 Three chairs. Let's start this again. John chapter 3 verse 1 and 2 says the following There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews This man came to Jesus by night and said to him of rabbi We know that you're a teacher came from God For no one can do these miracles that you do unless God is with him and Jesus answered and said to him Most assuredly I say to you Because you are religious leader and because you're the ruler of the synagogue and doing all of these things. You are born again And that's not what your Bible says your Bible says most assuredly I say to you unless one is born Again not bored again, but born again not Jason born again thing But like born again He cannot see the kingdom of God and I will shortcut it because Nicodemus was a smart guy He replies back the same thing that everybody everybody who has a head on their shoulders will respond back to God How can I being an adult be born again and Jesus rebukes Nicodemus and says you're a religious leader You're a guy who went to college for this you supposed to know this and he tells him unless you're born of water Which is physical birth or the spirit which is spiritual birth He says you cannot see the kingdom of heaven what I want to underline to you about the first man or the first chair Nicodemus is Nicodemus was a ruler. He had a position in the society. He had a position in the religious circle Secondly Nicodemus was religious Nicodemus was not ungodly Nicodemus was not a heathen Nicodemus was not unchurched Nicodemus visited synagogue. He went to the temple regularly Nicodemus is Religious and Nicodemus was right about Jesus Meaning he had a very good view of right view about Jesus that Jesus was from God and the miracles Jesus did were from God That was way better than any Pharisee Sadnessy or any other person had about Jesus who a question Jesus said he was from the devil cast out demons from the devil's power And Nicodemus had a right idea about God He is religious and he is a ruler and Jesus's response to him is you must be born again Imagine a bishop a priest from a Catholic church Imagine a leader from a Christian church comes to Jesus at night and Jesus responds back to them says you must be born Again, you're like, but I'm in church. I have a position in church. Uh, I'm good See religion is not what Jesus came to start He didn't diss on religion the good religion the one that helps the orphans help the poor seeks to live righteous There's nothing wrong with that. The only difference is that that religion is Powerful enough to keep you out of jail It's not powerful enough to keep you out of hell and Jesus didn't come to start a religion. He came to bring a kingdom When he was born the wise men didn't see a star over another religious leader. They saw a star of a king He preached a kingdom and When he died on the top of his cross, it wasn't written a leader of a Christianity It says a king of the Jews and when he's coming back He's not coming back as the founder of Christianity. He's coming back as the king of kings and Lord of lords Jesus is not competing with Buddha Muhammad and the guy whose name is confusion Jesus is not competing with the religious leaders for prominence Buddha said I'm the secret of truth Muhammad said I'm the prophet of truth. Jesus is the boss. He says I am the truth He's not competing He is God a Religion can be a biggest stumbling from knowing God Because what religion does is it gives you a sense false sense awareness that you're close to God What religion does is it makes you feel like because you are in church you are in Christ and That sometimes could be the furthest thing from the truth I Go to my garage every day, but for the past four years It has never made me into a vehicle being in church is not the same thing as being in Christ If it could be Jesus would never tell a religious man. You need to be born again Being baptized in a Catholic church as a child doesn't make you a follower of Jesus Christ Being baptized in a Christian church as an adult doesn't make you a follower of Jesus Christ If you did not give your life to Jesus and turn back from your sin a lot of you in this room are watching us on Livestream religion is your stumbling block and I want to tell you something do not hide behind Catholicism Christianity Buddhism Confucianism or any other ism? Because there is only one kingdom and one king his name is Jesus and he's inviting you to his kingdom. I Have had an amazing grace of God upon my life since the beginning of this year to miss flights. I said grace Miss flights missing flight. Let me teach you how to miss a flight I have a great experience under my belt for that. I pretty much missed. I think every flight This year and the flights I didn't miss my luggage did The flights I made it to my luggage didn't make it to and One of the flights that will be marked in my memory is my flight to South Africa in Denver There was a connection flight from Denver straight to Johannesburg the flight was I know I think from Denver to Washington of Washington to Johannesburg And we went to get coffee with my wife We had about an hour so we decided for 40 minutes to get coffee as we were getting coffee We came back within 40 minutes the flight came earlier because there was a delay and the flight came earlier They pronounced our name over the speaker I guess we didn't hear that name because when we will go to coffee shops We go into the remote areas in the airport and in a coffee shop hide somewhere where we can't hear anything and so we go to the our gate and It's like the scene from a left behind all three movies Where everyone is gone? The gate is closed. I felt what the five foolish five foolish virgins felt Everything is closed and there you're seeing your airplane It's slowly moving out and you recognizing that's what you're supposed to be on the reason why you're in this airport It's not for coffee, but for that plane and it's living in front of you You can scream you can yell you can do whatever you want, but that plane is not coming back And I realized that day a powerful revelation Being in the airport is not the same thing as being in the airplane Being in religion is not the same thing as being in relationship Being in church is not the same thing as being in Christ The reason why you go to an airport is to get into airplane The reason why you go to church is so you can go into Christ, but you can get to the airport and miss the plane You can join a religion and miss Christ Jesus tells a religious man You're hanging out in the airport too long. You need to get it to the aeroplane The aeroplane is the kingdom of God the aeroplane is Jesus. The aeroplane is salvation And Jesus says if you get born again You will see the kingdom of God What catches my heart is Jesus doesn't tell Nicodemus if you get born again, you will not go to hell Jesus does not tell Nicodemus if you get born again when you die you'll go to heaven Most of what salvation is preached on today is this get saved why because you don't know when you're gonna die and When you die you want to be going to the right place. That was not what Jesus preached Now the kingdom of God will bring you to the kingdom of heaven But salvation doesn't bring you kingdom of heaven first it brings you kingdom of God first and Kingdom of God doesn't start when you die. It starts when you surrender Kingdom of God is invisible So is air But you don't live without it It sustains you kingdom of God is invisible So is the frequency that your iPhone and Android is on but it keeps your connections alive Kingdom of God is what we get saved for you don't get saved So you escape hell just in case hell is real you get saved so you enter into the kingdom My god, this will make a Baptist shout So good church, let's give the Lord a round of applause for the kingdom of God Second chair acts chapter 10 verse 1 and verse 2 there was a certain man in Caesarea named Cornelius a Centurion of what was called the Italian regiment a devout man somebody say devout Who feared God somebody say feared God With all his household meaning all of his family did it what he did who gave alms generously somebody say generous man and Pray to God always somebody say pray to God always This is the guy that your mama want would want you to marry This is the guy that if you would be like that even if you don't go to church Like people say you know what you're a good man This is the guy that a lot of Christians wish to be one-day like Cornelius unlike Nicodemus Cornelius was not religious But he acted way better than most religious people Cornelius He feared God People in our culture they love God Cornelius was better than that Loving God and fear and God are two different things you can love God and never fear him But you can't fear God and never love him Cornelius feared God Bible says those who fear God they run away from sin. That was Cornelius Cornelius was devout He wasn't a Jewish man. He was a Centurion. He was a Roman man. He wasn't a religious man, but he was a good man Cornelius he gave Cornelius wasn't one of those guys who comes to church and forgets to bring their tight. He gave generously He wasn't a religious man, but he was a generous man Cornelius prayed not before a meal or the police officer pulled him over or before the test He prayed not as an emergency. He lived a lifestyle of prayer and Cornelius the Bible says he fasted. He didn't do it to lose the stomach fat He did it as his way of seeking God and God comes to Cornelius through an angel and tells Cornelius You need to send a man to Paschal to get Vlad. I'm sorry to get Peter to get Peter You need to send a man to get Peter and Peter will tell you Something that you still need to do and Cornelius is like I'll do whatever you want Lord I've been praying fast and giving fear in God. I will do more I will add one more thing and when Peter comes I think when Peter saw how successful Cornelius was how good Cornelius was he's like What do I preach to Cornelius? This guy has his life put together But he still needs Jesus There's not too many Cornelius's in tri-cities Not too many of them here. No offense my dear friends Some of us are Christians and we still need to end the Cornelius But in case you feel like Cornelius We all know you're not but in case you do feel like him Your family knows you're not but in case you feel like you're a good man You're not like those bad people. You're a fine man You're proud of yourself in case if you would even marry you if you would have the chance because you like yourself so much In case you're in that category I want to tell you something that Jesus Christ still has a message for good people. You must be born again Christianity is not about morality Christianity is about Jesus Our goal on earth is not to make gay people straight Our goal on earth is not to make bad people good our goal on earth is not to make people religious our goal first It's foremost a man from Galilee whose name is Jesus Christ We are not on this moral crusade to strengthen everybody We are on a crusade and it has one mission and that is first and foremost meet people with Jesus Christ Peter did not come to Cornelius and brought ten commandments. He brought to him a story of a man Cornelius had a good works, but Cornelius these works couldn't save this Cornelius. He needed Jesus and when Peter preached about Jesus Cornelius accepted the gift of salvation. He stopped trying to be good He trusted in the good God he placed his faith in Jesus Christ the spirit of God came and here We see the kingdom of God that salvation brings but in here We see the Holy Spirit that salvation brings see Cornelius at prayer fasting giving and fearing God But he didn't have the Holy Ghost Now he has the Holy Ghost. I want to encourage every person here today. Your good works cannot save you If you think that Christianity is about you stopping smoking and you stopping sleeping with your boyfriend and your girlfriend If you think Christianity is about you living your your life straight before God I want to tell you something that is not what Christianity is about the Christianity is first and foremost you switching kingdoms and Then you switch the kings You no longer become the king of your life meaning you don't set the rules God sets the rules and then you surrender your life to him and his power helps you to live his purposes for your life a young man not many years ago when I was a Youth leader in the lobby of our church Approached me and asked me the question now the response I gave him my shock you and the reason why I gave him that response is because I knew this man previously I knew his parents so I wouldn't give this response to just random person who would ask me that question He asked me the question and followed like this pastor. Is it wrong for me to smoke weed? So I looked at him and I said for you No, in fact, I would encourage you to smoke whatever you want So taken by surprise he looked at me his eyes just got bigger and I said, okay, let's let's let's negotiate think about this You're going to hell. It's obvious. You know that God knows the devil knows the Obama knows and I know that five people already know that What difference would it make if you go to hell smoking weed? Or if you go to hell holding yourself back from enjoying the pleasures of sin I was like if I would be in your shoes Knowing that I'm going to hell. I would live my life to the fullest I would give myself a hundred percent at least when I go there. I know what I went there for I Said why are you with holding yourself back? You're still going there His eyes just got smaller that night. Of course. He gave his life to the Lord I said it has nothing. I'm like you thinking that smoke not smoking weed will get you to heaven That's not what's gonna get you to heaven if not smoking weed can get you to heaven that Jesus died in vain Jesus did not die in vain to help you not smoke weed Smoking weed is bad for you if the Lord would want you to smoke weed He put a chimney in the top of your head He didn't so that's not a purpose for your life, but that's not what's gonna get you saved What's gonna get you saved is one man. His name is Jesus Good works are good to keep us out of jail and to keep us out of trouble in life But they're not good enough to keep us out of hell and out of a gap that sin creates between us and God Are you with me? The first man is Nicodemus. He's religious God's answer for religious people. You must be saved Second man is a good man Cornelius God's answer to him. You must be born again the third man the final one is Look chapter 19 verse 1 and verse 2 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho and behold. There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector and he was rich He sought to he sought to see who Jesus was but could not because of the crowd for he was a Short man So we have a religious man. We have a good man And we got ourselves a shorty Now I'm gonna tell you something now We unfortunately didn't get the shortest one for the short position, but you get the point the shirt says it all Not not to discriminate on people whose height is short But I want you to see something about Zacchaeus that his physical height was also his spiritual height Two things you must remember about short people one They're born like that They didn't become short. They're born short Mom and dad is the fault. Okay? Not them It's it's a generational thing. They're born like that number two second thing you know about short people is there's nothing you can do To change being short You can put a platform under your shoes if your ladies if your men you put a platform people will make fun of you You can wear heels to become short You can go into pull-ups to stretch You can have people stretch you but all of that is gonna avail to nothing. You're still gonna be short Zacchaeus is not the only one who was short My Bible makes me to understand that everyone has fallen What does it say everyone has fallen of the glory of God you're sure too Shortcomings is what we call our sins. It's where we fall short of the glory of God. We try It's not that we don't try it's like when you're playing basketball You're throwing the ball and you miss it and you don't get points for trying you only gets point for scoring And so many people say well, but I tried God will see that I tried in the basketball game You don't get points for trying you only get point for Scoring so is in the kingdom of God and it's for the short man Not only he was born like this but secondly he couldn't change it and there was a third fact about short people is They don't see Jesus. They do like this They only have glances not gaze of Jesus He couldn't see Jesus He had to go like this Short people live by leaps of faith. They can't have a lifestyle of faith They live by glances of Jesus not the gaze of Jesus. They jump up one weekend. Yes, Lord I will do it. I'll never do that. I'll never do that only to a Monday go back and for seven days Stand short and then the next Sunday I'm gonna try a little bit higher. Thank you that if I jump higher I will stay higher only to jump back on Sunday night back into the same sin That there is shortness has put them into As the Kiosk story did not end with him being born short not being able to change the fact He was short and not being able to see Jesus. I want you to see what it says the following the Kiosk, he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him For he was going to pass that way The Kiosk realized I was born short, I can't change being short and I can't see Jesus because I'm short and The Kiosk does this fourth thing is so powerful He doesn't run from God. He runs and climbs on the tree Jesus is passing by and I want you to see what happens is Jesus looks at him from that tree and It doesn't say is the Kiosk saw Jesus. It says Jesus saw the Kios 2000 years ago God placed the tree on the hill of Golgotha for short people That anybody who climbs on that tree Will no longer just see God, but God will see them God has lifted Jesus as the Son of God that whoever looks to him will never be put to shame That even if they try to succeed they try to overcome their sin Even if they have so many attempts where they jump up and down only to go back into their sin and They relapse back into their addiction the ones they climb on the Calvary and cast Dependence upon their flesh and say Jesus. I am done trying But I'm gonna start trusting I'm gonna trust in your blood. I'm gonna trust in your stripes that the nail Rome Roman nails have left on your body I would trust in your mercy. I would trust in your grace. I would trust in your unfailing love for me And if that doesn't help me Jesus, I am lost completely When you cast yourself on that tree, you catch the attention of God and Jesus will see you. He will not pass you by Your sins will not be that big because Jesus is better at saving you than you are sinning What I love is Jesus looks as a Kios. He doesn't call him a tax collector He doesn't call him a short man. He calls him Zacchaeus, which is in original pure Zacchaeus had no nothing about purity, but when he was in the tree Jesus calls him by his new name pure See when you hide yourself in the cross before God changes your life, he changes your name He changes your identity meaning he changes how you identify yourself with so you don't identify yourself as a Bastard child. Nobody wanted you. You don't identify yourself as a divorced man that somebody left you You don't identify yourself as one who was raped or molested. You don't identify yourself as the one who is poor and broke You don't identify yourself as the one who this that happened and that has happened. You identify yourself I am Zacchaeus. I'm a new creation. I am more than a conqueror. I am loved even though everybody rejected me I was chosen even though nobody wanted to see me. I was accepted though everybody has left me behind Jesus calls you by a new name if you are on the cross On the cross he changes your name But what I love this story most for is not that Jesus called him by his name And that brought such a joy to Zacchaeus knowing the world sees me as a sinner because I've been acting as one God calls me a saint. He's gonna change me is that Jesus looks at Zacchaeus and says Zacchaeus Come down from the tree Let's go To your house See salvation is not you meeting Jesus at the tree It's you taking Jesus to your casa, but imagine Zacchaeus He has Jack Daniels in the refrigerator Imagine Zacchaeus there is websites on his computer that are open that Jesus shouldn't be seeing Imagine Zacchaeus has a chica living in the room and he shouldn't be living with her Imagine Zacchaeus has all kinds of posters in his living room Imagine Zacchaeus. He has a lot of stuff. He lives as a key as lifestyle And so kids didn't say Jesus. Um, you don't know what you're gonna find. I Love this the Bible says he got glad knowing if Jesus gets to my house We'll figure it out. We'll clean it together. I know there's dirty dishes in the sink. We'll wash it together Don't be afraid to take Jesus with you home Even if your home is a mess Please do not leave Jesus on the altar Don't leave the Holy Spirit at the altar. God is tired of living in church and Monday through Saturday He was he was to tell you say take me home with you Take me to your home And I know we're afraid to take Jesus home for this reason because when you invite mama to your home Or you invite me to your home. This is what we do as parents and pastors Change that take that, you know when my father-in-law comes to my home before he even steps in he's a glad Um, the paint needs to be changed. Those paintings that don't belong here. Um, you need to really change the couches And after he's done and I said are you done sir? After he's done I said now we can sit down because I ain't changing nothing And sometimes that's what we feel about God. Well Vlad if I bring God he's gonna start bossing around No, that's your mom and that's maybe your leader That's not the Lord what I loved about Jesus when he came to Zacchaeus's house He said nothing about what happened to him what he did is his presence caused the key is to start feeling watch this uncomfortable When you bring the Holy Spirit home Things that you used to do you start feeling Uncomfortable with and it's the presence of God saying it's time to grow It's time to change not from the outside in from the inside out not behavior modification by heart Transformation it's when God changes you from the inside out take Jesus home I want you to rise today is your day of salvation Today is your day of freedom. There is three precious souls Sitting in this auditorium today if I can ask everybody to stay in your seats for just a moment before This is the most important part of this service the most important part of this weekend Are you religious? Are you hiding behind your religious mask? The only religious thing that you have is that you went to church 10 years ago, but you don't live your religion out Are you maybe a good person perhaps you're saying you're better than some of the church folk and You hide behind your good works Or maybe today You feel assured You feel like you did not live up to your standards. You broke everybody's trust in you Your sin is waiting hard on you. You promise to yourself and people that around you will never do it only to do it again You come to church and you're doing these jumps you jumping just to see God only to jump down back into your life of sin Jesus wants you to stop jumping And he wants us to start climbing Every head bowed and every eye closed I'm gonna count to three and when I do so if you're not what you're supposed to be with the Lord I'm gonna ask you to raise your hand Are you religious they need to get saved today? Are you a good person? They need to submit your life to the Lord today, or are you a short person that used to go on the cross and find Jesus? one two Three if you need to give you life to the Lord just slip up that head Just raise that hand high. He's a person of light. This is me Maybe you need to come back to the Lord. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I see your head. Thank you anybody else Thank you the singing over glad you're talking to me. Thank you. I need to give my life to the Lord today I'm not what I supposed to be with Jesus Thank you, you know, I need to get saved today. I hide behind my religion, but I need to come back to the Lord. I Am sure thank you see that person in the back. Thank you. Thank you another person I'm gonna ask you to do something bold right now very bold I'm gonna ask you to get out of your seat quickly and come there's a team that's waiting for you right here Just come quickly those of you who raised your hand or wanted to raise your hand quickly begin to make your way quickly quickly quickly Just come just come If our cell leaders home group leaders can be here as well If our home group leaders can be here as well come people are coming people are coming from the back People are coming from the front. Just come just come just come. Don't be afraid It doesn't matter what people think about you what matters is what God thinks about you When Zaki has came down from a tree people start talking but Zaki has didn't care because at the end of the day It's not gonna matter what men say about you. It's gonna matter what God says about you just come Just come just come if I can have the home group leaders There's not enough to come out and begin to pray with people all the life group leaders begin to come and just begin to pray for some souls We're waiting there's more people that's coming people if you brought a friend with you and you know They need to get right with God you can ask them right there right there and saying no do you want to go? I'm gonna pray with you. I'm gonna pray with you. Thank you father. Thank you Lord Thank you Jesus the Holy Spirit is moving the Holy Spirit is touching Ivan the jewel if you guys there's there's a couple right here Let's come and pray. Let's come and pray every person make sure somebody's praying for them There's another person that's coming When I wait for a few more seconds if you need to get right with God Let's make your way out of your seat and come to the front shame the devil Except Jesus when I wait for few more seconds as prayers being offered and the team is gonna sing a song the spirit of God is Moving in this room right now. He's touching people's lives There where you are Jesus wants to come into your heart if you're now where you supposed to be with Jesus Maybe you feel short of the glory of God Or maybe you hiding behind the mask of religion or perhaps you consider yourself too good for salvation Jesus Christ wants to come into your heart right now in just a moment We're gonna pray a prayer that will invite Jesus and bring repentance to your life You can pray with us and comment below and Jesus will come into your heart because this this is not a barrier for God This this is not a barrier for God Church if there's anybody else if there is anybody else one more second one more second and you just come If the Lord is talking on your heart today, don't let this Easter pass by Don't let this Easter pass by today is the day of salvation today is the day of healing and deliverance in your life I want you to pray this prayer together with me place your hand up on your heart We're gonna pray this prayer together with me and then you're gonna go to the room and see more minutes to you a little bit More I want to say this with me so Lord Jesus. I am a sinner Please come into my heart and forgive me of all my sin and Wash me with your precious blood I Surrender all that I am My sin my demons and all of my struggles I'm gonna stop trying and I will start trusting I yield to you Deliver me set me free and come Live inside of me. I want to take you home with me today For the rest of my life Give me new life Give me new heart and give me new identity In Jesus name If you pray this prayer the Bible says that you receive that gift of salvation Our team is gonna continue to minister to your next step will be to get water baptized and the team will tell you a little bit more If you're watching us on live stream if you pray that prayer comment below let us know that you pray that prayer Thank you for watching this content. I know this was a blessing to you We would like to ask you to subscribe to our channel and click on the bell on our channel So that each time we upload something you can be notified Don't forget to share this content with your friends and family and on social media We're so thankful to you better is not good enough. The best is yet to come