We Say Yes
Welcome to Mercy City Church, and thanks for listening to today's message. Mercy City is a church in Lincoln, Nebraska, that is committed to connecting people to the heart of God and the house of God. We can't wait to connect with you and hear more about your story. So make sure you fill out our online connection cards that you can click in the description. Thanks again for listening and enjoy today's message.
Today, everybody, I'm gonna say today, we're kicking off this new series called Kingdom calm. And I'm really excited as we take the next several weeks to talk about what it looks like for us to live lives that are aware of abandoned to an active in Kingdom endeavors here on earth safe because here's what contrary to a lot of popular Christian belief is the reality when you read the Scripture is God's design is for heaven to come to Earth. See, we just typically live our lives or are taught to live our lives to live within this certain little box and do things just right so that one day, hopefully, we'll be able to get to the sweet by and by
this special place in the sky. Come on somebody, if I had an Oregon I would Jesus preach.
But the reality of the situation is if we actually read the scriptures, it's about heaven coming to earth in the way that it happens was first and foremost to the person of Jesus. But now that there's an empty tomb of the risen Savior, the power of the Holy Spirit in fills those of us who have said yes to Jesus, and we have the ability in the authority to live heaven on earth, living in the more the fruitfulness of God's Holy Spirit. And I believe that it's more important now than it's ever been before.
There's some of us here that we think about that possibility, it probably seems pretty difficult. It might seem like it's further away than I think it really is harder than it really is. I can assure you that it's not that hard.
We believe that mercy city that hope is closer than we think. And we're going to take a look at that over these next several weeks in this series. But in order for that to start, I think it's going to start today and it's going to start with us say yes, I'm a preacher message this morning. Called we say yes, I say yes. Come on, on the count of three, say yes, like you really mean it. 1230 almost felt like I was in church. Let's try that one more time. 1230. Father, we love you. We're grateful for you. The power
of your spirit and your presence here today. That we don't take lightly. This opportunity that we have to be in your presence to say yes to Jesus, the King of kings in the Lord of lords to magnify.
Glorify, to lift on high. The name of Jesus the matchless powerful name of Jesus, the Bible says it is the name above every name. And by no other name can then be saved. That every knee will bow and every tongue confess the name and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We lift up the name of Jesus. And so God today we pray that you would show us Jesus like we've never seen him before. Because we know it's upon revelation of who Jesus is that you'll build and establish your church, that your kingdom will come
to God we say come tonight. In Jesus mighty name.
Oh God, oh God, God, God, God, God. Please don't let any kids get hurt on the Easter eggs.
Especially by parents. We're just trying to get their kids more. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Come on everybody. One more time. Let's give Jesus a big hand clap of praise. He is worthy. He's worthy. He's worthy. I love it. I love it. I love it. That's what we're here to do. today. We're here to celebrate an empty tomb. We're here to celebrate a risen Savior. We're here to celebrate a Lord of redeemer of our lives in the life that he offers us. Fact The Bible says this early on a Sunday morning. Sounds like the beginning of a really sweet song.
As the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake for an angel of the
Lord came down from heaven, he rolled aside the stone and he set on it and His face shone like lightning and His clothing was as wide as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women, don't be afraid. He said, I know that you're looking for Jesus who was crucified, but he isn't here. He's risen from the dead, just as he said, would happen, come,
come, see where his body was, like me say, come here.
See, where his body was lying. See where his body was lying. This is what I love about the kingdom. This is what I love about Jesus. What I love about serving God is God is always making an invitation for us to come and see. But here's the reality of the situation. He's actually inviting us to come and see something that we'll never see with our natural eyes. Because he knows that without faith, it's impossible to please him. So he's inviting us into something to see that isn't actually there to see if our faith will stir in such a way that what believe what we cannot see. See, Faith doesn't really happen unless you believe in something that you can't yet see.
So he gives an invitation at the tomb come and see. See, because we all think that we want to see, but the reality is, God doesn't want us to see He wants us to believe.
Don't ever get tripped up tricked into or trapped into believing that if you see something that means it's a reality. In fact, I think that we live in a world in a day and age where we will all be given invitations or opportunities, whether from people or organizations, maybe even a government entity.
Come let us see. Let's make it visible.
encouraging you to believe something that you can see when Jesus says nananananana, it's not about visibility, and what you can see, it's about visibility in the spirit, maybe what you can't see in the natural, that is the truth. I'm here to tell you this morning, that the people of Mercy city will always forever only focus on Jesus will always in only forever focus on an empty tomb. And that is what we will champion. That's what we will trump it. That's what we will glorify, magnify and exalt. I don't care what the government says, I don't care what the organization says, I don't care what the entity says, We will only
fix our focus on the unseen Jesus.
And trust that he'll continue to invite us into opportunity to see what was, but may not be any.
In that I believe that our faith will come alive. And we will move forward. Come and see. The Bible says where his body was,
let's never get trapped into only believing what people try to bring visibility to.
Because we serve a God who was
a God who is in a God who will be
we may not see it, but we know it in Jesus name.
He invited them in
to take a look so that they began to realize that there was no more striving for a life that they couldn't attain that had already been paid for and had already been bought it and already been overcome, it had already been done. There was a sacrifice that it made and atonement for our sins covering the parts of us that separate us from a holy God. They're called sin.
And for this sin, sin that is visible, and since it is invisible, he did this so we could cease to strive.
striving to attain something that in and of ourselves, we would never do on our own our own good works, our best practices or ideal circumstances, all of them, my friends are as filthy rags before the Lord.
But it's when we say yes to him. It's when we take on the power of the cross. It's when we take on the emptiness of the tomb, and we put our belief in something that we cannot see. But we sense there's something more here
that God provides us and offers us power, all of it through the power of Jesus.
To the person of Jesus, the power of the cross, and the resurrection.
So it doesn't require almost anything of us. Notice I said almost anything. It doesn't require almost anything of us. It does require one thing. Somebody say one thing. Do you want to know what that one thing is? Come on, say, Pastor Matt, tell us what the one thing is.
I'm so glad you asked. It's a yes. Somebody say yes.
A Yes. is required. A Yes. is required. Yes. I looked up this word. Yes. And it's very interesting. It means yes.
It means it means to give an affirmative response or action. So it does mean to give the affirmative response, but it also means to have a corresponding action with the Yes. Have you ever had somebody tell you? Yes. But then their actions didn't match up with the yes, that they gave you. Now hear what I'm saying? Like, yes, Honey, I love you so much. But I never do the dishes. When I know that means something to you.
Here's what I started to do. I started to tell the truth, and not lie. Now, girl, I'm doing the dishes.
Yes, I love you. But no, I won't do the dishes. You got to be very clear in your yeses and your nose.
It's a bad day. If you say yes. Without clarity. And then don't fulfill the yes that you committed to.
It's the same way in the kingdom. God is giving us opportunity to respond. He's inviting us in. What will you say yes to and what will you say no to see many of us as believers. We come to church on Sunday mornings and we say yes, yes. We say yes. Yes. Yes. Right. Right. That donkey? Any White Boy. All the stuff? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. But then we leave on Monday morning and everything is no, no, no, because we just say yes to me. Me. Me. See, contrary to popular belief? You can't tell everybody? Yes.
Some of us struggle with this in our world. We just tell everybody Yes. All the time. Can I tell you something? You are asking for trouble? If you tell everybody Yes.
Think about it this way. Every Yes. You give someone you're given someone else or something else unknown. It's just the reality of the situation. And if we give Jesus a yes, then we're telling ourselves no. In certain areas. If we're telling Jesus Yes, then we're telling other things. No. In areas we have to be able to define we have to be able to discern where is the proper? Yes. Where is the right? Yes. Where is the the appropriate? Yes.
Because if you tell Jesus, yes, you can't tell everyone else and everything else. Yes. as well.
And if you tell everyone and everything else, yes. Then you cannot tell Jesus. Yes. To.
Here's the beauty of the Yes. There's power.
There's destiny. There's opportunity.
For more invitation on the other side of the right, yes.
And you might be saying, well, what tell me about the right. Yes. Let me just break it down for you. Here's the easiest way to tell if a yes is right. Is Jesus leading you into it?
That's the bottom line. That's the bottom line. Is he leading you into this? Yes. This opportunity? If he is it's a yes. If he's not that it's a no. Well, it looks good. It feels good. It smells good. If it's not from Jesus, it might not be good.
And y'all are still confused, like, Well, why don't we just know I would encourage you to get connected to a local church to get surrounded by people who are learning and processing progressing and how and when to say yes in the right way. See, some of us have been tricked into manipulated into saying yes, because the preacher says yes. Or because the Study leader says yes, because my employer says yes, well, just because your employer says yes, just because your family says yes, just because your teacher say yes, just
Because they say yes doesn't mean it's a yes, it might be a no.
How do I know? If I'm saying yes, in relationship with Jesus, you will learn to know.
And I know church world here in Nebraska. And everybody's like, Oh, Pastor Matt, just give me a list. Just Just give me a list can have the list. Don't smoke. Don't drink, don't you? And certainly don't date girls who do, right? That's the list. That's the we want the list? No, no, God doesn't give us lists like that anymore. What he does, the Bible says he writes on the tablets of our hearts. And as we say yes to him. The next step we go into, we realize this is either yes, or it's no. And in this season, it might be yes. But in the next season, the same thing might be known. It's all dependent on the person of Jesus. And here's the cool thing, Jesus will always invite you in to come, come take a look. Come and see. Come and see what's on the other side of our Yes, we got to learn very simply, yes, the Bible says this in Matthew chapter number five, verse 33. You have also heard that our ancestors were told you must not break your vows you must carry out the vows that you make to the Lord sounds like a good thing sounds like a right thing. But I say Jesus says don't make any vows.
Okay, Jesus, he's talking about the Old Testament and I gotta keep my vow to the Lord but now in the New Testament, you say don't make any vows.
Do not say by heaven, because heaven is God's throne and do not say by Earth, because the Earth is his footstool and do not say by Jerusalem for Jerusalem is the city of the great king. And do not even say by my head, or by my power or by my might, for you can even turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple. Yes, I will. or No, I won't. Anything beyond that is from the evil one. Just say a simple.
Yes.
Remember again? Yes. means yes.
We like Yes.
The angels, like Yes.
Oh, I love when you say yes.
Look, smile. Yes, yes. Yes. Let's let's that's distracting. Sorry.
Sorry. Yes, yes. Does mean? Yes.
Yes. Simple. Yes. See, I know that a lot of us with church background, we think that it's important for us or appropriate for us to say I swear, I swear I'll do it. No. Because then what you're doing is you're doing it in your own power and not in the power of Jesus. Just let you ESPs Yes, I'll do whatever he says, No, I won't do if he doesn't say
yes or no, yes or no. Yes, I'm gonna do it in my own power. And then you end up letting somebody down. And then people have a bad taste in their mouth about God because you let them down saying, I swear, I'll do this. I can't make any promises on behalf of God.
I just say yes to my next step, just like you should say yes to your next step. Because as we say, yes to a next step, God will open new doors of opportunity for us to come and see and respond with a yes or no,
yes or no. Yes or no. And I love when, you know, people will get all worked up. And you know, like, we're right now our five year plan, our 10 year plan or 12 year plan, this is what I'm gonna do in 12 years from now. Well, can I tell you something, somebody who's 10 years into leading this church now? Well, I'm away to 10 years, nine years, okay, whatever.
Nine years into leading this church.
People used to ask me when we first started so what do you what do you see is going to happen in the next three years, next five years in the next 10 years? And I'm like,
I just hope I'm still living for God. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's, that's all I can do. Like I we moved here and we didn't know anybody. We did not know one person. We tried to drum up all the old relationship we possibly could and pretend like we still got some relationship and hopes that something would stir up but we did
And we couldn't. We came here by ourselves. It was the six of us, my wife, and I and our four kids. We didn't know anybody. And everybody's asking us, well, what's your goal? What's your plan? And I'm like, Dude, I hope we make it to launch weekend. You know what I'm saying? Like, I remember the first Easter we ever had, like, about 200 people showed up, and we were just thrilled man, like, thank God.
But here's what happens when we get too focused on the long goal, the long plan. And I'm not saying that you shouldn't plan I'm not saying that you shouldn't have, you know, things set aside and prepped and planned and all this stuff. But here's what happens. If we need to know what step five is, before we'll step on step one, than we have effectively made ourselves God and not him. The Bible says that we walk by faith and not by sight. And if I have to have the next seven steps, the next eight steps, the next 10 steps before I'll make the first step, then I'm relying on me and I'm swearing by me. My yes is actually a no even though it's coming out of my mouth as a yes. Because he Yes. It's not just what you say, yes. It's how you align your actions in response to what comes out of your mouth to everybody. I know, man, I know this is hard. But that's where you should have said Amen. You should have said Get away. Boy, right there. That was the place. I'll teach you how to do church. I'd everybody bout to have fun. Let's go, some talking about.
But God won't give you the next five steps. He'll give you the next step. Maybe why? Because he wants you to continue to rely on him in relationship.
Every step is a new invitation or opportunity to say yes. I just want to know why he's doing I want to know where He's taking me. I want to know what's going on. You think I didn't want to know that? When he brought me back to Nebraska?
I did. I wanted to know, when he wasn't telling me.
He said this is the next step. And I just said yes.
Some of us withhold our Yes, until we have the next step. Don't do that. Because you will remain stuck.
And nobody wants to live stuff because that's frustrating, isn't it? You can kiss your 10 Year Plan goodbye. If you stay stuck is step one.
Let me say yes. Come on. SUID say yes. There we go. Say yes to a new invite God will always offer us a new invite on the other side of our yes is another opportunity to be invited. I love this about God. He doesn't give you an opportunity to say yes, one time and then just leave you there like okay, now you're stuck. No, no. All throughout the lives of the disciples. We saw them being provided with opportunity to say yes, they Jesus showed up to him on the shore one day and he said, Hey, y'all drop your nets and follow me. I make you fishers of men. They were like, yes.
And they followed him right. But then all throughout Jesus continue to give opportunities. Even after his death and resurrection, he showed back up on a shore to the disciples who went back to fishing.
He said, Hey, y'all catch anything? John 21
is the Nah, he says throw your nets on the other side of the boat. And when they did Peter recognize Jesus the Messiah. And he went, gave him another opportunity, another invite to say yes. And then they sat around the fire Jesus cooked Peter breakfasts. And he gave him three more opportunities to say yes. So with every yes opens the door of another another opportunity, a new invite for you to say yes. And every time God speaks to you, every time he makes an invitation, it's an opportunity for you to come closer. It's an opportunity for you to go higher. It's an opportunity for you to experience more of who He is. God wants to give us opportunities, but he can only do it on the other side of a yes to him.
Somebody say yes. Yes to a new invite.
Next thing God will do is he'll give us clear direction when we say yes, everybody wants to see it right now. But you won't see it until you say yes.
Let's not forget that this is a faith, journey.
Faith, putting your trust in something that you do not see.
How do I how can I tell? If it's God or if it's not?
If it's God, you will put your trust in what if it's not God, you'll put trust in what you can't see.
But if it's God, you'll be forced to put your trust in what you cannot see.
And that's not to say that God
won't use things that you can to encourage you, you will love that about God.
But the way that we see clearly is not with our eyes, the way that we see clearly is with our spirits. I don't I can't explain it. It's just clear to me.
Supposed to be here, I'm supposed to be doing this are supposed to be about this? It's just clear.
When I talk about it, it sounds like it's clear as mud.
What as I sense it, and it's clear, it's crystal clear.
I can't explain it. I don't know. It's just clear.
Faith clarity will always be based on something that you can't see though.
It'll be offered to you through a yes.
Three, yes. Let me say yes.
Somebody Look at your neighbor and say yes.
Look at your other neighbor and say, No, I will not say you.
Just make it clear, everybody. Make it clear, make it clear.
Make it clear.
The third and final thing that a yes to God will bring is a fresh purpose or perspective.
A fresh purpose of perspective. And
oh, I think that most of you are called to uproot your family move across the country and start a church.
But I do think that some of you are called to uproot your current life.
That has been without purpose. It hasn't been clear, feels heavy, feels overwhelming. Just feels like a lot of work. And it's a grind.
I think God puts you there.
I think God did it on purpose.
But you've been saying yes. And the natural. You've been saying yes to the paycheck. You've been saying yes to the position. You've been saying yes to the stuff.
But God's given you an opportunity to say yes to him. And then in that get a new purpose for what you're doing. A purpose that glorifies Him that magnifies him. That will open doors for you that you never knew weren't imaginable for you to walk through a
new perspective, a new purpose. On the other side of your Yes.
Come on everybody. We say yes. We say yes to Jesus. We say yes to his plan. We say yes to Destiny, we say yes to His promises. We say yes. But in order for us to say yes, in these three things.
Some of us in our rooms are going to need to say yes to Jesus first.
Jesus is calling your name. You're here not by accident. You're not just here because it's Easter. You're here because somebody has been praying for you.
Somebody knows your name and they've been calling your name.
With today's your day, to say yes to Jesus. yes to life where the kingdom comes, where his will is done on earth, through you, as it is in heaven.
It's for you.
In all of our rooms with your eyes closed and your heads bowed.
If that's you, and you would say to the pastor Matt, I need to say yes to Jesus. I need to say yes to his life. I need to say yes to that life, a life where I don't have to strive anymore.
But I take on the price that he paid, and I get to live the way that he overcame.
If that's you what you just lift your hand. Say that's me. That's me, man. Wow, look at the hands. Look at the hands what a decision you'll never make a greater decision than saying yes to Jesus.
yes to life, yes to blessing.
Yes to eternal connected.
C'mon, if you have faith already in Jesus, would you join our new brothers and sisters and let's all repeat this together as a Father God. Today I receive the person of Jesus by the power of the cross.
Today I believe that Jesus died for my sins.
Today I choose to turn away from my sin
and to turn toward the life that Jesus has for me. Today I say yes.
To your promise to your plan.
Your destiny. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Come on everybody. Let's give Jesus a hand
Thanks again for listening to today's message. For more information on all that God's doing it mercy City Church to share how the message has impacted your life. Visit us online at Mercy city, church or on social media.
Today, everybody, I'm gonna say today, we're kicking off this new series called Kingdom calm. And I'm really excited as we take the next several weeks to talk about what it looks like for us to live lives that are aware of abandoned to an active in Kingdom endeavors here on earth safe because here's what contrary to a lot of popular Christian belief is the reality when you read the Scripture is God's design is for heaven to come to Earth. See, we just typically live our lives or are taught to live our lives to live within this certain little box and do things just right so that one day, hopefully, we'll be able to get to the sweet by and by
this special place in the sky. Come on somebody, if I had an Oregon I would Jesus preach.
But the reality of the situation is if we actually read the scriptures, it's about heaven coming to earth in the way that it happens was first and foremost to the person of Jesus. But now that there's an empty tomb of the risen Savior, the power of the Holy Spirit in fills those of us who have said yes to Jesus, and we have the ability in the authority to live heaven on earth, living in the more the fruitfulness of God's Holy Spirit. And I believe that it's more important now than it's ever been before.
There's some of us here that we think about that possibility, it probably seems pretty difficult. It might seem like it's further away than I think it really is harder than it really is. I can assure you that it's not that hard.
We believe that mercy city that hope is closer than we think. And we're going to take a look at that over these next several weeks in this series. But in order for that to start, I think it's going to start today and it's going to start with us say yes, I'm a preacher message this morning. Called we say yes, I say yes. Come on, on the count of three, say yes, like you really mean it. 1230 almost felt like I was in church. Let's try that one more time. 1230. Father, we love you. We're grateful for you. The power
of your spirit and your presence here today. That we don't take lightly. This opportunity that we have to be in your presence to say yes to Jesus, the King of kings in the Lord of lords to magnify.
Glorify, to lift on high. The name of Jesus the matchless powerful name of Jesus, the Bible says it is the name above every name. And by no other name can then be saved. That every knee will bow and every tongue confess the name and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We lift up the name of Jesus. And so God today we pray that you would show us Jesus like we've never seen him before. Because we know it's upon revelation of who Jesus is that you'll build and establish your church, that your kingdom will come
to God we say come tonight. In Jesus mighty name.
Oh God, oh God, God, God, God, God. Please don't let any kids get hurt on the Easter eggs.
Especially by parents. We're just trying to get their kids more. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Come on everybody. One more time. Let's give Jesus a big hand clap of praise. He is worthy. He's worthy. He's worthy. I love it. I love it. I love it. That's what we're here to do. today. We're here to celebrate an empty tomb. We're here to celebrate a risen Savior. We're here to celebrate a Lord of redeemer of our lives in the life that he offers us. Fact The Bible says this early on a Sunday morning. Sounds like the beginning of a really sweet song.
As the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake for an angel of the
Lord came down from heaven, he rolled aside the stone and he set on it and His face shone like lightning and His clothing was as wide as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women, don't be afraid. He said, I know that you're looking for Jesus who was crucified, but he isn't here. He's risen from the dead, just as he said, would happen, come,
come, see where his body was, like me say, come here.
See, where his body was lying. See where his body was lying. This is what I love about the kingdom. This is what I love about Jesus. What I love about serving God is God is always making an invitation for us to come and see. But here's the reality of the situation. He's actually inviting us to come and see something that we'll never see with our natural eyes. Because he knows that without faith, it's impossible to please him. So he's inviting us into something to see that isn't actually there to see if our faith will stir in such a way that what believe what we cannot see. See, Faith doesn't really happen unless you believe in something that you can't yet see.
So he gives an invitation at the tomb come and see. See, because we all think that we want to see, but the reality is, God doesn't want us to see He wants us to believe.
Don't ever get tripped up tricked into or trapped into believing that if you see something that means it's a reality. In fact, I think that we live in a world in a day and age where we will all be given invitations or opportunities, whether from people or organizations, maybe even a government entity.
Come let us see. Let's make it visible.
encouraging you to believe something that you can see when Jesus says nananananana, it's not about visibility, and what you can see, it's about visibility in the spirit, maybe what you can't see in the natural, that is the truth. I'm here to tell you this morning, that the people of Mercy city will always forever only focus on Jesus will always in only forever focus on an empty tomb. And that is what we will champion. That's what we will trump it. That's what we will glorify, magnify and exalt. I don't care what the government says, I don't care what the organization says, I don't care what the entity says, We will only
fix our focus on the unseen Jesus.
And trust that he'll continue to invite us into opportunity to see what was, but may not be any.
In that I believe that our faith will come alive. And we will move forward. Come and see. The Bible says where his body was,
let's never get trapped into only believing what people try to bring visibility to.
Because we serve a God who was
a God who is in a God who will be
we may not see it, but we know it in Jesus name.
He invited them in
to take a look so that they began to realize that there was no more striving for a life that they couldn't attain that had already been paid for and had already been bought it and already been overcome, it had already been done. There was a sacrifice that it made and atonement for our sins covering the parts of us that separate us from a holy God. They're called sin.
And for this sin, sin that is visible, and since it is invisible, he did this so we could cease to strive.
striving to attain something that in and of ourselves, we would never do on our own our own good works, our best practices or ideal circumstances, all of them, my friends are as filthy rags before the Lord.
But it's when we say yes to him. It's when we take on the power of the cross. It's when we take on the emptiness of the tomb, and we put our belief in something that we cannot see. But we sense there's something more here
that God provides us and offers us power, all of it through the power of Jesus.
To the person of Jesus, the power of the cross, and the resurrection.
So it doesn't require almost anything of us. Notice I said almost anything. It doesn't require almost anything of us. It does require one thing. Somebody say one thing. Do you want to know what that one thing is? Come on, say, Pastor Matt, tell us what the one thing is.
I'm so glad you asked. It's a yes. Somebody say yes.
A Yes. is required. A Yes. is required. Yes. I looked up this word. Yes. And it's very interesting. It means yes.
It means it means to give an affirmative response or action. So it does mean to give the affirmative response, but it also means to have a corresponding action with the Yes. Have you ever had somebody tell you? Yes. But then their actions didn't match up with the yes, that they gave you. Now hear what I'm saying? Like, yes, Honey, I love you so much. But I never do the dishes. When I know that means something to you.
Here's what I started to do. I started to tell the truth, and not lie. Now, girl, I'm doing the dishes.
Yes, I love you. But no, I won't do the dishes. You got to be very clear in your yeses and your nose.
It's a bad day. If you say yes. Without clarity. And then don't fulfill the yes that you committed to.
It's the same way in the kingdom. God is giving us opportunity to respond. He's inviting us in. What will you say yes to and what will you say no to see many of us as believers. We come to church on Sunday mornings and we say yes, yes. We say yes. Yes. Yes. Right. Right. That donkey? Any White Boy. All the stuff? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. But then we leave on Monday morning and everything is no, no, no, because we just say yes to me. Me. Me. See, contrary to popular belief? You can't tell everybody? Yes.
Some of us struggle with this in our world. We just tell everybody Yes. All the time. Can I tell you something? You are asking for trouble? If you tell everybody Yes.
Think about it this way. Every Yes. You give someone you're given someone else or something else unknown. It's just the reality of the situation. And if we give Jesus a yes, then we're telling ourselves no. In certain areas. If we're telling Jesus Yes, then we're telling other things. No. In areas we have to be able to define we have to be able to discern where is the proper? Yes. Where is the right? Yes. Where is the the appropriate? Yes.
Because if you tell Jesus, yes, you can't tell everyone else and everything else. Yes. as well.
And if you tell everyone and everything else, yes. Then you cannot tell Jesus. Yes. To.
Here's the beauty of the Yes. There's power.
There's destiny. There's opportunity.
For more invitation on the other side of the right, yes.
And you might be saying, well, what tell me about the right. Yes. Let me just break it down for you. Here's the easiest way to tell if a yes is right. Is Jesus leading you into it?
That's the bottom line. That's the bottom line. Is he leading you into this? Yes. This opportunity? If he is it's a yes. If he's not that it's a no. Well, it looks good. It feels good. It smells good. If it's not from Jesus, it might not be good.
And y'all are still confused, like, Well, why don't we just know I would encourage you to get connected to a local church to get surrounded by people who are learning and processing progressing and how and when to say yes in the right way. See, some of us have been tricked into manipulated into saying yes, because the preacher says yes. Or because the Study leader says yes, because my employer says yes, well, just because your employer says yes, just because your family says yes, just because your teacher say yes, just
Because they say yes doesn't mean it's a yes, it might be a no.
How do I know? If I'm saying yes, in relationship with Jesus, you will learn to know.
And I know church world here in Nebraska. And everybody's like, Oh, Pastor Matt, just give me a list. Just Just give me a list can have the list. Don't smoke. Don't drink, don't you? And certainly don't date girls who do, right? That's the list. That's the we want the list? No, no, God doesn't give us lists like that anymore. What he does, the Bible says he writes on the tablets of our hearts. And as we say yes to him. The next step we go into, we realize this is either yes, or it's no. And in this season, it might be yes. But in the next season, the same thing might be known. It's all dependent on the person of Jesus. And here's the cool thing, Jesus will always invite you in to come, come take a look. Come and see. Come and see what's on the other side of our Yes, we got to learn very simply, yes, the Bible says this in Matthew chapter number five, verse 33. You have also heard that our ancestors were told you must not break your vows you must carry out the vows that you make to the Lord sounds like a good thing sounds like a right thing. But I say Jesus says don't make any vows.
Okay, Jesus, he's talking about the Old Testament and I gotta keep my vow to the Lord but now in the New Testament, you say don't make any vows.
Do not say by heaven, because heaven is God's throne and do not say by Earth, because the Earth is his footstool and do not say by Jerusalem for Jerusalem is the city of the great king. And do not even say by my head, or by my power or by my might, for you can even turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple. Yes, I will. or No, I won't. Anything beyond that is from the evil one. Just say a simple.
Yes.
Remember again? Yes. means yes.
We like Yes.
The angels, like Yes.
Oh, I love when you say yes.
Look, smile. Yes, yes. Yes. Let's let's that's distracting. Sorry.
Sorry. Yes, yes. Does mean? Yes.
Yes. Simple. Yes. See, I know that a lot of us with church background, we think that it's important for us or appropriate for us to say I swear, I swear I'll do it. No. Because then what you're doing is you're doing it in your own power and not in the power of Jesus. Just let you ESPs Yes, I'll do whatever he says, No, I won't do if he doesn't say
yes or no, yes or no. Yes, I'm gonna do it in my own power. And then you end up letting somebody down. And then people have a bad taste in their mouth about God because you let them down saying, I swear, I'll do this. I can't make any promises on behalf of God.
I just say yes to my next step, just like you should say yes to your next step. Because as we say, yes to a next step, God will open new doors of opportunity for us to come and see and respond with a yes or no,
yes or no. Yes or no. And I love when, you know, people will get all worked up. And you know, like, we're right now our five year plan, our 10 year plan or 12 year plan, this is what I'm gonna do in 12 years from now. Well, can I tell you something, somebody who's 10 years into leading this church now? Well, I'm away to 10 years, nine years, okay, whatever.
Nine years into leading this church.
People used to ask me when we first started so what do you what do you see is going to happen in the next three years, next five years in the next 10 years? And I'm like,
I just hope I'm still living for God. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's, that's all I can do. Like I we moved here and we didn't know anybody. We did not know one person. We tried to drum up all the old relationship we possibly could and pretend like we still got some relationship and hopes that something would stir up but we did
And we couldn't. We came here by ourselves. It was the six of us, my wife, and I and our four kids. We didn't know anybody. And everybody's asking us, well, what's your goal? What's your plan? And I'm like, Dude, I hope we make it to launch weekend. You know what I'm saying? Like, I remember the first Easter we ever had, like, about 200 people showed up, and we were just thrilled man, like, thank God.
But here's what happens when we get too focused on the long goal, the long plan. And I'm not saying that you shouldn't plan I'm not saying that you shouldn't have, you know, things set aside and prepped and planned and all this stuff. But here's what happens. If we need to know what step five is, before we'll step on step one, than we have effectively made ourselves God and not him. The Bible says that we walk by faith and not by sight. And if I have to have the next seven steps, the next eight steps, the next 10 steps before I'll make the first step, then I'm relying on me and I'm swearing by me. My yes is actually a no even though it's coming out of my mouth as a yes. Because he Yes. It's not just what you say, yes. It's how you align your actions in response to what comes out of your mouth to everybody. I know, man, I know this is hard. But that's where you should have said Amen. You should have said Get away. Boy, right there. That was the place. I'll teach you how to do church. I'd everybody bout to have fun. Let's go, some talking about.
But God won't give you the next five steps. He'll give you the next step. Maybe why? Because he wants you to continue to rely on him in relationship.
Every step is a new invitation or opportunity to say yes. I just want to know why he's doing I want to know where He's taking me. I want to know what's going on. You think I didn't want to know that? When he brought me back to Nebraska?
I did. I wanted to know, when he wasn't telling me.
He said this is the next step. And I just said yes.
Some of us withhold our Yes, until we have the next step. Don't do that. Because you will remain stuck.
And nobody wants to live stuff because that's frustrating, isn't it? You can kiss your 10 Year Plan goodbye. If you stay stuck is step one.
Let me say yes. Come on. SUID say yes. There we go. Say yes to a new invite God will always offer us a new invite on the other side of our yes is another opportunity to be invited. I love this about God. He doesn't give you an opportunity to say yes, one time and then just leave you there like okay, now you're stuck. No, no. All throughout the lives of the disciples. We saw them being provided with opportunity to say yes, they Jesus showed up to him on the shore one day and he said, Hey, y'all drop your nets and follow me. I make you fishers of men. They were like, yes.
And they followed him right. But then all throughout Jesus continue to give opportunities. Even after his death and resurrection, he showed back up on a shore to the disciples who went back to fishing.
He said, Hey, y'all catch anything? John 21
is the Nah, he says throw your nets on the other side of the boat. And when they did Peter recognize Jesus the Messiah. And he went, gave him another opportunity, another invite to say yes. And then they sat around the fire Jesus cooked Peter breakfasts. And he gave him three more opportunities to say yes. So with every yes opens the door of another another opportunity, a new invite for you to say yes. And every time God speaks to you, every time he makes an invitation, it's an opportunity for you to come closer. It's an opportunity for you to go higher. It's an opportunity for you to experience more of who He is. God wants to give us opportunities, but he can only do it on the other side of a yes to him.
Somebody say yes. Yes to a new invite.
Next thing God will do is he'll give us clear direction when we say yes, everybody wants to see it right now. But you won't see it until you say yes.
Let's not forget that this is a faith, journey.
Faith, putting your trust in something that you do not see.
How do I how can I tell? If it's God or if it's not?
If it's God, you will put your trust in what if it's not God, you'll put trust in what you can't see.
But if it's God, you'll be forced to put your trust in what you cannot see.
And that's not to say that God
won't use things that you can to encourage you, you will love that about God.
But the way that we see clearly is not with our eyes, the way that we see clearly is with our spirits. I don't I can't explain it. It's just clear to me.
Supposed to be here, I'm supposed to be doing this are supposed to be about this? It's just clear.
When I talk about it, it sounds like it's clear as mud.
What as I sense it, and it's clear, it's crystal clear.
I can't explain it. I don't know. It's just clear.
Faith clarity will always be based on something that you can't see though.
It'll be offered to you through a yes.
Three, yes. Let me say yes.
Somebody Look at your neighbor and say yes.
Look at your other neighbor and say, No, I will not say you.
Just make it clear, everybody. Make it clear, make it clear.
Make it clear.
The third and final thing that a yes to God will bring is a fresh purpose or perspective.
A fresh purpose of perspective. And
oh, I think that most of you are called to uproot your family move across the country and start a church.
But I do think that some of you are called to uproot your current life.
That has been without purpose. It hasn't been clear, feels heavy, feels overwhelming. Just feels like a lot of work. And it's a grind.
I think God puts you there.
I think God did it on purpose.
But you've been saying yes. And the natural. You've been saying yes to the paycheck. You've been saying yes to the position. You've been saying yes to the stuff.
But God's given you an opportunity to say yes to him. And then in that get a new purpose for what you're doing. A purpose that glorifies Him that magnifies him. That will open doors for you that you never knew weren't imaginable for you to walk through a
new perspective, a new purpose. On the other side of your Yes.
Come on everybody. We say yes. We say yes to Jesus. We say yes to his plan. We say yes to Destiny, we say yes to His promises. We say yes. But in order for us to say yes, in these three things.
Some of us in our rooms are going to need to say yes to Jesus first.
Jesus is calling your name. You're here not by accident. You're not just here because it's Easter. You're here because somebody has been praying for you.
Somebody knows your name and they've been calling your name.
With today's your day, to say yes to Jesus. yes to life where the kingdom comes, where his will is done on earth, through you, as it is in heaven.
It's for you.
In all of our rooms with your eyes closed and your heads bowed.
If that's you, and you would say to the pastor Matt, I need to say yes to Jesus. I need to say yes to his life. I need to say yes to that life, a life where I don't have to strive anymore.
But I take on the price that he paid, and I get to live the way that he overcame.
If that's you what you just lift your hand. Say that's me. That's me, man. Wow, look at the hands. Look at the hands what a decision you'll never make a greater decision than saying yes to Jesus.
yes to life, yes to blessing.
Yes to eternal connected.
C'mon, if you have faith already in Jesus, would you join our new brothers and sisters and let's all repeat this together as a Father God. Today I receive the person of Jesus by the power of the cross.
Today I believe that Jesus died for my sins.
Today I choose to turn away from my sin
and to turn toward the life that Jesus has for me. Today I say yes.
To your promise to your plan.
Your destiny. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Come on everybody. Let's give Jesus a hand
Thanks again for listening to today's message. For more information on all that God's doing it mercy City Church to share how the message has impacted your life. Visit us online at Mercy city, church or on social media.
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