Chris Hodges - Do You Love Me?
Awesome, well, it is so good to see all of you guys here today, and I know your campus pastor has already done this, but I wanted to say to all of our locations today, for those that are here for the very first time, I wanted to give you my heartfelt welcome to Church of the Highlands. We are so delighted that you’re here. One more time, church, say hello to everybody here for the first time, for the first time. God bless you guys. And if you don’t know much about our church, we actually, we have campuses, 26 campuses across Alabama and Georgia. They’ve all had their own individual worship experience up to this point, and we all merged in right there together, so now we are joining all locations, and I wanna say hi to everybody there.
We’re also in all 28 of Alabama’s Department of Corrections facilities, right now, everybody, and so, God bless the men and women there, we love you. And as I always say, you’re not a project to us, you are our church family. God bless you guys today. In fact, I met, when I was greeting people before the service, I met someone, and they walked up to me and said, «I was in the Department of Corrections,» he says, «You have no idea what a difference that this church is making there». Come on, say hello to them one more time! God bless you guys. And then of course, we’re streaming this live.
And every year, we get it every Sunday, but especially during the holiday Sundays, Christmas, Easter, we get our service men and women who are deployed and they’re having church on a computer, a laptop, in a hut, or a tent, defending our freedom somewhere. How about a big hello to all of those guys? God bless you guys! Thank you, thank you, thank you! We’re so glad you’re with us as well. One of our traditions here at Highlands, before we get into the message, is we have this survey that we do, and I’m gonna draw your attention to this card for a second. Even if you’re not gonna fill it out, would you take it out and look at it with me, everybody? Just everybody grab, it’s either in your seat back or in your «Worship God,» and just take a peek at it with me just for a minute or two right here.
On the front side, it says «Connection Card». That’s actually available to you every single Sunday. You’ve seen that before. And at the bottom, there is a place to put a prayer request. It’s a very safe card to fill out. No one calls you. No one goes by your house or anything like that. But we love praying for people. The people that you saw on the testimony video, these were people that had addiction, had broken marriages, cancer, and God did a work in their life, and that’s because God answers prayer. Can I hear a good amen, everybody? He really does. And every single card gets prayed over individually, and so we’d be more than honored if you would jot down a prayer request.
On the back, though, is something we only do at Easter, and every year we have done a survey. The reason why we do it at Easter is because it’s the weekend that you guys all come to church on the same weekend, and it gives us a chance to hear from our church. We’ve actually used this survey every year for programming. Like we’ve asked questions like, «If we were to add campuses, where would be a good place»? We’ve asked questions about service times. And so it’s actually, it’s not a gimmick, it’s very, very helpful for us, and we’d appreciate it if you would join along. I’ll go to my screen here. We only have one question at the beginning and one at the end. And the question right now is, «I’d like to hear messages on what the Bible says about,» and this is something Jesus did, he often built his sermon material around the questions that the crowd posed.
And we want to make sure, those of us that are on the teaching team and Pastor Mark, as we prepare messages, we want to make sure we’re bringing relevant messages. So if we’ve given… we have some suggestions there. If one of those fits, mark it, and maybe if it’s not there, write it in. And we’re seriously gonna develop messages on what you give us here today. Hang on to that card for right now. We’ll come back to it at the end of the message. Hey, everybody, today is my 25th Easter at Church of the Highlands, yes, thank you. And that might not be as big a deal to you as it is to me.
This is a very big deal for me. I’ve always, in fact, I set it as a goal years and years ago that I wanted to be the lead pastor of this church for 25 years, and to do this 25th Easter is very, very meaningful for me, because I think a lot of you guys know, on February 2, about 10 or 11 weeks ago, I actually felt like the Lord led me to hand the leadership of the church over to the next generation, and we did that. And I’m still on the team. I’m gonna still be preaching throughout the year, and I’m not going anywhere. People say, «How is retirement»? I ain’t retiring, everybody. I’ve got a lot of work to do.
In fact, I’m 61 years old, and I plan on giving the next 20 to 25 years of my life to building the greatest ministry leadership university in the world over at Highlands College, and so, that’s my focus right now. But Pastor Mark was very gracious in allowing me to have this 25th Easter here with you today. And I’m gonna do something that’s very, very meaningful, and it feels actually very weighty, because I’m gonna share with you a message that if I only had one more chance to speak, this is not my last time to speak, but if I only had one more chance to speak to you, this is what I would tell you, it’s my life message.
In fact, what I’m gonna bring to you is the same content I brought on the very first Sunday at Church of the Highlands on February 4, 2001. I preached it again the first Sunday that we moved into this facility. That would have been July of 2007 when we opened up our very first building here at Grants Mill. And I think I’ve only shared it one other time, and it’s really, it’s very, very meaningful to me personally. And I wanna, and I just wanna take a few minutes and share with you something that I’m convinced has eternal consequences and that’s something that not a lot of even Christians know much about.
And I wanna begin with letting you know that God loves you very much, and he has an incredible plan for your life. And whether you never come back to Church of the Highlands, you need to know that God has this plan for your life. It’s very clear, cover to cover in your Bible, four things that God wants for you, and that is he’s not into religion, he is not into institutions, organizations, denominations, and everybody just playing church. He wants to know you, and you can know him. And you can actually, once you know him, you can experience the freedom that he paid a high price for. He went to the cross, conquered death and the grave, so that, not just so he would get up, so you would get up, so that you could have freedom in your life.
And then once you’ve settled the freedom issues of your life, the part of your life that you don’t even like, then if it were to change, your life would be so much better, then you can go to more the meaningful parts of your life, which is where you discover the purpose, and only God has the answer to that question because he’s the one who created you. And once you discover what that is, then you can live your life doing what your life is supposed to be all about, and that is making a difference that impacts the lives of others. But you can never do that if you don’t know your part, and you can’t do that if you’re still battling all your issues. You can’t do that if you do not know God.
I want to talk about just that first phrase today, because the word «know» is the key word, and it’s not the word you think it is. So this is the surprising twist that I brought first Sunday, first Sunday, and I’m bringing one more time here to you today. It’s found in an Easter verse in Philippians chapter 3 where Paul says, «I want to know Christ,» and when he said that, you didn’t gasp, his audience would have went, «Oh»! Because it’s not the word «know» that we use in the English, like «I understand it’s in my brain». That’s not the word. The word he used is a Greek word, and the Greek word is «genosko,» this is it in Greek. I actually took three semesters of Greek in seminary, and that’s still Greek to me.
But anyway, but, but it’s the word «genosko». And I do know how to look up definitions. And it’s a word, watch this, that the Jewish people use. It was an idiom that Jewish people used to describe the relations, the intimate relations, between a husband and wife. So if they wanted to talk about intimate relations and not for it to be inappropriate, like it could be, they would just say «genosko,» and they knew what you meant. They meant that you two are closer than most and there’s an intimacy there. And that’s not a sexual term. It’s an intimate term of closeness. And so, Paul uses that. He says, «And I wanna know Christ,» and everybody woulda went, «Oh! You can’t use that word there»!
Because God was distant, God’s holy, God’s far, God’s big, God’s, God’s on tablets, God’s, God’s, you don’t play, you don’t play, and he says, «No, no, no, if you want to experience the resurrection of God in your life, you have to come to a place where you intimately know him». Now this idea was the idea that I came to Christ with, because I grew up in the religious institution of church. My parents were very committed Baptists. In fact, I was in church the Sunday after I was born in that nursery of that church. I am 61 years old and I’ve never missed a Sunday in church in my entire life. And don’t be impressed. The first 15, I didn’t want to be there, everybody, all right? My dad made us.
If you were sick, Dad said, «You can get a bag and throw up at church, you’re not missing,» and that’s a fact. My dad played the organ, it was on this side of the stage, Mom sang in the choir, and I sat in this section, seven rows back with my grandmother, and specifically on that side so Dad could watch us. Dad played and watched the whole time, like making sure we didn’t do anything wrong. And my preacher, bless his heart, he was a good man, Brother Dean, but he talked about hell, y’all, every Sunday. He talked about hell like he was born and raised in hell, come on, you know what I’m talk? And then when he said the word, he went «hell,» like he pointed over there in my section. And I’m like, «Waayeh»!
So at seven years old, I mean, I’m seven, but I ain’t stupid, you know? So I got out about, during the altar call, and I said, «Well, who wants to burn»? You know what I’m saying? So, and I went up there while the choir’s singing «Just as I Am,» and, and he was waiting for, you know, «Might there be one». And I was the one that Sunday that came forward, and I just, I said, «I don’t want to go to hell». And so, he prayed for me, he told me to recite this prayer, and I did, and then he sat me on the front row. And in the Baptist tradition, you have a clipboard, and you actually fill out your information, then they bring you back up. And it’s congregational rule. They do everything by vote of congregation.
So they had to vote me into the church, y’all. And, and I’m happy to report, it was unanimous, I got in, okay? So, got baptized that night. Okay, so that was the drill. But I’d have never met God that day. I met the church, and I loved the church, but I just never met God. So nothing in my life changed. And then one day, I actually got invited, maybe like you, if you’re a visitor here today, I got invited to a church service in a church like this, and it freaked me out, like some of you might be feeling, because I was there with my old right over left looking around thinking, I think these people are nuts, and I think I want what they have. I think I like this, you know? And because I knew everything they were doing was in the Bible.
I never even dreamed that the book of Psalms was actually intentional, you know, the shouting, dancing, clapping, joyful, all hands raised. I knew it was in the… I thought it was more poetic than literal. And then I’m watching them do this, watch this, with such sincerity on their face that it drew me to something that I knew I did not have. So this time when they gave their altar call, the same thing, they’re giving a response time, I’m saying yes on the inside, but I am not going forward this time. In fact, I’d watched in this church and others that when they bring you forward after they pray for you, they bring you to a little room, and I ain’t going no little room, that ain’t happening.
And so, I’m saying yes, but I just basically decided no. But I’m under conviction, like, I really want this. So I go home to my house, and thank God the Baptist did teach me the Bible and I knew the Bible pretty well, and I decided, I didn’t know what to do. I was confused. I didn’t know whether to believe this new church, my old… I didn’t know what to believe. So I decided, it’s got to be in the Bible. And in fact, I wasn’t even going to trust the Bible, as crazy as that sounds, I’m only gonna trust Jesus. And I had one of those red letter editions of the Bible where the words of Jesus were in red ink, and so I just read the red. I skipped all the other ones, just went straight to the red. You can only get three pages in and this pops up, that «Not everyone who calls me, 'Lord, Lord, ' is gonna enter the kingdom of heaven,» and I thought, well, that’s a problem, you know, because that’s what they told, that’s what Brother Dean told me to say.
I said that, and now Jesus is saying, «Yeah, that doesn’t get you in». And he goes on to say, «'But only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven,» to which, of course, I’m now trying to figure out, okay, then what is the condition for eternal life? And then he says this scary statement, which is why I’m bringing this message to you on this 25th Easter of mine, and that is, «Many are going to be on that day,» means Judgment Day. And they’re going to say, «Lord, Lord,» and they’re not going to end up in heaven. In fact, it goes on to say that, «Many will actually prophesy, drive out demons, and do miracles in my name,» and still not get in.
And you could add anything else religious to that list. They knew they had a Bible, they went to church, they were, you know, they baptized. Any other thing, and that’s not what he’s looking for. Now this has my full attention at this point. And then you turn the page, and it says, «I will tell them plainly, away from me, because, I never,» and he uses that word, «genosko». Now Jesus is saying, «No, no, no, I wasn’t looking for religion, I was looking for relationship». And nothing on the religious meter is gonna count when you stand before God, and I need to make sure you know that. I really wanna make sure that you understand that church isn’t about church and being churchy and about being religious, and it’s not, and all those things are good things to do.
That’s not just what gets you in, though. He’s looking like that, you go up there and you say, «Bapti…» «No». «Read my Bible». «No». «I sang your songs». «No». «I went to Church of the Highlands». «Yes». No, that’s not even the right answer, you know, unfortunately. I wish it was. And part of my job is to prepare you for that moment that you stand before God. And I take this very seriously. Like, because it’s on me to make sure you understand. I don’t want anybody under the sound of my voice showing up before God, «Well, I don’t know if I even believe in God». That’s not gonna change the fact that you’re gonna stand before him. Like there’s this moment where you’re gonna have before God and it’s very, very clear. It’s called the Great White Throne Judgment. It’s the, I call it the everybody judgment. It’s from Adam to when it all ends, everybody gets their individual moment before God.
And I don’t know if we’re like over here in a pile waiting our turn, «I need to see Chris Hodges, please». «Hey, yes sir,» you know, and, «Oh my goodness, there you are». And then he’s gonna say, undeniably, I can show you all throughout the Bible, he’s gonna say something like this, «Why should I let you in? On what condition are you brought in»? And if you give any of those religious answers, that’s not gonna be the right one. Only the relationship answer will matter, that, «My life wasn’t perfect, but I was in love». It was like, listen to me, listen to me, I’m very serious about this. He’s looking for that intimate closeness, that genosko word that would have shocked everybody, and it still shocks everybody, because here we are in the Bible Belt, where we all put on our, check out my pastels today, everybody, you know what I’m saying?
Like, we know how to wear it, put it on, show up, and check the box. And listen to me, thank you for being here. It’s, it’s still fun to do, but that’s not what eternity is all about. Okay, you just pulled out one verse. Okay, let me show you another one then. This is Matthew 15, this one’s very funny to me. It says, «Some Pharisees and teachers of law,» this is the religious hierarchy basically, «from Jerusalem said, 'Your disciples aren’t doing it right.'» Like, and by the way, there’s always a religious crowd that’ll tell you, you’re baptizing wrong, you’re singing wrong, you’re wearing the wrong clothes. They always focus on the wrong thing. And watch this, they’ll focus you on the wrong things. And their thing that they were picking on was, «They’re not washing their hands right»!
Now, that doesn’t mean much to you, but in their day, in order to come into the church building, you would have had to ceremonially wash. There was actually, where our greeters were today, there would have been a basin of water, and you had to, before you come through the door, you had to wash up, okay? But there were rules to the washing. You had to do it the right way. And so there was a dude there inspecting. So you couldn’t just like wash your hands and come in. You had to actually, check this out, you had to wash and your hands, your fingers, had to go up in the air and no water could drip off the end of your fingers. It had to run down your arm and come off your elbow, and there was a dude inspecting that. Like if water drips off the end of your fingers, he’d go, «Hell, going to hell,» you know, he’d just pronounce it on you right there, «because you’re doing it wrong».
I mean, that actually happened, and that’s what they’re talking about. «We’ve watched your disciples, and they’re not even washing right,» and look what Jesus says. This is very important for you to see, because they’re bringing up religious things, and Jesus says, «So why do you break the command of God for the sake of your traditions»? Now, what’s the command of God? If you remember, Jesus was asked, «What’s the greatest commandment»? He said, «Love, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength». But when Jesus said, «What’s the most important thing to you»? he didn’t mention baptism or Bible reading or serving or praying or giving. And all those things are important. They’re not just the most important. He was looking for a relationship.
«And you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you,» watch this, «that there are people who honor me with their lips,» so they’ll show up at church and they’ll check the box, they’ll do the thing, «but their hearts are far from me». So that Jesus wasn’t looking for all the religious actions, he was looking for our hearts, that their worship, «They look like they’re worshiping, but it’s in vain because they’re only following the rules that were taught by men».
Let me just show you one more just try to convince you fully. This is in the form of a parable that Jesus told in Matthew chapter 25, where he… so that means it’s a made up story. And it’s funny, because he’s a master storyteller. Jesus would actually bait them in to what they think the story’s all about and then flip it on them right at the end, and he’s gonna do that, watch this. «So at that time the kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins,» so already thinking, yep, that’s how you get in, you gotta be virgin, you gotta be clean, «who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were foolish and five of them were wise. And the foolish ones took their lamps but they didn’t have enough oil,» they didn’t pray enough, read enough, go to church enough. They weren’t prepared enough. «The wise, however, had oil in their jars with their lamps. And the bridegroom,» and that’s Jesus.
The Bible describes him as a bridegroom coming back for his church, which is a bride, which, again, is another metaphor to show the closeness and the intimacy he wants to have. «But the bridegroom was a long time in coming, so they got weary and they fell asleep. And at midnight the cry rang out that Jesus is coming back: 'The bridegroom is coming! '» And which, by the way, I mean, I studied the Bible pretty thoroughly, they have signs of the time of the return of Christ. I’m not trying to scare you, I’m trying to prepare you. He could come back at any time. I only say that to you because it’s important for you to know this content, because actually, I think it’s critical.
In a generation we live in, even what’s happening in the world, this is not a time not to know what I’m telling you right now, and I can feel almost the urgency and the weightiness of this moment to make sure at least you understand this, that he could come out at any time. «And then all the virgins woke up, trimmed their lamps. The foolish one says, 'Give us some of your oil, '» because we didn’t, we didn’t do enough to show up in heaven, like, give us some of your works and your oil, «'our lamps are going out.' And they said, 'No way, man, there may not be enough for both of us. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'»
In other words, see if you can get some more works in that’ll get you into heaven, because again, they all think that’s how you do it, and Jesus is just baiting them in, and that’s not what it’s all about. «And while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. And the virgins who were ready went in to the wedding banquet. But then the door was shut,» it was too late. And that moment will happen, by the way, where it’s too late to make the decision. «So the others came, knocked on the door, and said, 'Sir! Sir! Open the door! ' But Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, '» and you can see I didn’t finish the verse, because I want to see what you think it’s going to say.
So based on the story, you’d think he would say, «Yeah, you weren’t a virgin enough,» or, «Yeah, you shouldn’t have fallen asleep, man,» or, «Man, you should have had more oil, you should have done more religious stuff, you should have been more prepared». And that’s not what he says. He baited them into that, and then he says this, «I can’t open the door to you because,» and then he uses that word again, «I wasn’t looking for virginity, I wasn’t looking for oil, I wasn’t looking for you to be awake, I was looking for your heart, I was looking for that intimacy and that closeness». And again, if I only had one more chance to say a message, I would want everybody to know, especially here in the heart of the Bible Belt, that God’s not looking for anything more than your heart and your love and your relationship. This is the condition of eternal life is that you actually genosko him. You’re intimate, you’re close, you know him really well.
So how would you know if you’re not? Well, there are some symptoms that happen, like, you’re trying to do right things, but it’s not easy for you. So if you ever try to follow the Bible without being in love with God, the Bible is extremely difficult. But if you’re in love with God, the Bible is extremely easy. It’s the same thing as if you’re trying to be faithful to your spouse but you don’t love them. Well then you’re always having to say, «Oh, don’t look, don’t, you know, don’t commit adultery, be faithful,» like. But if you’re in love with them, you don’t even want to be unfaithful. In the same way, if you were in love with God, listen to me, the Bible even says, the commands are easy, and without love, the commands are hard. And if you’re frustrated with trying to do the right thing, it could be that you just need to be in love with Jesus.
Here’s another one, and that is, maybe you’re envying the love that others seem to have with God. That was me. When I stood there with my old right over left, I was 15 years old, and all these people were worshipping God, I thought, «Well, I want that, I want that,» and honestly, I got led to Jesus not because of a sermon or a song, I got led to Jesus because the people that love God convinced me that I want what they have. That looks real, and I think I want that. Or another one is the sense that something’s missing. In fact, we started our church 25 years ago on this notion, that I was convinced there were people who had been in church at some point in their life, but they thought, «It’s not that great. It’s just got a little emptiness to it. I’m looking for something more meaningful».
That’s even why we called our church Church of the Highlands, that there is more. There’s more to what you maybe have experienced up to this point. So what if you’re here and you’re saying, «Okay, you’ve got me convinced. I’d like to be in a love relationship with God. I want to genosko him. I want to be close to him in that way. What would I do»? Let me give you three things and we’ll go. The first is, is, is you got to open your eyes to how much he actually loves you. This was huge for me because I never, I had never had a moment in my life that I didn’t believe there was a God. I just didn’t like him because I thought he was mean. Everything, because the hell thing. They kept talking about like he’s just mad at me all the time. And I came to church every Sunday, even before I became a Christian, like, «Oh, I’m… I’m s…»
I had my head down. I couldn’t worship, because I didn’t think he wanted my worship. I didn’t earn it enough that week. Listen to me, God’s not mad at you. That is a pagan, incorrect, unbiblical view of who God is, it’s not true. In fact, God loves you so much, even with all your mess, that if he had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it, everybody. He loves you. You need to know he loves you with all of his heart, so much so, he would do something that not one person in this room would be willing to do, and that is, would you let your only child die just to get to know somebody else? I wouldn’t. If that’s the condition of you and me knowing each other, nice knowing you. But Jesus, God sent his Son, Jesus, not to the world, to you. He was willing to risk the life of his Son to experience a brutal murder on a cross just for the chance for you to choose him back.
My favorite verse in the Bible, «God demonstrates his love, that while you’re still sinning, he sent his Son, Christ, to die for you». Second thing you would need to do is confess your sins and ask him to forgive you, which, by the way, I’m into this little thought of confession right now. I am finding that this is one of the healthiest things that people can do, to come to a place of worship here at the church or at home and say, «You know what, Lord, I am so sorry,» because I’m convinced there’s a bunch of us carrying around our shame right now, and we have our guilt. In fact, some of you are hiding your sin, and you’re exhausted, because it’s hard to hide sin. Wouldn’t it be better just to be freed from it? Wouldn’t it be better to just say, «Lord, would you forgive me»?
And the Bible says, «If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will not only forgive your sin but will cleanse you, purify you, from unrighteousness,» so watch this. That means he doesn’t just forgive it, he forgets it, and he washes it away. It takes a lifetime to accumulate your sin, and in one prayer, you can be freed from it. That’s the best thing you’ve ever heard in your life. In fact, some of you need to do it today. You need to with your lips say, «Lord, would you please forgive me,» and you need to walk out of here lighter than how you came in. Because God… look at me, look at me. God will forgive you, God will forgive you. In fact, he wants to. One verse says, «He delights to show mercy». I just love it.
So you realize how much he loves you. You let him know how much you’re sorry for your sins and ask him to forgive you. And if there’s a thought for Church of the Highlands, this is why there are 26 auditoriums packed, multiple, we’re doing 120 services. It’s not because I’m a good speaker. It’s not because we sing good songs. I’m telling you, it’s because we convinced people, what would it look like if you went all in with God? I’m gonna tell you what it would look like. Your life would be dramatically different. You’re gonna love your life so much. In fact, the Bible says, «You will seek me and find me,» but there’s a condition, «it’s when you seek me with all of your heart,» and so for 25 years, we’ve said, we’ve almost thrown it out there like a challenge to you that so many people have taken me up on it, and that is, give us a year, give God a year of your life where you say, «You know what? I’ll test that».
And here’s, here’s my promise. You go all in with God, like do everything, like go all in, and if your life isn’t dramatically better, I’ll change churches with you. And I’ve said that for 25 years and no one has ever come and said, «You know I did it, and it just didn’t work». Listen to me. All eternity’s gonna be based on whether you truly are in love with God. So let me close with a story. So I intentionally saved this story. I’ve only told it three times in the 25 years of the church, and I saved it for my 25th Easter. And before I tell you that, I do wanna tell you that I’m about probably, I’m gonna lose my man card with a bunch of you guys, not that the jacket didn’t already do it, but all right, so. Just, because here you go, get ready. I like musicals. I know, I’m so sorry, okay? But before I lose my total man card here, I also have a truck and I turkey hunt.
Okay, is that okay, everybody? I killed one this week. Okay, sorry, there you go. I like musicals because I was classically trained in piano. I have a beautiful Yamaha Grand in my home. I play on it every day. I just, I’m into music, I really do like it a lot. And one of my favorite musicals is, is «Fiddler on the Roof». And if you’ve seen it at a high school play or the three-hour movie, it’s a long movie, it’s a musical, so they sing all the lines. And it’s the story of this Jewish family. This man named Tevye, he has five daughters, help him, Jesus, five daughters. And in the 1900s, which this is set in Russia, in Tsarist Russia in the 1900s, dads pick husbands for the daughters. They can’t fall in love.
In fact, he does it with the help of a matchmaker. And that’s where you get the song, «Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch». I’ll be here all day, folks, thank you very much, thank you, thank you very much. Okay, so anyway, so he picks out a husband. Well, his oldest daughter falls in love with another man, and it just makes him mad. He goes, «No! Tradition, tradition». And he sings this song and dances like this, and I don’t know why, but he does that. And the whole movie’s about this clash, watch this, between tradition and love. In fact, it’s a sad movie, because he actually breaks relationship completely with one of his daughters over this issue, it’s sad.
Well, during the clash, he’s wondering, I wonder if my wife loves me, because they were matchmade. So when the girl’s aren’t around, he sneaks into the house and shuts the door, and she’s over there ironing or something, right? And it’s a musical, so he sings it, he goes, «Do you love me»? And she answers in a song, because it’s a musical. «For 25 years, I’ve washed your clothes, I’ve cooked your meals, I’ve cleaned your house, I’ve milked your cow». I mean, she does. And so she, watch this, don’t miss this, she names all the stuff she does for him. And he goes, «No ma’am, that’s not the question». And he sings it again, «No, no, no, no. Do you love me»? And she rattles off another list. And I’m telling you, look in my eyes, please, the Spirit of God is singing over you today, «Do you love me»? «Man, I went to Easter at Highlands, I mean, look at how I’m dressed, I pray every once in a while, I’ve got a Bible, I believe».
That’s not the question. The question is, «Do you love me»? And all of eternity, if I only had one more thing I could tell you, I would tell you that all of eternity is going to be based on your response to that question, and he’s looking for relationship, not religion. And all God’s people said amen, amen. So this is normally when preachers say, «Every head bowed, every eye closed». Here’s what I’m gonna ask, I’m gonna ask for five minutes. No one move around, be very still.
And I’m gonna ask you to consider participating with me. Would you pick up this card one more time? Again, even if you’re not even gonna fill it out, would you look at it with me? Everybody, everybody, staff, everybody, just grab one. It’s just a little white card, and you’ll notice there’s these four boxes, A, B, C, D, that I haven’t covered yet. This is the spiritual part of the survey, I’ve done this for 25 years, and it shows our relationship with God. And by the way, you are one of these four, you are. And if you don’t mind, pick the one that applies to you. And let me show you what they represent.
A says, «I already know God personally, I’m in a relationship, it’s real. I’m going to heaven. It’s not perfect, but it’s real». B says, «I wanna begin that». And for some of you, it needs to be, «I want to begin again,» because you once were close to God, but you’ve walked away. And if you want to know God in that way, then B’s your box, check B, and by the way, you will join, ready for this? Over 6,900 people who have already made that decision this weekend at Easter.
The C stands for… yeah, it’s a miracle. The C stands for, «I’m not a yes and I’m not a no, I just need more time to check it out and consider it». And by the way, we built this church knowing we didn’t want just Christians in here. We wanted people who were skeptics and, and just, and they were checking it out. Listen to me, you’re very welcomed here. We want you to feel welcomed here to check it out and find out what faith means to you.
We wanted you a place where you could have room for that. And then D is a little bit more serious, and it just says, «I don’t ever intend on making that decision,» and if that’s where you are, just have the guts to check it. Next week, we’ll actually give the results of this survey. But if you are a D today, you’re probably not gonna like what I’m getting ready to say. We’re gonna keep praying for you. And if you never come back, God’s never gonna stop searching for you. He never stops searching for us and neither will we. We’re never gonna stop searching for you. We’re gonna keep praying for you.
And every year, every year we have people who check B, and they write next to it, «And last year I was a D,» because God never gives up on his people, you need to know that. So, again, I’m gonna ask you to be very still, very quiet for just a moment, nobody moving around, if you don’t mind, please. Just very still and quiet just for a moment, would you pick one of those four boxes, and when you’re done, would you bow your head? That’ll let us know you’re done with your card. And the campus pastors are gonna close the service out. So just take a moment, bow your head when you’re done, please.