Chris Hodges - New Fitness
All right, who’s glad to be in church today, anybody, anybody? How about we put our hands together and give God some great praise together, everybody? It’s awesome! Good to see you guys. Welcome to week number two of our series called «All Things New,» and I’ll tell you more about that in just a second, but as always, let me take a second, look straight into the camera, and say hello to all of our campuses, locations. We are one church that meets in 26 campuses all across Alabama and Georgia. Of course, we have the incredible honor, still can’t believe it’s this is, this is our story. It’s such a beautiful story to be able to be in all 28 of Alabama’s Department of Corrections facilities right now, praise God for that.
And by the way, our team is working with Georgia right now to get into the facilities there as well, so God bless you guys. Of course, there are people that are watching live online right now somewhere around the world and later on demand. We’re so glad you’re here. Come on, Grants Mill, like you’ve done it for the first time, say a big hello! Oh, a big hello! God bless you guys. Hey, and before I jump into the message, let me give you a quick little update on the fires out in Los Angeles. What a devastating thing that’s happening there, and I think if you were part of Highlands, you would already know this to be true, that literally the second those things happen, we build margin into our finances so we don’t have to take offerings for stuff like that. Literally, the second it happened, our Disaster Response teams were already on the way.
This week, I mean literally the day after it happened, we sent two 18-wheeler loads full of water, and we’re helping people, and we’re working with about 30 churches there that are not only helping them with their practical needs, but also giving them Jesus, everybody. And yeah, so I just wanna let you know, you’re well represented there, and I wanna thank you for your generosity. We’re not gonna take an offering for this because you’re already so generous. Just, just keep tithing, keep giving, and just know that every time you do, you know, it goes to places you’ll never physically go, but you’re there. I want you to know you’re in Los Angeles County right now helping people in Jesus’s name. Amen, everybody, you got it?
All right, and also, you already know this, but we are in the second week of 21 Days of Prayer. We started our church with 21 Days of Prayer 24 years ago, and it goes through the 5th through the 25th. This is our second week. Today is day 8, and if you’ve not jumped in with this, I always tell people, don’t feel like if you missed the first day that you can’t jump into the rest of it. We would love for you guys to join us. Last two days, unfortunately, the weather got us and we weren’t able to meet in person, but we still had online services. But tomorrow morning, we’ll be back right here at 6 a.m., and I’m gonna invite every single one of you. If you can physically come, come. We’ve had record turnout. The momentum’s been great, so I kinda hate that the weather got us the last couple of days, but we’ll be back.
And if you can’t join us in person, it streams live online at 6 a.m. Central Time, and then it’s on demand for 24 hours if you’d like to have your own prayer time later throughout the day, but it’s a great time, and also the fasting. I just encourage everybody, we don’t tell you how to fast, we just encourage you to fast, to have something that you’re pushing aside that helps you disconnect from the world. I taught on it last Sunday if you missed that, and I would love for you to go check that message out. We’re in week number two of a four-part series based off of the theme that we feel like the Lord led us to this year, the year of new beginnings, in a series that’s called «All Things New». We believe we serve a God, come on, somebody, that’ll give you this do-over, this fresh start, this clean slate.
You know, he’ll take that Etch A Sketch, and just shake it, and then everything’s gone, and just gives you that fresh start. And by the way, even though the new year kind of puts us in the mindset where we can receive that better, the Lord will do that for you in February, and then June, and on Tuesdays. He’ll do it all throughout your year. Every time you call on the name of the Lord, he’s so good everybody, that when you call on his name, the Bible says he’ll forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness if you’ll just turn to him. We serve a great God. Can I hear a great «amen» about that right there? Yeah, it’s true. In fact, all throughout the Bible, last week, I covered, literally cover to cover, the places that show theologically how this is true, how God is this do-over, fresh start, brand-new kind of God, and it ended with, even in heaven, «And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making, '» say it out loud, everybody, «I am making all things… New».
That’s who he is. And a verse that I didn’t share with you last week is one of my favorite. I just, I love it so much, 'cause it just shows the heart of God, and that’s my job is to make sure you understand the heart of God for you. This is in Micah chapter 7: «Who is a God like you»? And let me answer that question. There is no one like our God, «who pardons sins, forgives your transgressions of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry,» and I love this line, «but he delights to show mercy,» like, it’s one of the best parts of his day when he can let you off the hook. He loves it, he just loves it. You need to know your God is not going, «All right, I’ll forgive you again, but you behave your», He’s not doing that. He delights to show mercy. «And you will again have compassion on us; you tread our sins underfoot and hurl all of our iniquities into the depths of the sea».
We talked about that last week. He doesn’t just forgive, he forgets. He chooses. The all-knowing God has chosen to forget one thing. There’s one thing that God doesn’t know, and that is the sins you’ve confessed to him, he remembers them no more. Can we take five seconds and give our God some praise for that, just for how he treats us? Come on, come on, praise him, yes! All right, so to me, and I made this case last week, the only appropriate response is, then if he’s gonna do that, then we’re gonna respond with all of our heart. We’re gonna go all in with God. I’d love for you, again, to catch that message. If you missed it, we called it «New Faith». We’re having a new faith, a new, new attitude toward our Christianity and our faith in God in 2025. It’s gonna look different than 2024.
Today we’re gonna talk about new fitness, and you’re looking at me going, you have no moral authority to talk about that, sir. No, I know, I know. I always tell people, «I’m in shape». I said, «Round’s a shape». Come on, everybody, right? I heard one guy say, I heard one guy say, «If God wanted me to touch my toes, he’d have put 'em closer up to my hands, up here, you know»? All right, so anyway, I do work out, I do a little bit, I know it’s hard to believe. I just, I have the spiritual gift of eating. Can I hear a good «amen,» everybody, right? And, but I do know physical training is very, very important, and I work very hard to try to stay in some kind of shape as well, you know.
But I want you to hear what the Bible has to say, 'cause we’re gonna talk about fitness but perhaps in a way that you’re not really thinking, and that is «For physical training does have values,» so we’re not disparaging the importance of just physical fitness. And in January, everybody’s kind of thinking about it, or you probably have some new routine that you put back into place, at least for a few more days. But it also says, «But godliness,» godly body training, so there’s a physical body training, muscles and cardio and all of that, «but godliness has value for all things, holding promise,» that’s an interesting word. In other words, if you, if you get your body in shape, there’s a promise attached to it, and it’s not just so you can go to heaven.
So a lot of times people think, «Man, I need to live right, get my body in shape, and you know, behave myself bodily so God will accept me in heaven». Listen to me, that’s bad theology. Jesus paid it all, all your sins past, present, and future. You cannot be your own Savior. You cannot like, «Oh, I’m gonna work my way into heaven by behaving myself». That is not how it happens. Jesus paid it all, all right? You need to know that. So, this, the training that I’m talking about and the fitness I’m talking about is for the «present life and the life to come».
I’m talking about it has promise for us right now. God, let me say it this way, has a plan for your life. He has something in mind for you, and that’s why you hear me all the time saying, «Come on, go all in with God. He’s got some great things for you. God has great plans for your life». I talked about it on Wednesday night. If you didn’t come to First Wednesday, you ought to go, if you have a few minutes, go and watch the message that I preached on Wednesday night, 'cause we basically just dissected and studied the 23rd Psalm, probably the most famous Psalm of all 150 Psalms, and at the end of it, in verses 5 and 6, it says this, that God really wants to «anoint your head with oil».
The anointing is the part where God settles on your life for a purpose that makes you better than yourself. It’s probably the best description of the anointing that I can describe. And you say, «Well, that’s for pastors,» or, «That’s for more holy people than me». No, no, no, everybody look in my eyes, God wants to put his hand on your life for a purpose that when you’re doing that purpose, you say, «Wait a minute, I’m not this good. God’s helping me right now, God’s helping right now». And then when that happens, he’ll back it up by making your cup overflow, meaning he’ll give you more than you need so you can give to the people around you. You never pray for your own needs. Pray for more than you need so you have something to give. Are y’all listening to me, everybody? And then you’ll say, «Oh, surely goodness and mercies follow me all the days of my life». I’d be like, «My goodness, This is the life I’ve always was intended to live».
And listen to me, this is the life you were always intended to live, but there’s a condition, and it’s all about fitness, and it’s found in the verse on Wednesday night. I was gonna teach it, but we ran out of time, and so I told you, if you were here, I would teach it on Sunday, and here it is, and that is that «In a large house,» the Bible says, «there are articles not only of gold and silver,» so there’s some precious things in your house, and there are some disposable things in your house, «some for special purposes, some for common use. And those who,» notice the language now, it’s very important you notice this, «those who cleanse themselves». And you’re thinking, «Wait a minute, I thought Jesus cleansed me». He cleansed your spirit so that the moment you die or step into eternity, listen to me, no matter what you’ve done, past, present, future, Jesus has paid it all, all right?
So when you stand before God, you’re perfect, holy, cleansed, pure in the spirit part of who you are. But this is talking about the thing here on earth, our bodies. And it’s saying, you know, after you get saved, after your eternity is secured, you need to now let God start working on, on your body, «cleansing yourselves from the latter,» why? «So it can be used for special purposes, useful for the Master». One translation says, «A vessel for honor,» and this is my goal today, «sanctified,» and here’s our word, «fit, fit for the Master’s use». My goal today is to take you on a journey to help you realize that if, that now after you’ve given your life to Jesus and you’re going to heaven, Jesus has paid it all, then now we’re gonna go through a process here on earth where God starts to work out our lives and makes this vessel that I live in fit for the purposes of God. And the next line says, so, «Flee evil desires».
Now he’s talking to Christians here, talking to those of us that have some stuff going on in our life, listen to me, that don’t disqualify you from heaven, because Jesus is the only reason you’re going to heaven. Are y’all following this, everybody? But it can disqualify you for some things on earth, and it can make you not useful and not fit. «So flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the name of the Lord with a pure heart». So the question of the day is: then how do we get fit? And here’s what you need to understand. We are triune beings. And again, I’m trying to make sure you keep your theology straight so you don’t get into a works-based Christianity.
If you received Jesus as your Lord, he pays for your sins, you will stand before our God, perfect, clean, holy, and pure. But there are two other parts of you that need to catch up with that spirit part of you. The spirit part of you is the part that’s made in the image of God. God is a Spirit, and we are made in his image. And by the way, you’re a spirit being first, not a human being. We’re not human beings having these temporary spiritual experiences. We are spiritual beings having these temporary… we’re having a temporary human experience. And we’re here on earth with a special purpose. You have one, you have, God wants to put his anointing on your life, okay?
So there’s a purpose for you, but he can’t do it if the vessel here on earth isn’t fit for it. In fact, I want to show you this. In 2 Corinthians, it says, «Since we have these promises,» what promises? That God has a purpose for you, an assignment, he wants to put an anointing on your life where you’re thinking, «Whoo, my God, God is helping me. Surely goodness and mercy are following me». «Since we have these promises, dear friends,» and again, notice the language, «let us purify ourselves». So I’m not talking about the purification that God has already done in you spiritually. I’m talking about the one that God wants to do in us bodily, and in our mind, and in our emotions, «from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God».
I love the way The Message says it. It says, «Let us make a clean break,» a fresh start, a new beginning, that’s our theme this year, «with everything that defiles or distracts us,» watch this, «both within,» that’s talking about your soul. The other part, your triune, being a body, soul, and a spirit. So you have a, so you have a body, you have this soul within, and you have this body without. «And let’s make our entire lives,» and here’s our word again, «fit and holy temples for the worship of God,» to the glory of God. That’s why, I’m trying to give context too to why, you always hear me say, or at least several times throughout the year, give us a year of your life and go all in, run the play.
What does that mean? What I’m saying is praise God if you’ve come into this room, worshiped God weekly, and you’ve given your life to Jesus, praise God for that. But we wanna take you on another journey, a complete journey, of what the Bible calls sanctification, and it’s where, after you’re already going to heaven, God wants to make your vessel fit for some things. He wants to work in your life. And when I say, «Give us a year of your life,» I’m saying, «Basically, if you’ll do this, and this, and this other things, God will do that work inside of you». In 1 Thessalonians, I’m just trying to show you a lot of places so you really get this, «May God himself, the God of peace,» which is by the way the end result of all of this, if you do what I’m proposing to you, «if you’ll allow him to sanctify you through and through. And may your whole,» and here’s the triune being, «spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ».
And then look at the next line: «The one who calls you,» that’s the motivation. Surely goodness, mercy. He wants to put an anointing on your life, he wants your cup to run over, he wants you to live your life doing something that actually matters for God, but we can’t do it if we’re not fit. And so, the question of the day is, how do we get fit? We need to, right? So, again, I’ll say to you one more time, I want you to run the play. I want you to consider giving this a year of your life, and when I say really go all in, I mean really go all in. Like, do, do, try, just to see, and do everything that we propose to you, because I can’t, honestly, I can’t make you completely spiritually fit in your body and your soul just on Sundays.
I need things like groups. Our groups are gonna start in a couple Sundays. We go for 13 weeks. We do them in semesters, and there are all types of groups, and we have, we have a lot of people in groups. In fact, last semester we had more people attending Small Groups that actually come on Sundays, which hurts my feelings a lot. Anyway, so, okay, so, so there’s a lot, we have a lot of people already in groups, but groups are designed to help you find some station of life or something that you wanna study, maybe parenting, or finances, or the Bible, or whatever it is. There’s all kind of different types of group, but the real purpose is, is that they’re small, and what small gives us that large does not and that is you can come in this room with all kind of issues. You could have beat your kids all the way to church today, right?
And you could just have that smile, and somebody asks you, «How you doing»? «Oh, praise the Lord, amen, getting God good». And you worship, and you went right back to your same old life, same old world, unfit, completely unfit, nothing changed, but that’s hard to do in a Small Group, 'cause they know ya, at least after four or five weeks they do. So you say, «How you doing»? «Oh I’m doing great». «No you’re not, I can tell». «No, I’m fine. I’m telling you, man, I’m fine». «No, you’re not. Honey, lock the door! He ain’t leaving until he tells us what’s going on,» right? And all of us need that. Your life would be so much better if you had somebody watching over your soul, that’s a fact. And the real purpose isn’t parenting, or finances, or all those things that you learn and study. It’s a friend who knows ya that can help you get fit for the masters.
That’s the reasons why we’re having a marriage conference next month, why? Because I can’t give all that to you on a Sunday. What would it look like? My proposition to you is what would your life look like if you decided, «I’m gonna get more fit this year. 2025, I’m gonna allow some of my things that are happening inside of me, 'my' issues,» 'cause you look, I don’t care how holy you are or how spiritual you are, you got issues, I got issues, all God’s children got issues. And if you don’t think you have one, well, that’s your issue, everybody, right? Okay, so I’m about to take this to a very uncomfortable personal level and to the point that I don’t even necessarily like it, and I’m just going to, and just give me five or six minutes, and I’ll get, I promise I’ll get off of it. Because some of us have some issues that really need to be dealt with, I would propose to you, why bring this into another year, things like our addictions?
In fact, let me ask you a question, everybody in the room, how many of y’all are an addict? Raise your hand if you’re an addict. Okay, all of you should have raised your hand. I had mine up, but where’s yours, all right? 'Cause addiction really is, I know it’s an uncomfortable word, but it’s anything I do that I didn’t want to do and I keep on doing, and all of us have that. I have something, you have something, we all have something that has taken mastery over our life, and it doesn’t even have to be real serious. It can be, probably is in some cases. But it could be you spend too much, it could be your internet use, it could be gambling, it could be lust, it could be, it could, whatever. But you have some things like… and you, and when you do it, you think, «Oh, I did it again, can’t believe I did it again».
The Bible calls it mastery, and it says it this way in Romans chapter 6: «Do not let sin reign in your mortal body,» and again, this is talking to believers, «so that you obey what sin wants you to do». And it says, «So do not offer the parts of your body,» no, we’re not talking about your spirit, it’s going to heaven. «Don’t offer parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, rather go all in with God,» give us a year of your life, «For sin shall not be your,» and the word in the Greek is «kyrios,» kyrio. It’s hard to pronounce, and it literally means, it’s really become your Lord. It tells you what to do and you say, «Yes, sir». And again, it could be food, it could be drugs, it could be alcohol, it could be what, I don’t know. Years ago, I was in a discipleship group, this is long before I even came to Birmingham, I was in a discipleship group.
So this is very old, what I’m getting to read you, and I have had it in my journal area where I pray. And once a month I have a personal retreat day where I actually try to check 12 areas of my life, and I’m just, I’m just trying to, you know, do this tune up and make sure I don’t let something get out of line. And every month I read these questions, and they’re questions to find out if you’re mastered by anything. Has something snuck into your life and mastered you? And here are the questions, I’ve been reading these for years: Do your family and friends say it’s a problem? Do you continue even though it hurts people? Do you arrange your schedule around it, whatever the «it» is? Can you go one week or one month without it? Is it leading you to isolation? And are you trying to keep it a secret?
And if you said yes to three or more, you’re likely mastered. So I’m gonna put these on the app if you want to read 'em again. But that’s what I’m talking about. I know it’s real quiet. I get it, I get it, all right? I get it. But at some point, what if we said, you know what? I’m going to heaven, but this vessel is unfit, so it’s completely unuseful on earth, and it ends in 2025. If God’s gonna give me a fresh start, then that ends in 2025, right? It just ends, it’s got to at some point. Two more words, again, very uncomfortable, and I apologize. It’s a word in the Bible. When you read it, it’s so big you probably don’t even know what it means, and it means basically an extreme indulgence in your senses. It’s basically allowing yourself some indulgences that technically would not, you know, disqualify you from heaven and you know, it’s not gonna do anything like that, but, but you kinda, when you do it, you probably wouldn’t do it in front of if Jesus was right there either.
It’s listening to your body. It’s listening to your feelings. We live in a generation who’s actually chosen to trust their feelings over some facts. In fact, today, it’s so crazy, we have, they say, «How I feel is who I am». No, it’s not. If how I feel was who I was, I would not be your pastor right now. No, we submit our feelings to God. We are who God says I am. And today in the world, whenever your mind tells you you’re something, we change our bodies. And the Bible says, no, when your mind tells you something, change your mind. Your body’s not broken, your mind is. I grew up in a generation, in fact, when I graduated high school in 1981, President Reagan was just had his first term, and in 1982, I remember this vividly, there was a tremendous big old war on drugs going on.
And Nancy Reagan, of course, like the first ladies always like to have some kind of campaign that they can hang their hat on, she decided to attack the drug problem. And you older people, you remember this, and the campaign was called? «Just Say No,» that’s right, just say no. Like whenever you’ve had this urge, or this temptation, or and you want that, just say no! No one says that anymore. Today they’re saying, «Just be yourself». And we gotta get back to, no, just being yourselves let us down. And that’s why the Bible says, «Don’t get drunk on wine». It leads to this extreme indulgence in your senses. Instead, give us a year of your life. How about run the play? How about be filled? Not halfway, not a little bit, not just Sundays.
How about be filled with the Holy Spirit? One more, one more, I’ve got a wonderful ending to this message, okay, everybody? Okay, okay, sexual immorality, the Greek word is «porneia,» just so you know. That’s the Greek word, where we get the word pornography, of course, and it literally is defined, this is not my definition, this is in the Greek lexicon, this is the, this is the original definition: it’s any sex outside of how God defines marriage, which is one man and one woman in marriage, that’s the word. And the Bible says, «It’s God’s will,» and it’s talking to Christians. This was written to the church at Thessalonica. «It’s God’s will that you should be sanctified,» get your, get yourself fit, «that you should avoid porneia; that each of you should learn,» gotta learn, so it doesn’t have, you’re not gonna run to the altar, «Oh no, I’m so sorry».
He’ll forgive you. You’re going to heaven. Probably not gonna change anything. «You gotta learn how to control your body,» that’s why groups are important, that’s why our Freedom Conference that we do, oh my God, it’ll help you tackle some of these things that won’t let go of you, «in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God». 1 Corinthians says it this way, 6: «Flee porneia,» like, when it comes, you run from it, «Do you not know that your body,» now your spirit’s going to heaven, «but your body is a temple,» meaning he wants to anoint it, and he wants your cup to run over, 'cause it’s a, it’s a vessel that he wants to put some stuff in there, but he can’t do it if it’s not in good shape, «it’s the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God? Therefore,» run the play.
Like, why don’t we have a year where we say, «Okay, no more, it ends today»? And not only have time to talk about the soul, your hurts, your wounds, your addictions, your habits, your depression, your anxiety, all those, your anger, whatever it is, like, that’s in the soul. You can go to heaven with every bit of that and never fulfill the purposes of God. And so, I’m not satisfied just being a pastor that fills rooms and people raise hands and get to go to heaven. Man, I want you to give us a year of your life and watch God do a great work in your life so we can be fit for the master’s you… use. How about a year of new fitness? So here’s my closing story, and it’s an Old Testament story, and it goes like this: «A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, saying, 'Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be slaves.'»
Now, before that freaks you out too bad, if you owed, if you owed somebody some money and you couldn’t pay it off, oftentimes you would have to give the children to them, because children were considered actually commodities in those days and even a hundred years ago in America. I mean, children actually worked on the farm, worked in the factories, worked in the parents’s business, and so, so, you would have to send them to work for the other person instead as a payment if you couldn’t pay, and her husband’s dead. «So Elisha said to her, 'What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in your house? ' And she says, 'I don’t have anything except some oil.'» Now, oil always represents the purpose of God, the presence of God.
«Surely you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over». It’s God’s plan, it’s how God wants to anoint you. I’m gonna say it again, I’m gonna say it till you can’t hardly stand it anymore, I’m gonna say it till you can’t hardly stand it anymore, God has a purpose for you. He wants to anoint you, that when you do that purpose for God, you say, «God’s helping me». And then your cup runs over. He gives you more than you need, and now you’re this blessing, and you walk around with the peace of God saying, «Surely goodness and mercy’s following me all the days of my life». And it’s available for every one of you. So the story continues: So she said, «Well then go, borrow some vessels,» that’s the word we read earlier, vessels.
So, the oil doesn’t change lives by itself, God has to have something to put it in. So God wants to do a work in our country. In fact, let me say it this way, God’s at work in our country and in the world, but he is limited to move in our country to the vessels that he can put his anointing and special purpose in, and so the problem is not the oil, it’s the vessel. So he says, «Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors,» and this is why we have Highlands College, this is why I work so hard, it’s why we have a Dream Team. I’m a vessel finder, that’s what I do, okay?
«And when you have come in, you shall shut the door,» follow that, I’m gonna come back to that, «'shut the door behind you and your sons; and then pour it into all the vessels, and set aside the full ones.' And she went from him and she shut the door and she got her sons, and brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. And it came to pass, that when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, 'Bring me another vessel.' And he said, 'We don’t have anymore.' And the oil stopped». So the problem wasn’t what God was willing to do to fill these vessels, it was, was there enough vessels to put that anointing in? So we’re living in now where God’s moving, you know that, right, everybody? And he’s looking for vessels.
And notice that for her to get this vessel thing going in this miracle of oil constantly pouring as long as she had vessels, she had to shut the door, she had to shut out the world, 21 Days of Prayer. He does it in seasons, which is why I reserve this message for this season. He does it in seasons where we are pushing the play to it. We’re shutting the door on the things outside so we can get our vessels together. Okay, here’s the last question I’ll ask you for the day: then what makes a perfect vessel, or a fit vessel? Like, if God’s gonna pour his anointing in it, what kind of vessel is he looking for? What makes a vessel fit? Harrison, bring me my, my vessel, my container, thank you.
This is one of my favorite vessels in the world. You can see where my mind was yesterday when I was studying. I was starving to death, and I wasn’t thinking about carrots and broccoli. I was thinking about Krispy Kreme, everybody, let’s go. And so, anyway, my favorite in the world, and so, and only God could have made Krispy Kremes. The devil can’t make something that good, there’s no way, no way. He put all the calories and fat in it, but I’m telling you, God made these, anyway. This vessel isn’t even expensive, probably a penny, honestly, to make this box. And some of you guys have disqualified yourself from God filling your life with his anointing, thinking, «Oh no, I gotta be something special». Nope, cardboard box with heaven’s goodness on the inside of it, right?
Okay, so then what qualifies the box? Because this, the box isn’t that expensive. Box isn’t import. 'Cause why? Because the box doesn’t make the contents, the contents makes the box, okay? And so, but it does have to be two things. It can’t have something else in it already, even a good thing. It can’t have too much hunting, or shopping, or spending, or loving the things of the world instead of the thing. It just can’t… can you do that? Yeah, I’d do it, but God’s looking for some people to say, God, «I’ll actually let you remove some things from my life». And I’m not even gonna tell you what those are, I’m just asking you to pray that prayer. But you can’t put those 12 or a baker’s dozen 13 in here if there’s already something else in this vessel.
And so we say, «God, empty me. What do you want to take out of my life in 2025 so that I can be anointed and I can have your purposes in my life»? That’s the first thing, it has to be empty, can’t have something else in it, but it also needs to be clean. If I told you, «I have 12 of these donuts for you and the fast is over, everybody, and do you want one? Oh, but by the way, just before we put the donuts in it, I used it to clean up our little miniature dachshund’s mess out in the yard». «I’ll pass. I don’t, I don’t want Ginger’s mess on my donuts».
So why is all of hell coming after you? Not to keep you out of heaven, that’s bad theology. You’re going to heaven. It’s to keep you from changing the world, making a difference. 'Cause he can’t keep you out of heaven, but he can, he can come after your body and your soul and keep it all distracted, and messy, and filled with other things to the point that it can’t do anything for God. He wants to dirty it up. He wants to fill it with the wrong things. And so, I close with another offer for you. It’s out of the book of Romans: «Therefore, I urge you,» that’s why, like, you said, «Man, why does that pastor keep saying that? Why does he keep»?
I feel you, Paul, I got you, man. «I urge you, brothers and sisters,» in view of the fact that God will give you a new beginning, in view of the fact that he’s willing to say, «Everything you did in 2024 and before that, I’ll erase it, I’ll give you a fresh start, I’ll give you a new beginning». «Offer your bodies,» like, go ahead and say, «Then, okay, God, if you’re gonna be that good to me in that way».
«Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing, this is what worship really looks like to God. And don’t conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,» that’s your soul, that’s your mind, your whirling emotions, your hurts, your wounds, your habits, your thinking, your identity, all this stuff, the depression, the anxiety, fears, worry, why? Then, you can step into surely goodness and mercy. Now you can step into the fact that God wants to anoint you, he wants to put a purpose on the inside of you, but he has to have a vessel fit for the Master’s use.
And so, Father, in 2025, we’re gonna take this year serious, that if you’re willing to give us that kind of a life, and you even see us not as a paper plate but as a fine china, you see us as a vessel for special purposes, God, we’re asking you to work in our bodies, in our souls, in our lives. God, let us run the play of spiritual growth, discipleship, change. We want to be transformed because we want to be useful to you and experience all that you have for us. And so, God, give us courage, it’s gonna take courage, and give us conviction that we decide, yep, it starts today.
Keep your heads bowed and your eyes closed just for a minute if you’re here today. None of that’s possible if you’re not right with God, none of it. And I don’t know if you know this or not, but that’s, that’s something that doesn’t take a process, that can happen in a moment. This discipleship, this sanctification, it takes time. We’ll take you on the journey. But salvation, it happens in a moment, your sins can be completely cleansed. You can be made new before God in one moment of honest, sincere confession to God. The Bible says it’s the moment you make him the Lord of your life and the moment you believe he is who he says he is, and if that’s you today, say, «Chris, I am not right with God, and I really want to be,» whisper these words to God right now before I hand it to the campus pastors. Just say:
Jesus, forgive me. I live my life my own way, and I’m ready to live it your way. I want you to be the Lord of my life. I want to follow you. Your will and your way. So come inside of me and change me, start that work of sanctification in me, because I believe you really are who you say you are. You’re the Son of God, you rose from the dead, and I believe in you, and I put my faith in you, in your name I pray, amen.