I Know Who You Are. Do You Know Who You will Be?

Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City will be a new creation on speaking to you about your future but will happen in your life so much farther than you ever that's Carter, and welcome to a call to the nation you know your family name.

The friends and family members that become part of your life.

By the place you go to school or work interests desires the motion, but Carter asks a very important question today. You are a believer in Jesus Christ. Do you know who you will be. Let's join Carter now as he reveals the type of the basement. I know you are.

Do you know who you will be distinctly keenly aware of who you are you depressed you're addicted year family is is is disheveled you're struggling in your mind. Whatever the situation is you're fighting a besetting sin you feel worthless is I know who you are justified by reading the first request that you send in these this seems to be in some cases it's an all-consuming battle that's going on in your life. It's affecting everything that you are and everything that surrounded but my question to you is do you know who you will be. Let me explain this as we begin to read John chapter 1 beginning at verse 41 of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

He first found his own brother Simon said to him, we found the Messiah, which is translated, the Christ of this incredible I don't know if there's any other thing the weather with Ashley compared to it with you. We found the Messiah this this was the promise for the people of God of that season. This is what they live for. This was there. All in all it's like somebody ran into that for centuries that Jesus has returned is in the parking lot would be the head. It would be that profound come out and see him and so he brought into Jesus.

Now when Jesus looked at him.

He said you are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas, which is translated a stone and so my point is real simple. When we first encounter Jesus, we are something but if we have an honest face to face encounter with the son of God, the promises that we shall be something else. You can't have an encounter with Jesus and stay the same way you are. There is a change that happens inside the heart.

Now let's continue on verse 45 Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, we found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Verse 46 and Nathaniel said them.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth.

Philip said them come and see Jesus on Nathaniel coming towards him and said them, behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no deceit.

Nathaniel said and how do you know me and Nathaniel obviously knew he was essentially it is core an honest man and is talking to the son of God notices how do you know me and Jesus answered and said, before Philip called you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.

I don't understand the fullness of that particular statement something was in the heart of Nathaniel when he was under the fig tree as it was that led him to an understanding that only the son of God could have known that I was there and what I was thinking perhaps he felt all alone like some of your our feelings that have written your progress. The you're lonely maybe Nathaniel just felt alone and he was all by himself and I don't know but the point is that even though he might've been alone in that place in his life. Jesus saw him and I want you to note those that are online and you feel alone in your room in your car, your home heart and your life. Jesus sees you. There, you're not hidden from him, and he looks at you lovingly and he looks at you longingly. He's always wanted fellowship with you. Verse 49 says Nathaniel answered and said to him, Rabbi, you are the son of God, you're the king of Israel. We always like to think that Peter was the first one I got that revelation.

It was actually Nathaniel never went after all the seasons of traveling and seeing the dead raised walking on water. He finally said to his disciples, who do you say that I have. And Peter said you the Christ to the son of the living God and and we always say while in Asia.

Even Jesus it only the father could've revealed that to you but Nathaniel had that revelation way before Peter and right in the beginning that he was the son of God and the king of Israel, why did he have that revelation had because he had a an honest heart and if you and I are willing to approach the son of God with an honest heart. Something happens to us is a nice set of anointing that is given to us and we begin to see.

First of all who it is that we are talking to. And Jesus answered and said to him in verse 50 because I said to you I saw you under the fig tree. Do you believe you will see greater things than these. He said that most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. In other words, you will begin to understand the power that has been given to me the access to the throne of God, the power of heaven that is in my hands and you will begin to understand that I am the son of God, I'm able to do anything that I say I can do and I can do in you and through you anything that you will open your heart and let me do there's a there's a vision there's a revelation that's given the people who don't approach God with a deceitful heart a duplicitous heart. The reason that so many sit and languish in the church throughout the ages is because many people come to Christ with terms and conditions are maybe unfeigned dedication that put it that like I'm all in, but only known in reality it's only to this point and no farther. God knows it because there's a as it is a guile in the sense that the resulting James is an Israelite, in whom there is no God and others.

No crookedness you're not saying one thing and meaning another your actually Nathaniel urine honest men and because you're an honest man.

I can speak to you and you will in your heart. Give an honest assessment of the words that I speak before you actually go into the battle and begin to walk with me and you will understand what I'm saying you understand where it is on leading you to go and you will also see the power the exceeding greatness of the power that is available to those who walk with me with an honest heart and a truthful heart now in the New Testament. Second Corinthians chapter 5 in verse 17, one of my favorite verses in all of the Bible says therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation old things have passed away behold all things have become new. If Christ is come to you if you and I who are willing to come to Christ with an honest heart. This incredible promise. This is the promise that actually won me to Christ in the first place over 40 years ago when the person were sharing Christ with me told me this verse that if you open your heart to Jesus Christ. If you honestly receive him as your Lord and Savior. You will become a new creation the old things that have had power in your life. The old things that have governed your future.

The old things that as we pray for the old habits the old things that can't you can't put away, will suddenly lose their power lose their hold in all things inside of you will become new will be in effect born again. You'll be given a new life you have in the future. The promise that was revealed to the prophets in the Old Testament is the God said, I'll give you a new heart, a new mind and a new spirit will be born again. The old things in your life will pass away and all things will become new. And I remember thinking in my heart when that was first shared with me at the age of 24 God is it possible because II seemingly can't escape the boundaries that are all around me. The boundaries that were placed around me by other people. The boundaries that that I perceive about my own life and and what it will or won't amount to the things that I feel I can do the things that I feel I can't do the things are really defining my present and paving the way a very confusing way for my future.

Is it possible that I can actually become a new creation nonmember meditating on this and thinking about it and then I went into the gospel of John and I read the Gospel of John. For myself, and I pray this prayer is a Jesus.

If if this is true. If I can be forgiven and if I I can have a new future.

If I can be made into a different person. I don't like the person unbecoming.

I don't like the way I treat others I don't like the amount that I'm drinking I don't like the thoughts in my mind. I have a sense that I'm going on a downward trajectory and it's just going to get worse in the future, and I seem to be powerless to change and powerless to stop I'm I'm being dragged into this darkness and I can't stop myself from going there. Jesus could it be true that I could have a new life and I read the Gospel of John is an unsaved man and is it show me just show me, but I saw something when I read the Gospel of John that this life is contingent on one condition that when I come to Christ as my Savior. I don't play games with him. I give you my whole heart is much as I'm able to give them my whole life and I receive his word is truth, and the guide for my life from this day forward, I saw something that nobody ever taught me. I rented the word of God not only if I turn to him would not only would he wash away my my sin. Not only would he guarantee me in eternity in heaven, but his blood had purchased me in my life was no longer my own. I now belong to the son of God, and he had the right to my future UCB for my future can change. I have to give the rights to my future to the son of God. That's what it was about Nathaniel. He was an honest man and I have an honest assessment and a sense of myself and came to an honest conclusion about what was required to experience the fullness in the sense of the salvation that God was setting before me.

I read in the book of John that not only would he come to give me eternal life and he would give me an abundant life. Give me a reason to live on the earth, he would take me out of the mediocrity of my present trajectory and give me something that could not only satisfy my heart but would bring glory to his name as well and bring others out of darkness and into the same freedom that I know I knew my life would never be the same again. If I if I yielded to the son of God, my life would never be the same again. I remembered stopping on the side of the road May 12, 1978 and there was my prayer all Jesus.

If what this man is told me is the truth.

This is the context of having read the Gospel of John and having an understanding of what is required if it's true that I can be forgiven and have a new life. Then I open my heart and I invite you into my life to be my Lord and my Savior and that was it was my prayer didn't feel a thing.

A lot of people talked about the fuzzies they get or whatever it is when they pray at that moment in their journey with finding God and by I didn't feel a thing.

Nothing II just put my car in drive and I went to work. Work my shift and I went home and I went to bed not feeling any different, but the next morning is God lives the next morning I woke up and when my feet touched the floor. I knew I was a different man.

Something had happened inside of my life. If any man is in Christ, mail put it this way if Christ is in any man or woman. That person becomes a new creation the old things in their life are passed away behold all things have become new build path will try to hang on for little while the old paths will try to contact convince you that it's still alive, but it's not. It is passed away. It's dead. It's no longer has the right to your future and all things are become new.

So how do we experience these all things in these new things. You know sometimes we wanted immediately as Peter did in the initially at least he tried to do it in his own strength and try to follow God in his own strengthen and we do that don't. I did some of you online to doing it right now and others in the site for you tried that and some go a long distance, but eventually we all fail because this kingdom. You can't walk in this kingdom by natural human strength or wisdom is not by might is not by power but is by my spirit says the Lord. In first Samuel chapter tenant is going to read it to you. Versus 5 to 7 now Samuel. Saul had just been anointed king is going to be the king over Israel and Samuel the prophet speaking for God gives him a word about what will give him the strength to become the man that he's called to be. Note we all know Saul didn't quite walk this out the way you should have but he was given every opportunity to do this.

This was the beginning of his his ministry as it was. Verse five the first Samuel chapter 10 he says after that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is and will happen when you come to the city you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument. The tambourine, flute and harp before them and they will be prophesying bullets.

That's, in a sense, what happened to you those that are listing online you commend this permit. Again, you've got them a guy with a guitar, a stringed instrument. You've got somebody else with a keyboard got somebody with a drum set and they're playing in the saying and now I'm prophesying to you about what God will do in your life if you will yield your life to him. So you're actually experiencing the same thing that Saul did. Then the spirit of the Lord will come upon you hallelujah you talk about why we say stay and pray why were safe. Open your heart to God.

Give up trying to win this battle in your own strength give up trying to get out of this prison. Let God open the door let you give up trying to be strong in your own strength give up trying to formulate the plans of your own life and an instructor hands yield your life to the son of God, who can't and never will fail you then he said the spirit of the Lord will come upon you. This is why we are believing that through these connect and fellowship groups is going to be a spiritual awakening in this generation, at least in our we will do our part, were not the only players in town.

There's other churches, other places other people praying God's going to bring it all together in one and I and I see in my spirit homes, igniting all over the world. I see the fire of God burning mounting big buildings no longer in mega churches but the fire got burning involves men and women coming alive in God. The young and the old, the rich, the poor prophesying that means speaking in unison with God speaking the things that God is speaking. Given an understanding like Nathaniel of the work in the word and the will and the ways of God. See the incredible power that's available to walk in this newness of life that we are called to in Christ Jesus the spirit of the Lord will come upon you and you will prophesy with them and they turn into another man. That's exactly what happened on the day of Pentecost the spirit of the Lord came upon 120 failures that gathered in an upper room and when they came out of the upper room and went into the marketplace.

What were they doing this, the Lord had come upon them, and they were speaking in unison with God about the wonderful works that God had done is doing and is preparing to do. There was simply walking and speaking in unison with God, and they had this incredible vision like Nathaniel of the power of God and the ability of God to do things that can be done by ordinary men and women with any amount of ordinary strength or natural wisdom, and let it be. He says in verse seven. When these signs come to you that you do, as occasion demands for God is with you and when you have begun to prophesy when you are in agreement with God.

When you are believing that you are what God says you are when you are believing that you're going where God says you're going when you believing that you have the power to do what God says he will do when all these things come into your life then as God leads you through that door because God is now with you. The old things are passed away and all things have become new. Finding what you are, but do you know what you will be praise be to God, you will not be as you are when you open your heart to Jesus Christ you will be turned into another man, another woman young girl that doesn't you'll become the person God intended you to be right from the womb to the Lamb of God, glory, glory to the name of Jesus.

So Jesus encounters your you and candor in places I know who you are. This is who you are, but this is so you will be praise be to God and the Holy Spirit will show you you guys you line by line, brick by brick step-by-step as you get into the word of God and by the power of God's Holy Spirit begin to believe that every promise in this book now belongs to you. Suddenly everything that was impossible becomes possible. Every place it was impossible. Now, just as the Red Sea parted for the children of God without God makes a way for you to go and do what you could never hope to do in any amount of your own natural strength will bless God bless God all that is required is that you and I approach him with an honest heart finally give up trying to do it in our own strength. So Jesus you are the son of God, and you are the king of my life. You have the rights to my future.

I give you my future are not going to use you to try to build up my plan for my life but I yield my plan and now embrace whatever it is that you have for my life. We don't fully understand what that is. But as we walked out in faith with an honest heart, a new creation in Christ Jesus. God is the one who makes it happen in each one of our lives. In John chapter 3. There was a religious leader named Nicodemus came to Jesus at night probably because he was embarrassed to be seen with in the daytime, but he said Rabbi, we know that your teachers come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless unless God is with him.

Jesus answered and said to most most assuredly, I say to you is a John 33 no, unless one is born again cannot see the kingdom of God and other the word C really implies he can't perceive it is outside of it until he is born again. Notice this. This man is teaching the people about God, but he himself is outside of where the power of God really is and the purpose of God is, he can't see it has the implication of entering into the kingdom of heaven for eternity but it also has a now implication when you look at they the context of the word and means it at least intellectually perceive unless you are born-again you can't intellectually perceive the kingdom of God you don't know how the kingdom of God works.

Nathaniel was told by Christ are going to see something about the kingdom of God because you have an honest heart you're going to see something that you can't see if your heart is not honest.

Nicodemus said to market amended born when he is old can enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born. Jesus answered said most assuredly essay due, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.

Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again then goes on to say, the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound, but you can't tell where it comes from and where does so is everyone who is born of the spirit is still Nicodemus you're being carried by your natural reasoning by natural religion by natural study, but when you're born of the spirit to go to be carried by the presence of God can be carried into places you never thought you were going to go and you're going to become the person you never thought you could ever be. You have to be born again by the spirit of God you had a natural birth. He said to Nicodemus, and you got a whole wagon load of religion, but that will get you into heaven, and will get you into the place where you begin to understand the power of God's kingdom and the change in purpose that comes into a life that is given to him you must be born again see it. It implies in a sense of humility implies an admission that religion can save self effort can save me. I can change all of my exterior garments.

You probably look really nice on the outside that can save me. I didn't know the Hebrew meanings of half the words of the Bible that can save me. I have to come to Christ admitting that I can't save myself admitting that I need a Savior, admitting without guile without deceit that there's no way into the kingdom of heaven. Both here on the earth and into eternity. Until I bend my knee before the son of God and recognize him as my Lord and my Savior until I believe that God still loves me that he sent his only begotten son to die on the cross that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life until I I believe that he came to do what I can't do for myself and I begin this Nathaniel did to confess of as my Lord and as my Savior. When I do that my heart being open to the son of God, the Spirit of God comes the Holy Spirit of God. The third person of God and takes up his residence inside my earthen body and I become a new creation washed clean of all of the sin and all the restrictions that it brought into my life. All the death that was being born inside of me is suddenly washed away, it loses its power, and I become a new creation in Christ Jesus, born again by the spirit of God, no longer bound by the things of this world no longer constrained by old habits old thoughts old works old deeds. But just as a newborn baby coming into this world for the first time being born again by the spirit of God means to starting a new and starting afresh being the person that God always wanted me to be. I'm telling you, you will be a new creation.

I'm speaking to you about your future. But what will happen in your life. God will take you so much farther than you ever believed you could thank you for joining us this week for a call to the nation with Carter come from Times Square Church in New York City. For more information log onto TSC Don NYC TSC Don NYC you can count on a powerful message each week on a call to the nation with Carter,