The Ultimate Heist

I was telling Pastor Tim, I was 33 years old when this church started. I was 40 when I came here. And we're going to be, the church itself will be 40 years old in just a couple of years.

It'd be a tremendous milestone. And thank God for the life of Christ that is here. Every time I have an opportunity to visit the same anointing, same spirit, same presence, same power of God, souls being converted.

As I'm told on Easter, during the Easter weekend, 510 people came to Jesus Christ. That is absolutely amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Pastor Tim, Cindy, I am thankful for you from the very depths of my heart. And I thank God for you. You took this church on during COVID and you had to pull us through COVID and then after COVID, just getting all of the technology in order to take this gospel throughout the world.

It's been nothing short of a miracle what God's done through your life. And I know that I share the same heart that everybody, go ahead, put your hands together. Thank you.

Thank you for not quitting. Thank you for staying with it. Only 10 more years and you'll be done or so.

Praise God. I spoke this message on Easter Sunday and it was an unusual message actually for Easter Sunday called the ultimate heist. And when we think about a heist, now a heist is more than a theft.

It's more than a robbery. A heist is when you've broken into the Louvre in Paris and you've stolen the Mona Lisa. Do you understand? The most famous painting, by the way, I looked it up today in the world is the Mona Lisa.

It is an image of somebody painted by the hand of man. And if you were able to break into the Louvre and steal the Mona Lisa, you have committed a heist. That's way beyond just a theft.

It's way beyond just some of the marginal crimes that are committed. You have pulled one off that's going to set you up for life. So I want to talk about the ultimate heist tonight.

There was a heist that was committed and this particular heist stole you and I from the kingdom of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of life and light through Jesus Christ. And thank God, thank God, thank God, thank God for life. Thank God for life.

You know, there's an old hymn, over a thousand tongues to sing or 10,000 tongues, whatever it is to sing my savior's praise. It just seems that we can't live long enough to just give him adequate praise for what he's done in each one of our lives. And I encourage you with all my heart, press, press on and press through the days ahead are probably not going to be easy.

As a matter of fact, I have a foreboding in my heart that they're going to be very, very difficult days. And we're going to live to see that all houses built on sand are going to be washed away into the sea. But those who have chosen to build your house upon a rock, you have built your life upon the word of God.

There's a promise in the word of God that the rains will come, the winds will howl, the waves will beat, but your house will not fall. It will stand for you have been founded upon the rock Christ Jesus. Thank God.

Thank God. Thank God. God's not given us a spirit of fear, but a power and of love and of a sound mind.

And we're not ashamed of the testimony of Christ because it is the only testimony that will last in this world. Everything else is like a sandcastle. It will all be one day gone.

New York city will be gone. All of the financial district will be gone. The stock market will be gone.

Everything will be gone. But that which is of Christ will remain. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken, but you and I will stand.

And as Paul, the apostle says, having done all we will stand in the end by God's grace, by God's grace, there'll be a shout of praise in our hearts, no matter what happens in the world around us. Thank you, Lord. Jesus Christ is all I can say.

God, thank you. God, thank you that everything we put into the hands of Christ is secure until the day we stand before the throne of God, our marriages, our children, our spouses, our nephews, our niece, everything we've taken and put by faith into the hand of God. He is faithful to keep.

And yes, he's able to bring misery into the lives of those who are not walking right with him right now. And I pray God hasten the misery. You should pray that hasten the misery.

Let my son, let my daughter, whoever it is you're praying for find no comfort, no solace in anything of this world. Let every, every street be a dead end that they go down. Let every fading illusion that comes across their path to try to convince them there's happiness to be found somewhere in this world.

Let it all come to nothing and let them come to themselves and come home. I was talking to a young man just this last week. Who's just run out of gas.

Hallelujah. He's just run out of options. He's run out of hope.

He's run out of strength. He'd run out of money. He's run out of employment.

And he was sitting and talking to me about how miserable his life is. And I, and he looked at me for advice and I looked him in the eye and said, welcome home. Welcome home.

Thank God that you've finally come to the end of yourself and you've come back to where it all began and you come back to the source of your strength. Father, I thank you tonight, God, for the anointing of your Holy Spirit. God, I thank you for mercy.

Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ. God, as David, the Psalmist once said, Lord, if you marked iniquities, who would stand? But there's mercy with you that you might be feared. Thank you, Lord, for mercy tonight.

God, let there be an unleashing of mercy in the sanctuary tonight. God, an unleashing of mercy online into hearts, into homes, into places where there's an absence of hope right at this moment. Lord Jesus Christ, kick those doors right off their hinges tonight, those prison doors and set captives free.

God, bring light into darkened places, Lord, that the blind may see one more time. Lord Jesus Christ, do a work that only you can do tonight. We put it all in your hands.

Lord, I bring to you my bag lunch of a life and I'm asking you to multiply whatever I have in my heart and hand and feed the people with it, God. Let everyone go away, having been a partaker of the nurture that can only come from the hand of God. Lord, thank you.

Thank you. Thank you that this church is turning to prayer. Thank you, God.

Oh, Jesus Christ, God Almighty, have your way tonight in Jesus' mighty name. Amen. The ultimate heist, Matthew chapter 27 and beginning at verse 37.

This is about the cross. And they put up over his head, that being the head of Jesus, the accusation written against him. This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.

Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right hand and the other on the left. And those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying, you who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself. If you are the son of God, come down from the cross.

Likewise, the chief priests also mocking with the scribes and elders said he saved others himself. He cannot save if he is the king of Israel. Let him come down now from the cross and we will believe him.

He trusted in God. Let him deliver him now if he will have him. For he said, I am the son of God.

Even the robbers who were crucified with him reviled him with the same thing. Even the robbers. Now, the opening scripture lends itself to a question.

Why would anyone in that time, knowing the pain and the penalty of crucifixion, why would they steal? There was a robber on either side of the cross of Jesus Christ. Why would they steal? Historians tell us that into many of the major cities, but particularly Jerusalem, the road was literally lined with crosses. And that is how the Roman government controlled the people.

They controlled them through fear. And people were put on those crosses at the whim of an occupying power in the nation at this time. And if you were traveling into Jerusalem, you'd have to go by.

It was either decaying corpses on crosses or people that were dying one of the most agonizing deaths even known to humanity at that time. The cross was excruciatingly cruel in the way that somebody died on it. I took time one time to research what happens to the human body on a cross and I could spend a whole hour just talking about that.

The incredible pain, the anguish, the inability to breathe, pushing up with your feet so you can draw a breath into your lungs with nails through your feet. It would be a death that it was designed to be the ultimate death by pain. And so when you think about these things, why would you steal? Knowing that theft would put you on a cross, what is it that would cause you to steal? And the only thing I can think about is desperation maybe and hopelessness for the future.

It was an occupied nation. Are people that desperate? Is the future that hopeless that people are willing to risk such a death to steal to maybe, as they see it, to better their own future? We ask ourselves, were they stealing weaponry to launch a campaign against the Roman occupation? Did they break into an armory? The scripture doesn't tell us what they did. Did they think if we stole weapons and got them into the hands of enough people, we could cause an insurrection and throw off the oppression of the Roman army and the Roman nation in Israel? Was it the only way to feed their families? Were these men just desperate? Did they have wives? Did they have children? Is it possible they couldn't get jobs and they couldn't feed their families? There was no other way and they were willing to take the chance of stealing and ending up on the cross.

In any event, what was it about their situation that would cause them to take such a risk? Think about it today. If you are here today, obviously you are. If you believe that there's a heaven, you probably do.

If you believe there's a hell, you probably believe that as well. If you're not a believer in Jesus Christ, why would you take such a chance? If you think the cross is a terrible punishment, can you imagine being in a place where God is not for all of eternity? I don't know. I don't think our minds can fathom what that is like to be in a place where God is not.

In this world, God is omnipresent. In other words, he's everywhere at all times. When you're walking down the street, the Holy Spirit is whispering to you to come home to God through Jesus Christ.

If you're in a bar, a club, if you're in a place you shouldn't be, God's Holy Spirit is there wooing you, calling you. The evidence of God is everywhere in society. When you see a bird fly in the air, when you see the sun come up in the morning and go down at night, that very heavens declare the glory of God.

Paul says in Romans that when every man one day or woman stands before God, we are without excuse because the very heavens are a testimony to the existence of God and the reality of God. Ultimately, when anyone stands at the throne of God, if they would have asked who he is, he would have shown them. I remember that in my own life as a police officer walking the beat, walking into a church one day, I sat down in the back, took off my hat and I said these words out loud, God, if you are real, I wouldn't mind knowing who you are.

Now, that was a cry from my heart and thank God he answered that cry. It wasn't that long after that he sent somebody to tell me who he was and how I might find my way through to him. The very heavens declare the glory of God and if anybody would have asked, he would have shown them who he was.

That's why every person ever born into this world will stand one day and give an account to God about what they had done with the revelation of who he was given to all of humanity. But just try for a moment to imagine what it's like to be in a place where God is not. If I were able to snap my fingers suddenly, like just snap my fingers and all oxygen is taken out of this sanctuary.

Suddenly there's no air here. The panic would be palpable if you were not able to breathe. You see, but that's only one billionth of what it will be like when suddenly you wake up in a place where God is not.

We don't understand that because even the most vile of sinners is still in a world where God is omnipresent. But one day to wake up in a place where God is not, we think the thieves were foolish to toy with the possibility of being crucified. Think about, think about you being here tonight and you hear these words and I'm going to talk to you about a savior.

I'm going to talk to you about a cross and you hear these words and you push it away for another time. Only to fail to realize that you're making the ultimate gamble with eternity. I don't know about you, but I don't ever thank God for his mercy.

Thank God for the number of times that he saved me when my life could have been over. I can't fathom being in a place that is described as a place where darkness is so thick. It doesn't carry the cry of your voice.

What darkness is so thick. You can actually touch it where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth and the conscience never dies. Can you imagine being there for eternity and you were here tonight and you heard these words and you said, Oh, well, that's for somebody else.

Some other time I'll take my chances. I remember a Tuesday night years ago, I was begging people. I, I had a foreboding in my heart, pastor Tim, and I was literally at the end of a service on Tuesday.

I kept saying there's somebody here. You don't know if you have another tomorrow. There's somebody here.

God is reaching out to you tonight. Please open your heart and give your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior. And I remember I gave that appeal and people had come initially, but nobody came for that secondary appeal.

Pastor Teresa and I left right after the service. We were sitting in a restaurant close to here in the window. And as people were walking by a man in his early forties, just collapsed right in front of us on the sidewalk.

And when I ran, I ran out to him. And when I got there, he'd already passed away. He was dead.

A heart attack. He was only in his forties. The first thing I look for is, does this man have a Bible in his hand? Was he there in church tonight? Is he the one God that you burden my heart about a man who thinks he's got a million tomorrows, not realizing this is his last moment on this earth.

His last opportunity to escape a terror, much worse than the cross that these two thieves found themselves on. I don't know what would cause them to take such a risk. I don't know how it could be that they could knowing the punishment that the Roman empire was willing to dish out, that they would take a chance at thievery.

And it also appears that they might have known each other from scripture and quite possibly they had been partners in Luke chapter 23 and verse 41, one thief looks over to the other. And he says these words, we received the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong. Now he didn't lean over and say, Hey, what did you do to get here? He seemed to be aware of what the other men had done.

And most likely they at least knew each other. A lot of thieves know each other and quite possibly were partners in thievery for a while on the crosses that the two robbers shared something else. Perhaps this is a greater clue as to why they took such a risk.

It was their disdain and their disappointment in God. Matthew 27, 44, the script says, even the robbers who were crucified with him, reviled him with the same thing, reviling him. You who say you are the son of God, where were you when the Romans invaded our nation? You will say you are the son of God.

Where were you when my child got sick? Where were you when I couldn't feed my family? Where were you when I couldn't get a job? There was an anger in their hearts of these two robbers against the living God himself, which caused them to mock the son of God on the cross. Even though initially they didn't know who they were mocking. Their mockery was against God himself.

So what changed the heart of one of these thieves? What caused him to say, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. I personally think it was when the, when he heard Jesus response or responses to the mockery all around. Can you imagine if you were in the place of Christ and everywhere? Now his own friends are there, but they're seemingly they're silent.

There's no record of them saying anything in his defense, but the mockers are there and the scoffers are there and the scorners are there. And the soldiers are, are gambling for his garnements and they're offering him vinegar on a stick. The mockery is absolutely everywhere.

And you would think that he would respond in like kind. I think what began to change the heart of one of the thieves on the cross is when he heard Jesus say, father, forgive them for they don't know what they do all around him is cursing. Yet he is praying and asking God to forgive those who were cursing him all around.

They're accusing him of fraud. They're accusing him of the hardness of heart and such like things. But in John 19, 26 and 27, they saw Jesus Christ.

This thief saw Jesus Christ saying to his mother, Mary, behold your son. And to the apostle John, behold your mother. So he saw him exhibiting care and compassion for those that were close to him, whether or not they were standing in his defense.

You saw him asking for forgiveness for those that were cursing him and accusing him of being a fraud and not being the son of God. And suddenly his heart turns and it's amazing what happens to this particular man. It says one of the criminals were hanged.

This is I'm reading from Luke chapter 23, beginning at verse 39, one of the criminals who were hanged, blasphemed him saying, if you're the Christ, save yourself and us. Now this wasn't a genuine plea. This was just mockery.

If you're the Christ, save yourself and save us. But the other answering rebuked him saying, do you not even fear God seeing you're under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds. But this man has done nothing wrong.

Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Lord, he said, which is an indication. I recognize who you are because you have to have another power.

You have to have another heart. There has to be something within you that's greater than anything that this world can produce for you to be calling out for forgiveness and exhibiting care and compassion when you yourself are in such incredible pain. And there's a sudden awakening in this man's heart.

This man is who he says he is. He is the son of God. He does have the power of eternal life.

He is going into a kingdom and he leans over and he says, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Remember me. It's not, it's not even a sinner's prayer folks.

He has no time. He has no time to be baptized. He can't join a connect group.

He had no time to be discipled. Doesn't really know the gospel. I mean, he's, he's there in the greatest scene of the gospel that there is, but doesn't really know fully the message, but he just says, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

I think sometimes pastor Tim, how complicated do we make this thing when it's really not that complicated. The man's heart just turns. This is Jesus.

Jesus have mercy on me. You, you did. I heard you pray.

Father, forgive them. Forget God. Forgive me for what I've done.

Forgive me for blaspheming you. Forgive me for mocking you. All I ask is that when you come into your kingdom or you're heading there today, would you remember me? How surprised he must've been when Jesus said assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise today.

Hallelujah. Not tomorrow, not next year, not next month today. You will be with me in paradise today.

Now I'm not quite, I'm not fully sure where paradise is. There's a lot of theories. Some say it's heaven to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Some say it's a, it's a holding place for the saints. I really don't care. Jesus was there and this man would be with him in paradise.

That's all that I really care about. I want to be where Jesus is. I don't care what name I'm not going to argue the doctrine of it.

I just know it's paradise. I know Jesus was there and this thief was there. Can you imagine when he shows up at the door of paradise? I heard somebody else preach on this a while back, but he shows up at the door of paradise and the fellow says, why should I let you in? How did you get here? Did you pray the sinner's prayer? No, no, no.

I do believe in predestination. Don't know what that is. Have you ever been to a connect group? Well, more or less when I stole something, I gave it to Louie and he connected with John.

Uh, yeah, we, we, we had, we had, we had a connect group going in Jerusalem. Yeah, we did. Yeah.

I guess I've been part of that. Um, what's your viewpoint on eternal security? Not quite sure what that is. Don't know.

And after all these questions you can't answer, were you baptized? No. Did you pray the sinner's prayer? No. Have you been in new believers class? No.

How did you get here? And he said, well, the guy beside me on the cross said I could come. Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. Now this, this guy doesn't know doctrine. He doesn't.

He's a thief in paradise. Talk about the ultimate theft. Really? He's a thief in paradise.

He's not even sure how he got there other than he said, remember me. And so here he is. Wow.

It must've been amazing. You imagine just you're there. You're not even sure why, but you're there.

This man, Jesus said you could come. So here you are in paradise. And he doesn't know theology.

I remember a friend of mine who was a gang member in New York city got saved. And after he got saved, he got sent immediately to Bible school up in California. And when he's in Bible class, that the people in the class were talking about this guy, Saul, Saul is hauling people out of their homes.

He's torturing them. He's causing them to blaspheme. He's putting them in prison.

And right in the middle of the class, he stood up and said, don't anybody worry about this guy, Saul anymore. You just tell me where he lives. I'll look after him.

Matter of fact, he said a little bit more than that, but I'm not going to repeat it. So you can imagine this thief in paradise. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. And after he tells them his story of, of, of how he died, of how he got to where he is. And they said, well, where's, where's your partner? And he said, well, unfortunately he didn't make it here, but it doesn't matter because I have a new partner now.

And he left me here saying he had something to do. I guess I'm the lookout. That's what I used to do back at home quite often.

So I guess he left me here as a lookout. He had to go somewhere. He said it was something about keys.

He was going to go down to somebody's house and he was going to take the keys from this house. And he said, we can go back there anytime we want. And we can take anything we want to take out of that house.

Hallelujah to the love of God. Amazing. We don't have to break in anymore, anywhere.

We don't have to do any more heists. All we have to do is whenever things start to go dry a bit, we go down to the house. We got the keys.

We can unlock the door on the other side of this story. You could imagine Jesus now showing up in the devil's kingdom. I don't think he knocked.

I think he kicked the door in and said, Satan, give me the keys. Give me the keys. I'm I'm taking over your kingdom and I'm going to come back anytime I want to.

And the devil say, well, what are you going to take out of my house? I'm going to take out every Mona and every Lisa that cries out to me. I'm going to take everything out of your house. I'm going to take everything out of your house.

Yeah. The Mona Lisa is a painting done by the hand of man, but you have stolen that was just created in the image of God. And everyone who says, Lord, remember me, I'm coming to get them.

I'm going to unlock your door. I'm going to bring them out and bring them to heaven. It is the ultimate heist.

Hallelujah to the lamb of God. Hallelujah to the lamb of God. Glory to the name of Jesus.

Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory. Oh, he needs to hear his Lord. Remember me.

Don't make it complicated. He'll come down, unlock that door, say another one. I'm here for another one.

I'm here for another one. I'm here for another one. I can just imagine.

I can just imagine the thief saying to Jesus, who we stealing out of the kingdom of darkness today. Let's go down. Let's go down.

I got the keys. Let's go in. Let's start taking them out.

Everyone that calls up to God, whoever calls out to the name of the Lord shall be saved. The cross has the final word. We love to sing that song.

The cross has the final word, not the devil, not circumstances, not your criminal record. The cross has the final word on your eternity. What do I have to do to be saved? What do I have to do to know that heaven is my eternal home? Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

I don't even know if it is a prayer. It's something of the heart. Now, the Bible does say out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth will speak, but it's something in the heart that suddenly recognizes that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

He did come down to the earth. He did go to a cross. He did come down to the earth.

He did pay the price for all the wrong that we have done, which the Bible calls sin, that has separated us from a living relationship with God and an eternity with God. And on the cross, he paid the price for the wrong that you and I have done. It only requires that we believe that the thief turned and suddenly he had belief.

He had faith in his heart that Jesus Christ was who he said he was and had the power to take him to a better place. He believed that he was the son of God and he confessed him as Lord while he was still in pain, while he was still on his own cross, before he was free, he confessed him as Lord. I believe in the sense that he was saying that you are God.

I believe that you are. I don't care what the whole society can mock you and everyone around can be taking advantage of you. They can all scorn you.

They can curse you. They can do whatever they want, but I believe that you are the Lord of heaven and earth. I believe you are the son of God.

I believe you are going to a place that we can't go unless you take us. Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Don't leave me behind is what he was saying.

God, don't leave me here. Don't let me go to, if we thought this world was bad for him, the place he was going to was a whole lot worse than what this world could ever want to be or hope to be. And he knew it.

He sensed it. There was an awakening in his heart. You see, I don't think I have to convince you tonight that this truth, this is truth because you are created in the image of God.

You were, you were, you were crafted by God. And because of it, there's an inner knowledge in every one of us that we, we came from God and we belong to God and we're created for a relationship with God. And you know it in your heart long before it comes into your head, it comes into your heart.

And just as this thief on the cross, there's this revelation says, God, I want you as Lord of my life. And wherever that takes me, I'm willing to go. When Jesus said today, you'll be with me in paradise.

He would have no idea where that was. Jesus said to you, and I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. We don't fully understand what that's going to be like.

We have a glimpse of it now. We understand it from the word of God, that there are many mansions there. We will rule and reign with Christ.

And, but we see the script says only through a glass, darkly like a shaded or really dirty window. We're trying to look through, but we can only see little pieces of it. But then we will know as we are known one day we will appear in the place that he died to give us what a day that is going to be.

You and I will meet up there. And the scripture says, we will know as we are known. So I will know your name.

I might not know it now, but I'll know it then. I'll know about you. I'll know your testimony.

I'll know your story. But the one thing we will know above and beyond all of that is the incredible grace of God, the mercy of God. No wonder if we have such a thing as a crown, we're going to throw it at the feet of Jesus.

When we get there. Oh God, none of us are any better than the thief on the cross. I'm telling you straight out.

None of us are any better than that man was. We've all sinned and we've all fallen short of the glory of God. There's not one righteous.

God said through Isaiah, not even one, not even one of us could stand in our own merit. But by the grace of God, we cried out one day in our lives, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. I remember my own conversion in 1978, when I just pulled over on the side of the road.

And I said, Lord, if, if, if what this man, his name was Irv, the police officer that shared Christ with me. I said, if what Irv has said is the truth, then I opened my heart to you and I receive you as my Lord and savior. If it was only an, if there's not a whole lot of faith in an F, but it was a sincere F and God took my F. So I kind of get the thief on the cross.

I said, if it's true, then I'd be a fool to turn it down. If it's true, why would I turn away from such an offer of life eternally and life abundantly while I live here on the earth? And I know I've known both now I I'm, I have eternal life because of Christ, but I've lived an abundant life because of Christ, a purposeful life, a meaningful life, life as God intended it to be in my heart, in my home, among my family, and even being here talking to you tonight is all part of the promise that God gave. And so if all I can draw to you tonight is an F, I'll take it because God took my F. If it's true, I plead with you tonight.

I plead with you. If you're here and you're not born again, you haven't surrendered your life to Jesus Christ. Don't play with your eternity.

Don't play with it. Don't take a chance. Or maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, you might not have a tomorrow.

You might not have it next week. God only knows. I often said one nuclear bomb can change your whole day.

We don't know what tomorrow is going to bring. We know that there's a lot of nutcases in the world with their thumbs on some very red buttons. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but I do know that salvation is available today.

I do know. I do know by the grace of almighty God. Yes, go ahead.

Praise God. I'm going to pray a prayer tonight for you and with you. A prayer that's very similar to what the man on the cross, the thief on the cross prayed.

Lord, I do believe that you are the son of God. I do believe that you died in my place. I do believe that when I put my faith and confidence in you, that heaven will be my eternal home.

I do believe that you're willing to forgive me tonight. I do believe God with all my heart that you will save me. If I make this prayer my own, I lift my heart, my voice to you tonight.

I'm going to pray that prayer, and if you'd like to be included in that prayer this evening, would you just raise your hand right now wherever you are? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. All over.

Just raise your hand nice and high. Thank you. Way in the back.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

You'll never be the same again. You'll never be the same. I'm going to ask you to do something right now.

Let's all stand, and those who raised your hand, would you just come and join me right here now? Come on. Don't be shy. Don't be ashamed.

Just slip out. Come on down. Come on down.

We're going to pray a prayer together. Take that step of faith. Come on now.

Take the step of faith. Just come on. Come on.

Step on. If you didn't raise your hand, you should have. You come down here as well.

Come on. Make your way down. Keep coming.

Come on down. Keep coming. Come on.

If you should be here, you come on down too as well. Keep coming. I see more coming.

Keep coming. Come on. Keep coming.

Use some more. Come on. Keep coming.

Come on. Last chance. Last chance.

Come on. You know you need to be down here. Come on, sir.

You know it. Jesus Christ is not looking for perfection from you. He will do what needs to be done in your life.

Just looking for an honest heart. Praise God. Is there anybody else? Thank you, Lord.

You'll never be the same again. I saw you. You'll never be the same.

I love the fact young men come up here and give your life and strength to God. Don't worry about the tears. I cried for three days after I got saved.

Don't worry about the tears. Come on. Praise God.

This is life. This is what life is all about. Now, Jesus is about to go into the kingdom of darkness, and he's going to unlock the door, and he's inviting you out now, and he's going to take you to where he is.

He promises you eternal life. That means heaven. That means wherever he is, that's where you will be for eternity, and he promises you a reason to live while you're still on the earth and the ability that he will give you to live that new life.

Scripture says if anyone is in Christ, they become a new creation. The old things are passed away, but all things become new. The old habits will die.

The old attitudes will change. The old bondages will go, and everything becomes new. Even the old song dies, and a new song is born within us.

Let's pray together. Can we do that? Let's all pray for the sake of these young ones that are here today. Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for loving me.

Thank you for coming to get me because I couldn't get to you. Thank you for hearing the cry of my heart and saving me tonight. I'm sorry for my sin.

I'm sorry that I put you on a cross, but I'm glad you did it so that I could be free, that heaven could be my home, I could be clean. Thank you, Jesus. I call you now Lord of my life, and I will follow you all the days of my life, and one day you'll take me home where I will live with you forever.

I love you, Jesus. Thank you for loving me. Don't let me turn back.

Keep me going forward. Amen. I trust you.

Heaven is going to be my home. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Come on, let's give him a shout of glory tonight. That's wonderful. That's wonderful.

That's wonderful. That's wonderful. This is an amazing journey that's ahead of you right now.

An amazing journey, praise God. It's an amazing journey that is ahead of you. Don't turn back.

Don't anybody turn back. Go forward. You don't have to know it all.

Just know Jesus, okay, and the rest will come later. Just know him. Just know that he loves you.

Know that his promises are true, and because of him, heaven will be your home. Just as much as the thief made it to paradise, you will make it to heaven. You trust in him.

You trust in him. Thank you, too. God bless you.

What a wonderful night this is. What a wonderful night. Praise God.

Praise God. Can we give God a shout of glory in this house? Glory to God. This is what the kingdom of God is all about.

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God. Only $999,990,000 to go, and we will have reached the goal by the grace of Almighty God. By the grace of Almighty God.

Oh, I just want to give God a shout. I just want to give him a shout.