Eric Ludy - The Gospel

[Music] I am going to introduce you to the gospel right now you are a rebel whether you want to acknowledge it or not I'll tell you straight up you are a rebel against the Living God this is your natural disposition why because you were born in sin we are in a prison cell and it takes the Awakening in the grace of God you call it the prevenient grace of God to awaken us to the fact that we are lost and we can't get out we're headed towards destruction fast the enemy because of our Rebellion against

God has legal rights to harm and harass our life there you are behind the prison cell help I need out you can't get out those prison bars are stronger than any adamant there is no way you can cut them because they're stronger than Diamond it is impenetrable you cannot Escape you're doomed because when the enemy comes in in the very end and he's going to finish you off because he has legal right to do it and he's going to relish every minute of it in strolls your intercessor your mighty man and he stands between you

and that accuser and he takes the hit that was rightfully yours he takes the blow that was intended for you that is an extraordinary reality that he was turned to a pulp and he actually died God died for you over your prison cell it has always said condemned separated eternally from God guilty and then suddenly it switches when you realize what Jesus Christ has done it says Justified it says forgiven redeemed here's the problem most of us have stopped with the good news right there the blood of Jesus Christ has been shed and he was

killed and I want you to know that is unbelievable news but we are still in a prison cell and so we're praising God from within a prison cell going thank you for forgiving me thank you for change in the sign on the outside of the prison and God's word says could you check the door to the prison cell because my blood was shed for more more than just forgiveness forgiveness was the Avenue through which he could make the Escape for us he isn't just interested in dealing with the consequences or the penalty of sin he's

also dealt with the problem of sin does the door it's unlocked the door to the prison cell is unlocked walk out smell the open air of freedom and liberty in the life of Jesus Christ when you get outside the prison cell there's like this Chariot that's waiting emissaries from the King and they say the king beckons you into his presence you how bizarre this is when you realize that you were a rebel that you were undeserving completely the Living God has literally given up his life for you and now he has set you free and

now the very King is beckoning you into his presence it's like do you are you sure you have the right guy here I'm a rebel I I stood against my God I spat in his face H how could he want me the king back at you you get in the Chariot and as you're pulling into the kingdom you're looking for where they might drop you off you're looking for that poor District saying where are you taking me well into the very near presence of the king he wants you to live right where he lives not

just the penalty not just the problem but an invitation into his very near presence but as you're coming in the emissaries say he wants to adopt you as his child me a child we are brought in and invited near to share his heart you come into His presence totally broken before the reality of what he has done for you I don't deserve this why have you done this for me I love you I have a commission for you for me you want to have me work for you I want you to work for me I

want you to represent me absolutely anything I can do for you just tell me I need you to go back to that prison cell that I took you out of because there's a whole bunch more that need to know about me and my love and my truth will you go for me and heartbeat I would I would gladly serve you any way you want any way you ask I need to forewarn you I'm going to send you out and you'll be as a sheep Among Wolves they'll kill you they'll destroy you they'll hate you they'll

persecute you they will do whatever they can to harm you I'm in I'll do it God I don't care you shed your blood for me I would gladly shed my blood for you take my body take my blood spend it any way you want I belong to you you in Covenant take me Lord Jesus send me the commission not just the penalty not just the problem not just the invitation into his very near presence not just the adoption as a son and a daughter of the king of kings but we are commissioned to represent him

and I want you to realize that is a privilege beyond all other privileges to Bear the very name the very image the very reputation of God almighty and he says I ask you to go go and make disciples of all men go and be unashamed of my gospel and preach it Go rescue the Lost in the power of my name for is not the lamb that was slain worthy to receive the reward of his suffering I'll go and as you're beginning to head out with his Blessing he says hold it wait there's one more thing

not just the penalty not just the problem not just the invitation to his very near presence not just the adoption is the son or a daughter of the king and not just the commission this is the Capstone if you think that is all good you could wrap that all up into one ball and it still falls short of the final one because this final one is so condescending on the part of our King it is so bewildering it is so extraordinary so amazing and this is the truth that turns the world upside down before you

go what I'm sending you out to do is impossible impossible I know impossible and if you do it in your own strength you'll fail I don't care I'm willing to do whatever you ask of me and if you want me to go in there and just die I'm willing I'm sending you out to be a Victor my children will not lose would you give me your body and I will come in and make it my home and I will take those hands of yours and make them my hands I will take those feet of yours

and make them my feet I will take that mouth of yours and it will speak my words I will take those eyes of yours and they can now see what I need you to be seen in this world and I will take your Heart of Stone and make it a heart of Flesh so that it will beat with my burdens and you will care for the very things that I care about and your prayers will become my prayers and your life and your attitude and your behavior every minute of every day will be the very

behavior of God will will you allow me to overtake your life because then we go into this world as little lambs with the faces of lions because the Living God Almighty the consuming Almighty Sovereign God dwells within his children and as we stand and the Wolf Pack surrounds us we stand in the authority in the name of Jesus and we will not back down because we do not head off to war to lose we head off to war to win our God mocks all the powers of Earth and Hell through fluffing little lambs because his

Lambs beat the wolf PS that's the gospel the gospel trounces upon all the powers of Earth and hell and demonstrates to the universe the manifold wisdom of God that he is in control and even though we look weak and even though physically and naturally we are weak spiritually greater is he that is in us than he that is in this world that is good news and it is a lot better than what's being dealt out today in the church we need to rise up proclaim the gospel and say I'm unashamed of it dear Lord Jesus

Take what is rightfully yours don't just send us send us with yourself firmly planted within our souls we cannot do your work we cannot bring you glory even though we're willing to do it without you please if you want to come with us why in the world would we ever try on our own you don't have to go on your own you don't have to pull off The Impossible on your own you don't have to fail any longer your God is ready to do it in and through you you can't do it you can't muster

up the discipline you can't muster up the intellect you can't muster up the strength you can't muster up the perseverance and the fortitude he can you can't love the lost you can't love those that spit upon your face he can don't pray that God would teach you how to love like he loves pray that he would fill you with himself and he would love in and through you don't pray that he would teach you to have joy pray that the Living God full of joy would enter into you don't pray that he would teach you

how to be peaceful ask for the God of Peace the prince of peace to infill you because if you try and imitate in your own strength you will be a miserable replica but if you allow the impartation of Jesus Christ to over overtake you suddenly it all works because it's him imitating himself and he's very good at being God [Music] [Applause] [Music] a [Music]