You may have heard someone say that salvation is the greatest miracle of all. Yet sometimes we take God’s gift of salvation for granted. It becomes common to us instead of exciting or amazing. In Acts 10:15, God says what God has cleansed must not be called common. When God cleanses a heart from sin, it is a supernatural miracle. After salvation, His grace continues to fill our lives with abundant blessing. Has His blessing become common to us? Or are we still filled with awe and amazement at what He has done in our lives?
>> Where you are right now
is not normal.
The joy you feel right now
is not normal.
The life that you’re living
right now is not common.
It’s an uncommon life,
and you need to never call
it common again.
♪ ♪
>> Acts 10, I began reading
with Acts 13:10.
“And a voice came to him,
and it said,
‘Rise Peter, kill and eat.’
But Peter said, ‘Not so Lord,
for I have never eaten
anything common, or unclean.’
And a voice spoke to him again,
the second time,
and it said,
‘What God has cleansed
you must not call common.'”
What God has cleansed,
you must not call common.
I want to talk to you,
and I’ll give you my title
in just a moment,
but this is an amazing story.
It’s Simon Peter having
a vision,
and when he has this vision,
a table is spread in the vision,
and God says kill
what is on the table,
and eat it.
And he was on the dietary law
of the Jewish people
that there were certain
foods he couldn’t eat,
and all those foods,
lobster and so on,
they were all on the table.
And he said, “Lord, I can’t
eat something common”,
and God said, the voice said,
“What I call —
what God has cleansed,
don’t you call it common.”
I love that phrase,
don’t you call it common.
When God’s done something,
don’t you make a little deal
about it.
Don’t you act like
it’s something common when God
cleanses, when God pronounces
that which was unclean
is now clean, don’t you act
like that’s a common thing,
no big deal.
And so, I want us to look
at this story.
I don’t know if you remember,
that verse 13 is interesting
when the voice said,
“Rise, kill and eat.”
Kill and eat.
Some years back there was
a fad that came through
many churches.
Somebody wrote a book called
The Hallelujah Diet,
I don’t know if you remember it,
but it was basically
a vegetarian —
eating a lot of vegetables,
and bottom line of the diet
that it kinda caught on,
and everybody that you talked
to was on the, you know,
it was the latest diet.
They’re always changing, right?
And they were saying,
you know, The Hallelujah Diet
is anything you can peel
and eat, like a banana,
and you know, you just have
to eat real healthy,
and it was called
The Hallelujah Diet.
And they said that there was
a redneck that when his pastor
got up and started talking
about he wanted the whole
church to go on
The Hallelujah Diet,
and you can only eat
what you can peel and eat,
they said the redneck
stood up and said,
“That’s unbiblical,
the Bible said, “Kill and eat.”
He had a point.
Simon Peter said, “I have never
eaten anything common”,
and the voice said,
“Don’t call what God
has cleansed common.”
What God was saying was,
what is happening here is I need
you to go to Cornelius’
house, he’s a gentile,
and I know that Jews don’t
associate with gentiles,
and I know that you see them
as unclean, but from this day
forward, the gospel’s gonna
be preached to those people,
and if I call them clean,
don’t you call it something
common when I do the miracle
of salvation.
What he was saying was,
this is a plan that you’re being
a part of that I’ve been
planning for 4,000 years.
It was there when I substituted
Able for Seth,
it was there when Noah floated
out of the flood
with his family.
This is something
I’ve been planning,
and you’re acting
like it’s something common,
but I’ve been waiting for this
moment when the gospel
would break out from just Jesus
ministering to Jewish people,
to now under the new covenant,
it’s for all men of all races,
and all backgrounds.
It’s a gospel of whosoever will,
and I’ve been planning this.
I was planning it with
the virgin birth,
I was planning it when Jesus
showed up in physical body.
God was saying I was planning
it, it was not
just God for men,
and God with men,
but now it’s God in men,
and the death, the burial,
the resurrection,
don’t call this common,
don’t call the precious
blood shed on the cross common.
But I’m going to save
the gentiles, and the Jews,
it’s for everybody,
and don’t act like it’s some
common, normal,
just whatever thing
that I’m doing.
You’ve lost the wonder when
you call something common.
Don’t call this common.
Don’t get over the miracle
of salvation.
And we need to be reminded
as we sit here this morning
routinely, and sometimes
robotically, that there’s
nothing about this church
that is common.
It is the result
of the miraculous power of God
doing things that are beyond us.
We should not ever treat
the gospel as though
it is common.
This church is not common,
salvation is not common,
the joy and the faith that we
have is not common.
This life that we’re living
folks, right now,
not someday when things
get perfect, but right now,
you’re living in an uncommon,
extraordinary life.
And you don’t need to act
like it’s common, this is what
God has done in your life.
And when He’s done something,
what He cleanses,
don’t you treat
and call it common.
The story of Noah and the Ark,
the greatest part of that story
is not the building of the boat,
but the presence
of the passengers.
Somewhere in deep, dark jungle,
two lions, one male
and one female turned —
the male turned to the female
and said, “Follow me, I feel
like I’m supposed to walk
in this direction.”
He didn’t know why, but he was
being drawn to the Ark,
and I can see
two monkeys swinging,
one male and one female,
on the vines.
And the male says,
“Follow me, I know we hadn’t
never gone to those trees over
there, but I want to go
in that direction,
there’s something over there.
I don’t know why,
but we’re going.”
And I can see the giraffes
as they’re looking,
and the male giraffe says
to the female giraffe,
“Let’s go in that direction.”
And the miracle of the story
of the Ark is how all
of the passengers, all those
animals, including mosquitoes,
two of ’em.
Why didn’t he close that door?
But two of ’em made it on.
I’m telling you that how did
those animals get on that Ark?
Only one Ark, only one way out
of the storm.
God led the animals out of their
natural habitat into a place
where they would be safe,
where they would be rescued,
and the same God
that led them, led you out,
led you out of your bondage,
led you out of your darkness,
led you out of your sin,
led you out of your past,
and brought you to this place.
It’s a miracle that you have
been forgiven.
It’s a miracle that you
are saved.
And don’t you ever treat it
as though it’s common,
that you’re sitting in church
is a big deal.
Don’t let it be common.
In other words, get saved
and never get over it.
And I want to preach on don’t
ever get over it.
Touch your neighbor and say,
“Don’t ever get over it.”
There’s a lot of people
who’ve gotten over it.
You shouldn’t be able to sit
in that seat today and treat
this service as though it’s
just another service
at Free Chapel.
My goodness, I’ve never got over
the miracle of salvation,
the miracle of divine direction,
that God led me here.
I didn’t lead myself,
I didn’t choose this place,
God chose me.
I showed up, didn’t know why
I was here,
thought I was preaching
a revival for a pastor
named Wellborn at Free Chapel,
almost 30 years ago,
and here I am,
it was a miracle direction.
The week that that pastor died
he had scheduled me
to be the preacher
for that Sunday morning,
nine months in advance,
and here I stand
on this property,
in this building,
that is a miracle.
You know, when Noah dropped
that gang plank, he didn’t say
“Pick any boat out of many”,
this is it.
If you don’t get on this Ark
you’re not getting out
of this world safely.
And I’m telling you
it’s a miracle.
There’s a lot of animals
that were still left
in the jungle,
but here you are in the church,
in the body of Christ,
saved and on your way to heaven.
And what God has cleansed,
do not call common.
Somebody give God praise if you
believe I’m preaching the truth.
But our enthusiasm,
our thanksgiving,
our appreciation,
should be uncommon.
I’m living a dream.
I’m living a miracle.
Don’t you let God’s
greatest, and greatness
in your life,
and greatest blessings
in your life become common.
It’s a miracle some
of you are not dead.
It’s a miracle some of you
are sober, and got a Bible
up under your feet.
It’s a miracle that some of you
are not on drugs today.
It’s a miracle that some of you
are married after all the enemy
has done to wipe
your marriage out.
It’s a miracle somebody’s
not in prison,
they’ve been set free
and they’re sitting here today.
And don’t you ever let anybody
tell you that it’s just common.
It’s not common, and I will not
give Him common praise.
If you’re living an uncommon
life, you ought to get some
uncommon praise and give God
the glory.
Come on!
Praise Him just a minute,
with an uncommon praise.
It’s a miracle I’m blessed.
It’s a miracle I’m healed.
Don’t lose the wonder of it all.
Some of you are sitting here
today, and you have a child
when the doctor told you,
you would never have children,
but if you’re not careful,
that miracle will become common.
And ten years later you forget
that He healed you,
He delivered you,
He brought you out,
He preformed great things.
God gave us this building,
and another building down
the road, and 150 acres,
debt free.
And he gave us the building
in Gwinnett, and he gave us
the land in Beaufort,
and He gave us the building
in Spartanburg, and He gave us
the building in Orange County,
and He gave us the building
in Midtown that one day,
we’ll own, praise God.
Come on, this is not common.
Don’t call it common,
this is crazy.
I’m preaching to the world
on television.
This is not normal,
this is not common.
Don’t let it become —
don’t call it common.
Where are we going?
We’re gonna go to church and —
Don’t call this common.
Has God answered any prayer?
Have you forgotten?
Don’t call it common.
Some of you are in business,
but when God found you,
you were broker
than the ten commandments.
You didn’t have nothing,
and God has blessed you.
And now you got people who work
for you, and you ride around
in your truck or whatever
it is, your G wagon,
or your Mercedes,
or your Bimmer, and you just —
that car should never
become common.
That house you live
in should never —
there was a time when you didn’t
have three sets of clothes.
Now you’ve got so many clothes,
so many shoes, you should never
look at your life
as a common thing.
God has blessed you.
Man, I need to calm down,
don’t call it common.
Look how God has blessed you.
There’s nothing like watching
people who just got saved.
I love it, I can tell
when I’m preaching most
of the time where they are.
They’re the ones —
and then there’s those of you
who’ve been around a while.
Because the people who’s just
genuinely got born again,
filled with the holy spirit,
they’re sitting down
there and just normal preaching,
like, there’s power
in the blood, and “Oh my God,
did you hear that?”
But people who say,
“This is just common.
This is just Sunday morning.”
But there’s other people
that say, this is not,
you don’t understand
what He’s done for me.
You don’t understand
where I was a year ago.
You don’t know how messed up
and hopeless my life was.
So don’t tell me to give him
a common praise, I know what
he’s done for me, and he said,
“What I’ve cleansed,
don’t you ever call it common.”
We’ll return to this important
message in just a moment,
but I wanted to share
with you an incredible
opportunity that we
at Kingdom Connection have
as we’re partnering with Pastor
Matthew Barnett
and the Dream Center
in Los Angeles,
to build the Freedom House,
a women’s veterans home,
a place just
for female veterans.
A place for them to find help,
hope, and healing
that they need.
Through your generosity to help
our most vulnerable veterans,
these women will receive
hands on ministry,
and experience recovery
and restoration through God’s
love, so today,
I’m boldly asking that you help
us build the freedom house
women’s veterans home.
Help us make the dream come
true for these women.
Help us to give
them another start.
Help these women who have
sacrificed for our nation,
find healing and help
in their life.
He’s my announcer
to tell you more.
>> God is calling us at Kingdom
Connection to do everything
possible to help heal
what has been broken.
Sadly, thousands of American
military veterans are living
with deep wounds after years
of service, often suffering
with unspeakable pain
and trauma.
That is why we are partnering
with the Dream Center to build
the Freedom House Women’s
Veterans Home in the heart
of Los Angeles,
and that is why we are asking
you to join hands with us today
in this incredible outreach
of compassion.
Every gift makes a difference.
When you make a gift today
of $50 or more to help change
the life of these
precious veterans,
we will send you
Jentezen Franklin’s
just released book,
“Love Like You’ve
Never Been Hurt”.
When you make a very special
one-time gift of $1,000
or more, your name will
be inscribed on the wall
of honor at the Freedom House
Women’s Veterans Home
as a lasting testimony of your
love and generosity to these
women who have already
given so much.
You will also receive a custom
etched glass American flag
for you to proudly display
in your home or office.
Don’t wait.
Call the number on the screen
or go to JentezenFranklin.tv
to give your gift.
Hope for these precious
women begins with you.
♪ ♪
>> The continual key to making
it all the way to heaven
is to get saved and never
get over it.
Don’t get over it.
His first name is wonderful.
Isaiah said, “His name shall
be called wonderful, counselor,
mighty God, everlasting Father,
Prince of peace.”
But if you ever lose the wonder,
you lose all the other stuff.
Don’t forget his first name,
don’t lose the wonder.
If you wonder where
the wonder went,
it went with the wonder.
And if you want to get back
the glory of God you get back
the wonder.
My God.
I love it, I love it.
I love to see people who
just been on fire for God.
We got some young man that I
baptized up here
the other night,
he just got out of prison.
The prison ministry won him,
and he was sitting up there,
and I’m telling you,
he was wild eyed and fired up,
and couldn’t hardly stand it
in the water,
and got to shout and praise God.
And if we don’t watch
it that just becomes common.
Don’t get over it.
Romans 6:13 says, “Neither
yield your members”,
your body, “as instruments
of sin, but yield them to God
as instruments
of righteousness.”
Watch this, want you to yield
your instruments as —
don’t do it as unrighteousness
unto sin,
but yield yourself to God watch,
as those that are alive
from the dead.
He said I want you to worship
like God raised you from
the dead.
I mean, what if you just croaked
right here right now.
And we ran back there and laid
hands on you, and boom you came
back from life.
The Bible said you were so dead
in sin, the next part
of that verse says,
“For she who is living in her
pleasure is dead while
she lives.”
You didn’t know it,
but while you were partying,
and while you were living
like hell,
you were a dead man walking.
You were a dead woman talking,
and partying,
and shaking it in the —
but you were dead
as you could be.
You were lost and on your way —
and he said, “When I save you,
you give me your members
of your body,
and you worship me
with them like I raised
you from the dead.”
Don’t you sit there and act
like it’s a common thing,
I raised you from the dead.
Come on, praise Him until
you forget about the people
around you.
You were a dead man.
You were a dead woman.
Well pastor, if you would
calm down our church would
grow a whole lot more.
Fooey on you!
The more I think about it,
I think I want to shout it
from the rooftop.
We don’t need a quiet church,
we need a church that says
I serve an uncommon God
who blessed me
with an uncommon life,
and I’m gonna give Him
uncommon praise.
Tell somebody, “Worship like
you were raised from the dead.”
Let me take it one step further,
what if your children died?
What if your children died,
and God —
one of them fell in the pool
and drowned and you laid
your hand on ’em and Jesus name
and they came back to life
20 minutes later?
Would you get excited
about that?
Your children are sitting
in church loving Jesus,
praise Him like He raised your
family from the dead.
Oh my God, somebody got healed
ten years ago of cancer,
but now it’s just common.
Somebody went through heart
surgery, and you didn’t know
when you were laying in ICU
if you’d make it, but five years
later here you are,
but now it’s become common.
Don’t you give Him common
praise if He’s done uncommon
things in your life.
Come out of the doldrums.
Stop coming and having
Sunday as usual.
Just another church service,
it’s a miracle.
By miraculous direction,
you’re here.
You’re there.
How did you ever get there?
It’s a miracle.
Some of you business people,
you deal now hundreds
and hundreds of thousands
of dollars, maybe millions,
you just deal with millions,
make million dollar decisions.
Yeah, buy that house
for 250,000 yeah, yeah.
It’s common.
If you don’t watch it,
you become like the 10 lepers
that God healed, but you don’t
ever turn back and praise Him
cause it’s just common now.
But one of ’em turned back,
one of ’em said,
“This is not normal,
this is not common.
You cleansed me of leprosy,
and I can’t act
like it’s common,
like they’re doing.”
They just went on about
their business,
but I gotta tell you,
I’m living an uncommon life now.
I’ve been raised from the dead,
I got my family back.
I don’t ever want to get
over this.
I’m preaching.
Does anybody get my drift
of what I’m talking about?
When I look at my life,
this is stupid,
this is uncommon, this is crazy.
Look what I get to do.
I’m gonna get to do it here,
I’m preaching on TV.
This is uncommon,
but your life is the same.
Nobody gave any hope for you,
nobody believed in you,
but God, and God said,
“Let me raise him up.
Let me give him —
and the more you praise Him
for what He’s done,
the more He will release
into your life His
uncommon blessing.
Get up on your feet and give Him
a mighty shout of praise if you
know I’m preaching the truth
at every campus.
Don’t be quiet about it,
lift up a shout of praise.
Woo!
I hope when you walk in that job
tomorrow that you just act
like it’s common.
That I walk in here,
I’m the boss, I’m promoted,
I’m over all these people.
You walk in there
with a humility.
You walk in there
with a new appreciation.
Lord have mercy.
If they only knew who I really
am without God.
Praise the name of Jesus.
I’m not just up here
messing around.
I feel God’s anointing
in this room.
Somebody’s about to get
saved right now.
You’re a dead man walking,
you’re a dead woman walking.
But you’re about to get
called out of your grave,
right now.
Every head bowed, every eye
closed for just one minute.
Right where you’re standing.
If you’d say, Pastor, I know
I’m lost, I know I’m dead
while I’m in my sin,
my pleasure.
As soon as it’s over there’s
something that feels dead
in my heart, in my soul.
Just feels dead.
And I’d like for Jesus
to raise me from the dead.
I’d like to run out
of that grave,
and I’d like to say
to the devil,
what God has cleansed don’t you
ever call common again.
Pastor pray for me, I want
to get right with God today.
If that’s you, boldly raise
your hand right where you
stand and I want to see it.
Hands up all over this room.
Hands up all over in every room.
Keep your hand high,
keep your hand high.
Pray this prayer,
say Lord Jesus, everybody
at every campus,
everybody say, “Lord Jesus,
I receive you today,
as my savior, there’s nothing
common about what you did
on the cross.
There’s nothing common about
the precious blood you shed
for me, and today, I receive
total cleansing,
I’ll never be the same.
I am forgiven,
I am a new creation,
and I’ll never forget this day.
I’ll never be the same.
I’ll never call this common
because you’ve cleansed me.
I am free, and I am forgiven
in Jesus’ name.”
>> God is calling us at Kingdom
Connection to do everything
possible to help heal
what has been broken.
Sadly, thousands of American
military veterans are living
with deep wounds after years
of service, often suffering
with unspeakable pain
and trauma.
That is why we are partnering
with the Dream Center to build
the Freedom House Women’s
Veterans Home in the heart
of Los Angeles,
and that is why we are asking
you to join hands with us today
in this incredible outreach
of compassion.
Every gift makes a difference.
When you make a gift today
of $50 or more to help change
the life of these
precious veterans,
we will send you
Jentezen Franklin’s
just released book,
“Love Like You’ve
Never Been Hurt”.
When you make a very special
one-time gift of $1,000
or more, your name will
be inscribed on the wall
of honor at the Freedom House
Women’s Veterans Home
as a lasting testimony of your
love and generosity to these
women who have already
given so much.
You will also receive a custom
etched glass American flag
for you to proudly display
in your home or office.
Don’t wait.
Call the number on the screen
or go to JentezenFranklin.tv
to give your gift.
Hope for these precious
women begins with you.
♪ ♪
>> Forward Conference 2018.
With Elevation Worship,
Jesus Culture,
Free Chapel Music,
and Hillsong Young & Free.
And life changing messages
from Jentezen Franklin,
Laura Toggs, Banning Leibscher,
Sy Rogers, Reggie Dabbs,
Ben Prescott, Jake Foqurier,
and Brock Byrd.
June 28th through 30th 2018.
Register today
at Forwardconference.org
>> This program has been
sponsored by friends
and partners
of Kingdom Connection.
We hope you’ve enjoyed
this teaching
by Jentezen Franklin,
and thank you
for your continued support
of this ministry.
Your prayers
and financial support make
these programs possible
For more information about
this message,
and other ministry resources,
visit us online
at JentezenFranklin.tv
♪ ♪