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  JESUS IN GENESIS
  by Malachi O'Brien
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Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of surrendering to God,
highlighting how Jesus can be seen throughout the Bible, especially in
the life of Abraham. It encourages seeing the Bible as a book that
reveals Jesus on every page, calling for a deep encounter with God
through sacrifice, obedience, and trust. The speaker challenges the
audience to fully commit to Jesus, not settling for half-hearted
obedience but striving for complete surrender and faith.

Duration: 55:54 Topics: "Complete Surrender", "Faithful Obedience"
Scripture References: Ephesians 1:4, Genesis 12:1, John 3:16, Hebrews 11:8, Matthew 16:24, James 4:8, Psalm 51:17, Romans 12:1, Philippians 3:7

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon emphasizes the importance of surrendering to God,
highlighting how Jesus can be seen throughout the Bible, especially in
the life of Abraham. It encourages seeing the Bible as a book that
reveals Jesus on every page, calling for a deep encounter with God
through sacrifice, obedience, and trust. The speaker challenges the
audience to fully commit to Jesus, not settling for half-hearted
obedience but striving for complete surrender and faith.

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CONTENT
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Hey, I Want to talk to you guys about and if I was to give a title of
this message and and then it would go like this And he saw it But let me
just give you a different way to say this Jesus in the book of Genesis
Jesus in the book of Genesis You need we need to come to a point. We see
Jesus in every page of Scripture We need to see the Bible is not some
just history book or a book of do and don'ts But rather a book that
gives us more about Jesus in every single page It's been said before but
if you need the right lens like the right kind of glasses to wear when
you read a word glass Small life, I'm blind without them If you need the
right kind of glasses to read Scripture the glasses need to come in the
form of a cross Because you need to see Jesus Christ and everything that
happens. It's not this Discombobulated book of stories somehow put
together That somehow Christians just go by this book and other people
go by that book know the Bible was about Jesus everything everything
everything is about Jesus Christ and If you learn to see the Bible that
way it'll make a lot more sense to you because a lot of things in the
Bible That just absolutely do not make sense All right, but just because
something doesn't make sense doesn't mean I can I have I can just throw
out the rest of it I mean, I'm maybe besides a few seniors in the room I
don't think anyone fully understands trigonometry But we know some of it
works, right? I don't I don't understand at all to know that it works
You don't have to understand the entirety of Scripture to understand
that Scripture is about Jesus and it works because he works It's not
about going to church.

It's not about being good It's not about it's about Jesus who was in the
room today because Jesus is alive He's alive John chapter 8 and in John
chapter number 8 in Verse number 48 cuz I'm gonna take you to the book
of Genesis in the next several weeks that I'm preaching in the weeks I'm
here. I'm preaching. I'm gonna I'm gonna take you through the stories of
Abraham Isaac and Jacob But I don't want you.

I don't want you guys. Oh, we're gonna learn about Abraham kind of yeah,
sure But actually in learning about his life, you're gonna see Jesus
Okay, and you're gonna worry about Isaac But in his life you're gonna
see Jesus and in Jacob and learning about his life You're gonna see
Jesus and the good news is you're gonna see that God's redemption in
broken people All right, so in but in John chapter number eight now I
get I'll take you to Hebrews 11 next week We're used there because
Abraham and Sarah are in the Hall of Faith And we just went to church
grew up in a system where and remember kids church where he sang the
song father Abraham He wouldn't know that song Wow more most of that. I
thought I father Abraham and me sons me says their father Abraham I
don't know why that came to my mind, but when Rachel and I were in
church in high school We went to a storefront church You know as a
church plant and Linden, Kansas And and our song leader decided that'd
be a great song for Sunday morning church And he said not just that we
would sing the song with the motions.

You guys know the motions, right? All right. Okay. He decided to pull up
the blinds It's like anyone driving by the church Walking by the church
is seeing us do you know right hand left hand, you know, I'm like, yeah,
they definitely think we're cold here so anyway, I remember that by
Abraham in Verse 48 of chapter 8 of John chapter number 8. It says then
the Jews answered and said to him All right, do we not say rightly that
you are a Samaritan? Okay, and have a demon Is their assessment of Jesus
remotely accurate? Yes or no? No Neither neither Okay Neither and Jesus
answered said I do not have a demon just plug that away because we do
know demonic activity is real But just plug that away for another day
another time But Jesus says but I honor my father and you dishonor me
and I do not seek my own glory There is one who seeks and judges most
assuredly.

I say to you if anyone keeps my word He shall never see death Then the
Jews answered him and said now we know that you have a demon The
Religious anyway, I don't I could preach for hours. I'm not going to
Abraham is dead and the prophets and you say if anyone keeps my words,
he shall never taste death Are you greater than our father Abraham who
is dead? What's the correct answer that? Yes, absolutely. Yes, and the
prophets are dead.

Who do you make yourself out to be? I Love this Jesus answered the
question. He didn't answer their question. He answered the question.

They should have been asking Jesus said if I honor myself, my honor is
nothing. It is my father who honors me of whom you say he is your God
Yet you have not known him But I know him and if I say I do not know
him. I shall be a liar like you You know if Jesus was trying to make
people happy Telling them that they're a liar and his message is not a
good way to do that.

Would you agree? I mean seriously, that's that's that's like not, you
know, you know making, you know, Andrew Carnegie, you know Making
friends and influencing your enemies or whatever, you know, that's not
the way you do it. Okay. I Like that.

Jesus said the truth. He says but I know him and keep his word Verse 56
is what I want to show you and then we're gonna go back to Genesis
chapter 12 your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day Abraham that we're
gonna go back to in a second. Who's the father of the Jewish nation? You
have those, you know, you're by we don't you don't know this I'll do
you're gonna walk to these people in the in the book of Genesis that
show us Jesus He rejoiced to see the day of Jesus Christ.

Now, here is the crux and He saw it. Let me read that again and He saw
it what he see he saw the day of Jesus Christ and he was glad You mean
pastor that somebody way back in the book of Genesis Abraham Genesis 12
actually saw Jesus and the correct answer ladies and gentlemen Bob
Barker is gone. Okay, but come on down the correct answer to that is
yes, he did Abraham saw the Lord Jesus Christ He saw him and if you can
take the story of Abraham and tear it apart You're gonna see so many
pictures of the gospel.

It'll blow your mind Abraham absolutely saw Jesus. He rejoiced to see it
and he was glad that he saw it Abraham saw Jesus even though he and he
saw Jesus even though Jesus lived after him There's a lot of here's the
crux this there's a lot of people who say they know Jesus and they don't
That's what Jesus is getting to them There's a lot of people who go to
church and they don't know Jesus. They know church.

They don't know Jesus They know baptism. They don't they don't know
Jesus They know Bible stories they don't know Jesus What this world
needs is is Jesus Christ the real living incarnate Son of God who's
coming back to rule and reign the one who sets all things, right? The
one who sets the captive free the one who makes the blind see and the
deaf to hear the world needs to see Jesus the only message that matters
in this world is the gospel of Jesus Christ The good news of Jesus
Christ the death-barrel resurrection of Jesus Christ and there's a lot
to go Oh, and here's the deal the people who say they know him get most
offended when you tell them they don't know him How do you tell me that?
I'm a I'm a Christian I'm a Christian You know The church on Easter and
Thanksgiving. I'm a Christian now Easter Thanksgiving.

All right, let's go back on that one a second. I There we go, you got
church on Thanksgiving God bless you I'm getting to is I want you to all
I want you to see Jesus in every page of Scripture and I want you to
really know him not just Know him in here, but know him in here that way
when you come in here You can feel him and you know, he's alive What I'm
seeing is in this in this hour in which we live a lot of people are
deconstructing their faith the older that they get and And they just
kind of plug in into autopilot in church You just kind of go through the
motions Rather than realizing that Jesus is alive and burns brighter and
brighter and you can know him more and more and he is greater than
Everything you don't need another sermon. You don't need another worship
song.

You need a fresh encounter with Jesus Christ Amen Genesis chapter 12, I
will not be long but I want you to see in this first part and He saw it
and he saw it Who's it? It's Jesus. It's the day. It's the day of Jesus
Christ Abraham saw Jesus There's three or four very clear stories in the
book of Genesis with Abraham's life that point to Jesus but I'm just
going to show you an initial a very initial encounter with God himself
and Genesis chat and here's why is this helpful for you? Why is this
helpful for you? I'll tell you why I'll tell you why Because a lot of
you have burdens and dreams And you're just wondering if God's going to
answer those dreams and fulfill those burdens and accomplish those
callings You wondering how does God work? I'm going to show you how God
works and how you encounter God in Genesis chapter 12 now the Lord said
to Abram Get out of your country from your family from your father's
house to the land that I will show you He goes I'll make you a great
nation.

I will bless you I'll make your name great and you shall be a blessing
and I will bless those who bless those and I'll curse him who curses You
and in you in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed and I
wrote beside that verse there verse 3 the name Jesus because in the
lineage of Abraham came Jesus Christ now, let's start here if you If you
just go to life it doesn't all we know is BAM Abraham shows up in
Scripture and all we know is all of a sudden God tells Abraham Hey, it's
it's time to go. You need to leave where you are and go to a land I will
show you God didn't show him everything yet. God said I'm going to take
you to a land I will show you and God makes a promise him.

Now. Here's the rally I there's nothing in Scripture that tells us why
God chose Abraham over anybody else There's nothing in Scripture that
tells us why God chose this it is very inclusive You know Exclusive
person to have an inclusive relationship there beyond the planet God
chose one person that through that person all the nations of the earth
would be blessed He chose Abraham. He chose the Jewish people He chose
the nation of Israel, which you'll see how they come to be a nation
later on as we study these three lives but oftentimes God will meet you
when you least expect it Oftentimes God will ask you to do things.

You never thought he would ask you to do oftentimes when God asked you
to do something it's going to cost you something a Christianity that
costs you nothing is worth nothing a Lot of us don't want to be
inconvenienced to follow Jesus. The following Jesus is full of
inconvenience If you thought becoming a Christian was going to make life
better and the and and it does it really does But I promise you need to
realize that in this life of being a Christian there are ups and downs
and there are good times and there are bad times and And if you only
love Jesus when it's good, you're missing out on a whole lot And I
promise you this amen and amen. We someone's amen to me.

All right He tells him to leave his closest family to follow a promise I
Wonder what God has asked you to do that. You're not willing to do
Because you know, it's going to cost you something when God calls a
person it's a call to complete surrender and complete obedience and
complete trust and What God's going to spend the rest of his dealings
with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob is removing the compromise out of their
heart so he can purify their faith that honors him and sometimes the
Lord is going to show you the Idolatry in your heart those things that
you love more to him Those things that when he asked you to do something
you don't do because of those other things The Lord requires of us 100%
complete obedience out of love instantly and If you say no, God will
move to the next person ask them. Will you do this for me? Now he makes
a promise to Abraham It's amazing.

I'm going to say this He says get out of your country your comfort zone
away from your family those that you're closest to From your father's
house to a land. I will show you And I will make you a great nation,
I'll make your name great You shall be a blessing. I'll bless as a bless
you curse as a curse you and in you all the families will be blessed.

I Promise you the trade-off of obedience is blessing every time But
blessing doesn't always come instantaneously The rewards of obeying God
are not always instant The rewards of doing wrong doing sin or instant
for a moment, right? I mean, they're instantaneously. I mean the moment
you do something but then that feeling that high that whatever it goes
away. I Mean the rewards of eating McDonald's are immediate Immediate.

Yeah, man. These these fries taste so good I mean they've been loaded in
grease that cannot meld in your body because of what it takes you
realize what it takes to heat grease and Your body temperature two
different things. I mean, it's not about Okay, and you guys know when
grease cools what happens to it right it gets thick again, right you
still follow me here I'm so smart.

Yeah, and You're putting that grease in your body. That's less It's
actually lower than the temperature it takes to get the grease to fry
You're killing yourself, but I love McDonald's price, too All right,
just to share with you and we taste them and they're so good And then
you pray for God to bless you I told you a few and a month or two ago
that you pray for the blessing of the extra fries in the bag And then
then the extra blessing of after you've left the fries You've left the
bag in the car for a few hours and you come back out and go, you know
What let's just see if God loves me, you know, you see if there's one
chick-fil-a never does that There's never an extra chick-fil-a fry in
the bag. This is not Anyway the rewards of the rewards of Doing those
things are gonna hurt us or immediate but the rewards of doing those
things that bless us are not immediate You don't get rewarded the first
day you go out for a run or the second day go out for a run or the third
Day go out for a run or even the 20th day go out for a run.

But the hundred and fiftieth day you do get a reward Abraham just chose
to trust God. I wonder if his family said this. Why are you moving? Come
on, come on.

You can stay here and God's still gonna use you. I Mean, you don't have
to go to that church every single week You don't have to you know that
good night you don't have to give your life to Jesus and serve him with
everything I mean, come on Abram. You can stay here.

I mean, we mean your wife's awesome. Your kids are awesome. Just stay
here Even though it doesn't say that in Scripture We all know this
because of how our lives are I guarantee you there was some pushback
from his family You know imagine going.

Hey, I'm leaving. Why are you leaving? Well, God told me to leave sure
he did Right, I bet he did he told me he's gonna take me to the land
Yeah, you're not gonna show me it. Yeah, he's gonna take me to the land
He's gonna bless me nations the earth be blessed, right? I Bet you begin
to judge Abraham.

Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are? What'll stop you
from serving God sometimes is The people around you you love the most
try to put water on your flame You need to be the kind of person that
puts gasoline on the flames of other people not water If these young
people want to worship for hours, let him worship for hours If they want
to worship with the music loud, let him worship music loud. They want to
get on their face Let him down their face. They want to dance.

Let him dance. Don't put fire on people's fire or see me Don't put
gasoline. Don't don't put water man, what if I'll get this right today.

Trust me. I studied I promise you I promise you hand on this Bible. Okay
Um Here's I'm trying here's I'm trying to tell you though You may have a
fire in your heart and you want to go hard after God But there's
somebody close to you that you're afraid of what they'll say or think
and so you just don't go all the way and you're Hoping that God accepts
the compromise.

He never accepts the company He calls us to more We show you why Now in
you all the families shall be blessed Doesn't just the Jewish people it
was all in all the nations. God does care about nations, by the way I
don't have time for that. He does care about nations.

Just care about families But so Abraham verse 4 departed as the Lord
spoke in him. Good choice Abraham. Well done and Lot you we know the
story of a lot.

We'll give that later another sermon other day was with him and Abram
was 75 years young We departed from here no excuses for anybody in this
room only a handful of you are Over 75 you don't even look at but just a
few of you are over 75 That was funny and verse 5 then Abraham took
Sarah his wife and lot his brother's son and all their possessions They
gathered and the people whom they acquired in Haran and they departed to
go to the land of Canaan so they came to the lane of Canaan and Abraham
passed through the land of the place of Shechem as far as the terabith
tree of Morah and the Canaanites were in We're there in the land the
land that God had given them was a land it was a promised land, but just
because God promised you some eventually they're gonna have to drive out
the Canaanites and God's promises. It doesn't mean you see you just sit
back and all the promises happen and you do nothing. That's just here
They're coming.

No Eventually, you're gonna have to do some things to clear the land if
any of you have ever bought property We have to clear the land You know,
you've got this great properties great vision Yeah, cut the trees down.
You got a level the dirt and it never knew I knew so much about those
kind of things and And it's it's a lot of work, you know, it's a lot of
work, but it's your land But there's work to be done to make it your
land. You have to drive these people out.

It wasn't gonna come easily There was work to be done Some of you want
God's blessings, but you're not willing to trust him all the way and you
have to that's what Abraham did verse 1 and some of you want God's
blessings, but you don't want to work for it, but you're gonna have to
work for it Because there's things you have to drive out of your life to
get the blessings of God It's not we want a silver bullet in our faith
and it's oftentimes it's the process of obeying God and the little
things and the very little things that we end up encountering to be able
to leave him for the bigger things and So I don't have time to go on
that one either But it says it says here then the Lord appeared to
Abraham and said to your descendants All right. I will give this land
and He built an altar To the Lord who had appeared to him now. Let me
there's two parts as I need you to see I'm moving fast to the encounter
with God just Fun history history lesson just for you guys to know this.

Okay all throughout the scripture the Jewish people had a land Okay, the
Canaan land the promised land. So follow me. They would go to Egypt and
Eventually, they would they would flee Egypt and go back to the promised
Land, okay, whenever they'd be taken in captivity They would eventually
get free and they come back to the promised land you study the history
of empires, you know, the Assyrians and then the Romans and the Jews
were captives basically of The Roman government, but yet they still had
their land.

They were proud Jewish people their land but in 8070 the temple was
destroyed in Jerusalem and the Jewish people were cast out of their land
Cast out of their land for night almost 1,900 years until 1948 When the
nation of Israel Became a nation once again Fulfilling the promise of
God that God gave Abraham that this is a land that I will give to your
descendants The Canaan land the land in Israel where the where the
Jewish people occupy the reason why it is that is I'm not getting here
To get into a geopolitical debate, but the reason why it is their land
is because God told them it was their land That is why that is why? I'm
not here to go into all the other issues that go around surrounding that
but there you see that now Here's something you need to see all
throughout the book of Genesis and here in this passage here in verse
number seven And he says and he built an altar to the Lord who had
Appeared to him and he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel
and he pitched his tent with Bethel in the west a on the east and he
built and he built an Altar to the Lord and he called on the name of the
Lord altars a holy place is set apart for a communion with God
Establishing an altar takes deliberate effort yet. Those who community
seek to worship and hear from God will not be led astray Abraham Trusts
God obeys God Leaves the land begins to hear the promise and God appears
to him Here's what I know Every one of us if we're gonna want if we want
to encounter God We're gonna have to establish an altar in our life
where we meet with God regularly. We encounter God regularly Altars are
places in the Bible where there had to be a sacrifice given.

There is never any real worship without sacrifice There's never any real
worship without obedience and I believe this is the first step into
which Abraham is going to fully encounter God Is this the moment that I
think that's referring to in John chapter 8? I do not I Think that
moment that I don't want to steal the thunder of that sermon is when
Abraham is told to offer his one and only son Isaac to go you guys know
the Bible story to go there on Mount Moriah and offer his son and And he
tells his one and only son to carry the wood on his back Up to an altar
where God himself would provide a lamb and God did not provide a lamb
that day He provided a ram that day But I believe on that day when
Abraham was taking Isaac up to Mount Moriah a three-day journey Very
significant to the cross by the way that I believe that when his son
Isaac is carrying the wood It's a picture of Jesus carrying the cross
and Mount Moriah is the same place where God would eventually Establish
the Holy of Holies where eventually Jesus would be there in that place
And I believe in that moment when God said I will provide a lamb. That's
when I believe Abraham I believe there's other times But I believe
that's when he fully understand what God was about to do Because God
sent his one only son to carry the wood on his back Jesus carried the
wood on his back up to Mount Moriah Just like Jesus carried the wood up
Golgotha's Hill and there Jesus was the lamb that was slain for all time
But if Abraham at any moment would have disobeyed God we may not have
seen any of it He encountered God because he went off into obedience We
want God to show us everything at once for us to make a decision and
honestly half the time Million ninety-nine percent of time God only
shows us a little bit for us. Take the next step and then the next step
and the next step But if you stop anywhere along the way in the path of
obedience and worship to God, he'll never show you the next step Abraham
is a picture of Jesus Christ because through Abraham all the nations
would be blessed But through Jesus all the nations would have redemption
For whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved Jesus Christ
is a greater Abraham Jesus Christ is a greater Abraham if you had to
pick an all-star team in Israel Even to this day they'd probably say oh
man, we pick Abraham.

We pick Moses. We pick David Abraham One most iconic figures in
Scripture as simply a placeholder so people can see Jesus as the Son of
God And Abraham rejoiced to see that day. He saw that day Well, I
believe God gave him a prophetic revelation that he would send his one
and only Son to die on a cross If you want deeper encounters with God
it's going to come by deeper sacrifices on your part It's going to come
by giving God your everything Listen, I'll be can I be a little bold for
a second? Thank you for giving me permission Thank you, I'm so grateful
I needed it and I need affirmation a lot God is not interested in half-
hearted obedience in the Christian life God's on it.

I mean listen, it's got like if you guys can't assume said Pastor
Malachi I'm like, I mean, I'm like 80% into Jesus man. I'm 80% into
Jesus. Oh She's not in here right now, but imagine me going to Rachel
going hey Rachel 80% It's pretty good, right? It's pretty good 80% Yeah
Yeah, good luck.

Yes, and my wife We watch enough murder shows at night that she'll never
be caught. Anyway, all right Imagine any of you going to your spouse or
your significant other What is this? I mean, they're not married. Well,
she's it for example, cuz I can because they're family Elijah And
imagine if Elijah said hey, I don't I'm like Most of the time I'm
faithful to you as your boyfriend most of the time Not all the time.

I mean can anyone be faithful all the time? I mean, come on That's a lot
to ask for right to be faithful all the time most of time I Don't think
they'll go over so well But do we not treat God that same way Oh God I'm
gonna love you most of the time. I'm gonna be faithful to you most of
the time. I'm gonna love you 80% of the time I but I still have this 20%
that belongs to me and my rights and my desires and what I want to do
and I don't care what anybody says No, I care what God says the problem
with the Church of Jesus Christ today is We think that God accepts our
half-hearted obedience and he does not So I'm so grateful he's merciful
and loving and gracious and kind But what I'm asking you to do guys to
do today is to become people who carry crosses To become people who
trust God like Abraham trusted God to be willing to go against the tide
Even if your family don't don't buy into it Even if your friends don't
buy into it to go against us I'm gonna trust God because I don't see the
blessings of God right now the greatness the blessings But I know my God
will do it.

So I'm gonna trust him even when I don't see it. I Don't see the
prodigal coming home, but I'm gonna trust him. I don't see the favor
coming, but I'm gonna trust him I promise you you walk with him and you
seek his face and you press into him You will have moments of deep
encounter with God that you cannot explain You will have times in the
night where God will meet you in a dream You'll have times in your life
Well, God will will open up the heavens and you'll see things you never
thought you would see before The mysteries of God are available to those
that will press in to the heart of God what will save America is Jesus
and What Jesus need is a church that's not willing to is this not, you
know kind of playing, you know Kind of just you know Christian games
Christian battleship, you know, let's fight each other Christian shoots
and ladders.

Let's see who I can get to the top and kick someone down You know
Christian, I'm sorry, whatever your favorite Christian, you know,
whatever your favorite game is, you know Jesus is calling for a complete
and total sacrifice Abraham messed up a lot by the way He messed up when
he chose to trust his own way instead of God's way Whenever you lean to
your way not God's way life doesn't go so well There are moments the
decisions God will ask of you will not make sense to anybody else in
this world They line up with Scripture and they line up to the Holy
Spirit They line up with a few people say I see that too. Trust God. I
Don't know if it I mean He chose to try.

I don't know if Abraham felt like doing this. I Don't know if he I don't
know. I don't know if you don't trust your feelings All right, your
feelings can be manipulated if I gave you all $1,000 you all be happy
You know Maybe perhaps You know You know, I feel a lot better than it's
not a thousand degrees outside.

Amen Don't trust your feelings trust the Word of God trust the Spirit of
God be one of those radical Christians that make other Christians
nervous because you're going hard after God and Listen, you love Jesus
so much that your other love in this world will look like hate I'm not
calling you to hate anybody But I promise you you need to have that kind
of love that it's so burns bright that everything else pales in
comparison The older I get the greater temptation I have to step take my
foot off the pedal in this part of my life To go, you know, that was
when I was in my 20s I could be radical but now I got to be rational
because I got kids and and I got you know a house and I got chickens
dogs and cats that think they're God and and uh You know I want a vision
for my life in your life that says I'm gonna serve Jesus till I'm a
hundred years old if God lets me live that long, which I think I will
and It goes I want to be I want to I want to burn brighter and brighter
and brighter I don't want to I don't want to I don't want to just kind
of get kind of dissipate in as time goes on the reason why a lot of
churches fail and I'm not throwing judgment on any church is Because the
majority of the church is led by lukewarm Believers who want lukewarm
things to make lukewarm people happy Rather than calling people to the
thing that makes God happy and that's absolute surrender Absolute faith
a heart of worship a heart of abandonment a heart that sees the gospel
in all things Jesus is everything Jesus is everything and he saw it and
he saw it and he saw it I want to show you guys a final video Powerful
powerful powerful testimony of a man on the streets in New York City And
then after that, I'll say a word and then we'll have a time of
invitation So this will this will this will watch this video I think I
mean this guy sees something I want all of you to see in a moment We'll
have an invitation for you to press in to more of Jesus whether for
salvation or to be recommitted to him So we're pulling this up. I'm
gonna turn the light down up here Yeah What's the craziest thing you've
found? Boom gold and cash Cartier watches all kinds of stuff diamonds
everything. There's nothing you can't find in New York City So the way
this industry works is people who have nothing go and they pick up the
cans and bottles Then we call a truck So this truck goes and the driver
gets one penny that he collects per bottle Then the company that picks
up the bottle from him gets eight and a half cents How much do you make
anywhere from four to eight hundred dollars a week, you know, it sounds
foolish But what I do is I take the pot and pan on a Saturday and Sunday
I'll be in Jackson Heights and I'll go sell it for five seven dollars So
I make another thousand dollars every weekend from the stuff.

I find during the week. I Have to laugh because I've been doing it for
so long I've been living off of it. So in a week you have a couple grand
maybe 14 15 18 Depends on the weather because if I could be out in the
summer day every day, I would sell all day every day I make 2000 easy
easy you grew up in New York.

I grew up in New York grew up in Queens Met my wife down there had three
beautiful babies with her came up involved in some not too good business
And I got in trouble got locked up lost my wife and kids So that's why
I'm in this mess because I must have been very illegal Was it like the
FBI or something that got involved the FBI got me? I was funding just
People oh Millions and millions of dollars we used to drive boats to the
Bahamas to Bimini different islands and bring them over to the United
States how'd you get caught? I got ratted on somebody told on me They
got off probation and I got 10 years you regret anything. I regret
everything lost my wife and kids I didn't get to see any of the
grandchildren be born. I missed a lot of snow you Seem to be able to
hold that pain together pretty well though, you know, what am I gonna
do? I got no more tears I'm all cried out now All I do is I can only be
joyful and laugh and have a good life because it's soon gonna it's soon
gonna end I'm 60.

What were you like in the past? You're crazy little reckless I used to
have big muscles and great hair and girls thought I was cute So I took
advantage of all of that and it's not the right way to be so now I'm a
Christian I do the right thing. I do my very best to walk properly to
love the others You know nothing. I didn't expect to see you here Tell
me about your relationship with God So there's a great good food in the
Word of God from Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4 It says for God has chosen
you before the foundation of the world What that means to me is before
Genesis 1 1 he had already chosen those who he chose I was called in
June of 1993.

I gave my life to the Lord I was in jail. The three ladies came from the
Bronx to preach. I just felt that in my spirit to say, okay I think
you're telling the truth.

I agree. I'll accept since 1993 was just 30 years ago I've screwed up a
million times I've been used of God a million times But I've screwed up
a million times and I've come to the conclusion after 30 years that
truly truly God Knew who I was and what I was gonna do what I was gonna
be common I didn't always pick up cans one day before it ever happened
that Scripture helps me to realize that when I fail, you know, don't
please or do the things of God He still loves me still cares for me
because he chose me in Christ. He seated me at his right hand in
heavenly places I'm seated there right now whether I deserve it or not
Is that hope you have for the future something you hold on to now? It's
difficult but I've seen so many miracles and so many spiritual things
that I firmly with all my heart believe that God is real and Therefore I
believe his promises in the word and I stand on them.

I don't deserve it But thank God for his grace, you know all Amanda and
my friend Amanda Count yourself nothing's coming back in 15 minutes John
here's a question for you. Talk to me when you get to heaven. What are
you gonna ask God? Why'd you choose me? Thank you.

Who am I? I can walk on the streets made of gold. You got a house Look
at those streams and rivers and angel arms. Good to go.

I Couldn't stop smiling down here What do you think you would say of you
you could have been so much better I had so much more for you You big
dummy What do you have to say to someone who's trying to believe in God?
We can't simplest answer ever I heard it from a young boy God 15 seconds
of your time Bow down and say Lord if you're real make yourself real to
me speak to me I can keep you here all day every good stories My God has
been great to me and I appreciate you coming around to Encourage me and
invigorate me again about my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ How we doing
ladies, how's life great But it's because of Abraham's obedience that
the nations of the earth could be blessed It's because of Abraham's
obedience that that gentleman right there. You saw the video could know
God Obedience in your life will bring blessing to other people's life
God had a plan for Abraham. They never saw it completely unfold and God
has a plan for you that you're not seeing all of it yet But he can make
all those terrible times and turn them around for his glory and his good
if you'll just stay surrendered to him and our job Is to let other
people know how good God is how great God is all that God is doing Let's
all stand to our feet and he saw it That guy on the street in New York
City has more vision and sight That a lot of people living in the nicest
houses and it's not it's not a sin to have a nice house I thought it's a
nice stuff But the Bible says what should it profit a person if they
gain everything and they lose their soul What does it matter if you if
you gain all the fame all the popularity everything you could ever want
in the end You die without Jesus Christ Some of the people who have it
all are some of those miserable people in the world Robin Williams was
one of the happiest one of the funniest guys on the planet and he killed
himself You know some of these I mean I mean I could tell you stories
that feel that everything you want and they still do things you can't
imagine Kobe Bryant Tiger Woods things in their life.

I why would they do that? Because there's something in them that wants
more than what they have I'm not there any but I'm not throwing shade on
either any of those guys. I'm just telling you Abraham's greatest reward
was not the nation wasn't his name being blessed It was that the
Relationship he had with God He knew God and God used him even despite
Abraham messing up big-time and I'll show you guys that on purpose And
God will use you even if you mess up big-time if you want to come back
and repent say God here I am So as we give an invitation this morning a
chance to respond a chance to come forward and pray The invitation is
going to be this and I'm going to begin this way and if you need To give
your life to Jesus Christ for salvation That's what I want to start the
greatest day in my life Was when I was 12 years old. I went to a little
church in nowhere, Kansas and then I've ever said last week now Little
is not a derogatory term and I heard the gospel for the first time and I
understood it That God died for me and if I would repent and come to God
He would save me and when I was 12 years old didn't really know what I
was doing I asked Jesus Christ to come in my heart forgive me my sins
and save me I didn't hear a choir a dove didn't come down from heaven,
but I knew that I was saved.

I knew that I was saved divorce home Adopted when I was three Trust me I
can give you stories But Jesus changed my life The greatest day of my
life was giving my life to Jesus One of the second greatest days of my
life because I have several that would tie for it Was a day where I said
Jesus. I don't even want to be in control of my life anymore I surrender
my life to you. I'm saved but now I'm not I don't I don't want to run my
life anymore My future is your future.

My career is whatever career you want. I Don't care anymore When God
called me to be a preacher at 13 years old, it settled everything for me
So maybe you're here today and you're not a Christian being baptized
doesn't make you a Christian coming to this church doesn't make you a
Christian Asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and choosing to
follow him is what makes you a Christian It's not anything you do. It's
everything Jesus did what gives you the chance of eternal life is what
happened on that cross 2,000 years ago I'm going to heaven because I'm
trusting Jesus because of what Jesus did for me if you're here today and
you're not a Christian You need to give your life to Jesus today you go
But what other people think it does not matter what anybody else thinks
the only thing that matters It's Jesus Christ If you're here today and
you can think that might be you you might even be sensing an inner tug
of war going on in your heart a battle Surrender to Jesus let him come
into your life and save you Let him forgive you of your sins Wash you
clean It's a fresh start Now if you've already given your life to Jesus,
you don't have to do this over and over again You come to Jesus one time
But there are moments in our life that we need to say, you know what?
I'm far from God I want to come closer to God or there was just some
things in my life last week I'm not proud of I need to repent of and say
I'm sorry for I've been in that boat many times this week included And
the second call is for you to Come to Jesus and say Jesus here I am I
Want to I want to I want to see you in such a way that I want to live
for you Like no one else in history has ever lived for you.

I don't want to live a life of compromise I don't want to live a life of
defeat I don't want to live a life 80% into you but 20% not into you I
want to be fully committed to you Jesus. I don't care what anyone says
or thanks you alone our God Abraham saw it. Do you see it? Do you see
it? Do you see it every head battery I close No one looking around if
you're here today and you know that you need to give your life to Jesus
Christ today Then I'm gonna pray I'm just asking I'm gonna ask everyone
to pray out loud with me Just for the few of you that might need to ask
Jesus to come into your life and save you So I want everyone to pray out
loud with me this prayer of salvation dear Jesus.

I Believe that you are God I Believe that you died on a cross Was buried
for three days and rose again Lord Jesus forgive me of my sin Come into
my life and save me in Jesus name There we had battery I closed I Always
do this because I don't ever want there to be a moment where someone
doesn't have a chance to respond to the gospel to To give their life to
Jesus You don't have to it's not because you said a prayer It's because
your heart wanted God and you believe that Jesus is who he said he is
But you say pastor Malik I'm here today and I asked Jesus Christ To come
into my life and save me that prayer was for me. I know it was for me
I'm really the only one looking around right now. If that's you would
you raise your hand right now? Is anybody like that in this room? I
always want there to be a chance for someone to get saved Is anybody
like that in this room? I'm looking around It's amazing, it's amazing
isn't Jesus amazing Now pray this with me dear Jesus Dear Jesus help me
to live for you Help me to trust you Help me to obey when it doesn't
make sense Help me to love you even more May there be no compromise in
my life.

May there be obedience and love for Jesus Andrews gonna sing in just a
second and I'm encouraged some of you to just find a place at the altar
and just talk to God Abraham encountered God at an altar that he built a
place where he he called on the name of the Lord This altar is not like
that altar, but it is an altar It's a place where you can come and you
can call on the name of the Lord You may not feel you need it today but
maybe there's a family member a friend a co-worker a Classmate a child a
grandchild that you want God to work in their life in just a moment I
want to encourage you to come you don't have to kneel you can stand But
I want us to do business with God as Andrew leads us in worship You
don't have to stay up here forever But just come up to the front do
business with God when they begin to sing the altars are open Let's talk
to the Father Lord Jesus even now as we begin to worship you this time
of invitation. I pray if there's anybody that prayed that prayer be
like, I don't know if I want to raise my hand they would find me I pray
if there's anybody in this room today that says, you know what I'm
coming back to God I want to live for Jesus. I it's hard at times we get
it.

It's hard. I'm coming back Coming back Show us Jesus even in a greater
way and he saw it Jesus the greater Abraham Abraham left his family To
go to a land he never been before Jesus left the throne of heaven to go
to a place he never been before Abraham left and obeyed so the nations
through him would be blessed Jesus left the throne of heaven and obeyed
and died on a cross so that through him the world could find salvation
Jesus the greater Abraham We love you. I pray this in your name Amen, as
he begins to sing the altars open you come family member friend yourself
You come do business with God as God would dealt with you.

Let's worship him Mercy the presence at your throne. I call answer And
you came to my rescue and I beware You are Answer To my rescue and I Oh
To see your face No, I place in your God Mercy I bow down In your
presence at your throne I call I call You And you came to my rescue and
I Wanna be where? Call Die call You Answer And you came to my rescue and
I Wanna be where You In my life I Call Just really in love with Jesus
Just really in awe of him who's met with us He's everything And we try
to drive those Canaanites out of our life the analogy there it's because
you're helping us you're with us all the way and You have promises for
your believers in this room dreams that you will fulfill Promises you
will fulfill callings. You have not forgotten But there is a step on our
part to trust No, bae And so Lord, I thank you.

You're amazing. You're amazing. You're amazing Amazing if you think
Jesus is amazing give Jesus a round of applause.

Yeah. Yeah. Hey, man No, no, no, no.

No that that's like five out of ten Let's try that one more time. One,
two, three, give the Lord a round of applause. Yeah Yeah, amen Amen and
amen Yeah, yeah, I Would like to call miss Jamie and her wonderful
husband up here to the front She is a beautiful woman and she walked
into our church today, and I don't know if you know him But I think
she's about amazing child of God and she deserves to be prayed over She
needs to be prayed over for healing and I know that pastor Malachi can
lead us in that Can I ask you to come on up here Robbie? Will you move
over here? Cuz I love you please We want to pray for you guys.

And so a man want a few of you to say let's just Stretch your hand out
lay hand on her. Let's pray for healing. Let's pray for healing

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/SwzaI4T_aBc.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/malachi-obrien/jesus-in-genesis/
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