Jesus came to bring us into spiritual sonship, not to be a slave, not to serve and to work, not to just do what we're told, but to come into relationship with God, to be able to experience His love, experience His face again, experience His glory again, experience His blessing in our lives. God came to give you that. How much of it are you receiving? The Prodigal Son couldn't believe it could be trusted, and went out and went into the world; but came back and experienced that love and provision. The elder brother was like many Christians, in the house, but no concept of the love and resources of his father available to him. We'll talk with you another time why those blocks are there, and what to do about the blocks that stop me realising my sonship in Him. God wants you in this year, to have a great revelation of His Fatherhood, His love for you, your identity in Him, so you're free from performing, free from pretending, free from trying to be someone. You can just be yourself. He freed us from the law, so we can be ourselves. He said: I accept you like you are, so you can rest, and be yourself, and then grow into the person God has made you to be.
Let's just close our eyes. Father, we just thank You right now for the wonderful love, the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful grace poured out. Oh God, deliver us from the mentality of an orphan, living as though it's all up to us, struggling, striving, competing, envying, eyeing what others have, and wanting what they have. Bring us into revelation of Your Fatherhood, of Your love, of Your acceptance, of Your provision. Bring us into revelation of Your destiny for us. Oh Father, we thank You. Jesus prayed that the love that the Father has shown Me, might be in those who follow Me. Imagine that - love, affirmation, destiny, legacy, the many blessings that God has. He wants them to be realised in your life. This is not a year to live like a slave and a pauper. It's a year to step into God's love and blessing and provision, and the changes He wants you to make.
Is there any person here today who hasn't received Jesus Christ yet, you're not yet a Christian? You know Jesus died on the cross to break that orphan spirit, so you'd never be alone, that in your heart would be home, in your heart would be heaven, in your heart would be the spirit of God; the power of sin broken, joined to heaven itself. What a wonderful, wonderful gift God offers you, but it requires a decision to receive Jesus Christ. If you don't receive Him, then you carry on walking like a spiritual orphan, and you're not just orphaned in life, you're orphaned for eternity - a tragedy, when God makes it possible to be part of His family. Today I invite you to respond to receive Jesus Christ. I want you to pray this prayer with me.
[Repeated by congregation] Father in heaven, I come to You in Jesus' name. I have lived as a spiritual orphan, separated by sin from You. Today I receive Jesus Christ, I receive His forgiveness, I receive His life. I receive the spirit of sonship into my heart. Lord, I turn away from all sin and choose to walk with You. Today I thank You that You are revealing Your love for me day by day. I thank You as I walk with You, I will grow as a son of God into my destiny, and the inheritance You have for me. I thank You today I am free from performing, free from trying and struggling, free to enjoy You. Amen. Praise the Lord!
If you're listening on the internet, and you prayed that prayer for the first time, you've opened the way for Jesus Christ to become your saviour. I encourage you to reach into the website and get access to some of the teachings, some of the resources. Otherwise you need to get connected quite quickly into a local church somewhere that preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ. Get connected to the family of God that can help you.
Father in heaven, we thank You for this day. Is this a great day or what! [Applause] Are you a blessed person? You're removed from cursing into blessing, curse of failure into curse of success, curse of poverty into blessing prosperity. We are moved from curse to blessing today! Amen.