Gospel Mission

It's good to be with you this morning special day as we honor our graduates recognize the achievement they have accomplished with crazy high school years with the pandemic. You know, for most of their jar part of their junior year, and then even most of their senior year and so were honored to honor them today so if you have an opportunity and you know when these graduates. Maybe if you don't I encourage you to just congratulate them when you see them as you see them today, stand out a little bit. I'm sure they'll shed that pretty quickly as well.

I know I would.

But for most of us know in this room we have to think back, maybe a little ways. But remember back when you were 18 and do some of the year like I don't member that because I'm only 10 but I just go with illustration right. Think back or look forward. I guess for most of us in this room. Think back to when you were 18 years old you think about you had to hold your whole life right in front of you.

Your thinking like what I want to do with my life I can do anything I can do anything I want to do and we are so blessed to grow up and to be born in a country with educational systems. Yes, they're flawed, but if you've never been to 1/3 world country.

Can there be on mission trips overseas. We are so blessed with education and opportunity.

Really do anything you want.

It's need to hear some of our grads this morning and hearing where the where they're going to go and what they're going to do and how God is going to use them in the future, but I want you to think back to when you were 18 years old. You're looking ahead and think with me like these graduates another 18 years old 19th looking out ahead and sent what to do with my life where I fit in in this world. What can I do and how can I impact 20 years ago. This is is is crazy to me.

Think about the about this this week.

20 years ago I was I was 18, so the quickly easy math 38 but 20 years ago I was 18 I went my very first mission trip right outside of Toronto, Canada. My youth pastor encouraged me and challenged me to to preach at the church is a church plant in from our church and Charlotte here Axa group here and they plan this church outside of Toronto, Canada, and they asked me to preach on I think is a Wednesday night is the very first sermon 20 years ago this month. I cannot believe that I was terrified. I still tear is standing up sitting up here today as well, but I was thinking in my life.

A moment what I want to do with my life and so God was doing this work in my heart and shifting me and shifting me away from a focus of sports and just enjoying my life to saying.I have a purpose.

You have a mission for you. Eric so I answered that call and felt the call towards ministry to pursue that. Thankfully, by God's grace for all these years for all of us, though this room not my most of you in this room about a heavy majority of you are called to full-time ministry not been recalled to to go overseas to serve somewhere and a country that is close to the gospel to bring the gospel. Our prayer is that many will be raised up and will go and answer the call of making disciples all over the world, but I recognize that most of us that's not the case, God has given us each and every single one of us a mission at the gospel mission and I want us to look at this passage this morning's if you have a Bible turn with me to Colossians chapter 4 Colossians chapter 4 the very first sermon ever preached 20 years ago was from Colossians wasn't this passage and I know I member I think I apologize after I finished I was Lycos. I was so nervous and so scared and the pastor comes at me like never apologize for preaching God's word. What are you sure so so hopefully there's no apology. At the end of this today. Colossians chapter 4 put this question before you. How can you make your life count. Whether you are eight or 88, wherever you are on the spectrum on the age spectrum in this room. How can you even still, at this point in your life. Maybe you've only got months to live. Whether you're looking and think that you have 80 years to live, how can you make your life count. What does that look like what is that you look like for you as an individual is is as a high school graduate or as a senior adult. What is it look like to make your life count was it look like to live on mission gospel mission with an IR this morning as we open up God's word and look at Colossians chapter 4 receive the end of the letter that Paul wrote to this church are the small city in Colossae. Paul is wrapping up his letter as he as he wraps up his letter. You know, as he does with most of his letters he wraps them up with a few quick hitters one-liners of things I do this and don't forget this pray for us. He mentions Thanksgiving and mentioning several different people that he's planning these churches in serving the world and reaching the gospel to the nations with and he writes this letter in this letter is if I want to most Christ. Christ centered and focused letters that we have in the new test is all of Christ.

All Scripture is overpriced but the focus of this letter is so much on the preeminence. The beauty of Christ in his holiness and his righteousness, and so as we come to this final part of the letter, we won't us to look at these verses, so if you have a Bible there front of you. I winter and encourage you to read along with me, so Colossians chapter 4 starting in verse two says this continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving at the same time. Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear which is how I ought walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer person. This is God's word and will you pray with me. Now this is a passage mostly most of the sermon is good to be on prayer and I want us to go to the Lord now before we talk through this passage we pray. Father, we again we want to look at your word. We recognize that this is your word. This is not Eric's word. This is not man's word is not calorie. Churches word. This is God's divine word for us. Used Paul to write to this church in Colossae, but that so applies to us here today. 2000 years later we pray your blessing on each of us in our lives but we pray right now for your spirit to move in our hearts to maybe change of perspective give us more reliance on you and your word in your gospel and may we live it out to the ends of this earth wherever you may call us and so we ask for your help in this today and we ask this in Christ name, amen. So if if you want to make your life count. If you want to live on mission must first begin with prayer man. How often do we not do that. How often do we begin elsewhere.

How often do I find myself even in the evening of preparation for a sermon on prepare. It is so easy for me to not even spend enough time in prayer as a pastor is serving students to stand in front of them week after week to disciple students and teenagers and dads and families.

It's so easy for us to go about this mission, and not begin with prayer.

But here Paul is encouraging the Colossian church to pray and it begins with prayer.

You know we've we've heard the verses right in Scripture. Scripture is full of prayer we see the prayers of God. We see Jesus praying in his is model prayer for his disciples. We see Paul praying for the church.

We have examples of prayer and we know these things. We know that in. Listen we don't have because we haven't asked. We know that were not supposed to be anxious, but in everything by prayer and petition to make our requests be made known to God. For some reason many if not most of us don't really pray what I what I mean by that. For a lot of us. We only pray right where it was for those people who pray right before a meal will at least differ with other people for lunch by yourself. You might not pray. My forget to do that with you with people you'll pray. Or maybe a quick you know as you lay your head on your pillow you're like alright I would love to wake up in the morning so God help me wake up tomorrow and I don't want. I really don't want to die right now so will pray or or will come to a communion or Lord's supper Sunday were like. I do not want to get sick today so I'm in a prepaid before own repent of all my sins before I take communion. We might get a little more serious in our prayers before the Lord's supper so often. Our prayers are just trite the ritualistic I'm saying this personally. You might be like Eric that might be you eat will that's great if that's not you, but my feeling in his eyes that I've talked with countless numbers of people is most people struggle in prayer. And here he says listen Colossian church look at a verse to continue notice this emergency how to pray.

How are we to pray for you to begin with prayer or saying I want to live on mission for God to begin with prayer. What is that prayer look like, how are we to pray. Look what he says. He says he here forced to continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful and it with thanksgiving.

Notice that he uses that word step. If you have a ESV infinity which we we predominantly use your calorie church steadfast hear you saying is this devoted prayer. Other travelers may use devoted but it's this idea of persistent in prayer that is so convicting for me because I am not persistent in prayer you know someone will say hey will you pray for me on this quick to say yes. I'll pray for you. There's a lot of people in Charlotte North Carolina and all over the United States America praying for Olson family. If I'm a panther fan and so II follow Greg Olson in his career. Here is a panther. His son TJ who I was born with a heart defect in his heart was was wasting away, and he was needing a transplant and and he's asking for prayer and all these people religious and nonreligious are like a praying for you sending up thoughts for you and maybe we will in those moments, or maybe we just type it. Praying for you in a text message without actually praying here. He says be devoted to prayer. Be persistent and it earnestly and steadfastly in prayer there is. There is a family this church. I assume they still still still attend here.

There's a family, my fellow pastors would know what I'm referring to. Here's so over the years, the past we gather together seven euros little over six years six and half years almost in those six have years post every single Monday morning when we would gather together to pray the prayer cards that are in the pews in front of you, there would be this one family believe it's grandparents, and they list off every single one of their grandchildren on the every single week writing their names. I have off most of their names in my head because I've seen that part so many times in their praying for salvation not just praying for the sick and like a pray for my son or my daughter my granddaughter has a big test or whatever their praying for their salvation and notice the persistence of that. It was week after week, and I'm just assuming the thing a big assumption here that that's not just something I just write down that something that their praying for in their calling out to God, and their persistent in that sink, God will you save my children and my grandchildren W open their eyes to the gospel and I believe if my memory serves he wills a few years ago and never getting what is Cardinals a little bit different. Mentioned the praise for one of you see persistent and prayer is not a one time thing. It's not just send a text message but not actually pray persistent and prayer, be steadfast in it you notice what data verse 12. Even in verse 12. Look what it says about a path for us. Paul says this about Pappas in verse 12 he says he is one of you are easily eight. He is one of you use varies with you he know he's one of you and notice what he says about him is as a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you always notice this work struggling on your behalf is in his prayers how I viewed say yes is a struggle to pray.

It is distraction show up notifications being on your phone or your driving on the road and you're like RM to make this my prayer time and then something happens. A phone call comes are really a song you really like and you like to listen to song a pray in so you listen to our take a podcast or some there's so many things that can distract us away from being persistent in prayer and here it's modeled for us in Luke 18.

I will love this. In Luke 18 Jesus told his disciples a parable, encouraging them to always pray and he was using this as this persistent widow. There was this widow who would keep bothering the judge over and over again. She would go up to the judge and bother this judge. The judge let Galway Galway don't don't bother me anymore, and eventually judges like fine, have it answered.

Fine, whatever, almost like Galway so bother me Jesus using that as an example saying hey come bother me with your requests bother me with your quest may not literally, not to bother God with the point being is is that you're going to persistently listen I I am not I'm not the good father I should be. There's many areas that I fail it and this is one of them made when my kids listen it's nighttime if you, for those either parents and remember these days with younger kids. It's like the Nye lease there knocking on the door not just barging into your bedroom at night.

But but there knocking on the door that mom but what is it it's bedtime like it's 10 o'clock. At this point you should be sleeping. And they come poking and look in the door like a can you come do this for me.

Can you do that family. Now it's bedtime like like I'm not that good father and so what happened is there like the can walk you the whole award project and walk away, close the door go in the room and then like a few minutes later they come back eventually something else and something else is like art is now 11 o'clock you have continue to come to my door this time. What is it that you want. Just leave me alone at this point right see that's not our God God our God is a good father and he says come to me with your anxieties come to me with your struggles come to me and bother me with your request and I will gladly answer them.

See were to be persistent in prayer.

Not only are we to be persistent in our prayers were to be watchful of a watchman prayer ministry here at Calvary, but look look again.

He says this continues steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving sorta do it watchfully alert knowing that temptations lurk everywhere and we are often tempted to think that we are talking to the air. Maybe that's what you find like you find yourself in a prayer closet or walking down the road doing a walk or something. I talked to got to just feel like you just like are you talking to yourself.

Are you actually talking to God and maybe there's a realist temptations coming or you're like I don't know what I'm to pray and is God really actually hear my request and so were tempted in these ways, maybe for some of you prayed persistently you like your like Eric, I have been devoted in my prayers. I have prayed persistently and consistently for years for something to happen and it just hasn't happened yet. And the temptation is right this I will. God doesn't care about my request to God doesn't listen. Is he definitely told that does he not hear my voice.

But here's other people's understand pulsing be watchful and it in Mark 1434 and 38 Jesus told his disciples to stay here. Keep watch to watch and pray so that they won't fall into temptation and so we are to call to be watchful in our prayer but to be honest, there's even more simplistic interpretation of this would look to pay attention for how God is working in answering requests. If I can encourage you some advice and encouragement something this morning is to use a prayer journal as you write those requests in the morning and as you pray, and lift up these request to you which you write those requests down in a prayer journal you will be blown away and so blessed by looking back at that journal and seeing came through income through the way. I thought he would be cancer differently. Let's just watch and see what God does is as graduates. They were praying for these graduates to go. Let let's let's let's watch and see how God uses them. Listen right now even summer home. Actually, on a little bit of a break this week but we have probably like a dozen or so students and college students really serving all over the US and camps and in different ways. Serving communities all literally all over this when Texas and Virginia and North Carolina succulent. There's really all over the Southeast, especially ball over just sharing the gospel pouring into children and kids and listen. Let's watch as God does great things, and in their lives… And then that leads us to what we do next is as we watch it leads us to be thankful.

We thank God for his work. We thank God for what he is doing. Appreciate the sun that we just sang right before I came up to preach this morning.

Thank you Lord for saving my soul's to find yourself continuously thanking God for what he's done in your life. Thankful this and this is what happens though as your thankfully get your mind off of yourself. It takes the pride away and it puts us to a place of more humility. We were thankful it helps change the perspective you know if you read the Pauline letters in the New Testament. It will bubble and really if you could make that like one of like a goal some point in your in your Bible study of the New Testament and just circle or unknowing all the times thanksgiving or thankful. As mentioned, especially by Paul being thankful over and over you and it stands out on the page really for me. You know, and any thankful. But here's here's a question on how to lead us into this next section of our passage this morning is this okay so we know where to be persistent.

Our prayer be thankful, watchful.

We do this persistently, but specifically were taught gospel mission. What are we to pray for.

Paul says this look here. Look at verse three is at the same time.

Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak is an interesting again start looking at my own prayer life. I see the selfishness and self-centeredness of my prayers. Often it's for comfort for peace protection will ask for some guidance and wisdom pray for healing for our friends will pray for a lot of different things, how often we praying for God to open doors for gospel witness thing about this just think for second Paul. Paul is in a Roman prison sitting in a jail cell. Maybe be chained to some guards, even he's writing these letters and he's saying, hey, pray for us does not pray for freedom is pray for an earthquake to open up a cell door or an angel to show up like it did for Peter and I even asked for these chains to be removed is prayer isn't about his chains.

It's not even about rescue and and and healing or protection. He's praying for open doors for the gospel.

Listen the reason he's in chains is because he preach the gospel. The reason to stay in his chains is because he will not stop preaching the gospel and so what he calls for what he asked for his Colossian church, will you join me when you partner with me in gospel witness that you will you pray for open doors for me to share the gospel, whether that's with the jailers, whether that's with the Roman guard, whether that's with other people who are in prison you continue to pray for me and pray for us in first Corinthians 1689 we get this from from from Paul.

He says this, but I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost does for a wide door for effective work is open to me and there are many adversaries like there's many adversaries to this gospel work, but like the door is been open why God has paved the path for gospel witness right here where I am and so he only does we find out in acts 20 that he stays there for about three years training and equipping admonishing the church he stays any open stores graduates. I'm thinking for you guys, but that God will open doors for you in the communities and in the neighborhoods and in the campuses in the. The teams that you play on and the sports and activities in the groups in the societies that you get a part of that God will use those as open doors for ministry. But not just for students for this role. This right this week what's ahead of you. Most of us don't know we might have a calendar but God might have different different plans for you where you praying for doors this week right this very week right after the service. When you're in your life group or right after the service and you go out to lunch with with friends or family are here you come in contact with a waiter or waitress you come in contact with you go to pull his afternoon hang out with people in your neighborhood are you praying for open doors for gospel with so humbling.

Paul is like if anybody if anybody could say paint like let me out of these chains pray for that these chains be broken because it will impact more people because even though there is so concerned about the gospel and it getting out says hey pray for open doors. So when God opens these doors. What are we to pray for. Look what he says here he says this he says open to do us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in person. So not only would it pray for open doors were also Paul says this as God opens these doors. Pray also for me that God will give me clarity in gospel witness that I will be clear and how I am to speak so that when an opportunity is presented to me. I'll know exactly what to say and how to say it and I'll be clear in in presenting the gospel to people this is what Paul's heart is. His heart is about the gospel he cares deeply about the gospel and listen.

This is our calling to write the good news about Jesus is done for us.

This is our mission. This is our calling. We need to be praying and beginning in prayer for these things. Open doors and clarity in gospel witness. Calvary church is an emphasis this morning. I was is meeting with the graduates but down below this this platform downstairs is a gathering of men were gathered to pray for. For me specifically this morning to pray that I would be clear in presenting the gospel in preaching the truth of God's word this morning there people in this room that pray for our pastors. We will do so.

Thank you for that we need more of your prayer. But listen, this is not something to be taken lightly. This is Paul of all people to Paul of all people, we would think me the greatest me the goat of missionaries outside of Jesus ready the greatest time in these A's presenting the gospel over the place and he's saying hey will you pray for me like I need your prayers. I'm dependent on your prayers. Listen, if he's saying he needs the prayers of God. St. thousand times over. We pray for your you commit to pray for your pastors your elders for those in leadership for your life group leader. We pray I'll be see for yourself for open doors for clearly communicating the gospel.

We pray for our missionaries.

We have a prayer report that comes out monthly from our missionaries that comes in our inbox. If you signed up for it and there you have the opportunity to see the needs and to pray for our missionaries. But above all their needs. Will you pray for open doors to gospel witness and clarity in communicating that mission commit to pray and are you doing things are you praying for open doors for God to work in the lives of his people.

College graduates are you praying for your roommates, maybe even know who they are. Yet, or maybe you just start to get to know some of those people will be your classmates or teammate.

We pray for open doors forgot gospel witness because it put you out potentially for those that are going away to college and staying in a dorm or an apartment with other remakes. God is put you with that remake this time and for this purpose. God can use you to declare the gospel to this person. What an opportunity to live with someone for those those few years release for a semester and to be able to invest in them to pray for them and for each of us this week. Are we praying for open doors. Think about the specific Paul is saying, pray for us. Partner with me in this lesson, you literally can partner with us in gospel work by praying you can help, and I mentioned earlier about TJ Olson, Greg Olson was tied in for the Panthers and am asking for prayer is also saddened by some of the responses from people, people were like hate sending you strength. They were saying like a man. Best of luck.

Well wishes your way. But what is sending strength do how do you do that literally like how I sin strength like me and Jackie was some but I don't know that looks like you can contact that all day. But what does that even mean notice you can actually tangibly help someone you can literally help them by praying for them and pulsing you can actually help in gospel witness.

You can partner with me in this, if you'll just join me in praying for open doors and clarity of gospel witness solicitor for her to make our life count, we must be persistent in prayer and specifically praying for open doors and clear gospel witness. That was the book of the message.

Relook at the last two verses here. Look at chapter 2 chapter 4 verse number five says this walk in wisdom, walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. So if you live on mission in his gospel mission. We have to begin with prayer really. Secondly, and what were to do is from these verses in this these prayers that we just saw to see how we do that, and here's how we do that we do that real live on mission rigid by taking advantage of doors that have been open to us.

We take advantage of the doors that have been opened. These opening of doors that God provides for us and that happens day by day, sometimes hourly, sometimes minimally, sometimes it might be a few days a week are different times God will open these doors and were to take advantage of them and he tells especially how to take advantage of these what he says it this way is he simply says this walk in wisdom toward outsiders were to have wise behavior. The way you act matters to the world.

I a mess. Think you know that, but it matters how many churches and communities. A minaret my moral failure by a pastor or leader. How many Emily any how much witness is impacted when there's failure by a pastor or overseer or some leaders in the church or even a life and how that can impact the community using wise behavior and acting wisely.

It matters making wise choices is students when you head off to college, you will be presented with opportunities to really do some dumb stuff really really dumb. You make some unwise potential. You may make some unwise choices that could lead you on a path of destruction had the privilege. This year my my oldest son Colson is is moving into sixth grade into middle school and we took him on a passport.

I took him on a passport to purity weekend trip. We talked about purity as he heads into these very vital and important years and I remember there was in one of the talks you listen to these the CDs can as you driving thankfully like you just keep talking there sir, and I'll just keep driving.

You can talk all about that stuff I did, I would rather not but it but anyways and so in one of those talks in one of those talks.

There was some college students who spoke and they they had joined fraternity and in their initiation they had this big like party style thing with stage and everything and people would come in a walk at one time. These these new guys there take a champagne bottle that open and they would down that bottle in front of all these people in these three guys there both. All three believers.

Some of them know each other but they don't destroy know each other really well, yeah, and they're all in line and all thinking the same thing to fight what what how Megan handled the situation. Each of them handled it somewhat differently, but I think each of them did it in a wise way they were booed they were ridiculed in the moment for not going through what everyone else was doing.

They made it through and because of this listen is because they acted wisely in that moment that a decision to make my just going to go in and like let's make a party of this, let's let's let's see how help crazy will help we can get but chose not to. And guess what happened though God began to use them as a witness to their fraternity gave them open doors because they acted wisely as they made wise choices used that it was taking advantage of open doors that led to more open doors. Not only are we to act wisely. He says this as well. He says in verse six let your speech always be gracious and seasoned with salt UCR speech must always be gracious because the gospel is all of grace. This should be pretty obvious for us right if you're consistently have negative speech speak harshly with angry words probably can end up with little friends to be. People want to be around you because all they hear is negativity or anger and frustration or bitterness is not attractive at all, you attract friends like Job in college when annual like man users are start talking constantly negative income counseling just to how you hate everything in all of life. Most of you like all right can I get a new roommate. Next, Mr. this week really. It's not attractive and so he says like Libby's let your words, your speech about your behavior and acting wise and making wise choices with how we act, but here he says this with our speech, how we communicate matters. The way we talk, listen, this this this pandemic and this year and is short decade already feel like it, but a decade ago on your one or something but what we think about this when you look at our culture easy to see hatred you see anger you see constant noise and fighting with words, what if we as a spiritual army were communicating life. What if we spoke with grace. What if we spoke with kindness when we lifted other people of and looked in the best interest of them and spoke highly of people. If we we we we saw outsiders and rather like Lou Turner either them and say man. I don't ever want to call around those people. Jesus was was known as a friend of sinners. But here's the thing he was around sinners. He was invited over to Zaki's analyses goes to these different parties. Any these meeting would be sinners. But here's the thing called treasure Mr. college bees college students and and students really in his room. All of us don't think that it's like a lot to be like Jesus and so he says I can hang out with sinners and go build the part of the bar and hang out with prostitutes of that so I can do it to you.

Notice, though, every time Jesus goes somewhere and he goes into that environment. Those people he changed every time every hour every time this evil will lead to repentance and faith in Christ there changed because of his presence and let your speech what you communicate gracious words communicate life. He also uses an interesting phrase here. He says this always be gracious, seasoned with salt, salty speech. Usually we use with a salty regional is in assuming an in a positive way.

It's like manic as a little salty right man.

He's always cantaloupe little sharp criticism we mean when he says this salty speech may only illustrate this wakes up being in high school, pastor, and when working with college students and and others who are potentially like looking like hey I love to be married someday and there are single at the time and and they're asking some questions. There were no like a like what's marriage like will want answers like two people to come to grips on this. There is the person if you were to talk to them and you're like in there like hey like tell me like what's what's marriage like in there like me let me tell you what marriage is like.

It's rough like it's really hard.

My husband stinks makes weird noises, grunts, is never says anything nice to me and he like memoir. There's other person like man I why she's always as nagging constantly. She's always after me. She never else like she's such a drag like this.

Even if he is this someone told you that you like okay I guess. I do not want to be married right don't think that's the kind of marriage I want, but have you ever been privileged to talk to a couple who were just deeply in love one another for 50+ years.

Even in it. I had a text message this morning my phone appear, but I got a text message this morning for prayer request that we pray for earlier and I got to read the text was forwarded to me and at the bottom. It was talk about this, how much they love their husband how supportive they have been through a difficult trial in the election of him so much. You're been around someone toxic. I don't know what I could do without my spouse and I can live.

I don't know how I would go about my day. She is she or he is just the best thing that is ever have to me and they speak so highly of them.

They just love their spouse. That's that's seasoned with salt beds say, listen, listen, how can I tell you how awesome marriage is. Yes, it's really hard but can I tell you meant I would never do it any differently. I love my wife and it is been a joy to to give of myself to serve her because she is so kind and generous to me and and and that you speak that way someone like man I want that to what would that look like for us with the gospel to be like hey can I tell you about my God, can I tell you about Jesus to tell you what he is done for me tell you how he is been so kind and gracious and good to me. I'm so undeserving to me tell you my life could be so different I be so lost without him that we speak with gracious words and with the words that are seasoned with salt and notice what he says less to conclude with this. He says this so that you may know how you ought to answer each person you've prayed, you have begun with prayer you're praying for open doors your praying that God would use you to clearly communicate the gospel your acting wisely you're speaking with grace and with this salty speech that is encouraging.

That's spicy. That's attractive brings flavor and as you do that is you doing these things in your praying and you're just continuously persistently praying that gives you an opportunity it's right in front of you this week. It's right in front and you okay I'm now prepared to communicate the gospel to this person in the context that I've been given. Everyone is different so you some of your like I know the content of the gospel of will, for one, do you if you don't I say practice it and if you've never believed that yet. I would challenge you to believe it this morning that Jesus that that the world was created by God. He creates man but yet sadly man rebelled against the Scott broke his command that broke his laws and now every single person has done the exact same thing. We have rebelled against and we have sin we fall short of God's glory but yet put God has given us his son Jesus Christ to calms and invades our planet lives the life that we never could live sent the sinless but yet sinful man puts him on a cross.

Be them. They spit out of a mob can make put them in on this cross and with God's diet is dying breath. The darkest hour in history. The greatest thing happened. He paid the price that we could not pay and this gospel this gospel. This good news of Jesus is and over with his death because three days later he rose from the grave conquering death so that one day we do when we are last breath is given. If we placed our faith and trust in Christ we to come to eternal life. We are raised with him and listen you can believe that this morning. The Bible tells that is by grace that humans say this not of works, maybe you grown up in a place in a culture where you said you know what I'm trying I'm trying to be good and you just never been good enough.

You keep finding yourself as a failure.

You are a failure and that's okay. I'm a failure to, but Christ is perfect, is sinless, and I have placed my trust in him and by his grace he gives us this Avenue this way to receive that grace by belief and repentance turning from her sin. You can do that. And guess what you can communicate that to. If you're a believer in this room now that message doesn't change the context in which you presented changes all the time but will you begin with prayer. Pray as God is going to help you listen, as is my wife and I take this really really really giant leap of faith for us to plant a church.

About an hour north of Atlanta. We we would desperately ask for your prayer for us that you would pray that God would open doors that you pray for our senior pastor here Kelby church that you'll pray for God will continue to use him to continue to preach the proclaim the gospel here boldly as he's done for years. We pray for these open doors. We partner with its partner together across the board in gospel mission began with prayer and to be persistent and it thankfully watchfully earnestly and that we will be able to clearly communicate the gospel to the world. Let's do that this week will look like this room could be filled, and we go back to services again when the bill like woman not to services but to services you could choose one worship team is the one that really know what that listen, they would gladly do it if it was full to 10,000 people. We can do that together partner together in prayer and praying for those open doors and communicating the gospel. Let's do that together we pray father you are she were so good you're so kind and generous to us and so gracious why you would come to our earth take our place and I just send it straight to where we deserve to be in hell for all eternity got you made a way through the gospel and you've entrusted us with this gift of the gospel in this room to communicate that to the world. May we do that boldly and we constantly maybe not limit maybe take the pressure off of ourselves. Like what I say it. How do I say it maybe just believe the gospel and learn how to communicate that truth in the context of the places that you've given us. That will have open doors be able to clearly communicate. Father, help us in these ways, help us to trust in you more and more help us to rely on you was to lean in press into you with these graduates again, we thank you for them. I pray that you will bless them in these families bless us as a church. Thank you for your blessings over these years.

We pray for your help and strength and for more open doors to mass this increasing