’re own medications, and just make sure you use good common sense there, okay? It’s very important if you choose to do something like that. The second and most popular type of fast is what I call a Selective Fast. You may have heard a Daniel Fast, and that’s where you’re selecting certain foods to remove from your diet over, over a season. So, the Daniel Fast is no meat, sweets, and bread, so eat all you want, but, you know, you’re more focused on fruits, and vegetables, and things like that. But you pick your own. You may want to pick a certain food item or items that you’re not gonna be a part of, maybe, maybe just 21 days of no sugar, maybe whatever it is for you.
The third one is what I call a Partial Fast, and that’s where you’re not thinking about which foods you’re gonna eliminate, you’re just gonna do it partially throughout the day. Meaning, you might, you might fast all day and eat the evening meal, or something, some sort of that. And then the last one, I think I actually coined this phrase that a lot of churches are teaching now, which I’m grateful for, is what I call a Soul Fast. Because your issue really isn’t food, it’s what you’re allowing into your mind and into your emotions, like, and namely your phone, and digital, and the news, and just the things that keep us connected that mess up our emotions. And honestly, there’s a bunch of us, if not all of us, that need a little digital detox. Can I get a better «amen» out there? You really, you really do.
And maybe, you know, I know for me, I’m off, I actually don’t, I actually don’t, I don’t actually do all of my social media. I have a team that does that for me, but I don’t look at it or anything. I’m completely disconnected from those medias. You need to make your smartphone a little dumb for 21 days. Come on, everybody, right? So just, just consider that. Maybe you’re not gonna watch anything secular, no movies nor music that’s secular for 21 days and just, just the Word of God, you know, just whatever. The Lord will show you what to do. But I do want you to make your decision. I taught you that to say we’re starting 21 Days. If Highlands is your home, I want everybody to be in the spirit of this fast, 'cause all of us can do some version of some of those, and you do whatever the Lord shows you to do and watch what God does as you get more connected to him and disconnected from the world, all right.
So, we talked about this at Christmastime, that I really believe, and we believe, as a leadership team, that this is the year of new beginnings. And honestly, if I’m very honest with you, God would make this the theme of every year, 'cause he is the God of new beginnings. The Lord has every intention, lean in for a second, of not making you have to pay for what you did. He has no desire to keep bringing up the past. He likes everything brand-new. That’s who your God is. In fact, I had the grandkids with me all, all week, and Tammy and I were just home all week playing, playing with the kiddos and spending time with family, and it was absolutely fabulous, fabulous week.
But then I’d break away for a little while and go up to my computer and maybe do 30 minutes of study, and I had the best study week, and I just looked up every place in Scripture where God talks about, «I’m the God of brand-new things, I want new, I want new beginnings in your life». And there are so many Scriptures. Let me, let me show you a few of my favorite. Isaiah chapter 43 has, has to be one of the best where God says, «Forget the former things; and do not dwell on 2024 and before that. See, I am doing a,» say it aloud, «I’m doing a new thing»! That’s just who he is. Let’s don’t talk about the past. Let’s do a, let’s do a new thing. And then he says, «Now it springs up,» so I’m ready if you are, like, now it springs up. And then he says, «Do you not perceive it»?
Almost as if to say, you probably don’t perceive it. You’re still wrapped up in the wrong things. «I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland». Let’s go to the New Testament, 2 Corinthians chapter 5. He says, «Therefore, if you’re a Christian, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, and the new is here»! So I don’t know if you even know this, that when you get saved, he has no intention of taking the old you and just reforming it, putting some paint on it, or teaching it how to do good things. No, he wants to get rid of the old and give it brand-new. You’re brand-new. And he says, «All of this is from God, who,» and I love this word, and it’s actually a very important word, «who reconciled us to himself through Christ and then gave us the ministry of reconciliation».
In other words, once we receive it, we’re to do it to others, and I’ll tell you more about that in just a second. But the word «reconciled» literally means «bring the balance to zero». Like, you owe nothing, there’s no pass, he wipes the slate clean. He brings the balance to zero. I don’t know if you’ve ever reconciled a bank statement before. I sure hope you have. We may talk about that another day. We need to reconcile our bank statements so that what the bank says you have and what you say you have matches. And if you’ve ever done it the old-school way, I still do all the finances for us, I love it. I do it once a week, honestly, for just a little bit of entertainment. I just love it. Tammy brings in all the receipts, she calls 'em out, and I’m typing 'em in, and then we do reconcile.
And when you get it right, I use quicken, and when you get it right, I use Quicken, and when you get it right, the balance comes to, you know, to a zero 'cause they match, and then on Quicken, balloons pop up and we have a little party. It’s awesome, all right, so, okay, all right. God wants to have balloons pop up and have a little party. He really does. He wants to take the junk that you’ve been carrying around forever, how you feel about yourself, what’s happened to you, all of that, what you’ve done, and he’s ready to say, «You know what? Let’s just make, let’s just, let’s just wipe the slate clean,» balloons, party. He’s an all things new kind of a God. Can I get a better «amen» out there, everybody? He’s an all-things-new kind of a God. Even the end of the Bible, you go to the last page of the Bible, «Behold, I am making all things new». This is how God treats us.
Now listen to me, when I say that, he doesn’t take what happened and say, «Let’s just put some blood on it. We’re gonna, we’re gonna wash it, we’re gonna cover it in the blood of Jesus. That’s true, and I’m gonna forgive you for that. Now it’s still there, but I forgave you». That’s not what the Bible says, 'cause he doesn’t just forgive, he forgets, so it’s not there and covered, it’s not there. So that if you ever bring up what happened in the past, even though it is forgiven, God doesn’t go, «Yeah, I forgave you of that». He goes, «I have not a clue what you’re talking about». Like, the all-knowing God chooses not to know that, poof, that’s awesome. So like, even though you’re thinking about it, he can’t, 'cause he’s chosen to forget it.
I’ll show it to you in Psalm 103: «He does not treat us as our sins deserve». Can we stop for three seconds, and put our hands together, and just thank him for that sentence right there? Thank God, whoo! 'Cause none of us, none of us are getting what we deserve. «He does not treat us as our sins deserve,» that ought to be your favorite verse in the Bible, «or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens or above the earth, so great is his love for those who,» worship him, respect him, are in awe, «fear him; as far as the east is from the west,» which is an infinite direction that he separates, «he removes our transgressions from us». Hebrews 8 actually says it: «For I will not only forgive their wickedness, I will remember them no more».
He makes the choice to remove them from his own database, so to speak, of his memory, out of his mind, so that if you ever brought it up to God, God didn’t even know what you’re talking about. I love it in the message where it says, «They’ll get to know me because I’m so kind in the way I forgive them, with the slate of their sins forever, forever, forever wiped clean». Now that, if that doesn’t make you love God and understand that he wants to make your life brand-new. We need to, we need to celebrate that and know what to do with that. So I got digging even more about just the idea of just how he wipes the slate clean and makes all things new, and I ran across something that I knew of and that I don’t think I’ve ever taught to Church of the Highlands in, in these 24 years, and that is the concept of something that was written into the law of Moses in the third book of the Bible, the book of Leviticus, called the year of jubilee.
So I want to read it to you. It’s in Leviticus chapter 25, and if you want the whole context, go read the whole chapter. The whole chapter is on the year of jubilee, but let me just let you look at this one verse. Where God says, «Hey, I’m gonna make this the law, that every 50 years, we’re gonna proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. And it’s gonna be a year of jubilee». And throughout the other places in the Bible, it’s called the year of the Lord’s favor. So what is that? Well, basically, it was a divine reset where everyone could start over. That actually was a law. Everybody got a do-over throughout every, every burden of the past. I mean, your debts were canceled, so like whatever’s on your credit card, it’s zero now, everybody.
By the way, not only were all your debts canceled, but you had to cancel everybody else’s debts. You didn’t say «amen» there, did you? And let me just pause here for a moment and say, and a lot of us are often wanting things from God that we’re not willing to extend to others, and I’m telling you, you’re blocking the grace of God in your own life when you do that. What would it look like if you stepped in with a clean slate, but also, decide, you know, for all the things that I’m holding against other people, and I’m just gonna wipe it away out of their heart. I’m gonna tell you, you say, Well, it’s not gonna be fair 'cause they, they still owe me. I’m telling you, you will be the beneficiary of that more than them. When your, when your heart’s make clean and right. Can I hear a good «amen,» everybody?
All right, debt’s canceled. There was freedom from every bondage, so if there were any slavery or if anybody in prison, they just, they let, they just let 'em go. And by the way, there’s some of ya, you’ve been in bondage, and in slavery, and prison over some things for a long time. It’s a, it’s a part of your life that’s just stayed with your life. It has attached itself to you, and you almost have made it a part of like a, a family member, that habit, that addiction, that thing that just won’t leave. Look at me, please listen to me, it’s time, it’s time for actually just to walk away from, clean slate, and break away from the bondage in our lives. There was a restoration of what was taken, or what was lost, so basically, land and property were returned to the original owners.
And then finally, they weren’t able to farm in the year of jubilee, so you couldn’t sow anything and you couldn’t reap anything 'cause you had to receive provision from the Lord, and the Lord supernaturally provided for them more than what they could have done had they farmed their own lands. That was the year of jubilee. Okay, when Jesus shows up, literally one of the first times he goes to church, so to speak, «He went to Nazareth, where he’d been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue,» and I just had to highlight this, I am so sorry, «as was his custom». In other words, he went to church just because it was the day to go to church. He didn’t ask if he felt like going it the church. It was his custom to go to, I raised, I was raised in a, in a household where we didn’t ask, we never asked Dad, «Hey, are we going to church tomorrow»?
If it was Sunday, you’re going to church 'cause it was our custom. Now I know I’m preaching to the wrong people. Y’all are the ones in the seats right now. But we have this growing trend in America, pause while I step on this soapbox for a second, this growing trend in America where people are going to church less. They’re kind of doing the online thing or nothing at all, knowing they can go when they want. Currently, America’s at about 1.7 times a month. I don’t know what that .7 looks like. They just get up in the middle of the sermon? I don’t know, but okay. But Jesus is like, «No, if it’s Sunday, I’m there». And I just wonder what it would look like if we were a group of people who said that. Like, we’re gonna, we’re gonna raise our kids, like if it’s Sunday, we going to church! I mean, I grew up, if you was throwing up, like, dad said, «Get a bag, you can throw up at church».
Like, we were going to church. And I just would love to initiate a new movement in America. I think we’d get pretty good here in Highlands. But come on, guys, if it’s our, let’s make it our custom. And for all you bathrobe Christians that are watching online right now, come on back in the room. We’d love to have you back, all right? Sorry, I’m just, I kid, I just, not really, okay. And then, let me get off that, back to the regular message. «He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him,» so he’s opening the Bible in church.
He’s reading it, and when he, when he read it, «It was written,» this portion, where it says, «The Spirit of the Lord is on me,» because I came to earth, and he’s basically pointing to himself while he’s reading this, «because he’s anointed me to proclaim the good news,» I’m here to save people from their sins, «And he sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners,» like, I don’t just want to save you, I want to help you get over that addiction, that habit, «recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim,» the year of jubilee, «the year of the Lord’s favor». He basically stood in the, in the temple there, in the synagogue and said, «I am the fulfillment of the year of jubilee».
Now let me tell you something that kind of ruins my series a little bit, okay? He’s willing to do this in February too. Like, we didn’t have to wait for January 1. He’s willing to do this on Monday, and Thursday, and next Friday, and in April, and in October. Every time you go to him, he goes… 'cause that’s who he is. Now we use the power of the new year to say, «Hey…» but at any time you come to Jesus, he forgives and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. I can’t help it, one more time, give him some praise, everybody, right, yes, yes! That’s who he is! That’s who he is. But if you wanted to realize the power of the year of jubilee through the person of Jesus Christ, what does it look like? And I’ll close, as I always do, with some actionable points here, because I don’t like inspiring, like, «Whoo, praise God,» and you don’t know what to do.
So I’m gonna give you three, and then we’ll go, all right? And here’s the first one is and that is repent, and I wanted to use this very strong word on purpose today, repent. Now, repent is not the bullhorn guy in the front of the football stadium, «Repent»! That’s not what it is. Repent’s actually a positive word in the Bible, and it literally means «you’re heading this direction, hey, turn around, go this way». And there are some of you in this room, you’re listening to my voice right now, you know who you are, and you’re headed in the wrong direction with the wrong person, wrong crowd, wrong thinking, wrong pursuits, you know it. You’re looking at the wrong thing. Turn around, turn around. But not enough, turn around and then go all in with God.
And what I mean by that, you say, «What do you mean by 'go all in with God? '» I mean, how many of you can actually say, «I’ve done that»? «What do you mean? Like, I go to church every Sunday». I don’t ask myself, I, I’m all in. I every day spend time with God, every day. Now, do I miss? I miss. But I’m just saying, I’m gonna go all in with God. I’m gonna, I’m gonna… when I worship, I don’t like, «…Praise God». No, no, don’t even do it if you’re gonna do it that way. I’m gonna worship my God. If the Bible says clap your hands, shout to God, lift your hands, I’m gonna do it the way he wants to do it, 'cause I’m going all in with God. That’s what I’m doing. And some of you don’t even know what your life would look like if you did go all in with God, like did the whole play, like really give him your, like I’m coming not for a few mornings just when my, my alarm goes off right… no, no, no.
If it’s 6 o’clock for 21 Days, count me in, I’ll be there, 'cause why? 'Cause I’m going all in with God, and I’m gonna tell you what’s gonna happen, okay? I’m telling that for your benefit, not for ours. I’m telling, if you did, you’re gonna love the life you have in God. In fact, here’s how the Bible says it: «Repent, and turn to God,» literally means give him your best, «so that your sins may be wiped out,» and fresh, clean slate. And on the other side of it, comma, «times of refreshing,» like a life you didn’t even know you could be experiencing.
Now, I know this one full well, because I’m a pastor on staff for years and, as I told you, My home church has been doing prayer and fasting since, since, you know, I was 19 years old when I did my first prayer and fasting time, so this is my 43rd year to start the year with prayer and fasting. Now, don’t be too impressed because those first years I was fasting like broccoli and cauliflower. Come on, somebody, where y’all at? Okay, our pastor left us up to do whatever we wanted, and then in 1999, I literally had one of the worst years of my life, circumstantially, stories I haven’t even told and never will, can’t, I can’t tell, that went on in my family and different. It was horrible, it was horrible. And then I went through a depression. It was just horrible. I was, and I’m not a depressed type of person at all. That’s not even my personality, it’s not that way, and man, I’m miserable.
Now I never thought about taking my life, but I was ready to end basically what was my life. I was going to stay alive, but I was ready to check out of everything, and I decided I’m gonna, I’m gonna check myself into a facility. Only Tammy knew this part of the story. I said, «Somebody’s gotta help me». I was convinced it was biological and medical. And, and then the fast rolls around of 2000, and I said, «Okay, I’m giving God 21 more days». But then I went all in. It was the first time I did a water-only fast, and I’m not projecting that on anybody. I’m just telling you my story. But I did this water-only fast, which was incredibly difficult, until about day 5, and then I had this euphoric spiritual closeness with God that I can’t even hardly describe. It was as if he was sitting right next to me every day talking in my ear. It was the most amazing time.
On day 17, I had what the Bible describes as an open vision, and I saw what I’m looking at right now. Now, I lived in Baton Rouge, and I saw this room with those sloped floors, I mean, I saw this. Didn’t know where it was, I didn’t even know I was the pastor of it, but I was this vantage point, standing right here. Hope flooded my life and my heart. I got so happy, so joyful. My depression was immediately gone. That’s not everybody’s story. That’s what happened to me though. So that after the fast, I went and I told the story to my pastor, and he said, «Chris, it’s time to go plant a church, start a church».
And that’s what led me to, to Birmingham, Alabama on December 26, 2000, Tammy and I moved here with everything we owned in a trailer, not a truck. We could pull, we didn’t have much. We came here, didn’t know a single person in town, and the rest is history, and honestly, I’ve, I’ve had ups and downs, but this has been the joy of my life to be a part of this and to God, God gets all the glory. But I am convinced, I’m convinced that I got so desperate for God that I went all in with God. And I want to say this to you as a pastor, don’t wait to get desperate.
Now, does God create bad situations? My theology says no, but he will use it, and he’ll make you get desperate enough to go after him, and I’m saying, just go after him anyway. And what would it look like? What would it look like? And you know what I’m talking about, don’t make me define this for you. What if you really, in every area, your prayer, your Bible reading, your attendance, like you went all in with God? I’m gonna tell you what happened. The effort you put in is gonna determine what you get out of it. And some of you are dissatisfied with your life and your spirituality, but it’s not God’s fault, it’s yours. And you need to put more effort into that, and that’s why I can confidently stand here every year and give you that one year-challenge that’s become almost a thing.
In fact, there’s another pastor who picked that up, and he’s writing a book called «The One-Year Challenge». He called me and asked me permission, «Can I write a book on that thing you keep telling your congregation»? I said, «Brother, go ahead and do it. I’ll write the foreword for you. Man, just go for it, man». And, and, 'cause, 'cause people get it. Like, what would it look like if I actually went all in with God? You’d like the life that God would give you. Say «amen» right there, everybody. All right, here’s number two. You cannot go to the new hanging on to the old. And for some of us, we have markers in our roads. Like, if I asked you to tell me your story, tell me your story, tell me, give me the two-minute version of your life story, you’re gonna, you’re gonna have markers, this happened, this, all right? For some of you, you have markers in the wrong place. You’re marked by some things that have happened to you in the past.
It’s your history, hurts, and habits. And at some point, the past has to be the past, and if God is forgetting it, at what point do we say, «You know what? I need to move on from it too». That’s why I say some of you are carrying your old habits into every single year. You’re trying a lot harder, but you still have these issues, right, where your flesh is controlling your life, which is why I love this fast so much, 'cause for 21 days, we tell our flesh, «No! No, you can’t eat that, you can’t look at that, you can’t have that». And your body will scream at you, and you say, «No»! 'Cause the Bible says, «This is the kind of fasting I’ve chosen: to loose the chains,» of that thing that’s attached to you, «to untie the cords, to set the oppressed free and to break,» the thing that is just weighing you down, «that yoke,» and that’s why I’m encouraging every one of you to, like, at some point, we’ve gotta, why not this fast?
Let it go, move on from the history, hurts, and habits, because I can’t start the next chapter of my life, I can’t do 2025, if I keep rereading 2024. I’m preaching about 43,5% better. Then y’all just say «amen,» all right? Come on, everybody, this is good, yes. And here’s the last one. So I’m just trying to help you. Like, if you were to really do this, have you were to have a new faith, God’s giving me a new start, and I’m gonna do new faith. I’m telling you, you can’t do it without repentance, and going all in with God, and then settling yesterday once and for all. And then finally, let me set it up this way, so when the slate’s clean, it wasn’t so that your slate’s just empty. We clean the slate because the wrong thing’s written on the slate. We gotta write the right thing on it now, and what is the right thing? It’s your God-given purpose.
Like, the reason why your life has this slate full of stuff is 'cause it’s the wrong stuff, but when he cleans it, he wants to write something new on it. So, God wants to say something to you, I’m just the mouth. God wants to tell you, «I have plans for you, and they’re not to harm you. There are plans to give you a hope and a future, I have plans». There are some things God wanted me to tell you that I want to write on your slate, ones you’ll never want cleaned off, 'cause it’s the right thing, why? «'Cause we are God’s workmanship, masterpiece. He created us anew,» cleaned the slate, but not to leave it empty, «It was so that we can do good things that he intended for us to do».
You say, «PC, how do I do that»? If you’ve never been water baptized, go get dumped, everybody. «But I have lunch plans». I don’t care. Call them and say, «I’ll be 30 minutes late». «But I don’t have any clothes to change in». We have them for you, no excuses. Like, no really like, go do this, like, join the church. Step one of the Growth Track’s tonight at 6 o’clock. Come back. «We have plans». Do 'em next Sunday. Change 'em so that you can jump in and become a member of the church. Like, you need to know what your church is all about. Just do that, just decide, «I am gonna, nah, no excuses, I’m gonna, I’m gonna get some right things written on my life». And I promise you, you’ll start off the right way in every way.
Some of you have a call of God on your life. Some of you have wondered if you shouldn’t be a student at Highlands College, and I’m not talking about the college-aged students that are going into full-time ministry, some of you guys want it for your business, and you want it for your… and you need to be a part of Highlands College Leadership Institute. If you don’t even know what that is, go to highlandscollege.edu and look it up, 'cause this time, «if you’re like, I know what, I’m gonna get more intentional with my life,» and watch what God does in your life, why? 'Cause I’m trying to take you on a journey, if you’ll let me, to really, really know God, and really, really find freedom, and really, really discover your purpose so you can really do what your life’s really all about and that’s make a difference.
So let me tell you a little personal side of this. When you’re here, when you’re here trying to get you guys to do that, you’re using all your best words, your best jokes, your best everything, the best Scripture, like, you’re, you’re trying to be persuasive in the most nice, encouraging way, okay? That’s not what’s going on the inside of me though. I’m like, «Ah, come on». That’s what… but I can’t do that, that’d, like, be so offensive, and I liken it to using the horn in your car when you’re driving. So, I’m a honker, where my honkers at? Honkers, honkers, honkers? Love y’all.
Okay, Tammy hates that part of me, hates it. It’s like… She goes, «Chris, don’t do that. They probably go to our church». I’m like, «Good, I’m their pastor, and they can learn something»! You know, like us, we just, we don’t see eye to eye with this. Even when she’s driving, I’m like… She, like, slaps my hand, «Stop, stop, stop». Okay, okay, 'cause I like to honk, but she’s convinced me it’s rude, so I don’t. I do the Christian version that goes, «Beep, beep». That’s either just like, «Hmm,» you know? Okay, oh, so, so not too long ago, I work, my office is at Grandview and I’m in South Shelby County, so I’m going on down 280, and you get off of 280 in a double-lane left turn lane on Brook Highland Parkway.
That’s what… I’m on that, I’m in it every day, every day, which means I know how many people can get through one light cycle if everybody go! Right, so I need everybody to play along, and then I’m getting through it in one, all right. And I was in it not too long ago, and I was right on the edge of making it. And I noticed, 'cause I could see in a little side mirror, the girl in front of me. She looked young, I don’t know, but she had the thumbs going. She’d used the occasion that was a red light to check Instagram or… and I just know, it’s gonna turn green, she’s not gonna see, I’m gonna miss it. And then Tammy’s voice is in my head, «Don’t honk, don’t honk, don’t honk». And so, so it turns green, and I go, «Beep beep, beep beep». I just gave it a little «beep beep». And she went… and we missed it, so, We missed it, all right, so. But inside, I was going, «Ugh»! Okay? Okay, there’s times I’m standing here, I just want to go, «Ugh»! So let me tell you what it would sound like if I did.
Now, I’m not saying it, I’m not gonna say this, I’m just gonna tell you what I would say if I did that, but I’m not saying it. You’re gonna pay for your own sins? That’s ridiculous. Like, he wants to know you, and he paid a high price. Like, he, he went to a cross and you’re worried about water? And really, one more year? Come on, man, not another year, let’s get, let’s get free from that, and don’t you want to know what you’re on the planet for? And don’t you want some fulfillment in your life so you’re not just a Monday through Friday, thank God it’s Friday person? Like, no, man, let’s change the world together. But I’m not gonna say it that way. But I will tell you this, the light’s green, like, you can, you can go. The light’s green everybody, the light’s green, okay? All right, let’s pray, let’s pray.
So Father, I did my part. Now I’m asking you to put inside of them courage, determination, a no-excuses kind of attitude to give you their best.
Heads bowed, eyes closed. If you’re here today and you need to get right with God, you need to get right with God, maybe you’re a Christian and you’re just backslidden, maybe you don’t know what you are, but you’re ready, you’re ready to give God your best and go all in with God, you’re ready to surrender to his Lordship, I’m not gonna have you stand up, I’m not gonna call you to the front, but I am gonna ask you to lift your hand, if that’s you, and say, «Count me in that prayer». If that’s you, you wanna be included in this prayer of commitment to God, one, two, three, lift it high right now, all over this room, just literally all over this room, thank God, thank God. Slip it down. Now pray this prayer in your heart. Say:
Jesus, I am so sorry for living my life without you, and today I commit my life to you to the degree that you gave me your life and you gave me your all, so you’re getting my all, everything. Be the Lord of my life, be the Lord, because I believe you’re the Son of God who rose from the dead, and today I put my faith in you, in your name I pray, amen and amen.