Well, as much as I want to launch into part two of our mini sermon series, Selah,

I need to take a moment at the beginning of this sermon and address the vision of what we're doing

as we preach the Word of God, and then as we sing songs, and then as we're dispersed in community.

Right now, what's about to happen is I'm about to read a passage of scripture,

really powerful one today. They're all powerful, but this one especially, oh my goodness,

unbelievable. And what we believe is happening in real time. Human beings are catching a vision

of the reason why they were created.

People who already believe in Jesus are making adjustments to their lives, to their plans,

they're being convicted of sin in real time.

The Holy Spirit is also reminding them that they belong to God.

People who don't believe in Jesus are discovering, maybe even for the very first time, oh, this is what it truly means to be a Christian,

and this is what Jesus has to offer that nobody else has to offer me.

All of that's happening every time we preach.

But here's what else is happening, and kind of the bad news I want to begin this sermon with.

The third thing that's happening in this room is there are people who are here to check the box that they

attended church who have no intention of ever applying anything that is said from this stage to

their lives. They are here because they want to consider themselves to be a Christian without ever

demonstrating the life change that comes from that. Those three realities will always be present

where the Word of God is preached. And really, no matter how many times I talk about hell, I talk

about sin, I talk about the truth of the scriptures, some keep coming back. But when it seems like

that group of people are starting to affect the culture of who we are becoming on Sundays,

as your leader, I have to say something. And it's gotten back to me that in the last couple of

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