Our Soon and Coming King

If you have your Bibles, we’re going to get into the Word this morning. I’m going to invite you to turn to Revelation chapter 22. Revelation chapter 22 is the last chapter in the Bible, so — spoiler alert. All right, that was funnier than you’re giving me credit for. Revelation 22, and we’re going to look at the last two verses of Scripture, verse 20 and verse 21.

We have been in a series called the Names of God. Last week, Pastor Larry shared on the Prince of Peace. Can we thank Larry for sharing? Wonderful. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and your heart. This week we are going to talk about Jesus, our soon-coming King.

Before last week, I had shared a little bit on Jesus the baptizer with the Holy Spirit, and really what the role of the Holy Spirit is in our lives. That is such a precious gift that has been given to us by the Lord Jesus Himself. And I had mentioned that the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the church and on His people is proof that He has ascended and is seated at the right hand of the Father right now. And it is. And so not only do we receive that gift, we pray for an increase of that and a fresh filling all the time, right? Because the Holy Spirit lives in you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re filled with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes our flesh likes to take over. Anybody struggle with their flesh a little bit, where you have a hard time saying no to yourself? “I just kind of want to do what I want to do.” But it’s a good thing to say no to yourself sometimes. Did you know that? Say no to yourself, and say yes to God.

A King who is coming personally

So we talked a little bit about Jesus the baptizer with the Holy Spirit, and I want to talk today about Jesus our soon-coming King. I believe that this name of God, the soon-coming King, is really one of the most hope-filled names that we can talk about, period. Because not only does it mean that He is victorious, that He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, that He has defeated death and given us life — but He is coming again. Which means He’s not a distant God. He is coming, and it’s personal. Amen.

I just love the heart of God, that His heart is so much just to be with us. He’s not sending angels to bring us to Him when He returns. He’s coming personally, and He’s establishing a new kingdom. Somebody say amen. And so He is the victorious one. He’s the reigning King, and He is on His way back.

So I want to look at Revelation 22, starting at verse 20. The Bible closes with this powerful promise in the very last chapter. It says this: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

Now, the one testifying here is the Lord Jesus Himself. And He’s saying this: “Surely I am coming quickly.” That word “quickly” really means you can bet on this. This is happening. This is imminent. It is something that is going to take place, so you need to be ready. All right? It’s not a question of if. It’s just going to happen. We don’t know when. In fact, Jesus said that. He said, “Listen, no one knows when the Son of Man will return. No one knows when I will come back. Only the Father in heaven knows.” And so we can’t speculate on the timing, but we can rest in this: He’s coming again.

I think too often we try to figure out when the date might be, or when the time might be, and until then, “I can just go and live my life and do my own thing and say yes to myself, and then when the time comes, I’ll say yes to Jesus.” But how many of you know we don’t know when? Scripture says that when He comes again as the King to gather all the believers, the church, to Himself, He comes like a thief in the night. Scripture says it’s like a flash of lightning — in a moment, right? We’ll be living our lives. Scripture says people will be marrying and celebrating and living life and enjoying life, and then all of a sudden He comes like a thief in the night. So we have to be ready.

And so He is the soon-coming King. Jesus has promised that He’s coming back. Now, when Jesus says, “I am coming quickly,” we find out that heaven’s perspective of “quickly” is probably a little bit different than ours, right? It’s been about 1,993 years since Jesus ascended into heaven. We’re coming up on 2,000 years. And He’s talking about coming quickly, from heaven’s point of view. Now, that doesn’t seem very quick. It’s like, “Man, any day now,” right? We’re kind of tapping our foot: “Jesus, You said You’re coming. It’s been a time.” In fact, the disciples who followed Jesus thought that in their lifetime they would see the second coming of Jesus, the Messiah. And so there’s been this anticipation and this longing.

But how many of you know, in light of eternity, 2,000 years is nothing but a flash in the pan? And so from heaven’s perspective, we have to understand that it’s not necessarily on our timeline or when we’re ready. It’s when He’s ready to gather His church to Himself and to receive that reward.

Coming for His reward, the bride

And so Jesus has promised He’s coming back. I want to look at 1 Thessalonians 4:16. You don’t have to turn there; we’ll have it on screen. It says, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

I talked about this just very briefly, but I think it shows such a heart of the Father, such a heart of love in Jesus, that He Himself will return. I think sometimes when we think about God and what He thinks about us, you might think, “Well, I’m not even sure God loves me,” or, “He must be frustrated with me because of all the decisions that I make, all the times that I turn my back on Him.” But how many of you know Jesus Himself is coming for you? He’s coming for you. And so when we talk about Jesus the soon-coming King, He’s not a distant God. He’s saying, “I’m coming, and I’m going to bring you to Myself. I will catch you up with Me, and you will be with Me forever.” And so Jesus has made it clear: “Listen, I’m coming back for My church.”

Now, how many of you know that Jesus has been given the name above every name? He’s been given the highest place. He’s seated at the right hand of God the Father, okay? He is seated on the throne. And Scripture says that He is there making intercession on our behalf. So He is praying for those who remain, those who are on earth. He is making intercession for us, seated in the highest place, in the throne room, at the right hand of the Father.

And Jesus has made it clear: “I am coming back.” And how many of you know, because of what Jesus gave — which was Himself; God gave of Himself — He deserves a reward? And the reward is the bride, the church of Jesus Christ. And so He’s coming back, and He’s not just coming back and saying, “Here I am. I’m here to reign and rule.” No, He is drawing you and saying, “You are My reward. You have been purchased at a price.” Jesus said, “Do you not realize that you’re not your own? But I have bought you at a price.” And there is no greater price that could be paid than the blood of Jesus, the perfect, precious blood of Jesus.

And so Jesus is currently in heaven interceding for us as our great High Priest, and He is in heaven preparing a place for us. John 14, verse 1 says this. Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” Jesus is saying, “Listen, I’m going to go away, and I’m not going to be with you. I’m going into heaven. I will send My Spirit, who will be a Helper, but I am going away.” And Jesus even said, “It’s to your advantage that I go away.” But how many of you know there was still mourning in the disciples? There was still sadness.

And He’s saying, “Listen, don’t let your heart be troubled.” How many of you know, when there are times that you might feel distant from God, you don’t need to let your heart be troubled, because Jesus sees you? He’s praying for you. He’s interceding for you. And when you call on the name of the Lord, He will send His Spirit to help you in that moment.

And so Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again” — everybody say that together: “I will come again” — “and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Look up: your redemption draws near

And so when we talk about Jesus the soon-coming King, rather than trying to figure out the when, we need to settle it in our heart and have an anticipation and a longing. Is it okay to long for His return? Somebody say yes. Is it okay to long to be with Him and to see Him face to face? Because Scripture says we will. Somebody say yes. But in the meantime, we are to prepare for His return.

Now, Jesus, in His goodness, does give us a glimpse of what the climate will be before He returns. Luke 21:25 says, “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Romans 13:11 says it this way: “Our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” Maybe you grew up in church, and maybe you’ve heard something like this before: that Jesus is coming again, that He will return, that He will gather His church to Himself. And how many of you know, if Jesus was returning soon then, it’s coming real soon now? Right? We are getting closer and closer to the return of the Lord.

And so how do we prepare for His coming? I think that’s the question. If this is who God is, that He is our soon-coming King, how can we ourselves prepare to be caught up by Him?

Put on Christ

Number one: we must put on Christ. Everybody say that: “We must put on Christ.” I want to read one of Jesus’ parables, out of Matthew 22:8. Most of Jesus’ parables were about preparing for His return. Jesus says this: “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.’”

In other words, Jesus is saying, “Listen, there are those who are called, that I’ve called to Myself, that I’ve prepared a place for, but they were not worthy, because they rejected Me.” “The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.” “So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.”

In other words, he had not put on the proper attire. There was someone there that didn’t dress for the occasion, that didn’t prepare themselves. Verse 12 says, “So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Many of you have probably heard of something called a black-tie event, right? If you are coming to this gathering, to this celebration, it is expected that you dress a certain way. You guys know what I’m talking about. It’s usually a fancier, formal occasion. And in this case, there is this fancy, formal occasion. It’s called the marriage supper of the Lamb, where there is this feast and this party and this celebration of all who have said yes to Him, who are coming to be with Him and to live with Him forever.

And Jesus is saying, “Listen, there is something that has been given. I have given these garments for this wedding, for this feast. But you must decide to put them on. The only way to have entrance into this event is to put on the proper garments.” And how many of you know the proper garment has been paid in full? In other words, you don’t have to go and save and scrimp and dig and work and do everything you can to prepare for this time. It’s already been prepared for you. It’s the blood of Jesus.

And Jesus is saying, “Listen, you need to put Me on.” That means, as you wait for My return — because I’m coming again — as you wait, don’t just gratify yourself. Don’t just do things your own way. Don’t just live for yourself. Don’t just be satisfied with “what you see is what you get.” No. Become like Me. Put Me on. Accept what I’ve done. Accept the price that I paid. And I will cleanse you with My blood. I will strengthen you by My blood. And I will give you My Spirit, so that you can be ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb. Amen.

That’s why it says in Romans 13:14, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” How many of you know the flesh says things like, “Well, you don’t really need to do that. I know the Bible says you should do this, and it says you really shouldn’t be doing those things, but you don’t really need to do that”? Listen, in order to be ready for His return, we have to be prepared. And one of the ways that we do that is we put on Christ, which means I’m saying no to myself and I’m saying yes to Jesus.

That means you might have to say no to some of your values. How many of you know that’s hard? There might be values that you have — maybe it was the way you were raised, maybe it’s your experience in life, maybe there are things that have happened to you that have hardened your heart — and so as a protection, you’ve said, “I have to live this way.” But how many of you know, in order to follow Jesus, you have to die to yourself? You have to die to your ways. You have to die to your values and say, “I’m going to say no to myself and no to my values, even no to my experience, and I’m going to trust You and say yes to You. I’m going to do it Your way.” How many of you know that’s how you know you’ve made Him the Lord of your life?

In fact, the word “Lord” means decision-maker. That’s why Jesus said, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” There will be many who call out to Him in that day. Jesus is talking about the day of judgment, where, how many of you know, we will all stand before the Lord — every single person — and give an account. Now, those who are covered with the blood — how many of you know that’s the lens He sees you through? So thank You, Lord. But we will all give this account. And Jesus said on that day many will say to Him, “Lord, Lord.” In other words, they’re going to say, “You’re the Lord. I recognize it.” But Jesus will say, “Depart from Me; I never knew you.” Why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” but you don’t do what I say?

You are not alone: He said no to Himself

If you can’t say no to yourself and yes to the Lord — I want to encourage you. You are not on your own. Because some of you might be hearing this through a filter of guilt and shame, and you’re like, “I can’t do it.” But how many of you know you’re not alone? Jesus said, “I’m going to send a Helper.”

I’ve heard believers say, “How can we actually be expected to live like Jesus? He was God.” But how many of you know He was also man? And Scripture says that He was tempted at every point, just like you are. Meaning, in order to die as a sacrifice for your sin and to take your place, He had to experience life to the full. He had to be tested at every point. When He was in the wilderness and Satan came to Him and tempted Him for 40 days and 40 nights — when it says that Jesus was tempted, that wasn’t just the Bible being facetious. He was actually tempted.

Jesus had to say no to Himself. Didn’t Jesus say that? He said, “Not My will, but Yours, be done.” Right? The night before Jesus died on the cross, didn’t He say, “Lord, if You could, please just take this from Me — but not My will, but Yours”? How many of you know He’s the perfect picture of humble surrender? And if He had to say no to Himself, how many of you know we need to say no to ourselves and yes to Jesus?

In fact, the only way to have a growing relationship with Him is to live that way. It’s to live with the humility that says, “Lord, everything that I have, every opinion that I hold, everything that I think is true — Lord, You are truth. I lay it all before You.” If you want to know the Lord — Jesus said, “If you want to follow Me, deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.”

Now, let me tell you this. There is no greater joy than being in fellowship with the Lord Jesus. There is nothing on this earth — no treasure, no riches, no fame, no fortune — that will even hold a candle to knowing Him. The one who was before the foundation of the earth. The one who created all things. The one in whom all things are held together. The only reason we exist, the only reason this world doesn’t implode, is because He spoke it. It all belongs to Him. And you can have a true and real relationship with Him. But you must say no to yourself, because your flesh is going to say, “You don’t have to do that.” But to be in relationship with Him, you’ve got to say yes to Him. Amen.

There is something about putting on Christ. Philippians 3:9 says, “And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.” There is a righteousness that has been purchased for you. And the Lord is saying, “Would you put this on? Would you wear this? I prepared the garment. I bought it. It’s yours.” But you have to decide to put Him on.

Honestly, I think anything can become a religious thing where you’re just doing it. But I think something that is just a good way to live is this: the first thing when you wake up, train yourself for Him to be your first thought. I can’t tell you how many times — and I’m not trying to toot my own horn, because listen, I need to do so much more to be with Him and to say no to myself — but almost every day I wake up, and the very first thing is, “Thank You, Lord.” It just is. It didn’t just happen overnight. It’s because that’s my heart. It’s because I do it often.

And I think it’s just such a great way to start: to say, “Lord, I’m saying yes to You today. I’m saying yes to You today.” That means if you need to put a little note on your mirror in the bathroom that says, “Say yes to Jesus,” do that. It’ll help you get in that place of gratitude and thanksgiving. But there will come a day when you don’t need that note anymore, by the way. Amen.

Be watchful: looking unto Jesus

All right. Number two: we must be watchful. How do we prepare for this soon-coming King? We must be watchful. Matthew 24:42 says, “Watch therefore” — pay attention, look around you — “for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

So what are we supposed to be watching? Well, we said Jesus is coming as a thief in the night. Now, Jesus is not a thief, but that is what His coming is like. We don’t know when it is. We don’t know the hour. And we are living in a world, more today than probably ever, that will constantly do everything to draw your attention from Him, to keep your eyes off of Him. You can know what’s going on in this world at any point, at any moment, because it’s all in your pocket.

I think I read a stat — don’t quote me on this, because I just read it and I can’t remember it exactly — it is absurd how much time people, by the end of their life, will actually spend looking at their phone. It is something like 30% of their life. It’s crazy. There are 24 hours in a day, and some of you are familiar with screen time, right? You can look at how many hours, and it’s like eight hours. That’s a third, and you’re sleeping for another third. How much time do we spend trying to know everybody else’s business and not knowing the heart of the Father? How much time do we spend comparing ourselves, or thinking, “What does everybody else think about me?” rather than, “What does God think about me?”

You see, it is very easy to have our attention filled with everything else besides Him. But we must be watching for Jesus. It’s how we’re to prepare. We must watch. Hebrews 12:2 — one of my favorite three-word phrases — says, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”

We’re supposed to watch for Jesus. We’re not just watching the events taking place around us. We’re not just saying, “Oh man, some bad things are happening in the news.” No, we’re supposed to look through all of that and see Jesus. That means when you’re watching the worst news and you’re like, “Man, that is heartbreaking. That is sad,” we don’t just look at what’s happening and react. We look through it, and we look to Jesus. Some of you got that.

Why should we look to Jesus? 2 Corinthians 3:18 says this: “But we all, with unveiled face” — meaning with nothing in between — “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” We are to be transformed into His image. If we would just spend our time and give our affection to Jesus, you will become like Him. And it’s not an instant thing. It’s not an immediate thing. It is a process. It is sanctification. It is becoming more and more like Him.

Let me tell you: whatever you look at is what you will become. Whatever has your attention is what you will be like. So what are you giving your attention to? If you are constantly giving your attention to the things that you want — the covetousness, the desires — guess what? You are going to be covetous. You’re going to desire material things. And none of that will pay off. Whatever you look at is what you will become like. And so if you’re going to look at something, let it be Him.

Be ready: the time to get oil is now

What do we do in the meantime? Number three: we must remain ready. Everybody say, “Be ready.” Scripture says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found.” That’s a sobering scripture, because really what it’s saying is, “Listen, you don’t know how many opportunities you’re actually going to have to hear this good news.” Not only do you not know how many times you’re going to hear it, you might not ever be in a place again where you’ll say yes. Because our heart gets hardened by the experiences and the life around us, and we’ll be like, “Well, I’ll call on Jesus when I’m old.” There’s going to be so much life that happens to you that your heart may say no to Him, because you’ll say, “Well, what kind of God…?”

Let me ask you this. When we say, “What kind of God would allow these things?” — what kind of God dies for His creation? Who are we to say, “God, You’ve not done enough”? He gave Himself. He’s not going to force Himself on anyone. Is there bad in this world? Yes. And that’s a result of our sinful, fallen nature, because we did not choose Him. And so is there bad? Yes. And do we live with those consequences? Yeah. But how many of you are thankful that God made a way where you could say yes, and you won’t only be with Him in heaven — you can know Him and have relationship with Him and be in fellowship with Him?

Is it okay to ask God questions? Yeah. Is He intimidated by your questions? No. Are there things that we just don’t know? Yeah. But we know enough. We know enough that He made Him who knew no sin to become sin for you. Jesus literally became sin. He took all of it and He put it up on that cross, and it was buried with Him. But how many of you know Jesus, on the third day, defeated death, and God the Father raised Him to life, so that we too can be raised to life with Him? You can tell I was on vacation, because I’m all over the place.

We must be ready. And I think this is one of the most powerful parables, because it’s sobering, and it reminds us just how much we think we can treat God as a convenience. Matthew 25 — Jesus says this: “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.”

How many of you know in Scripture oil is a representation of the Holy Spirit? And there were five that were not prepared. They had no oil. They didn’t allow for that filling of the Holy Spirit. But five of them were wise. They were not only seeking and asking; they were prepared. They were being filled regularly with the Holy Spirit.

Verse 5 says, “But while the bridegroom was delayed” — talking about Jesus — “they all slumbered and slept.” Meaning, no rush. We’re good. Just chill, relax, eat, drink, be merry. Verse 6: “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’”

How many of you know the time to get oil is now? It’s right now. The time to get serious about your walk with the Lord is right now. The time to get into your Bible every day is right now. It’s not for tomorrow. It’s today. Seek the Lord while He may be found. Today is the day of salvation.

“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’” Then Jesus says this: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

How many of you know we need to be watchful? We need to be ready. We need to get oil. The Lord’s already given us enough, and our job is to stay in relationship with God through the Spirit. But if we don’t cultivate that relationship, we are like the church in Revelation that left its first love. If you are here today and you’re like, “Man, I don’t know. I feel like the flame in my heart’s gone out,” or maybe you’re not in love with Jesus the way that you know you should be — how many of you know you can ask for help with that? Because it’s not our job to make the oil. We position ourselves for it, and He gives it. Ask the Lord, and let that oil fuel a flame in your heart that will never go out.

You see, the foolish virgins thought they could get in anytime they wanted. And today the door is opened by the Lord. But how many of you know there will be a day when the door will be closed by the Lord? You know, if we live our life in a way where we say, “I just need to barely make it into heaven,” I want you to know that also means you could barely miss it. It’s not enough just to be in church. It’s not enough just to hear the gospel preached. You have to say yes to Him.

Jesus says in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” In other words, Jesus is saying, “Listen, it matters how you live your life.” If you are constantly saying yes to yourself, you will say no to Him. You can’t have it both ways. We’ve got to bring our flesh under the control of the Spirit. And so the question is, will you be doing what the Lord wants you to be doing in the end? I don’t know about you, but I want to be obedient now. Amen.

Say yes to Him

The most important thing that we could ever do is say yes to the Lord. To say yes to His love. To say yes to following Him. To say yes to the gifts that He has provided. All the promises of God are yes and amen. Meaning, when the Lord says, “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh … on My menservants and on My maidservants,” we say yes to that. Why would we ever say no to any gift that the Lord is giving to His church? Amen.

Jesus is coming back. He is the soon and coming King. And maybe you’ve not heard that before. Now you have. Jesus is coming again, and we need to be ready. But you’re not alone. He has poured out His Spirit. He’s given it to us. And so if you’ve made Jesus the Lord of your life — which I hope all of you have, and if you’ve not, we’re going to have a chance to do that — I need you to understand, it’s not by your strength that you overcome. It’s by His Spirit that you overcome. So ask the Lord, “Lord, would You fill me fresh with Your Spirit today?” This is so important.

Can we stand together? Let’s go ahead and stand. I’m going to pray for us, and then we’re going to respond to the Lord. Let’s bow our heads. Let’s lift our hands to the Lord and thank Him.

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your Word. Lord, we thank You that You teach us all things by Your precious Spirit. And Lord, we thank You for opening this book to us, Your Holy Scriptures. It is food for us, and we receive it. Father, thank You for reminding us that not only is Jesus coming back, but that He’s praying on our behalf and preparing a place for us. And Lord, just as You are preparing a place for us, we must prepare to meet You by saying yes to You. Lord, the enemy wants us to think that following You is the hard thing. Lord, help us to look past those things and to look unto You and say yes to You. Lord, You said Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light. Lord, saying yes to You isn’t the hard thing. It’s the right thing. And so Lord, let us not be deceived, but let us be strengthened by Your Spirit to look to You, in Jesus’ name. Thank You, Lord.

Now, if you’re here today, we’re going to say a salvation prayer. We’re all going to pray this out loud together. But if you are here today and you have not said yes to Jesus, if you have not given your life to the Lord, listen: today is the day of salvation. There is no better time than right now to say yes to Jesus. And so, with every head bowed and every eye closed, if you want to say yes to Jesus and give your life to Him, just look at me, and we’re going to pray this prayer out loud together. Amen. Amen.

Let’s pray this out loud, in a voice loud enough for the person next to you to hear. But let us pray this in faith, believing that what God has said is true, believing that Jesus died for us to give us life with Him. Say this:

Father, I’ve sinned against You. Forgive my sin. You promised me that if I would confess my sin, You are faithful and just to forgive my sin and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Jesus, forgive me. Cleanse me. I declare that You are the Son of the living God, that You came and lived a perfect life, and You gave Your life to pay for my sin. You rose again, and You are alive today as the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Son of God. And You ascended into heaven, to the right hand of the Father, and You are seated there today. And You will return again to judge the living and the dead. And today, because of Your love for me, I give You my life. Come into my heart. I repent of my sin. I say no to the world, and I say yes to You. And today I am born again. I am a follower of Jesus. Not just a churchgoer. Not just a label. But a follower of Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Amen. Can we thank the Lord this morning? Thank You, Lord. Thank You.

I’m going to pray one more thing. Lord Jesus, I pray that You would pour out Your Spirit on every person here. Lord, fill us afresh. We need You. We want You, Lord. We want to live in a way that honors You, where we grow and become more like You. So fill us with Your Spirit, Lord. Fill us and make us more like You, that we would be transformed into Your image, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Transcribed from the message recording and lightly edited for reading.