YOU KNOW, GOD NEVER INVITED
US JUST TO HAVE A RELIGION.
HE WANTS US TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
JESUS DIDN'T DIE SO I COULD JUST BE RELIGIOUS AND
GO TO CHURCH ONCE A WEEK, READ A LITTLE BIT
OF MY BIBLE EVERY DAY, AND THEN NOT THINK ABOUT HIM
THE REST OF THE TIME.
HE WANTS TO DO LIFE WITH US, AND HE WANTS TO BE INVOLVED
IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
NOW, THIS WAS SO LIFE-CHANGING FOR ME, WHEN I DISCOVERED
THIS OVER 45 YEARS AGO.
THE HOLY SPIRIT TOUCHED MY LIFE, AND I REALLY BEGAN A DEEP STUDY
OF THE WORD OF GOD.
AND THE MORE I DID, THE MORE I REALIZED THAT
GOD WANTS TO BE INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO--
HE WANTS TO BE PART OF IT.
WE SHOULD DO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO WITH HIM AND FOR HIM.
IN ACTS 17:28.
THE BIBLE SAYS, "'IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING.'
AS SOME OF YOUR OWN POETS HAVE SAID, 'WE ARE HIS OFFSPRING.'"
NOW, THINK ABOUT THAT SCRIPTURE, "IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE
AND HAVE OUR BEING." WHAT WAS THE WRITER SAYING?
BASICALLY HE WAS SAYING, "WE NEED TO DO LIFE WITH GOD."
MERELY GOING TO CHURCH AND ASKING GOD TO HELP US WHEN
WE HAVE A DISASTER, IS NOT HIS BEST PLAN FOR US.
HE WANTS US TO TALK TO HIM, ON AND OFF, ALL DAY LONG,
ABOUT ANYTHING, WHATEVER, WHATEVER WE'RE DOING,
PRAYING FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
JUST STAY IN CONTACT WITH HIM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND YOU KNOW, GOD IS NEVER MORE THAN ONE THOUGHT AWAY.
AND I LOVE THAT.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE TO BE IN SOME CERTAIN POSTURE,
INSIDE OF A CHURCH BUILDING, TO TALK TO GOD.
YOU CAN TALK TO HIM IN THE GROCERY STORE,
IN THE CAR, IN YOUR HOME, OUT OF YOUR HOME,
IN THE BACKYARD.
GOD IS EVERYWHERE.
AND HE IS WITH YOU ALL THE TIME.
I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
THINK ABOUT HOW CLOSE GOD IS TO YOU.
WHEN JESUS LEFT, THE FATHER SENT THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AND HE SAID, "HE HAS BEEN WITH YOU AND
HE WILL NOW BE IN YOU." IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN,
GOD LIVES IN YOU.
HE LIVES IN YOU.
AND SO, YOU SHOULD BE DOING EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO,
WITH THE IDEA IN MIND THAT YOU'RE DOING IT WITH HIM.
I LIVED THE WAY I'M TELLING YOU NOT TO LIVE,
FOR A LOT OF YEARS.
I WENT TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY.
READ ONE CHAPTER A DAY IN MY BIBLE.
SAID A LITTLE PRAYER IN THE MORNING,
A LITTLE PRAYER AT NIGHT.
AND THAT WAS IT.
THAT WAS MY LIFE WITH GOD, UNLESS WE HAD SOME
KIND OF A CRISIS, AND THEN, WE WOULD PRAY
ABOUT THAT CRISIS.
BUT I TELL YOU WHEN GOD TOUCHED MY LIFE,
AND I REALIZED THAT PART OF THE REASON WHY I WAS
SO UNHAPPY WAS BECAUSE I WAS LEAVING HIM OUT OF ALMOST
EVERYTHING THAT I WAS DOING.
IT TAKES A WHILE TO FORM THIS HABIT THAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT.
BUT IT WAS SO--I REMEMBER THAT ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS
THAT HAPPENED TO ME THAT, LIKE KINDA OPENED MY EYES.
I WAS BOWLING ONE NIGHT.
AND I WASN'T BOWLING VERY GOOD.
WE WERE IN A BOWLING LEAGUE.
AND I HEARD THE LORD SPEAK TO ME IN MY HEART, AND SAY,
"WHY DON'T YOU ASK ME TO HELP YOU?"
AND I THOUGHT, "WELL, YOU DON'T CARE
ABOUT MY BOWLING." AND HE SAID, "I CARE ABOUT
EVERYTHING YOU DO." SEE, YOU CAN TALK TO GOD
ABOUT EVERYTHING, NOT JUST THINGS THAT YOU
THINK ARE SPIRITUAL.
LET ME SAY IT AGAIN.
YOU CAN TALK TO GOD ABOUT EVERYTHING.
YOU CAN ASK HIM TO HELP YOU WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
BECAUSE HE'S CONCERNED ABOUT YOU ALL THE TIME.
WANTS TO TAKE CARE OF YOU.
WANTS TO BE INVITED INTO EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
REVELATION 3:16 SAYS, "SO, BECAUSE YOU ARE LUKEWARM--
NEITHER HOT OR COLD— I AM ABOUT TO SPIT YOU
OUT OF MY MOUTH." NOW, I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE
WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT I DO KNOW I DON'T
WANNA FIND OUT.
I BELIEVE THAT GOD IS SAYING, "ALL OR NOTHIN'.
I'D RATHER YOU GO ALL THE WAY WITH ME,
OR JUST DO NOTHING AT ALL, RATHER THAN JUST BE LUKEWARM."
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE REALLY THIRSTY, NOBODY WANTS
A LUKEWARM GLASS OF WATER.
IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A NICE DRINK,
WE WANNA EITHER HAVE A NICE COLD ONE, OR A NICE HOT ONE.
IF YOU'RE A LUKEWARM CHRISTIAN, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO STIR
YOURSELF UP, AND GET ON FIRE FOR GOD.
LIVE YOUR LIFE WITH AND FOR HIM.
DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING THAT GOD IS ALIVE,
JUST TO MAKE YOU HAPPY AND DO EVERYTHING YOU WANNA DO.
YOU'RE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM TO DO WHAT HE WANTS YOU TO DO,
TO SERVE HIM, TO LOVE HIM, TO INCLUDE HIM IN EVERYTHING,
TO BE OBEDIENT TO HIM, TO FOLLOW THE LEADERSHIP AND
THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
HE'S NOT JUST AROUND SO EVERY TIME WE HAVE A CRISIS,
WE CAN CALL ON HIM AND ASK HIM TO FIX IT.
JESUS IS SAYING TODAY, "GIVE ME YOUR ALL."
AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF YOU THAT PROBABLY
ARE READY FOR THAT.
OR MAYBE YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE READY FOR IT,
BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED.
LET'S THINK ABOUT THE WORD SURRENDER.
WHO'S WATCHING TODAY THAT'S READY TO SURRENDER?
YOU'RE READY TO LIFT UP YOUR HANDS AND SAY,
"GOD, TAKE ALL OF ME.
GET INVOLVED IN EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE."