The Jesus We Invented

0:00:00 – (Steve Gray): Hey, did you know that in many places today, another Jesus is being preached in thousands of churches? I’m going to clear that up and get us on the real Jesus on the next More Faith, More Life podcast. Hello, everyone, and welcome to another More Faith, More Life podcast. Your voice for of revival. Talking about revival all the time because we need it in our country more than ever. We need now a revival of the Kingdom of God, revival of the Spirit of God. We need all those things.

0:00:28 – (Steve Gray): But I want to talk today about maybe, I guess we could say, what’s hindering that revival and what do we need to do? What’s the problem? That we can’t seem to get revival going in the churches. In fact, there’s more revival going on outside a church than there is inside a church. You hear about it, I’ve heard it in the news, that they had this meeting or youth meeting or gathering or worship, and it was all good. But most of it’s not inside a church, it’s outside a church. So what’s wrong with the churches? And so I want to talk to you about that a little bit today and bring up this. One of my favorite scriptures is this is from 2 Corinthians, chapter 11.

0:01:05 – (Steve Gray): It says, just as the serpent deceived Eve, I’m afraid that you will also be deceived and not have a pure and sincere devotion to Christ. So that word devotion, that’s where we’re trying to have revival. We talk revival. Even churches talk about revival. Even the news media talks about revival today. Even, you know, it’s not Christian tv, just regular tv. But the reason we don’t have it to the degree that we need to have it. We see some good starts, I guess, but is because it takes devotion. We have to have some people devoted.

0:01:41 – (Steve Gray): And that’s what’s lacking in our Christianity. We don’t have enough people, at least it’s have to be some that have that devotion to Jesus instead. We have a level of, I want to know that I’m valuable. And it’s the all about me gospel. And I get it because when they came in, you know, they came in, maybe they got married, decided maybe we should go to church, we’re going to have a baby, let’s go back to church or whatever. And they go into these huge churches, mega churches, other churches, and they hear a sermon and it’s all about them.

0:02:15 – (Steve Gray): It’s not about being devoted. It’s not about picking up your cross, it’s not about serving. It’s all about me. And so all of a sudden, Jesus becomes our life coach and he’s presented. Okay, so let’s let Jesus coach you in success in life. We’re going to make you success in life, and he will be your life coach. And so at the following. In 2 Corinthians 11, where it talks about Eve and devotion is the next one it says, but I’m also concerned that someone present to you another Jesus, another spirit, another gospel.

0:02:51 – (Steve Gray): And then Paul writes and says, and when they do, you accept it. You accept it so easily. Another Jesus. And that’s why I bring up Jesus the life coach. Right? Jesus the success in life coach. And I believe I preached a sermon recently on how God wants us to be successful. God wants us to be prosperous. He doesn’t want you to be poor. He doesn’t want you to be in poverty. He wants you to be successful.

0:03:17 – (Steve Gray): But if you, if that’s your goal is to be successful, then it’s different when your motive is Jesus is my life coach to make me successful and to validate me. I was sharing with one of our guys a few minutes ago about how many people. I’ve seen it, like, I guess they don’t do it in church as much anymore. They used to have testimony time, especially those churches that had Sunday night service. They don’t. Or Wednesday night service.

0:03:44 – (Steve Gray): And we’re going to have testimony time. And people just stand up and give their testimony. And most of the time I noticed that a lot of the same people get up and give the same testimony. Every time I thank the Lord that I’m saved. And then I saw a lady. So she thanked the Lord that she was saved. And then she got teary eyed. That’s okay. About how Jesus died for her and what he did for her and how much it meant for her. Okay, okay, okay, I get it. You get it too, don’t you? That’s okay.

0:04:11 – (Steve Gray): But it was basically all about me. I’m loved. It was like, thank you, Lord, that you loved me enough to die for me. Okay, okay, I get it. Yes. And it’s true. But that’s not what it’s about. That we then approach it. You loved me enough to make it all about me, that you died for me so I wouldn’t go to hell. You died to save me, you died to forgive me. And it’s all about me. And. And that’s what happens then when the gospel does that. It loses its power because it’s not about you, it’s about him. I was sharing again a little bit ago about a song we used to sing years ago.

0:04:52 – (Steve Gray): That when you were on the cross, you thought of me. And I said, well, he must have had a long contact list. How could he think of everybody? I don’t think that’s true. I don’t think he’s hanging on the cross thinking of Steve. Okay? He’s hanging on the cross thinking of his father and. And what this is going to do to the world and to the universe and to the kingdom of God. All right, that’s just me thinking about that.

0:05:13 – (Steve Gray): But anyway, Jesus is not our life coach. That’s another Jesus. And so we come in and we hear a sermon that’s all about me. How I can validate me. He loved me so much that it validates that I’m valuable. Cause Jesus loves me because I was wondering if I’m valuable. I felt I didn’t feel valuable. Now I feel more valuable. And it’s all about me. And then he’s going to coach me, and I’m going to learn through your sermon to cope with everything.

0:05:40 – (Steve Gray): I’m going to cope. I’m going to learn to do it. Rather than to be changed, rather than to be transformed. Rather than have the transformation by the renewing of our minds, and our minds are renewed by the word of God, then just, you know, So I don’t know if I need to explain this. I hope you’re getting it. It’s all about me. And, you know. Did you know why they used to persecute Christians in the Roman day? Roman persecuted Jesus. I mean, because of Jesus, you know why?

0:06:10 – (Steve Gray): Just ordinary people, they burn them at the stake. Why? Well, because they would say, Jesus is Lord. Now, that doesn’t mean much to us because we sing it, we say it, we believe that Jesus is Lord. Right? We don’t think about it. But you see, on their coins, the Roman coin said, Caesar is Lord, Caesar is God. So if I’m living back then and I say Jesus is Lord, then I’m actually insinuating what Caesar is not Lord.

0:06:43 – (Steve Gray): And so that’s why they would persecute the Christians, because they did not make Caesar. They wouldn’t say Caesar as God, Caesar as Lord, or whatever. And so they made Jesus Lord. And that’s what we need to do, because what’s happening is we’re bowing. In fact, I was just thinking about that, about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. You remember that in the Book of Daniel, you know that? The fiery furnace and all that. You’ve heard that story if you’ve been around church, maybe grew up in Sunday school, and they made a law. It was really to do away with Jews. It was anti Semitism. But anyway, they made a law to get this, that every time you heard music, whatever kind, you had to bow down to Nebuchadnezzan, bow down to him, even if he’s someplace else, you had to bow down and worship the king, and it wasn’t God.

0:07:39 – (Steve Gray): And so they passed that, well, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they’re not going to do it, so we will not bow. And they said, we’re going to throw you in the fiery furnace. You’re going to burn up. They said, well, you know, God is able to rescue us, but even if he doesn’t, even if he doesn’t rescue us, sorry, buddy, we’re not going to bow to you. We’re not going to bow to Nebuchadnezzar. We’re not going to bow to the earthly king. We’re not going to bow to anybody.

0:08:03 – (Steve Gray): We only bow to the Lord. So that’s what they said. Even if he doesn’t rescue us, we’re not going to bow. And I think we need that attitude today when we hear these sermons that are all about me, how much it’s validating me. Don’t blame. You know, you’re not to blame. You’re to blame everybody else. You’re the victim of everything poor you. Rather than a triumphal gospel, you know, the triumph of Jesus at the cross and the resurrection of the dead, that’s coming instead. We’re all victims.

0:08:36 – (Steve Gray): It’s not our fault. We’re all hurting. Life is too hard to make me feel good. Make me feel good about myself so I can make it through another week and I’ll come back. Well, people have built huge churches on that. Huge mega churches are not all, but generally, let’s just go rule of thumb. Generally, they’re built on validating and presenting Jesus as a life coach. But he doesn’t call for repentance. There’s no mention of sin. You know that, you’ve listened enough.

0:09:06 – (Steve Gray): There’s no mention of sin or obedience or sacrifice or giving or generosity. It’s all about you and your feelings. And we get you to feel better about yourself this Sunday. So then you go through the week and you’re going to show up next Sunday because you want to feel good about yourself again. And so that’s another Jesus. Cause Jesus is not our life coach. Jesus is Lord. Lord means what? Do you know what a Lord is? Lord means the Lord’s. You obey.

0:09:34 – (Steve Gray): He’s King. King of kings. It’s the Lord you obey. You serve him you obey him and you’re devoted to him. But, okay, I’m saying it to you. You may have not even heard that for a long time. You’re going to have to go a lot of places to find a sermon that’s about serving him, dying to yourself, being devoted to him. Right? And so that’s the real Jesus. He is Lord. He is king of all kings. And so we need to treat him like that, but we’re not. We treat him like he’s our coach. To come on team, get with it, do your best. And if you don’t win this week, come on, we’ll try again. You’ll probably win next week. And then we have Where Daniel? In the same book, the Book of Daniel where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. I think it was the third chapter.

0:10:22 – (Steve Gray): In the sixth chapter. Then it’s the same thing, is Daniel. They get Daniel and they say, well, we want to get rid of Daniel. He’s devoted to the Lord. He’s exceptional. You know, they said he had an excellent spirit. Well, they couldn’t catch him in anything. He was so excellent, so good at what he did. They couldn’t catch him in anything to ruin him. So he said, well, the only way we’re going to ruin Daniel is if we catch him in his religion.

0:10:45 – (Steve Gray): So they passed a law that you couldn’t bow down to any God except, yeah, Nebuchadnezzar. And you had to bow down to. To the God, their God. And they said, if you don’t, then you get killed. So he was kind of liked by Nebuchadnezzar. And. But, you know, when it came, when they passed that law, you got to bow down no other God but him. Well, he got caught. He got caught bowing down three times a day to his own God, to the real God, you know, to the God of the Creator of the universe.

0:11:22 – (Steve Gray): And he got caught bowing down to God. And so they said, okay, that’s it. So they report him to the king. And the king says, well, I made this thing that you have to die, and you’re going to be thrown to the lion. So I guess I have to. But he didn’t really want to. He liked Daniel. So, you know, he felt bad about it, but he had to go with his own decree. So Daniel gets tossed in with the lions. And of course, you know, the story comes out alive.

0:11:47 – (Steve Gray): And they look and there’s. You know. And then all of a sudden, he comes out and he made it. And I think the king is happy about that. But there again, you know, he would not bow. So if you’re a leader, you’re a pastor, you’re a Sunday school teacher, you’re just sending your kids to the best church, you know, and it’s got the best children’s church. It got everything in the world that a kid could want.

0:12:14 – (Steve Gray): But you go there, and when you hear the sermon, are you bowing to it? You’re bowing to it. It’s all about you, your feelings. It’s success in life. Jesus is a life coach. He’s almost a concierge. Have you stayed in enough hotels to know what a concierge is? Some of them have a desk. And a concierge, you go to him when you need something. And so he becomes our spiritual concierge or life concierge, whatever. I need something. So I go to Jesus when I need something. I don’t.

0:12:41 – (Steve Gray): I don’t bother the concierge when I don’t need and everything, but when I do, I go to him. And so that’s what he’s coming. And so what you hope for is people say, I have to stop bowing because this is another Jesus. This is not the Jesus of the Bible. This is not the Jesus of devotion. This is not the Jesus that wants a bride without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. This is not the Jesus that expects me to serve, to give,

0:13:07 – (Steve Gray): To pick up my cross, die to myself, surrender to him, all those things. This isn’t it. This is all to make me feel better about myself, to encourage me, to keep going, to let me know how much I’m loved. And you think, well, isn’t that part of the. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But that’s not the place to start, for one thing. But you can’t get that every week, maybe every once in a while. Encouraging thing. How much Jesus loves you. And you can sing, Jesus loves me, this I know, or God loves me.

0:13:39 – (Steve Gray): But the kingdom of God doesn’t start with God loves me. It doesn’t start with Jesus loves me. Even when God started with the children of Israel and he says, I’m going to make a nation, he said, okay, Moses, here it is. First law, love me with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. It started with who you love, not who loves you. But if you go to church, it starts with who loves you. God loves you. Jesus loves you, validates you. You’re valuable, you’re good, blah, blah.

0:14:09 – (Steve Gray): All right? And I don’t know about you, but, I mean, I’ve had enough of that. I want to hear. I want the real Jesus. Because the real Jesus transforms, powerful, brings revival and will save this nation. I believe we can save this nation from what’s coming because there are other people, religious people that serve another God, not our God, serve a different God, that have a plan that. I believe it’s demonic. I believe demons are behind it. I believe that you don’t have to believe it if you don’t want to, but I believe it. It’s demonic forces that are coming and we can’t. The church in its present condition cannot stand up. We cannot win against these other demonic forces in our present condition. Cause we’re nominal, we’re compromised.

0:14:53 – (Steve Gray): We like entertainment, we, we go to church. But there’s not solid devotion. I know there’s some people devoted, there’s some. But you don’t see it that much. And isn’t it. How about that? This is amazing. If you really see somebody super devoted, a super devoted Christian, you know what happens? It scares people, it scares other Christians. Like they’re going overboard, they’re going too much. I don’t know, I don’t want to go too far with it. Can you really go too far with God?

0:15:22 – (Steve Gray): Yes, in some people’s book, because they set up boundaries, you know, and they have boundaries, they have borderlines and they’re not going to cross it. They already know. They know how much they’re going to serve God this year, the rest of this year. They know how much they’re going to serve God, how much they’re going to give to God, how much time they’re going to give, how much money, how much energy, how much prayer.

0:15:44 – (Steve Gray): And they’re not going past that. They have a stop sign. This is how far I go with God. And when I meet somebody that goes farther than that, it frightens me, you know, I don’t know what to do with those people. It seems like they’re going too far. But in other religions, have you ever felt like some of these, I don’t want to name em, obviously other religions. Do you ever feel like they’re out in the street screaming about their God and their religion and their.

0:16:09 – (Steve Gray): Whatever they do, you know, they kill for their God and you go like, oh, well, they’re really dedicated, you know, you don’t get the feeling that they feel like they’re going too far. Right? But in Christianity, it’s like, eh, let’s not go too far with this. And yet we’re not going to be able to defeat the demonic powers that are entering our country now. Demons that we’ve, you know, demons that we as an American people have never had to fight before.

0:16:35 – (Steve Gray): That’s why it’s so difficult, because people don’t recognize the demonic powers that are coming. And so. And so today, when we get this, we need to then go realize there is no too far, there is no too much, right? There’s never enough that we can do. There’s never enough that we can give. There’s never enough that we can love. There’s never enough that we can be. But we don’t have that attitude, right? We have the commercialized Jesus. It’s all about me. It’s my life coach.

0:17:06 – (Steve Gray): And we may say Jesus is Lord or king or whatever, but you know, who really acts like that? Who really acts like he’s king and Lord? We don’t know what a lord means anyway, right? Because we didn’t grow up here with having lords. But in other cultures, they had lords and they have kings. And they know you bow to the king, how you treat a king. But we don’t have that. We don’t have that here. So we really don’t know what to do.

0:17:35 – (Steve Gray): And so when we begin to say Jesus is Lord, we’re meaning there is no other Lord. That is who he is. It’s not another Jesus. And this Lord wants my loyalty. This Lord wants my devotion, right? Sincere, pure, absolutely devoted to him. This is the focus one. I looked that up, and one definition was devotion is a total affection. Oh, yeah. And when I was reading about that, they also put in compare it to a bride who’s going to get married.

0:18:08 – (Steve Gray): And we hope that that bride has total affection for who she’s going to marry. Right? We don’t want to go to a wedding where the bride’s walking down the aisle thinking of somebody else. You know, they look straight ahead and they’re smiling and the music’s going. We’re all smiling at her. And she’s thinking like, hey, I wonder what my old boyfriend’s doing today. Oh, maybe he’s here. I’m looking around like, hey, I wonder if my old boyfriend’s here today to see what.

0:18:32 – (Steve Gray): No. We want to go to a wedding where it’s real, it’s devotion. And that’s what makes it so good. And hopefully. But that has not entered into our. That level of love has been lost in our Christianity today. And that’s why we need revival. We need to be consuming the things of God rather than consuming the things of the world. I was mentioning a little bit ago, that to me is success in the kingdom of God is. I wrote this down.

0:19:05 – (Steve Gray): When you produce in the kingdom of God more than you consume so if you come into the church and you’re looking to consume. I need this, I need help, I need prayer, I need money, I need relationship, I need help. I need you to touch my husband, my wife, my kids, my job, my boss, whatever. And you’re consuming all this time is consumed on all about you rather than you produce more. You come in and you produce the spirit of the Lord, you produce the atmosphere of God, you produce the atmosphere of praise, you produce the atmosphere of love. You’re producing. And through the week you produce things, the kingdom of God things and all kind. You just produce more than you consume.

0:19:46 – (Steve Gray): Right? And so to me, that’s success and not. Not in need A. You don’t need a life coach to succeed at that. You’re just so devoted, so much affection. And then that helps us. Now we’re ready to produce a real revival. We see rumblings of revival. We see some good things happening here and there. Some people are even calling it revival. But a real revival is total devotion. Not a good meeting where teenagers or young adults show up and they worship for three hours. Okay, great.

0:20:18 – (Steve Gray): They’re not drinking beer, they’re worshiping. Great. And there’s lots of them. They show up in a big crowd, great, that’s good. But it’s not revival if it doesn’t last through the week. Revival, a true revival is total devotion, affection, where the spirit of God comes near to us and God comes down and. And becomes near to us totally and it affects your whole week. When you’re not gathered with that group, you still have this nearness and it revives us.

0:20:46 – (Steve Gray): And so anyway, we need a national revival because I don’t think. I don’t know how we’re going to survive some of these spirits and some of these ideas that are coming from other countries without reviving us from our nominal, selfish, all about me gospel. It just. It’s a loving gospel, but it’s not an empowering gospel. And we need to be empowered with the things of God like they were in the Bible with that same devotion.

0:21:15 – (Steve Gray): I don’t know. You’ll probably never be thrown in the fiery furnace. You’ll probably never be threatened with it. You’ll probably never be threatened to throw to the lions. That’ll probably never happen to you. But still, that attitude of such devotion. I will not bow to another Jesus, to. To another gospel, to another spirit, or to another gospel. That’s all about me. I am ready now. I want to hear about God. I want to pray about him.

0:21:37 – (Steve Gray): I want to walk with the Lord through the cool of the day. I want to be totally devoted and not lose that sincere and pure devotion to Christ. That’s who I want to be at least. And that’s the beginning. Even personal revival. That would be the beginning of personal revival to you. Well, I hope you’ll tell your friends, subscribe, be a friend to us and look at the store whenever this comes out. It’ll be a couple weeks or so after you hear this that the new book might come out. It’s called Revival or Ruin. I have a subtitle, but I’m still working on which the subtitle is. But it is the most important book I have ever written. I’ve written a lot of books and I’m not publishing it through a publishing company because I don’t think they publish it.

0:22:21 – (Steve Gray): They’re going to want to change it. They’re going to want to. They’re going to want. They’re going to want to make this, you know, this Jesus. They’re going to change the Jesus in it. And I don’t want to do that. I don’t want you to have to listen, you hear enough about that. But I want to have the real Jesus. And it’s so. It’s hard hitting, good. But it’s revival of ruin and it’s getting a lot of attention already when people have been hearing about it in politics, politicians and people in government.

0:22:45 – (Steve Gray): Wouldn’t that be something? So anyway, like us, join us, you can support us. You’re not getting all this message from everybody else, so we’d appreciate it so much. Until next time, bye-bye.