Why don't we close our eyes right now. Father, we just honour You and thank you. We thank You for the price You were willing to pay for us to be reconciled. Lord, we open our hearts to You right now, for the spirit of God to speak to us. Just while our eyes are closed and heads are bowed, if there's any person here and you are not connected to God, you're not a follower of Jesus, you're disconnected from God, if that's you today, what's stopping you making the next step? Jesus died on the cross for your sins. It's a matter of just saying: Jesus I need you, I've got sin in my life. I run my life without You, and I need Your help. Jesus, I come to You today, and believe You died on the cross for my sins, and I receive You into my life. What stops you doing that? There's no reason to stop. Just right now, why don't you decide today: I want to receive Jesus, I want my sins forgiven, and want life walking with God. Would you raise your hand please if that's you today - ready to give yourself to Christ, ready to become a Christian, a follower of Jesus. If you're ready to do that would you raise your hand?
I wonder how many of you heard God speak to you today; heard within the preaching, within the message, you heard God speak to you, the Holy Spirit start to speak to you: There's a lack of peace, there's turmoil in your heart. Turmoil in your heart is not just what other people did, or didn't do; it's how you're responding. Whatever anyone else does, you can still have it in your heart, but that peace comes at a price. You have to let go trying to bring people into agreement that you're right and they're wrong. You have to make a decision: do I value relationship; or would I prefer to be right? That's really where the choice will always come.
I wonder today how many people God was speaking to you? You realise how quickly you take offence, you can think of instances you've taken offence. You can think of times you've shared them with others too. If you're going to share with someone else, it should be someone who can help us to do what Jesus said: forgive and bless, go talk to the person; someone who's got the courage to tell us: that's wrong doing this. I'm glad you've shared, but here's the right thing to do now, to get this thing resolved: go talk to the person.
I've had some people come to me, and share with me things, ways in which they had felt I had offended them, they'd harboured deep hurt and grief in their lives, and I listened. I just felt my heart break. We don't know how we come across sometimes, until someone tells us. It takes great courage to do that. It's always costly to build bridges of relationship. I remember weeping in my heart, telling them how sorry I was, asking their forgiveness - done it many times. Does that mean I don't make mistakes? Not at all. What about you? What is the Holy Spirit saying to you? What will you do, after you leave this meeting? Is there some relationship you need to put right? Is there something you need to get right in your heart? What's stopping you doing it? If God spoke to you today in any kind of way through this message I want you just to raise your hand right now, just raise your hand right now. God bless, many, many hands, many hands up.
You know sometimes the greatest offences take place in families and marriages, the ones who are close to us. We can be offended at God, offended at the church, offended for all kinds of things - or we can grow. What a great day that we make decisions every day: I refuse to harbour offence. I will choose to respond in a Godly way; releasing blessing, not cursing; releasing grace, not judgement; believing God to work good, instead of harbouring unbelief. I will operate that way, and I thank You Lord, You'll give me the grace to do it. Amen.