Live Blogging Hot Nights @ C3 Church: Pastor Jonathan Wilson

Tonight, C3 Church continues its Hot Nights series with our special guest, Pastor Jonathan Wilson. Stay tuned during the 7:00 service (EST) for a live blog of the sermon. Refresh this page during the hour for a regularly updated post.

If you would like to view the service online, please click here.

Pastor Wilson, from Newport Church, walks on stage and talks about a number of books written by his wife, Dianne Wilson.

Living A Significant Life
In 2 Kings, Jonathan talks about Elisha. He tells the story about how Elisha stayed at a woman's house in a town. Elisha asked the woman what he could do for her. She said that he couldn't do anything for her. A servant told Elisha that she never had a son. Elisha said to the woman that by this time next year she would have a son. Sure enough, she had a child.

Years later, the son died in his mothers arms. She took her son to the room she once built for Elisha and called for the servant to fetch the horse. She rode to where Elisha was and asked him to come and lay hands on her child. When Elisha came, he laid hands on his hands and eyes. The child came alive and sneezed seven times. This was a notable and significant miracle.

Tonight, the message will be about how to live a significant life.

In our story, the woman was significant.

In the garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. God wants you to be significant so that we can partner with him.

We have an opportunity to live a significant life. There are a few points in the story that helps to explain this point.

Elisha, of the Bible, was the most significant man on the planet. The woman in our story believed that she could make a difference in his life. This woman, who was wealthy and had everything, didn't think she needed anything else. Elisha believed he could make a difference in her life.

The enemy wants us to believe that we don't make a difference. How many of our young people believed his lies? How many ended their lives because of this? God wants you to know that you were born to make a difference.

Maybe you believe that you are too small to make a difference. Think about a mosquito that flies around your head at night. [The crowd laughs]

Having A Generous Eye
In 2 Kings 4:9-10, Pastor talks about how this woman has a generous eye. She looks for how she can make a difference in someone's life.

Elisha, after staying in the room for some time, he asked her what he could do for her. This is the beginning of living a significant life. It begins with looking for opportunities to be generous. He who has a generous eye will be blessed.

Pastor Wilson tells a story about a tennis player who won a number of championships in the Australian Open. During one of his games, the player noticed a man in a wheel chair. During one his most important games, he thought about what life must be life for the man. He made a decision to seek out the man after the game. When he did, he gave the man a court side seat and jersey.

Another tennis player, not from America, flew into Australia and said that tennis players don't make enough money. Andre Aggesey said that he needed to take his money and buy some perspective.

While the first tennis player may not be the most popular or successful, he was probably the most significant. Why? Because he was generous. He gave half of his earnings ($600,000) to charity. He knew the difference between success and significance.

Significant miracles happen to those who have a generous eye. It's not about what's happening in OUR lives but what happens in OTHERS lives.

Living Life On The Edge
People who live a significant life live on the edge. In 2 Kings 4:16-17, Elisha tells the woman that she will have a son this time next year. His saying this to the woman was living on the edge. Why? Because prophets who lie get stoned with real rocks.

People who live significant lives learned how to live on the edge.

In another story, Larry wanted to fulfill his boyhood dreams of flying a plane. Unfortunately, he had bad eyes and couldn't fly. This guy wanted to fly so bad that he bought a number of helium weather balloons and attached them to a chair. He thought that he would only hover about 30 feet high. When Larry cut himself from the Earth, he shot up to 16,000 feet.

An airline pilot reported to LAX that they just saw a man in a chair with a gun. When they successfully rescued Larry from the sky, they arrested him. When they asked him why he did it, he said that "Man can't just sit around." Larry lived on the edge.

Like Larry, God doesn't want us to live mediocre lives. Jesus came so that we could live life abundantly. In reality, life is going to be risky, edgy, unpredictive, unfamiliar, and scary. We are called to live life on the edge and do something significant with our lives.

Pastor Wilson talks about leaving a very successful church at God's direction. It was scary. It's ok, he said to his wife, our move to California to build a church was God's plan. Secretly, he was scared but God told him to trust him.

Jonathan didn't want to die wondering how life would have been if he followed God's plan. He faced his fears and trusted the Lord.

For every person there is an edge. It is on the edge that significance lays.

Building Houses For Others Is Where Miracles Reside
The amazing thing about the story in 2 Kings is that the very place that she built for someone else is the room where her miracle happened. The miracle is where you build for someone else.

In talking about building a house, Pastor Wilson talks about C3 Church. Addressing the congregation, he says that this house is a place for others to be encouraged. When we build a house for others, that is where our miracle lies.

In closing, Pastor Wilson tells a story about how he took everything out of the Hillsong Church and put it in the new church. As he was leaving Hillsong, someone asked if he could give $1,000 for a project that would benefit someone else. Secretly, he thought about the church he was building. He knew that he didn't have much money in his banking account, but he immediately said, "Yes!"

A year later, in the same building, a pastor gave Jonathan a check for $10,000 to help build his church. When asked why, the pastor reminded him about that $1,000 he gave the year before. This money was a gift for helping him build a church. Pastor Wilson said that he didn't do it to get anything back, he did it to help others build.

If you help God build His house, He will help you build your house. Remember, God has a purpose for your life. Reach out to Him and find out what that purpose is.

Do You Need A Fresh Start?
If you would like to make a fresh start in your life and receive God's love, pray this prayer:

Dear God, I realize I've sinned and I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross and rising from the grave. Come in to my heart and save me. Thank you for giving me eternal and abundant life. Help me to live for you, for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

To share your story, want more information about next steps, or just in need of prayer, please contact Pastor Matt Fry.